Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New vistas unfold: Chicken MHC molecules reveal unexpected ways to present peptides to the immune system

The functions of a wide variety of molecules with structures similar to the classical class I and class II molecules encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been studied by biochemical and structural studies over decades, with many aspects for humans and mice now enshrined in textbooks as dogma. However, there is much variation of the MHC and MHC molecules among the other jawed vertebrates, understood in the most detail for the domestic chicken. Among the many unexpected features in chickens is the co-evolution between polymorphic TAP and tapasin genes with a dominantly-expressed class I gene based on a different genomic arrangement compared to typical mammals. Another important discovery was the hierarchy of class I alleles for a suite of properties including size of peptide repertoire, stability and cell surface expression level, which is also found in humans although not as extreme, and which led to the concept of generalists and specialists in response to infectious pathogens. Structural studies of chicken class I molecules have provided molecular explanations for the differences in peptide binding compared to typical mammals. These unexpected phenomena include the stringent binding with three anchor residues and acidic residues at the peptide C-terminus for fastidious alleles, and the remodelling binding sites, relaxed binding of anchor residues in broad hydrophobic pockets and extension at the peptide C-terminus for promiscuous alleles. The first few studies for chicken class II molecules have already uncovered unanticipated structural features, including an allele that binds peptides by a decamer core. It seems likely that the understanding of how MHC molecules bind and present peptides to lymphocytes will broaden considerably with further unexpected discoveries through biochemical and structural studies for chickens and other non-mammalian vertebrates.
Histopathological modeling of status epilepticus-induced brain damage based on in vivo diffusion tensor imaging in rats

Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have proved useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the interpretation of imaging outcomes in terms of tissue pathology is still challenging. This study goes beyond the current interpretation of in vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) by constructing multivariate models of quantitative tissue microstructure in status epilepticus (SE)-induced brain damage. We performed in vivo DTI and histology in rats at 79 days after SE and control animals. The analyses focused on the corpus callosum, hippocampal subfield CA3b, and layers V and VI of the parietal cortex. Comparison between control and SE rats indicated that a combination of microstructural tissue changes occurring after SE, such as cellularity, organization of myelinated axons, and/or morphology of astrocytes, affect DTI parameters. Subsequently, we constructed a multivariate regression model for explaining and predicting histological parameters based on DTI. The model revealed that DTI predicted well the organization of myelinated axons (cross-validated R = 0.876) and astrocyte processes (cross-validated R = 0.909) and possessed a predictive value for cell density (CD) (cross-validated R = 0.489). However, the morphology of astrocytes (cross-validated R > 0.05) was not well predicted. The inclusion of parameters from CA3b was necessary for modeling histopathology. Moreover, the multivariate DTI model explained better histological parameters than any univariate model. In conclusion, we demonstrate that combining several analytical and statistical tools can help interpret imaging outcomes to microstructural tissue changes, opening new avenues to improve the non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of brain tissue damage.
The molecular diversity of transcriptional factor TfoX is a determinant in natural transformation in Glaesserella parasuis

Natural transformation is a mechanism by which a particular bacterial species takes up foreign DNA and integrates it into its genome. The swine pathogen Glaesserella parasuis (G. parasuis) is a naturally transformable bacterium. The regulation of competence, however, is not fully understood. In this study, the natural transformability of 99 strains was investigated. Only 44% of the strains were transformable under laboratory conditions. Through a high-resolution melting curve and phylogenetic analysis, we found that genetic differences in the core regulator of natural transformation, the tfoX gene, leads to two distinct natural transformation phenotypes. In the absence of the tfoX gene, the highly transformable strain SC1401 lost its natural transformability. In addition, when the SC1401 tfoX gene was replaced by the tfoX of SH0165, which has no natural transformability, competence was also lost. These results suggest that TfoX is a core regulator of natural transformation in G. parasuis, and that differences in tfoX can be used as a molecular indicator of natural transformability. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the SC1401 wildtype strain, and a tfoX gene deletion strain showed that differential gene expression and protein synthesis is mainly centered on pathways related to glucose metabolism. The results suggest that tfoX may mediate natural transformation by regulating the metabolism of carbon sources. Our study provides evidence that tfoX plays an important role in the natural transformation of G. parasuis.
Personality Traits and Entrepreneurial Intentions: Financial Risk-Taking as Mediator

The interaction between environment and individual personality determines career. Over the past decades, the role of personality traits in explaining entrepreneurship cannot get much attention of researchers. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate the effect of personality traits (extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) on the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) along with the mediating role of financial risk taking (FRT). Sample size consists of 500 students of business and management of different universities of Pakistan, out of which 466 useable questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The results of the study are consistent with conventional wisdom as explored by past studies. In line with past studies and proposed hypothesis, we found that both extraversion and openness to experience have a positive association with FRT, whereas neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness have negative association with FRT. The results also revealed that there is positive association between FRT and EI; however, FRT did not mediate the relationship between agreeableness and EI.
A novel signature to guide osteosarcoma prognosis and immune microenvironment: Cuproptosis-related lncRNA

Objective Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common bone malignancy with poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (CRLncs) and the survival outcomes of patients with OS. Methods Transcriptome and clinical data of 86 patients with OS were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The GSE16088 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The 10 cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) were obtained from a recently published article on cuproptosis in Science. Combined analysis of OS transcriptome data and the GSE16088 dataset identified differentially expressed CRGs related to OS. Next, pathway enrichment analysis was performed. Co-expression analysis obtained CRLncs related to OS. Univariate COX regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were used to construct the risk prognostic model of CRLncs. The samples were divided evenly into training and test groups to verify the accuracy of the model. Risk curve, survival, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and independent prognostic analyses were performed. Next, principal component analysis (PCA) and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) analysis were performed. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to explore the correlation between the risk prognostic models and OS immune microenvironment. Drug sensitivity analysis identified drugs with potential efficacy in OS. Real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry analyses verified the expression of CRGs in OS. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to verify the expression of CRLncs in OS. Results Six CRLncs that can guide OS prognosis and immune microenvironment were obtained, including three high-risk CRLncs (AL645608.6, AL591767.1, and UNC5B-AS1) and three low-risk CRLncs (CARD8-AS1, AC098487.1, and AC005041.3). Immune cells such as B cells, macrophages, T-helper type 2 (Th2) cells, regulatory T cells (Treg), and immune functions such as APC co-inhibition, checkpoint, and T-cell co-inhibition were significantly downregulated in high-risk groups. In addition, we obtained four drugs with potential efficacy for OS: AUY922, bortezomib, lenalidomide, and Z.LLNle. CHO. The expression of LIPT1, DLAT, and FDX1 at both mRNA and protein levels was significantly elevated in OS cell lines compared with normal osteoblast hFOB1.19. The mRNA expression level of AL591767.1 was decreased in OS, and that of AL645608.6, CARD8-AS1, AC005041.3, AC098487.1, and UNC5B-AS1 was upregulated in OS. Conclusion CRLncs that can guide OS prognosis and the immune microenvironment and drugs that may have a potential curative effect on OS obtained in this study provide a theoretical basis for OS survival research and clinical decision-making.
Caribbean Ornithology Conservation opportunities for tern species at two Ramsar sites on Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

The island of Bonaire is a nesting location for at least four tern species: a subspecies of the Least Tern ( Sternula antillarum antillarum ), the Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo ), the Royal Tern ( Thalasseus maximus ), and a subspecies of the Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis eurygnathus ). The island is also a significant nesting site for the Caribbean Least Tern ( Sternula antillarum ) population. Our main objectives were to: a) measure and compare breeding success at five known nesting sites on northern Bonaire, b) document and compare the impact of natural and introduced predators on each site, and c) give management recommendations for increasing breeding success based on our results. Our nest counts from 2014 indicate a significant decline in nest abundance compared to historical observations from the 1950s, matching previous studies and observations from the last two decades. Among the five nesting sites in our study, terns at the two island sites had the largest number of breeding pairs and achieved the greatest success, fledging a maximum of ~0.8 chicks per nest, compared to all other sites which were connected to the shoreline. We recorded rats and cats as predators at the peninsula site and field observations suggested that predation by Laughing Gulls ( Leucophaeus atricilla ) might also be occurring at two sites. Both natural and artificial islands on hypersaline lagoons provide good nesting sites for terns on Bonaire as they are protected from mammalian predators. However, recreational disturbance remains the single most serious and pervasive threat to the future of seabird nesting on Bonaire and requires concerted action. We propose a list of management actions to increase the numbers of nesting terns throughout the sites studied. Increasing protection from predators and human disturbance by making artificial nesting islands will provide the potential for Bonaire, and its sister islands, to become major refuges for southern Caribbean metapopulations of these four tern species.
Students' perceptions of different types of banks' marketing Students' perceptions of different types of banks' marketing

This study investigates what messages are most effective in convincing students to switch the bank they use. The study consists of a survey with eight ad messages and respondents rate how much they are interested in switching to the hypothetical bank considering the ad message. Sixty-six students, aged 18-24, submitted responses. T-test analysis showed there were 5 ad messages that had a significant impact: no minimum balance requirement, offering free e-banking, having your specific needs cared for, the bank giving back to the community, and the bank having experienced employees. Of these, the most significant was the message that the bank gives back to its community. Factor analysis found there were two distinct groups- one who generally preferred the tangible messages and the other who preferred intangible messages. It was also found that the four messages with the highest significance in the T-test analysis were four of the messages that had the lowest eigenvalues of the messages which belonged to a variable in the factor analysis. Finally, simple regression analyses was used with the classification questions included. The most notable finding in these analyses was the amount of hours spent online daily had a positive correlation with the amount the message that the bank gives back to its community would sway the respondent. banks/ loyalty to their bank before seeing any specific messages. The resulting findings could better show how effective the messages were and those with the highest starting willingness to switch may have a tendency towards a certain type of message. This finding could be used to increase marketing efficiency- targeting those who are already most willing to stitch banks.
Chapter 5 Mixed-Phase Clouds: Progress and Challenges

Mixed-phase clouds represent a three-phase colloidal system consisting of water vapor, ice particles, and coexisting supercooled liquid droplets. Mixed-phase clouds are ubiquitous in the troposphere, occurring at all latitudes from the polar regions to the tropics. Because of their widespread nature, mixed-phase processes play critical roles in the life cycle of clouds, precipitation formation, cloud electrification, and the radiative energy balance on both regional and global scales. Yet, in spite ofmany decades of observations and theoretical studies, our knowledge and understanding of mixed-phase cloud processes remains incomplete.Mixed-phase clouds are notoriously difficult to represent in numerical weather prediction and climatemodels, and their description in theoretical cloudphysics still presents complicated challenges. In this chapter, the current status of our knowledge on mixed-phase clouds, obtained from theoretical studies and observations, is reviewed. Recent progress, along with a discussion of problems and gaps in understanding the mixed-phase environment is summarized. Specific steps to improve our knowledge of mixed-phase clouds and their role in the climate and weather system are proposed.
Representations of Clifford algebras of ternary quartic forms

Given a nondegenerate ternary form $f=f(x_1,x_2,x_3)$ of degree 4 over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, we use the geometry of K3 surfaces to construct a certain positive-dimensional family of irreducible representations of the generalized Clifford algebra associated to $f. $ From this we obtain the existence of linear Pfaffian representations of the quartic surface $X_f=\{w^4=f(x_1,x_2,x_3)\},$ as well as information on the Brill-Noether theory of a general smooth curve in the linear system $|\mathcal{O}_{X_f}(3)|. $
Title: Tracing the origin of Oriental beech stands across Western Europe and reporting hybridization with European beech – implications for assisted gene flow Running title: Oriental beech for assisted gene flow

Human-aided translocation of individuals within the species’ range, assisted gene flow (AGF), has been suggested as a climate change mitigation strategy, especially for foundational species, such as forest trees. The benefits and risks of AGF largely depend on the genetic divergence between host and donor populations, their rate and direction of hybridization, and the climate distance that the transfer involves. In this study, we explored the use of Oriental beech (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis), growing from Iran to the Balkans, for AGF in populations of European beech (F. sylvatica subsp. sylvatica), which grow throughout Europe and are increasingly affected by climate warming. Using 16 microsatellite loci and samples from 13 and 6 natural populations of Oriental and European beech, respectively, we identified 5 distinct genetic clusters in Oriental beech with a divergence (FST) of 0.15 to 0.25 from European beech. Using this knowledge, we tracked the origin of 11 Oriental beech stands in Western Europe, some established in the early 1900s. In two stands of Greater Caucasus origin, we additionally genotyped offspring and found evidence for extensive hybridization, with 41.3% and 17.8% of the offspring having a hybrid status. Further, climate data revealed a higher degree of seasonality across the Oriental beech growing sites than across the planting sites in Western Europe, with some sites additionally having a warmer and drier climate. Accordingly, in one of these stands, we found evidence that bud burst of Oriental beech occurs four days earlier than in European beech. These results suggest that AGF of Oriental beech could increase the genetic diversity of European beech stands and may even help the introgression of variants that are more adapted to future climatic conditions. Our study showcases an evaluation of the benefits and risks of AGF and calls for similar studies on other native tree species.
Fibroids and Fertility: A Comparison of Myomectomy and Uterine Artery Embolization on Fertility and Reproductive Outcomes

Importance Leiomyomata, or fibroids, are a common gynecological problem affecting many women of reproductive age. Historically, myomectomy is offered to women with symptomatic fibroids who desire to preserve fertility. More recently, uterine artery embolization (UAE) has been explored as another fertility-sparing option. Objective This review aims to provide an in-depth summary of the effects on fertility and reproductive outcomes following myomectomy and UAE for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids. Evidence Acquisition Articles were obtained from PubMed using search terms myomectomy, uterine artery embolization, and fertility, as well as American Society of Reproductive Medicine practice committee reports. References from identified sources were searched to allow for thorough review. Results While myomectomy and UAE are both fertility-sparing options for women with fibroids, reproductive outcomes following myomectomy are superior to UAE with higher rates of clinical pregnancy and live births and lower rates of spontaneous abortion, abnormal placentation, preterm labor, and malpresentation. Conclusions Myomectomy should be offered to women with symptomatic submucosal or cavity-distorting fibroids who have a strong desire for a future pregnancy. For women who are not appropriate surgical candidates, UAE can be offered, although detrimental effects on future fertility should be disclosed. Relevance A thorough understanding of the efficacy of both myomectomy and UAE, as well as their impact on future fertility, allows for improved counseling when deciding the optimal intervention for women with fibroids who desire future fertility. Target Audience Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians Learning Objectives After completing this activity, the learner should be better able to describe the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of fibroids, with an emphasis on their impact on fertility; compare the indications, procedural techniques, and outcomes following myomectomy and UAE; and explain fertility and pregnancy outcomes following both myomectomy and UAE.
Semi‐classical resolvent estimates and regions free of resonances

We prove resolvent estimates for self‐adjoint operators of the form P(h)=−h2Δ+V(x,h) on L2(Rn) , n≥3 , where 00 , is a real‐valued potential. The potential is supposed to have very little regularity with respect to the radial variable, only. As a consequence, we obtain a region free of resonances in the case when V is of compact support.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF GLUCOCORTICOID ADMINISTARTION ON THE STRUCTURE OF ALVEOLAR BONE

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids is a potent anti-inflammatory which is used to treat autoimmune disorders. Also, its used as an immunosuppressive agent. It also has an important role in calcium homeostasis. Hypocalcemia is a common metabolic disorder that may develop due to certain pharmacological agents used in the treatment of other diseases. Drug-induced hypocalcemia may vary in severity from asymptomatic to morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty albino adult male rats whose weight ranges from 200-250 grams (about 6 months of age) were included in this study. They were divided randomly into 2 groups: Group I (control group), Group II (glucocorticoid group). Rats in group (II) were injected by methylprednisolone (40 mg/kg) intramuscular 3 times per week for three weeks. The animals were euthanized by the end of the experimental periods, after 3 weeks. The right molar segments were dissected out and prepared for light microscopic examination while the left molar sections were processed for energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS: The results of control group showed normal histological features of the alveolar bone. Regarding the glucocorticoid group, there was disturbance in the bone architecture. The bone surface showed an irregular outline with multiple resorptive craters and porosity. Deeply stained incremental lines were also evident. The results of EDX showed decrease in calcium and phosphorous percentage in group B than in group A. CONCLUSION: Glucocorticoid administration is a serious condition which leads to sever bone loss and alteration in structure of alveolar bone.
Rhetorical Role Labelling for Legal Judgements and Legal Document Summarization

As legal documents are usually not well structured especially in case of judiciary it is a very difficult task for lawyers or legal advisors to proceed ahead with the case smoothly. Automatically classifying the sentences into different labels can help the cases to proceed more smoothly within less time as the facts and other factors of the case in the document will already be mentioned beforehand.It is the same in case of summarizing of legal case documents. Rhetorical role classification and summarizing of legal case documents is a very difficult task as the documents are not well structured as mentioned above. For summarizing, we need to know about significance of a sentence in the judgement. In this paper,we address both the tasks for the documents provided by AILA(Artificial Intelligence for Legal Assistance). In this paper for both the tasks of rhetorical role labelling and summarizing of legal documents we used BERT model to train and test the dataset provided.For this task researchers used various models like conditional random fields(CRF),GCN,Bi-LSTM,BERT,etc,in which we found that BERT is the most used and also consistently performing model among all the models that compels us to used BERT in our task.Many prior works also used handcrafted features to perform the tasks while in our work we used deep learning approaches as we found that deep learning approaches performs better and are more accurate than the traditional handcrafted features.