Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In pursuit of a better world: crop improvement and the CGIAR

Abstract The CGIAR crop improvement (CI) programs, unlike commercial CI programs, which are mainly geared to profit though meeting farmers’ needs, are charged with meeting multiple objectives with target populations that include both farmers and the community at large. We compiled the opinions from >30 experts in the private and public sector on key strategies, methodologies, and activities that could the help CGIAR meet the challenges of providing farmers with improved varieties while simultaneously meeting the goals of: (i) nutrition, health, and food security; (ii) poverty reduction, livelihoods, and jobs; (iii) gender equality, youth, and inclusion; (iv) climate adaptation and mitigation; and (v) environmental health and biodiversity. We review the crop improvement processes starting with crop choice, moving through to breeding objectives, production of potential new varieties, selection, and finally adoption by farmers. The importance of multidisciplinary teams working towards common objectives is stressed as a key factor to success. The role of the distinct disciplines, actors, and their interactions throughout the process from crop choice through to adoption by farmers is discussed and illustrated.
Trends in junk food consumption among US children and adults, 2001-2018.

BACKGROUND Trends in junk food consumption, a risk for obesity, are not well established. OBJECTIVES We examined national trends in types of junk food (excluding beverages) and their sources (grocery, restaurants, schools, etc.), overall and in population subgroups. METHODS We assessed 29,970 children (aged 2-19 y) and 44,501 adults (aged ≥20 y) with 24-h dietary recall data from 9 NHANES cycles (2001-2002 to 2017-2018). Trends in junk food were assessed over time using 1-d values for individuals with single recalls and 2-d means for others. RESULTS From 2001 to 2018, percent energy (%E) from junk food remained stable for children (from 18.1% to 17.5%, P-trend = 0.25) and decreased for adults (14.1% to 13.0%, P-trend = 0.002). Among children, increases occurred in %E from crackers (1.19% to 1.35%) and snack/meal bars (0.38% to 0.69%) and decreases in candy (2.58% to 1.96%) and other desserts (3.11% to 2.48%) (all P-trends < 0.01). Among adults, increases occurred in snack/meal bars (0.31% to 0.78%, P-trend < 0.001) and decreases in candy (1.97% to 1.55%; P-trend < 0.001), sweet bakery products (5.52% to 4.98%; P-trend = 0.04), and other desserts (2.19% to 1.86%; P-trend = 0.001). In 2017-2018, grocery stores provided the largest proportion of junk food (72.7% for children, 77.1% for adults), followed by other sources (13.1%, 12.1%), restaurants (8.05%, 9.11%), schools (4.86%), and worksites (1.99%). In both children and adults, junk food intake was higher among non-Hispanic white and black Americans compared with Mexican Americans, among those with higher compared with lower education, among women compared with men, and among older compared with younger adults. In sensitivity analyses using only 1-d recalls, mean junk food intake each cycle was ∼0.8-1.0 and 0.3-0.4%E units higher in children and adults, respectively, with otherwise similar trends and subgroup differences over time. CONCLUSIONS From 2001 to 2018, %E from junk food represented nearly 1 in 5 calories among children, without change, and nearly 1 in 7 calories, with modest decrease, among adults, with disparities in subgroups.
Measuring implicit sequence learning and dual task ability in mild to moderate Parkinson´s disease: A feasibility study

We investigated the feasibility aspects of two choice reaction time tasks designed to assess implicit sequence learning and dual task ability in individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease in comparison to healthy individuals. Twelve individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and 12 healthy individuals, all ≥ 60 years of age, were included. A serial reaction time task was used as a measure of implicit sequence learning and a similar task but with the addition of a simple counting task, was used as a measure of dual task ability. We have present thorough descriptive statistics of the data but we have refrained from any inferential statistics due to the small sample size. All participants understood the task instructions and the difficulty level of both tasks was deemed acceptable. There were indications of task fatigue that demand careful choices for how best to analyse the data from such tasks in future trials. Ceiling effects were present in several accuracy outcomes, but not in the reaction time outcomes. Overall, we found both tasks to be feasible to use in samples of individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and healthy older individuals.
Oncogenic KRAS engages an RSK1/NF1 pathway to inhibit wild-type RAS signaling in pancreatic cancer

Significance For decades, KRAS interactors have been sought after as potential therapeutic targets in KRAS mutant cancers, especially pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our proximity labeling screen with KRAS in PDAC cells highlights RSK1 as a notable mutant-specific interactor. Functionally, we show that RSK1 mediates negative feedback on wild-type (WT) KRAS in PDAC cells. Targeting oncogenic KRAS eliminates the negative feedback on WT RAS and highlights a role for WT RAS signaling in promoting adaptive resistance to mutant KRAS ablation. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Although activating mutations of the KRAS GTPase are the predominant dependency present in >90% of PDAC patients, targeting KRAS mutants directly has been challenging in PDAC. Similarly, strategies targeting known KRAS downstream effectors have had limited clinical success due to feedback mechanisms, alternate pathways, and dose-limiting toxicities in normal tissues. Therefore, identifying additional functionally relevant KRAS interactions in PDAC may allow for a better understanding of feedback mechanisms and unveil potential therapeutic targets. Here, we used proximity labeling to identify protein interactors of active KRAS in PDAC cells. We expressed fusions of wild-type (WT) (BirA-KRAS4B), mutant (BirA-KRAS4BG12D), and nontransforming cytosolic double mutant (BirA-KRAS4BG12D/C185S) KRAS with the BirA biotin ligase in murine PDAC cells. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that RSK1 selectively interacts with membrane-bound KRASG12D, and we demonstrate that this interaction requires NF1 and SPRED2. We find that membrane RSK1 mediates negative feedback on WT RAS signaling and impedes the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells upon the ablation of mutant KRAS. Our findings link NF1 to the membrane-localized functions of RSK1 and highlight a role for WT RAS signaling in promoting adaptive resistance to mutant KRAS-specific inhibitors in PDAC.
The Role of HIF1α-PFKFB3 Pathway in Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness for adults in developed countries. Both microvasculopathy and neurodegeneration are implicated in mechanisms of DR development, with neuronal impairment preceding microvascular abnormalities, which is often underappreciated in the clinic. Most current therapeutic strategies, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)-antibodies, aim at treating the advanced stages (diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy) and fail to target the neuronal deterioration. Hence, new therapeutic approach(es) intended to address both vascular and neuronal impairment are urgently needed. The hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α)–6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) pathway is critically implicated in the islet pathology of diabetes. Recent evidence highlighted the pathway relevance for pathologic angiogenesis and neurodegeneration, two key aspects in DR. PFKFB3 is key to the sprouting angiogenesis, along with VEGF, by determining the endothelial tip-cell competition. Also, PFKFB3-driven glycolysis compromises the antioxidative capacity of neurons leading to neuronal loss and reactive gliosis. Therefore, the HIF1α-PFKFB3 signaling pathway is unique as being a pervasive pathological component across multiple cell types in the retina in the early as well as late stages of DR. A metabolic point-of-intervention based on HIF1α-PFKFB3 targeting thus deserves further consideration in DR.
Combining comparative genomic analysis with machine learning reveals some promising diagnostic markers to identify five common pathogenic non‐tuberculous mycobacteria

Non‐tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) can cause various respiratory diseases and even death in severe cases, and its incidence has increased rapidly worldwide. To date, it’s difficult to use routine diagnostic methods and strain identification to precisely diagnose various types of NTM infections. We combined systematic comparative genomics with machine learning to select new diagnostic markers for precisely identifying five common pathogenic NTMs (Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellular, Mycobacterium chelonae, Mycobacterium abscessus). A panel including six genes and two SNPs (nikA, benM, codA, pfkA2, mpr, yjcH, rrl C2638T, rrl A1173G) was selected to simultaneously identify the five NTMs with high accuracy (> 90%). Notably, the panel only containing the six genes also showed a good classification effect (accuracy > 90%). Additionally, the two panels could precisely differentiate the five NTMs from M. tuberculosis (accuracy > 99%). We also revealed some new marker genes/SNPs/combinations to accurately discriminate any one of the five NTMs separately, which provided the possibility to diagnose one certain NTM infection precisely. Our research not only reveals novel promising diagnostic markers to promote the development of precision diagnosis in NTM infectious, but also provides an insight into precisely identifying various genetically close pathogens through comparative genomics and machine learning.
Energy conversion in an internally illuminated annular‐plate airlift photobioreactor

Algal‐derived therapeutics, bioactive molecules, and fuels produced in photobioreactors (PBRs) are of great scientific and economic interest, but the high cost of production still prevents their widespread use. Specifically, the cost of the energy inputs and the control of the photonic inputs that enable production optimization continue to be problematic. To this end, a novel 55‐L annular‐plate airlift PBR (APAPBR) with internal illumination was designed and characterized for the batch production of algal biomass. The APAPBR was able to convert mixing and photonic energy inputs into Chlorella pituita SG1 biomass at an efficiency of 0.064 (J biomass [J input]−1), or 0.27 g dry cell weight (DW) W−1 d−1. Thanks to a high degree of photon capture and the airlift effect that provided energy‐efficient mixing and mass transfer, this energy conversion is 54% of the theoretical maximum as determined in previous studies. Under these efficiency conditions, C. pituita SG1 was able to grow photoautotrophically to 3.9 ± 0.2 gDW L−1. Additionally, a mathematical approach was used to predict the mean light intensity with the highest biomass yield per unit of photonic input and the maximum biomass concentration achievable under the given process conditions. These predictions were validated in our system by the experimental cultivation data. This APAPBR represents a simple, innovative, and energy‐efficient PBR configuration that could decrease the cost of phototrophic bioprocesses and enable novel bioprocesses that require a high degree of control over the photonic input.
Cataloguing and characterizing interests in typically developing toddlers and toddlers who develop ASD

Intense interests are common in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and little research has characterized aspects of interests that are unique to or shared among children with and without ASD. We aimed to characterize interests in a sample of infants at high‐familial‐risk (HR) and low‐familial‐risk (LR) for ASD using a novel interview. Participants included HR siblings who were diagnosed with ASD at 24 months (HR‐ASD, n = 56), HR siblings who did not receive an ASD diagnosis at 24 months (HR‐Neg, n = 187), and a LR comparison group (n = 109). We developed and collected data with the Intense Interests Inventory at 18‐ and 24‐months of age, a semi‐structured interview that measures intensity and peculiarity of interests in toddlers and preschool‐aged children. Intensity of interests differed by familial risk at 24 months, with HR‐ASD and HR‐Neg groups demonstrating equivalent intensity of interests that were higher than the LR group. By contrast, peculiarity of interest differed by ASD diagnosis, with the HR‐ASD group showing more peculiar interests than the HR‐Neg and LR groups at 24 months. At 18 months the HR‐ASD group had more peculiar interests than the LR group, though no differences emerged in intensity of interests. This measure may be useful in identifying clinically‐relevant features of interests in young children with ASD. We also replicated previous findings of males showing more intense interests at 18 months in our non‐ASD sample. These results reveal new information about the nature of interests and preoccupations in the early autism phenotype.
Nursing students' experiences and perceptions of an anatomy laboratory session: Mixed methods study

Many nursing curricula do not offer anatomy laboratories and exposure to cadaveric material. In this mixed methods study, nursing students' perceptions and experiences from an anatomy laboratory session were examined. Students from two academic nursing programs (a four‐year general baccalaureate nursing program and a two‐year accelerated nursing program for non‐nursing baccalaureate graduates) took part in an anatomy laboratory session (N = 223). Participants' learning experiences, emotional experiences, and satisfaction with the anatomy laboratory session were assessed by their responses to closed‐ended questionnaires. Participants' reasons for participation and suggestions for improvement were examined by open‐ended questions. A mixed methods analysis of the data revealed a high level of satisfaction with the anatomy laboratory experience. Positive attitudes and learning experiences correlated with a sense of identification with the nursing profession. Satisfaction was positively associated with a perceived quality of learning and negatively associated with a negative emotional experience. Curiosity and self‐challenge, as well as the quest for tangible, in‐depth learning, were major motivators involved in the students' desire to participate in the session. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that the educational experience was significant. Therefore, it is recommended to integrate anatomy laboratory sessions into anatomy courses for nursing students. This will help to illustrate and assimilate classroom material and strengthen nursing students' sense of identification with their profession.
Oxycytosis and the role of triboelectricity and oxidation in bacteria clearing from the bloodstream

Until recently, little was known about the mechanism for killing and clearing bacteria from the bloodstream. Leukocyte phagocytosis could not be a mechanism for catching, killing and removing bacteria from the bloodstream because of many reasons. Recently accumulated data have led to the conclusion that in bacteremia, bacteria are quickly removed from the blood and erythrocytes are the main cells that capture, kill and remove bacteria. Data were also obtained that erythrocytes catch bacteria by triboelectric charge attraction and kill them by oxygen released from oxyhemoglobin. This phenomenon has been named oxycytosis by analogy with the term phagocytosis. Oxycytosis has been discussed in a number of published articles, but the specific mechanism of triboelectric charging and the mechanism of killing bacteria by oxidation, have not yet been detailed. The purpose of this review is to provide a more detailed explanation of the process of triboelectric charging and capture of bacteria by erythrocytes and destruction of bacteria by oxidation. For the first time, the review presents various variants of oxycytosis (two-stage, three-stage, multi-stage), depending on the resistance of the pathogen to oxidation. The review also discusses the biological significance of oxycytosis and its impact on the understanding of bacteremia and sepsis.
Enhanced Oxidation Kinetics in Thermochemical Cycling of CeO2 through Templated Porosity

Two-step thermochemical cycling was achieved using CeO2 with sub-micrometer sized macropores, allowing for substantially improved CO production at fast cycle rates when compared to nonporous CeO2. The effects of porosity, pore order, and packing density were probed by synthesizing ceria materials with different morphologies. Polymeric colloidal spheres were used as templates for the synthesis of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) CeO2 and nonordered macroporous (NOM) CeO2. Aggregated CeO2 nanoparticles with feature sizes similar to those in 3DOM CeO2 were prepared by fragmenting 3DOM CeO2 into its building blocks using ultrasonication. The three templated materials and nonporous, commercial CeO2 were tested in thermochemical cycles using an infrared furnace. CeO2 was reduced at ∼1200 °C, and the reduced CeO2−δ materials were reoxidized under CO2 at ∼850 °C. The high temperatures required for cycling induced changes in the morphology of the porous materials, which were characterized by electron.
Cryptococcus neoformans in a child with CSF rhinorrhoea: A cytopathological diagnosis

Cryptococcosis is caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and is fatal in children. The fungus is known to enter respiratory tract by inhalation and localizes in lungs in immunocompetent host. Patients with immunocompromised state facilitate dissemination of disease. However, disseminated cases have been described in immunocompetent HIV‐negative individuals. CSF rhinorrhoea as a predisposing cause of cryptococcal meningitis has been rarely reported. We hereby describe C. neoformans directly spreading to the meninges in 1 year child due to CSF rhinorrhoea and the fungus was detected on fluid cytology.
Transsaccadic integration relies on a limited memory resource

Saccadic eye movements cause large-scale transformations of the image falling on the retina. Rather than starting visual processing anew after each saccade, the visual system combines post-saccadic information with visual input from before the saccade. Crucially, the relative contribution of each source of information is weighted according to its precision, consistent with principles of optimal integration. We reasoned that, if pre-saccadic input is maintained in a resource-limited store, such as visual working memory, its precision will depend on the number of items stored, as well as their attentional priority. Observers estimated the color of stimuli that changed imperceptibly during a saccade, and we examined where reports fell on the continuum between pre- and post-saccadic values. Bias toward the post-saccadic color increased with the set size of the pre-saccadic display, consistent with an increased weighting of the post-saccadic input as precision of the pre-saccadic representation declined. In a second experiment, we investigated if transsaccadic memory resources are preferentially allocated to attentionally prioritized items. An arrow cue indicated one pre-saccadic item as more likely to be chosen for report. As predicted, valid cues increased response precision and biased responses toward the pre-saccadic color. We conclude that transsaccadic integration relies on a limited memory resource that is flexibly distributed between pre-saccadic stimuli.
Elimination of trace heavy metals from drinking water by means of weakly basic anion exchangers

Weakly basic anion exchangers exhibit a unique selectivity for adsorption of heavy metals such as mercury, copper, lead, zinc, nickel and cadmium. Furthermore, some types of exchangers show a marked preference for chromate over sulphate anions. Application of the respective ion exchange processes may, therefore, offer a promising way to remove traces of hazardous heavy metals very efficiently from the raw water of drinking water supplies. The respective ion exchange processes have been demonstrated both at laboratory and semi-technical scales for the elimination of heavy metal cations (cadmium, mercury, lead, nickel) and of chromate anions from spiked tap water and contaminated groundwaters. In all cases the effluent concentrations of filters could be decreased well below the parametric values of the European Drinking Water Directive.
Generation expansion planning for high-potential hydropower resources: The case of the Sulawesi electricity system

To ensure sustainable development, the generation expansion planning (GEP) should meet the electricity demands in the specify time horizon. The GEP will determine the type and capacity of generator units to meet with the minimum cost, required reserve margin and energy balance. In this paper, a GEP to minimize the cost by considering the high penetration hydro energy potential was carried out in Sulawesi electricity region. GEP optimization is done by finding the minimum total cost value that is done through WASP-IV. There were two approaches for conducting the optimization that are regional balanced and resources-based approaches. The effect of renewable energy plant, especially the hydro energy, can be seen through a resource-based scenario, where the generating units were priories installed close to the energy source location. On the other hand, the regional balanced approach would install the generating units close to the load center. This paper compared the results of regional balance to the resource-based scenarios. The results show that resource-based approach can achieve a renewable energy power plant mix of up to 30%. The regional balance scenario total costs were $ 9.83 billion in low projection electricity demand and $ 13.57 billion in high projection electricity demand. On the other hand, the resource-based scenario total costs were $ 9.54 billion in low projection electricity demand and $ 13.38 billion high projection electricity demand.
Phosphate adsorption in Virginia Piedmont ultisols under long-term phosphorus applications

Phosphorus (P) adsorption is a determinant in agricultural production and envronmental quality. Phosphorus adsorption behavior was studied with the Langtr. uir and two-site Langmuir models in two soil series that received P applications for over three decades, namely, Davidson clay loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic, Rhodic Paleudults), and Tatum silt loam (clayey, mixed, thermic, Typic Hapludults). Phosphorus adsorption data for the two soil series used, closely fitted to the two-site Langmu ir model than the original Langmuir model as evidenced from the lowest residual sums of squares. The P adsorption maxima in the non-fertilized treatments were 4,007 mg kg~' in the Davidson soil and 2,179 mg kg' in the Taium soil. The maximum P sorption capacities in both soils were decreased only by 5% due to 30 years of continuous P fertilization. The Davidson soil as compared to the Tatum soil had a lower pH (5.4 vs 6.2), slightly higher amount of clay (40% vs 30%), higher content of dithionite-citrate-bicurbonate extractable iron oxides (16.7% vs 6.5%), and higher amount of aluminum oxides (1.5% vs 0.8%). Negligible effect of many years of P application in the P adsorption power of the soils was perhaps due to the transformation of adsorbed P into non-labile forms such as reductant soluble P and occluded P as well as creation of new sites and exposing of original sites due to weathering. The results suggest that rate of P fertilization cannot be reduced even after continuous long term P fertilization specially in highly weatheredsoili