Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances in the Study of Olfaction in Eusocial Ants

Simple Summary In contrast to solitary insects such as the fruit fly or mosquito, eusocial ants form colonial societies comprised of reproductives (female queens and short-lived males) and thousands of sterile female offspring known as workers. Social behaviors such as nursing the queen’s offspring, foraging for food, and nest defense emerge from the collective behavior of the workers. Importantly, these behaviors critically depend on the exchange of information through the detection of chemical cues in the environment. While research efforts have historically aimed to understand the chemical ecology of these social insects, advances in the application of molecular technology over the past decade have facilitated novel studies that bridge the gap between social behaviors and olfaction. Here, we review major advances in the study of molecular olfaction in eusocial ants and highlight potential avenues for future research. Abstract Over the past decade, spurred in part by the sequencing of the first ant genomes, there have been major advances in the field of olfactory myrmecology. With the discovery of a significant expansion of the odorant receptor gene family, considerable efforts have been directed toward understanding the olfactory basis of complex social behaviors in ant colonies. Here, we review recent pivotal studies that have begun to reveal insights into the development of the olfactory system as well as how olfactory stimuli are peripherally and centrally encoded. Despite significant biological and technical impediments, substantial progress has been achieved in the application of gene editing and other molecular techniques that notably distinguish the complex olfactory system of ants from other well-studied insect model systems, such as the fruit fly. In doing so, we hope to draw attention not only to these studies but also to critical knowledge gaps that will serve as a compass for future research endeavors.
Wearable Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors: A Review

This article reviews recent advances and developments in the field of wearable sensors with emphasis on a subclass of these devices that are able to perform highly-sensitive electrochemical analysis. Recent insights into novel fabrication methodologies and electrochemical techniques have resulted in the demonstration of chemical sensors able to augment conventional physical measurements (i.e. heart rate, EEG, ECG, etc.), thereby providing added dimensions of rich, analytical information to the wearer in a timely manner. Wearable electrochemical sensors have been integrated onto both textile materials and directly on the epidermis for various monitoring applications owing to their unique ability to process chemical analytes in a non-invasive and non-obtrusive fashion. In this manner, multi-analyte detection can easily be performed, in real time, in order to ascertain the overall physiological health of the wearer or to identify potential offenders in their environment. Of profound importance is the development of an understanding of the impact of mechanical strain on textile- and epidermal (tattoo)-based sensors and their failure mechanisms as well as the compatibility of the substrate employed in the fabrication process. We conclude this review with a retrospective outlook of the field and identify potential implications of this new sensing paradigm in the healthcare, fitness, security, and environmental monitoring domains. With continued innovation and detailed attention to core challenges, it is expected that wearable electrochemical sensors will play a pivotal role in the emergent body sensor networks arena.
Treatment of Manure and Digestate Liquid Fractions Using Membranes: Opportunities and Challenges

Manure and digestate liquid fractions are nutrient-rich effluents that can be fractionated and concentrated using membranes. However, these membranes tend to foul due to organic matter, solids, colloids, and inorganic compounds including calcium, ammonium, sodium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium contained in the feed. This review paper is intended as a theoretical and practical tool for the decision-making process during design of membrane-based systems aiming at processing manure liquid fractions. Firstly, this review paper gives an overview of the main physico-chemical characteristics of manure and digestates. Furthermore, solid-liquid separation technologies are described and the complexity of the physico-chemical variables affecting the separation process is discussed. The main factors influencing membrane fouling mechanisms, morphology and characteristics are described, as well as techniques covering membrane inspection and foulant analysis. Secondly, the effects of the feed characteristics, membrane operating conditions (pressure, cross-flow velocity, temperature), pH, flocculation-coagulation and membrane cleaning on fouling and membrane performance are presented. Finally, a summary of techniques for specific recovery of ammonia-nitrogen, phosphorus and removal of heavy metals for farm effluents is also presented.
Phloridzin Acts as an Inhibitor of Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase MEG2 Relevant to Insulin Resistance

Inhibition of the megakaryocyte protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (PTP-MEG2, also named PTPN9) activity has been shown to be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Previously, we reported that PTP-MEG2 knockdown enhances adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, suggesting that PTP-MEG2 may be a potential antidiabetic target. In this study, we found that phloridzin, isolated from Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, inhibits the catalytic activity of PTP-MEG2 (half-inhibitory concentration, IC50 = 32 ± 1.06 μM) in vitro, indicating that it could be a potential antidiabetic drug candidate. Importantly, phloridzin stimulated glucose uptake by differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2C12 muscle cells compared to that by the control cells. Moreover, phloridzin led to the enhanced phosphorylation of AMPK and Akt relevant to increased insulin sensitivity. Importantly, phloridzin attenuated palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 muscle cells. We also found that phloridzin did not accelerate adipocyte differentiation, suggesting that phloridzin improves insulin sensitivity without significant lipid accumulation. Taken together, our results demonstrate that phloridzin, an inhibitor of PTP-MEG2, stimulates glucose uptake through the activation of both AMPK and Akt signaling pathways. These results strongly suggest that phloridzin could be used as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
An Investigation of Airborne Bioaerosols and Endotoxins Present in Indoor Traditional Wet Markets before and after Operation in Taiwan: A Case Study

Customers in Taiwan prefer to purchase fresh foods and household supplies at indoor traditional wet markets (TWMs). The health risk to indoor TWM staff exposed to bioaerosols needs to be evaluated, since these workers spend long periods of time in the market for stall preparation, selling, and stall cleaning. This study investigated the bioaerosols present in two indoor TWMs. The results showed that the cleaning process at Market A after operations, involving the use of an agitated waterspout, was able to decrease the concentration of bacterial bioaerosols (BBs) by an average of 64%, while at the same time increasing the concentration of fungal bioaerosols (FBs) by about 2.4 fold. The chemical sanitization process at Market B after operations was able to bring about average decreases of 30.8% in BBs and 19.2% in FBs, but the endotoxin concentration increased. Hotspots were found to be associated with vendors of fresh, live poultry and fresh, raw meat/seafood. Pseudomonas spp. and Clostridium perfringens, both of which can be pathogenic, were found to be the dominant species present in these markets, making up 35.18% to 48.74% and 9.64% to 11.72% of the bacteria present, respectively. Our results provide fundamental information on the distributions of bioaerosols and endotoxins within indoor TWMs both before and after operation.
Interactions of HIV-1 Capsid with Host Factors and Their Implications for Developing Novel Therapeutics

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) virion contains a conical shell, termed capsid, encasing the viral RNA genome. After cellular entry of the virion, the capsid is released and ensures the protection and delivery of the HIV-1 genome to the host nucleus for integration. The capsid relies on many virus–host factor interactions which are regulated spatiotemporally throughout the course of infection. In this paper, we will review the current understanding of the highly dynamic HIV-1 capsid–host interplay during the early stages of viral replication, namely intracellular capsid trafficking after viral fusion, nuclear import, uncoating, and integration of the viral genome into host chromatin. Conventional anti-retroviral therapies primarily target HIV-1 enzymes. Insights of capsid structure have resulted in a first-in-class, long-acting capsid-targeting inhibitor, GS-6207 (Lenacapavir). This inhibitor binds at the interface between capsid protein subunits, a site known to bind host factors, interferes with capsid nuclear import, HIV particle assembly, and ordered assembly. Our review will highlight capsid structure, the host factors that interact with capsid, and high-throughput screening techniques, specifically genomic and proteomic approaches, that have been and can be used to identify host factors that interact with capsid. Better structural and mechanistic insights into the capsid–host factor interactions will significantly inform the understanding of HIV-1 pathogenesis and the development of capsid-centric antiretroviral therapeutics.
High-density femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy of semiconductor nanoparticles. A tool to investigate surface quality

Abstract At the high laser excitation intensities used in our experiments, more than 50 electron-hole pairs are formed in colloidal semiconductor nanoparticles used in our studies. At this density of charge carriers, new transient absorptions are observed in the femtosecond transient spectra in the 450 to 700 nm region with unresolved fast rise (<100 fs) and two decay components of 660 fs and >150 ps. The absorption at 510 nm could be quenched with the adsorption of electron acceptors (e.g., benzoquinone, 1,2-naphthoquinone), whereas the low-energy transient absorption was not affected. For CdS NPs, we found that passivation eliminated most of the transient absorption. The transient absorptions are thus proposed to result from either trap-state absorption, trapped dimers (or complexes) and/or Stark-shifted exciton absorption resulting from surface electric field of the uncompensated trapped electron-hole pairs. All these possibilities require effective surface trapping at these high levels of excitation.
Role of Long Chain Fatty Acids in Developmental Programming in Ruminants

Simple Summary The objective of the current review is to provide a broad perspective on developmental program aspects of dietary n-3 FA supplementation in ruminants during pre-conception, conception, pregnancy, early life, including its effects on production, lipid metabolism, and health of the offspring. Offspring growth and metabolism could change depending on the FA profile and the stage of gestation when the dam is supplemented. Despite this extended review we are highlighting areas that we consider that there is a lack of information. Abstract Nutrition plays a critical role in developmental programs. These effects can be during gametogenesis, gestation, or early life. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential for normal physiological functioning and for the health of humans and all domestic species. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of n-3 PUFA in ruminant diets during gestation and its effects on pre-and postnatal offspring growth and health indices. In addition, different types of fatty acids have different metabolic functions, which affects the developmental program differently depending on when they are supplemented. This review provides a broad perspective of the effect of fatty acid supplementation on the developmental program in ruminants, highlighting the areas of a developmental program that are better known and the areas that more research may be needed.
Nutrient-Induced Cellular Mechanisms of Gut Hormone Secretion

The gastrointestinal tract can assess the nutrient composition of ingested food. The nutrient-sensing mechanisms in specialised epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, the enteroendocrine cells, trigger the release of gut hormones that provide important local and central feedback signals to regulate nutrient utilisation and feeding behaviour. The evidence for nutrient-stimulated secretion of two of the most studied gut hormones, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), along with the known cellular mechanisms in enteroendocrine cells recruited by nutrients, will be the focus of this review. The mechanisms involved range from electrogenic transporters, ion channel modulation and nutrient-activated G-protein coupled receptors that converge on the release machinery controlling hormone secretion. Elucidation of these mechanisms will provide much needed insight into postprandial physiology and identify tractable dietary approaches to potentially manage nutrition and satiety by altering the secreted gut hormone profile.
IT-SVO: Improved Semi-Direct Monocular Visual Odometry Combined with JS Divergence in Restricted Mobile Devices

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) has a wide range for applications in mobile robotics. Lightweight and inexpensive vision sensors have been widely used for localization in GPS-denied or weak GPS environments. Mobile robots not only estimate their pose, but also correct their position according to the environment, so a proper mathematical model is required to obtain the state of robots in their circumstances. Usually, filter-based SLAM/VO regards the model as a Gaussian distribution in the mapping thread, which deals with the complicated relationship between mean and covariance. The covariance in SLAM or VO represents the uncertainty of map points. Therefore, the methods, such as probability theory and information theory play a significant role in estimating the uncertainty. In this paper, we combine information theory with classical visual odometry (SVO) and take Jensen-Shannon divergence (JS divergence) instead of Kullback-Leibler divergence (KL divergence) to estimate the uncertainty of depth. A more suitable methodology for SVO is that explores to improve the accuracy and robustness of mobile devices in unknown environments. Meanwhile, this paper aims to efficiently utilize small portability for location and provide a priori knowledge of the latter application scenario. Therefore, combined with SVO, JS divergence is implemented, which has been realized. It not only has the property of accurate distinction of outliers, but also converges the inliers quickly. Simultaneously, the results show, under the same computational simulation, that SVO combined with JS divergence can more accurately locate its state in the environment than the combination with KL divergence.
Differentiation of Gastric Helicobacter Species Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Gastric helicobacters (Helicobacter (H.) pylori and non-H. pylori Helicobacter species (NHPHs)) colonize the stomach of humans and/or animals. Helicobacter species identification is essential since many of them are recognized as human and/or animal pathogens. Currently, Helicobacter species can only be differentiated using molecular methods. Differentiation between NHPHs using MALDI-TOF MS has not been described before, probably because these species are poorly represented in current MALDI-TOF MS databases. Therefore, we identified 93 gastric Helicobacter isolates of 10 different Helicobacter species using MALDI-TOF MS in order to establish a more elaborate Helicobacter reference database. While the MALDI Biotyper database was not able to correctly identify any of the isolates, the in-house database correctly identified all individual mass spectra and resulted in 82% correct species identification based on the two highest log score matches (with log scores ≥2). In addition, a dendrogram was constructed using all newly created main spectrum profiles. Nine main clusters were formed, with some phylogenetically closely related Helicobacter species clustering closely together and well-defined subclusters being observed in specific species. Current results suggest that MALDI-TOF MS allows rapid differentiation between gastric Helicobacter species, provided that an extensive database is at hand and variation due to growth conditions and agar-medium-related peaks are taken into account.
Targeting Gametocytes of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum in a Functional Genomics Era: Next Steps

Mosquito transmission of the deadly malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is mediated by mature sexual forms (gametocytes). Circulating in the vertebrate host, relatively few intraerythrocytic gametocytes are picked up during a bloodmeal to continue sexual development in the mosquito vector. Human-to-vector transmission thus represents an infection bottleneck in the parasite’s life cycle for therapeutic interventions to prevent malaria. Even though recent progress has been made in the identification of genetic factors linked to gametocytogenesis, a plethora of genes essential for sexual-stage development are yet to be unraveled. In this review, we revisit P. falciparum transmission biology by discussing targetable features of gametocytes and provide a perspective on a forward-genetic approach for identification of novel transmission-blocking candidates in the future.
Laser Beam Pointing Stabilization Control through Disturbance Classification

In laser systems, beam pointing usually drifts as a consequence of various disturbances, e.g., inherent drift, airflow, transmission medium variation, mechanical vibration, and elastic deformation. In this paper, we develop a laser beam pointing control system with Fast Steering Mirrors (FSMs) and Position Sensitive Devices (PSDs), which is capable of stabilizing both the position and angle of a laser beam. Specifically, using the ABCD matrix, we analyze the kinematic model governing the relationship between the rotation angles of two FSMs and the four degree-of-freedom (DOF) beam vector. Then, we design a Jacobian matrix feedback controller, which can be conveniently calibrated. Since disturbances vary significantly in terms of inconsistent physical characteristics and temporal patterns, great challenges are imposed to control strategies. In order to improve beam pointing control performance under a variety of disturbances, we propose a data-driven disturbance classification method by using a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). The trained RNN model can classify the disturbance type in real time, and the corresponding type can be subsequently used to select suitable control parameters. This approach can realize the universality of the beam stabilization pointing system under various disturbances. Experiments on beam pointing control under several typical external disturbances are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control system.
Investigating the Role of Micromammals in the Ecology of Coxiella burnetii in Spain

Simple Summary Coxiella burnetii, the causal agent of human Q fever and animal Coxiellosis, is a zoonotic infectious bacterium with a complex ecology that replicates in multiple host species. However, the role of wildlife in its transmission is poorly understood. We examined 816 spleen samples obtained from ten species of micromammals and 130 vaginal swabs from Microtus arvalis females to detect the presence of C. burnetii DNA by qPCR. Our aim was assessing whether infection occurs in micromammals in Spain and what species could be relevant hosts in pathogen maintenance. The 9.7% of the spleen samples were qPCR positive. The infection prevalence level was highest (10.8%) in Microtus arvalis and also one vaginal swab was PCR positive. Positive samples were also found in Apodemus sylvaticus (8.7%), Crocidura russula (7.7%), and Rattus rattus (6.4%). A genotype II+ strain was identified in one of the positive samples from M. arvalis. The results of the study are consistent with previous findings suggesting susceptibility of micromammals to C. burnetii infection. We also provide further support to consider micromammals when tracing the origin of human Q fever cases in Europe as one of the authors probably got infected while handling M. arvalis. Abstract Coxiella burnetii, the causal agent of human Q fever and animal Coxiellosis, is a zoonotic infectious bacterium with a complex ecology that results from its ability to replicate in multiple (in)vertebrate host species. Spain notifies the highest number of Q fever cases to the ECDC annually and wildlife plays a relevant role in C. burnetii ecology in the country. However, the whole picture of C. burnetii hosts is incomplete, so this study seeks to better understand the role of micromammals in C. burnetii ecology in the country. Spleen samples from 816 micromammals of 10 species and 130 vaginal swabs from Microtus arvalis were analysed by qPCR to detect C. burnetii infection and shedding, respectively. The 9.7% of the spleen samples were qPCR positive. The highest infection prevalence (10.8%) was found in Microtus arvalis, in which C. burnetii DNA was also detected in 1 of the 130 vaginal swabs (0.8%) analysed. Positive samples were also found in Apodemus sylvaticus (8.7%), Crocidura russula (7.7%) and Rattus rattus (6.4%). Positive samples were genotyped by coupling PCR with reverse line blotting and a genotype II+ strain was identified for the first time in one of the positive samples from M. arvalis, whereas only partial results could be obtained for the rest of the samples. Acute Q fever was diagnosed in one of the researchers that participated in the study, and it was presumably linked to M. arvalis handling. The results of the study are consistent with previous findings suggesting that micromammals can be infected by C. burnetii. Our findings additionally suggest that micromammals may be potential sources to trace back the origin of human Q fever and animal Coxiellosis cases in Europe.
Generating a Precision Endoxifen Prediction Algorithm to Advance Personalized Tamoxifen Treatment in Patients with Breast Cancer

Tamoxifen is an endocrine treatment for hormone receptor positive breast cancer. The effectiveness of tamoxifen may be compromised in patients with metabolic resistance, who have insufficient metabolic generation of the active metabolites endoxifen and 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen. This has been challenging to validate due to the lack of measured metabolite concentrations in tamoxifen clinical trials. CYP2D6 activity is the primary determinant of endoxifen concentration. Inconclusive results from studies investigating whether CYP2D6 genotype is associated with tamoxifen efficacy may be due to the imprecision in using CYP2D6 genotype as a surrogate of endoxifen concentration without incorporating the influence of other genetic and clinical variables. This review summarizes the evidence that active metabolite concentrations determine tamoxifen efficacy. We then introduce a novel approach to validate this relationship by generating a precision endoxifen prediction algorithm and comprehensively review the factors that must be incorporated into the algorithm, including genetics of CYP2D6 and other pharmacogenes. A precision endoxifen algorithm could be used to validate metabolic resistance in existing tamoxifen clinical trial cohorts and could then be used to select personalized tamoxifen doses to ensure all patients achieve adequate endoxifen concentrations and maximum benefit from tamoxifen treatment.