Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Primary plant succession on recently deglaciated terrain in the Canadian High Arctic

Aim Primary succession in a high arctic environment was examined to determine whether the patterns conform to models based on studies in temperate regions. The location also presented an unique opportunity to examine a well preserved pre‐Little Ice Age plant community and organically enriched palaeosol that are being released from the glacier along with the glacial and glaciofluvial sediments.
CRISPR-mediated ablation of overexpressed EGFR in combination with sunitinib significantly suppresses renal cell carcinoma proliferation

Receptor tyrosine kinases, such as VEGFR, PDGFR and EGFR, play important roles in renal cancer. In this study, we investigated EGFR knockout as a therapeutic approach in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We showed that a renal cell carcinoma cell line (RC21) has higher expression of EGFR as compared to other frequently used cell lines such as HEK293, A549, Hela and DLD1. Ablation of EGFR by CRISPR/Cas9 significantly restrained tumor cell growth and activated the MAPK (pERK1/2) pathway. The VEGFR and PDGFR inhibitor, sunitinib, attenuated the expression of MAPK (pERK1/2) and pAKT induced by EGFR loss and further inhibited EGFR-/- cell proliferation. We showed that loss of EGFR eventually leads to resistance to SAHA and cisplatin. Furthermore, EGFR loss induced G2/M phase arrest and resulted in an increased resistance to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in renal cell carcinoma. Thus, ablation of overexpressed EGFR by CRISPR/Cas9 alone or in combination with sunitinib may be a new treatment option for renal cell carcinoma.
Differential detection of M184V/I between plasma historical HIV genotypes and HIV proviral DNA from PBMCs.

BACKGROUND The M184V/I reverse transcriptase mutation, which confers major resistance to lamivudine and emtricitabine, is still quite frequent in people living with HIV. The underlying presence of the M184V/I mutation may undermine virological outcomes of ART, particularly in the context of proposed treatment with two-drug combinations that include drugs affected by M184V, such as lamivudine. In suppressed patients for whom historical data are seldom available, resistance assays evaluating integrated viral DNA can help select a fully active switch regimen. OBJECTIVES To compare detectability of M184V/I in historical HIV-1 RNA analyses versus HIV-1 DNA sequencing. METHODS We analysed the detection of the M184V/I mutation in a prospective study and compared HIV historical genotypes (plasma) versus integrated HIV DNA (PBMCs) obtained via a validated commercial proviral HIV DNA assay. Eligible participants had HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL for ≥6 consecutive months prior to screening. A plasma historical genotypic report (HGR) showing the presence of M184V/I was required for all participants and proviral HIV DNA analysis was conducted prior to enrolment. RESULTS All 84 participants had evidence of M184V or M184I in their HGR (100%), whereas the mutation was detected in only 40/84 participants by proviral HIV DNA sequencing analysis (48%). Differential detection of M184V/I was not associated with timing differences between the HGR and proviral HIV DNA sampling, the overall duration of ART, or CD4 cell counts and HIV-1 viral load at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that undetected M184V/I should be considered when switching virologically suppressed patients to new regimens, particularly two-drug lamivudine- or emtricitabine-containing combinations.
Hearing Loss in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis

Objective. To determine the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to describe frequency-specific hearing threshold changes in this patient population compared to patients without AS. Methods. A systematic review querying 4 databases (PubMed, OVID Medline, Scopus, Cochrane) was performed to identify studies evaluating HL in patients with AS. Metaanalysis was performed to identify overall prevalence rate and OR of HL, as well as to compare mean differences in frequency-specific hearing thresholds between patients with and without AS. Results. Our metaanalysis included 14 studies and 1083 patients (598 with AS vs 485 without AS). The pooled prevalence of HL in patients with AS was 42.4% (95% CI 29.2–56.2). Patients with AS had a significantly higher OR of HL than patients without AS (OR 4.65, 95% CI 2.73–7.91). Mean differences in pure-tone hearing thresholds ranged from 0–5 decibels (dB) for frequencies of 0.25–4 kHz, and from 5–15 dB for frequencies of 6–16 kHz. Conclusion. Patients with AS have higher odds of having HL than patients without AS. The AS population also presents with significantly impaired hearing thresholds across all conventional and extended pure-tone frequencies. This may manifest as slight to moderate HL. Results of this systematic review might justify increased attention to audiologic manifestations of patients with AS.
Uptake of sub-micrometre particles and dissolved organic materal by Antarctic choanoflagellates

Antarctic choanoflagellates ingest fluorescent latex microspheres over the size range 0.063 to 1.0 pm. They also ingest fluorescently labelled dextrans over the molecular weight range of 4 X 103 to 2 X 10' daltons. Calculations based on clearance rates and their abundance indicate that choanoflagellates in Antarctic coastal waters clear around 7 % of the water column per day. They are likely to be involved in the direct transfer of energy from sub-micrometre particles and high molecular weight dissolved organic material to krill and other grazing invertebrates.
Microstructure and mechanical design in the lantern ossicles of the regular sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus : a scanning electron microscope study

Abstract Echinoids are the echinoderm group which has explored and exploited most efficiently the potential of the endoskeleton in a range of extremely advanced and sophisticated adaptive solutions. The most ingenious of these adaptations are employed in the dental apparatus, whose different elements represent a striking example of the versatility of the skeletal tissue. The dental ossicles (jaws, rotulae, compasses and teeth), though having the same basic organization, show a wide range of structural and functional solutions: inorganic phase and organic stroma are variously combined and integrated in a very plastic and adaptable tissue, which is able to fulfil very specific mechanical requirements. On the whole, all the different arrangements shown by the dental elements can be considered as differentiations of the two limit‐models of skeletal microarchitecture, represented respectively by classical porous stereom and a composite lamellar structure. The first structural model is by far the most common: a.
Altered intrinsic connectivity distribution in internet gaming disorder and its associations with psychotherapy treatment outcomes

Alterations in brain connectivity have been implicated in internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, little is known about alterations in whole‐brain connectivity and their associations with long‐term treatment outcomes. Here, we used a relatively new analytic approach, intrinsic connectivity distribution (ICD) analysis, to examine brain connectivity in 74 IGD participants and 41 matched healthy controls (HCs) and conducted post hoc seed‐based resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses based on the ICD findings. We also examined how these findings related to outcomes involving a craving behavioral intervention (CBI) for IGD. IGD participants showed less whole‐brain connectivity in the left angular gyrus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) compared with HC participants. Seed‐based rsFC analyses revealed that the left angular gyrus in the IGD group showed less connectivity with areas involved in the default‐mode network and greater connectivity with areas in the salience and executive control networks. CBI was associated with improved connectivity within regions in the default‐mode network and regions across the default‐mode and salience networks. ICD‐identified connectivity differences in the left angular gyrus and vmPFC were related to changes in craving and severity of addiction 6 months after the intervention. The findings suggest that IGD is associated with alterations in brain connectivity that may be sensitive to interventions. Thus, the findings have implications for understanding mechanisms underlying CBI effects and for further treatment development.
Hybrid Expression of Mutations Affecting Quantitative Characters in Inbred Lines of Zea mays L. 1

T HE current production of corn, Zea mays L. , in the United States is based primarily upon the use of hybrids. Inbred lines are used in the production of ~:hese hybrids because of the known and repeatable characteristics of these lines. The methods of maintaining inbred lines varies among breeders, but, generally, some form of selfing or sibbing is used. Mutations affecting quantitative and qualitative characters do occur while maintaining inbred lines, but probably only the easily recognizable mutations are observed. Mutations having small effects on quantitative characters are more difficult to recognize unless replicated measuremen~s are taken.
University of Groningen Manipulation of prenatal thyroid hormones does not affect growth or physiology in nestling Pied flycatchers Sarraude,

Hormones transferred from mothers to their offspring are thought to be a tool for mothers to prepare their progeny for expected environmental conditions, thus increasing fitness. Thyroid hormones (THs) are crucial across vertebrates for embryonic and postnatal development and metabolism. Yet yolk THs have mostly been ignored in the context of hormonemediated maternal effects. In addition, the few studies on maternal THs have yielded contrasting results that could be attributed to either species or environmental differences. In this study, we experimentally elevated yolk THs (within the natural range) in a wild population of a migratory passerine, the European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), and assessed the effects on hatching success, nestling survival, growth, and oxidative status (lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activity, and oxidative balance). We also sought to compare our results with those of a closely related species, the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicolis), that has strong ecological and life-history similarities with our species. We found no effects of yolk THs on anyof the responsesmeasured.We coulddetect only aweak trend on growth: elevated yolk THs tended to increase growth during the second week after hatching. Our results contradict the findings of previous studies, including those of the collared flycatcher. However, differences in fledging success and nestling growth between both species in the same year suggest a contextdependent influence of the treatment. This study should stimulate more research on maternal effects mediated by THs and their potential context-dependent effects. *Corresponding author; email: t.sarraude@rug.nl. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 93(4):255–266. 2020. q 2020 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 1522-2152/2020/9304-9084$15.00.
Iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in an urban area of northern Taiwan in 2018

Pregnant women are considered as one of the most vulnerable groups for iodine deficiency. The Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan 2013 revealed that the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of non-pregnant women of child-bearing age of 15–44 years was 124 μg/L, which was adequate in general, but insufficient according to pregnancy criteria. The aim of this study was to determine the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in an urban area of Northern Taiwan. A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Random spot urine samples were collected from January to October, 2018 and UIC was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. A food frequency questionnaire was also delivered to the participants. The overall median UIC was 225.3 μg/L (IQR: 109.1–514.2 μg/L) for 257 pregnant women ranging from 21–47 years-old. The distribution of UIC was as follows: 35.4% with UIC <150 μg/L, 17.1% with UIC within 150–249 μg/L, 21.8% with UIC within 250–499 μg/L, and 25.7% with UIC ≥500 μg/L. The use of prenatal multivitamin was very common among the participants: 79.4% (n = 204) took multivitamin either every day or less frequently, with 52.5% (n = 135) taking one pill every day, and only 20.6% (n = 53) never took multivitamin during their pregnancy. Other commonly consumed iodine-containing foods were dairy products and fish. Our results indicate that the iodine status in the studied women is adequate. However, efforts are still needed to avoid iodine deficiency as well as iodine excess.
Deletion of inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type-II B affects spermatogenesis in mice

Inositol polyphosphate-4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B) is a dual-specificity phosphatase that acts as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers. INPP4B dephosphorylates phospholipids at the 4th position of the inositol ring and inhibits AKT and PKC signaling by hydrolyzing of PI(3,4)P2 and PI(4,5)P2, respectively. INPP4B protein phosphatase targets include phospho-tyrosines on Akt and phospho-serine and phospho-threonine on PTEN. INPP4B is highly expressed in testes, suggesting its role in testes development and physiology. The objective of this study was to determine whether Inpp4b deletion impacts testicular function in mice. In testis, Inpp4b expression was the highest in postmeiotic germ cells in both mice and men. The testes of Inpp4b knockout male mice were significantly smaller compared to the testes of wild-type (WT) males. Inpp4b-/- males produced fewer mature sperm cells compared to WT, and this difference increased with age and high fat diet (HFD). Reduction in early steroidogenic enzymes and luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor gene expression was detected, although androgen receptor (AR) protein level was similar in WT and Inpp4b-/- testes. Germ cell apoptosis was significantly increased in the knockout mice, while expression of meiotic marker γH2A. X was decreased. Our data demonstrate that INPP4B plays a role in maintenance of male germ cell differentiation and protects testis functions against deleterious effects of aging and high fat diet.
Past, Present and Future of Epigenetics in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

DNA methylation profiling has been suggested a reliable technique to distinguish between benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors, a process which with current diagnostic methods remains challenging and lacks diagnostic accuracy of borderline tumors. Accurate distinction between benign and malignant adrenal tumors is of the essence, since ACC is a rare but aggressive endocrine disease with an annual incidence of about 2.0 cases per million people per year. The estimated five-year overall survival rate for ACC patients is <50%. However, available treatment regimens are limited, in which a radical surgical resection is the only curable option. Nevertheless, up to 85% of patients with radical resection show recurrence of the local disease often with concurrent metastases. Adrenolytic therapy with mitotane, administered alone or in combination with cytotoxic agents, is currently the primary (palliative) treatment for patients with advanced ACC and is increasingly used in adjuvant setting to prevent recurrence. Prognostic stratification is important in order to individualize adjuvant therapies. On April 1, 2020, there were 7404 publications on adrenocortical carcinoma (adrenocortical carcinoma) OR adrenocortical carcinoma [MeSH Terms]) OR adrenal cortex cancer[MeSH Terms]) OR adrenal cortical carcinoma [MeSH Terms]) OR adrenal cortex neoplasm [MeSH Terms]) OR adrenocortical cancer [MeSH Terms]), yet the underlying pathophysiology and characteristics of ACC is not fully understood. Knowledge on epigenetic alterations in the process of adrenal tumorigenesis is rapidly increasing and will add to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of ACC. DNA methylation profiling has been heralded as a promising method in the prognostication of ACC. This review summarizes recent findings on epigenetics of ACC and its role in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic strategies.
Unique Metabolic Features of Adults Discordant for Indices of Insulin Resistance.

PURPOSE Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Adipose Insulin Resistance index (ADIPO-IR) values are often concordant. In this study we evaluated whether there are groups discordant for HOMA-IR and ADIPOpalmitate-IR and, if so, what are their defining characteristics. METHODS The body composition, basal metabolic rate (BMR), fasting plasma lipids, insulin, glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) palmitate concentrations data of 466 volunteers from previous research studies were abstracted and analyzed. The middle 2 population quartiles for HOMA-IR and ADIPOpalmitate-IR defined medium HOMA-IR and ADIPOpalmitate-IR (MH and MA); the top and bottom quartiles were defined as High/Low HOMA - HH/LH and High/Low ADIPOpalmitate - HA/LA. Because ADIPOpalmitate-IR was significantly greater in females than males we established sex-specific quartiles for each index. We identified groups discordant for HOMA-IR and ADIPO-IR (HHMA, LHMA, MHHA and MHLA). RESULTS Body fat and fasting triglycerides (TG) were significantly greater with higher indices in the concordant groups (HHHA > MHMA > LHLA). MHHA differed from MHLA by visceral fat (P < 0.01) and fasting triglycerides (P < 0.05), whereas HHMA differed (P < 0.01) from LHMA by BMR. By multivariate regression, the group factor contributed to BMR (P < 0.01) and visceral fat (P < 0.05). MAIN CONCLUSIONS Adults discordant for HOMA-IR and ADIPO-IR have unique features including differences in visceral fat, TG and BMR. This suggests different forms of insulin resistance are present, which should be considered when studying insulin resistance in the future.
Systematics, distribution, and bibliography of the frog Leptodactylus insularum Barbour, 1906 (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae)

Abstract The Leptodactylus bolivianus complex has recently been assessed and determined to be comprised of three species – L. bolivianus, L. guianensis, and L. insularum (Heyer & de Sá 2011). The aim of this study is to amplify data for L. insularum that were not included in the Heyer & de Sá (2011) publication. The earlier paper based distributional data only on specimens evaluated by Heyer. Later literature searches identified further information and a greater number of localities for Leptodactylus insularum resulting in a comprehensive summary and a more precise distribution for the species. The purpose of this paper is to summarize information for the currently understood single species Leptodactylus insularum. Pertinent literature is reviewed and summarized for biology, life history, systematics, nomenclature, conservation, and distribution.
Diel and temperature driven variation of leaf dark respiration rates and metabolite levels in rice.

Leaf respiration in the dark (Rdark ) is often measured at a single time during the day, with hot-acclimation lowering Rdark at a common measuring temperature. However, it is unclear whether the diel cycle influences the extent of thermal acclimation of Rdark , or how temperature and time of day interact to influence respiratory metabolites. To examine these issues, we grew rice at 25/20°C (day/night), 30/25°C and 40/35°C, measuring Rdark and changes in metabolites at five time-points spanning a single 24-hour period. Rdark differed among the treatments and with time of day. However, there was no significant interaction between time and growth temperature, indicating that the diel cycle does not alter thermal acclimation of Rdark . Amino acids were highly responsive to the diel cycle and growth temperature, and many were negatively correlated with carbohydrates and with organic acids of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Organic TCA intermediates were significantly altered by the diel cycle irrespective of growth temperature, which we attribute to light-dependent regulatory control of TCA enzyme activities. Collectively, our study shows that environmental disruption of the balance between respiratory substrate supply and demand is corrected for by shifts in TCA-dependent metabolites.
The opposite functions of miR‐24 in the osteogenesis and adipogenesis of adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells are mediated by the HOXB7/β‐catenin complex

Adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) used in combination with nanoparticles or scaffolds represent promising candidates for bone engineering. Compared to bone marrow‐derived MSCs (BMMSCs), ADMSCs show a relatively low capacity for osteogenesis. In the current study, miR‐24 was identified as an osteogenesis‐ and adipogenesis‐related miRNA that performs opposing roles (inhibition in osteogenesis and promotion in adipogenesis) during these two differentiation processes. Through bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays, homeobox protein Hox‐B7 (HOXB7) was identified as a potential novel downstream target of miR‐24 that contains a miR‐24 binding site in the 3′‐UTR of its mRNA. Overexpression of HOXB7 could partly halt the inhibitory effect of miR‐24 on osteogenesis, and downregulation of HOXB7 could also partly suppress the positive effect of miR‐24 on adipogenesis. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation experiments found that HOXB7 and β‐catenin formed a functional complex that acted as an essential modulator during osteogenesis and adipogenesis of ADMSCs. After transfecting ADMSCs with an MSNs‐PEI‐miR‐24 agomir or antagomir and loading the cells onto gelatin‐chitosan scaffolds, the compounds were assessed for their abilities to repair the critical‐sized calvarial defects in rats. Comprehensive evaluation, including micro‐CT, sequential fluorescent labeling, and immunohistochemistry analysis, revealed that silencing miR‐24 distinctly promoted in vivo bone remolding, whereas overexpression of miR‐24 significantly repressed bone formation. Taken together, our findings demonstrated opposite roles for the miR‐24/HOXB7/β‐catenin signaling pathway in the osteogenesis and adipogenesis of ADMSCs, which may provide a novel mechanism for determining the balance between these two biological processes.
Hybrid Fiber Optic Sensor Systems in Structural Health Monitoring in Aircraft Structures

‘Smart’ structural health monitoring of composite materials with optical fiber sensors is becoming more and more important, especially in the aviation industry. This paper presents an overview of hybrid fiber-optic sensing systems based on scattering techniques, fiber Bragg gratings, interferometric techniques, and polarimetric methods in structural health monitoring. The main purpose of this manuscript is to analyze the possibilities of using hybrid sensors based on fiber optics to monitor composite structures, with a particular emphasis on aircraft structures. Since it is difficult to indicate the most comprehensive approach due to different parameters of the described sensors, the review contains a detailed description of available solutions. We hope that this work will allow for a better and faster selection of the right solution for the problem at hand.