Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast‐track development of a lactase production process with Kluyveromyces lactis by a progressive parameter‐control workflow

The time‐to‐market challenge is key to success for consumer goods affiliated industries. In recent years, the dairy industry faces a fast and constantly growing demand for enzymatically produced lactose‐free milk products, mainly driven by emerging markets in South America and Asia. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, we developed a fermentation process for lactase (β‐galactosidase) from Kluyveromyces lactis within short time. Here, we describe the process of stepwise increasing the level of control over relevant process parameters during scale‐up that established a highly efficient and stable production system. Process development started with evolutionary engineering to generate catabolite‐derepressed variants of the K. lactis wild‐type strain. A high‐throughput screening mimicking fed‐batch cultivation identified a constitutive lactase overproducer with 260‐fold improved activity of 4.4 U per milligram dry cell weight when cultivated in glucose minimal medium. During scale‐up, process control was progressively increased up to the level of conventional, fully controlled fed‐batch cultivations by simulating glucose feed, applying pH‐ and dissolved oxygen tension (DOT)‐sensor technology to small scale, and by the use of a milliliter stirred tank bioreactor. Additionally, process development was assisted by design‐of‐experiments optimization of the growth medium employing the response surface methodology.
Simple and Economical Extraction of Viral RNA and Storage at Ambient Temperature

RNA extraction methods and ultra-cold storage requirements limit molecular testing for common viruses. We developed a simple, flexible, and economical method that simultaneously addresses these limitations. ABSTRACT RNA extraction is essential for the molecular detection of common viral pathogens. However, available extraction methods and the need for ultra-cold storage limit molecular testing in resource-constrained settings. Herein, we describe the development of an economical RNA Extraction and Storage (RNAES) protocol that eliminates requirements for instrumentation, expensive materials, and preserved cold chain. Through an iterative process, we optimized viral lysis and RNA binding to and elution from glass fiber membranes included in simple RNAES packets. Efficient viral lysis was achieved with a nontoxic buffer containing sucrose, KCl, proteinase K, and carrier RNA. Viral RNA binding to glass fiber membranes was concentration dependent across seven orders of magnitude (4.0–10.0 log10 copies/μL) and significantly increased with an acidic arginine binding buffer. For the clinical evaluation, 36 dengue virus (DENV)-positive serum samples were extracted in duplicate with the optimized RNAES protocol and once in an EMAG instrument (bioMérieux). DENV RNA was successfully extracted from 71/72 replicates (98.6%) in the RNAES protocol, and real-time RT-PCR cycle threshold (CT) values correlated between extraction methods. DENV RNA, extracted from clinical samples, was stable when stored on dried RNAES membranes at ambient temperature for up to 35 days, with median eluate RNA concentration decreasing by 0.18 and 0.29 log10 copies/μL between day 0 and days 7 and 35, respectively. At a cost of $0.08/sample, RNAES packets address key limitations to available protocols and may increase capacity for molecular detection of RNA viruses. IMPORTANCE RNA extraction methods and ultra-cold storage requirements limit molecular testing for common viruses. We developed a simple, flexible, and economical method that simultaneously addresses these limitations. At $0.08/sample, the new RNA Extraction and Storage (RNAES) protocol successfully extracted viral RNA from acute-phase sera and provided stable, ambient-temperature RNA storage for 35 days. Using this approach, we expect to improve RNA virus detection and outbreak response in resource-constrained settings.
Biological Control - Parasitoids and Predators Landscape Complexity has Mixed Effects on an Invasive Aphid and Its Natural Enemies in Sorghum Agroecosystems

Landscapes with more complex composition and configuration are generally expected to enhance natural enemy densities and pest suppression. To evaluate this hypothesis for an invasive aphid pest of sorghum, Melanaphis sorghi Theobald (Hemiptera: Aphididae), sampling in sorghum fields for aphids and natural enemies was conducted over two years in a southern U.S. coastal production region. Landscape composition and configuration of crop and noncrop elements were assessed using correlation and multivariate regression modeling to detect relationships with insects at different spatial scales. Significant models found more complex landscape configuration, particularly the amount of habitat edges, was associated with increased aphid and natural enemy abundance. Composition associated with noncrop habitats had the opposite effect. Numerical response of natural enemies was taxa dependent, with parasitism lower as landscape complexity increased, while predator numerical response was not affected by landscape complexity. These results indicate landscape complexity may increase both aphid and natural enemy abundance, but with decreasing parasitism and little association with predator numerical response. These relationships are likely contingent on overall environmental suitability to aphid population increase as results were less evident in the second year when average aphid abundance regularly exceeded the economic threshold. This study supports the importance of configuration, especially habitat borders, as a critical metric for determining pest-natural enemy dynamics within a large-scale cereal agroecosystem.
The electromyographic analysis of orbicularis oculi muscle in epiphora

Purpose: Functional epiphora is a clinical condition that presents with the complaint of watery eyes, but without anatomical stenosis in the lacrimal drainage system. Although the mechanism is not clear, there are various possibilities involving the movement of the orbicularis oculi muscle, especially its deeper segment (Horner's muscle). We aimed to evaluate the function of the orbicularis oculi muscle in patients with patent, but dysfunctional lacrimal drainage system using a quantitative motor unit potential (MUP) analysis. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with functional epiphora (mean age = 59 years) and a control group of 28 volunteers were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were persistent and symptomatic epiphora or wiping >10 times per day and diagnosis confirmation by lacrimal irrigation test. Electromyography (EMG) was performed on the deeper segment of the orbicularis oculi muscle (medial and lateral parts). MUP parameters (duration time, amplitude, number of phases, number of turns, area, rise time, and thickness) were evaluated in both groups. Any increase in amplitude, prolongation time (>14 ms), number of turns, and satellite potential was taken as characteristic of the neurogenic type of epiphora, whereas shortened motor unit duration time, increased phase number, and low amplitude are the features of myopathic type. Results: Upon MUP analysis of the medial and lateral orbicularis oculi muscle, the increase in duration and thickness values in the medial part and the increase in duration, amplitude, area, and thickness values of the lateral part were found to be statistically significant in the patient group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). In the evaluation of the patients' medial and lateral orbicularis oculi muscle, the increase in phase values and decrease in amplitude, area, and rise time values were found to be statistically significant (P = 0.024, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.010, respectively). Conclusion: These data show that functional epiphora is due to neurogenic damage of the orbicularis oculi muscle and should be investigated in more detail.
Impaired activity of the fusogenic micropeptide Myomixer causes myopathy resembling Carey-Fineman-Ziter syndrome

Skeletal muscle fibers contain hundreds of nuclei, which increase the overall transcriptional activity of the tissue and perform specialized functions. Multinucleation occurs through myoblast fusion, mediated by the muscle fusogens Myomaker (MYMK) and Myomixer (MYMX). We describe a human pedigree harboring a recessive truncating variant of the MYMX gene that eliminates an evolutionarily conserved extracellular hydrophobic domain of MYMX, thereby impairing fusogenic activity. Homozygosity of this human variant resulted in a spectrum of abnormalities that mimicked the clinical presentation of Carey-Fineman-Ziter syndrome (CFZS), caused by hypomorphic MYMK variants. Myoblasts generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells displayed defective fusion, and mice bearing the human MYMX variant died perinatally due to muscle abnormalities. In vitro assays showed that the human MYMX variant conferred minimal cell-cell fusogenicity, which could be restored with CRISPR/Cas9–mediated base editing, thus providing therapeutic potential for this disorder. Our findings identify MYMX as a recessive, monogenic human disease gene involved in CFZS, and provide new insights into the contribution of myoblast fusion to neuromuscular diseases.
Current estimates of the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in India: A cost of illness study

Purpose: Currently, there are an estimated 4.95 million blind persons and 70 million vision impaired persons in India, out of which 0.24 million are blind children. Early detection and treatment of the leading causes of blindness such as cataract are important in reducing the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment. There are significant developments in the field of blindness prevention, management, and control since the “Vision 2020: The right to sight” initiative. Very few studies have analyzed the cost of blindness at the population level. This study was undertaken to update the information on the economic burden of blindness and visual impairment in India based on the prevalence of blindness in India. We used secondary and publicly available data and a few assumptions for our estimations. Methods: We used gross national income (GNI), disability weights, and loss of productivity metrics to calculate the economic burden of blindness and vision impairment based on the “cost of illness” methodology. Results: The estimated net loss of GNI due to blindness in India is INR 845 billion (Int$ 38.4 billion), with a per capita loss of GNI per blind person of INR 170,624 (Int$ 7,756). The cumulative loss of GNI due to avoidable blindness in India is INR 11,778.6 billion (Int$ 535 billion). The cumulative loss of GNI due to blindness increased almost three times in the past two decades. The potential loss of productivity due to vision impairment is INR 646 billion (Int$ 29.4 billion). Conclusion: These estimates provide adequate information for budgetary allocation and will help advocate the need for accelerated adoption of all four strategies of integrated people-centered eye care (IPCEC). Early detection and treatment of blindness, especially among children, is very important in reducing the economic burden; thus, there is a need for integrating primary eye care horizontally with all levels of primary healthcare.
Geometric effects on mixing performance in a novel passive micromixer with trapezoidal-zigzag channels

A novel passive micromixer, called a trapezoidal-zigzag micromixer (TZM), is reported. A TZM is composed of trapezoidal channels in a zigzag and split–recombine arrangement that enables multiple mixing mechanisms, including splitting–recombining, twisting, transversal flows, vortices, and chaotic advection. The effects of geometric parameters of the TZM on mixing performance are systematically investigated by the Taguchi method and numerical simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics. The number of mixing units, the slope angle of the trapezoidal channel, the height of the constriction element, and the width ratio between the middle-trapezoidal channel and the side-trapezoidal channel are the four parameters under study. The mixing performance of the TZM is investigated at three different Reynolds number (Re) values of 0.5, 5, and 50. The results showed that a TZM with six mixing units, a trapezoidal slope angle of 75°, a constricting height of 100 µm, and a width ratio of 0.5 has the highest mixing efficiency. This optimal TZM has a mixing efficiency greater than 85% for Re values from 0.1 to 80. In particular, for Re ⩽ 0.9 and Re ⩾ 20, the mixing efficiency of the optimal TZM is greater than 90%. The proposed TZM has a higher mixing efficiency and a smaller footprint than previously reported micromixers.
Novel method for groyne erosion stability evaluation

ABSTRACT This paper concentrates on the simulating methodology for the reliability analyses of the groyne erosion stability with the randomness, including the probabilistic turbulences of the mean value, the variation, and the correlation of the pertinent parameters. On the basis of the interpretation for the mechanism of the groyne erosion, the backslope gradient of the local eroded pit is adopted as the major factor for the establishment of the reliability function. Created for the reliability analyses in this paper is the systematic algorithm that can solve the complicated reliability function of the groyne erosion stability and compute the corresponding failure probability. The reliability function here incorporates the random parameters that are non-Gaussian and statistically correlated. These complicated parameters exist in most coastal engineering cases. The comprehensive sensitivity of the groyne erosion stability is investigated based on the measured data of the random parameters and their designed randomness that includes the designed variation and the designed correlative coefficients. Results show that the probabilistic turbulences of the velocity of the natural main stream flow and the mouth radius of the crateriform shape of the local eroded pit affect significantly the groyne erosion stability; the optimal conformation interval of the assembly average diameter of the particles in the local river bed sediments is 0.62, 0.68 mm, where the value of the failure probability is the minimal one; the statistic correlation between the behaviors of the natural main stream and other random parameters deteriorates certainly the performance of the coastal engineering structures. According to the sensitivity analyses, the suggested values of the random parameters are offered in this paper. The methodology developed here is a generalized approach to the reliability simulation for the pertinent structures of coastal engineering and can be applied directly in the n-dimensional independently standardized Gaussian space. On the basis of the comparison with the Monte Carlo simulation, the methodology developed here shows the super efficiency.
Automated and ImageJ thresholding algorithm-based analysis of macular vessel density in diabetic patients

Purpose: To assess the macular vessel density (VD) on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) using proprietary software (automated) and image processing software (manual) in diabetic patients. Methods: In a retrospective study, OCT-A images (Triton, TOPCON Inc.) of type 2 diabetics presenting to a tertiary eye care center in North India between January 2018 and December 2019 with or without nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and with no macular edema were analyzed. Macular images of size 3 × 3 mm were binarized with global thresholding algorithms (ImageJ software). Outcome measures were superficial capillary plexus VD (SCP-VD, automated and manual), deep capillary plexus VD (DCP-VD, manual), and correlation between automated and manual SCP-VD. Results: OCT-A images of 89 eyes (55 patients) were analyzed: no diabetic retinopathy (NoDR): 29 eyes, mild NPDR: 29 eyes, and moderate NPDR: 31 eyes. Automated SCP-VD did not differ between NoDR and mild NPDR (P = 0.69), but differed between NoDR and moderate NPDR (P = 0.014) and between mild and moderate NPDR (P = 0.033). Manual SCP-VD (Huang and Otsu methods) did not differ between the groups. Manual DCP-VD differed between NoDR and mild NPDR and between NoDR and moderate NPDR, but not between mild and moderate NPDR with both Huang (P = 0.024, 0.003, and 0.51, respectively) and Otsu (P = 0.021, 0.006, and 0.43, respectively) methods. Automated SCP-VD correlated moderately with manual SCP-VD using Huang method (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) with a mean difference of −0.01% (agreement limits from −6.60% to +6.57%). Conclusion: DCP-VD differs consistently between NoDR and NPDR with image processing, while SCP-VD shows variable results. Different thresholding algorithms provide different results, and there is a need to establish consensus on the most suited algorithm.
Acetabular fractures treatment needs in the elderly and nonagenarians

Different treatment options for acetabular fractures in the elderly and nonagenarians exist; a consistent guideline has not been established, yet. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of how those fractures can be handled and compares two different surgical treatment methods. A total of 89 patients ≥ 18 years between 2016 and 2021 with acetabular fractures in our department received a surgical intervention with plate fixation via the Stoppa approach or a total hip arthroplasty with a Burch–Schneider ring and integrated cup. 60 patients ≥ 65 were compared in two groups, 29 patients between 65 and 79 and 31 patients ≥ 80. For comparison, data on operation times, hospitalization, complications during operation and hospital stay, blood loss and postoperative mobilization were collected. Characteristics could be found for indications for operative osteosynthesis or endoprosthetics based on the X-ray analysis. There was a tendency to treat simple fractures with osteosynthesis. Patients between 65 and 79 with an osteosynthesis had benefits in almost every comparison. Patients ≥ 80 with a plate fixation had advantages in the categories of postoperative complications, blood loss and transfusion of erythrocyte concentrates. Statistical significant differences were noticed in both groups regarding the operation time. Patients between 65 and 79 with osteosynthesis had significant benefits for postoperative complications, hospitalization, number of blood transfusions and postoperative mobilization. Finding the best supportive treatment option is difficult, and decision-making must respect fracture patterns and individual risk factors. This study shows that plate fixation via the Stoppa approach has some benefits.
ToTEM: A software for fast TEM image simulation

ToTEM, a multislice‐based image simulation software is developed for transmission electron microscope (TEM). This software implements the following major features: (i) capability of assigning three‐dimensional potentials of atom into multiple slices and precise introduction of phase shift caused by the sub‐pixel atomic position, (ii) employing CUDA coding and graphical processing units (GPU) with multithreading parallel algorithm based on the powerful batch (inverse) fast Fourier transform (FFT), which is especially beneficial for image simulation of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) or (integrated) differential phase contrast (I)DPC, (iii) design for efficiently generating large batch of data set of high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images. Image simulation acceleration for STEM has been verified by simulating a large‐scale SrTiO3. Additionally, iDPC image of MFI‐type zeolites with xylene molecules encapsulated in straight channels demonstrates the advantage of iDPC in detecting light molecules.
MOPITT Mechanisms 16 Years In-Orbit Operation on TERRA

The 16th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Terra Spacecraft was marked on December 18, 2015, with the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument being a successful contributor to the NASA EOS flagship. MOPITT has been enabled by a large suite of mechanisms, allowing the instrument to perform long-duration monitoring of atmospheric carbon monoxide, providing global measurements of this important greenhouse gas for 16 years. Mechanisms have been successfully employed for scanning, cooling of detectors, and to optically modulate the gas path length within the instrument by means of pressure and gas cell length variation. The instrument utilizes these devices to perform correlation spectroscopy, enabling measurements with vertical resolution from the nadir view, and has thereby furthered understanding of source and global transport effects of carbon monoxide. Given the design requirement for a 5.25-year lifetime, the stability and performance of the majority of mechanisms have far surpassed design goals. With 16 continuously operating mechanisms in service on MOPITT, including 12 rotating mechanisms and 4 with linear drive elements, the instrument was an ambitious undertaking. The long life requirements combined with demands for cleanliness and optical stability made for difficult design choices including that of the selection of new lubrication processes. Observations and lessons learned with regards to many aspects of the mechanisms and associated monitoring devices are discussed here. Mechanism behaviors are described, including anomalies, long-term drive current/power, fill pressure, vibration and cold-tip temperature trends. The effectiveness of particular lubrication formulations and the screening method implemented is discussed in relation to continuous rotating mechanisms and stepper motors, which have exceeded 15 billon rotations and 2.5 billion steps respectively. Aspects of gas cell hermeticity, optical cleanliness, heater problems and SEU effects on accelerometers are also discussed.
A 130‐year global inventory of methane emissions from livestock: Trends, patterns, and drivers

Livestock contributes approximately one‐third of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions. Quantifying the spatial and temporal variations of these emissions is crucial for climate change mitigation. Although country‐level information is reported regularly through national inventories and global databases, spatially explicit quantification of century‐long dynamics of CH4 emissions from livestock has been poorly investigated. Using the Tier 2 method adopted from the 2019 Refinement to 2006 IPCC guidelines, we estimated CH4 emissions from global livestock at a spatial resolution of 0.083° (~9 km at the equator) during the period 1890–2019. We find that global CH4 emissions from livestock increased from 31.8 [26.5–37.1] (mean [minimum−maximum of 95% confidence interval) Tg CH4 yr−1 in 1890 to 131.7 [109.6–153.7] Tg CH4 yr−1 in 2019, a fourfold increase in the past 130 years. The growth in global CH4 emissions mostly occurred after 1950 and was mainly attributed to the cattle sector. Our estimate shows faster growth in livestock CH4 emissions as compared to the previous Tier 1 estimates and is ~20% higher than the estimate from FAOSTAT for the year 2019. Regionally, South Asia, Brazil, North Africa, China, the United States, Western Europe, and Equatorial Africa shared the majority of the global emissions in the 2010s. South Asia, tropical Africa, and Brazil have dominated the growth in global CH4 emissions from livestock in the recent three decades. Changes in livestock CH4 emissions were primarily associated with changes in population and national income and were also affected by the policy, diet shifts, livestock productivity improvement, and international trade. The new geospatial information on the magnitude and trends of livestock CH4 emissions identifies emission hotspots and spatial–temporal patterns, which will help to guide meaningful CH4 mitigation practices in the livestock sector at both local and global scales.