Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Haploidy in Tobacco Induced by PsASGR-BBML Transgenes via Parthenogenesis

Background: Engineering apomixis in sexually reproducing plants has been long desired because of the potential to fix hybrid vigor. Validating the functionality of genes originated from apomictic species that contribute to apomixis upon transfer to sexually reproducing species is an important step. The PsASGR-BABYBOOM-like (PsASGR-BBML) gene from Pennisetum squamulatum confers parthenogenesis in this apomict, and its functionality was demonstrated in several sexually reproducing monocots but not in any dicots. Methods: We introduced the PsASGR-BBML gene regulated by egg cell-specific promoters, either AtDD45 or AtRKD2, into tobacco, and analyzed progeny of the transgenic lines resulting from self-pollination and crossing by flow cytometry. Results: We identified haploid progeny at a frequency lower than 1% in the AtDD45pro lines, while at a frequency of 9.3% for an octoploid (2n = 8x) AtRKD2pro line. Haploid production in the T2 generation, derived from the tetraploid T1 offspring of this original octoploid AtRKD2pro line, was also observed. Pollinated by homozygous transgenic tobacco carrying a DsRed marker gene, 4x progeny of the AtRKD2pro line yielded parthenogenetic embryos identified as DsRed negative. We verified that the DsRed negative seedlings recovered were haploid (2x). Conclusion: The PsASGR-BBML gene regulated by egg cell-specific promoters could enable parthenogenesis in tobacco, a dicotyledon species.
The Expression Profile of mRNA and tRNA Genes in Splenocytes and Neutrophils after In Vivo Delivery of Antitumor Short Hairpin RNA of Indoleamine 2,3- Dioxygenase

RNA-based therapeutics are considered as novel treatments for human diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that treatment with short-hairpin RNA against Ido1 (IDO shRNA) suppresses tumor growth, detects Th1-bias immune responses, and elevates expression of tryptophan transfer RNA (tRNATrp) in total splenocytes. In addition, depletion of Ly6g+ neutrophils attenuates the effect of IDO shRNA. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory network and the expression profile of tRNAs and other non-coding RNAs in IDO shRNA-treated spleens. The total splenocytes and magnetic bead-enriched splenic neutrophils were collected from the lung tumor bearing mice, which were treated with IDO shRNA or scramble IDO shRNA, and the collected cells were subsequently subjected to RNA sequencing. The gene ontology analysis revealed the different enrichment pathways in total splenocytes and splenic neutrophils. Furthermore, the expression of tRNA genes was identified and validated. Six isoacceptors of tRNA, with different expression patterns between total splenocytes and splenic neutrophils, were observed. In summary, our findings not only revealed novel biological processes in IDO shRNA-treated total splenocytes and splenic neutrophils, but the identified tRNAs and other non-coding RNAs may contribute to developing a novel biomarker gene set for evaluating the clinical efficiency of RNA-based cancer immunotherapies.
Nest-site microhabitat association of red-billed leiothrix in subtropical fragmented forest in central China: evidence for a reverse edge effect on nest predation risk?

ABSTRACT Previous studies of nest-site selection on a fine scale may reveal limiting resources within habitat types. The red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea Scopoli, 1786) is a common bird species that lives in the subtropical forests of Asia. Despite many reports of this species from introduced populations, little information has been obtained from its native range. From 2011 to 2013, we studied nest-site selection of red-billed leiothrix at micro-scales in Daweishan Nature Reserve, Hunan Province, central China. A total of 363 nests were found in five vegetation types. We measured the habitat variables and constructed nest-site selection models for nests found in the forest and scrub-grassland. Among the 18 variables measured in the forest, six variables were selected to construct the nest-site selection model: distance to forest edge (DTE), distance to water (DTW), vegetation comprehensive coverage, tree coverage, bamboo coverage and shrub height. According to Akaike’s information criterion, the best model consisted of five of these variables (excluding vegetation comprehensive coverage), and distance to forest edge, distance to water, tree coverage and bamboo coverage had negative effects on nest-site selection. In scrub-grassland, the DTE, DTW, and bush coverage (BUC) were selected from the 13 variables measured, and, accordingly, the best model consisted of DTE and BUC. Model averaging suggested that BUC had a positive effect on nest-site selection. In contrast, DTE has a reverse effect. In addition, DTE differed significantly between successful and failed nests in forest and scrub-grassland. More successful nests were found near the forest edge. Taken together, these findings emphasise the power of fine-scale habitat selection models in identifying relevant habitat variables with a significant effect on preferred habitat and eventually, breeding success.
Hepatoprotective Effect of an Aqueous Extract of the Rhizomes of Sansevieria senegambica Baker Against Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Liver Injury

In this study, the ability of aqueous extract of the rhizomes of Sansevieria senegambica, to protect against carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage was investigated in Wistar albino rats. The carbon tetrachloride was prepared 1:5 (v:v) in olive oil, and administered subcutaneously at 1 mL/kg body weight. The extract was administered to both normal and carbon tetrachloride treated rats at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg. On fractionation and gas chromatographic analysis of the crude aqueous extract, the phytosterol and tannins fractions contained 100% of β-sitosterol and tannic acid respectively. Compared to test control, the treatment dose dependently produced significantly lower (P<0.05) alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine transaminase activities, and total and conjugated bilirubin levels. Histopathological studies showed that carbon tetrachloride caused fatty degeneration of hepatocytes; while pretreatment with the extract exhibited protection, which confirmed the results of the biochemical studies. The results of this study indicated that treatment with the plant extract protects the liver against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity. This corroborates the use of Sansevieria senegambica in African traditional health care for the treatment of liver problems.
Longitudinal Changes in Early Nasal Microbiota and the Risk of Childhood Asthma

In this birth cohort of 704 children, we identified distinct longitudinal nasal microbiota profiles in early life that were associated with differential risks of developing asthma. OBJECTIVES: Although the airway microbiota is a highly dynamic ecology, the role of longitudinal changes in airway microbiota during early childhood in asthma development is unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of longitudinal changes in early nasal microbiota with the risk of developing asthma. METHODS: In this prospective, population-based birth cohort study, we followed children from birth to age 7 years. The nasal microbiota was tested by using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing at ages 2, 13, and 24 months. We applied an unsupervised machine learning approach to identify longitudinal nasal microbiota profiles during age 2 to 13 months (the primary exposure) and during age 2 to 24 months (the secondary exposure) and examined the association of these profiles with the risk of physician-diagnosed asthma at age 7 years. RESULTS: Of the analytic cohort of 704 children, 57 (8%) later developed asthma. We identified 4 distinct longitudinal nasal microbiota profiles during age 2 to 13 months. In the multivariable analysis, compared with the persistent Moraxella dominance profile during age 2 to 13 months, the persistent Moraxella sparsity profile was associated with a significantly higher risk of asthma (adjusted odds ratio, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–6.27). Similar associations were observed between the longitudinal changes in nasal microbiota during age 2 to 24 months and risk of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Children with an altered longitudinal pattern in the nasal microbiota during early childhood had a high risk of developing asthma. Our data guide the development of primary prevention strategies (eg, early identification of children at high risk and modification of microbiota) for childhood asthma. These observations present a new avenue for risk modification for asthma (eg, microbiota modification).
Numerical Simulation of Coupled Pyrolysis and Combustion Reactions with Directly Measured Fire Properties

In this study, numerical simulations of coupled solid-phase reactions (pyrolysis) and gas-phase reaction (combustion) were conducted. During a fire, both charring and non-charring materials undergo a pyrolysis as well as a combustion reaction. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based fire model (Fire Dynamics Simulator, FDS version 6.2) was used for simulating the PMMA (non-charring), pine (charring), wool (charring) and cotton (charring) flaming fire experiments conducted with a cone calorimeter at 50 and 30 kW/m2 irradiance. The inputs of chemical kinetics and the heat of reaction were obtained from sample mass change and enthalpy data in TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests and the flammability parameters were obtained from cone calorimeter experiments. An iso-conversional analytical model was used to obtain the kinetic triplet of the above materials. The thermal properties related to heat transfer were also mostly obtained in house. All these directly measured fire properties were inputted to FDS in order to model the coupled pyrolysis–combustion reactions to obtain the heat release rate (HRR) or mass loss. The comparison of the results from the simulations of non-prescribed fires show that experimental HRR or mass loss curve can be reasonably predicted if input parameters are directly measured and appropriately used. Some guidance to the optimization and inverse analysis technique to generate fire properties is provided.
Characterization of Persistent Uncontrolled Asthma Symptoms in Community Members Exposed to World Trade Center Dust and Fumes

The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on the 11th of September, 2001 released a vast amount of aerosolized dust and smoke resulting in acute and chronic exposures to community members as well as responders. The WTC Environmental Health Center (WTC EHC) is a surveillance and treatment program for a diverse population of community members, including local residents and local workers with WTC dust exposure. Many of these patients have reported persistent lower respiratory symptoms (LRS) despite treatment for presumed asthma. Our goal was to identify conditions associated with persistent uncontrolled LRS despite standard asthma management. We recruited 60 patients who were uncontrolled at enrollment and, after a three-month run-in period on high-dose inhaled corticosteroid and long acting bronchodilator, reassessed their status as Uncontrolled or Controlled based on a score from the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Despite this treatment, only 11 participants (18%) gained Controlled status as defined by the ACT. We compared conditions associated with Uncontrolled and Controlled status. Those with Uncontrolled symptoms had higher rates of upper airway symptoms. Many patients had persistent bronchial hyper-reactivity (BHR) and upper airway hyper-reactivity as measured by paradoxical vocal fold movement (PVFM). We found a significant increasing trend in the percentage of Controlled with respect to the presence of BHR and PVFM. We were unable to identify significant differences in lung function or inflammatory markers in this small group. Our findings suggest persistent upper and lower airway hyper-reactivity that may respond to standard asthma treatment, whereas others with persistent LRS necessitate additional diagnostic evaluation, including a focus on the upper airway.
A Computer-Interpretable Guideline for COVID-19: Rapid Development and Dissemination

Background COVID-19 is a global pandemic that is affecting more than 200 countries worldwide. Efficient diagnosis and treatment are crucial to combat the disease. Computer-interpretable guidelines (CIGs) can aid the broad global adoption of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment knowledge. However, currently, no internationally shareable CIG exists. Objective The aim of this study was to establish a rapid CIG development and dissemination approach and apply it to develop a shareable CIG for COVID-19. Methods A 6-step rapid CIG development and dissemination approach was designed and applied. Processes, roles, and deliverable artifacts were specified in this approach to eliminate ambiguities during development of the CIG. The Guideline Definition Language (GDL) was used to capture the clinical rules. A CIG for COVID-19 was developed by translating, interpreting, annotating, extracting, and formalizing the Chinese COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment guideline. A prototype application was implemented to validate the CIG. Results We used 27 archetypes for the COVID-19 guideline. We developed 18 GDL rules to cover the diagnosis and treatment suggestion algorithms in the narrative guideline. The CIG was further translated to object data model and Drools rules to facilitate its use by people who do not employ the non-openEHR archetype. The prototype application validated the correctness of the CIG with a public data set. Both the GDL rules and Drools rules have been disseminated on GitHub. Conclusions Our rapid CIG development and dissemination approach accelerated the pace of COVID-19 CIG development. A validated COVID-19 CIG is now available to the public.
Effect of Konjac Glucomannan (KGM) on the Reconstitution of the Dermal Environment against UVB-Induced Condition

Skin layers serve as a barrier against unexpected critical changes in the body due to environmental factors. Excessive ultraviolet (UV) B exposure increases the levels of age-related factors, leading to senescent cells and damaged skin tissues. Widely used as a dietary supplement, konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) glucomannan (KGM) has shown skin regeneration potential in patch or sheet form with anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive effects. However, the ability of KGM to reconstitute senescent/damaged skin following UV radiation has not been explored. Here, we demonstrate that KGM alleviates skin damage by increasing the proportion of young cell populations in UVB-exposed senescent human epidermal primary melanocytes. Young cell numbers increased depending on KGM dosage, but the senescent cells were not removed. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis showed that mRNA and protein levels of age- and pigmentation-related factors decreased in a manner dependent on the rate at which new cells were generated. Moreover, an analysis of mRNA and protein levels indicated that KGM facilitated youth by increasing cell proliferation in UVB-damaged human fibroblasts. Thus, KGM is a highly effective natural agent for maintaining skin homeostasis by promoting the reconstitution of the dermal environment against UVB-induced acute senescence or skin damage.
Why Do Consumers Make Green Purchase Decisions? Insights from a Systematic Review

In order to achieve sustainable development to protect the environment and society, an increasing number of scholars have conducted in-depth research on green marketing and green purchases. Although great achievements have been made in this field, there still is room for further progress. This study reviews 97 papers providing empirical research on green purchase behavior from 2015 to 2020. First, we review the widely used consumer theory and its extended application in recent years. Second, we divide the influencing factors of green purchase behavior into the following three categories and discuss them in detail: individual factors, product attributes and marketing, and social factors. Finally, we put forward the following possible directions for future research. (1) The authors can consider adjustment to the survey objects to weaken the subjectivity of the data. (2) Longitudinal research can be used to assess the impact of education and policies with a lagging effect on consumers. (3) The authors can broaden the research direction towards a cross-cultural background. (4) The behavior of various green products (such as recyclable tires, recycled glass containers, recycled paper) could be explored to enrich the research content. (5) It will be beneficial to combine a variety of consumer theories to explore the green purchase behavior of consumers and break through the existing linear hypothesis path to explore new research methods.
Swath grazing triticale and corn compared to barley and a traditional winter feeding method in central Alberta

Baron, V. S. , Doce, R. R. , Basarab, J. and Dick, C. 2014. Swath-grazing triticale and corn compared to barley and a traditional winter feeding method in central Alberta. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 1125-1137. A 5-yr study compared swath-grazed triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack), corn (Zea mays L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with a traditional pen-fed, wintering diet for gestating beef cows on the basis of dry matter (DM) yield, carrying capacity, nutritive value, cow performance and total daily feeding cost. Cows (690±70 kg BW) were fed a control total mixed ration (TMR) or allocated to swath-grazed treatments in 2.5-ha paddocks. Triticale yielded 15% more than corn and corn 32% more than barley. Carrying capacity of triticale (1145 cow-d ha-1) and corn (1004 cow-d ha-1) were similar and both were greater (P<0.05) than control (516 cow-d ha-1) and barley (554 cow-d ha-1). Average utilization for triticale (83.7%) was greater (P<0.05) than corn (74.7%) and barley (71.7%). In vitro true digestibility (IVTD) for corn was highest (682 g kg-1), followed by triticale (620 g kg-1), then barley (570 g kg-1) and the control TMR (571 g kg-1). Average cow mean body condition score (BCS) was higher (P<0.05) for triticale and corn (3.0) than barley (2.9), but lower than the control (3.1). Thus, cow reproductive performance should not be compromised by swath grazing. Total daily feeding costs, averaged over years, ranked (P<0.05) triticale ($0.78 cow-d-1)
Molecular Dynamics Study on Mechanical Properties of Interface between Urea-Formaldehyde Resin and Calcium-Silicate-Hydrates

Microcapsule based self-healing concrete can automatically repair damage and improve the durability of concrete structures, the performance of which depends on the binding behavior between the microcapsule wall and cement matrix. However, conventional experimental methods could not provide detailed information on a microscopic level. In this paper, through molecular dynamics simulation, three composite models of Tobermorite (Tobermorite 9 Å, Tobermorite 11 Å, Tobermorite 14 Å), a mineral similar to Calcium-Silicate–Hydrate (C–S–H) gel, with the linear urea–formaldehyde (UF), the shell of the microcapsule, were established to investigate the mechanical properties and interface binding behaviour of the Tobermorite/UF composite. The results showed that the Young’s modulus, shear modulus and bulk modulus of Tobermorite/UF were lower than that of ‘pure’ Tobermorite, whereas the tensile strength and failure strain of Tobermorite/UF were higher than that of ‘pure’ Tobermorite. Moreover, through radial distribution function (RDF) analysis, the connection between Tobermorite and UF found a strong interaction between Ca, N, and O, whereas Si from Tobermorite and N from UF did not contribute to the interface binding strength. Finally, high binding energy between the Tobermorite and UF was observed. The research results should provide insights into the interface behavior between the microcapsule wall and the cement matrix.
Rana chensinensis Ovum Oil Based on CO2 Supercritical Fluid Extraction: Response Surface Methodology Optimization and Unsaturated Fatty Acid Ingredient Analysis

Rana chensinensis ovum oil (RCOO) is an emerging source of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), but it is lacking in green and efficient extraction methods. In this work, using the response surface strategy, we developed a green and efficient CO2 supercritical fluid extraction (CO2-SFE) technology for RCOO. The response surface methodology (RSM), based on the Box–Behnken Design (BBD), was used to investigate the influence of four independent factors (pressure, flow, temperature, and time) on the yield of RCOO in the CO2-SFE process, and UPLC-ESI-Q-TOP-MS and HPLC were used to identify and analyze the principal UFA components of RCOO. According to the BBD response surface model, the optimal CO2-SFE condition of RCOO was pressure 29 MPa, flow 82 L/h, temperature 50 °C, and time 132 min, and the corresponding predicted optimal yield was 13.61%. The actual optimal yield obtained from the model verification was 13.29 ± 0.37%, and the average error with the predicted value was 0.38 ± 0.27%. The six principal UFAs identified in RCOO included eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (ARA), linoleic acid (LA), and oleic acid (OA), which were important biologically active ingredients in RCOO. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the yield of these UFAs was closely related to the yield of RCOO (the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9). Therefore, under optimal conditions, the yield of RCOO and principal UFAs always reached the optimal value at the same time. Based on the above results, this work realized the optimization of CO2-SFE green extraction process and the confirmation of principal bioactive ingredients of the extract, which laid a foundation for the green production of RCOO.
Serum Glycoproteomic Alterations in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy

The precise molecular mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy (DR) pathogenesis are unclear, and treatment options are limited. There is an urgent need to discover and develop novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disease. Glycosylation is a post-translational modification that plays a critical role in determining protein structure, function, and stability. Recent studies have found that serum glycoproteomic changes are associated with the presence or progression of several inflammatory diseases. However, very little is known about the glycoproteomic changes associated with DR. In this study, glycoproteomic profiling of the serum of diabetic patients with and without DR was performed. A total of 15 glycopeptides from 11 glycoproteins were found to be significantly altered (5 upregulated and 10 downregulated) within the serum glycoproteome of DR patients. These glycoproteins are known to be involved in the maintenance of the extracellular matrix and complement system through peptidolytic activity or regulation.