Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clock-Controlled and Cold-Induced CYCLING DOF FACTOR6 Alters Growth and Development in Arabidopsis

The circadian clock represents a critical regulatory network, which allows plants to anticipate environmental changes as inputs and promote plant survival by regulating various physiological outputs. Here, we examine the function of the clock-regulated transcription factor, CYCLING DOF FACTOR 6 (CDF6), during cold stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the clock gates CDF6 transcript accumulation in the vasculature during cold stress. CDF6 mis-expression results in an altered flowering phenotype during both ambient and cold stress. A genome-wide transcriptome analysis links CDF6 to genes associated with flowering and seed germination during cold and ambient temperatures, respectively. Analysis of key floral regulators indicates that CDF6 alters flowering during cold stress by repressing photoperiodic flowering components, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), CONSTANS (CO), and BROTHER OF FT (BFT). Gene ontology enrichment further suggests that CDF6 regulates circadian and developmental-associated genes. These results provide insights into how the clock-controlled CDF6 modulates plant development during moderate cold stress.
Fake news zealots: Effect of perception of news on online sharing behavior

Why do we share fake news? Despite a growing body of freely-available knowledge and information fake news has managed to spread more widely and deeply than before. This paper seeks to understand why this is the case. More specifically, using an experimental setting we aim to quantify the effect of veracity and perception on reaction likelihood. To examine the nature of this relationship, we set up an experiment that mimics the mechanics of Twitter, allowing us to observe the user perception, their reaction in the face of shown claims and the factual veracity of those claims. We find that perceived veracity significantly predicts how likely a user is to react, with higher perceived veracity leading to higher reaction rates. Additionally, we confirm that fake news is inherently more likely to be shared than other types of news. Lastly, we identify an activist-type behavior, meaning that belief in fake news is associated with significantly disproportionate spreading (compared to belief in true news).
Prognostic performance of multiple biomarkers in patients with acute coronary syndrome without standard cardiovascular risk factors

Background and aims Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs) represents a special case of ACS. Multiple biomarkers have been shown to improve risk stratification in patients with ACS. However, the utility of biomarkers for prognostic stratification in patients with ACS without SMuRFs remains uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of various biomarkers in patents with ACS without SMuRFs. Methods Data of consecutive patients with ACS without SMuRFs who underwent coronary angiography in Tianjin Chest Hospital between January 2014 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke. Seven candidate biomarkers analyses were analyzed using models adjusted for established risk factors. Results During a median 5-year follow-up, 81 of the 621 patients experienced a MACE. After adjustment for important covariates, elevated fibrinogen, D-dimer, N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] were found to be individually associated with MACE. However, only D-dimer, NT-proBNP and Lp(a) significantly improved risk reclassification for MACE (all P < 0.05). The multimarker analysis showed that there was a clear increase in the risk of MACE with an increasing number of elevated biomarkers and a higher multimarker score. The adjusted hazard ratio- for MACE (95% confidential intervals) for patients with 4 elevated biomarkers was 6.008 (1.9650–18.367) relative to those without any elevated biomarker-. Adding- the 4 biomarkers or the multimarker score to the basic model significantly improved the C-statistic value, the net reclassification index and the integrated discrimination index (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Fibrinogen, D-dimer, NT-proBNP and Lp(a) provided valuable prognostic information for MACE when applied to patients with ACS without SMuRFs. The multimarker strategy, which combined multiple biomarkers reflecting different pathophysiological process with traditional risk factors improved the cardiovascular risk stratification.
Dopamine systems and biological rhythms: Let’s get a move on

How dopamine signaling regulates biological rhythms is an area of emerging interest. Here we review experiments focused on delineating dopamine signaling in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum to mediate a range of biological rhythms including photoentrainment, activity cycles, rest phase eating of palatable food, diet-induced obesity, and food anticipatory activity. Enthusiasm for causal roles for dopamine in the regulation of circadian rhythms, particularly those associated with food and other rewarding events, is warranted. However, determining that there is rhythmic gene expression in dopamine neurons and target structures does not mean that they are bona fide circadian pacemakers. Given that dopamine has such a profound role in promoting voluntary movements, interpretation of circadian phenotypes associated with locomotor activity must be differentiated at the molecular and behavioral levels. Here we review our current understanding of dopamine signaling in relation to biological rhythms and suggest future experiments that are aimed at teasing apart the roles of dopamine subpopulations and dopamine receptor expressing neurons in causally mediating biological rhythms, particularly in relation to feeding, reward, and activity.
Rapid automatic naming and phonological awareness deficits in preschool children with probable developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have been reported to have a higher risk of dyslexia than children with typical development (TD). Phonological awareness (PA) and rapid automatic naming (RAN) are known to be predictive of children’s reading development. The present study examined PA and RAN in preschool children with and without probable DCD in Taiwan. In total, 704 children aged 5–6 years old from 25 preschools in Taichung City were included as participants. The probable DCD children performed more poorly than the children with TD on the PA and the RAN tests. Put in deficit terms, 22% of the children with TD, but 48% of the probable DCD children, had a single or dual PA/RAN deficit. Furthermore, it was manual dexterity that bore the unique relationship with RAN. Automatic visual perceptual-motor coordination may be the common processing component that underlies RAN and probable DCD. The early visual perceptual-motor profile of probable DCD children has not been well recognized before.
Biodiversity of coastal epibenthic macrofauna in Eastern Canadian Arctic: Baseline mapping for management and conservation

Arctic ecosystems are changing rapidly due to global warming, industrial development, and economic growth. However, the ecological consequences for these ecosystems are difficult to predict due to limited knowledge on species abundance, distribution, and biodiversity patterns. This study evaluated the diversity and assemblage composition of epibenthic macrofauna in shallow coastal areas from five Eastern Arctic locations with increasing economic and shipping activity. Benthic trawls (n=198) were conducted in nearshore coastal habitats of Anaktalak Bay (Labrador), Churchill (Manitoba), Deception Bay (Quebec), Iqaluit (Nunavut), and Milne Inlet (Nunavut), at depths between 3 and 30 m. Diversity and assemblage composition were compared at various taxonomic levels from phylum to species and correlations with broad oceanographic variables were investigated to identify potential drivers of biodiversity. The spatial variability of benthic assemblages was also assessed within each study location. A total of 297,417 macroinvertebrates was identified, belonging to 900 taxa. Abundance and taxonomic richness were highest in Anaktalak Bay. Shannon-Wiener diversity was higher in Anaktalak Bay, Iqaluit, and Milne Inlet than in Churchill and Deception Bay. Churchill showed the lowest diversity metrics among locations. No relationships were observed between diversity and depth, chlorophyll-a, particulate organic carbon, sea surface temperature, or sea ice duration. Assemblages differed among locations at all taxonomic levels, with the highest dissimilarities at the species level; however, dispersion of samples within-groups was significant, suggesting that factors other than locations (e.g., habitat type) influence assemblage composition. While Churchill, Deception Bay, and Iqaluit showed distinct local spatial patterns in diversity metrics and assemblage composition, no patterns were detected in Anaktalak Bay and Milne Inlet. This study represents one of the largest systematic assessments of coastal epibenthic biodiversity in the Canadian Arctic. It identifies patterns of biodiversity and assemblage composition and provides a baseline for studies of community change and the development of informed management and conservation strategies for Arctic coastal ecosystems.
Editorial: The impact of chronic kidney disease on cognitive brain health

COPYRIGHT © 2022 Kelly, Anderson, Blacker, Miller and Viswanathan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: The impact of chronic kidney disease on cognitive brain health
In vitro selection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae unveils novel mutations associated with extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance

The emergence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) is a worldwide concern because this class of antibiotics represents the last empirical treatment option for gonorrhea. The abusive use of antimicrobials may be an essential factor for the emergence of ESC resistance in N. gonorrhoeae. Cephalosporin resistance mechanisms have not been fully clarified. In this study, we mapped mutations in the genome of N. gonorrhoeae isolates after resistance induction with cefixime and explored related metabolic pathways. Six clinical isolates with different antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and genotypes and two gonococcal reference strains (WHO F and WHO Y) were induced with increasing concentrations of cefixime. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed against six antimicrobial agents before and after induction. Clinical isolates were whole-genome sequenced before and after induction, whereas reference strains were sequenced after induction only. Cefixime resistance induction was completed after 138 subcultures. Several metabolic pathways were affected by resistance induction. Five isolates showed SNPs in PBP2. The isolates M111 and M128 (ST1407 with mosaic penA-34.001) acquired one and four novel missense mutations in PBP2, respectively. These isolates exhibited the highest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for cefixime among all clinical isolates. Mutations in genes contributing to ESC resistance and in other genes were also observed. Interestingly, M107 and M110 (ST338) showed no mutations in key determinants of ESC resistance despite having a 127-fold increase in the MIC of cefixime. These findings point to the existence of different mechanisms of acquisition of ESC resistance induced by cefixime exposure. Furthermore, the results reinforce the importance of the gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance program in Brazil, given the changes in treatment protocols made in 2017 and the nationwide prevalence of sequence types that can develop resistance to ESC.
Clinical Features Differ Between Patients With Vertigo Attack Only and Weakness Attack Accompanying Vertigo Before Vertebrobasilar Stroke: A Retrospective Study

Objective To determine the different clinical features of patients with vertigo attacks alone and of those with weakness accompanying vertigo attacks before the vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke. Methods In this 4-year retrospective study, we manually screened the medical records of 209 patients, hospitalized with vertigo attack as the main complaint who were finally diagnosed with acute vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke. Patients were divided into two groups according to their symptoms: patients who only experienced vertigo attacks prior to the vertebrobasilar stroke (VO group) and patients who had both vertigo and weakness attacks (VW group) prior to the stroke. Clinical parameters, such as infarction site and volume, relative risk factors, ABCD2 score, and medical intervention, were compared between the two groups. Results The prevalence of hypertension was higher in the Vertigo attacks only (VO) group (42.2 vs. 29.0%, p < 0.05). The total cerebral infarction volume in the VO group was larger than the Vertigo and weakness attacks (VW) group (4.44 vs. 2.12 cm3, p < 0.05). Additionally, the cerebellum was more likely to be affected in the VO group. In contrast, patients in the VW group had higher carotid stenosis (14.2 vs. 27.2%, p < 0.05) and ABCD2 score (2.1 ± 1.2 vs. 3.6 ± 1.5, p = 0.02). The percentage of patients with medullary infarctions also increased in the VW group. Vertigo attack events occurred more frequently in the VW group (median 2.4 vs. 4.3, p < 0.04). We also found that the patients in the VW group were more likely to seek medical intervention after vertigo. Conclusions Clinical parameters, such as infarction location, relative risk factors, and ABCD2 score, differed between patients with vertigo symptoms with or without weakness attacks. These findings highlight the different clinical features of patients with vertigo attack only and those with weakness attacks accompanying vertigo prior to vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke.
Nanoporous silica gel can compete with the flower stigma in germinating and attracting pollen tubes

To find nanoporous substrates with hydrodynamic properties useful for pollen hydration and germination, we used the glassy Silica gel and Vycor scales and pollen with different morphological and physiological traits, that of Crocus vernus, and that of Narcissus poeticus. For in vitro tests, the scales were spread on microscope slides, hand pollinated, and incubated. Pollen germination was evaluated with the stereomicroscope and the tube growth was explored with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vivo tests were carried out by sprinkling the stigmas of the Crocus plants with Silica gel scales and immediately after having pollinated them by hand, the plants were incubated. Three hours later, the stigmas were removed and treated for observation with SEM. In vitro the pollen of both species germinated on Silica gel with percentages similar to those of the in vivo and in vitro controls, accumulating fibrillary material at the interface. The tubes grew perpendicular to the surface of the scales, trying to penetrate the scales to the point of flattening with the apex. On Crocus stigmas sprinkled with Silica gel scales, pollen developed tubes that grew to the scales rather than penetrating the papillae. The results underline the close interaction of pollen with nanoporous artificial material, so much so that its pollen tubes are attracted to the Silica scales more than to the stigma papillae that arises from a mechanism of natural selection.
Improving bioaccessibility and physicochemical property of blue-grained wholemeal flour by steam explosion

Whole grain contains many health-promoting ingredients, but due to its poor bioaccessibility and processibility, it is not widely accepted by consumers. The steam explosion was exploited to modify the nutritional bioaccessibility and the physicochemical properties of wholemeal flour in this study. In vitro starch digestibility, in vitro protein digestibility of wholemeal flour, total flavonoids content, and total phenolics content of digestive juice were used to evaluate the bioaccessibility, and a significant variation (p < 0.05) was noted. Results showed that steam explosion enhanced the gastric protein digestibility ranged from 5.67 to 6.92% and the intestinal protein digestibility ranged from 16.77 to 49.12%. Steam-exploded wholemeal flour (0.5 MPa, 5 min) had the highest protein digestibility and rapidly digestible starch content. Compared with native flour, steam explosion (0.5 MPa, 5 min) contributed to a 0.72-fold and 0.33-fold increment of total flavonoids content and total phenolics content in digestible juice. Chemical changes of wholemeal flour, induced by steam explosion, caused the changes in the solvent retention capacity, rheological property of wholemeal flour, and altered the falling number (and liquefaction number). An increasing tendency to solid-like behavior and the gel strength of wholemeal flour was significantly enhanced by the steam explosion at 0.5 MPa for 5 min, while the gluten was not weakened. This study indicated that steam-exploded wholemeal flour (0.5 MPa, 5 min) could serve as a potential ingredient with the noticeable bioaccessibility and physicochemical properties in cereal products.
Quantification of Vitamins, Minerals, and Amino Acids in Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

This paper aims to quantify the micronutrients in black walnut and address its human health benefits. The metabolic profiling of 11 black walnut cultivars was accomplished using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometer. Results revealed that the highest concentration of vitamin B9 was present in cultivar “Daniel” (avg. relative signal intensity 229.53 × 104 mAU). “Surprise” and “Daniel” cultivars had the highest amount of vitamin B5. However, vitamin A, D3, E, and K showed no significant difference among the cultivars. The vitamin content levels among the cultivars were compared by applying one way ANOVA method with (P < 0.05) significance level. Mineral analysis for the black walnut kernel, Persian walnut, and black walnut protein powder was done using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy. The experimental data for black walnut kernel is 0.04 mg/g for Fe and 0.03 mg/g for Zn, and for black walnut, protein powder is 0.07 mg/g for Fe and 0.07 mg/g for Zn. The amino acid analysis and comparison with black walnut kernel show that black walnut flour and protein powder have a higher amount of essential and non-essential amino acids. Therefore, researchers, food process engineers, and food product developers should consider the health benefits of black walnuts and explore the commercial potential of this native agroforestry crop.
RISC-y Business: Limitations of Short Hairpin RNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in the Brain and a Discussion of CRISPR/Cas-Based Alternatives

Manipulating gene expression within and outside the nervous system is useful for interrogating gene function and developing therapeutic interventions for a variety of diseases. Several approaches exist which enable gene manipulation in preclinical models, and some of these have been approved to treat human diseases. For the last couple of decades, RNA interference (RNAi) has been a leading technique to knockdown (i.e., suppress) specific RNA expression. This has been partly due to the technology’s simplicity, which has promoted its adoption throughout biomedical science. However, accumulating evidence indicates that this technology can possess significant shortcomings. This review highlights the overwhelming evidence that RNAi can be prone to off-target effects and is capable of inducing cytotoxicity in some cases. With this in mind, we consider alternative CRISPR/Cas-based approaches, which may be safer and more reliable for gene knockdown. We also discuss the pros and cons of each approach.
Safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided thermal ablation in treating T1aN0M0 and T1bN0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma: A meta-analysis

Background Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common thyroid tumor, and early diagnosis and treatment can effectively improve prognosis. Many controversies surround the treatment method of T1N0M0 PTC. Recently, thermal ablation (TA) has shown some benefits in the treatment of PTC patients, but the safety and efficacy of its treatment remain controversial. This article performs a meta-analysis of TA in patients with T1aN0M0 and T1bN0M0 PTC. Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for retrospective or prospective studies of TA for treating patients with T1N0M0 PTC from the database establishment to May 1, 2022. Data on volume reduction rate (VRR), disease progress, and complication rate were collected. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed using the Stata 12.0 and Review Manager 5.3. Results A total of 9 eligible studies were included. Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of VRR and disease progress. The VRR was reduced after 3 months (−75.90%; 95% CI [−118.46–33.34%]), 6 months (34.33%; 95% CI [15.01–53.65%]), 12 months (78.69%; 95% CI [71.69–85.68%]), and 24 months (89.97%; 95% CI [84.00–95.94%]). The disease progress was 1.9% (95% CI [1.1–3.0]). Safety is justified by the complication rate, which was 6.5% (95% CI [3.5–10.2]). Pain and hoarseness were the most common complications, and no life-threatening complications were reported. Egger’s test demonstrated that publication bias was acceptable. Conclusions TA is an effective and safe method for managing T1aN0M0 and T1bN0M0 papillary thyroid nodules.
Deployment and validation of an AI system for detecting abnormal chest radiographs in clinical settings

Background The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a mechanism for deploying and validating an AI-based system for detecting abnormalities on chest X-ray scans at the Phu Tho General Hospital, Vietnam. We aim to investigate the performance of the system in real-world clinical settings and compare its effectiveness to the in-lab performance. Method The AI system was directly integrated into the Hospital's Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) after being trained on a fixed annotated dataset from other sources. The system's performance was prospectively measured by matching and comparing the AI results with the radiology reports of 6,285 chest X-ray examinations extracted from the Hospital Information System (HIS) over the last 2 months of 2020. The normal/abnormal status of a radiology report was determined by a set of rules and served as the ground truth. Results Our system achieves an F1 score—the harmonic average of the recall and the precision—of 0.653 (95% CI 0.635, 0.671) for detecting any abnormalities on chest X-rays. This corresponds to an accuracy of 79.6%, a sensitivity of 68.6%, and a specificity of 83.9%. Conclusions Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems for chest radiographs using artificial intelligence (AI) have recently shown great potential as a second opinion for radiologists. However, the performances of such systems were mostly evaluated on a fixed dataset in a retrospective manner and, thus, far from the real performances in clinical practice. Despite a significant drop from the in-lab performance, our result establishes a reasonable level of confidence in applying such a system in real-life situations.