Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular Changes in Retinas From Patients With BEST1 Mutations

Best disease (BD), also known as vitelliform macular dystrophy, is an inherited disease of the central retina caused by more than 300 pathogenic variants in the BEST1 gene. The phenotype of BD is variable, and there are just a few reports on the histopathology of eyes from donors with BD. Here, we describe the histopathological comparison of donor’s eyes from two patients with BD. Eyes obtained from 85-year-old (donor 1) and 65-year-old (donor 2) donors were fixed within 25 h postmortem. Perifoveal and peripheral retinal regions were processed for histology and immunocytochemistry using retinal-specific and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-specific antibodies. Three age-matched normal eyes were used as controls. DNA was obtained from donor blood samples. Sequence analysis of the entire BEST1 coding region was performed and identified a c.886A > C (p.Asn296His) variant in donor 1 and a c.602T > C (p.Ile201Thr) variant in donor 2; both mutations were heterozygous. Fundus examination showed that donor 1 displayed a macular lesion with considerable scarring while donor 2 displayed close to normal macular morphology. Our studies of histology and molecular pathology in the perifovea and periphery of these two BD donor eyes revealed panretinal abnormalities in both photoreceptors and RPE cellular levels in the periphery; donor 1 also displayed macular lesion. Our findings confirm the phenotypic variability of BD associated with BEST1 variants.
Algorithms for computation of reversible integer transform from linear float transform and minimization of rounding errors

Various compression algorithms use linear transforms to represent data vectors in di(cid:27)erent coordinate systems, where they can be compressed better. The matrices usually have (cid:29)oat coe(cid:30)cients, and the data vectors are integer, so some rounding is required. And to make the compression lossless it is required to make these transforms reversible, i.e. to be able to exactly restore the original vectors from the results of their transform. In this article we’ll consider a straightforward algorithm for (cid:28)nding the decomposition of linear transform matrix and the approaches for estimation of the mean square approximation error and for (cid:28)nding the optimal decomposition, which minimizes the error.
Growth rates of Actinomyces viscosus and Streptococcus mutans during early colonization of tooth surfaces in gnotobiotic rats

Germfree Osborne-Mendel rats were monoassociated with Actinomyces viscosus or Streptococcus mutans. The adherence and subsequent growth of these organisms on the tooth surface was studied by means of total viable cell counts. Both A. viscosus and S. mutans showed a lag phase and an exponential growth phase, similar to logarithmic growth in batch cultures. The exponential growth rates of S. mutans and A. viscosus were 0.63 h-1 (doubling time [td] = 1.1 h) and 0.24 h-1 (td = 2.9 h), respectively. After a period of rapid growth, the rate declined and the populations approached a steady state. The presence of a sucrose-containing diet did not significantly influence the exponential growth rates of A. viscosus and S. mutans, but had a slight negative effect on the initial adherence of S. mutans at the tooth surface.
Animal Model Versus Polynomial Legendre Test-Day In Dairy Cattle

Abstract The aim of the study was to compare the classical animal model (based on total milk for 305 days) with the Test-Day model (using monthly records of milk yield from Official Records of Performances). The data set derived from a total 175 animals (cows with records, parents of these animals and the descendants) from two Romanian breeds (Romanian Black Spotted and Montbeliarde), the phenotypic and the pedigree information arisen from National Research Development Institute for Animal Biology and Nutrition (IBNA-Balotesti). The selection criteria to be included in the analysis for each cow was to have at least 3 test-days and the days in milk between 200 and 330 for the Test-Day model and the total amount of the 305- day lactation yield for classical Animal Model respectively. Both models use B.L. U.P methodology and for that reason all the estimates were adjusted for fixed effects and all the breeding values and the solution for fixed effects were estimated simultaneous. For the animal model the fixed effects used was the breed and the year of performing and for the Test-Day model was an extra one, the test day effect. The correlation calculated between test days was very high (over 90%) for consecutive tests, and was getting lower when the days between tests was higher (under 40%). Also, in terms of heritability the values were in normal limits throughout lactation, except at the beginning and end of lactation period where these values were a little bit higher. The comparison of the ranking of breeding values with Spearman rank correlation shows that in 80% of the cases the ranking was similar for both models. As the ranking correlations shows, it is certain that the two models are very similar when they are used for genetic evaluation. But, in conclusion, we can say that for a better lactation curve estimation it is recommending to use test-day model for dairy cattle.
Strategic Entrepreneurship in the Development of Active Leisure Industry Organizations

Abstract Introduction. In the context of strategic entrepreneurship, the problem of corporate strategy is of special importance in the organizations of the active leisure industry. Active leisure activities are entrepreneurial processes in which innovation and change are key elements in exploiting an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. The aim of the article is to present the concept of strategic entrepreneurship as one of the key factors of the development of active leisure organizations. Material and Methods. The study is theoretical and methodologically based on a review of literature in the field of strategic entrepreneurship and active leisure industry as well as a review of selected empirical studies. Results. The individual parts of the study present the importance of the active leisure industry in the market economy, the specificity of sports enterprises and the concept of strategic entrepreneurship resulting from the theoretical foundations presented. Conclusions. The conclusions are based on the literature of the subject and examples of active leisure industry organizations operating in the commercial area. The dynamically developing sports market may be one of those areas of the economy that give an opportunity to examine how strategic entrepreneurship shapes and develops organizations through innovation, proactivity and competitive advantage.
Enhancement of Thermoelectric Properties of Layered Chalcogenide Materials

Abstract Thermoelectric materials have long been proven to be effective in converting heat energy into electricity and vice versa. Since semiconductors have been used in the thermoelectric field, much work has been done to improve their efficiency. The interrelation between their thermoelectric physical parameters (Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity) required special tailoring in order to get the maximum improvement in their performance. Various approaches have been reported in the research for developing thermoelectric performance, including doping and alloying, nanostructuring, and nanocompositing. Among different types of thermoelectric materials, layered chalcogenide materials are unique materials with distinctive properties. They have low self-thermal conductivity, and their layered structure allows them to be modified easily to improve their thermoelectric performance. In this review, basic knowledge of thermoelectric concepts and challenges for enhancing the figure of merit is provided. It discusses briefly different groups of layered chalcogenide thermoelectric materials with their structure and thermoelectric properties. It also reports different approaches in the literature for improving their performance and the recent progress done in this field. It highlights graphene as a promising nano additive to layered chalcogenide materials’ matrix and shows its effect on enhancing their figure of merit.
Phenotypic and Genetic Properties of Susceptible and Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolates in Southern Serbia

Abstract Drug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading problem in hospital infections. The aim of this study was to determine the best molecular genetic discrimination method for Pseudomonas spp. isolates among 94 outpatients and inpatients and see their grouping by phenotype characteristics (biofilm formation, frequency of serotypes, pigmentation, production of different class of beta-lactamases, and susceptibility to different antibiotic classes) and genotype. The most common serotypes were P1, P6, and P11, while co-productions of pyoverdine and pyocyanin were observed in 70 % of isolates. A total of 77.66 % isolates were mostly weak and moderate biofilm producers. Isolates were susceptible to colistin (100 %), aztreonam (97.87 %), imipenem (91.49 %), doripenem (90.43 %), and meropenem (84.04 %). MICs values confirmed susceptibility to ceftazidime and cefepime and singled out meripenem as the most effective inhibitor. Most isolates were resistant to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. Only two isolates produced ESBL, eight were carbapenemase producers, and five isolates produced MBLs. Twenty-nine isolates were multidrug-resistant; 82.8 % of which produced both pigments, 58.3 % were non-typeable, while the P6 and P11 serotypes were equally distributed (16.7 %). Thirteen MDR isolates were strong enzyme producers. RAPD PCR analysis using primer 272 proved the best at discriminatory fingerprinting for Pseudomonas isolates, as it allocated 12 clusters. A correlation between DNA patterns and antibiotic resistance, production of pigments, serotypes distribution, and biofilm formation was not observed, and only confirmed higher genetic heterogeneity among P. aeruginosa isolates, which suggests that other molecular methods are needed to reveal potential relations between genotypic patterns and phenotypic characteristics.
Bilan national des numérations cellulaires dans le lait des différentes races bovines laitières françaises

This paper presents a descriptive overview of milk somatic cell counts in the French dairy cattle breeds. Data originated from the national data base, with complete information since 1995. Cell count level varied according to breeds, and the milk was less concentrated in cells in low producing breeds (Abondance, Simmental Francaise) than in more high-yielding breeds (Prim’Holstein, Pie Rouge des Plaines). These differences across breeds were still observed for a given production level and, therefore, could not simply be explained by production . Within breed, the lowest producing cows had the highest cell count level. These cows were likely to be infected and their low production probably reflected the depressive effect of infections on milk production. Within breed, cell counts increased with parity. This illustrated the increase in incidence and persistency of intramammary infections with age. The cell counts evolution with days in milk showed a trend inverted to that of milk yield. Except in the beginning of the lactation, this trend likely resulted from a concentration effect due to the change in milk volume over the lactation, as the number of excreted cells was found to be stable after the first two months of lactation. Cell counts were higher in summer and lower in fall, whatever the lactation stage. They also varied among regions. On the other hand, cell count level was stable over time during the last five years and denoted the technical control ability of the farmers.
Purification, characterization, and antiproliferative activity of L-methioninase from a new isolate of Bacillus haynesii JUB2

L-methioninase (MGL) has received much attention in the recent years, since it shows antiproliferative activity and methionine restriction has been known to arrest tumor growth. Methionine dependence is the only known general metabolic defect in cancers. Normal cells have the ability to grow on homocysteine, instead of methionine, due to their active methionine synthase. Thus, depleting cellular/plasma methionine levels using MGL seems to be a promising therapeutic approach to treat cancer. Therefore, the objective of the present study is isolation of soil microbes using the selective M9 media for MGL producers and screening them for MGL activity. The results showed a novel bacterial strain, identified as Bacillus haynesii JUB2, which exhibited highest specific activity of 9.22 U/mg of protein. This enzyme was purified by acetone precipitation and diethylaminoethyl column methods. Upon column purification, fraction 6 yielded the highest enzyme activity and the specific activity increased enormously to 102.15 U/mg of protein. The cytotoxicity 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay performed on breast (MCF-7) and liver cancer cell lines (HepG2) showed highest cytotoxicity with a percentage viability of 63.2 and 68.6, respectively, at 250 μg/ml concentration. It can be concluded that purified MGL from the new source of B. haynesii JUB2 holds promise toward anticancer studies.
Optical and hygroscopic properties of black carbon influenced by particle microphysics at the top of anthropogenically polluted boundary layer

Aerosols at the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) could modify its atmospheric dynamics by redistributing the solar radiation and start to be activated to form low-level cloud at this layer. Black carbon (BC), as an aerosol component efficiently absorbing solar radiation, can introduce heating and positive radiative effects at this sensitive layer, especially in the polluted PBL over the continent. This study presents continuous measurements of detailed BC properties at a mountain site located at the top of the polluted PBL over the North China Plain, during seasons (3 and 4 weeks of data during winter and summer, respectively) with contrasting emission structure and meteorology. The pollution level was persistently influenced by local surface anthropogenic emission on a daily basis through daytime convective mixing, but the concentration was also enhanced or diluted depending on air mass direction, defined as a neutral, polluted and diluted PBL, respectively. Winter was observed to have a higher BC mass fraction (4 %–8 %) than summer (2 %–7 %). By resolving the detailed particle size-resolved mixing state of BC in optical and hygroscopic models, we found an enhanced BC mass absorption cross section (MACBC) for the polluted PBL (up to 13 m2 g−1 at λ= 550 nm), which was 5 % higher during summer than winter due to a smaller BC core size. The higher BC mass fraction in winter corresponded to a lower single-scattering albedo by 0.03–0.09 than summer, especially the lowest for the diluted winter PBL (0.86± 0.02). The water supersaturation (SS) required to activate half the number of BC decreased from 0.21 %± 0.08 % to 0.1 %± 0.03 % for the winter diluted and polluted PBL and from 0.22 %± 0.06 % to 0.17 %± 0.05 % for summer. Notably, at the top of the anthropogenically polluted PBL in both seasons, the enlarged BC with enhanced absorption capacity could also be efficiently droplet activated; e.g. winter (summer) BC with an MAC of 9.84± 1.2 (10.7± 1) m2 g−1 could be half activated at SS= 0.13 %± 0.06 % (0.18 %± 0.05 %). This BC at the top of the PBL can more directly interact with the free troposphere and be transported to a wider region, exerting important direct and indirect radiative impacts.
Evidencia empírica de las intervenciones basadas en Mindfulness en patología somática.

La utilización de intervenciones basadas en Mindfulness como parte del tratamiento de diversas patologías somáticas se ha ido incrementando de manera significativa en los últimos años. Así, el número de investigaciones disponibles en este campo ha aumentado de manera sustancial. En el presente artículo, se ofrece una revisión del estado actual de la evidencia empírica acerca de la eficacia de las intervenciones basadas en Mindfulness en el tratamiento de diferentes patologías somáticas (dolor, enfermedades neurológicas, enfermedades endocrinas, enfermedades cardiovasculares o cáncer, entre otras). Como principales conclusiones, cabe destacar que la evidencia disponible hasta el momento es prometedora. Sin embargo, los resultados de los estudios aún no son concluyentes, debido en la mayoría de los casos a la presencia de diversas dificultades metodológicas. Por tanto, es necesario continuar ampliando la investigación en este campo con estudios más rigurosos, con el objetivo de fortalecer la evidencia clínica y poder llegar a conclusiones más consistentes en un futuro.
Carbon limitation in hypereutrophic, periphytic algal wastewater treatment systems

Global eutrophication degrades water quality in freshwater ecosystems and limits the availability of freshwater for human consumption. While current wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) remove pathogens and pollutants, many US WWTF continue to discharge nutrients that contribute to eutrophication. Traditional nutrient removal technologies can effectively reduce eutrophication risk, but can have unintended negative consequences on human and environmental health. Alternatives, such as algae-based treatment systems, improve the sustainability of the nutrient recovery process by producing biomass that can be converted to biofuel. However, research is needed to increase the productivity of algal treatment systems to improve their economic viability. Because algae in wastewater treatment systems are grown in wastewater rich in nutrients, the algae could become limited by dissolved inorganic carbon. This hypothesis was tested in 1.2 m long recirculating floways (n = 8 for each treatment/control) by quantifying algal dry mass and wastewater nutrient concentrations in 3 independent experiments: (1) carbon dioxide gas infused vs air infused control; (2) hydrochloric acid acidified vs neutralized solution control vs no chemical addition control; and (3) sodium bicarbonate addition vs no chemical control. Results showed increases in algal biomass after 18 days in wastewater augmented with dissolved inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide or sodium bicarbonate). In contrast, maintaining wastewater at near neutral pH with hydrochloric acid reduced algal productivity relative to controls. Nutrient reductions generally paralleled algal biomass increases except in the bicarbonate addition experiment. These findings provide evidence for the importance of carbon limitation in algal wastewater treatment floways. These results could help explain why carbon dioxide infusions stimulate algae in treatment systems. Furthermore, these results suggest that algae in nutrient enriched, sun-exposed streams (e.g., agricultural ditches or urbanized streams) may become carbon limited during peak periods of productivity. These findings could have important implications for ecosystems undergoing eutrophication as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations continue to rise.
Actigraphy-derived Sleep Efficiency is Associated with Endothelial Function in Men and Women with Untreated Hypertension.

BACKGROUND Poor sleep quality is increasingly recognized as an important and potentially modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Impaired endothelial function may be one mechanism underlying the association between poor sleep and CVD risk. The present study examined the relationship between objective measures of sleep quality and endothelial function in a sample of untreated hypertensive adults. METHODS Participants were 127 men (N = 74) and women (N = 53), including 55 African Americans and 72 White Americans, aged 40 to 60 years (mean age, 45.3 ± 8.5 years), with untreated hypertension (SBP 130-159 mm Hg and/or DBP 85-99 mm Hg). Noninvasive brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was assessed by ultrasound. Sleep parameters, including sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and subjective sleep quality, were assessed over seven consecutive days by wrist actigraphy. RESULTS Participants averaged 7.76±1 hours in bed, with an average sleep efficiency of 78± 9%, and total sleep time of 6±1 hours. Brachial FMD averaged 3.5±3.1%. In multivariate analyses controlling for sex, race, BMI, clinic BP, income, smoking, alcohol use, and baseline arterial diameter, sleep efficiency was positively associated with FMD (β=.28, p=.012). Subjective sleep quality (β= -.04, p=.63) and total sleep time (β= -.11, p=.25) were unrelated to FMD. CONCLUSION Poor sleep as indicated by low sleep efficiency was associated with impaired FMD. These findings for sleep efficiency are consistent with previous observations of other measures implicating poor sleep as a CVD risk factor. Interventions that improve sleep may also help lower CVD risk.
Thyroid hormones in diabetes, cancer, and aging

Thyroid function is central in the control of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Studies in animal models and human research have determined that thyroid hormones modulate cellular processes relevant for aging and for the majority of age‐related diseases. While several studies have associated mild reductions on thyroid hormone function with exceptional longevity in animals and humans, alterations in thyroid hormones are serious medical conditions associated with unhealthy aging and premature death. Moreover, both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism have been associated with the development of certain types of diabetes and cancers, indicating a great complexity of the molecular mechanisms controlled by thyroid hormones. In this review, we describe the latest findings in thyroid hormone research in the field of aging, diabetes, and cancer, with a special focus on hepatocellular carcinomas. While aging studies indicate that the direct modulation of thyroid hormones is not a viable strategy to promote healthy aging or longevity and the development of thyromimetics is challenging due to inefficacy and potential toxicity, we argue that interventions based on the use of modulators of thyroid hormone function might provide therapeutic benefit in certain types of diabetes and cancers.
A powerful long metabarcoding method for the determination of complex diets from faecal analysis of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis, L. 1758)

High‐throughput sequencing has become an accurate method for the identification of species present in soil, water, faeces, gut or stomach contents. However, information at the species level is limited due to the choice of short barcodes and based on the idea that DNA is too degraded to allow longer sequences to be amplified. We have therefore developed a long DNA metabarcoding method based on the sequencing of short reads followed by de novo assembly, which can precisely identify the taxonomic groups of organisms associated with complex diets, such as omnivorous individuals. The procedure includes 11 different primer pairs targeting the COI gene, the large subunit of the ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase gene, the maturase K gene, the 28S rRNA and the trnL‐trnF chloroplastic region. We validated this approach using 32 faeces samples from an omnivorous reptile, the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis, L. 1758). This metabarcoding approach was assessed using controlled experiments including mock communities and faecal samples from captive feeding trials. The method allowed us to accurately identify prey DNA present in the diet of the European pond turtles to the species level in most of the cases (82.4%), based on the amplicon lengths of multiple markers (168–1,379 bp, average 546 bp), and produced by de novo assembly. The proposed approach can be adapted to analyse various diets, in numerous conservation and ecological applications. It is consequently appropriate for detecting fine dietary variations among individuals, populations and species as well as for the identification of rare food items.