Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metal-enhanced fluorescence by bifunctional Au nanoparticles for highly sensitive and simple detection of proteolytic enzyme.

Though fluorescence-based analytical methods have been used as intracellular analysis, its sensitivity is low for precise analysis of intracellular proteolytic enzyme to observe cell apoptosis-related to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, metal-enhanced-fluorescence (MEF)-based highly sensitive biosensor to detect proteolytic enzyme is proposed for the first time by using bifunctional Au nanoparticle (AuNP), which is connected to fluorophore by both single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and peptide. Once caspase-3, a proteolytic enzyme, cut the peptide specifically, the fluorescence signal was drastically increased because the ssDNA maintained optimal distance for the MEF. The proposed sensing method showed highly sensitive detection of caspase-3 based on just a simple enzymatic cleavage reaction within 1h. And caspase-3-related pre-apoptotic cell detection was successfully done with high sensitivity. The proposed sensing method is a rapid, simple, and one-step way for real-time monitoring of intracellular proteolytic enzymes and can be applied to early diagnosis of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Gender and Black–White Race Differences in Young Adult Exercise Dependence Prevalence and Associated Disordered Eating

ABSTRACT Purpose: Exercise dependence, an unhealthy preoccupation with exercise that results in physiological and psychological symptoms, may be particularly prevalent among college students given sociocultural exercise and body ideals in this population. Yet few studies have examined this phenomenon in diverse college samples. The aims of the present study were to examine gender and Black–White race differences in the prevalence of exercise dependence and associated disordered eating. Method: Undergraduates (N = 839) completed online measures of exercise dependence and disordered eating. Chi square tests were used to test for differences in prevalence, and linear regression was used to examine race and gender moderating effects on the exercise dependence–disordered eating association. Results: More men reported exercise dependence symptoms than women. More White participants reported symptoms than Black participants. Of the four gender and race combinations examined, White men had the highest proportion and Black women the lowest proportion experiencing symptoms. Gender, but not race, moderated the exercise dependence–disordered eating association. Conclusions: Although more men experience exercise dependence symptoms, women experience stronger associations between exercise dependence symptoms and disordered eating. The number of students who reported exercise dependence symptoms underscores the need for further research in this population and the development of culturally sensitive interventions.
Evaluation of Antioxidant Factors in Peach with Three Types of Flesh Color

【Objective】More and more health beneficial foods with high antioxidant capacity were discovered and highlighted.Evaluation of peach germplasm with different flesh colors using antioxidant components and capacity would support the discovery and utilization of the genetic resources theoretically. 【Method】Seventy-five accessions of peach were used as plant materials for the comparative evaluation.Total phenols and anthocyanin content,FRAP(ferric reducing ability of plasma) and RAC(relative antiradical capacity tested by DPPH.) were tested in epicarp and mesocarp,respectively. 【Result】Wider range of total phenols and anthocyanin content,FRAP and RAC was found among blood peach accessions comparing to white and yellow flesh types,but the ranges of all the four items was overlapping.The maximum value of the four items was all observed in blood flesh varieties.Antioxidant components of blood flesh peach were significantly higher than in white and yellow flesh types at 0.01 level.Total phenols contents of blood flesh peach were 4.1 and 4.6 times of that in white and yellow flesh types,and anthocyanin contents were 20.1 and 11.6 times of that in the later two types,respectively.Antioxidant capacity was also higher in blood flesh peach.The FRAP value was 5.8 and 6.2 times of that in white and yellow flesh types,and the RAC value was 3.8 and 4.6 times of that in the later two types,respectively.Antioxidant capacity was significantly correlated with both total phenols and anthocyanin content.But,the correlation coefficient was higher between antioxidant capacity and total phenols content than that between antioxidant capacity and anthocyanin content.Moreover,better linear regression was found between antioxidant capacity and total phenols than that between antioxidant capacity and anthocyanin content. 【Conclusion】Antioxidant components and capacity of blood flesh peach was significantly higher than white and yellow flesh types.Phenolis were found to be more important than anthocyanin contributing to antioxidant capacity in peach. ‘Beijingyixianhong’,‘HongTao’,and other varieties were selected as germplasms with high antioxidant capacity.
Zero-Shot Image Dehazing

In this article, we study two less-touched challenging problems in single image dehazing neural networks, namely, how to remove haze from a given image in an unsupervised and zero-shot manner. To the ends, we propose a novel method based on the idea of layer disentanglement by viewing a hazy image as the entanglement of several “simpler” layers, i.e., a hazy-free image layer, transmission map layer, and atmospheric light layer. The major advantages of the proposed ZID are two-fold. First, it is an unsupervised method that does not use any clean images including hazy-clean pairs as the ground-truth. Second, ZID is a “zero-shot” method, which just uses the observed single hazy image to perform learning and inference. In other words, it does not follow the conventional paradigm of training deep model on a large scale dataset. These two advantages enable our method to avoid the labor-intensive data collection and the domain shift issue of using the synthetic hazy images to address the real-world images. Extensive comparisons show the promising performance of our method compared with 15 approaches in the qualitative and quantitive evaluations. The source code could be found at http://www.pengxi. me.
Type I and II Interferon Signatures Can Predict the Response to Anti-TNF Agents in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Involvement of the Microbiota.

BACKGROUND Anti-TNF agents have been a cornerstone of IBD therapy; however, response to treatment has been variable, and clinically applicable biomarkers are urgently needed. We hypothesized that the type I and type II interferon (IFN) signatures may be a confounding factor for response to antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment via interactions with the host and its gut microbiota. METHODS Peripheral blood from 30 IBD patients and 10 healthy controls was subjected to real-time quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for type I and type II IFN genes (IFNGs), both at baseline and after treatment with anti-TNF. Correlation between IFN signatures and microbiota composition was also determined for a subgroup of patients and controls. RESULTS At baseline, type I IFN score was significantly higher in IBD patients (P = 0.04 vs controls). Responders to subsequent anti-TNF treatment had significantly lower baseline scores for both type I and II IFN signatures (P < 0.005 vs nonresponders for both comparisons). During treatment with anti-TNF, the expression of type I and II IFNGs was significantly elevated in responders and decreased in nonresponders. In addition, changes in IFN signatures correlated to specific alterations in the abundance of several microbial taxa of the gut microbiome. CONCLUSIONS Baseline expression of type I and II IFN signatures and their kinetics during anti-TNF administration significantly correlate to treatment responses in IBD patients. Peripheral blood IFN signatures may serve as clinically meaningful biomarkers for the identification of subgroups of patients with favorable response to anti-TNF treatment. Additionally, the distinct synergies between different IFN types and microbiota might help drive therapeutic intervention.
Transport du pyruvate et régulations du métabolisme central par le malate chez Bacillus subtilis

Chez Bacillus subtilis comme pour toutes les bacteries, le metabolisme central du carbone est essentiel pour la croissance de la cellule. Elle utilise le glucose (source de carbone glycolytique) et le malate (source de carbone gluconeogenique) comme sources de carbone preferentielles. Ces deux sources de carbone sont capables d'induire la repression catabolique au travers de la proteine regulatrice CcpA et ainsi d'etablir une hierarchie dans l'utilisation des sources alternatives de carbone. Au centre du metabolisme du carbone se trouve le pyruvate que B. subtilis est capable d'utiliser comme seule source de carbone, mais son transporteur reste inconnu.Des analyses transcriptomiques ont montre que seul l'operon ysbAB etait specifiquement induit en presence de pyruvate, et nous avons montre que sa deletion entrainait une perte de croissance presque totale sur pyruvate. En utilisant des proteines etiquetees, nous avons mis en evidence qu'YsbA et YsbB formaient un complexe se localisant a la membrane. Nous avons ensuite montre que ce complexe est le transporteur principal du pyruvate et fonctionne comme un transporteur par diffusion facilitee. A l'aide d'une fusion rapportrice, nous avons demontre que l'operon lytST situe en amont d'ysbAB, et codant pour un systeme a deux composants, etait responsable de l'induction d'ysbAB. Nous avons egalement montre qu'en plus d'une repression par CcpA en presence de glucose ou de malate, une regulation dependante de l'activite enzyme malique de MaeA s'exerce sur ysbAB. Cette regulation est due a l'accumulation de pyruvate dans la cellule qui perturbe l'activation d'ysbAB par LytST.Nous avons aussi montre qu'une regulation independante de CcpA s'exerce sur dctP, le gene codant pour le transporteur du succinate et du fumarate en presence de malate, suggerant un mecanisme similaire a celui observe pour ysbAB. Enfin, nous avons montre que le flux metabolique traversant MaeA etait egalement implique dans la regulation par CcpA de l'entree des sources glycolytique par le malate.
Articulatory Variability is Reduced by Repetition and Predictability

Repeating the movements associated with activities such as drawing or sports typically leads to improvements in kinematic behavior: these movements become faster, smoother, and exhibit less variation. Likewise, practice has also been shown to lead to faster and smoother movement trajectories in speech articulation. However, little is known about its effect on articulatory variability. To address this, we investigate the extent to which repetition and predictability influence the articulation of the frequent German word “sie” [zi] (they). We find that articulatory variability is proportional to speaking rate and the duration of [zi], and that overall variability decreases as [zi] is repeated during the experiment. Lower variability is also observed as the conditional probability of [zi] increases, and the greatest reduction in variability occurs during the execution of the vocalic target of [i]. These results indicate that practice can produce observable differences in the articulation of even the most common gestures used in speech.
Source-sink balance affects reproductive development and fruit quality in cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Summary Competition for assimilates affects fruit quality in many species, while seed content is reported to influence only fruit weight. Our study was aimed at determining whether and/or how source-sink balance and seed content in cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) could affect flowering, fruit set, growth and fruit quality including the physiological disorder “water-soaking” which is important for the market-value of this fruit. We followed standard cultivation practices for early cantaloupe production under greenhouse conditions and studied fruit and flower removal over 2 years with two “Charentais” cantaloupes cultivars, and limited hand-pollination treatment for 1 year on one cultivar, and recorded the quality attributes of the fruit. Reproductive development in both cultivars was characterised by the production of a large number of female flowers on plants bearing a single fruit. Fruit set and fruit growth rate were affected by the intensity of pollination, probably by the ability of fertilisation to promote cell division and increase the sink strength of the young ovary. Fruit load did not affect the average number of seeds per fruit, yet individual seeds were lighter under high fruit load. A significant difference in final fruit weights obtained with similar cultivars and treatments between the 2 years is discussed. Fruit quality was affected by source-sink balance. Seed content within a fruit correlated with individual fruit weight, affected flesh firmness, the sweetness of the flesh and slightly affected the occurrence of “water-soaking”. Competition for assimilates within a plant decreased the sweetness of the flesh and dramatically increased the occurrence of “water-soaking” in both years and in both cultivars. Climacterium also increased with a low source-sink balance, and an ethylene burst was confirmed to be closely-related to flesh firmness.
Integrin-mediated adhesive properties of neutrophils are reduced by hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with chronic non-healing wound

In recent years, several studies suggested that the ability of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to promote healing in patients with diabetic ulcers and chronic wounds is due to the reduction of inflammatory cytokines and to a significant decrease in neutrophils recruitment to the damaged area. α4 and β2 integrins are receptors mediating the neutrophil adhesion to the endothelium and the comprehension of the effects of hyperbaric oxygenation on their expression and functions in neutrophils could be of great importance for the design of novel therapeutic protocols focused on anti-inflammatory agents. In this study, the α4 and β2 integrins’ expression and functions have been evaluated in human primary neutrophils obtained from patients with chronic non-healing wounds and undergoing a prolonged HBOT (150 kPa per 90 minutes). The effect of a peptidomimetic α4β1 integrin antagonist has been also analyzed under these conditions. A statistically significant decrease (68%) in β2 integrin expression on neutrophils was observed during the treatment with HBO and maintained one month after the last treatment, while α4 integrin levels remained unchanged. However, cell adhesion function of both neutrophilic integrins α4β1 and β2 was significantly reduced 70 and 67%, respectively), but α4β1 integrin was still sensitive to antagonist inhibition in the presence of fibronectin, suggesting that a combined therapy between HBOT and integrin antagonists could have greater antinflammatory efficacy.
Higher prevalence of metabolic disorders in patients with bilateral primary aldosteronism than unilateral primary aldosteronism

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a frequent clinical condition in hypertension patients and is more frequently reported in primary aldosteronism (PA). This study is aimed at investigating the prevalence of MetS and its components in the two major types of patients with adrenal venous sampling (AVS)‐confirmed unilateral PA and bilateral PA.
Identification of the Male Oriental Fruit Fly Attractant in the Golden Shower Blossom

An attractant of the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, present in the blossom of the golden shower, Cassia fistula L. , was isolated by steam distillation, followed by extraction with chloroform, and purified by preparative gas chromatography. The compound was identified as methyleugenol by infrared and ultraviolet spectrophotometry.
Foraging by an avian ecosystem engineer extensively modifies the litter and soil layer in forest ecosystems.

Ecosystem engineers physically modify their environment, thereby altering habitats for other organisms. Increasingly, 'engineers' are recognised as an important focus for conservation and ecological restoration because their actions affect a range of ecosystem processes and thereby influence how ecosystems function. The superb lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae is proposed as an ecosystem engineer in forests of south-eastern Australia due to the volume of soil and litter it turns over when foraging. We measured the seasonal and spatial patterns of foraging by lyrebirds and the amount of soil displaced in forests in the Central Highlands, Victoria. We tested the effects of foraging on litter, soil nutrients and soil physical properties by using an experimental approach with three treatments: lyrebird exclusion, lyrebird exclusion with simulated foraging, and non-exclusion reference plots. Treatments were replicated in three forest types in each of three forest blocks. Lyrebirds foraged extensively in all forest types in all seasons. On average, lyrebirds displaced 155.7 t/ha of litter and soil in a 12-month period. Greater displacement occurred where vegetation complexity (<50 cm height) was low. After two years of lyrebird exclusion, soil compaction (top 7.5 cm) increased by 37% in exclusion plots compared with baseline measures, whilst in unfenced plots it decreased by 22%. Litter depth was almost three times greater in fenced than unfenced plots. Soil moisture, pH and soil nutrients showed no difference between treatments. The enormous extent of litter and soil turned over by the superb lyrebird is unparalleled by any other vertebrate soil engineer in terrestrial ecosystems globally. The profound influence of such foraging activity on forest ecosystems is magnified by its year-round pattern and widespread distribution. The disturbance regime that lyrebirds impose has implications for diverse ecosystem processes including decomposition and nutrient cycling, the composition of litter- and soil-dwelling invertebrate communities, the shaping of ground-layer vegetation patterns, and fire behavior and post-fire ecosystem recovery. Maintaining lyrebird populations as a key facilitator of ecosystem function is now timely and critical as unprecedented wildfires in eastern Australia in summer 2019/2020 have severely burned ~12 million ha of forest, including ~30% of the geographic range of the superb lyrebird.
Bacteriophages to control Shiga toxin-producing E. coli – safety and regulatory challenges

Abstract Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are usually found on food products due to contamination from the fecal origin, as their main environmental reservoir is considered to be the gut of ruminants. While this pathogen is far from the incidence of other well-known foodborne bacteria, the severity of STEC infections in humans has triggered global concerns as far as its incidence and control are concerned. Major control strategies for foodborne pathogens in food-related settings usually involve traditional sterilization/disinfection techniques. However, there is an increasing need for the development of further strategies to enhance the antimicrobial outcome, either on food-contact surfaces or directly in food matrices. Phages are considered to be a good alternative to control foodborne pathogens, with some phage-based products already cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used in the food industry. In European countries, phage-based food decontaminants have already been used. Nevertheless, its broad use in the European Union is not yet possible due to the lack of specific guidelines for the approval of these products. Furthermore, some safety concerns remain to be addressed so that the regulatory requirements can be met. In this review, we present an overview of the main virulence factors of STEC and introduce phages as promising biocontrol agents for STEC control. We further present the regulatory constraints on the approval of phages for food applications and discuss safety concerns that are still impairing their use. Graphical Abstract
Clustering-triggered endocytic pathway of α2β1 integrin

Rintanen, Nina Clustering-triggered endocytic pathway of 2 1 integrin Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2012, 93 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 246) ISBN 978-951-39-4833-7 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-4834-4 (PDF) Yhteenveto: Kasautuneen 2 1 integriinin endosytoosireitti Diss. The small non-enveloped RNA virus and a human pathogen, echovirus 1 (EV1) enters into the cell by clustering its cellular receptors, 2 1 integrins, on the plasma membrane. The clustering induces a macropinocytosis-like uptake process. The aims of the thesis were to define the role of cholesterol in the integrin internalization and EV1 infection and moreover, to characterize the intracellular route and the properties and the maturation of 2 integrin containing structures. In addition to EV1, integrin antibodies and collagen-I were used as inducers of integrin internalization. Normal cholesterol content on the plasma membrane was essential for the uptake of EV1, integrin and collagen as was verified with cholesterol sequestering drugs and by preventing cholesterol synthesis. Furthermore, cholesterol was needed in the maturation of internalized structures and EV1 infection, especially virus uncoating was dependent on intact cholesterol domains. EV1 uncoating started at 30 min post infection inside the 2 integrin structures and virus increased the permeability of the structures clearly after 2 to 3 h. The biogenesis of 2 integrin structures involved the formation of intraluminal vesicles that was dependent on the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs). Despite the similar appearance of 2 integrin containing multivesicular bodies ( 2-MVBs) with the conventional late endosomes, these structures remained separate since they lacked the common markers of the late endosomes and they were not markedly acidified. The clustered integrins avoided recycling, but instead their turnover was enhanced. The degradation was promoted by neutral calpain proteases that were activated and associated with the 2-MVBs, whereas it was independent of the lysosomal hydrolases. The kinetics of the clustered integrin turnover, with half-life under 6 h, was clearly more rapid than that of the unclustered integrins, but still considerably slower compared to the turnover of activated epidermal growth factor receptor.
Microbial Genome Evolution Due to Multifaceted Symbiosis within the Tsetse Fly (Diptera: Glossinidae)

II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS III LIST OF FIGURES VI LIST OF TABLES VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 SYMBIOSIS: THE IMPORTANCE OF MICROBIAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR ALL LIFE 1 THE HOLOBIONT CONCEPT 2 INSECTS AS SYMBIOSIS MODEL SYSTEMS 4 THE TSETSE FLY 8 TSETSE MICROBIAL COMMUNITY 10 IMPACT OF ADDITIONAL MICROBES ON HOLOBIONT SUCCESS 14 METABOLIC INTERACTIONS AMONG MICROBIOTA 15 UNDERSTANDING THE TSETSE HOLOBIONT FOR ENHANCED VECTOR CONTROL 16 CONCLUSIONS 20 REFERENCES 21 CHAPTER 2: THE ROLE OF NUTRIENT (VITAMIN B1) PROVISIONING IN TSETSE SYMBIONT HOMEOSTASIS 46 CHAPTER 2.1: NUTRIENT PROVISIONING FACILITATES HOMEOSTASIS BETWEEN TSETSE FLY (DIPTERA: GLOSSINIDAE) SYMBIONTS 46 ABSTRACT 46 INTRODUCTION 47 MATERIALS AND METHODS 50 RESULTS 55 DISCUSSION 59 REFERENCES 64 CHAPTER 2.2: THE TSETSE FLY OBLIGATE MUTUALIST WIGGLESWORTHIA MORSITANS ALTERS GENE EXPRESSION AND POPULATION DENSITY WITH EXOGENOUS NUTRIENT PROVISIONING 78 ABSTRACT 78 INTRODUCTION 78 METHODS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 82 CONCLUSIONS 88 REFERENCES 91 CHAPTER 3: THE INFLUENCE OF WIGGLESWORTHIA METABOLOME DISTINCTIONS TOWARDS TSETSE BIOLOGY 102 ABSTRACT 102 INTRODUCTION 102 MATERIALS AND METHODS 107