Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Box, stalked, and upside-down? Draft genomes from diverse jellyfish (Cnidaria, Acraspeda) lineages: Alatina alata (Cubozoa), Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa)

Abstract Background Anthozoa, Endocnidozoa, and Medusozoa are the 3 major clades of Cnidaria. Medusozoa is further divided into 4 clades, Hydrozoa, Staurozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa—the latter 3 lineages make up the clade Acraspeda. Acraspeda encompasses extraordinary diversity in terms of life history, numerous nuisance species, taxa with complex eyes rivaling other animals, and some of the most venomous organisms on the planet. Genomes have recently become available within Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, but there are currently no published genomes within Staurozoa and Cubozoa. Findings Here we present 3 new draft genomes of Calvadosia cruxmelitensis (Staurozoa), Alatina alata (Cubozoa), and Cassiopea xamachana (Scyphozoa) for which we provide a preliminary orthology analysis that includes an inventory of their respective venom-related genes. Additionally, we identify synteny between POU and Hox genes that had previously been reported in a hydrozoan, suggesting this linkage is highly conserved, possibly dating back to at least the last common ancestor of Medusozoa, yet likely independent of vertebrate POU-Hox linkages. Conclusions These draft genomes provide a valuable resource for studying the evolutionary history and biology of these extraordinary animals, and for identifying genomic features underlying venom, vision, and life history traits in Acraspeda.
The significance of ‘severity’

This essay considers whether permitting the cost-effectiveness of healthcare to govern its allocation is ethically objectionable on the grounds that it fails to give sufficient weight to the severity of people’s health states. After documenting the popular sentiment that appears to support this criticism, the essay considers how to implement prioritising severity, focusing on Erik Nord’s work. The remainder of the essay scrutinises the ethical arguments supporting policies prioritising severity and challenges those who would prioritise severity to define a notion of severity whose prioritisation they can defend.
Prolongation of bronchopulmonary C‐fiber–mediated apnea by prenatal nicotinic exposure in rat pups: role of 5‐HT3 receptors

Prenatal nicotinic exposure (PNE) reportedly sensitizes bronchopulmonary C‐fibers (PCFs) and prolongs PCF‐mediated apnea in rat pups, contributing to the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome. Serotonin, or 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), induces apnea via acting on 5‐HT receptor 3 (5‐HT3R) in PCFs, and among the 5‐HT3R subunits, 5‐HT3B is responsible for shortening the decay time of 5‐HT3R—mediated currents. We examined whether PNE would promote pulmonary 5‐HT secretion and prolong the apnea mediated by 5‐HT3Rs in PCFs via affecting the 5‐HT3B subunit. To this end, the following variables were compared between the control and PNE rat pups: 1) the 5‐HT content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, 2) the apneic response to the right atrial bolus injection of phenylbiguanide (a 5‐HT3R agonist) before and after PCF inactivation, 3) 5‐HT3R currents and the stimulus threshold of the action currents of vagal pulmonary C‐neurons, and 4) the immunoreactivity (IR) and mRNA expression of 5‐HT3A and 5‐HT3B in these neurons. Our results showed that PNE up‐regulated the pulmonary 5‐HT concentration and strengthened the PCF 5‐HT3R‐mediated apnea. PNE significantly facilitated neural excitability by shortening the decay time of 5‐HT3R currents, lowering the stimulus threshold, and increasing 5‐HT3B IR. In summary, PNE prolongs the apnea mediated by 5‐HT3Rs in PCFs, likely by increasing 5‐HT3B subunits to enhance the excitability of 5‐HT3 channels. —Zhao, L. , Gao, X. , Zhuang, J., Wallen, M. , Leng, S. , Xu, F. Prolongation of bronchopulmonary C‐fiber—mediated apnea by prenatal nicotinic exposure in rat pups: role of 5‐HT3 receptors. FASEB J. 33, 10731–10741 (2019). www.fasebj. org
Adipose tissue-derived autotaxin causes cardiomyopathy in obese mice.

The prevalence of obesity is dramatic increased and strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Adipokines, secreted from adipose tissues, are critical risk factors for the development of cardiomyopathy. Present study aimed to investigate the pathophysiological role of autotaxin in obesity-related cardiomyopathy. In high fat diet-fed mice, autotaxin was mainly synthesized and secreted from adipocytes. The increased accumulation of cardiac autotaxin was positively associated with cardiac dysfunction in obese mice. Interestingly, specific blockage of adipose tissue autotaxin effectively protected against high fat diet-induced cardiac structural disorders, left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction. Inhibition of autotaxin further improved high fat diet-induced cardiac fibrosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, including improvement of mitochondrial structure, mass and activities. Our findings demonstrated intervention of adipose tissue biology could influence cardiac modification in obese mice, and adipocyte-derived autotaxin was a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for obesity-related cardiomyopathy.
A critical review of the relationship between dietary components, the gut microbe Akkermansia muciniphila, and human health

Abstract The human gut contains trillions of microorganisms with a great diversity that are associated with various health benefits. Recent studies have reported an increasing correlation between diet, gut microbiota, and human health, indicating rapid development in the field of gut health. Diet is an important factor that determines the gut microbiota composition. The gut comprises great diversities of microbes involved in immune modulation and other functions. In particular, Akkermansia muciniphila is a mucin-degrading bacterium is believed to have several health benefits in humans. Several studies have evaluated the prebiotic effects of various dietary components on A. muciniphila and their association with various ailments, such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Hence, this review aims to provide a plausible mechanistic basis for the interactions between dietary components, and A. muciniphila and for the therapeutic benefits of this interaction on various illnesses.
Multimodal communication and language origins: integrating gestures and vocalizations

The presence of divergent and independent research traditions in the gestural and vocal domains of primate communication has resulted in major discrepancies in the definition and operationalization of cognitive concepts. However, in recent years, accumulating evidence from behavioural and neurobiological research has shown that both human and non‐human primate communication is inherently multimodal. It is therefore timely to integrate the study of gestural and vocal communication. Herein, we review evidence demonstrating that there is no clear difference between primate gestures and vocalizations in the extent to which they show evidence for the presence of key language properties: intentionality, reference, iconicity and turn‐taking. We also find high overlap in the neurobiological mechanisms producing primate gestures and vocalizations, as well as in ontogenetic flexibility. These findings confirm that human language had multimodal origins. Nonetheless, we note that in great apes, gestures seem to fulfil a carrying (i.e. predominantly informative) role in close‐range communication, whereas the opposite holds for face‐to‐face interactions of humans. This suggests an evolutionary shift in the carrying role from the gestural to the vocal stream, and we explore this transition in the carrying modality. Finally, we suggest that future studies should focus on the links between complex communication, sociality and cooperative tendency to strengthen the study of language origins.
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Evidence-Based Lifestyle Management in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex condition that involves metabolic, psychological and reproductive complications. Insulin resistance underlies much of the pathophysiology and symptomatology of the condition and contributes to long term complications including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of obesity which further compounds metabolic, reproductive and psychological risks. Lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise and behavioural management have been shown to improve PCOS presentations across the reproductive, metabolic and psychological spectrum and are recommended as first line treatment for any presentation of PCOS in women with excess weight by the International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 2018. However, there is a paucity of research on the implementation lifestyle management in women with PCOS by healthcare providers. Limited existing evidence indicates lifestyle management is not consistently provided and not meeting the needs of the patients. In this review, barriers and facilitators to the implementation of evidence-based lifestyle management in reference to PCOS are discussed in the context of a federally-funded health system. This review highlights the need for targeted research on the knowledge and practice of PCOS healthcare providers to best inform implementation strategies for the translation of the PCOS guidelines on lifestyle management in PCOS.
Association of Salivary Amylase (AMY1) Gene Copy Number with Obesity in Alabama Elementary School Children

Salivary amylase (AMY1) is the most abundant enzyme in human saliva, responsible for the hydrolysis of α-1,4 glycosidic linkages that aids in the digestion of starch. Recently studies have shown that the copy number of AMY1 is associated with obesity; however, the data varies with location. One-third of children are overweight/obese in Alabama. In this study, we aim to determine the relationship between the copy number of AMY1 gene and obesity measurements in children from Alabama. One hundred twenty-seven children aged between 6 to 10 years participated in this study. Anthropometric measurements were measured using WHO recommendations. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva, and the copy number of the AMY1 gene was estimated by digital PCR. The association between AMY1 copy number and obesity measurements was analyzed by linear regression. The mean AMY1 copy number significantly decreased in overweight/obese (6.21 ± 1.48) compared to normal weight (7.97 ± 2.35) children. AMY1 copy number inversely associated with the obesity measurements. African Americans had a stronger association between low AMY1 copy number and obesity compared to white/European Americans. Our findings suggest that overweight/obese children have a low AMY1 copy number and the effect is more prominent in African Americans.
Effects of fat type and emulsifier in feed on growth performance, slaughter traits, and lipid metabolism of Cherry Valley ducks.

A 2-factor test design was used to investigate the effect of an emulsifier (Aldo®, Lonza, America) (200 g/t) in the diet of Cherry Valley meat ducks to replace some of 2 different oils (animal fat and vegetable oil) on meat production performance, slaughter traits, and fat metabolism. The 900 healthy 18-day-old ducks were grouped into 6 treatments, each with 5 replicates and 30 meat ducks per replicate. The 2 fat sources were established as a positive control group, a negative control group (positive control group-some oil (equivalent to metabolic energy of 50 kcal/ton)), and an emulsifier group (negative control group + 200 g/ton Aldo). The results showed that addition of different fat sources in feed had no significant effect on growth performance, carcass properties, and fat metabolism of 18- to 42-day-old meat ducks (P > 0.05). Reducing the amount of oil used in the feed lowered the growth performance, carcass properties, and affected fat metabolism of meat ducks. However, in feeds with 2 fat sources, some oils were replaced by adding Aldo without affecting growth performance and carcass properties of meat ducks, and improved their fat metabolism, reduced triglycerides (TG) in serum, and increased activity of lipoprotein and hepatic lipases in liver and of pancreatic lipase. Thus, addition of Aldo to a low fat diet could improve growth performance, carcass quality, and lipid metabolism, and promote digestion and absorption of fat for meat ducks.
Evaluation of a 3D-printed total knee arthroplasty using radiostereometric analysis.

AIMS Our intention was to investigate if the highly porous biological fixation surfaces of a new 3D-printed total knee arthroplasty (TKA) achieved adequate fixation of the tibial and patellar components to the underlying bone. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 29 patients undergoing primary TKA consented to participate in this prospective cohort study. All patients received a highly porous tibial baseplate and metal-backed patella. Patient-reported outcomes measures were recorded and implant migration was assessed using radiostereometric analysis. RESULTS Patient function significantly improved by three months postoperatively (p < 0.001). Mean difference in maximum total point motion between 12 and 24 months was 0.021 mm (-0.265 to 0.572) for the tibial implant and 0.089 mm (-0.337 to 0.758) for the patellar implant. The rate of tibial and patellar migration was largest over the first six postoperative weeks, with no changes in mean tibia migration occurring after six months, and no changes in mean patellar migration occurring after six weeks. One patellar component showed a rapid rate of migration between 12 and 24 months. CONCLUSION Biological fixation appears to occur reliably on the highly porous implant surface of the tibial baseplate and metal-backed patellar component. Rapid migration after 12 months was measured for one patellar component. Further investigation is required to assess the long-term stability of the 3D-printed components and to determine if the high-migrating components achieve fixation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B(7 Supple C):40-47.
Subclinical atherosclerosis and its progression are modulated by PLIN2 through a feed‐forward loop between LXR and autophagy

Hyperlipidaemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of both myocardial infarction and stroke. We have previously shown that the Pro251 variant of perilipin‐2 reduces plasma triglycerides and may therefore be beneficial to reduce atherosclerosis development.
Global Mycotoxin Occurrence in Feed: A Ten-Year Survey

Mycotoxins contaminating animal feed can exert toxic effects in animals and be transferred into animal products. Therefore, mycotoxin occurrence in feed should be monitored. To this end, we performed a large-scale global survey of mycotoxin contamination in feed and assessed regional differences and year-to-year variation of mycotoxin occurrence. Concentrations of aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, and T-2 toxin were analyzed in 74,821 samples of feed and feed raw materials (e.g., maize, wheat, soybean) collected from 100 countries from 2008 to 2017. In total, 88% of the samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin. Mycotoxin occurrence showed distinct regional trends and climate was a key determinant governing these trends. In most regions, the majority of samples complied with maximum levels and guidance values for mycotoxins in animal feed that are in effect in the European Union. However, 41.1%, 38.5%, and 20.9% of samples from South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, respectively, exceeded the maximum level for aflatoxin B1 (20 µg/kg). In several regions, mycotoxin concentrations in maize showed a pronounced year-to-year variation that could be explained by rainfall or temperature during sensitive periods of grain development. A large fraction of samples (64%) was co-contaminated with ≥ 2 mycotoxins. Most frequently observed mycotoxin mixtures were combinations of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and fumonisins, as well as fumonisins and aflatoxin B1. Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone concentrations were correlated in maize and wheat. In conclusion, according to an extensive global survey, mycotoxin (co-)contamination of animal feed is common, shows regional trends, and is governed in part by climate and weather.
The serum level of soluble CXCL16 is increased in preeclampsia and associated with hepatic/renal damage

Abstract Objective To compare the serum level of the chemokine, CXCL 16, in preeclamptic and healthy pregnant patients. Methods This prospective case control study was conducted between January and December 2018 in a tertiary level hospital. The study group was formed of 70 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia, and the control group was formed of 70 healthy pregnant women matched to the study group in respect of age, gestational week and body mass index (BMI). The study group was separated into two subgroups of mild preeclampsia (n = 35) and severe preeclampsia (n = 35). The groups were compared in terms of demographic and clinical parameters and the levels of serum CXCL 16. Results No statistically significant difference was determined between the study and control groups in respect of maternal age, gravida, parity, BMI, and gestational age at sampling. Neonatal birth weight was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Mean serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and creatinine levels of the study group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < .05 for all). There was a statistically significant difference between the study and control groups regarding the mean platelet count. Compared to the control group, the severe and mild preeclampsia groups had a significantly higher serum level of CXCL 16. The serum level of CXCL 16 was significantly higher in patients with severe preeclampsia than in patients with mild preeclampsia (2.94 ± 3.89 pg mL−1 vs. 1.08 ± 1.87 pg mL−1, p = .14). Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation of serum CXCL 16 level with serum ALT level (r = 0.320, p ≤ .001) and serum AST level (r = 0.373, p ≤ .001) and serum creatinine level (r = 0.279, p = .01) in both groups. High values indicated presence of preeclampsia, with a diagnostic cut-off point of 0.225, sensitivity of 75.7% and specificity of 72.9% for CXCL 16 (area under curve: 0.820, p < .001 CI: 0.753–0.888). Conclusions This is the first study in literature to show a significantly higher level of CXCL 16 in patients with severe preeclampsia compared to those with mild preeclampsia. The study can also be considered of value in respect of showing that CXCL 16 could play a role in the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia and the emergence of renal-hepatic damage. Blocking the CXCL 16/CXCR six axis in preeclampsia treatment could lay the ground for the development of new drugs which could be used in the treatment of preeclampsia.
Non-Contact Monitoring of Breathing Pattern and Respiratory Rate via RGB Signal Measurement

Among all the vital signs, respiratory rate remains the least measured in several scenarios, mainly due to the intrusiveness of the sensors usually adopted. For this reason, all contactless monitoring systems are gaining increasing attention in this field. In this paper, we present a measuring system for contactless measurement of the respiratory pattern and the extraction of breath-by-breath respiratory rate. The system consists of a laptop’s built-in RGB camera and an algorithm for post-processing of acquired video data. From the recording of the chest movements of a subject, the analysis of the pixel intensity changes yields a waveform indicating respiratory pattern. The proposed system has been tested on 12 volunteers, both males and females seated in front of the webcam, wearing both slim-fit and loose-fit t-shirts. The pressure-drop signal recorded at the level of nostrils with a head-mounted wearable device was used as reference respiratory pattern. The two methods have been compared in terms of mean of absolute error, standard error, and percentage error. Additionally, a Bland–Altman plot was used to investigate the bias between methods. Results show the ability of the system to record accurate values of respiratory rate, with both slim-fit and loose-fit clothing. The measuring system shows better performance on females. Bland–Altman analysis showed a bias of −0.01 breaths·min−1, with respiratory rate values between 10 and 43 breaths·min−1. Promising performance has been found in the preliminary tests simulating tachypnea.
A combinatorial study of communication, storage and traceability in broadcast encryption systems

In this thesis we analyze a model of broadcast encryption based on that of Fiat and Naor. In this model a center needs to allocate keys to users in order to be able to broadcast to selected sets of users with security. A protocol for each subset of users defines which subsets of keys are sufficient to receive the broadcast. There is a trade-off between the number of keys each user stores and the number of transmissions the center needs to make in order to establish a common key amongst the users in a specific subset. The more keys each user has, the fewer the number of transmissions that are necessary, and vice versa. We prove lower bounds on the maximum and average number of keys per user for a class of protocols (called consistent protocols) that are fairly general and also easy to implement. We show that the same lower bounds hold when the protocols are arbitrary, if the number of transmissions is restricted. We describe a construction of a broadcast encryption system that is close to optimal with respect to these bounds and uses the most secure form of protocol (the OR protocol). We describe constructions with less secure protocols that are within a constant factor of the bounds. One of these constructions uses AND protocols, which are complementary to OR protocols. We also consider the problem of traitor users pooling their keys to construct a pirate decoder. A broadcast encryption system is said to have traceability if it is possible to identify at least one traitor user upon confiscation of a pirate decoder. We prove a necessary condition and a sufficient condition for traceability, each of which is helpful in determining the traceability of specific broadcast encryption systems. Traceability is $\Theta(\sqrt{t})$ in the OR protocols construction. At the other end of the spectrum, a sufficiently optimal broadcast encryption system with AND protocols has only 1-traceability. The traceability of the AND protocols construction meets this bound.
Paralelización del Algoritmo Criptográfico GOST Empleando el Paradigma de Memoria Compartida

El articulo refiere el proceso de paralelizacion del algoritmo criptografico GOST. La investigacion realizada persigue como objetivo, reducir el tiempo de ejecucion del algoritmo. El estudio no se encuentra enfocado al analisis de fortaleza del algoritmo criptografico, donde se hace enfasis es en el metodo empleado para disminuir el tiempo de ejecucion de los procesos cifre y descifre. Para ello se realiza un diseno paralelo basado en la metodologia de Ian Foster, el cual es aplicado a dos implementaciones usando tecnicas como: OpenMP y CUDA. Las comparaciones realizadas teniendo en cuenta, tanto al algoritmo secuencial como las implementaciones paralelas, demuestran una significativa reduccion de tiempo, sin importar la tecnica empleada. El mejor resultado se logra empleando CUDA.