Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Biochemical Markers Associated with the Occurrence of Coronary Spasm

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is one of the mechanisms of angina pectoris. Unlike the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction which is based on the elevation of cardiac markers, the diagnosis of CAS is difficult and sometimes requires sophisticated and risky provocative test which is not widely accepted in China. There is no well-established biomarker for the diagnosis or prediction of CAS. However, there are some biomarkers proven to be associated with the occurrence of CAS. For example, inflammatory factors including C-reactive protein and cytokines, lipoprotein (a), and cystatin-C might be precipitating factor for CAS. Rho-kinase as a mediator involved in multiple mechanisms of CAS, serotonin, and endothelin-1 as powerful vasoconstrictors leading to vasospasm were all observed being elevated in patients with CAS. Thioredoxin and nitrotyrosine reflected the oxidative status and could be observed to be elevated after the occurrence of CAS. In some cases doubted to be CAS without the evidence of provocative test, the blood test for the biomarkers mentioned above could be useful for the diagnosis of CAS.
Establishment and validation of an endoplasmic reticulum stress reporter to monitor zebrafish ATF6 activity in development and disease

ABSTRACT Induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with diverse developmental and degenerative diseases. Modified ER homeostasis causes activation of conserved stress pathways at the ER called the unfolded protein response (UPR). ATF6 is a transcription factor activated during ER stress as part of a coordinated UPR. ATF6 resides at the ER and, upon activation, is transported to the Golgi apparatus, where it is cleaved by proteases to create an amino-terminal cytoplasmic fragment (ATF6f). ATF6f translocates to the nucleus to activate transcriptional targets. Here, we describe the establishment and validation of zebrafish reporter lines for ATF6 activity. These transgenic lines are based on a defined and multimerized ATF6 consensus site, which drives either eGFP or destabilized eGFP, enabling dynamic study of ATF6 activity during development and disease. The results show that the reporter is specific for the ATF6 pathway, active during development and induced in disease models known to engage UPR. Specifically, during development, ATF6 activity is highest in the lens, skeletal muscle, fins and gills. The reporter is also activated by common chemical inducers of ER stress, including tunicamycin, thapsigargin and brefeldin A, as well as by heat shock. In models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cone dystrophy, ATF6 reporter expression is induced in spinal cord interneurons or photoreceptors, respectively, suggesting a role for ATF6 response in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Collectively our results show that these ATF6 reporters can be used to monitor ATF6 activity changes throughout development and in zebrafish models of disease. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: In this study, we validate transgenic zebrafish generated to specifically report the activity of ATF6, representing a major branch of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway with functions in development and disease.
Morphological and Agronomic Characterization of Spanish Landraces of Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) originated on the American continent, specifically in the Mesoamerican zone, and their domestication took place independently in the Mesoamerican area and the Andean zone, giving rise to two well-differentiated genetic pools. It was also noted that the Andean wild populations originated from only a few thousand individuals from the Mesoamerican wild populations, which produced a great bottleneck in the formation of the Andean population. During centuries of cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula after its introduction in the 16th century, beans adapted to new environments, evolving numerous local landraces. Twenty-four local landraces of P. vulgaris from Spain were analyzed in the greenhouse during two consecutive seasons. From each genotype, five plants were grown and characterized for 17 quantitative and 15 qualitative traits using the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) descriptors. Data were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The results obtained indicate a high variability for most traits, especially those related to the yield and its components. The PCA and cluster analysis separated the landraces according to the color of the seed, the yield, and the pod and seed traits related to yield. Numerous traits exhibited interactions between the genotype and the environment. Most accessions reached higher yields in spring, in which solar radiation favors photosynthesis and, consequently, photoassimilation. The different response to the changing environment of the set of accessions studied in the present work is of great interest, and it can be exploited in breeding cultivars adapted to a broader range of environmental conditions.
Proposal of an Index for the Operator’s Haptic Sensation in a Master-Slave System with Force-Feedback Function

ABSTRACT This article proposes an index to estimate the operator’s haptic sensation of the contact between the slave device and the environment in operating master–slave systems with force feedback function. The index value is derived from the velocity information of the master device before and after contact, which is hypothesized to represent the intensity of haptic sensation stimuli presented to the operator. Two characteristics of this index are discussed by means of psychophysics experiment, which are the statistical characteristics of the index value for different operators, and how the change in the operator’s haptic sensation is reflected on the index value. The index is validated by another psychophysics experiment. The experimental results show that the performance of operator’s haptic sensation can be predicted correctly based on the proposed index value. This index is expected to be applied in the parameter design of bilateral-control systems with force feedback function.
The complete plastid genome of Camellia Octopetala (Theaceae)

Abstract Camellia octopetala is a native oil tree species in the south of China and is also a unique natural Chinese woody edible oil species. In the study, the complete plastid genome was assembled and annotated, the genome full-length is 156,615 bp, contains a large single-copy (LSC) region with 86,273 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region with 18,410 bp, two invert repeats (IR) regions with 25,966 bp. The plastid genome contains 135 genes, 90 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis shows C. octopetala sister to C. crapnelliana and embedded in Camellia.
Estudo taxonômico de Homobasidiomicetos Corticoides (Agaricomycetes,Basidiomycota) na Região Sul do Brasil

vii LISTA DE MANUSCRITOS . ix INTRODUÇÃO . 1 Características ecológicas e importância do grupo . 1 Classificação dos fungos corticioides . 3 Estudos dos fungos corticioides no Brasil e na Região Sul . 4 MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS . 7 Área de estudo . 7 Coleta e preservação dos espécimes . 8 Análises morfológicas e determinação dos espécimes . 8 Obtenção e manutenção dos cultivos . 9 Extração, amplificação e sequenciamento de material genético . 10 Tratamento das sequências e análises filogenéticas . 11 RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO . 13 Manuscrito I . 15 Manuscrito II . 17 Manuscrito III . 40 Manuscrito IV . 42 Manuscrito V . 96 CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS . 244 LITERATURA CITADA . 247
Blue sky’s the limit? Somatic embryogenesis as a means of propagating recalcitrant blue spruce (Picea pungens) cultivar Hoopsii

The ‘triple-blue’ cultivar of blue spruce (Picea pungens Hoopsii) is notably recalcitrant towards the realm of traditional vegetative propagation methods. Its ability to naturally proliferate is limited by ovule and embryo abortion during the growing season, leading to low viable seed yield. In this study, we established a protocol using somatic embryogenesis (SE) as a means of propagating this popular ornamental cultivar. We collected cones from Hoopsii trees at seven different timepoints throughout the growing season (mid-June to late July in Ottawa (Plant Hardiness Zone 5A)). Female megagametophytes were harvested following each collection and immature zygotic embryos were plated onto induction media. Early somatic embryos began developing from the embryonic tissue (ET) three to five weeks following induction. The highest ET initiation frequency occurred from embryos collected June 20–July 10, suggesting that developmental stage of the embryo was a significant factor in SE induction. The conversion of mature somatic embryos into plantlets (emblings) was completed in eight–ten weeks at a rate of 92.8%. In this study, we demonstrate that in vitro somatic embryogenesis using our optimized protocol is a fast and prolific method for the mass propagation of Hoopsii blue spruce. This is the first report on the production of somatic Hoopsii emblings.
Finite element and deformation analyses predict pattern of bone failure in loaded zebrafish spines

The spine is the central skeletal support structure in vertebrates consisting of repeated units of bone, the vertebrae, separated by intervertebral discs that enable the movement of the spine. Spinal pathologies such as idiopathic back pain, vertebral compression fractures and intervertebral disc failure affect millions of people world-wide. Animal models can help us to understand the disease process, and zebrafish are increasingly used as they are highly genetically tractable, their spines are axially loaded like humans, and they show similar pathologies to humans during ageing. However biomechanical models for the zebrafish are largely lacking. Here we describe the results of loading intact zebrafish spinal motion segments on a material testing stage within a micro Computed Tomography machine. We show that vertebrae and their arches show predictable patterns of deformation prior to their ultimate failure, in a pattern dependent on their position within the segment. We further show using geometric morphometrics which regions of the vertebra deform the most during loading, and that Finite Element models of the trunk subjected reflect the real patterns of deformation and strain seen during loading and can therefore be used as a predictive model for biomechanical performance.
The signal and the noise - characteristics of antisense RNA in complex microbial communities

High-throughput sequencing has allowed unprecedented insight into the composition and function of complex microbial communities. With the onset of metatranscriptomics, it is now possible to interrogate the transcriptome of multiple organisms simultaneously to get an overview of the gene expression of the entire community. Studies have successfully used metatranscriptomics to identify and describe relationships between gene expression levels and community characteristics. However, metatranscriptomic datasets contain a rich suite of additional information which is just beginning to be explored. In this minireview we discuss the different computational strategies for handling antisense expression in metatranscriptomic samples and highlight their potentially detrimental effects on downstream analysis and interpretation. We also surveyed the antisense transcriptome of multiple genomes and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from five different datasets and found high variability in the level of antisense transcription for individual species which were consistent across samples. Importantly, we tested the hypothesis that antisense transcription is primarily the product of transcriptional noise and found mixed support, suggesting that the total observed antisense RNA in complex communities arises from a compounded effect of both random, biological and technical factors. Antisense transcription can provide a rich set of information, from technical details about data quality to novel insight into the biology of complex microbial communities. Key points Several fundamentally different approaches are used to handle antisense RNA Prevalence of antisense RNA is highly variable between communities, genomes, and genes. Antisense RNA is likely an opaque mixture of technical, biological and random effects
Combinational Circuit Obfuscation through Power Signature Manipulation

Reverse engineering is a current threat to both the military and the commercial sector of system. One method for protecting the system against the threat of reverse engineering is obfuscation. The obfuscation could transform an internal logic of system into an equivalent one that is harder to reverse-engineer. In a recent research, Yasinsac and McDonald proposed the Random Program Model (RPM) which consists of randomly selecting sub-circuits from original circuits and replacing these sub-circuits with randomly selected, semantically equivalent new one for a circuit obfuscation and implemented such obfuscation techniques in Java, which is referred to Circuit Obfuscation via Randomization of Graphs Iteratively (CORGI) [6]. The previous obfuscation methods in CORGI are mainly focusing on hiding the structural and functional information on a circuit against white-box analysis. In other words, the final variants from the previous version of CORGI are likely to leak the significant information through the side-channel such as time, power consumption, and electro-magnetic emission. For this reason, this research primarily focuses on hiding the side-channel information rather than the internal structure of circuit. This is the first known work that focuses on generalized side-channel signature characterization and provides the tool to minimize the signature leakage. In this effort, the proposed research is conducted in four steps, namely the circuit signature estimation, characterization, signature manipulation, and signature validation. During the signature estimation and characterization phase, the power signature of the circuit is estimated both statically and dynamically via probabilistic signature estimation, then verified with dynamic simulation with HSPICE. Once the signature is estimated by both static and dynamic techniques, the signature of the circuit is characterized and classified as one of the four predefined power signature. After characterization phase, a power signature manipulation method is applied to
Gender Difference in Postprandial Lipemia

Abstract—Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-cholesterol concentrations are common features of a plurimetabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease. Although it has been proposed that the development of atherosclerosis through alterations in plasma lipid levels could be a postprandial phenomenon, most studies on gender differences in plasma lipoprotein-lipid concentrations have reported fasting levels. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the response of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins to a standardized meal in 63 men and 25 women. In addition to the measurement of fasting and postprandial plasma lipid levels, numerous physical and metabolic variables were assessed, including body composition by underwater weighing and body fat distribution by computed tomography. Although no gender difference was noted in total body fat mass, men were characterized by a preferential accumulation of abdominal adipose tissue as revealed by .
Distribution of Ambler Class A Β-lactamase Genes and Evaluation of Resistance Patterns in Multi-Drug and Extensively-Drug Resistant P. aeruginosa Clinical Isolates

Background and Objectives: Emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains could complicate antipseudomonal chemotherapy. Dissemination of resistance genes, such as βlactamases encoding genes by horizontal gene transfer can lead to development of multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa. The purpose of this study was to investigate the latest resistance patterns in MDR and XDR strains and evaluate Ambler class A β-lactamase gene distribution in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Methods: One hundred molecularly and biochemically identified P. aeruginosa strains isolated from different clinical specimens were tested for sensitivity to 17 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. PCR was performed to detect bla TEM-1, bla SHV-1, bla REP-1 and bla VEB-1 genes. Results were analyzed using SPSS and NTSYSpc softwares. Results: Based on the results of antibiogram, the highest rate of resistance was observed against amikacin (100%), aztreonam (83%), ceftazidime (55%), cefepime (55%) and netilmicin (48%). In addition, the frequency of MDR and XDR isolates was 95% and 5%, respectively. The blaSHV-1, bla TEM-1, bla PER-1 and bla VEB-1 genes were detected in 31%, 24%, 13% and 10% of the isolates, respectively. Conclusion: Antibiotic resistance to β-lactam antibiotics and frequency of βlactamase genes were relatively high in the study area. We also found that a significant proportion of XDR strains with different antibiotic resistance profile is isolated from tracheal
Assessing site productivity based on national forest inventory data and its dependence on site conditions for spruce dominated forests in Germany

Aim of study: (i) To estimate site productivity based on German national forest inventory (NFI) data using above-ground wood biomass increment (ΔB) of the stand and (ii) to develop a model that explains site productivity quantified by ΔB in dependence on climate and soil conditions as well as stand characteristics for Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ). Area of study: Germany, which ranges from the North Sea to the Bavarian Alps in the south encompassing lowlands in the north, uplands in central Germany and low mountain ranges mainly in southern Germany.Material and methods: Biomass increment of the stand between the 2nd and 3rd NFI was calculated as measure for site productivity. Generalized additive models were fitted to explain biomass increment in dependence on stand age, stand density and environmental variables.Main results: Great part of the variation in biomass increment was due to differences in stand age and stand density. Mean annual temperature and summer precipitation, temperature seasonality, base saturation, C/N ratio and soil texture explained further variation. External validation of the model using data from experimental plots showed good model performance.Research highlights: The study outlines both the potential as well as the restrictions in using biomass increment as a measure for site productivity and as response variable in statistical site-productivity models: biomass increment of the stand is a comprehensive measure of site potential as it incorporates both height and basal area increment as well as stem number. However, it entails the difficulty of how to deal with the influence of management on stand density.Keywords: Site index; site potential; biomass increment; statistical model; climate.
Transmission of antimicrobial resistance from livestock agriculture to humans and from humans to animals

The emergence of a resistant pathogen reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing or treating an infection caused by a micro-organism, thus increasing morbidity and mortality and leading to higher economic costs to livestock producers. An understanding of the underlying disease dynamics is crucial in finding appropriate solutions to containing the rise in antimicrobial resistance. This report synthesises the evidence on the potential modes of transmission of antimicrobial resistance between humans and animals and vice versa. In particular, the important role of the environment in the transmission chain is discussed as well as practices to break this link. This report also illustrates some of the commonly shared antibiotic classes that are used in human medicine and animal production, and the overall trends in the usage of these antibiotics. While information on transmission of resistance is sparse, the report highlights several priority areas where future research could focus in order to bring a greater understanding of these interactions.
Stomach contents of the Early Jurassic fish †Lepidotes Agassiz, 1832 (Actinopterygii, Lepisosteiformes) and their palaeoecological implications

ABSTRACT Ginglymodian fishes formed one of the most dominant actinopterygian lineages during the Mesozoic, occurring in fully marine to freshwater depositional environments. However, although commonly preserved in Mesozoic strata around the world, there is little information on the feeding ecology of these fishes, which is mainly due to the scarcity of direct evidence of diet. Here we report two specimens of the ginglymodian fish †Lepidotes (Lepisosteiformes) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany that exhibit gastric contents consisting of small crustacean cuticle fragments indicative of shrimp-like taxa. The dentition of †Lepidotes, which is well adapted to such a diet, combined with its robust body shape and the position and shape of its fins, suggests that other potential food of the Early Jurassic †Lepidotes may have included moderately elusive, relatively soft-shelled or unprotected, free-living invertebrates. urn:lsid:zoobank.org
Research on Underwater Image Enhancement Technology Based on Generative Adversative Net work s

Under the influence of light refraction and particle scattering, the underwater image has a low contrast and color attenuation . This paper proposes an underwater image enhancement method based on Generative Adversative Net work s (GANs). The main principle is to apply the GANs to learn the pixel transformation between images through con frontation training, so as to achieve the purpose of image enhancement. In this paper, we select the real underwater image as the data set and degrade it before inputting the image into the neural network. Then we input the corresponding degenerate image , so that the neural network can learn the mapping from input image to real image and realize the color reduction and enhancement of underwater image. Experiments show that this method has strong robustness and can be applied to underwater shooting and under water navigation.
Amblyomma ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing Rhinella major in the eastern Amazon

ABSTRACT Currently, there are approximately 896 species of ticks worldwide. Considering the paucity of information on amphibian parasitism by ticks in the state of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon, the present study aimed to collect, identify, and report tick species found on Rhinella major. Specimens of Rhinella major (N = 52) were collected by active search during the night in the area influenced by the Curuá-Una hydroelectric power plant, in the municipality of Santarém, located in western State of Pará, Brazil. Nineteen individuals were found infested with ticks, representing a prevalence of 36.53%. All ticks found were identified by morphological analysis and classified in two stages: larvae and nymphs. The present study provides the first-specific locality record of Amblyomma dissimile parasiting the host R. major at the state of Pará, Brazil, with comments on its infestation.