Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Dissection of qPCG1 for a Quantitative Trait Locus for Percentage of Chalky Grain in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice is a pivotal cereal crop that provides the staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Along with improvements in the standard of living, people not only pay attention to the grain yield but also to the grain quality. Chalkiness is one of the most important index of grain quality. In this study, qPCG1, a QTL for percentage of chalky grain, was mapped in an interval with a physical distance about 139 kb on chromosome 1 by residual heterozygous line (RHL) method. qPCG1 was incomplete dominant and the additive effect plays a major role and explained 6.8–21.9% of phenotypic variance within the heterogeneous region on chromosome 1. The effect of allele from Zhonghui9308 was decreasing the percentage of chalky grains (PCG). Microscope observation results indicated that there are great differences in the shape, structure and arrangement of starch granule between the chalky part and transparent part. Analysis of starch physicochemical properties showed that the total starch content, amylose content and chain length distribution of amylopectin changed while the protein contents were not apparently affected with the changed chalkiness. qPCG1 had little influence on main agronomic traits and it might be useful in rice breeding for it did not bring negative effect on grain yield while reducing the chalkiness.
The role of the long non‐coding RNA HOXA11‐AS in promoting proliferation and metastasis of malignant tumors

Long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) is one of the focuses and hotspots of biological research in recent years. At the same time, tumors have become the main disease that endangers human health. In recent years, a large number of researchers have explored the relationship between lncRNA and tumors. HOXA11‐AS is one of these lncRNAs. The long non‐coding RNA HOXA11 antisense RNA (HOXA11‐AS) is a novel lncRNA recently discovered. It is found in a variety of tumors such as ovarian cancer, glioma, and gastric cancer (GC) and so on, and is defined as an oncogene. It promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis by interacting with proteins such as miRNA and EZH2. In this paper, we review the mechanism of interaction between HOXA11‐AS and various tumors in recent years, and believe that it can be a potential tumor marker and therapeutic target in the future prevention and treatment of tumors.
Role of the RANK/RANKL Pathway in Multiple Myeloma

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL, are expressed in a variety of tissues throughout the body; their primary role is in the regulation of bone remodeling and development of the immune system. Consistent with these functions, evidence exists for a role of RANK/RANKL in all stages of tumorigenesis, from cell proliferation and carcinogenesis to epithelial–mesenchymal transition to neoangiogenesis and intravasation to metastasis to bone resorption and tumor growth in bone. Results from current studies also point to a role of RANK/RANKL signaling in patients with multiple myeloma, who have increased serum levels of soluble RANKL and an imbalance in RANKL and osteoprotegerin. Current therapies for patients with multiple myeloma demonstrate that RANKL may be released by tumor cells or osteoprogenitor cells. This article will review currently available evidence supporting a role for RANK/RANKL signaling in tumorigenesis, with a focus on patients with multiple myeloma.
pre-B cell colony enhancing factor negatively regulates Na+ and fluid transport in lung epithelial cells.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of pre-B cell colony enhancing factor (PBEF) on Na+ and fluid transport in lung epithelial cells. METHODS Type 1 and 2 cells were isolated from lung epithelium. After hypoxia reoxygenation treatment, the primary cell cultures were transfected with a plasmid over-expressing PBEF. Sodium-potassium ATPase (NKA), epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), type I cell marker rT140, surfactant protein (SP) and PBEF protein were analyzed at mRNA and protein levels using PCR and Western blot analysis. Immunofluorescence assays showed type 1 and 2 cells were successfully isolated. After the transfection with PBEF over-expression vector, PBEF and RTI40 levels were increased, while ENaC and SP as well as NKA, were decreased in both cells. It is clear that PBEF negatively regulates the expression of ENaC and NKA in the Na+ and fluid transport in lung epithelial cells.
Fatigue‐related group III/IV muscle afferent feedback facilitates intracortical inhibition during locomotor exercise

This study investigated the influence of group III/IV muscle afferents on corticospinal excitability during cycling exercise and focused on GABAB neuron‐mediated inhibition as a potential underlying mechanism. The study provides novel evidence to demonstrate that group III/IV muscle afferent feedback facilitates inhibitory intracortical neurons during whole body exercise. Firing of these interneurons probably contributes to the development of central fatigue during physical activity.
PoPI: Glyph Designs for Collaborative Filtering on Interactive Tabletops

Filtering data on a visualization can be a challenge when multiple people work on a shared visualization, for instance on an interactive tabletop. Visualizations can present data that satisfy the union of all user filters, or data lenses can provide individual views on parts of the data. To support per-user filters simultaneously across a shared visualization, we explore different glyph approaches that complement data points with per-user filter status information. Adding physical positions of users around the tabletop as an extra attribute to the glyph, we attempt to lower the cognitive load required to map filter statuses to corresponding participants. This work presents the design choices, briefly covers technical development, reports on the evaluation results and points out possibilities for future work.
Auto-Scaling Network Resources using Machine Learning to Improve QoS and Reduce Cost

Virtualization of network functions (as virtual routers, virtual firewalls, etc.) enables network owners to efficiently respond to the increasing dynamicity of network services. Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) are easy to deploy, update, monitor, and manage. The number of VNF instances, similar to generic computing resources in cloud, can be easily scaled based on load. Hence, auto-scaling (of resources without human intervention) has been receiving attention. Prior studies on auto-scaling use measured network traffic load to dynamically react to traffic changes. In this study, we propose a proactive Machine Learning (ML) based approach to perform auto-scaling of VNFs in response to dynamic traffic changes. Our proposed ML classifier learns from past VNF scaling decisions and seasonal/spatial behavior of network traffic load to generate scaling decisions ahead of time. Compared to existing approaches for ML-based auto-scaling, our study explores how the properties (e.g., start-up time) of underlying virtualization technology impacts Quality of Service (QoS) and cost savings. We consider four different virtualization technologies: Xen and KVM, based on hypervisor virtualization, and Docker and LXC, based on container virtualization. Our results show promising accuracy of the ML classifier using real data collected from a private ISP. We report in-depth analysis of the learning process (learning-curve analysis), feature ranking (feature selection, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), etc.), impact of different sets of features, training time, and testing time. Our results show how the proposed methods improve QoS and reduce operational cost for network owners. We also demonstrate a practical use-case example (Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) with VNFs and backbone network) to show that our ML methods save significant cost for network service leasers.
Simulation of Quantum-Dot Structures in Si/SiO2

We present numerical simulations for the design of gated few-electron quantum dot structures in the Si/SiO2 material system. Because of the vicinity of the quantum dots to the exposed surface, we take special care in treating the boundary conditions at the oxide/vacuum interfaces. In our simulations, the confining potential is obtained from the Poisson equation with a Thomas-Fermi charge model. We find that the dot occupancy can be effectively controlled in the few-electron regime.
How is image seeking and use studied: Theoretical models and research methods: Sponsored by: SIG VIS, SIG AH, SIG DL, and SIG USE

The digital revolution is associated with the proliferation of visual resources and with the increasing use of images in teaching, scholarly activities, communication, and everyday information practices. Visual information seeking and use is a growing area of research in information science. The panel discussion will focus on theoretical and methodological approaches to studying how users seek, select, apply, and organize visual information in a range of information and communication practices. The discussion about theory and research methodologies will be complemented by an example of an empirical study and an inquiry into implications of social media for image use research. The panel will contribute to a better understanding of the current state of image research and will engage the scholarly community in a debate about research methodology and theory development.
Structural, Physiological and Regulatory Analysis of Maltose Transporter Genes in Saccharomyces eubayanus CBS 12357T

Saccharomyces pastorianus lager brewing yeasts are domesticated hybrids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cold-tolerant Saccharomyces eubayanus. To understand the contribution of both parental genomes to maltose metabolism in brewing wort, this study focuses on maltose transport in the S. eubayanus type strain CBS 12357T/FM1318. To obtain complete sequences of the MAL loci of this strain, a near-complete genome assembly was generated using the Oxford Nanopore Technology MinION sequencing platform. Except for CHRXII, all sixteen chromosomes were assembled as single contigs. Four loci harboring putative maltose transporter genes (SeMALT1-4), located in subtelomeric regions of CHRII, CHRV, CHRXIII, and CHRXVI, were completely resolved. The near-identical loci on CHRV and CHRXVI strongly resembled canonical S. cerevisiae MAL loci, while those on CHRII and CHRXIII showed different structures suggestive of gene loss. Overexpression of SeMALT1-4 in a maltose-transport-deficient S. cerevisiae strain restored growth on maltose, but not on maltotriose, indicating maltose-specific transport functionality of all four transporters. Simultaneous CRISPR-Cas9-assisted deletion of only SeMALT2 and SeMALT4, which shared 99.7% sequence identity, eliminated growth of S. eubayanus CBS 12357T on maltose. Transcriptome analysis of S. eubayanus CBS 12357T established that SeMALT1 and SeMALT3, are poorly expressed in maltose-grown cultures, while SeMALT2 and SeMALT4 were expressed at much higher levels than SeMALT1 and SeMALT3, indicating that only SeMALT2/4 are responsible for maltose consumption in CBS 12357T. These results represent a first genomic and physiological characterization of maltose transport in S. eubayanus CBS 12357T and provides a valuable resource for further industrial exploitation of this yeast.
Maternal omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on offspring hip joint conformation

Unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), when fed to dogs improves cognitive and neurological development. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has also been associated with lipid peroxidation, which in turn has been implicated in reduced body weight and altered bone formation. To assess the impact of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on skeletal growth, diets containing three levels of DHA and EPA (0.01 and 0.01%, 0.14 and 0.12%, and 0.21 and 0.18%, respectively) were fed to bitches during gestation and lactation with puppies also supplemented through weaning. Thus, the subjects studied were the puppies supplemented with DHA and EPA through gestation and early postnatal life. The hip joint conformation of the puppies (n = 676) was recorded at adulthood using two radiographic, non-invasive evaluations. In this population, females had higher hip distraction indices (DI) than males. Males from the lower two levels of DHA and EPA supplementation had significantly smaller hip DI than all females and males from the highest DHA and EPA supplementation. In contrast, there were no diet effects on anatomical indicators of hip joint conformation and no visible arthritic changes. These data suggest that dietary supplementation of DHA and EPA during gestation and the perinatal period to weaning does not adversely influence hip joint formation of dogs.
Synergistic Reducing Effect for Synthesis of Well-Defined Au Nanooctopods With Ultra-Narrow Plasmon Band Width and High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency

Branched Au nanoparticles have attracted intense interest owing to their remarkable properties and a wide variety of potential applications in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), photothermal therapy, photoacoustic imaging, and biomedicines. The morphology and spatial arrangement of branches play the most crucial role in the determination of their properties and applications. However, it is still a synthetic challenge to control the exact arm numbers of branches with specific spatial arrangements. Here we report a facile method for the kinetically controlled growth of Au nanooctopods (NOPs) with a high yield (81%), monodispersity, and reproducibility by using the synergistic reducing effect of ascorbic acid and 1-methylpyrrolidine. The NOPs have eight arms elongated along <111> directions with uniform arm lengths. Due to their well-defined size and shape, NOPs show ultra-narrow surface plasmon band width with a full width at half maximum of only 76 nm (0.20 eV). Upon irradiation with laser, the NOPs possessed excellent photothermal conversion efficiencies up to 83.0% and photoacoustic imaging properties. This work highlights the future prospects of using NOPs with desired physicochemical properties for biomedical applications.
Detecting Behaviour Changes in Accelerometer Data

How can the impact of Health Education programs promoting physical activity be analysed? One common way with learning programs is to conduct pre-and post-tests and measure whether/how target knowledge has evolved. In the case of physical activity, unobtrusive accelerometers can capture detailed data about people’s movements, but the challenge is to extract information from these raw data to investigate whether/how physical activity behaviours have evolved. This paper presents a methodology to do so, by extracting bouts of physical activity of speciﬁc intensity levels and of various lengths, and by using these as features to cluster students’ daily behaviours before and after intervention. This approach enables a more insightful analysis of the physical activity behaviours of the participants, and point to the nature of behaviour changes, if present. We illustrate this methodology with pre-and post-test data collected in the context of an e-learning program aimed at educating school children about healthy behaviours, with a focus on reaching recommended levels of daily physical activity: the pre-and post-tests were carried out by measuring unobtrusively and continuously their physical activity for ﬁve consecutive school days using research-grade accelerometers (GENE-Activ).
Temperature Dependence of the Electron and Hole Scattering Mechanisms in Silicon Analyzed through a Full-Band, Spherical-Harmonics Solution of the BTE

By adopting the solution method for the BTE based on the spherical-harmonics expansion (SHE) [1], and using the full-band structure for both the electron and valence band of silicon [2], the temperature dependence of a number of scattering mechanisms has been modeled and implemented into the code HARM performing the SHE solution. Comparisons with the experimental mobility data show agreement over a wide range of temperatures. The analysis points out a number of factors from which the difficulties encountered in earlier investigations seemingly originate, particularly in the case of hole mobility.
Anti-ARHGAP26 Autoantibodies Are Associated With Isolated Cognitive Impairment

Autoantibodies against the RhoGTPase-activating protein 26 (ARHGAP26) were originally identified in the context of subacute autoimmune cerebellar ataxia. Further studies identified a wider clinical spectrum including psychotic, affective, and cognitive symptoms. Only a few patients reported so far had evidence of a tumor association. A prospective analysis between January 2015 and December 2017 at the Dept. of Neurology at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin identified 14 patients with ARHGAP26 autoantibodies on a cell-based assay, of which three patients had additional brain immunohistochemistry staining of cerebellar molecular layer and Purkinje cells, who were therefore considered antibody-positive. In all three patients, ARHGAP26 autoantibodies were associated with tumors. In two patients, an isolated cognitive impairment without additional neurological deficits was observed. These cases thus further extend the clinical spectrum associated with ARHGAP26 autoantibodies and strengthen a potential paraneoplastic context.
Calcimimetic R-568 vasodilatory effect on mesenteric vascular beds from normotensive (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. Potential involvement of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs)

The potential role of calcimimetics as vasculotropic agents has been suggested since the discovery that calcium sensing receptors (CaSRs) are expressed in cardiovascular tissues. However, whether this effect is CaSR-dependent or -independent is still unclear. In the present study the vascular activity of calcimimetic R-568 was investigated in mesenteric vascular beds (MVBs) isolated from Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) and the relative age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rats. Pre-constricted MBVs were perfused with increasing concentrations of R-568 (10 nM– 30 μM) resulting in a rapid dose-dependent vasodilatation. However, in MVBs from SHR this was preceded by a small but significant vasoconstriction at lowest nanomolar concentrations used (10–300 nM). Pre-treatment with pharmacological inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS, L-NAME), KCa channels (CTX), cyclo-oxygenase (INDO) and CaSR (Calhex) or the endothelium removal suggest that NO, CaSR and the endothelium itself contribute to the R-568 vasodilatory/vasoconstrictor effects observed respectively in WKY/SHR MVBs. Conversely, the vasodilatory effects resulted by highest R-568 concentration were independent of these factors. Then, the ability of lower R-568 doses (0.1–1 μM) to activate endothelial-NOS (eNOS) pathway in MVBs homogenates was evaluated. The Akt and eNOS phosphorylation levels resulted increased in WKY homogenates and Calhex significantly blocked this effect. Notably, this did not occur in the SHR. Similarly, vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) stimulation with lower R-568 doses resulted in Akt activation and increased NO production in WKY but not in SHR cells. Interestingly, in these cells this was associated with the absence of the biologically active dimeric form of the CaSR thus potentially contributing to explain the impaired vasorelaxant effect observed in response to R-568 in MVB from SHR compared to WKY. Overall, these findings provide new insight on the mechanisms of action of the calcimimetic R-568 in modulating vascular tone both in physiological and pathological conditions such as hypertension.
Computational thinking is critical thinking: Connecting to university discourse, goals, and learning outcomes

Computational thinking complements critical thinking as a way of reasoning to solve problems, make decisions and interact with our world. It draws concepts and techniques such as abstraction, decomposition, algorithmic design, generalization, evaluation and iteration from computer and information science, but has broad application in the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. This paper compares computational and critical modes of thinking, identifying concepts and terminology that support cross‐disciplinary discourse, inform faculty and curriculum development efforts, and interconnect learning outcomes at the course, program and university level, thus helping programs better articulate contributions to institutional goals. A better understanding of each mode can enrich what we teach aspiring information professionals about computational and critical thinking, how we teach it, and how we apply these skills in our professional work.
An Integrative Review of Clinical Reasoning Teaching Strategies and Outcome Evaluation in Nursing Education

BACKGROUND This study explored teaching strategies used to promote clinical reasoning in nursing education and identify outcomes used to evaluate effectiveness. METHOD The integrative review framework by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was used in this study. RESULTS Strategies included simulation (n = 10); active learning strategies such as case studies, reflection, journaling, and collaborative learning (n = 13); teaching strategies such as think aloud or case studies with simulation (n = 12); and experiential or clinical experiences (n = 2). Although most studies used exams, worksheets (n = 19), or observations by clinical instructors (n = 2) to measure effectiveness, some studies (n = 8) also used surveys to measure student satisfaction, engagement, or perception; three studies measured the student’s ability to use the instrument. CONCLUSION Improving clinical thinking requires development of innovative, effective teaching strategies. Instruments that can accurately evaluate teaching and learning strategies are needed to advance this educational initiative and improve quality of care.
“Therapeutic applications of the ‘NPGP’ family of viral 2As”

Oligopeptide “2A” and “2A‐like” sequences (“2As”; 18‐25aa) are found in a range of RNA virus genomes controlling protein biogenesis through “recoding” of the host‐cell translational apparatus. Insertion of multiple 2As within a single open reading frame (ORF) produces multiple proteins; hence, 2As have been used in a very wide range of biotechnological and biomedical applications. During translation, these 2A peptide sequences mediate a eukaryote‐specific, self‐“cleaving” event, termed “ribosome skipping” with very high efficiency. A particular advantage of using 2As is the ability to simultaneously translate a number of proteins at an equal level in all eukaryotic systems although, naturally, final steady‐state levels depend upon other factors—notably protein stability. By contrast, the use of internal ribosome entry site elements for co‐expression results in an unbalanced expression due to the relative inefficiency of internal initiation. For example, a 1:1 ratio is of particular importance for the biosynthesis of the heavy‐chain and light‐chain components of antibodies: highly valuable as therapeutic proteins. Furthermore, each component of these “artificial polyprotein” systems can be independently targeted to different sub‐cellular sites. The potential of this system was vividly demonstrated by concatenating multiple gene sequences, linked via 2A sequences, into a single, long, ORF—a polycistronic construct. Here, ORFs comprising the biosynthetic pathways for violacein (five gene sequences) and β‐carotene (four gene sequences) were concatenated into a single cistron such that all components were co‐expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. In this review, we provide useful information on 2As to serve as a guide for future utilities of this co‐expression technology in basic research, biotechnology, and clinical applications.