Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chitooligosaccharide:Free Radicals Scavenging Activity and Protective Effect against Lipopolysaccharide-induced Oxidative Injury in Microglial Cell Line N9

Objective:To study anti-oxidant activity of chitooligosaccharide(COS) and its protective effect against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced oxidative injury in microglial cell line N9.Methods:The antioxidant activity of COS in vitro was evaluated by DPPH and hydroxyl free radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays.Microglial cell line N9 was treated with LPS alone at the dose of 1 μg/mL or co-treated with LPS at the dose of 1 μg/mL and COS at doses of 50,100,200,300 μg/mL and 400 μg/mL,respectively.Cell morphology was examined under microscope with HE staining and NO level in cell culture supernatant was determined.Intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS) was detected using 2',5' dichlorofluorescin diacetate(DCFH-DA) and flow cytometry combined with fluorescence microscope.Cell apoptosis was detected by DNA ladder assay.Results:COS exhibited an effective scavenging activity against DPPH and hydroxyl free radicals but no scavenging activity against H2O2.Meanwhile,COS attenuated the activation of microglial cell line N9 induced by LPS.The level of NO in cell culture supernatant was significantly decreased due to the presence of COS,and ROS generation induced by LPS was inhibited by COS in a dose-dependent manner.COS also inhibited the apoptosis of microglial cell line N9 induced by LPS.Conclusion:The antioxidant activity of COS is beneficial for protecting microglial cell line N9 from oxidative injury induced by LPS.
Multiplex Symbolic Execution: Exploring Multiple Paths by Solving Once

Path explosion and constraint solving are two challenges to symbolic execution's scalability. Symbolic execution explores the program's path space with a searching strategy and invokes the underlying constraint solver in a black-box manner to check the feasibility of a path. Inside the constraint solver, another searching procedure is employed to prove or disprove the feasibility. Hence, there exists the problem of double searchings in symbolic execution. In this paper, we propose to unify the double searching procedures to improve the scalability of symbolic execution. We propose Multiplex Symbolic Execution (MuSE) that utilizes the intermediate assignments during the constraint solving procedure to generate new program inputs. MuSE maps the constraint solving procedure to the path exploration in symbolic execution and explores multiple paths in one time of solving. We have implemented MuSE on two symbolic execution tools (based on KLEE and JPF) and three commonly used constraint solving algorithms. The results of the extensive experiments on real-world benchmarks indicate that MuSE has orders of magnitude speedup to achieve the same coverage.
In vitro assessment of antioxidant activity and anti-bacterial screening of Pithecellobium dulce leaves against resistant bacteria

Oxidative stress resulted from free radicals and reactive oxygen species are associated with many diseases. Several studies are going on worldwide directed towards finding natural antioxidants of plant origin. The present study was designed to investigate the in-vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Pithecellobium dulce leaves extract. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest total phenolic (201.22 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid content (252.11 mg CE/g extract) and antioxidant properties as shown by DPPH radical, reducing power, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay among different fractions of methanol extract. Antibacterial activity was assessed by disc diffusion method. Methanol extract showed highest zone of inhibition (45 mm) against B. Cereus which was higher than standard (36mm). Ethyl acetate fraction produced an inhibitory effect against bacteria which are resistant to some antibiotics like azithromycin, cefuroxime, cephalexin and cotrimoxazole. So, this can be used as a good therapeutic approach for infectious disease caused by those resistant bacteria.
Analyses of gene expression profiles at five different stages of mouse submandibular salivary gland development provide insight into gland organogenesis and identify genes

The embryonic mouse submandibular salivary gland (SMG) is a classic developmental model system used to study epithelialmesenchymal interactions, branching morphogenesis, and organogenesis (Bernfield and Banerjee, 1972; Grobstein and Cohen, 1965; Spooner et al., 1989; Spooner and Wessells, 1972). SMG development involves a complex interplay between inductive events, cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis, and underlying these cellular processes are orchestrated changes in gene expression. There is little information about the genetic regulation of mouse SMG development. The genetic regulation of development in other systems, such as the Drosophilasalivary gland (Andrew et al., 2000; Bradley et al., 2001; Zhou et al., 2001) and trachea (Metzger and Krasnow, 1999), and the murine lung, pancreas and kidney (Edlund, 2002; Hogan, 1999; Metzger and Krasnow, 1999; Vainio and Lin, 2002), suggest similar multigene families may regulate development in a tissue-specific manner. The initiation of mouse SMG development occurs at embryonic day 11 (E11), and by E12, a single epithelial bud forms within a condensed mesenchyme. By E13, clefts form in the epithelial bud, which continues to proliferate and cleft in successive rounds of branching, giving rise to multiple cords and buds by E14 (Jaskoll et al., 2001) (Fig. 1). By E17, morpho-differentiation and lumenization of ducts and terminal buds has occurred. Functional differentiation of the gland begins just before birth and continues on day 1 (D1) after birth when the gland starts to secrete saliva. Most acinar and ductal cell differentiation occurs by D5. The androgen-dependent differentiation of the granular convoluted tubules (GCT) occurs at puberty (Gresik, 1975). The developmental stages are not absolute, and there is a range of developmental variation occurring within an individual gland and between glands from animals in the same litter. 5767 Development 129, 5767-5778 © 2002 The Company of Biologists Ltd doi:10.1242/dev.00172
Production of esculin by hairy root cultures of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.cv. Lucknow local)

Hairy root cultures established with Agrobacterium rhizogenes LMG 150 of an Indian cultivar of chicory produced esculin, a dihydroxycoumarin monoglucoside used as skin protectant and a marker in microbiological media. Maximum biomass of 6.2±0.425 g/culture of transformed roots was obtained in full strength MS medium with 3% sucrose on 28th day. Esculin production was linked to growth and 100 g FW of transformed roots gave a maximum of 13.93 mg, corresponding to a ~13-fold increase as compared to that in 30-day-old non-transformed roots (0.72 mg), during the same period.
TRPV1 expressed throughout the arterial circulation regulates vasoconstriction and blood pressure

The functional roles of the capsaicin receptor, TRPV1, outside of sensory nerves are unclear. We mapped TRPV1 in the mouse circulation, revealing extensive expression in the smooth muscle of resistance arterioles supplying skeletal muscle, heart and adipose tissue. Activation of TRPV1 in vascular myocytes constricted arteries, reduced coronary flow in isolated hearts and increased systemic blood pressure. These functional effects were retained after sensory nerve ablation, indicating specific signalling by arterial TRPV1. TRPV1 mediated the vasoconstrictive and blood pressure responses to the endogenous inflammatory lipid lysophosphatidic acid. These results show that TRPV1 in arteriolar myocytes modulates regional blood flow and systemic blood pressure, and suggest that TRPV1 may be a target of vasoactive inflammatory mediators.
Genome editing in the yeast Nakaseomyces delphensis and description of its complete sexual cycle

The environmental yeast Nakaseomyces delphensis is, phylogenetically, the closest known species to Candida glabrata, a major fungal pathogen of humans. C. glabrata is haploid and described as asexual, while N. delphensis is also haploid, but has been described as competent for mating and meiosis. Both genomes contain homologues of all the genes necessary for sexual reproduction and also the genes for Ho‐dependent mating‐type switching, like Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We first report the construction of genetically engineered strains of N. delphensis, including by CRISPR‐Cas 9 gene editing. We also report the description of the sexual cycle of N. delphensis. We show that it undergoes Ho‐dependent mating‐type switching in culture and that deletion of the HO gene prevents such switching and allows maintenance of stable, separate, MATa and MATalpha haploid strains. Rare, genetically selected diploids can be obtained through mating of haploid strains, mutated or not for the HO gene. In contrast to HO/HO diploids, which behave as expected, Δho/Δho diploids exhibit unusual profiles in flow cytometry. Both types of diploids can produce recombined haploid cells, which grow like the original haploid‐type strain. Our experiments thus allow the genetic manipulation of N. delphensis and the reconstruction, in the laboratory, of its entire life cycle.
Executive Functions and Fine Motor Skills in Kindergarten as Predictors of Arithmetic Skills in Elementary School

ABSTRACT The present longitudinal study focused on domain-general predictors of arithmetics in elementary school. The role of executive functions (EFs) and fine motor skills for the prediction of arithmetic skills in 1st/2nd grade was examined. Data from N = 173 kindergarten children were included. Age, socioeconomic status, fluid intelligence, and processing speed were controlled. Regression analyses revealed that fine motor skills predicted arithmetic skills. When EFs were added, fine motor skills did not contribute to the prediction of arithmetic skills. Visuospatial working memory and interference control were significant predictors. Findings indicate an important role of EF as predictors of arithmetic skills.
Robust Neurooptimal Control for a Robot via Adaptive Dynamic Programming

We aim at the optimization of the tracking control of a robot to improve the robustness, under the effect of unknown nonlinear perturbations. First, an auxiliary system is introduced, and optimal control of the auxiliary system can be seen as an approximate optimal control of the robot. Then, neural networks (NNs) are employed to approximate the solution of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equation under the frame of adaptive dynamic programming. Next, based on the standard gradient attenuation algorithm and adaptive critic design, NNs are trained depending on the designed updating law with relaxing the requirement of initial stabilizing control. In light of the Lyapunov stability theory, all the error signals can be proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded. A series of simulation studies are carried out to show the effectiveness of the proposed control.
Organophosphorus Flame Retardants: A Global Review of Indoor Contamination and Human Exposure in Europe and Epidemiological Evidence

We aimed to identify high-priority organophosphorus flame retardants for action and research. We thus critically reviewed literature between 2000 and 2019 investigating organophosphorus flame retardants’ presence indoors and human exposure in Europe, as well as epidemiological evidence of human effects. The most concentrated compounds indoors were tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (TBOEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TCIPP), tris(2,3-dichloropropyl)phosphate (TDCIPP). TBOEP and TCIPP were the most consistently detected compounds in humans’ urine, hair or breast milk as well as tris (butyl) phosphate (TNBP) and tris (phenyl) phosphate (TPHP). Notably, epidemiological evidence concerned reprotoxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory effects and eczema risk for TDCIPP, eczema increase for TBOEP, and neurodevelopmental outcomes for Isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers (ITPs). Given the ubiquitous presence indoors and the prevalence of exposure, the growing health concern seems justified. TDCIPP and TPHP seem to be of particular concern due to a high prevalence of exposure and epidemiological evidence. TBOEP and TNBP require epidemiological studies regarding outcomes other than respiratory or dermal ones.
Survival of Bifidobacterium breve in acidic solutions and yogurt, following immobilization in calcium alginate beads

Sodium alginate was used to immobilize Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700 cells. The ability of the Ca-alginate beads to protect the B. breve ATCC 15700 was evaluated under different conditions including alginate concentration, bead size, pH, hydrogen peroxide, and storage period. The survival of the B. Breve ATCC 15700 was estimated in pasteurized yogurt, containing either the immobilized or free cells, throughout the storage period. The survival cells in bead after exposure to acidic solution (pH 3.0) increased with increase of both the alginate gel concentration and bead size. Also, immobilized cells in alginate bead were more resistant than the free cells to hydrogen peroxide, storage period, and the environment inside yogur. When retreated beads with skim milk and nonretreated beads were tested in acidified pH 3.0 TPY media including acetic and lactic acid, the number of viable cells in the retreated bead was approximately 10-fold higher than that of nonretreated beads. This suggests that the skim milk operated as a material decreasing the diffusion of acid and hydrogen perosicde into alginate gels. From this research, it was found that yogurt itself supported immobilized cells with an improved protection from the extreme acidity in yogurt.
Prevalence of Keel Bone Damage in Red Jungle Fowls (Gallus gallus)—A Pilot Study

Simple Summary The keel bone of laying hens is prone to deviations and fractures. Recent studies in the last decade report high prevalence of this welfare concern. The causative factors are not clear; however, selection for efficient egg production has been suggested as a major contributing factor. An important step to shed light on the role of selective breeding as an underlying cause of keel bone damage (KBD) in modern laying hens is to evaluate the keel bones of the ancestor, the red jungle fowl. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the prevalence of KBD in a study group of 29 red jungle hens and roosters by autopsy. No fractures were detected in the roosters, one had a very slight deviation. One of the hens had a fracture to the keel and 10 hens had a very slight deviation. Large scale studies are needed to disentangle the effect of different factors on keel bone damage. Abstract Keel bone damage (KBD) is a highly prevalent problem in commercial egg production. KBD consists of two different conditions affecting the keel: Keel bone deviation and keel bone fractures (KBF). Deviations are linked to pressure on the keel, e.g., from perching. The causative factors for KBF are not clear; however, selection for efficient egg production has been suggested as a major contributing factor. An important step to shed light on the role of selective breeding as an underlying cause of KBF in modern laying hens is to evaluate the keel bones of the ancestor, the red jungle fowl. To the authors’ knowledge, this has never previously been published. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the prevalence of KBD in a study group of red jungle hens and roosters housed in an aviary system. The present study examined 29 red jungle fowls 112 weeks of age post-mortem; 12 hens and 17 roosters. Keel bones were evaluated by external palpation for deviations and fractures. Palpation was followed by autopsy. No fractures were detected in the 17 roosters; one had a very slight deviation. Of the 12 red jungle hens in this pilot study, one had a single fracture and 10 hens had a very slight deviation.
Identifying Predictive Characteristics of Opioid Medication Use among a Nationally Representative Sample of United States Older Adults with Pain and Comorbid Hypertension or Hypercholesterolemia

The prevalence of older adults with pain and comorbid cardiovascular conditions is increasing in the United States (U.S.). This retrospective, cross-sectional database study used 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data and hierarchical logistic regression models to identify predictive characteristics of opioid use among a nationally representative sample of older U.S. adults (aged ≥50 years) with pain in the past four weeks and comorbid hypertension (pain–hypertension group) or hypercholesterolemia (pain–hypercholesterolemia group). The pain–hypertension group included 2733 subjects (n = 803 opioid users) and the pain–hypercholesterolemia group included 2796 subjects (n = 795 opioid users). In both groups, predictors of opioid use included: White race versus others, Hispanic versus non-Hispanic ethnicity, 1 versus ≥5 chronic conditions, little/moderate versus quite a bit/extreme pain, good versus fair/poor perceived mental health, functional limitation versus no functional limitation, smoker versus non-smoker, and Northeast versus West census region. In addition, Midwest versus West census region was a predictor in the pain–hypertension group, and 4 versus ≥5 chronic conditions was a predictor in the pain–hypercholesterolemia group. In conclusion, several characteristics of older U.S. adults with pain and comorbid hypertension or hypercholesterolemia were predictive of opioid use. These characteristics could be addressed to optimize individuals’ pain management and help address the opioid overdose epidemic.
Screening and verification of reference genes for analysis of gene expression in winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) under abiotic stress

Winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) is the main oilseed crop in northern China and can safely overwinter at 35 (i.e., Tianshui, China) to 48 degrees north latitude (i.e., Altai, Heilongjiang, Raohe, and Xinjiang, China). In order to identify stable reference genes to understand the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in winter rapeseed, internal reference genes of winter rapeseed under four abiotic stresses were analyzed using GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder software. The most stable combinations of internal reference genes were β-actin and SAND in cold-stressed leaves, β-actin and EF1a in cold-stressed roots, F-box and SAND in high temperature-stressed leaves, and PP2A and RPL in high temperature-stressed roots, SAND and PP2A in NaCl-stressed leaves, RPL and UBC in NaCl-stressed roots, RPL and PP2A in PEG-stressed leaves, and PP2A and RPL in PEG-stressed roots. Expression profiles of PXG3 were used to verify these results. The stable reference genes identified in this study are useful tools for identifying stress-responsive genes to understand the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in winter rapeseed.
Comprehension and personal value of negative non‐diagnostic genetic panel testing

Increasing interest and pursuit of genetic testing by the general public have raised concerns about their understanding and use of their results. While most research has focused on individuals receiving positive genetic test results, there have been limited investigations assessing the understanding and utility of receiving negative genetic test results. Individuals who receive a negative (or uninformative) genetic test result may not appreciate the limitations of genetic testing and their residual disease risk. The goals of this study were to explore participant understanding and perceived utility of negative non‐diagnostic genetic test results. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with participants who received negative non‐diagnostic genetic test results from the electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network (eMERGE) testing panel at Northwestern University. A total of 17 participants were interviewed. While many expressed a lack of understanding of genetics and the relationship between genes, disease, and environment, most acknowledged that they had residual risk to develop a health problem and should continue with their routine health management. Additionally, participants expressed that their negative results had personal value, by providing them peace of mind and learning additional knowledge about themselves and their health. Participants did not anticipate that results would have an impact on their lifestyle, but felt the results were useful for sharing with their physician and could inform future genetic testing decisions. While mostly positive, some participants were disappointed not to learn more individualized results. While a more thorough exploration is necessary, findings in this study can aid efforts to improve or innovate informed consent for genomic testing, as well as scalable modes of result return that foster comprehension following negative genetic testing.
Development of simulation models for transmission of Salmonid Rickettsial Septicaemia between salt water fish farms in Chile.

This study aimed at estimating parameters representing between-farm transmission of Salmonid Rickettsial Septicaemia (SRS) in Chile, and developing and validating simulation models to predict weekly spread of SRS between farms in Los Lagos (Region 10), using InterSpread Plus. The model parameters were estimated by analyses of the historical SRS outbreak data. The models incorporated time and distance dependent transmission kernels, representing the probabilities of waterborne spread of SRS between farms. Seven candidate transmission kernels were estimated, with varying maximum distance of between-farm SRS spread (15 - 60 km). Farms were categorised by size (small; medium; large) and species (Coho salmon; Atlantic salmon; rainbow trout). The time that it took a farm to recover from infection was parameterised to be shortest for small Coho farms (median: 7 weeks), followed by medium and large Coho farms (median: 25 weeks), Atlantic salmon farms (median: 42 weeks, any size) and rainbow trout farms (median: 43 weeks, any size). The relative infectiousness parameters of rainbow trout farms were 1.5 - 6.3 times that of Coho or Atlantic salmon, or those of large farms was 1.3 - 4.2 times that of small or medium farms. The models predicted SRS prevalence in Region 10 between 2013 and 2015 (79 weeks) with 76.5% - 93.0% overall accuracy. The model with a transmission kernel of <20 km (P20) achieved a maximum overall accuracy (93.0%). Within each neighbourhood, the accuracy of P20 varied between 32.4% and 88.1%; 13/20 neighbourhoods had a reasonable temporal agreement between the simulated and actual dynamics of SRS (within 5th - 95th percentiles), but 5/20 neighbourhoods underestimated and 2/20 overestimated the SRS spread. The model could be used for evaluation of semi-global control policies in Region 10, while addition of other factors such as seasonality, ocean currents, and movement of infected fish may improve the model performance at a finer scale.