Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Superior reproductive success on human blood without sugar is not limited to highly anthropophilic mosquito species

Abstract. Anthropophilic mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) have been shown to have superior reproductive success on human blood when sugar is not available. Life‐table experiments were conducted with Aedes albopictus Skuse and Ae. aegypti to compare the effects of sugar availability on age‐specific survivorship, lifetime and daily fecundity, and blood‐feeding frequency when offered human blood daily. There were no significant interactions between the effects of sugar availability and mosquito species for these four variables, indicating similar effects of sugar availability for both species. Lifetime fecundity was not significantly affected by sugar availability, but sugar‐deprived females had significantly reduced age‐specific survivorship than did sugar‐fed females. In absence of sugar, females took bloodmeals twice as often, resulting in a higher daily fecundity. The results indicate that superior reproductive success on human blood without sugar does not seem to be limited to highly anthropophilic mosquito species, such as Ae. aegypti. We conclude that evolution of a highly anthropophilic feeding strategy is not an inevitable result of the ability to thrive on human blood alone.
Acute Vascular Rejection and Accommodation: Divergent Outcomes of the Humoral Response to Organ Transplantation

Background. The most difficult barrier to organ transplantation is humoral rejection, a condition initiated by binding of antibodies to blood vessels in the graft. Fortunately, humoral rejection is not the only outcome of antibody binding to the graft. In some cases, accommodation, a condition in which the graft does not undergo humoral injury despite the existence of humoral immunity directed against it, occurs and the graft remains seemingly inured. The mechanism underlying accommodation is uncertain, but changes in the function of antibodies, changes in the target antigen, and changes in the graft imparting resistance to injury have been implicated. Methods. Using the swine-to-baboon cardiac xenograft model, we asked which mechanism(s) may distinguish acute vascular rejection from accommodation. Results. In both acute vascular rejection and accommodation, antibodies were bound and complement activated in blood vessels of the graft. However, in acute vascular rejection, the full complement cascade was activated; while in accommodation, the complement cascade was interrupted, suggesting complement was inhibited in the latter condition. In acute vascular rejection, heparan sulfate and syndecan-4-phosphate, which can aid in complement control, were nearly absent, whereas in accommodation these were present in heightened amounts. Conclusion. These findings suggest that control of complement may underlie accommodation, at least in part, and raise the possibility that this control and possibly other protective mechanisms could be exerted by heparan sulfate.
The nuclear-localized PPR protein OsNPPR1 is important for mitochondrial function and endosperm development in rice

Abstract Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins constitute one of the largest protein families in land plants. Recent studies revealed the functions of PPR proteins in organellar RNA metabolism and plant development, but the functions of most PPR proteins, especially PPRs localized in the nucleus, remain largely unknown. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a rice mutant named floury and growth retardation1 (fgr1). fgr1 showed floury endosperm with loosely arranged starch grains, decreased starch and amylose contents, and retarded seedling growth. Map-based cloning showed that the mutant phenotype was caused by a single nucleotide substitution in the coding region of Os08g0290000. This gene encodes a nuclear-localized PPR protein, which we named OsNPPR1, that affected mitochondrial function. In vitro SELEX and RNA-EMSAs showed that OsNPPR1 was an RNA protein that bound to the CUCAC motif. Moreover, a number of retained intron (RI) events were detected in fgr1. Thus, OsNPPR1 was involved in regulation of mitochondrial development and/or functions that are important for endosperm development. Our results provide novel insights into coordinated interaction between nuclear-localized PPR proteins and mitochondrial function.
An asynchronous NOC architecture providing low latency service and its multi-level design framework

The demands of scalable, low latency and power efficient system-on-chip interconnect cannot only be satisfied by point-to-point or shared-bus interconnects. In this paper, we propose a new asynchronous network-on-chip (NOC) architecture which provides low latency transfers. This architecture is implemented as a GALS system, where chip units are built as synchronous islands, connected together using a delay insensitive asynchronous network-on-chip topology. The proposed NOC protocol and its asynchronous implementation are presented as well as the multi-level modeling approach using SystemC language and transaction-level-modeling. Preliminary simulation results show that the asynchronous NOC can offer 5 Gbytes/s throughput in a 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS technology.
Alterations in the Fatty Acid Composition in Infant Formulas and ω3-PUFA Enriched UHT Milk during Storage

ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are known to have several beneficial effects, such as preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular events in adults and improving the development of the central nervous system during fetal life and childhood. Dairy products enriched in PUFA are now available on the market and can help consumers to meet the ω3-PUFA daily intake recommendations. Although PUFA are prone to oxidation, little information exists regarding the alterations they undergo when products containing PUFA are stored. In this study, five infant formulae (IF) and five ω3-PUFA enriched Ultra High Temperature (UHT)-milk products were examined during storage at room temperature in terms of fatty acid (FA) composition and trans fatty acid (tFA) content until the end of shelf life by chromatography techniques. The IF included two follow-on formulae, two first-age formulae and a special medical purpose formula with different fat contents (from 2.6% to 27.7%). In the ω3-PUFA enriched UHT-milk products the milk fat was replaced by eicosapentanoic fatty acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) rich oils. The fatty acid content of all samples remained stable whereas some variations were observed for the tFA isomer content (p < 0.05) in the UHT-milk samples.
1H-NMR Metabolomics Analysis of the Effects of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Masson Pine Pollen in RAW264.7 Macrophage Cells

Many polysaccharides have been shown to be bioactive, with the addition of sulfate often enhancing or altering this bioactivity. In previous studies, masson pine pollen polysaccharides, to include a sulfate derivative, have been shown to promote macrophage proliferation similarly to LPS. However, the exact metabolic mechanisms promoting this proliferation remain unclear. In this study, RAW264.7 macrophage cells were treated with a purified masson pine pollen polysaccharide (PPM60-D), a sulfate derivative (SPPM60-D), or LPS. Proliferation levels at a variety of concentrations were examined using MTT assay, with optimal concentration used when performing metabolomic analysis via 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). This process resulted in the identification of thirty-five intracellular metabolites. Subsequent multivariate statistical analysis showed that both LPS and SPPM60-D promote RAW264.7 proliferation by promoting aerobic respiration processes and reducing processes associated with glycolysis. While some insight was gained regarding the mechanistic differences between SPPM60-D and LPS, the specific mechanisms governing the effect of SPPM60 on RAW264.7 cells will require further elucidation. These findings show that both LPS and SPPM60-D effectively promote RAW264.7 proliferation and may have beneficial uses in maintaining cellular vitality or inhibiting cancer.
Differentiable Linearized ADMM

Recently, a number of learning-based optimization methods that combine data-driven architectures with the classical optimization algorithms have been proposed and explored, showing superior empirical performance in solving various ill-posed inverse problems, but there is still a scarcity of rigorous analysis about the convergence behaviors of learning-based optimization. In particular, most existing analyses are specific to unconstrained problems but cannot apply to the more general cases where some variables of interest are subject to certain constraints. In this paper, we propose Differentiable Linearized ADMM (D-LADMM) for solving the problems with linear constraints. Specifically, D-LADMM is a K-layer LADMM inspired deep neural network, which is obtained by firstly introducing some learnable weights in the classical Linearized ADMM algorithm and then generalizing the proximal operator to some learnable activation function. Notably, we rigorously prove that there exist a set of learnable parameters for D-LADMM to generate globally converged solutions, and we show that those desired parameters can be attained by training D-LADMM in a proper way. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to provide the convergence analysis for the learning-based optimization method on constrained problems.
Evaluating the Clinical Impact of Formulation Variability: A Metoprolol Extended‐Release Case Study

The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of changes in the formulation of metoprolol extended‐release (ER) tablets on dissolution, pharmacokinetic, and exercise‐induced heart rate (EIHR) using a combined physiologically based absorption pharmacokinetic, and population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling and simulation approach. Using a previously developed physiologically based absorption pharmacokinetic model in DDDPlus and GastroPlus, we simulated the changes in drug release and exposure as the result of quantitative changes in the release‐controlling excipient, hydroxylpropylmethylcellulose, for 50 and 200 mg. The similarity of dissolution profiles was assessed using the f2 test, and bioequivalence was tested on the simulated pharmacokinetic profiles. We used the simulated concentration‐time profiles following formulation changes as pharmacokinetic input into a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model newly developed in NONMEM to determine if changes in pharmacokinetics lead to clinically significant changes in pharmacodynamics. Pharmacodynamic assessment was based on the percentage reduction in the EIHR from baseline. Therapeutic effect was considered similar when the model‐predicted EIHR was within 50% to 85% of the average maximum EIHR of healthy 30‐year‐old subjects. A 40% or more increase in the release rate constant resulted in dissimilarity in dissolution profiles and bioINequivalence in pharmacokinetics for both 50 and 200 mg. Formulation‐related differences in drug release of metoprolol ER tablets can lead to differences in pharmacokinetics. However, the evaluated pharmacokinetic differences do not lead to clinically meaningful differences in EIHR, suggesting that EIHR may not be sensitive enough to detect changes in pharmacokinetics of metoprolol ER products.
Regulatory T cells and asthma

Airway inflammation in asthma is characterized by activation of T helper type‐2 (Th2) T cells, IgE production and eosinophilia. In many cases, this process is related to an inappropriate T cell response to environmental allergens, and other T cell‐dependent pathways may also be involved (such as Th17). Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are T cells that suppress potentially harmful immune responses. Two major subsets of Treg are CD25hi, Foxp3+Tregs and IL‐10‐producing Tregs. There is evidence that the numbers or function of both subsets may be deficient in patients with atopic allergic disease. Recent work has extended these findings into the airway in asthma where Foxp3 expression was reduced and CD25hi Treg‐suppressive function was deficient. In animal models of allergic airways disease, Tregs can suppress established airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, and protocols to enhance the development, recruitment and function of Tregs have been described. Together with studies of patients and in vitro studies of human T cells, these investigations are defining potential interventions to enhance Treg function in the airway in asthma. Existing therapies including corticosteroids and allergen immunotherapy act on Tregs, in part to increase IL‐10 production, while vitamin D3 and long‐acting β‐agonists enhance IL‐10 Treg function. Other possibilities may be enhancement of Treg function via histamine or prostanoid receptors, or by blocking pro‐inflammatory pathways that prevent suppression by Tregs (activation of Toll‐like receptors, or production of cytokines such as IL‐6 and TNF‐α). As Tregs can also suppress the potentially beneficial immune response important for controlling infections and cancer, a therapeutic intervention should target allergen‐ or site‐specific regulation.
(Mis) Representations of the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse in the Courts

SUMMARY This study addresses the (mis) representations made by pro-false memory attorneys and expert witnesses in court regarding the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Five pro-false memory positions were identified: (1) there is no causal connection between CSA and adult psychopathology; (2) the evidence is insufficient; (3) CSA does not cause specific trauma-related outcomes like borderline and dissociative identity disorder; (4) other variables than CSA explain the variance of adult psychopathology; and (5) the long-term effects of CSA are general and non-specific. Examining the testimony revealed that such pro-false memory testimony was based solely on a partial understanding of retrospective data and that pro-false memory experts do not cite the more recent prospective data. Reviewing the totality of the scientific evidence demonstrates that such pro-false memory testimony is inaccurate and has the potential of misleading the jury. Prospective studies provide sufficient evidence to causally link CSA to a number of areas of adult psychopathology including multiple, co-morbid psychiatric conditions, and possibly to link early parent-infant attachment pathology to the development of borderline and dissociative identity disorder.
Good practices that address continuity during transition from child to adult care: synthesis of the evidence.

BACKGROUND Effective transition to adult services is required by an increasing number of children with ongoing needs. AIM To identify practices that promote continuity at transition between child and adult services. METHODS Systematic examination of the evidence from two search strategies yielding 5319 items. RESULTS Only three of the 126 appraised items had strong external validity. A large range of different practices, which focused on the service, the young person and the family, were identified. Practices within the service addressed structural, process and outcome components. CONCLUSION Four transition models are proposed for testing.
Ishige sinicola extract stimulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation via the bone morphogenetic protein 2/runt-related gene 2 signalling pathway

Abstract Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone diseases, occurring due to an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Ishige sinicola, a brown alga, on osteoblast differentiation through the activation of the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)/runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) signalling pathway in MC3T3-E1 cells. A cell proliferation assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, alizarin red staining, and expression analysis of osteoblastic genes were carried out to assess MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation. We found that I. sinicola extract (ISE) increased cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Ishige sinicola extract markedly promoted ALP activity and mineralization. Alizarin red S staining demonstrated that ISE treatment tended to increase extracellular matrix calcium accumulation. Moreover, ISE up-regulated the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand ratio. Ishige sinicola extract also increased the protein expression levels of type 1 collagen, ALP, osteocalcin, osterix, BMP-2, and Runx2. Therefore, ISE showed potential in stimulating osteoblastic bone formation, and it might be useful for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California

Using a quasi-experimental design, we document a relationship between voter referenda that promote stigma and increased risk for bias-based bullying among youth. BACKGROUND: Bias-based bullying is associated with negative outcomes for youth, but its contextual predictors are largely unknown. Voter referenda that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups may be 1 contextual factor contributing to homophobic bullying. METHODS: Data come from 14 consecutive waves (2001–2014) of cross-sectional surveys of students participating in the California Healthy Kids Survey (N = 4 977 557). Student responses were aggregated to the school level (n = 5121). Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared rates of homophobic bullying before and after Proposition 8, a voter referendum that restricted marriage to heterosexuals in November 2008. RESULTS: Interrupted time series analyses confirmed that the academic year 2008–2009, during which Proposition 8 was passed, served as a turning point in homophobic bullying. The rate of homophobic bullying increased (blinear = 1.15; P < .001) and accelerated (bquadratic = 0.08; P < .001) in the period before Proposition 8. After Proposition 8, homophobic bullying gradually decreased (blinear = −0.28; P < .05). Specificity analyses showed that these trends were not observed among students who reported that they were bullied because of their race and/or ethnicity, religion, or gender but not because of their sexual orientation. Furthermore, the presence of a protective factor specific to school contexts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth (gay-straight alliances) was associated with a smaller increase in homophobic bullying pre–Proposition 8. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides some of the first empirical evidence that public campaigns that promote stigma may confer risk for bias-based bullying among youth.
Scrub typhus caused by Shimokoshi type Orientia tsutsugamushi showing variant 56‐kDa type‐specific antigen gene sequence in Tohoku region, Japan

In 2018, a patient was diagnosed with Shimokoshi type scrub typhus in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The causative pathogen was likely a variant type because 43 (8.3%) of 521 deduced amino acid sequences of the 56‐kDa type‐specific antigen (TSA) were different from those of the Shimokoshi prototype strain. The patient's paired sera showed low antibody titers against the Shimokoshi prototype strain. Two cases of scrub typhus reported in the Tohoku region during 2011–2012 also involved the same 56‐kDa TSA gene sequence. These findings suggest the presence of diversity in Shimokoshi type Orientia tsutsugamushi, which may impede the laboratory diagnosis of scrub typhus.
Cognitive remediation therapy in Mexico as a treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: A case study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) as part of the treatment of a patient with anorexia nervosa (AN) from Mexico. The participant was a 21-year-old woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 14.7, who had suffered from the disorder for 10 years. Using a pre-post treatment design, changes were evaluated using four neuropsychological tests, two tests to measure the AN symptoms and two to measure psychological distress (depression and anxiety). BMI was also evaluated before and after the intervention. The results of the present study were similar to those reported for patients from English-speaking countries. The average percentage of favorable change in the different measures was higher than 30%, except for BMI, which increased by only 21%. The results suggest that the inclusion of CRT in AN treatment programs in Mexico is a potentially viable option.
Effect of green tea extract on arterial stiffness, lipid profile and sRAGE in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with premature atherosclerosis and arterial stiffening due to the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products in vessel walls. Green tea polyphenols are considered cardio-protective substances. In this randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial (NCT02627898), we evaluated the effect of Green tea extract on arterial stiffness parameters, lipids, body composition and sRAGE levels. Twenty normotensive patients with T2DM treated with the standard therapy and statins, mean age 53.2 ± 9.4 years and mean BMI 30.1 ± 4.5 kg/m2, were randomised to receive a daily dose of 400 mg of green tea extract (polyphenols ≥90%, EGCG ≥45%) or placebo for 12 weeks. Compared to placebo, administration of green tea extract decreased central augmentation index (–3.05 ± 10.8% vs. 6.7 ± 0.1%, p = .04). These findings suggest that green tea extract could be used as an adjunct to the standard therapy to improve arterial stiffness in T2DM.
FgAP‐2 complex is essential for pathogenicity and polarised growth and regulates the apical localisation of membrane lipid flippases in Fusarium graminearum

AP‐2 complex is widely distributed in eukaryotes in the form of heterotetramer that functions in the uptake of membrane proteins during mammalian/plant clathrin‐mediated endocytosis. However, its biological function remains mysterious in pathogenic fungi. In this study, the wheat scab fungus, Fusarium graminearum, was used to characterise the biological function of the AP‐2 complex. Our study shows that FgAP‐2 complex plays a critical role in the maintenance of hyphal polarity. Lack of any subunit (FgAP2α, FgAP2β, FgAP2σ, and FgAP2mu) of the FgAP‐2 complex significantly affects the fungal vegetative growth, conidial morphology, and germination. Remarkably, FgAP‐2 complex is important for the fungal pathogenicity, especially during colonisation and extension after infecting the host. The FgAP‐2 complex is expressed ubiquitously at all developmental stages but having more concentrated protein distribution at the subapical collar and septa in young growing hyphae. Although FgAP‐2 complex displays similar dynamic behaviour to the actin patch components and accumulates at endocytic sites, it is dispensable for general endocytosis. We further demonstrated that FgAP‐2 complex is required for polar localisation of the lipid flippases FgDnfA and FgDnfB, which led to the proposal that FgAP‐2 functions as a cargo‐specific adaptor that promotes polar growth and colonising ability of F. graminearum.