Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Tubulin and Thaumatin Genes and Osmotic Factors in Salinity Tolerance of Tomato Plants

Soil salinity is a drastic abiotic factor that affects many physiological processes and whole plants’ activities, as well as up- and down-regulating gene expression. Studying the effect of salinity on tubulin and thaumatin relative gene expression as DNA markers for salinity stress in tomato plants is a scarcely studied topic. Tubulin regulates and plays an important role in the immunolocalization of xylem and phloem fibers in stems and additionally maintains the concept of heavy microtubule contribution during cellulose microfibril confession in secondary cell walls under abiotic and biotic stresses. Like tubulin, thaumatin-like proteins are concomitant with plant defense responses against both biotic and abiotic stresses. The expression of the thaumatin gene can be meaningfully induced after plants' exposure to either drought, freezing, or salinity stresses. Thus, the present investigation was conducted to study the impact of different salinity levels (0, 75, 100, and 120 mM NaCl) on the tomato plants’ growth, osmotic adjustment, and relative gene expression of both antioxidant and salt tolerance genes. As the salt concentration intensified, the fresh and dry weight of the shoots and the roots reduced significantly, accompanied by a reduction in chlorophyll a and carotenoids. On the other hand, salinity stress significantly decreased the level of osmotica (e.g., soluble sugars and soluble proteins) in tomato tissues compared to non-saline-grown plants, while a significant accumulation of free amino acids was recorded. At the molecular level, it was observed that the relative expression of the polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and thaumatin genes was high at the level of 100 mM NaCl, but it was suppressed at 120 mM NaCl. In contrast, salinity down-regulated tubulin gene expression in stressed tomato plants relative to controls, revealing various mechanisms that instigated salinity tolerance, which is concentration-dependent. The study recommended the importance of amino acids as osmotica as well as the relative expressions of PPO, peroxidase, and thaumatin genes in conferring salt tolerance at low to moderate salt levels.
Organic Geochemical Character of Some Deep Sea Drilling Project Cores from Legs 76 and 44

Pyrolysis assay, bitumen analysis, and elemental analysis of kerogen were used to characterize the organic matter of selected core samples from Hole 534A (Leg 76) and Hole 391C (Leg 44) on the Blake-Bahama Plateau. The organic matter throughout the stratigraphic section appears to be principally of a terrestrial origin. The data from several isolated horizons in the Hatteras and Blake-Bahama Formations imply the presence of significant quantities of autochthonous marine organic matter. However, these horizons appear so limited that they cannot be considered potential liquid hydrocarbon source rocks. All the analyzed samples are immature and have not evolved sufficiently to enter into the main stage of hydrocarbon generation. The temporal and spatial restrictions of strata rich in marine organic matter suggest that they do not represent major expansions and contractions of anoxic bottom-water masses, but represent limited occurrences of anoxic conditions.
Response Surface Modelling and Optimization of Lead Adsorption from Wastewater Using Rice Husk Activated Carbon

Nigeria is renowned for its vast production of paddy rice, resulting in a significant volume of rice husk generation. Consequently, the conversion of these quantities of rice husk into beneficial applications is imperative to mitigate environmental pollution. The rice husk, procured from local millers in Zaria market, Nigeria, was subjected to thermal and chemical methods to produce activated carbon. The carbonization process involved heating at three different temperatures (300, 350 and 400 ℃) and subsequent mixing with 1M H3PO4 at a 1:2 ratio. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted, varying dosages of rice husk activated carbon (1 - 5 g), lead initial concentrations (10 - 60 mg/l), and carbonization temperatures (300 - 400 ℃). The Response Surface Methodology was utilized to model the adsorption capacities and removal efficiencies obtained. At carbonization temperature of 350 ℃, initial lead concentration of 60 mg/l, and adsorbent dosage of 3 g, the optimum removal efficiency and adsorption capacity 100% and 1.690 mg/g, respectively were observed. The veracity of the model equations was confirmed through the verification of the optimum adsorption conditions, with recorded percentage errors of 0.253% and 17.988%, for removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, respectively. The study's findings showed that rice husk activated carbon was highly effective in removing lead from wastewater. Furthermore, the model equations demonstrated reliability in forecasting the responses, and the optimum conditions were deemed valid.
A Study of the Aekmagi Ritual in Jeju Shamanic Religion: Focusing on the Sacred Status of Shamans and the Significance of Sacrifice

In the Jeju shamanic religion, chickens have been sacrificed for aekmagi, a ritual to prevent aek, a looming misfortune that may cause death. Whereas ordinary participants are thought to be at risk of harm when possessing or eating chickens or other offerings made to prevent aek, the simbang, Jeju shamans, are thought to be immune to it. Simbang are believed to be permanently on the threshold between the human and the divine realms. They help remove aek but are not harmed by it, because it only harms humans in the human realm, not the person on the boundary. While the other participants are temporarily placed in the liminal state during aekmagi and come back to the ordinary living human realm after the ritual, simbang remain in the perpetual liminal state. Chicken sacrifice has been omitted from aekmagi since around 2010 in most places in Jeju-do. Though ritual killing is no longer practiced, adherents still think that aek is prevented by aekmagi. The Jeju people believe that gods are the main agents of preventing aek and that they can persuade the gods to do the work without receiving chickens’ lives. In addition, due to the change in people’s view on killing animals, aekmagi without chicken sacrifice has become a more efficient ritual system for nourishing social sustenance by following the new social prescription.
Comparison of prostate‐specific membrane antigen ligands in clinical translation research for diagnosis of prostate cancer

Prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA), overexpressed on prostate cancer (PCa), is a well‐characterized cell surface protein to selectively diagnose PCa. PSMA's unique characteristics and its 1000‐fold higher expression in PCa compared with other tissues renders it as a suitable biomarker for detection of PCa in its early stage. In this report, we critically analyze and recommend the requirements needed for the development of variety of PSMA‐targeted molecular imaging agents based on antibodies, small molecule ligands, peptides, and aptamers. The targeting moieties are either conjugated to radionuclear isotopes or near‐infrared agents for efficient diagnosis of PCa.
PBS3 and EPS1 complete salicylic acid biosynthesis from isochorismate in Arabidopsis

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important phytohormone mediating both local and systemic defense responses in plants. Despite over half a century of research, how plants biosynthesize SA remains unresolved. In Arabidopsis, a major part of SA is derived from isochorismate, a key intermediate produced by the isochorismate synthase (ICS), which is reminiscent of SA biosynthesis in bacteria. Whereas bacteria employ an isochorismate pyruvate lyase (IPL) that catalyzes the turnover of isochorismate to pyruvate and SA, plants do not contain an IPL ortholog and generate SA from isochorismate through an unknown mechanism. Combining genetic and biochemical approaches, we delineated the SA biosynthetic pathway downstream of isochorismate in Arabidopsis. We show that PBS3, a GH3 acyl adenylase-family enzyme important for SA accumulation, catalyzes ATP- and Mg2+-dependent conjugation of L-glutamate primarily to the 8-carboxyl of isochorismate and yields the key SA biosynthetic intermediate isochorismoyl-glutamate A. Moreover, EPS1, a BAHD acyltransferase-family protein with previously implicated role in SA accumulation upon pathogen attack, harbors a noncanonical active site and an unprecedented isochorismoyl-glutamate A pyruvoyl-glutamate lyase (IPGL) activity that produces SA from the isochorismoyl-glutamate A substrate. Together, PBS3 and EPS1 form a two-step metabolic pathway to produce SA from isochorismate in Arabidopsis, which is distinct from how SA is biosynthesized in bacteria. This study closes a major knowledge gap in plant SA metabolism and would help develop new strategies for engineering disease resistance in crop plants.
Association of acne with impaired dermatologic quality of life among Young People in Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey

Objective: Acne, particularly severe forms, may impair quality of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of acne, its severity, and its impact on the quality of life among young people in Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1017 systematically selected undergraduates in a Nigerian University using a 24-item self-administered questionnaire. We derived the proportions and means of participants’ characteristics and computed the crude and specific (age, sex, and location of residence) prevalence. We then conducted bivariate analysis and used binary logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the report of acne and the dermatologic quality of life. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results: About half (539; 53.0%) of the respondents were females, while 478 (47.0%) were males with mean ages of 16.6 (±1.2) and 16.8 (±1.4) (p = 0.004) respectively. The prevalence of self-reported acne was 61.3% (58.2-64.3). Participants reporting acne were four times more likely to perceive an impairment in dermatologic quality of life (AOR: 4.18 [2.77-6.33]). The perceived severity of acne was statistically related to the dermatologic quality of life. Participants with moderate (AOR: 3.05 [2.19-4.25]) and severe (AOR: 7.96 [3.12-20.16]) acne were at increased odds of impairment of dermatologic quality of life compared to those with no or mild acne. Conclusion: The self-report of acne and its severity are associated with diminished quality of life independent of age and sex. The management of acne among young people should include strategies to improve their perceived quality of life.
Microsnoop: A Generalized Tool for Unbiased Representation of Diverse Microscopy Images

Microscopy image profiling is becoming increasingly important in biological research. Microsnoop is a new deep learning-based representation tool that has been trained on large-scale microscopy images using masked self-supervised learning, eliminating the need for manual annotation. Microsnoop can unbiasedly profile a wide range of complex and heterogeneous images, including single-cell, fully imaged, and batch-experiment data. Its performance was evaluated on seven high-quality datasets, containing over 358,000 images and 1,270,000 single cells with varying resolutions and channels from cellular organelles to tissues. The results show that Microsnoop outperforms previous generalist and even custom algorithms, demonstrating its robustness and state-of-the-art performance in all biological applications. Furthermore, Microsnoop can contribute to multi-modal studies and is highly inclusive of GPU and CPU capabilities. It can be easily and freely deployed on local or cloud computing platforms.
Pilsicainide Toxicity-Induced Brugada-Like ST Segment Elevation and Increased Pacing Voltage Threshold

Pilsicainide is a class Ic antiarrhythmic agent that exhibits fully selective sodium channel blockade. In Japan, it is one of the most prescribed medicines for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation. Pilsicainide is mainly excreted by the kidney. Therefore, the plasma concentration of pilsicainide is likely to be increased in patients with renal insufficiency. In this case report, a 90-year-old woman presented with generalized fatigue and loss of appetite. Her ECG showed marked bradycardia and coved-type ST-segment elevation similar to that of the Brugada type 1 pattern. Owing to dehydration, her renal function indices worsened compared with those measured four months prior. The plasma pilsicainide concentration was elevated to 2.67 µg/mL (therapeutic range: 0.20-0.90 µg/mL), indicating pilsicainide toxicity. A transvenous temporary pacemaker was placed; however, the pacing voltage threshold was increased at several sites within the right ventricle. Pilsicainide administration was immediately discontinued. On day 2 of admission, ventricular backup pacing was no longer required, and there was an improvement in renal function and heart failure symptoms, such as pulmonary edema and cardiomegaly. The ECG changes improved alongside the renal function and as the plasma concentration of pilsicainide decreased. In conclusion, elevated plasma concentrations of pilsicainide can induce life-threatening arrhythmias and pacing failure. Therefore, clinicians should prescribe pilsicainide cautiously, particularly in older patients.
Generalized Zero-Shot Learning for Action Recognition Fusing Text and Image GANs

Generalized Zero-Shot Action Recognition (GZSAR) is geared towards recognizing classes that the model has not been trained on, while still maintaining robust performance on the familiar, trained classes. This approach mitigates the need for an extensive amount of labeled training data and enhances the efficient utilization of available datasets. The main contribution of this paper is a novel approach for GZSAR that combines the power of two Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). One GAN is responsible for generating embeddings from visual representations, while the other GAN focuses on generating embeddings from textual representations. These generated embeddings are fused, with the selection of the maximum value from each array that represents the embeddings, and this fused data is then utilized to train a GZSAR classifier in a supervised manner. This framework also incorporates a feature refinement component and an out-of-distribution detector to mitigate the domain shift problem between seen and unseen classes. In our experiments, notable improvements were observed. On the UCF101 benchmark dataset, we achieved a 7.43% increase in performance, rising from 50.93% (utilizing images and Word2Vec alone) to 54.71% with the implementation of two GANs. Additionally, on the HMDB51 dataset, we saw a 7.06% improvement, advancing from 36.11% using Text and Word2Vec to 38.66% with the dual-GAN approach. These results underscore the efficacy of our dual-GAN framework in enhancing GZSAR performance. The rest of the paper shows the main contributions to the field of GZSAR and highlights the potential and future lines of research in this exciting area.
Factors Influencing Purchase Intention in Mobile Shopping Applications with Satisfaction as Moderating Variable

Mobile shopping applications have become popular in the Indonesian e-commerce industry, as mobile shopping provides a distinct shopping experience compared to browser-based shopping. This study seeks to investigate the attitudes of mobile shopping application users as they relate to purchase intention, with satisfaction acting as a moderating variable. Investigating these factors, it gives insights into the aspects that influence user satisfaction and purchase intention which can help business design sales and marketing strategies. This study also aims to fill gaps in the existing literature by categorizing perceived benefits into social value and hedonic value in order to determine their impact on satisfaction when users are using the mobile shopping application. Using online surveys, 307 Indonesian respondents are collected in total. This study's empirical findings indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived risk, social value, and hedonic value are significant predictors of customer satisfaction (STT). Surprisingly, Satisfaction (STT) is found to be insignificantly influenced by Perceived of Use (PEU). Satisfaction (STT) was then found to have a significant effect on users’ purchase intention.
Green tea polyphenol (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) improves gut dysbiosis and serum bile acids dysregulation in high-fat diet-fed mice

Gut microbiota have profound effects on bile acid metabolism by promoting deconjugation, dehydrogenation, and dehydroxylation of primary bile acids in the distal small intestine and colon. High-fat diet-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota and bile acid dysregulation may be involved in the pathology of steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenolic catechin in green tea, has been widely investigated for its inhibitory or preventive effects against fatty liver. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on the abundance of gut microbiota and the composition of serum bile acids in high-fat diet-fed mice and determine the specific bacterial genera that can improve the serum bile acid dysregulation associated with EGCG anti-hepatic steatosis action. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed with the control diet, high-fat diet, or high-fat diet + EGCG at a concentration of 0.32% for 8 weeks. EGCG significantly inhibited the increases in weight, the area of fatty lesions, and the triglyceride content in the liver induced by the high-fat diet. Principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in microbial structure among the groups. At the genus level, EGCG induced changes in the microbiota composition in high-fat diet-fed mice, showing a significantly higher abundance of Adlercreutzia, Akkermansia, Allobaculum and a significantly lower abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae. EGCG significantly reversed the decreased population of serum primary cholic acid and β-muricholic acid as well as the increased population of taurine-conjugated cholic acid, β-muricholic acid and deoxycholic acid in high-fat diet-fed mice. Finally, the correlation analysis between bile acid profiles and gut microbiota demonstrated the contribution of Akkermansia and Desulfovibrionaceae in the improvement of bile acid dysregulation in high-fat diet-fed mice by treatment with EGCG. In conclusion, the present study suggests that EGCG could alter bile acid metabolism, especially taurine deconjugation, and suppress fatty liver disease by improving the intestinal luminal environment.
Assessing long-term change in rangeland ecological health using the Western Australian rangeland monitoring system

WARMS Rangeland Ecological Health iv October 2007 The rangelands or semi-arid and arid regions of Western Australia occupy about 87 percent of the land area. Pastoral grazing of managed livestock, mainly sheep and cattle, occurs over much of this area, with an increasing proportion being allocated to the state conservation estate. Rangeland monitoring began at the local scale in the 1950s and since then has been closely tied to the needs of the pastoral industry. By 1992 a regional-scale, ground-based system was in place after two decades of trialling precursor techniques. The state-wide pastoral monitoring programme, known as the Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS), helps to monitor the state’s natural vegetation and soil resources. Change in soil and vegetation attributes through time, in response to climatic conditions, herbivore grazing, fire and other natural and anthropogenic drivers in the rangelands is known as change in range condition or range trend. When range condition is used in an ecological context, as it is in this research, an improving trend implies an improvement in ecological integrity or ecosystem health. In contrast, a declining trend implies a reduction in integrity, otherwise known as natural resource degradation. The principal objective of this study is to produce a regional-scale, long-term quantitative assessment of range condition change in the southern rangelands of Western Australia, using WARMS transect data. Previous analyses of the WARMS database have examined selected vegetation parameters, but this study is the first to calculate a single integrated range condition index. The assessment covers an area of approximately 760,000 km, stretching southeast from the southern Pilbara region through the Gascoyne-Murchison and Goldfields regions to the Nullarbor region on the Great Australia Bight. WARMS is designed to provide data and information for assessing regional and long-term changes in
Design, Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of Wheat Crop Thresher for Small-Scale Farmers

Wheat crop thresher had been designed, manufactured and tested in the workshop of the department of agricultural engineering, faculty of agricultural sciences, university of Dongola, northern state of Sudan under collaboration of Alshamaliya for Agricultural Services Company, for small-scale farmers were made simple and includes threshing cylinder, concave, shaker, pulleys and sieve. For purpose of improving thresh efficiency the cylinder-concave clearance was made adjustable at two points. The thresher was tested for wheat variety (Imam) at two levels of concave-clearance (15, 20 mm), two fan speeds (1042, 1390 rpm), two cylinder speeds (650, 900 rpm) and two cylinder types using (rasp-bar type, wire-loop type) three replications in a randomized complete block design. Results obtained showed a high efficiency of threshing at clearance 20 mm in fan speed of 1390 rpm at a cylinder speed of 900 rpm and rasp-bar type cylinder. The shape and diameter of concave and sieve holes which designated according to the geometric mean diameter for tested wheat has given a very good results based on threshing efficiency (TE), separation losses (SL), cleaning efficiency (CE) and product purity (Pp) which were 69.9 %, 30.1 %, 82.3 % and 93.2 % respectively.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed an increase in cancer diagnoses and a decrease in prehabilitation programs among patients in Transylvania

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant disruptions to the landscape of oncological medicine, resulting in postponed cancer diagnoses and treatments, poor implementation of prehabilitation programmes, and an overall altered general care. Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the profile of patients admitted to a clinical Hospital from Transylvania, and to evaluate its detrimental effect on the implementation of prehabilitation/rehabilitation programs for patients diagnosed with cancer. Material and methods: The study compared two groups of patients, the ones admitted to the hospital in the year before the pandemic (2019) and the others admitted in 2020. We recorded the number of new cancer diagnoses, the performed interventions of prehabilitation/rehabilitation and we compared the results. Results: The diagnosis of cancer was statistically significantly more frequent in the pandemic year 2020 compared to the same timeframe in 2019. Additionally, fewer interventions of physical prehabilitation or rehabilitation were applied during the pandemic period. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on the cancer patient´s benefit from prehabilitation/rehabilitation interventions