Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Getting Excited Through Cyclin: A Role for Endothelial Cdk5 Signaling in Hippocampal Hyperexcitability

Endothelial Cdk5 Deficit Leads to the Development of Spontaneous Epilepsy Through CXCL1/CXCR2-Mediated Reactive Astrogliosis Liu XX, Yang L, Shao LX, et al. J Exp Med. 2020;217(1):e20180992. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180992 Blood–brain barrier dysfunction has been suggested to play an important role in epilepsy. However, the mechanism mediating the transition from cerebrovascular damage to epilepsy remains unknown. Here, we report that endothelial cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is a central regulator of neuronal excitability. Endothelial-specific Cdk5 knockout led to spontaneous seizures in mice. Knockout mice showed increased endothelial chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (Cxcl1) expression, decreased astrocytic glutamate reuptake through the glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1), and increased glutamate synaptic function. Ceftriaxone restored astrocytic GLT1 function and inhibited seizures in endothelial Cdk5-deficient mice, and these effects were also reversed after silencing Cxcl1 in endothelial cells and its receptor chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (Cxcr2) in astrocytes, respectively, in the CA1 by AAV transfection. These results reveal a previously unknown link between cerebrovascular factors and epileptogenesis and provide a rationale for targeting endothelial signaling as a potential treatment for epilepsy.1
Visual Adaptations in Predatory and Scavenging Diurnal Raptors

Ecological diversity among diurnal birds of prey, or raptors, is highlighted regarding their sensory abilities. While raptors are believed to forage primarily using sight, the sensory demands of scavengers and predators differ, as reflected in their visual systems. Here, I have reviewed the visual specialisations of predatory and scavenging diurnal raptors, focusing on (1) the anatomy of the eye and (2) the use of vision in foraging. Predators have larger eyes than scavengers relative to their body mass, potentially highlighting the higher importance of vision in these species. Scavengers possess one centrally positioned fovea that allows for the detection of carrion at a distance. In addition to the central fovea, predators have a second, temporally positioned fovea that views the frontal visual field, possibly for prey capture. Spatial resolution does not differ between predators and scavengers. In contrast, the organisation of the visual fields reflects important divergences, with enhanced binocularity in predators opposed to an enlarged field of view in scavengers. Predators also have a larger blind spot above the head. The diversity of visual system specializations according to the foraging ecology displayed by these birds suggests a complex interplay between visual anatomy and ecology, often unrelatedly of phylogeny.
Improving Spoofed Website Detection Using Machine Learning

Abstract Fake webpages/websites are created by cyber attackers who either try to advertise their products, attempt to transmit malware to the target device, or steal victims’ login credentials. An illegitimate action of endeavoring to solicit sensitive and valuable information from user by masquerading as a truthful agent is called phishing. It involves the use of website and e-mail spoofing. A spoofed e-mail can be used to redirect a user to spoofed website which in turn can trick the user to reveal his valuable personal information. The traditional solutions for detecting spoofed or phishing websites are based on signature based methods. These methods are not able to detect the newly created spoofed websites or web pages. In order to solve this problem, researchers are coming up with machine learning methods. This paper brings out a diverse set of robust features categorized into the three categories, i.e., webpage, URL and HTML based features. The features under these categories are firstly used individually to classify webpages. Thereafter, a technique is proposed where the integration of all the features is used for classification purpose. The experimental results demonstrate that the features under URL based category are most effective in classifying the webpages. Further, there occurs a significant improvement in classification accuracy using proposed approach and random forest turns out to be the best classifier offering the accuracy of 99.5% with FPR and FNR as 0.006 and 0.005 respectively.
Indirect effects of preference for intense music on mental health through positive and negative affect

Previous studies explored the relations between preference for intense music (i.e., alternative, heavy metal, punk, and rock) and mental health. However, the results so far are inconclusive and do not assess if a preference for intense music directly or indirectly predicts mental health. To address this issue, the present research assessed the mediational role of positive and negative affect on the relation between preference for intense music and mental health. We hypothesized that preference for intense music predicts positive and negative affect, which, in turn, contributes to lower levels of mental health (i.e., stress, depression, and anxiety). Participants were 268 individuals (Mage = 26.6; SDage = 8.30; 63.4% women). Supporting our hypothesis, preference for intense music directly predicted positive and negative affect, and indirectly mental health. Most of these relations remained significant even after controlling for important confounding effects, such as age, gender, and neuroticism. Alternative models were examined, but the hypothesized model presented a better fit. Overall, our research indicates that intense music plays an important role in people’s affects and mental health.
Decadal biomass and area changes in a multi-species meadow in Singapore: application of multi-resolution satellite imagery

Abstract Due to the dearth of information regarding current and changing health of seagrass habitat in the Indo-Pacific region, prior research into global trends of seagrass habitat health has included little data from this region, even though it contains the highest abundance and species diversity of seagrass globally. This study evaluates the suitability of four satellite sensors [Worldview-2 (WV2), Advanced Land Imager (ALI), Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+), Operational Land Imager (OLI)] for determining trends in seagrass habitat extent over the past decade in Singapore’s largest seagrass meadow, and thus contributes incrementally to the data available for regional or global analyses of seagrass habitat health. Using all four sensors, we find that seagrass bed extent at Pulau Semakau, Singapore, declined 37% from 2001 to 2015 at an average rate of 3.9% year−1. Using very high spatial resolution satellite images, we calculate that, although bed extent decreased 18% from April 2011 to June 2013, median meadow biomass increased, indicating that complex meadow dynamics may be mediating seagrass response to anthropogenic and environmental pressures. From a technological perspective, we find that, despite their lower spatial resolution, freely available satellite images can be used to measure the extent of a narrow, multi-species seagrass bed and to determine decadal trends reliably.
Humidity Controlled Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Fibers

Processing parameters in electrospinning allow us to control the properties of fibers on a molecular level and are able to tailor them for specific applications. In this study, we investigate how relative humidity (RH) affects the mechanical properties of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The mechanical properties of single fibers were carried out using a specialized tensile stage. The results from tensile tests were additionally correlated with high-resolution imaging showing the behavior of individual fibers under tensile stress. The mechanical characteristic is strongly dependent on the crystallinity, chain orientation, and fiber diameter of electrospun PVDF fibers. Our results show the importance of controlling RH during electrospinning as the mechanical properties are significantly affected. At low RH = 30% PVDF fibers are 400% stiffer than their counterparts prepared at high RH = 60%. Moreover, the vast differences in the strain at failure were observed, namely 310% compared to 75% for 60% and 30% RH, respectively. Our results prove that humidity is a crucial parameter in electrospinning able to control the mechanical properties of polymer fibers.
From metagenomes to green algae – The biochemical variety of bilin biosynthesis enzymes

The screening of metagenomic datasets led to the identification of new phage-derived members of the heme oxygenase and the ferredoxin-dependent bilin reductase enzyme families. The novel bilin biosynthesis genes were shown to form mini-cassettes on metagenomic scaffolds and further form distinct clusters in phylogenetic analyses (Ledermann et al., 2016). In this project, it was demonstrated that the discovered sequences actually encode for active enzymes. The biochemical characterization of a member of the heme oxygenases (ΦHemO) revealed that it possesses a regiospecificity for the α-methine bridge in the cleavage of the heme macrocycle. The reaction product biliverdin IXα was shown to function as the substrate for the novel ferredoxin-dependent bilin reductases (PcyX reductases), which catalyze its reduction to PEB via the intermediate 15,16-DHBV. While it was demonstrated that ΦPcyX, a phage-derived member of the PcyX reductases, is an active enzyme, it also became clear that the rate of the reaction is highly dependent on the employed redox partner. It turned out that the ferredoxin from the cyanophage P-SSM2 is to date the most suitable redox partner for the reductases of the PcyX group. Furthermore, the solution of the ΦPcyX crystal structure revealed that it adopts an α/β/α-sandwich fold, typical for the FDBR-family. Activity assays and subsequent HPLC analyses with different variants of the ΦPcyX protein demonstrated that, despite their similarity, PcyX and PcyA reductases must act via different reaction mechanisms. Another part of this project focused on the biochemical characterization of the FDBR KflaHY2 from the streptophyte alga Klebsormidium flaccidum. Experiments with recombinant KflaHY2 showed that it is an active FDBR which produces 3(Z)-PCB as the main reaction product, like it can be found in reductases of the PcyA group. Moreover, it was shown that under the employed assay conditions the reaction of BV to PCB proceeds in two different ways: Both 3(Z)-PΦB and 18¹,18²-DHBV occur as intermediates. Activity assays with the purified intermediates yielded PCB. Hence, both compounds are suitable substrates for KflaHY2. The results of this work highlight the importance of the biochemical experiments, as catalytic activity cannot solely be predicted by sequence analysis.
A Swiftly Changing Tide: Fantasy Sport, Gambling, and Alternative Forms of Participation

The fantasy sport industry has seen tremendous changes in the past five years, thanks in large part to increased participation, media acceptance, easing of legal pressure, and the proliferation of daily fantasy sport. Similarly, sports gambling recently moved further into the spotlight with a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a 1992 law allowing Nevada to be the only state to legally house sports betting. Having once been advised to steer clear of each other, gambling and fantasy sport interests are now becoming increasingly intertwined. Utilizing quantitative data from a national survey of 519 fantasy sport participants, this study explores attitudes of and participation in alternative forms of fantasy sport and sports betting. Insights can be gleaned regarding familiarity in the activities, reluctance in participation, sport consumption, future participation, and connection points between fantasy sport and sports gambling cultures.
Comparative Analysis of Indirect ELISA and Real Time PCR for the Detection of Anaplasma Marginale in Buffalo, Cattle and Sheep in District Peshawar and Lakki Marwat, Pakistan

| Anaplasmosis is disease of livestock having pandemic in nature. In the present study the specificity and sensitivity of i-ELISA and RT PCR was investigated in the samples collected from District Peshawar and Lakki Marwat. A total of 900 samples were collected from three species, Cattle, Buffalo and Sheep from two transects Peshawar and Lakki Marwat for determination of rate of Anaplasma marginale through i-ELISA and RT PCR. Overall rate for Anaplasmosis was 37.7% (339/900) for all three techniques, whereas techniques wise the rate of Anaplasma marginale was 28.7% and 34.8 % through i-ELISA and Real-time PCR, respectively. Majority of the Cattle (41.6 %) were found positive for A. marginale as compared to 23.7% and 16.2% in Sheep and Buffalo respectively. Transects were significantly different at P <0.05 in term of rate of A. marginale. Transect wise distribution of anaplasmosis was higher in Lakki Marwat (41.5%) as compared to Peshawar (30%). Gender wise rate was higher in female through i-ELISA (57.96%) and RT PCR (64.33%) as compared to male individuals having 16.27% and 23.25% rate, respectively. A significant difference was found in seasonality of tick infestation, with the high infestations in summer as compare to winter.
Scavenging along an ecological interface: utilization of amphibian and reptile carcasses around isolated wetlands

Scavenging is an in ﬂ uential ecosystem process, providing many weak, but stabilizing food web links. Amphibians and reptiles (i.e., herpetofauna) utilize land/water interfaces and can have large biomasses concentrated here, making them important vectors of nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial systems and a valuable resource to scavengers. There are limited data on the fate of herpetofauna carrion, and thus, it is unknown how such carcasses are incorporated into food webs or how habitat and carcass characteristics in ﬂ uence which scavengers acquire these resources. We used camera traps to determine the proportion of experimental amphibian and reptile carcasses (lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads) scavenged by vertebrates and invertebrates in two different habitats (wetland and upland) during the spring in the southeastern USA. Vertebrates removed 19.8% of all herpetofauna carcasses in both habitats, with the remaining carcasses removed by invertebrates (80.2%). We used log-linear models to evaluate the impact of habitat and carcass type on scavenging. We determined that habitat, but not carcass type, was in ﬂ uential in determining whether a vertebrate or invertebrate scavenged a carcass, with vertebrates able to scavenge more carcasses in wetland than in upland areas. In less than two days, 86.2% of all carcasses in both habitat types were completely scavenged, and carcasses in wetlands were removed more quickly, suggesting intense competition between vertebrates and invertebrates. Additionally, we observed low vertebrate scavenger richness, which we attribute to high invertebrate activity in the spring and the small size of the herpetofauna carcasses ( < 100 g). We identi ﬁ ed the scavenging pathways along which herpetofauna are incorporated into the food web and the factors that in ﬂ uence those pathways, suggesting the large extent and spatial scale of this resource ’ s in ﬂ uence on food web connections and consequently food web and ecosystem stability.
Osteoconductive and Osteoinductive Surface Modifications of Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration: A Concise Review

The main aim of bone tissue engineering is to fabricate highly biocompatible, osteoconductive and/or osteoinductive biomaterials for tissue regeneration. Bone implants should support bone growth at the implantation site via promotion of osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and formation of bone extracellular matrix. Moreover, a very desired feature of biomaterials for clinical applications is their osteoinductivity, which means the ability of the material to induce osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells toward bone-building cells (osteoblasts). Nevertheless, the development of completely biocompatible biomaterials with appropriate physicochemical and mechanical properties poses a great challenge for the researchers. Thus, the current trend in the engineering of biomaterials focuses on the surface modifications to improve biological properties of bone implants. This review presents the most recent findings concerning surface modifications of biomaterials to improve their osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity. The article describes two types of surface modifications: (1) Additive and (2) subtractive, indicating biological effects of the resultant surfaces in vitro and/or in vivo. The review article summarizes known additive modifications, such as plasma treatment, magnetron sputtering, and preparation of inorganic, organic, and composite coatings on the implants. It also presents some common subtractive processes applied for surface modifications of the biomaterials (i.e., acid etching, sand blasting, grit blasting, sand-blasted large-grit acid etched (SLA), anodizing, and laser methods). In summary, the article is an excellent compendium on the surface modifications and development of advanced osteoconductive and/or osteoinductive coatings on biomaterials for bone regeneration.
A Mechanism for How a Particle Detects and Moves in a Field Gradient

Problem: The mechanisms whereby force operates are poorly understood at the fundamental level. Purpose: This paper proposes a mechanism for how a particle detects the field gradient, and how it moves therein. Approach: A non-local hidden-variable (NLHV) theory is used, specifically the Cordus NLHV theory. Findings: The operation of force is proposed to occur from the interaction between the energisation sequence of the particle, with the field gradient, resulting in discrete displacement motions of the particle. Specifically the particle sub-structures sweep through a volume of space during their energisation cycle. This locus is warped by the incoming field, hence preferentially displacing the particle along the gradient. Originality: The novel contribution of this work is providing a candidate mechanism for how a particle detects and moves in a field gradient.
The effect of L-carnitine in Tris egg yolk-based diluent on the quality of Pasundan bull semen preserved in chilled condition

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of L-Carnitine supplementation in Tris - egg yolk (TEY) diluents to optimize the quality of P asundan bull liquid semen. S emen samples were collected from three P asundan bull s (6 – 7 years old) using an artificial vagina. Semen samples were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically , semen having ≥70% progressive motility, ≥500×10 6 ml -1 sperm concentration and ≤ 20% sperm abnormalities were divided into 5 equal part. Each part was diluted with TEY and supplemented with 0 mM (control), 1 mM, 2 mM, 3 mM and 4 mM L-Carnitine. Liquid semen was stored at 5 °C. Sperm motility was evaluated every 12 h objectively using Computer Asissted Sperm Analysis (CASA ) until progressive motility reached 40%. The best diluent was demonstrated by progressive motility (PM) by TEY supplemented with 1 mM L-Carnitine (43.08±0.49 % ) that remained up to 108 h compared to the control group (43.63±0.70 % ) that remained up to 72 h (P<0 . 05). In conclusion, 1 mM L-Carnitine in TEY was the best concentration for preservation of P asundan bull semen stored in the liquid form.
Macroeconomic effects of exogenous tax changes in a small open economy: narrative evidence from Croatia

ABSTRACT Following the Romer and Romer narrative approach (RR), this paper investigates the effects of tax changes (personal income tax and value added tax in particular) on economic activity in Croatia. We use the narrative approach to identify exogenous tax shocks and construct a unique time series of these shocks for the 2004–2019 period. However, as Croatia is a small open economy, we adjust the original RR modelling approach by taking into account the relevance of external (demand) shocks. Our results indicate that positive tax shocks lead to a fall in private consumption and output in the Keynesian manner. We show that, compared to direct taxes, indirect taxes exercise a stronger effect on macroeconomic aggregates, but the effect of direct taxes is statistically significant throughout the whole time horizon and does not fade out. As the main contributions of this paper to the existing literature, we highlight the following: firstly, this paper sets forth the first estimates of the macroeconomic effects of tax changes based on the narrative approach in the case of a developing economy; secondly, this study extends the original RR approach by including the effects of external shocks, making this approach more suitable for the analysis of fiscal policy in small open economies.
Neural Networks Supporting Phoneme Monitoring Are Modulated by Phonology but Not Lexicality or Iconicity: Evidence From British and Swedish Sign Language

Sign languages are natural languages in the visual domain. Because they lack a written form, they provide a sharper tool than spoken languages for investigating lexicality effects which may be confounded by orthographic processing. In a previous study, we showed that the neural networks supporting phoneme monitoring in deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users are modulated by phonology but not lexicality or iconicity. In the present study, we investigated whether this pattern generalizes to deaf Swedish Sign Language (SSL) users. British and SSLs have a largely overlapping phoneme inventory but are mutually unintelligible because lexical overlap is small. This is important because it means that even when signs lexicalized in BSL are unintelligible to users of SSL they are usually still phonologically acceptable. During fMRI scanning, deaf users of the two different sign languages monitored signs that were lexicalized in either one or both of those languages for phonologically contrastive elements. Neural activation patterns relating to different linguistic levels of processing were similar across SLs; in particular, we found no effect of lexicality, supporting the notion that apparent lexicality effects on sublexical processing of speech may be driven by orthographic strategies. As expected, we found an effect of phonology but not iconicity. Further, there was a difference in neural activation between the two groups in a motion-processing region of the left occipital cortex, possibly driven by cultural differences, such as education. Importantly, this difference was not modulated by the linguistic characteristics of the material, underscoring the robustness of the neural activation patterns relating to different linguistic levels of processing.