Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Controlling Growth of Poly (Triethylene Glycol Acrylate-Co-Spiropyran Acrylate) Copolymer Liquid Films on a Hydrophilic Surface by Light and Temperature

A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was employed for in situ investigations of the effect of temperature and light on the conformational changes of a poly (triethylene glycol acrylate-co-spiropyran acrylate) (P (TEGA-co-SPA)) copolymer containing 12–14% of spiropyran at the silica–water interface. By monitoring shifts in resonance frequency and in acoustic dissipation as a function of temperature and illumination conditions, we investigated the evolution of viscoelastic properties of the P (TEGA-co-SPA)-rich wetting layer growing on the sensor, from which we deduced the characteristic coil-to-globule transition temperature, corresponding to the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PTEGA part. We show that the coil-to-globule transition of the adsorbed copolymer being exposed to visible or UV light shifts to lower LCST as compared to the bulk solution: the transition temperature determined acoustically on the surface is 4 to 8 K lower than the cloud point temperature reported by UV/VIS spectroscopy in aqueous solution. We attribute our findings to non-equilibrium effects caused by confinement of the copolymer chains on the surface. Thermal stimuli and light can be used to manipulate the film formation process and the film’s conformational state, which affects its subsequent response behavior.
Non-Contact Respiration Measurement Method Based on RGB Camera Using 1D Convolutional Neural Networks

Conventional respiration measurement requires a separate device and/or can cause discomfort, so it is difficult to perform routinely, even for patients with respiratory diseases. The development of contactless respiration measurement technology would reduce discomfort and help detect and prevent fatal diseases. Therefore, we propose a respiration measurement method using a learning-based region-of-interest detector and a clustering-based respiration pixel estimation technique. The proposed method consists of a model for classifying whether a pixel conveys respiration information based on its variance and a method for classifying pixels with clear breathing components using the symmetry of the respiration signals. The proposed method was evaluated with the data of 14 men and women acquired in an actual environment, and it was confirmed that the average error was within approximately 0.1 bpm. In addition, a Bland–Altman analysis confirmed that the measurement result had no error bias, and regression analysis confirmed that the correlation of the results with the reference is high. The proposed method, designed to be inexpensive, fast, and robust to noise, is potentially suitable for practical use in clinical scenarios.
Hirsutanol A inhibits T-acute lymphocytic leukemia Jurkat cell viability through cell cycle arrest and p53-dependent induction of apoptosis

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a type of childhood leukemia with the highest incidence; T-acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL) is far more difficult to treat than B-acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) and has a poor long-term prognosis. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to develop effective drugs for the treatment of T-ALL. Hirsutanol A is a natural sesquiterpenoid compound. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro anticancer activity of hirsutanol A against T-acute lymphocytic leukemia Jurkat cells and investigate the mechanism of action. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay demonstrated that hirsutanol A inhibited the viability of Jurkat cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, hirsutanol A induced cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase as determined via flow cytometry. Furthermore, Hoechst staining, Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide double staining, mitochondrial membrane potential detection using JC-1 and western blot analysis of apoptotic proteins indicated that the inhibitory effect of hirsutanol A on Jurkat cells was associated with the induction of apoptosis. Of note, hirsutanol A induced the expression of the tumor suppressor p53, whereas simultaneous treatment with pifithrin-α, an inhibitor of p53, significantly reduced Jurkat cell apoptosis induced by hirsutanol A. In summary, the present study suggested that hirsutanol A inhibited Jurkat cell viability through induction of cell cycle arrest and p53-dependent initiation of apoptosis, thus hirsutanol may serve as a promising compound for the treatment of T-ALL.
A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Renal Interstitial Fibrosis via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis

Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is the main pathological manifestation of end-stage renal disease. Recent studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is involved in the pathogenesis and development of RIF. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as an effective treatment for kidney diseases, can improve kidney damage by affecting the apoptotic signaling pathway mediated by ER stress. This article reviews the apoptotic pathways mediated by ER stress, including the three major signaling pathways of unfolded protein response, the main functions of the transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein. We also present current research on TCM treatment of RIF, focusing on medicines that regulate ER stress. A new understanding of using TCM to treat kidney disease by regulating ER stress will promote clinical application of Chinese medicine and discovery of new drugs for the treatment of RIF.
Facile Biogenic Synthesis and Characterization of Seven Metal-Based Nanoparticles Conjugated with Phytochemical Bioactives Using Fragaria ananassa Leaf Extract

In this investigation, for the first time, we used Fragaria ananassa (strawberry) leaf extract as a source of natural reducing, capping or stabilizing agents to develop an eco-friendly, cost-effective and safe process for the biosynthesis of metal-based nanoparticles including silver, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium oxide. Calcinated and non-calcinated zinc oxide nanoparticles also synthesized during a method different from our previous study. To confirm the successful formation of nanoparticles, different characterization techniques applied. UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Photon Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (PCCS) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to study the unique structure and properties of biosynthesized nanoparticles. The results show the successful formation of metal-based particles in the range of nanometer, confirmed by different characterization techniques. Finally, the presented approach has been demonstrated to be effective in the biosynthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles.
Extremophiles, a Nifty Tool to Face Environmental Pollution: From Exploitation of Metabolism to Genome Engineering

Extremophiles are microorganisms that populate habitats considered inhospitable from an anthropocentric point of view and are able to tolerate harsh conditions such as high temperatures, extreme pHs, high concentrations of salts, toxic organic substances, and/or heavy metals. These microorganisms have been broadly studied in the last 30 years and represent precious sources of biomolecules and bioprocesses for many biotechnological applications; in this context, scientific efforts have been focused on the employment of extremophilic microbes and their metabolic pathways to develop biomonitoring and bioremediation strategies to face environmental pollution, as well as to improve biorefineries for the conversion of biomasses into various chemical compounds. This review gives an overview on the peculiar metabolic features of certain extremophilic microorganisms, with a main focus on thermophiles, which make them attractive for biotechnological applications in the field of environmental remediation; moreover, it sheds light on updated genetic systems (also those based on the CRISPR-Cas tool), which expand the potentialities of these microorganisms to be genetically manipulated for various biotechnological purposes.
Biotransformation of Flavonoids by Newly Isolated and Characterized Lactobacillus pentosus NGI01 Strain from Kimchi

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganisms. This study aimed to identify novel LAB strains that can transform flavonoids into aglycones to improve bioavailability. We isolated 34 LAB strains from kimchi. The biotransformation activity of these 34 LAB strains was investigated based on α-L-rhamnosidase and β-D-glucosidase activities. Among them, 10 LAB strains with high activities were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. All tested LAB strains converted hesperidin to hesperetin (12.5–30.3%). Of these, only the Lactobacillus pentosus NGI01 strain produced quercetin from rutin (3.9%). The optimal biotransformation conditions for the L. pentosus NGI01 producing hesperetin and quercetin were investigated. The highest final product concentrations of hesperetin and quercetin were 207 and 78 μM, respectively. Thus, the L. pentosus NGI01 strain can be a biocatalyst for producing flavonoid aglycones in the chemical and food industries.
Dynamic Changes in Protein-Membrane Association for Regulating Photosynthetic Electron Transport

Photosynthesis has to work efficiently in contrasting environments such as in shade and full sun. Rapid changes in light intensity and over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport chain cause production of reactive oxygen species, which can potentially damage the photosynthetic apparatus. Thus, to avoid such damage, photosynthetic electron transport is regulated on many levels, including light absorption in antenna, electron transfer reactions in the reaction centers, and consumption of ATP and NADPH in different metabolic pathways. Many regulatory mechanisms involve the movement of protein-pigment complexes within the thylakoid membrane. Furthermore, a certain number of chloroplast proteins exist in different oligomerization states, which temporally associate to the thylakoid membrane and modulate their activity. This review starts by giving a short overview of the lipid composition of the chloroplast membranes, followed by describing supercomplex formation in cyclic electron flow. Protein movements involved in the various mechanisms of non-photochemical quenching, including thermal dissipation, state transitions and the photosystem II damage–repair cycle are detailed. We highlight the importance of changes in the oligomerization state of VIPP and of the plastid terminal oxidase PTOX and discuss the factors that may be responsible for these changes. Photosynthesis-related protein movements and organization states of certain proteins all play a role in acclimation of the photosynthetic organism to the environment.
A Review of Unreduced Gametes and Neopolyploids in Alfalfa: How to Fill the Gap between Well-Established Meiotic Mutants and Next-Generation Genomic Resources

The gene flow mediated by unreduced gametes between diploid and tetraploid plants of the Medicago sativa-coerulea-falcata complex is pivotal for alfalfa breeding. Sexually tetraploidized hybrids could represent the best way to exploit progressive heterosis simultaneously derived from gene diversity, heterozygosity, and polyploidy. Moreover, unreduced gametes combined with parthenogenesis (i.e., apomixis) would enable the cloning of plants through seeds, providing a unique opportunity for the selection of superior genotypes with permanently fixed heterosis. This reproductive strategy has never been detected in the genus Medicago, but features of apomixis, such as restitutional apomeiosis and haploid parthenogenesis, have been reported. By means of an original case study, we demonstrated that sexually tetraploidized plants maintain apomeiosis, but this trait is developmentally independent from parthenogenesis. Alfalfa meiotic mutants producing unreduced egg cells revealed a null or very low capacity for parthenogenesis. The overall achievements reached so far are reviewed and discussed along with the efforts and strategies made for exploiting reproductive mutants that express apomictic elements in alfalfa breeding programs. Although several studies have investigated the cytological mechanisms responsible for 2n gamete formation and the inheritance of this trait, only a very small number of molecular markers and candidate genes putatively linked to unreduced gamete formation have been identified. Furthermore, this scenario has remained almost unchanged over the last two decades. Here, we propose a reverse genetics approach, by exploiting the genomic and transcriptomic resources available in alfalfa. Through a comparison with 9 proteins belonging to Arabidopsis thaliana known for their involvement in 2n gamete production, we identified 47 orthologous genes and evaluated their expression in several tissues, paving the way for novel candidate gene characterization studies. An overall view on strategies suitable to fill the gap between well-established meiotic mutants and next-generation genomic resources is presented and discussed.
fMRI Retinotopic Mapping in Patients with Brain Tumors and Space-Occupying Brain Lesions in the Area of the Occipital Lobe

Simple Summary Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with brain tumors enables the visualization of eloquent cortical areas and can be used for planning surgical interventions and assessing the risk of postoperative functional deficits. While preoperative fMRI paradigms used to determine the localization of speech-critical or motor areas dominate the literature, there are hardly any studies that investigate the retinotopic organization of the visual field in patients with occipital lesions or tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a brain tumor or space-occupying brain lesions on the retinotopic organization of the occipital cortex, the activation of and the functional connectivity between cortical areas involved in visual processing. We found a high degree of similarity in the activation profiles of patients and healthy controls, indicating that the retinotopic organization of the visual cortex can reliably be described by fMRI retinotopic mapping as part of the preoperative examination of patients with tumors and space-occupying brain lesions. Abstract Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a valuable tool in the clinical routine of neurosurgery when planning surgical interventions and assessing the risk of postoperative functional deficits. Here, we examined how the presence of a brain tumor or lesion in the area of the occipital lobe affects the results of fMRI retinotopic mapping. fMRI data were evaluated on a retrospectively selected sample of 12 patients with occipital brain tumors, 7 patients with brain lesions and 19 control subjects. Analyses of the cortical activation, percent signal change, cluster size of the activated voxels and functional connectivity were carried out using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12) and the CONN and Marsbar toolboxes. We found similar but reduced patterns of cortical activation and functional connectivity between the two patient groups compared to a healthy control group. Here, we found that retinotopic organization was well-preserved in the patients and was comparable to that of the age-matched controls. The results also showed that, compared to the tumor patients, the lesion patients showed higher percent signal changes but lower values in the cluster sizes of the activated voxels in the calcarine fissure region. Our results suggest that the lesion patients exhibited results that were more similar to those of the control subjects in terms of the BOLD signal, whereas the extent of the activation was comparable to that of the tumor patients.
Automatic Reconstruction of Multi-Level Indoor Spaces from Point Cloud and Trajectory

Remarkable progress in the development of modeling methods for indoor spaces has been made in recent years with a focus on the reconstruction of complex environments, such as multi-room and multi-level buildings. Existing methods represent indoor structure models as a combination of several sub-spaces, which are constructed by room segmentation or horizontal slicing approach that divide the multi-room or multi-level building environments into several segments. In this study, we propose an automatic reconstruction method of multi-level indoor spaces with unique models, including inter-room and inter-floor connections from point cloud and trajectory. We construct structural points from registered point cloud and extract piece-wise planar segments from the structural points. Then, a three-dimensional space decomposition is conducted and water-tight meshes are generated with energy minimization using graph cut algorithm. The data term of the energy function is expressed as a difference in visibility between each decomposed space and trajectory. The proposed method allows modeling of indoor spaces in complex environments, such as multi-room, room-less, and multi-level buildings. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated for seven indoor space datasets.
Supply-Side Barriers to the Use of Public Healthcare Facilities for Childhood Illness Care in Rural Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study Linking Data from a Healthcare Facility Census to a Household Survey

Child mortality due to malaria and diarrhea can be reduced if proper treatment is received timely at healthcare facilities, but various factors hinder this. The present study assessed the associations between the use of public healthcare facilities among febrile/diarrheal children in rural Zambia and supply-side factors (i.e., the distance from the village to the nearest facility and the availability of essential human resources and medical equipment at the facility). Data from the Demographic and Health Survey 2018 and the Health Facility Census 2017 were linked. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the associations, controlling for clustering and other variables. The median distances to the nearest facility were 4.5 km among 854 febrile children and 4.6 km among 813 diarrheal children. Children who were over 10 km away from the facility were significantly less likely to use it, compared to those within 5 km (fever group: odds ratio (OR) = 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.20–0.66; diarrhea group: OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.18–0.51). The availability of human resources and equipment was, however, not significantly associated with facility use. Poor geographic access could be a critical barrier to facility use among children in rural Zambia.
Moment-to-Moment Continuous Attention Fluctuation Monitoring through Consumer-Grade EEG Device

While numerous studies have explored using various sensing techniques to measure attention states, moment-to-moment attention fluctuation measurement is unavailable. To bridge this gap, we applied a novel paradigm in psychology, the gradual-onset continuous performance task (gradCPT), to collect the ground truth of attention states. GradCPT allows for the precise labeling of attention fluctuation on an 800 ms time scale. We then developed a new technique for measuring continuous attention fluctuation, based on a machine learning approach that uses the spectral properties of EEG signals as the main features. We demonstrated that, even using a consumer grade EEG device, the detection accuracy of moment-to-moment attention fluctuations was 73.49%. Next, we empirically validated our technique in a video learning scenario and found that our technique match with the classification obtained through thought probes, with an average F1 score of 0.77. Our results suggest the effectiveness of using gradCPT as a ground truth labeling method and the feasibility of using consumer-grade EEG devices for continuous attention fluctuation detection.
New Approach for Untangling the Role of Uncommon Calcium-Binding Proteins in the Central Nervous System

Although Ca2+ ion plays an essential role in cellular physiology, calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) were long used for mainly as immunohistochemical markers of specific cell types in different regions of the central nervous system. They are a heterogeneous and wide-ranging group of proteins. Their function was studied intensively in the last two decades and a tremendous amount of information was gathered about them. Girard et al. compiled a comprehensive list of the gene-expression profiles of the entire EF-hand gene superfamily in the murine brain. We selected from this database those CaBPs which are related to information processing and/or neuronal signalling, have a Ca2+-buffer activity, Ca2+-sensor activity, modulator of Ca2+-channel activity, or a yet unknown function. In this way we created a gene function-based selection of the CaBPs. We cross-referenced these findings with publicly available, high-quality RNA-sequencing and in situ hybridization databases (Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Brain RNA-seq database and Allen Brain Atlas integrated into the HPA) and created gene expression heat maps of the regional and cell type-specific expression levels of the selected CaBPs. This represents a useful tool to predict and investigate different expression patterns and functions of the less-known CaBPs of the central nervous system.
The Relationships between Leptin, Genotype, and Chinese Medicine Body Constitution for Obesity

Methods The adults with body mass index (BMI) more than 27 kg/m2 were enrolled in the study. General personal information, physical condition, TCMBC, biochemical, and SNPs were collected for eligible subjects. The body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) was used to evaluate the relationships between TCMBC tendency, biochemical values, and obesity-related SNPs. Results Obesity patients tended to have a yin deficiency constitution (YinDC) (n = 33, 66.0%); however, TCMBC in combination is not uncommon (30 subjects with more than two TCMBC in combination). For biochemical profiles, leptin was higher among patients with yang deficiency constitution (YangDC) (YangDC versus non-YangDC: 29.7 ± 24.8 versus 15.9 ± 9.9, P=0.020) and YinDC (YinDC versus non-YinDC: 28.8 ± 23.5 versus 14.4 ± 9.6, P=0.020). The leptin level was highest among YangDC subjects. Higher leptin was found among subjects with three-combined TCMBC than balanced TCMBC subjects who were not inclined to any of three TCMBC. For obesity-related SNPs, the adrenergic receptor beta-3 (ADRB3) gene tended to be high expression among YangDC (YangDC versus non-YangDC: 89.7% versus 71.4%, P=0.091) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) tended to be high expression among phlegm-stasis constitution (PSC) (PSC versus non-PSC: 37.9% versus 9.5%, P=0.052). Conclusions The relationships between TCMBC, leptin, and SNPs present alternative viewpoints about TCMBC and could be used as a guide to treat obese patients.