Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strain‐specific consumption and transformation of alga‐derived dissolved organic matter by members of the Limnohabitans‐C and Polynucleobacter‐B clusters of Betaproteobacteria

We investigated changes in quality and quantity of extracellular and biomass-derived organic matter (OM) from three axenic algae (genera Rhodomonas, Chlamydomonas, Coelastrum) during growth of Limnohabitans parvus, Limnohabitans planktonicus and Polynucleobacter acidiphobus representing important clusters of freshwater planktonic Betaproteobacteria. Total extracellular and biomass-derived OM concentrations from each alga were approximately 20 mg l-1 and 1 mg l-1 respectively, from which up to 9% could be identified as free carbohydrates, polyamines, or free and combined amino acids. Carbohydrates represented 54%-61% of identified compounds of the extracellular OM from each alga. In biomass-derived OM of Rhodomonas and Chlamydomonas 71%-77% were amino acids and polyamines, while in that of Coelastrum 85% were carbohydrates. All bacteria grew on alga-derived OM of Coelastrum, whereas only Limnohabitans strains grew on OM from Rhodomonas and Chlamydomonas. Bacteria consumed 24%-76% and 38%-82% of all identified extracellular and biomass-derived OM compounds respectively, and their consumption was proportional to the concentration of each OM compound in the different treatments. The bacterial biomass yield was higher than the total identifiable OM consumption indicating that bacteria also utilized other unidentified alga-derived OM compounds. Bacteria, however, also produced specific OM compounds suggesting enzymatic polymer degradation or de novo exudation.
IMPACT OF SEWAGE WATER ON VEGETABLES QUALITY WITH RESPECT TO HEAVY METALS IN PESHAWAR PAKISTAN

The present research study was conducted to analyze the impact of sewage water on vegetables quality with respect to heavy metals in Peshawar Pakistan. Forty samples each of soil, water and vegetables leaves and edible portions were collected from 40 different localities around Peshawar city. Water from Warsak Canal and Bara River, polluted with sewage or waste water, was being used as irrigation source in these localities. The water and soil samples were analyzed for pH, EC and heavy metals (Nickel, Cadmium, Lead and Chromium). All the water samples were slightly alkaline whereas only two water samples had EC above the safe limit. The concentrations of Cr was within the safe limit in all the water samples while that of Ni, Pb and Cd were found in toxic range in 18, 13 and 98% samples, respectively. All the sampled fields were alkaline in reaction and had no salinity problem. None of the soil samples had the heavy metals above the safe limit. The Ammonium Bicarbonate Di-ethylene Triamine Penta-acetic Acid (AB-DTPA) extractable Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr of soil had significant positive correlation with that of the irrigation water. Nickel, Pb and Cr were above the safe limit in 90, 10, 78 and 15% of the leaves samples, respectively. Heavy metals in leaves were in the order of Ni>Cd>Cr>Pb. The plant Cd had positive non-significant correlation with soil Cd whereas other heavy metals in leaves had significant positive correlation with the corresponding heavy metals in soil. The concentration of Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr in edible portions was above the safe limit in 90, 28, 83 and 63% of the samples, respectively. The heavy metals in edible portions were in the order of Ni>Cd>Cr>Pb. The vegetables tested were not safe for human use, especially those directly consumed by human beings.
16Cys encoded by the RHce gene is associated with altered expression of the e antigen and is frequent in the R0 haplotype

Serological observations have suggested that numerous D, many e (especially in Blacks), several E, and rare c variants exist within the Rh blood group system. The molecular basis for expression of many of these variants has been elucidated. This study describes five unrelated Caucasians whose red blood cells reacted with polyclonal anti‐e but did not react with some monoclonal anti‐e, which suggested that they carried a variant e antigen. Molecular investigation revealed the presence of a 48G→C change (encoding cysteine instead of tryptophan at amino acid 16) in their RHce gene. No other differences were found, which suggests that amino acid residues located in the first transmembrane region can affect expression of the e antigen, whose critical residues are on the predicted fourth external loop of the protein. This polymorphism has not previously been observed because polyclonal anti‐e does not distinguish this variant from wild type. This position is polymorphic in RHce alleles and the presence of the 48C nucleotide is often found in the R0 (Dce) haplotype.
Fractal universality in near-threshold magnetic lanthanide dimers

Magnetic fields can delocalize the dynamic behavior of chaotic ultracold lanthanide atoms but a violation of ergodicity remains. Ergodic quantum systems are often quite alike, whereas nonergodic, fractal systems are unique and display characteristic properties. We explore one of these fractal systems, weakly bound dysprosium lanthanide molecules, in an external magnetic field. As recently shown, colliding ultracold magnetic dysprosium atoms display a soft chaotic behavior with a small degree of disorder. We broaden this classification by investigating the generalized inverse participation ratio and fractal dimensions for large sets of molecular wave functions. Our exact close-coupling simulations reveal a dynamic phase transition from partially localized states to totally delocalized states and universality in its distribution by increasing the magnetic field strength to only a hundred Gauss (or 10 mT). Finally, we prove the existence of nonergodic delocalized phase in the system and explain the violation of ergodicity by strong coupling between near-threshold molecular states and the nearby continuum.
Is geographic variation within species related to macroevolutionary patterns between species?

The relationship between microevolution and macroevolution is a central topic in evolutionary biology. An aspect of this relationship that remains very poorly studied in modern evolutionary biology is the relationship between within‐species geographic variation and among‐species patterns of trait variation. Here, we tested the relationship between climate and morphology among and within species in the salamander genus Plethodon. We focus on a discrete colour polymorphism (presence and absence of a red dorsal stripe) that appears to be related to climatic distributions in a common, wide‐ranging species (Plethodon cinereus). We find that this trait has been variable among (and possibly within) species for >40 million years. Furthermore, we find a strong relationship among species between climatic variation and within‐species morph frequencies. These between‐species patterns are similar (but not identical) to those in the broadly distributed Plethodon cinereus. Surprisingly, there are no significant climate–morphology relationships within most other polymorphic species, despite the strong between‐species patterns. Overall, our study provides an initial exploration of how within‐species geographic variation and large‐scale macroevolutionary patterns of trait variation may be related.
A human-inspired mechanical criterion for multi-contact locomotion in humanoids

This work aims at experimentally identifying a mechanical principle of locomotion stability in humans and demonstrating that this principle can be used for generating stable multi-contact motions for humanoids. For this purpose, a destabilizing setup was built on which five different experiments were carried out by 15 human volunteers. We first show experimentally that when humans balance is perturbed (walking on a destabilizing setup, increasing walking speed, grasping or not a fixed element), the distance between the center of mass (CoM) and the central axis of the external contact wrench significantly increases. This result is coupled with a theoretical reasoning in mechanics in order to exhibit how lowering this distance amounts to lower the body's angular acceleration and thus constitutes a good strategy against falling. Finally, we illustrate the interest of this result for humanoid robot motion generation by embedding the minimization of the distance between the CoM and the central axis of the external contact wrench in an optimal control formulation in order generate multi-contact locomotion.
A Novel Origin of Avalanche Breakdown in Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

The root causes of breakdown of multicrystalline silicon solar cell well below the theoretical limit are investigated in this contribution. The main focus of this paper is on avalanche, or so called type-3, breakdown sites in alkaline texturized solar cells. However, the similarities and differences of the same breakdown type in isotextured solar cells are described as well. Using EBIC charge collecting contrast of p-n junctions at FIB prepared cross sections it is found that possible enhanced phosphorous diffusion at certain line defects in the material leads to spikes of the p-n junction despite of a flat surface of alkaline textured solar cells. Avalanche breakdown occurs at these spikes similar to the avalanche breakdown at etch pits in isotextured solar cells, but at slightly higher absolute reverse voltages as compared to the latter ones. It is assumed that the differences of the breakdown onset voltages are due to the slightly different p-n junction curvature shapes in alkaline and isotextured solar cells.
Chitosan-based liposomal thermogels for the controlled delivery of pingyangmycin: design, optimization and in vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract Pingyangmycin (PYM) has been applied clinically for many years to treat vascular malformations (VM) in China. The major limitation of PYM injections is quick diffusion from the injection site, which increases side effects, especially the possibility of pulmonary injury. In this paper, chitosan/glycerophosphate disodium (CS/GP) thermogels containing liposomes for sustained and localized PYM delivery were prepared and optimized by a three-level three-factorial Box–Behnken experimental design to evaluate the effects of different variables (the PYM concentration, CS amount and GP content), on the selected responses (cumulative percentage PYM released in 1 day, 9 days and the rate constant k). The results revealed that the optimized PYM liposomal thermogels had a controlled PYM release for 14 days in vitro, which confirmed the validity of optimization. In vitro morphological observation, cell cycle and apoptosis analysis showed an effective anti-proliferation action of PYM liposomal thermogels on human vascular endothelial cells (EA.hy926). In vivo pharmacokinetics research in rabbits displayed that compared with PYM liposomes and PYM thermogels, PYM liposomal thermogels had a better controlled delivery of PYM. Histological examination of rabbit ear veins showed that after local application with PYM lipsomal thermogels for 21 days, obvious vein thrombosis and inflammatory reaction could be observed. The above results indicated that PYM-loaded lipsomal CS/GP thermogels might have a good prospect for the treatment of VM.
Adherent vs. Free-Floating Neural Induction by Dual SMAD Inhibition for Neurosphere Cultures Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Keeping neural stem cells under proliferation, followed by terminal differentiation, can substantially increase the number of neurons generated. With regard to the usability of proliferating neurospheres (NSPHs) cultures, adherent induction protocols have not yet been studied in comparison to embryoid body (EB)-based protocols. To compare these proctocols, neural induction of human induced pluripotent stem cells was performed by dual SMAD inhibition under both adherent and free-floating EB culture conditions. After 10 days, we transferred cells to low-attachment culture plates and proliferated them as free-floating neurospheres. RNA was collected, transcribed to cDNA and analyzed for sonic hedgehog expression that plays an important role during proliferation process. NSPHs were analyzed by immunofluorescence imaging directly and upon continued differentiation. The EB-based approach yielded in higher numbers of cells expressing the neural stem cell marker Nestin, and showed in contrast to the adherent induction protocol increased expression levels of sonic hedgehog. Although improvements to culture consistency and reliability are desirable, the EB-based protocol appears to be superior to the adherent protocol for both, the proliferation and differentiation capacity.
The post-translational modification, SUMOylation, and cancer (Review)

SUMOylation is a reversible post-translational modification which has emerged as a crucial molecular regulatory mechanism, involved in the regulation of DNA damage repair, immune responses, carcinogenesis, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Four SUMO isoforms have been identified, which are SUMO1, SUMO2/3 and SUMO4. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) pathway is conserved in all eukaryotes and plays pivotal roles in the regulation of gene expression, cellular signaling and the maintenance of genomic integrity. The SUMO catalytic cycle includes maturation, activation, conjugation, ligation and de-modification. The dysregulation of the SUMO system is associated with a number of diseases, particularly cancer. SUMOylation is widely involved in carcinogenesis, DNA damage response, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis. SUMO can be used as a potential therapeutic target for cancer. In this review, we briefly outline the basic concepts of the SUMO system and summarize the involvement of SUMO proteins in cancer cells in order to better understand the role of SUMO in human disease.
Infliximab associated with life-threatening lung infection in a patient with Behcet disease with intestinal and hematopoietic system involvement

Rationale: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-&agr;) participates in the pathophysiology of Behcet's disease (BD) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Infliximab is recommaned for the most severe type of BD, however, there is little evidence for its effectiveness in BD associated MDS. Patient concerns: A 46-year-old female, initially diagnosed with intestinal BD and leukopenia was later diagnosed as MDS. Treatement with infliximab and other immunoregulators lead to life-threatening pneumonia. Diagnosis: Intestinal BD associated with MDS involving trisomy 8. Interventions: The patient initially treated with methylprednisolone, thalidomide, cyclosporine A, and infliximab, which lead to severe lung infection. Therefore, the patient was transferred to Intensive Care Unit for life supportive, anti-infection and immune improving therapy. Outcomes: The patient survived from the lung infection. With combination of methylprednisolone, thalidomide and cyclosporine A, the patient recovered from her intestinal ulceration and MDS manifestations. Lessons: Infliximab treatment may not benefit a patient with BD associated with MDS but place the patient at risk of infection.
Inference for Additive Models in the Presence of Possibly Infinite Dimensional Nuisance Parameters

A framework for estimation and hypothesis testing of functional restrictions against general alternatives is proposed. The parameter space is a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). The null hypothesis does not necessarily define a parametric model. The test allows us to deal with infinite dimensional nuisance parameters. The methodology is based on a moment equation similar in spirit to the construction of the efficient score in semiparametric statistics. The feasible version of such moment equation requires to consistently estimate projections in the space of RKHS and it is shown that this is possible using the proposed approach. This allows us to derive some tractable asymptotic theory and critical values by fast simulation. Simulation results show that the finite sample performance of the test is consistent with the asymptotics and that ignoring the effect of nuisance parameters highly distorts the size of the tests.
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology Endorsement of the American Society for Radiation Oncology Evidence-Based Guideline.

Purpose The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) produced an evidence-based guideline on treatment with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. ASCO has a policy and set of procedures for endorsing and/or adapting clinical practice guidelines that have been developed by other professional organizations. Methods The ASTRO Evidence-Based Guideline for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer was reviewed for developmental rigor by methodologists. An ASCO Expert Panel updated the literature search and reviewed the guideline content and recommendations. Results The ASCO Expert Panel determined that the recommendations from the ASTRO guideline, published in 2017, are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO statements and minor modifications were added to enhance the applicability of the ASTRO guideline for the broader ASCO audience. Recommendations For standard operative risk patients with stage I NSCLC, SBRT is not recommended outside of a clinical trial. Lobectomy with systematic lymph node evaluation remains the recommended treatment, although a sublobar resection may be considered in select clinical scenarios. Recommendations are provided regarding the use of SBRT in high operative risk patients and for inoperative patients, including in challenging scenarios where tumors are: centrally located, > 5 cm in diameter, lacking tissue diagnosis, synchronous primary or multifocal, second primary after pneumonectomy, proximal to or involved with mediastinal structures, abutting the chest wall, or recurring after previous treatment. Qualifying statements are included to provide further guidance for implementation, and the importance of a discussion of treatment options among members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team is emphasized. Additional information is available at: www.asco. org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines and www.asco. org/guidelineswiki .
European ancestry decreases the risk of early onset, severe lupus nephritis in a single center, multiethnic pediatric lupus inception cohort

Purpose: To determine whether pediatric SLE patients without European ancestry are at higher risk for development of severe lupus nephritis (ISN/RPS class III, IV or V). Methods: Ninety-eight of 101 patients with pediatric SLE (age <18 years at diagnosis) were enrolled. Race/ethnicity of four grandparents, socioeconomic status (SES) and language proficiency were collected. The primary outcome was time to development of severe lupus nephritis. Results: Based on patient report of four grandparent ancestry, 29% had at least one grandparent of European ancestry (14% had all four grandparents of European ancestry). Patients without European ancestry were 46% Hispanic, 47% Asian, and 3% African American. In the entire 98 patient cohort, 12% had ≥3 different ancestries. Patients without European ancestry had significantly lower SES levels and English proficiency. There was no significant difference between patients with or without European ancestry in duration of SLE, age of onset, and lag time between symptoms and diagnosis. Patients with at least one grandparent of European ancestry had a decreased risk of developing severe lupus nephritis, which remained significant after controlling for age, gender, SES and English proficiency (hazard ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.2–0.9). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that presence of at least one grandparent of European ancestry decreases the risk of severe lupus nephritis, a finding that is not explained by measurable socioeconomic differences and language barriers.
BSmCCA: A block sparse multiple-set canonical correlation analysis algorithm for multi-subject fMRI data sets

Multiple-set canonical correlation analysis (mCCA) is a generalization of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to three or more sets of variables. It aims to study the relationships between several sets of variables and it subsumes a number of interesting multivariate data analysis techniques as special cases. The quality and interpretability of the mCCA components are likely to be affected by the usefulness and relevance of each set of variables. Therefore, it is an important issue to identify each set of significant variables that are active in the relationships between sets. In this paper mCCA is extended to address the issue of variable set selection. Specifically a block sparse multiple set canonical correlation analysis (BSmCCA) algorithm is proposed to combine mCCA with ℓ2-norm type penalty in a unified framework. Within this framework sets of variables that are not necessarily relevant are removed. This makes BSmCCA a flexible method for analyzing for Multi-Subject functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data sets. The performances of the proposed BSmCCA algorithm are illustrated through on block design paradigm finger taping fMRI datasets.
Primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma of scalp: Case report of a rare variant

Primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma (Bcl) is defined as a lymphoma composed of large cells constituting more than 80% of the infiltrate and absence of extracutaneous involvement after staging investigations. In the new World Health Organization/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification, cutaneous Bcls with large cells are of three types - primary cutaneous large Bcl leg type (PCLBCLLT), primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma diffuse type (PCFCLDT), and primary cutaneous large Bcls other (PCLBCLO). These three different types are distinct in terms of their clinicopathological features and survival. The PCLBCLO has intermediate features between those of PCLBCLLT and PCFCLDT. We present a case of PCLBCLO in a 57-year-old male who presented with a scalp swelling. Ultrasonography examination was suggestive of a sebaceous cyst. Computed tomography scan revealed the presence of an ill-defined hyperdense region in the soft tissue of the scalp region extending into the deeper layers of the scalp. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed the presence of atypical lymphoid cells. Diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy and immunohistochemistry. Patient received rituximab combined with doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisolone regimen with complete resolution of the lesion. We present this case for its rarity, the utility of FNAC in early diagnosis, and to discuss the differential diagnosis.
Global rank tests for multiple, possibly censored, outcomes

Clinical trials often collect multiple outcomes on each patient, as the treatment may be expected to affect the patient on many dimensions. For example, a treatment for a neurological disease such as ALS is intended to impact several dimensions of neurological function as well as survival. The assessment of treatment on the basis of multiple outcomes is challenging, both in terms of selecting a test and interpreting the results. Several global tests have been proposed, and we provide a general approach to selecting and executing a global test. The tests require minimal parametric assumptions, are flexible about weighting of the various outcomes, and are appropriate even when some or all of the outcomes are censored. The test we propose is based on a simple scoring mechanism applied to each pair of subjects for each endpoint. The pairwise scores are then reduced to a summary score, and a rank‐sum test is applied to the summary scores. This can be seen as a generalization of previously proposed nonparametric global tests (e.g., O'Brien, 1984). We discuss the choice of optimal weighting schemes based on power and relative importance of the outcomes. As the optimal weights are generally unknown in practice, we also propose an adaptive weighting scheme and evaluate its performance in simulations. We apply the methods to analyze the impact of a treatment on neurological function and death in an ALS trial.