Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Ecological and Genetic Factors Interact to Determine When Self-Fertilizing Hermaphrodites of Rivulus marmoratus Change into Functional Secondary Males, With a Reappraisal of the Modes of Intersexuality Among Fishes

Hermaphrodites of Rivulus marmoratus, each in lifelong isolation, were exposed to one or another of the eight combinations of alternative temperatures, salinities, and light intensities, for the first 3-6 months from /4 blastoderm or earlier ("early-rearing period"). For the rest of their lives they were kept in 40% sea water at near 25? C and exposed to natural day lengths except for one artificial short-day season. Their life episodes and the conditions of all the eggs they laid were recorded. Hermaphrodites changed into secondary males in correlation with diminished egg laying and in response to one or another of the four annual, and one artificial short-day seasons, 1961-1965. Onset of this responsivity has a genotype-specific age-dependency. In two genetically unlike, uniparental, homozygous, isogenic groups (clones) of fish, early-reared at high temperature, the fish of one clone changed into males in response to the first two short-day seasons, those of the other in response to the last three, with no overlap. Within the same biotype (clone), this responsivity is advanced calendrically by early-rearing at high temperature; hermaphrodites early-reared at moderate or low temperature very rarely change into males and then only near the ends of lives prolonged by protected conditions. Scheduling of the sex changes was apparently unaffected by salinity, light intensity, or any of three morphoses (nonadaptive modifications), induced by early exposure to dim light and morphosis-specific salinity-temperature combinations. From year to year, the testicular zones of the ovotestes progressively increase in area more than the ovarian zones, expressing visibly the agedependent (time-measuring) factor in sex succession that fixes the onset of of the responsivity to short days. When the ratio of testicular to ovarian tissue becomes large enough, the next short-day season evidently triggers the rapid further proliferation of testicular tissue and the involution of ovarian tissue that ends egg laying, begins secondary-male coloration, and changes self-fertilizing hermaphrodites into functional secondary males by converting ovotestes into secondary testes. Testicular activity, measured by percentages of self-fertilized eggs laid, was much lower throughout the hermaphrodite phase of fish early-reared at low temperature as contrasted with high, but ovarian activity, measured by numbers of eggs laid per unit time, was similar between fish earlyreared at low and at high temperature. Testicular activity rose each year with the increase in day lengths from the annual minimum. Later in the annual daylength cycle, ovarian activity rose in response to the much longer days, and testicular activity was proportionately depressed, i.e. inhibited
Scan2Avatar: Automatic Rigging for 3D Raw Human Scans

A powerful rigging pipeline is proposed to automatically rig the raw scans of human model with 1) fitting a Rigged Parametric Body Model (RPBM) to the scan with a novel and effective energy formulation, 2) cutting the scan to break self-occlusions automatically, 3) inpainting the geometry and texture in UV parametric space to create a complete avatar and 4) transferring the rigging information from the RPBM to the avatar. To further improve the fitting result, Semantic Deformation Component (SDC) is generated and utilized to replace the original shape blendshapes of the RPBM in the fitting stage, which can also be used for body reshaping. Our method is highly effective and robust in rigging the raw human scan models.
Late quaternary vegetation history of the Nyika Plateau Malawi.

Pollen analysis of peat sediments found in valley-head 'dambos' of the Nyika Plateau, Malawi, has yielded a vegetation history spanning the last 5000 years as indicated by radiocarbon dating. The contemporary vegetation pattern of small patches of montane forest in a sea of montane grassland is shown to have been in existence for at least as far as the peat record extends and indications from a radiocarbon dated organic clay further suggest its prominence as far back as 12,000 years B.P. Assertions that the plateau was mainly forested as recently as 1000 years ago are refuted by the palynological evidence. The somewhat surprising conclusion of relative environmental stability during the Holocene in this part of Africa is supported by similar evidence from elsewhere within the region.
Use of the Rainbow Trout Hepatoma Cell Line, RTH-149, in a Cytotoxicity Assay

The rainbow trout hepatoma cell line, RTH-149, was evaluated for use as a bioindicator cell type in the neutral red cytotoxicity assay. The cells were exposed for six days to various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including chemicals that are direct-acting toxicants and chemicals that require enzymatic biotransformation to cytotoxic metabolites. Whereas benzo[a]pyrene was only slightly cytotoxic, its metabolites — (±)trans-7,8-diol-benzo[a]pyrene and 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene — were highly cytotoxic. 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene was cytotoxic, but cytotoxicity did not occur with benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[k]fluoranthene. This cell line appears to lack sufficient xenobiotic metabolising capacity to biotransform many of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to activated cytotoxic metabolites.
Master Regulator Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3) in Metabolic Homeostasis and Cancer

Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a stress-induced transcription factor that plays vital roles in modulating metabolism, immunity, and oncogenesis. ATF3 acts as a hub of the cellular adaptive-response network. Multiple extracellular signals, such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, cytokines, chemokines, and LPS, are connected to ATF3 induction. The function of ATF3 as a regulator of metabolism and immunity has recently sparked intense attention. In this review, we describe how ATF3 can act as both a transcriptional activator and a repressor. We then focus on the role of ATF3 and ATF3-regulated signals in modulating metabolism, immunity, and oncogenesis. The roles of ATF3 in glucose metabolism and adipose tissue regulation are also explored. Next, we summarize how ATF3 regulates immunity and maintains normal host defense. In addition, we elaborate on the roles of ATF3 as a regulator of prostate, breast, colon, lung, and liver cancers. Further understanding of how ATF3 regulates signaling pathways involved in glucose metabolism, adipocyte metabolism, immuno-responsiveness, and oncogenesis in various cancers, including prostate, breast, colon, lung, and liver cancers, is then provided. Finally, we demonstrate that ATF3 acts as a master regulator of metabolic homeostasis and, therefore, may be an appealing target for the treatment of metabolic dyshomeostasis, immune disorders, and various cancers.
Wheel-Running Behavior Is Negatively Impacted by Zinc Administration in a Novel Dual Transgenic Mouse Model of AD

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurocognitive disorder that impacts both the brain and behavior. Metal ions, including zinc (Zn), have been seen to play an important role in AD-related pathology. In this study, we show alterations in wheel-running behavior both early and late in disease progression in a novel dual Tg mouse model of AD. This mouse includes both amyloid and tau pathology through its cross with the J20 (hAPP) and P301L (Tau) parentage. Animals were given either lab water or water that had been supplemented with 10 ppm Zn. Wheel running was assessed through individually housing mice and measuring wheel-running activity in both the light and dark cycles. Dual Tg mice showed significantly less activity in the first part of the dark cycle than WT mice at both 3.5 and 7 months of age (p < 0.05). Dual Tg mice given Zn water showed less activity compared to dual Tg mice on lab water, tau mice on Zn water, or WT mice given either lab or Zn water (p < 0.05) at 7 months. Female mice in this study consistently showed higher activity compared to male mice in all groups whereas Zn led to reduced activity. Daily activity rhythm was altered in both the tau and dual Tg mice, and Zn impacted this alteration through effects on amyloid, tau, and through circadian pathways.
The Potential of Guanidino Acetic Acid to Reduce the Occurrence and Severity of Broiler Muscle Myopathies

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is the biochemical precursor of creatine, which, in its phosphorylated form, is an essential high-energy carrier in the muscle. Although creatine has limited stability in feed processing, GAA is well established as a source of creatine in the animal feed industry. Published data demonstrate beneficial effects of GAA supplementation on muscle creatine, energy compounds, and antioxidant status, leading to improvements in broiler body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and breast meat yield. Although increases in weight gain and meat yield are often associated with wooden breast (WB) and other myopathies, recent reports have suggested the potential of GAA supplementation to reduce the occurrence and severity of WB while improving breast meat yield. This disorder increases the hardness of the Pectoralis major muscle and has emerged as a current challenge to the broiler industry worldwide by impacting meat quality. Genetic selection, fast-growth rates, and environmental stressors have been identified to be the main factors related to this myopathy, but the actual cause of this disorder is still unknown. Creatine supplementation has been used as a nutritional prescription in the treatment of several muscular myopathies in humans and other animals. Because GAA is a common feed additive in poultry production, the potential of GAA supplementation to reduce broiler myopathies has been investigated in experimental and commercial scenarios. In addition, a few studies have evaluated the potential of creatine in plasma and blood enzymes related to creatine to be used as potential markers for WB. The evidence indicates that GAA could potentially minimize the incidence of WB. More data are warranted to understand the factors affecting the potential efficacy of GAA to reduce the occurrence and severity of myopathies.
A Flow Cytometry-Based Whole Blood Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Assay Using Overnight Cytokine Activation

Background: Measurement of natural killer (NK) cell function has important clinical utility in several diseases. Although the flow cytometry (FC)-based 4-h NK cytotoxicity assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the clinical laboratory has been used for this purpose, this assay requires large amounts of blood and a rapid PBMC isolation step. Here, we developed an FC-based overnight NK cytotoxicity assay using whole blood (WB), and applied it to patients with liver diseases. Methods: Peripheral blood of healthy volunteers (n = 28) and patients with liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 19) and liver cirrhosis (n = 7), was analyzed for complete blood count, absolute NK cell count, and NK cell activity (NKA). NKA was evaluated in three assay types: an FC-based overnight WB NK cytotoxicity assay using carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester-labeled K562 cells in the presence of various cytokine combinations [including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-18, and IL-21], an FC-based 4-h PBMC NK cytotoxicity assay, and an FC-based CD107a degranulation assay using WB and PBMCs. Results: Optimal cytokine combinations for NK cell activation in WB were determined (IL-2/IL-18, IL-2/IL-21, and IL-2/IL-18/IL-21). A good correlation was observed between WB and PBMC NK cytotoxicity assays; absolute NK cell counts were better correlated with the WB NK cytotoxicity assay than with the PBMC NK cytotoxicity assay. This WB NK cytotoxicity assay showed that patients with liver diseases had significantly lower NK cytotoxicity than healthy volunteers, under stimulation with various cytokines (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The proposed FC-based overnight WB NK cytotoxicity assay correlates well with the conventional 4-h PBMC NK cytotoxicity assay, demonstrating future potential as a supportive assay for clinical laboratory research and observational studies.
Heat Waves Change Plant Carbon Allocation Among Primary and Secondary Metabolism Altering CO2 Assimilation, Respiration, and VOC Emissions

Processes controlling plant carbon allocation among primary and secondary metabolism, i.e., carbon assimilation, respiration, and VOC synthesis are still poorly constrained, particularly regarding their response to stress. To investigate these processes, we simulated a 10-day 38°C heat wave, analysing real-time carbon allocation into primary and secondary metabolism in the Mediterranean shrub Halimium halimifolium L. We traced position-specific 13C-labeled pyruvate into daytime VOC and CO2 emissions and during light-dark transition. Net CO2 assimilation strongly declined under heat, due to three-fold higher respiration rates. Interestingly, day respiration also increased two-fold. Decarboxylation of the C1-atom of pyruvate was the main process driving daytime CO2 release, whereas the C2-moiety was not decarboxylated in the TCA cycle. Heat induced high emissions of methanol, methyl acetate, acetaldehyde as well as mono- and sesquiterpenes, particularly during the first two days. After 10-days of heat a substantial proportion of 13C-labeled pyruvate was allocated into de novo synthesis of VOCs. Thus, during extreme heat waves high respiratory losses and reduced assimilation can shift plants into a negative carbon balance. Still, plants enhanced their investment into de novo VOC synthesis despite associated metabolic CO2 losses. We conclude that heat stress re-directed the proportional flux of key metabolites into pathways of VOC biosynthesis most likely at the expense of reactions of plant primary metabolism, which might highlight their importance for stress protection.
Measles Virus Hemagglutinin Protein Establishes a Specific Interaction With the Extreme N-Terminal Region of Human Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule to Enhance Infection

Measles virus (MV) is a human pathogen that is classified in the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae together with several non-human animal morbilliviruses. They cause severe systemic infections by using signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) and poliovirus receptor-like 4 expressed on immune and epithelial cells, respectively, as receptors. The viral hemagglutinin (H) protein is responsible for the receptor-binding. Previously determined structures of MV-H and SLAM complexes revealed a major binding interface between the SLAM V domain and MV-H with four binding components (sites 1–4) in the interface. We studied the MV-H and human SLAM (hSLAM) complex structure in further detail by in silico analyses and determined missing regions or residues in the previously determined complex structures. These analyses showed that, in addition to sites 1–4, MV-H establishes a unique interaction with the extreme N-terminal region (ExNTR) of hSLAM. The first principles calculation-based fragment molecular orbital computation method revealed that methionine at position 29 (hSLAM-Met29) is the key residue for the interaction. hSLAM-Met29 was predicted to establish a CH-π interaction with phenylalanine at position 549 of MV-H (MVH-Phe549). A cell-cell fusion assay showed that the hSLAM-Met29 and MVH-Phe549 interaction is important for hSLAM-dependent MV membrane fusion. Furthermore, Jurkat cell lines expressing hSLAM with or without Met29 and recombinant MV possessing the H protein with or without Phe549 showed that the hSLAM-Met29 and MVH-Phe549 interaction enhanced hSLAM-dependent MV infection by ~10-fold. We speculate that in the evolutionary history of morbilliviruses, this interaction may have contributed to MV adaptation to humans because this interaction is unique for MV and only MV uses hSLAM efficiently among morbilliviruses.
Medical Qigong for Mobility and Balance Self-Confidence in Older Adults

Background/Objectives: Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, and impaired neuromuscular function increases fall risk and fractures in our aging population. Mind-body modalities, improve strength, balance and coordination, mitigating these risks. This study examined whether a manualized Medical Qigong protocol measurably improves balance, gait, and health self-confidence among older adults. Design: Randomized prospective cohort pre-post study with wait time control. Setting: Two martial arts centers in Massachusetts and Arizona. Participants: Ninety-five adults age ≥ 50 (mean age 68.6 y.o., range 51–96) were randomly assigned to an immediate start group (N = 53) or 4-week delayed start group (N = 43). Intervention: A 10 form qigong protocol taught over 12 weekly classes. Measurments: Primary outcome measures were the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS) and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Data was collected at baseline, 1-month and 4-months. Results: Both groups at both sites demonstrated improved balance and gait (CBMS + 11.9 points, p < 0.001). This effect was strongest in patients in their 60 s (CBMS +12.9 p < 0.01) and 70 s (CBMS + 14.3, p < 0.001), was equal across genders and socioeconomic status. Balance self-confidence did not significantly change (ABC + 0.9, p = 0.48), though several elements within ABC trended toward improvement [e.g., walk up/down ramp (p = 0.07), bend over/pick up (p = 0.09)]. Falls in the past year was inversely correlated with balance self-confidence (p = 0.01). Conclusion: A 12-week manualized Medical Qigong protocol significantly improved balance and gait and modestly improved balance self-confidence among older adults. Medical Qigong may be a useful clinical intervention for older adults at heightened risk for falls and related injuries. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials. gov, identifier: NCT04430751.
COMPOSIÇÃO E CAPACIDADE DE COAGULAÇÃO DE LEITES DE VACAS HOLANDESAS E GIROLANDAS Composition and coagulation capacity of holstein and girolanda cow's milk

Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar a composicao centesimal, o pH, a acidez titulavel e a capacidade de coagulacao dos leites produzidos por vacas holandesas e girolandas. O leite de 15 animais de cada raca foi coletado na fase de 2 a 3 meses apos o inicio da lactacao. O leite de animais girolandos apresentou teores de lipideos e de solidos totais superiores aos dos animais holandeses (p<0,05). Os leites nao apresentaram diferenca significativa nas outras caracteristicas avaliadas. Nessas condicoes, o leite de vacas girolandas e interessante especialmente para elaboracao de produtos de base lipidica, alem disso, pode apresentar maior rendimento na fabricacao de produtos como queijos, leite em po, creme de leite e manteiga do que o leite de animais holandeses. Termos para indexacao: composicao do leite, racas leiteiras, propriedades tecnologicas.
Potassium Deficiency Significantly Affected Plant Growth and Development as Well as microRNA-Mediated Mechanism in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

It is well studied that potassium (K+) deficiency induced aberrant growth and development of plant and altered the expression of protein-coding genes. However, there are not too many systematic investigations on root development affected by K+ deficiency, and there is no report on miRNA expression during K+ deficiency in wheat. In this study, we found that K+ deficiency significantly affected wheat seedling growth and development, evidenced by reduced plant biomass and small plant size. In wheat cultivar AK-58, up-ground shoots were more sensitive to K+ deficiency than roots. K+ deficiency did not significantly affect root vitality but affected root development, including root branching, root area, and root size. K+ deficiency delayed seminal root emergence but enhanced seminal root elongation, total root length, and correspondingly total root surface area. K+ deficiency also affected root and leaf respiration at the early exposure stage, but these effects were not observed at the later stage. One potential mechanism causing K+ deficiency impacts is microRNAs (miRNAs), one important class of small regulatory RNAs. K+ deficiency induced the aberrant expression of miRNAs and their targets, which further affected plant growth, development, and response to abiotic stresses, including K+ deficiency. Thereby, this positive root adaption to K+ deficiency is likely associated with the miRNA-involved regulation of root development.
Other-Groups Bias Effects: Recognizing Majority and Minority Outgroup Faces

A large literature has provided evidence that intergroup biases are common in facial recognition. In investigations of faces of different races, research has repeatedly demonstrated an Own Race Bias in which people are more accurate in recognizing racial ingroup compared to outgroup members. The primary goal of this research was to investigate whether participants from typically underrepresented populations in social psychological research (i.e., Blacks, South Asians, and East Asians) show biases in recognition accuracy when presented with ingroup faces and minority and majority outgroup faces. Not surprisingly, across three experiments, participants demonstrated superior recognition for faces of members of their own compared to other races. Although minority participants also demonstrated greater recognition accuracy for majority compared to minority outgroup faces, these effects were much smaller and typically nonsignificant. The implications of these findings for our understanding of basic processes in face perception, and intergroup relations, are discussed.
In Vitro Models to Study Mechanisms of Lung Toxicity

Several functioning in vitro systems of varying complexity are currently in use for the study of mechanisms of lung toxicity. The isolated perfused lung is the model closest to the in vivo situation. It is a suitable model for combining metabolic and functional studies. It is, for instance, possible to relate changes in lung mechanics and lung perfusion flow to the release of various mediators during exposure of the lung to various agents. A simpler model may be constructed from lung slices which are less viable but suitable for uptake as well as metabolism studies. Specific lung cells such as Clara cells and type II pneumocytes have been isolated and cultured and are valuable tools for studies of the molecular mechanisms of lung toxicity, particularly in cases of cell-specific toxicity. There is, however, a great need to develop techniques for the isolation and culture of other types of lung cells and also to improve the culturing techniques for those already isolated.
The Human Leukemic HL-60 Cell Line: An in Vitro Model for Cell Death Endpoint Identification

The aim of this study was to investigate the endpoints related to cell death, either necrosis or apoptosis, induced by four chemicals in the promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60. Cell morphology, DNA fragmentation, cytofluorimetric analysis and oxygen consumption were used to classify the type of cell death observed. In our analysis, we found that not all the selected parameters reproduced the differences observed in the cell death caused by the four chemicals tested. As cell death is a very complex phenomenon, several factors should be taken into account (cell type, exposure time and chemical concentration), if chemicals are to be classified according to differences in the mechanisms more directly involved in cell death.