Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Open-Cell Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Technique for In Situ Characterization of Samples in Aqueous Liquid Solutions

Abstract The desire to image specimens in liquids has led to the development of open-cell and closed-cell techniques in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The closed-cell approach is currently more common in TEM and has yielded new insights into a number of biological and materials processes in liquid environments. The open-cell approach, which requires an environmental TEM (ETEM), is technically challenging but may be advantageous in certain circumstances due to fewer restrictions on specimen and detector geometry. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach to open-cell liquid TEM, in which we use salt particles to facilitate the in situ formation of droplets of aqueous solution that envelope specimen particles coloaded with the salt. This is achieved by controlling sample temperature between 1 and 10°C and introducing water vapor to the ETEM chamber above the critical pressure for the formation of liquid water on the salt particles. Our use of in situ hydration enables specimens to be loaded into a microscope in a dry state using standard 3 mm TEM grids, allowing specimens to be prepared using trivial sample preparation techniques. Our future aim will be to combine this technique with an in situ light source to study photocorrosion in aqueous environments.
Plasma extracellular microRNAs are related to AIDS/cerebral toxoplasmosis co‐infection

This study investigated the potential of five miRNA candidates for cerebral toxoplasmosis/HIV co‐infection (CT/HIV) biomarkers. miR‐155‐5p, miR‐146a‐5p, miR‐21‐5p, miR‐125b‐5p and miR‐29c‐3p were tested in 79 plasma divided into groups: 32 CT/HIV patients; 27 individuals with asymptomatic toxoplasmosis (AT); and 20 individuals seronegative for toxoplasmosis (NC). From each was collected peripheral blood/EDTA for laboratory diagnosis. Blood cells for DNA extractions (molecular diagnosis), plasma for RNA extractions (gene expression) and ELISA (serological diagnosis). miRNA expression was performed by qPCR, and values were expressed in Relative Quantification (RQ). Among the five miRNAs, miR‐21‐5p and miR‐146a‐5p were up‐expressed in CT/HIV group when compared with AT and NC groups. RQ means for miR‐21‐5p and miR‐146a‐5p in CT/HIV group were 3.829 and 2.500, while in AT group, were 1.815 and 1.661, respectively. Differences between 3 groups were statistically significant (Kruskal‐Wallis ANOVA test), as well as CT/HIV and AT groups (Mann‐Whitney test). Plasma of CT/HIV and AT groups expressed similar levels of miR‐29c‐3p, miR‐155‐5p and miR‐125b‐5p. As NC group was different of CT/HIV and AT groups, differences between three groups were statistically significant (Kruskal‐Wallis ANOVA test). No difference was shown between CT/HIV and AT groups (Mann‐Whitney test). These results suggest the host miRNAs modulation by Toxoplasma gondii.
Evidence for Cognitive Deficits in X-Linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Abstract Objective: X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) is an hereditary neuropathy caused by mutations in GJB1 coding for connexin-32, found in Schwann cells, but also expressed in oligodendrocytes. Reports have identified CNS involvement in CMTX, but no systematic study of cognitive function has been published. Methods: We assessed 24 CMTX patients (13 males; 9GJB1 mutations) with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, including tests of memory, language, and executive functions. Results: No differences in cognitive performance were observed between males and females. A case-by-case investigation revealed selective deficits in individual patients. One subgroup (29%) demonstrated executive abnormalities; and a non-overlapping subgroup (29%), prominent reading (decoding) abnormalities. Conclusions: The present data provide evidence for cognitive deficits in CMTX. Emerging neuropsychological patterns are also discussed.
Meaningful Engagement With Aboriginal Communities Using Participatory Action Research to Develop Culturally Appropriate Health Resources

Introduction: This article outlines the processes used to meaningfully and authentically engage Australian Aboriginal communities in Northern New South Wales, Australia, to develop culturally appropriate stroke health resources. Methodology: Participatory action research using the research topic yarning framework is a collaborative, culturally safe way to uncover vital information and concepts. There were two stages in the participatory action research project: community engagement and evaluation of the processes involved in developing the localised, culturally appropriate health resources. Results: Establishing relationships built on trust, mutual sharing of knowledge, and bringing together the wider community, enabled the health message to be embedded within the community, ensuring the message was culturally appropriate and sustainable. Discussion: The stroke education resource is a tangible outcome and a major achievement; however, the process of authentic engagement to achieve the final product was the ultimate accomplishment.
From Acidifiers to Intestinal Health Enhancers: How Organic Acids Can Improve Growth Efficiency of Pigs

Simple Summary Organic acids have been used for a long time to support pig growth particularly at weaning, and more recently have become the number one alternative to growth promoters to improve the production efficiency of pigs. This article will review the antimicrobial properties of organic acids and elucidate the different modes of action that organic acids can exert along the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Moreover, it will be introduced the advantage of microencapsulation as a tool to deliver organic acids along the intestine and allow their positive effects. Abstract Organic acids have been used successfully in pig production as a cost-effective performance-enhancing option and they continue to be the number one alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. The aim of this review is to provide the biological rationale behind organic acids use in pig production, focusing on their different effects along the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Organic acids are reviewed for their antimicrobial properties and for their classic use as acidifiers, with particular attention to pH modulation and microflora control. Additional beneficial effects on intestinal health and general metabolism are presented and we explain the advantage of microencapsulation as a tool to deliver organic acids along the intestine.
An Efficient and Wear-Leveling-Aware Frequent-Pattern Mining on Non-Volatile Memory

Frequent-pattern mining is a common approach to reveal the valuable hidden trends behind data. However, existing frequent-pattern mining algorithms are designed for DRAM, instead of persistent memories (PMs), which can lead to severe performance and energy overhead due to the utterly different characteristics between DRAM and PMs when they are running on PMs. In this paper, we propose an efficient and Wear-leveling-aware Frequent-Pattern Mining scheme, WFPM, to solve this problem. The proposed WFPM is evaluated by a series of experiments based on realistic datasets from diversified application scenarios, where WFPM achieves 32.0% performance improvement and prolongs the NVM lifetime of header table by 7.4× over the EvFP-Tree.
Sensitive Versus Specific Search Strategy to Answer Clinical Questions.

BACKGROUND Students and clinicians are challenged to locate evidence to answer clinical questions. Searching experiences include frustration with words to query databases, lack of searching skills, lack of confidence in nursing databases, and questioning how many databases to search. To implement practice change based on best available evidence, search strategies need to be efficient and effective. METHOD We replicated the systematic review by Stillwell, Vermeesch, and Scott, which used a specific search, with a sensitive search to compare search strategies to answer the clinical question. RESULTS The specific search produced 5,108 articles, with eight being relevant; whereas the sensitive search produced 11,362 articles with nine being relevant. CONCLUSION The sensitive search located the same eight studies and one additional study. If PubMed instead of MEDLINE had been used in the specific search, the results would have been identical. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(1):22-25. ].
Effects of Biochar Application on Soil Organic Carbon Composition and Enzyme Activity in Paddy Soil under Water-Saving Irrigation

Rice water-saving irrigation technology can remarkably reduce irrigation water input and maintain high yield; however, this technology can also accelerate the decomposition of soil organic matter in paddy fields. The spatial and temporal distributions of soil organic carbon (SOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) under different water-carbon regulation scenarios were analyzed on the basis of field experiments in the Taihu Lake region in China to explore the effects of biochar application on SOC and its components in water-saving irrigation paddy fields. The response of soil catalase (CAT) and invertase (INV) to biochar application in water-saving irrigated rice fields was clarified. The results showed that water-saving irrigation reduced the SOC content by 5.7% to 13.3% but increased WSOC and SMBC contents by 13.8% to 26.1% and 0.9% to 11.1%, respectively, as compared with flooding irrigation. Nonflooding management promoted the oxidative decomposition of soil organic matter. Two years after straw biochar was added, paddy soil SOC content under water-saving irrigation was increased by 4.0% to 26.7%. The WSOC and SMBC contents were also increased by 4.0% to 52.4% and 7.0% to 40.8%, respectively. The high straw biochar addition rate exhibited great impact on SOC. Remarkable correlations among SOC, WSOC, and SMBC were observed, indicating that the addition of straw biochar improved soil labile C, such as WSOC and SMBC, which promoted SOC transformation and stability in paddy soil under water-saving irrigation. Soil CAT and INV were related to SOC conversion. In conclusion, the combination of water-saving irrigation and straw biochar addition was beneficial to the improvement of soil properties and fertility of paddy fields.
Target‐dependent retrograde signaling mediates synaptic plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction

Neurons that innervate multiple targets often establish synapses with target‐specific strengths, and local forms of synaptic plasticity. We have examined the molecular‐genetic mechanisms that allow a single Drosophila motoneuron, the ventral Common Exciter (vCE), to establish connections with target‐specific properties at its various synaptic partners. By driving transgenes in a subset of vCE’s targets, we found that individual target cells are able to independently control the properties of vCE's innervating branch and synapses. This is achieved by means of a trans‐synaptic growth factor secreted by the target cell. At the larval neuromuscular junction, postsynaptic glutamate receptor activity stimulates the release of the BMP4/5/6 homolog Glass bottom boat (Gbb). As larvae mature and motoneuron terminals grow, Gbb activates the R‐Smad transcriptional regulator phosphorylated Mad (pMad) to facilitate presynaptic development. We found that manipulations affecting glutamate receptors or Gbb within subsets of target muscles led to local effects either specific to the manipulated muscle or by a limited gradient within the presynaptic branches. While presynaptic development depends on pMad transcriptional activity within the motoneuron nucleus, we find that the Gbb growth factor may also act locally within presynaptic terminals. Local Gbb signaling and presynaptic pMad accumulation within boutons may therefore participate in a “synaptic tagging” mechanism, to influence synaptic growth and plasticity in Drosophila.
Interactions among the Phenological Events of Winter Wheat in the North China Plain-Based on Field Data and Improved MODIS Estimation

Identification of complete drivers for phenology changes is crucial for developing prediction models of plant phenology. In addition to climatic factors, the interaction among phenological events has recently been reported as an important driver for the phenology changes of forests, savannas, and grasslands. However, open questions remain as to whether the phenological interaction exists in agricultural ecosystems, among which winter wheat plays a vital role in feeding human beings. In this study, we investigated the interaction among the phenological events of winter wheat in the North China Plain (NCP) using both field and satellite data. Considering the large discrepancies between the existing satellite estimation and field measurements of winter wheat phenology, we first improved the MODIS-based estimation of green-up date (GUD), heading date (HD), and maturity date (MD) through a re-calibrated relative threshold method (RTM) in the NCP. The GUD, HD, and MD were accurately estimated with the mean absolute errors (MAE) and root mean squared errors (RMSE) lower than 7.5 days, compared with the RMSEs ranging from 12.0 to 36.1 days in previous studies. Then, the relationships among the GUD, HD, and MD were analyzed using the field data collected at agricultural meteorological stations. The GUD (HD) showed a significantly positive correlation with the HD (MD). Quantitatively, a one-day earlier GUD (HD) would result in an earlier HD (MD) of 0.57 days (0.60 days). Furthermore, we applied the partial correlation analysis to the improved MODIS estimation of GUD, HD, and MD to investigate their interactions by considering the simultaneous influences from climatic factors. The results showed that the HD (MD) with 85.2% (94.5%) of all winter wheat pixels presented a significantly positive correlation with the GUD (HD). Meanwhile, the GUD (HD) with 84.2% (33.3%) of the entire winter wheat area presented a significantly negative correlation with pre-season temperature. These results suggest that both the climatic factors and phenological interactions should be included in the future development of winter wheat phenology models to improve the prediction accuracies.
Prostatic Neoplasia in the Intact and Castrated Dog: How Dangerous is Castration?

Simple Summary Castration of dogs is a routinely performed surgery to limit unwanted reproduction and prevent pathologies of the genital tract. Over the last two decades, the number of reports on possible long-term health risks has increased. Pet-owners have easier access to scientific publications and are concerned about reports on increased risks of castrated dogs for neoplastic diseases. Divulgation of results without consideration of study design and inclusion criteria for the studied populations may result in premature conclusions impacting many stakeholders. Our aim is to provide a detailed description of prostatic cancer in the dog and the possible side effects of castration. Age at diagnosis ranges from 8.5 to 11.2 years in both intact and castrated dogs. A cytological or histological exam is needed to confirm a suspect. Most dogs already present metastasis at the time of diagnosis which makes prognosis generally poor, also if lung metastasis reportedly has no negative impact on the survival time. Castrated dogs with prostate cancer have been reported to live longer than intact ones. We conclude that until today, we knew too little to exclude routine castration of adult male dogs under six years of age from the veterinary practice due to concerns of causing prostatic neoplasia. Abstract Elective gonadectomy in the dog is a topic of interest for clinicians, pet-owners, and society. Although canine prostatic neoplasia (CPN) has a low incidence (0.35%), reports of an increased risk for castrated dogs attract attention and cause concern in pet-owners. Our aim is to provide professionals and non-professionals with a detailed description of this possible side effect of gonadectomy in the dog. The mean age at diagnosis of CPN ranges from 8.5 to 11.2 years. Medium to large size breeds are more frequently affected. Symptoms and findings of non-invasive examinations are not pathognomonic, therefore, cytological or histological examinations are needed for diagnosis. Overall, the incidence of metastasis reaches up to 80%, yet lung metastasis reportedly has no negative impact on median survival time (MST). It has been reported that castrated males have a significantly higher MST than intact males. Differences in inclusion criteria for studied populations make a comparison of studies difficult. Citation of odds ratios without consideration of the context of the reference may result in premature conclusions. We conclude that elective gonadectomy of adult male dogs under six years of age cannot be excluded from the veterinary practice due to concern of causing CPN until clear and strong evidence is available.
Reward Shaping for Reinforcement Learning with Omega-Regular Objectives

Recently, successful approaches have been made to exploit good-for-MDPs automata (Buchi automata with a restricted form of nondeterminism) for model free reinforcement learning, a class of automata that subsumes good for games automata and the most widespread class of limit deterministic automata. The foundation of using these Buchi automata is that the Buchi condition can, for good-for-MDP automata, be translated to reachability. The drawback of this translation is that the rewards are, on average, reaped very late, which requires long episodes during the learning process. We devise a new reward shaping approach that overcomes this issue. We show that the resulting model is equivalent to a discounted payoff objective with a biased discount that simplifies and improves on prior work in this direction.
Obesity retunes turnover kinetics of tissue‐resident macrophages in fat

Adipose tissue‐resident F4/80hi macrophages (ATMs) are the main leukocyte population found in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT). These macrophages comprise several phenotypically distinct subpopulations that rapidly shift in abundance during obesity‐induced tissue remodeling. Here we used a fate‐mapping approach in mouse models to determine the developmental origins and the differential turnover kinetics of ATMs in lean and obese adipose tissue. We found that in lean, murine VAT the majority of ATMs express T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing 4 receptor (Tim‐4), lack the expression of CCR2 and can be further subdivided based on their expression of MHC class II and CD11c. We showed that both embryonic‐derived Tim‐4+MHCIIlow and Tim‐4+MHCII+ ATM subsets are long‐lived and only slowly replenished by monocytes over time. Only a minor Tim‐4−MHCII+CD11c+ ATM fraction expresses CCR2 and is short‐lived. In response to high‐fat induced VAT remodeling, the majority of Tim‐4+MHCIIlow ATMs maintain their fetal identity as they are moderately displaced by monocytes. Conversely, Tim‐4+MHCII+ ATMs are quickly replaced in a CCR2‐dependent manner by bone marrow‐derived Tim‐4−MHCII+ ATMs that have significantly higher turnover rates than those in lean mice. In addition, during high‐fat diet, the subpopulation of CD11c+ macrophages invade the VAT with the fastest turnover kinetics of all three ATM subpopulations. Our results suggest that ATM subpopulation frequency is controlled by the VAT microenvironment and that obesity‐induced tissue remodeling renders some of the ATM niches accessible and available for rapid monocyte replenishment. Specialized monocyte‐derived macrophages, which are rapidly recruited may be contributing to control the excess of adipocyte‐released lipids produced during obesity.
Structural and Technological Characterization of Tropical Smallholder Farms of Dual-Purpose Cattle in Mexico

Simply Summary Dual-purpose cattle smallholder farms (DP) in the tropics suffer from sustainability and viability problems. Grouping small producers according to their structure and characterizing them technologically makes it possible to identify the problems aimed to guide development policies. A sample of 1475 farms located in the tropical area of Mexico was selected. Five groups of smallholders were identified applying multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Results show that to achieve a sustainable improvement of the DP, a deep understanding of the system, the rational use of the endogenous resources, and implementation of low-cost technologies is necessary. Very small farms (Group 3) showed orientation to subsistence. They need to improve all the technological areas. Groups 1 and 2, covered a 46.5% of the farms; these ones presented a small-scale productive model and the improvements were mainly associated to the area of reproduction and genetics. Groups 4 and 5 (29.4% of the sample) were the biggest and more specialized farms. The improvements were linked to technological areas of reproduction, feeding, management, and animal health. Abstract Dual-purpose cattle smallholder farms (DP) exhibit a critical economic situation. The objective of this research was building a typology for DP in tropical conditions and characterizing them technologically. This will help developing more effective public policies in DP farms located in tropical conditions. A sample of 1.475 farms located in the tropical area of Mexico was selected. The typology was built using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Subsequently, five groups were identified by a hierarchical cluster analysis with Ward’s method. Groups 1 and 2, covered a 46.5% of the farms; these ones presented a small-scale productive model with low levels of technological adoption, improvements were mainly associated to the area of reproduction and genetics. Very small farms (Group 3) showed orientation to subsistence. They need to improve all the technological areas. Groups 4 and 5 (29.4% of the sample) were the biggest and more specialized farms. Group four farms were located in dry tropics and showed the highest levels of technological adoption in the areas of reproduction, management, and feeding. These farms require improvement in the areas of reproduction, animal health, and feeding. Group 5 farms were located in the wet tropics and showed specialization in reproduction, genetics, and animal health areas. In this last group, it is necessary to improve management and feeding areas.