Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemically augmented malaria sporozoites display an altered immunogenic profile

Despite promising results in malaria-naïve individuals, whole sporozoite (SPZ) vaccine efficacy in malaria-endemic settings has been suboptimal. Vaccine hypo-responsiveness due to previous malaria exposure has been posited as responsible, indicating the need for SPZ vaccines of increased immunogenicity. To this end, we here demonstrate a proof-of-concept for altering SPZ immunogenicity, where supramolecular chemistry enables chemical augmentation of the parasite surface with a TLR7 agonist-based adjuvant (SPZ-SAS(CL307)). In vitro, SPZ-SAS(CL307) remained well recognized by immune cells and induced a 35-fold increase in the production of pro-inflammatory IL-6 (p < 0.001). More promisingly, immunization of mice with SPZ-SAS(CL307) yielded improved SPZ-specific IFN-γ production in liver-derived NK cells (percentage IFN-γ+ cells 11.1 ± 1.8 vs. 9.4 ± 1.5%, p < 0.05), CD4+ T cells (4.7 ± 4.3 vs. 1.8 ± 0.7%, p < 0.05) and CD8+ T cells (3.6 ± 1.4 vs. 2.5 ± 0.9%, p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the potential of using chemical augmentation strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of SPZ-based malaria vaccines.
Association of Physical Activity with the Prevention and Treatment of Depression During the Postpartum Period: A Narrative Review

The benefits of physical activity during pregnancy or postpartum are auspicious, especially in preventing and treating postpartum depression. This review aimed to examine the relationship between exercise and postpartum depression in terms of prevention and treatment. The goals were to determine if exercise alone is sufficient for this purpose and to attract attention to the kind, intensity, and duration needed to achieve this purpose. A literature review was conducted in PubMed, PubMed Central, MEDLINE, and Cochrane libraries. The search terms were “physical activity," "postpartum depression,” "postnatal depression," and "exercise. ” Physical activity can be a preventative measure and a treatment aid for pregnant or postpartum women with depressive disorders. However, the exercise protocol should include a support/wellness program to achieve better and more remarkable results.
Block and Transaction Delivery in Ethereum Network

We present a comprehensive analytical model for block and transaction distribution in the Ethereum P2P network. We model the data distribution protocol in which a node forwards a full block (transaction) to some of its peers and its hash to others, and combine this model with the connectivity and transmission models to obtain input and output data rates, which are then fed into a priority M/G/1 Jackson network queuing system in which blocks are given preference over transactions, and transactions are further grouped into two priority classes according to gasprice. Block and transaction delivery times are found to be mainly determined by node connectivity and network size, and prioritization provides faster service for higher priority transactions. We also model an Eclipse-like attack that degrades data delivery times and block finalization time, i.e., the time for a block to be officially confirmed, by reducing network connectivity, and show that its impact can be countered by adjusting the portion of peers which receive a full block. Lastly, we determine the probability of uncle blocks being included in the longer chain and demonstrate how the Eclipse attack affects this probability.
Workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence antecedents of innovative work behavior: Evidence from Saudi Arabian organizations

This study investigates the impact of workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence on innovative work behavior in private and public organizations. This empirical study used a quantitative research method and collected data from 358 employees in Saudi Arabian organizations. The data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to the sample via social media groups. For this purpose, four standardized and validated questionnaires were used to measure the variables of interest. Since all the fit indices have robust fit, the proposed model qualifies for conducting Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results revealed a significant positive relationship, at a remarkable 0.01 level, between all the examined variables and innovative work behavior. This suggests that workplace agility, intrinsic motivation, and role congruence are positively associated with employees’ tendency to engage in innovative work behavior. Moreover, the study’s findings supported the hypotheses formulated for the research. All t-values exceeded 1.96, indicating statistical significance for all proposed variables. Theoretically, the study contributes to enhancing the current dynamic knowledge of the variables that influence the work environment. Practically, this study offers guidance to employees on innovative work behavior. AcknowledgmentThis research is funded by Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University under project numbered PSAU/2023/1444.
Family Gammaridae (Crustacea: Amphipoda), mainly its Echinogammarus clade in SW Europe. Further elucidation of its phylogeny and taxonomy

Most parts of the Echinogammarus clade of Gammaridae have been appropriately classified with the help of a molecular analysis, ultimately freed of the Echinogammarus-Chaetogammarusmalediction. Among defining morphological characters, the gnathopod interrelations are comparatively well congruent with molecular markers. Genus Homoeogammarus distribution area extended from Mediterranean to Atlantic islands. Chaetogammarus and Trichogammarus are firm members of the morphologically very diversified Ponto-Caspian group genera, not closely related to the morphologically similar Echinogammarus, Marinogammarus or Homoeogam-marus. Genus Pectenogammarus (along with Neogammarus and Laurogammarus) synonymized with Homoeogammarus. Parhomoeogammarus diagnose corrected, based on topotype samples of the type species. Freshwater species of the ‘European Eulimnogammarus’ in SW Europe defined asIberogammarus gen. nov. Continental Homoeogammarus-like, but molecularly distinct group, defined as Dinarogammarus gen. nov. Some here accepted genera are molecularly well supported, some are morphologically difficult to distinguish, but each one is morphologically homogeneous; they are also geographically well defined. In both respects, the very speciose and widely spread Homoeogammarus is different.
AQUAPLANING: AN INVESTIGATION OF SURFACE FLOW CALCULATION

This research project will numerically analyse current methods used for calculating surface flow depth and the accuracy of different models. It will model the surface flow build up over the duration of a design storm event using the standards values which are determined from the following research and documentation. This research project compares the accuracy and reliability of surface flow calculation methods including the Gallaway Equation, Manning’s Equation and a kinematic wave equation model. The research reviews current design rainfall intensity values as well as other input variables such as texture depth, acceptable flow depth and driver behaviour and determines if they are suitable for study of aquaplaning analysis. Current standards outline procedure for choosing input variable based on the conditions. These have been based on historical studies and still seem applicable to today. A design rainfall intensity of the 1 year ARI, 5 minute duration or 50mm/h, whichever is the lesser, is chosen to account t for driver behaviour and time of concentration. The standard texture depth should be chosen depending on the specified pavement type or determined by on site testing if available. The Gallaway equation provides a fast a simple method to calculate depth however in areas of particular concern or risk a more extensive hydraulic analysis with the use of the kinematic wave equations may be warranted. The RRL method produce high depths of flow and is therefore no recommended for use in Australia. This research investigates the time of concentration and surface drainage of the flow path to assess the aquaplaning risk over time. The results suggest the maximum flow depth conditions will be reached for surface drainage catchments after approximately 5 minutes and the depth will subside to below critical depth within 5 minutes of the cessation of the rainfall.
Genome-wide copy number variations in Bhutia equine breed using SNP genotyping data

Copy number variants (CNVs) have dynamic potential and evolutionary significance like other genetic variants, namely, single nucleotide polymorphisms, InDels, short tandem repeat polymorphisms, inversion variants, etc. Discovering CNVs leads to further speculation that the genomic DNA contains more changes than previously thought and contributes to the phenotypic variation. CNVs are big DNA fragments (> 1 kb) being duplicated or deleted. A bridge between CNVs and phenotypic variations supports CNVs to be utilized in GWAS, which are currently mostly based on SNPs. CNV, which refers to the structural differences, influence gene expression and can be an indicator of numerous traits for improvement. There is a severe dearth of research on CNVs in animals, especially equine. The present study investigates the genomes of the Bhutia Equine breed for genome-wide discovery of CNVs using theAxiom™ Equine Genotyping Array chip for a better understanding of its traits which had been unexplored till date. A total of 619 CNVs from 20 Bhutia equines were identified with the median and average size as 49.394 kb and 114.955 kb, respectively. Total 225 frequent CNVRs with > 1% CNV frequency were identified among them along with singleton type. These CNVRs contained 361 genes in all. The information obtained on genomic variation could be utilized to identify economically advantageous genetic features in Bhutia equine breed.
Unleashing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: factors, strategies, and ongoing trials

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent primary liver cancer, representing approximately 85% of cases. The diagnosis is often made in the middle and late stages, necessitating systemic treatment as the primary therapeutic option. Despite sorafenib being the established standard of care for advanced HCC in the past decade, the efficacy of systemic therapy remains unsatisfactory, highlighting the need for novel treatment modalities. Recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy have shown promise in HCC treatment, particularly with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, the response rate to ICIs is currently limited to approximately 15%–20% of HCC patients. Recently, ICIs demonstrated greater efficacy in “hot" tumors, highlighting the urgency to devise more effective approaches to transform “cold" tumors into “hot" tumors, thereby enhancing the therapeutic potential of ICIs. This review presented an updated summary of the factors influencing the effectiveness of immunotherapy in HCC treatment, identified potential combination therapies that may improve patient response rates to ICIs, and offered an overview of ongoing clinical trials focusing on ICI-based combination therapy.
Allosteric activation of RhlB by RNase E induces partial duplex opening in substrate RNA

The E. coli DEAD-Box helicase RhlB is responsible for ATP-dependent unwinding of structured mRNA to facilitate RNA degradation by the protein complex degradosome. The allosteric interaction with complex partner RNase E is necessary to stimulate both, RhlB’s ATPase and RNA unwinding activity to levels comparable with other DEAD-Box helicases. However, the structural changes of the helicase RhlB induced by binding of RNase E have not been characterized and how those lead to increased reaction rates has remained unclear. We investigated the origin of this activation for RNA substrates with different topologies. Using NMR spectroscopy and an RNA centered approach, we could show that RNase E binding increases the affinity of RhlB towards a subset of RNA substrates, which leads to increased ATP turnover rates. Most strikingly, our studies revealed that in presence of RNase E (694-790) RhlB induces a conformational change in an RNA duplex with 5’- overhang even in absence of ATP, leading to partial duplex opening. Those results indicate a unique and novel activation mode of RhlB among DEAD-Box helicases, as ATP binding is thought to be an essential prerequisite for RNA unwinding.
Head and neck cancer treatment outcome prediction: a comparison between machine learning with conventional radiomics features and deep learning radiomics

Background Radiomics can provide in-depth characterization of cancers for treatment outcome prediction. Conventional radiomics rely on extraction of image features within a pre-defined image region of interest (ROI) which are typically fed to a classification algorithm for prediction of a clinical endpoint. Deep learning radiomics allows for a simpler workflow where images can be used directly as input to a convolutional neural network (CNN) with or without a pre-defined ROI. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate (i) conventional radiomics and (ii) deep learning radiomics for predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using pre-treatment 18F-fluorodeoxuglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) and computed tomography (CT) images. Materials and methods FDG PET/CT images and clinical data of patients with HNSCC treated with radio(chemo)therapy at Oslo University Hospital (OUS; n = 139) and Maastricht University Medical Center (MAASTRO; n = 99) were collected retrospectively. OUS data was used for model training and initial evaluation. MAASTRO data was used for external testing to assess cross-institutional generalizability. Models trained on clinical and/or conventional radiomics features, with or without feature selection, were compared to CNNs trained on PET/CT images without or with the gross tumor volume (GTV) included. Model performance was measured using accuracy, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC), and the F1 score calculated for both classes separately. Results CNNs trained directly on images achieved the highest performance on external data for both endpoints. Adding both clinical and radiomics features to these image-based models increased performance further. Conventional radiomics including clinical data could achieve competitive performance. However, feature selection on clinical and radiomics data lead to overfitting and poor cross-institutional generalizability. CNNs without tumor and node contours achieved close to on-par performance with CNNs including contours. Conclusion High performance and cross-institutional generalizability can be achieved by combining clinical data, radiomics features and medical images together with deep learning models. However, deep learning models trained on images without contours can achieve competitive performance and could see potential use as an initial screening tool for high-risk patients.
Subseasonal Prediction of Regional Antarctic Sea Ice by a Deep Learning Model

Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) prediction at seasonal scale has been documented, but a gap remains at subseasonal scale (1–8 weeks) due to limited understanding of ice‐related physical mechanisms. To overcome this limitation, we developed a deep learning model named Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPNet) that can predict SIC without the need to account for complex physical processes. Compared to mainstream dynamical models like European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and Seamless System for Prediction and Earth System Research developed at Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, as well as a relatively advanced statistical model like the linear Markov model, SIPNet outperforms them all, effectively filling the gap in subseasonal Antarctic SIC prediction capability. SIPNet results indicate that autumn SIC variability contributes the most to sea ice predictability, whereas spring contributes the least. In addition, the Weddell Sea displays the highest sea ice predictability, while predictability is low in the West Pacific. SIPNet can also capture the signal of ENSO and SAM on sea ice.
Seeing eye to eye: trustworthy embodiment for task-based conversational agents

Smart speakers and conversational agents have been accepted into our homes for a number of tasks such as playing music, interfacing with the internet of things, and more recently, general chit-chat. However, they have been less readily accepted in our workplaces. This may be due to data privacy and security concerns that exist with commercially available smart speakers. However, one of the reasons for this may be that a smart speaker is simply too abstract and does not portray the social cues associated with a trustworthy work colleague. Here, we present an in-depth mixed method study, in which we investigate this question of embodiment in a serious task-based work scenario of a first responder team. We explore the concepts of trust, engagement, cognitive load, and human performance using a humanoid head style robot, a commercially available smart speaker, and a specially developed dialogue manager. Studying the effect of embodiment on trust, being a highly subjective and multi-faceted phenomena, is clearly challenging, and our results indicate that potentially, the robot, with its anthropomorphic facial features, expressions, and eye gaze, was trusted more than the smart speaker. In addition, we found that embodying a conversational agent helped increase task engagement and performance compared to the smart speaker. This study indicates that embodiment could potentially be useful for transitioning conversational agents into the workplace, and further in situ, “in the wild” experiments with domain workers could be conducted to confirm this.
Contrôle de l’expression des gènes par les micro-ARN nucléaires : étude des mécanismes moléculaires

La decouverte de l’ARN interference et des micro-ARN a permis de definir un principe majeur de regulation de l’expression des genes, et a produit de nouveaux outils pour la medecine. Chez les mammiferes, l’etude des fonctions des micro-ARN a ete restreinte au cytoplasme, bien qu’ils soient aussi presents dans le noyau.Cette these presente une serie d’experiences visant a caracteriser les facteurs moleculaires requis pour l’activite nucleaire des micro-ARN. Nous avons debute ce projet en explorant les partenaires ARN-dependant de la proteine AGO2 par immunoprecipitation et spectrometrie de masse quantitative. Parmi les interactants ARN-dependants, nous nous sommes concentres sur trois proteines nucleaires abondantes : SFPQ, PSPC1 et NONO qui forment la famille drosophila behavior and human splicing (DBHS). Nous avons demontre que le complexe RISC nucleoplasmique est associe aux proteines SFPQ, PSPC1 et NONO dans plusieurs lignees cellulaires murines et humaines, d’une maniere qui depend de SFPQ. Des experiences de type HITS-CLIP de la proteine AGO2 et/ou de la proteine SFPQ dans des cellules souches nous ont permis de montrer que SFPQ se lie preferentiellement aux 3’UTR longs en utilisant deux motifs specifiques. En effet, SFPQ controle significativement environ 20% de l’activite de liaison de AGO2, ce qui est repercute au niveau transcriptomique. Cependant, cette activite concerne uniquement les sites de liaison de SFPQ proches (<500 nucleotides) de AGO2. De plus, nous avons observe que cette regulation s’etend aux ARNm cytoplasmiques. Ce resultat suggere que la liaison et l’agregation de la proteine SFPQ a l’ARN programme la structure du 3’UTR et donc les possibilites de ciblage par les miARN dans le noyau, et ceci d’une maniere qui semble preservee dans le cytoplasme. Enfin, nous avons montre en particulier que l’expression de SFPQ controle le programme de ciblage par let-7a, et module la transition des cellules souches vers l’etat differencie. Ces resultats contribuent a la diversite des mecanismes de regulation de l’activite des miARN. Dans la deuxieme partie du projet, nous avons explore les partenaires ARN-independant de la proteine nucleaire AGO2. Nous avons decouvert que la proteine AGO2 interagit avec le complexe CCR4-NOT1 et l’exosome nucleaire d’une maniere independante de l’ARN. Nous proposons une serie d’experiences visant a confirmer ces resultats. Brievement, l’hypothese de travail qui semble la plus coherente avec les donnees actuelles est la liaison directe de l’exosome au module CNOT2-CNOT3 du complexe CCR4-NOT1. Ce modele permettrait d’expliquer le mecanisme d’extinction des genes par les miARN nucleaires qui reposerait donc sur leur interaction avec les complexes CCR4-NOT1 et exosome. Son mode operatoire comprendrait des proteines de liaison a l’ARN et des micro-ARN pour selectionner les cibles.
Effects of different environmental and sampling variables on the genotyping success in field-collected scat samples: a brown bear case study

The paper investigates how different field conditions and sample characteristics influence genotyping success in field-collected brown bear scat samples. Genotyping performance of 413 samples collected in a pilot study in southern Slovenia was evaluated, andstatistical modelling was used to control confounding between pre- dictor variables and to quantify their specific effects ongenotyping success. The best predictors of genotyping success were subjectively estimated scat age, sampling month, and contents of ascat. Even when the other confounded variables were controlled for, genotyping success dropped rapidly with the age estimate, from 89% (82-94%) for 0-day scats to 33% (19-52%) for scats estimated to be 5 days old. Sampling month was also an important predictor, and samples collected during the bear hyperphagia period in late summer/autumn performed considerably better (90%,78-96%) than the samples collected in spring / early summer (66%, 57-74%). This effect was stronger for fresh than for older samples. Effects of different food types were also considerable, but less important for practical use. Since noninvasive genetic sampling already became the key method for surveying wild populations of many species, efficiency of studies is becoming increasingly important. Understanding the effect of the month of sampling allows the field season to be timed for maximum genotyping success, while subjective scat age provides a useful metric that indicates a sample’s viability for genotyping, allowing for prioritization of samples and culling of non-viable samples before resources are wasted for their analysis. This provides higher useful data yields per invested resources and may ultimately lead to better study results.