Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Digital Clock Drawing With PET Amyloid and Tau Pathology in Normal Older Adults

Objective To determine whether a digital clock-drawing test, DCTclock, improves upon standard cognitive assessments for discriminating diagnostic groups and for detecting biomarker evidence of amyloid and tau pathology in clinically normal older adults (CN). Methods Participants from the Harvard Aging Brain Study and the PET laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital were recruited to undergo the DCTclock, standard neuropsychological assessments including the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC), and amyloid/tau PET imaging. Receiver operating curve analyses were used to assess diagnostic and biomarker discriminability. Logistic regression and partial correlations were used to assess DCTclock performance in relation to PACC and PET biomarkers. Results A total of 300 participants were studied. Among the 264 CN participants, 143 had amyloid and tau PET imaging (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] 0, Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] 28.9 ± 1.2). An additional 36 participants with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer dementia (CDR 0.5, MMSE 25.2 ± 3.9) were added to assess diagnostic discriminability. DCTclock showed excellent discrimination between diagnostic groups (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.86). Among CN participants with biomarkers, the DCTclock summary score and spatial reasoning subscores were associated with greater amyloid and tau burden and showed better discrimination (Cohen d = 0.76) between Aβ± groups than the PACC (d = 0.30). Conclusion DCTclock discriminates between diagnostic groups and improves upon traditional cognitive tests for detecting biomarkers of amyloid and tau pathology in CN older adults. The validation of such digitized measures has the potential of providing an efficient tool for detecting early cognitive changes along the AD trajectory. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class II evidence that DCTclock results were associated with amyloid and tau burden in CN older adults.
ACVIM consensus statement on pancreatitis in cats

Abstract Background Pancreatitis in cats, although commonly diagnosed, still presents many diagnostic and management challenges. Objective To summarize the current literature as it relates to etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of pancreatitis in cats and to arrive at clinically relevant suggestions for veterinary clinicians that are based on evidence, and where such evidence is lacking, based on consensus of experts in the field. Animals None. Methods A panel of 8 experts in the field (5 internists, 1 radiologist, 1 clinical pathologist, and 1 anatomic pathologist), with support from a librarian, was formed to assess and summarize evidence in the peer reviewed literature and complement it with consensus clinical recommendations. Results There was little literature on the etiology and pathogenesis of spontaneous pancreatitis in cats, but there was much in the literature about the disease in humans, along with some experimental evidence in cats and nonfeline species. Most evidence was in the area of diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats, which was summarized carefully. In contrast, there was little evidence on the management of pancreatitis in cats. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Pancreatitis is amenable to antemortem diagnosis by integrating all clinical and diagnostic information available, and recognizing that acute pancreatitis is far easier to diagnose than chronic pancreatitis. Although both forms of pancreatitis can be managed successfully in many cats, management measures are far less clearly defined for chronic pancreatitis.
Response of the ileum transcriptome to fructo-oligosaccharides in Taiping chickens

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation intake of Taiping chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and its stimulating effects on ileum. 120 healthy chickens were randomly divided into two groups; control group (CT) and fructo-oligosaccharides group (FOS). At the 60th day of age, ileum mucosa of three chickens per group were collected and performed transcriptome profiling of Taiping chicken ileum mucosa using the Hiseq™ 2500 sequencing platform. Compared with CT group, 50 genes were differentially expressed in the FOS group. Ten of the differently expressed genes were further validated by RT-qPCR. In addition, gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analyses revealed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched to drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, retinol metabolism, fat digestion and absorption, herpes simplex infection and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis. The results of this study provided the help to our understanding application of fructo-oligosaccharides in indigenous chicken production and provide a theoretical basis for the genetic development of indigenous chickens.
Three-Dimensional Time-Lapse Analysis Reveals Multiscale Relationships in Maize Root Systems with Contrasting Architectures[OPEN]

Time-lapse 3D imaging, computer vision, and mathematical modeling were used to quantify the root system architectures of three maize genotypes as they grew in complexity from a few to many roots. Understanding how an organism’s phenotypic traits are conditioned by genetic and environmental variation is a central goal of biology. Root systems are one of the most important but poorly understood aspects of plants, largely due to the three-dimensional (3D), dynamic, and multiscale phenotyping challenge they pose. A critical gap in our knowledge is how root systems build in complexity from a single primary root to a network of thousands of roots that collectively compete for ephemeral, heterogeneous soil resources. We used time-lapse 3D imaging and mathematical modeling to assess root system architectures (RSAs) of two maize (Zea mays) inbred genotypes and their hybrid as they grew in complexity from a few to many roots. Genetically driven differences in root branching zone size and lateral branching densities along a single root, combined with differences in peak growth rate and the relative allocation of carbon resources to new versus existing roots, manifest as sharply distinct global RSAs over time. The 3D imaging of mature field-grown root crowns showed that several genetic differences in seedling architectures could persist throughout development and across environments. This approach connects individual and system-wide scales of root growth dynamics, which could eventually be used to predict genetic variation for complex RSAs and their functions.
Noninvasive Assessment of O(6)‐Methylguanine‐DNA Methyltransferase Promoter Methylation Status in World Health Organization Grade II–IV Glioma Using Histogram Analysis of Inflow‐Based Vascular‐Space‐Occupancy Combined with Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging

O(6)‐methylguanine‐DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation is an important prognostic factor for gliomas and is associated with tumor angiogenesis. Arteriolar cerebral blood volume (CBVa) obtained from inflow‐based vascular‐space‐occupancy (iVASO) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is assumed to be an indicator of tumor microvasculature. Its preoperative predictive ability for MGMT promoter methylation remains unclear.
Respuesta fisiológica de Euglena gracilis al estrés por cobre

The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic effect of Cu2 + in the physiological development of E. gracilis. The results showed that E. gracilis had an effect on the dose-dependent growth to the concentration of metal. The exposure of E. gracilis metal at doses of 0.8 and 1.6 mM of Cu2+ showed a significant negative effect on the stability of DNA and photosynthetic pigments involved in capturing light in the antenna complex after 144 h of exposure to the metal.
Covalent Self-Labeling of Tagged Proteins with Chemical Fluorescent Dyes in BY-2 Cells and Arabidopsis Seedlings

Multicolor imaging with SNAP-tagged tubulin and monitoring of PIN2 endocytosis with a chemical dye demonstrate that specific self-labeling of proteins can be used effectively in plants. Synthetic chemical fluorescent dyes promise to be useful for many applications in biology. Covalent, targeted labeling, such as with a SNAP-tag, uses synthetic dyes to label specific proteins in vivo for studying processes such as endocytosis or for imaging via super-resolution microscopy. Despite its potential, such chemical tagging has not been used effectively in plants. A major drawback has been the limited knowledge regarding cell wall and membrane permeability of the available synthetic dyes. Of 31 synthetic dyes tested here, 23 were taken up into BY-2 cells, while eight were not. This creates sets of dyes that can serve to measure endocytosis. Three of the dyes that were able to enter the cells, SNAP-tag ligands of diethylaminocoumarin, tetramethylrhodamine, and silicon-rhodamine 647, were used to SNAP-tag α-tubulin. Successful tagging was verified by live cell imaging and visualization of microtubule arrays in interphase and during mitosis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. Fluorescence activation-coupled protein labeling with DRBG-488 was used to observe PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) endocytosis and delivery to the vacuole as well as preferential delivery of newly synthesized PIN2 to the actively forming cell plate during mitosis. Together, the data demonstrate that specific self-labeling of proteins can be used effectively in plants to study a wide variety of cellular and biological processes.
Manganese Oxide/Carbon Aerogel Composite: an Outstanding Supercapacitor Electrode Material

Manganese oxide/carbon aerogel composite electrodes are prepared by a self‐limiting anodic‐electrochemical deposition of manganese oxide into a binder‐enriched carbon aerogel layer, drop‐cast on a graphite substrate, using 0.1 M Mn(CH3COO)2·4H2O as the electrolyte. Manganese oxide grows in the form of thin nanofibers along the backbone of the carbon aerogel, leaving adequate working space for the electrolyte and enabling a fuller extent of the utilization of the manganese oxide to make the composite an outstanding supercapacitor electrode material. The manganese oxide is determined to be Mn3O4 with the Raman spectroscopy and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The rectangularity of the cyclic‐voltammogram loops of the composite electrode is excellent and remains that way for scan rates up to a very‐high value of 500 mV s−1, indicating extremely good redox reversibility and cycle efficiency. At a scan rate of 25 mV s−1, the specific capacitance, as measured in 0.5 M Na2SO4 for a potential window of 0.1–0.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl, reaches a maximum value of 503 F g−1 and experiences only a negligible decay of less than 1% at the 6000th cycle, implying an extraordinary cycling stability. The cycling efficiency is as high as 98% at a current density of 8 A g−1 cm−2, showing an almost‐ideal capacitive behavior. The power density reaches 48.5 kW kg−1 and the energy density 21.6 W h kg−1 at a scan rate of 500 mV s−1, well above the specifications of current state‐of‐the‐art supercapacitors.
Experimental increase in fecundity causes upregulation of fecundity and body maintenance genes in the fat body of ant queens

In most organisms, fecundity and longevity are negatively associated and the molecular regulation of these two life-history traits is highly interconnected. In addition, nutrient intake often has opposing effects on lifespan and reproduction. In contrast to solitary insects, the main reproductive individual of social hymenopterans, the queen, is also the most long-lived. During development, queen larvae are well-nourished, but we are only beginning to understand the impact of nutrition on the queens' adult life and the molecular regulation and connectivity of fecundity and longevity. Here, we used two experimental manipulations to alter queen fecundity in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and investigated associated changes in fat body gene expression. Egg removal triggered a fecundity increase, leading to expression changes in genes with functions in fecundity such as oogenesis and body maintenance. Dietary restriction lowered the egg production of queens and altered the expression of genes linked to autophagy, Toll signalling, cellular homeostasis and immunity. Our study reveals that an experimental increase in fecundity causes the co-activation of reproduction and body maintenance mechanisms, shedding light on the molecular regulation of the link between longevity and fecundity in social insects.
Regulation of ecdysone production in Drosophila by neuropeptides and peptide hormones

In both mammals and insects, steroid hormones play a major role in directing the animal's progression through developmental stages. To maximize fitness outcomes, steroid hormone production is regulated by the environmental conditions experienced by the animal. In insects, the steroid hormone ecdysone mediates transitions between developmental stages and is regulated in response to environmental factors such as nutrition. These environmental signals are communicated to the ecdysone-producing gland via the action of neuropeptide and peptide hormone signalling pathways. While some of these pathways have been well characterized, there is evidence to suggest more signalling pathways than has previously been thought function to control ecdysone production, potentially in response to a greater range of environmental conditions. Here, we review the neuropeptide and peptide hormone signalling pathways known to regulate the production of ecdysone in the model genetic insect Drosophila melanogaster, as well as what is known regarding the environmental signals that trigger these pathways. Areas for future research are highlighted that can further contribute to our overall understanding of the complex orchestration of environmental, physiological and developmental cues that together produce a functioning adult organism.
Tuna robotics: hydrodynamics of rapid linear accelerations

Fish routinely accelerate during locomotor manoeuvres, yet little is known about the dynamics of acceleration performance. Thunniform fish use their lunate caudal fin to generate lift-based thrust during steady swimming, but the lift is limited during acceleration from rest because required oncoming flows are slow. To investigate what other thrust-generating mechanisms occur during this behaviour, we used the robotic system termed Tunabot Flex, which is a research platform featuring yellowfin tuna-inspired body and tail profiles. We generated linear accelerations from rest of various magnitudes (maximum acceleration of 3.22 m s−2 at 11.6 Hz tail beat frequency) and recorded instantaneous electrical power consumption. Using particle image velocimetry data, we quantified body kinematics and flow patterns to then compute surface pressures, thrust forces and mechanical power output along the body through time. We found that the head generates net drag and that the posterior body generates significant thrust, which reveals an additional propulsion mechanism to the lift-based caudal fin in this thunniform swimmer during linear accelerations from rest. Studying fish acceleration performance with an experimental platform capable of simultaneously measuring electrical power consumption, kinematics, fluid flow and mechanical power output provides a new opportunity to understand unsteady locomotor behaviours in both fishes and bioinspired aquatic robotic systems.
50 Years of Behavioral Science in Diabetes: A 2020 Vision of the Future

Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from a speech Dr. de Groot delivered in June 2020 as President, Health Care & Education, of the American Diabetes Association. She delivered her address at the Association’s 80th Scientific Sessions, which was held online as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Activity modulation MEE growth of 2H-AlN on Si(111) using double buffer layer grown by PA-MBE

As a demonstration of the activity modulation migration enhanced epitaxy (AM-MEE) heteroepitaxial 2H-AlN thin films of 53.8 nm and 171.3 nm thickness on Si(111) on a double buffer layer (DBL) have been grown by the AM-MEE of plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) method. It is a droplet free growth and an atomic layer epitaxy (ALE). The influence of the DBL, which was formed in a MBE chamber before the AM-MEE growth of 2H-AlN thin films on Si(111), was studied to improve the crystallinity of AlN films. For the growth of high quality 2H-AlN on Si(111), the optimization of growth of the DBL. The interface roughness of the DBL as a layer between two layers of AlN and Si, AlN/DBL/Si was characterized by grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity (GIXR) and the surfaces were observed by AFM. Full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ω /2θ for 53.8 nm and 171.3 nm thickness AlN (0002) films were 12.1 arcmin and 7.1 arcmin, respectively. AFM images showed droplet free growth after the AM-MEE and importance of the preparation of initial clean Si surface. Unifrom formation of DBL on a large size wafer of Si was available to use indirect exposure of N radical atoms. By increasing the thickness of the AlN the crystallinity was improved but the surface roughness of AlN did not depend on the thickness of the AlN films obtained by fitting results of GIXR curves. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Disclosing a Diagnosis in the Workplace: Perspective of People With Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Early withdrawal from the workforce is associated with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), with employment retention rates also lower than in the general population. Despite legal requirements, equality in the workplace for people with MS has not been achieved. Disclosure of multiple sclerosis at work is essential for the implementation of accommodations enabling employment retention. Method: An interpretive descriptive study explored participants’ decision to disclose or not disclose their diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the implications this had on work participation and working relationships. Semistructured interviews were used to collect data from 6 participants. Results: Three themes were identified, using a reflective approach to analysis, from the data: (a) Accommodations; (b) Workplace Relationships; and (c) Balancing Work and Home Life. Participants had mixed experiences of disclosing their diagnosis. Findings supported the implementation of workplace accommodations including physical, cognitive, and structural supports. Concealment of MS was associated with fear of workplace stigmatisation. Conclusion: Disclosure is multidimensional and subjective. It is based on personal, systematic, and social factors. This study was limited by the small number of participants and not including stakeholders in the creation of the topic guide. The results are important for those involved in supporting people with multiple sclerosis to remain in the workplace.
Global redistribution of income and household energy footprints: a computational thought experiment

Non-technical summary Global income inequality and energy consumption inequality are related. High-income households consume more energy than low-income ones, and for different purposes. Here, we explore the global household energy consumption implications of global income redistribution. We show that global income inequality shapes not only inequalities of energy consumption but the quantity and composition of overall energy demand. Our results call for the inclusion of income distribution into energy system models, as well as into energy and climate policy. Technical summary Despite a rapidly growing number of studies on the relationship between inequality and energy, there is little research estimating the effect of income redistribution on energy demand. We contribute to this debate by proposing a simple but granular and data-driven model of the global income distribution and of global household energy consumption. We isolate the effect of income distribution on household energy consumption and move beyond the assumption of aggregate income–energy elasticities. First, we model expenditure as a function of income. Second, we determine budget shares of expenditure for a variety of products and services by employing product-granular income elasticities of demand. Subsequently, we apply consumption-based final energy intensities to product and services to obtain energy footprint accounts. Testing variants of the global income distribution, we find that the ‘energy costs’ of equity are small. Equitable and inequitable distributions of income, however, entail distinct structural change in energy system terms. In an equitable world, fewer people live in energy poverty and more energy is consumed for subsistence and necessities, instead of luxury and transport. Social media summary Equality in global income shifts household energy footprints towards subsistence, while inequality shifts them towards transport and luxury.
Organophosphonate Functionalized Gd@C 82 as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

A new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent containing organophosphonate functional groups was synthesized in high yield by a simple synthesis procedure. This molecule exhibits much higher longitudinal water proton relaxivity (37.0 mM−1 s−1) than commercial Omniscan (Gd-DTPA BMA, 5.7 mM−1 s−1) at 0.35 T. Notably, the relaxivity is larger than that of carboxylated Gd@C82 (16.0 mM−1 s−1) under the same conditions, indicating that the functional groups have an important role on the image contrast enhancement. In addition, the introduction of phosphonate substituents may provide bone-targeting MRI contrast agents.
Change in protein, oil and fatty acid contents in soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) of different seed coat colors and seed weight

Soybean seeds are one of the best sources of plant-based high-quality proteins and oils. The contents of these metabolites are affected by both environmental and genetic factors. In this study, 49 soybean germplasms were cultivated in Korea, the contents of total protein, total oil and five fatty acids were determined, and the influences of seed coat color and seed weight on each were assessed. The total protein and total oil contents were evaluated using Kjeldahl and Soxhlet methods and were in the ranges of 36.28-44.19% and 13.45-19.20%, respectively. Moreover, the contents of individual fatty acids were determined as area percentage from acquired gas-chromatography peaks. The contents of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids were in the ranges of 9.90-12.55, 2.45-4.00, 14.97-38.74, 43.22-60.26, and 5.37-12.33%, respectively and each significantly varied between the soybean germplasms. Unlike total oil and fatty acid contents, total protein content was not significantly affected by both seed coat color and seed weight. Cluster analysis grouped the soybeans into two classes with notable content differences. Fatty acids were the main factors for the variabilities seen between the soybean germplasms as observed in the principal component analysis. Correlation analysis revealed a significant but negative association between total oil and total protein contents (r = -0.714, p < 0.0001). Besides, a trade-off relationship was observed between oleic acid and linoleic acid (r = -0.936, p < 0.0001) which was reflected with respect to both seed coat color and seed weight. Among all colored soybeans, pale-yellow soybeans had the highest and the lowest levels of oleic acid and linoleic acid, respectively each being significantly different from the rest of colored soybeans (p < 0.05). Likewise, oleic acid content increased with seed weight while that of linoleic acid decreased with seed weight (p < 0.05). In general, this study showed the significance of seed coat color and seed weight to discriminate soybean genotypes, mainly in terms of their fatty acid contents. Moreover, the soybean germplasms with distinct characters and fatty acid contents identified in this study could be important genetic resources for cultivar development.