Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low Molecular Weight and High Deacetylation Degree Chitosan Batch Alleviates Pathogenesis, Toxin Accumulation, and Fusarium Gene Regulation in Barley Leaf Pathosystem

Fusarium graminearum is a cosmopolitan fungal pathogen that destroys cereal production, in terms of loss of yield and grain contamination with mycotoxins, worldwide. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer abundant in the environment with proven antifungal properties that also acts as a plant immunity elicitor. Despite a number of articles, there is a lack of systematic comparison of antifungal activity of diverse batches of chitosan. The current study aimed to test the inhibitory effects of a collection of diverse chitosan samples on the growth and production of F. graminearum toxins, validated by changes in the Fusarium transcriptome. Experiments included testing antifungal activity of different chitosan samples, the application of the best performing one in vitro to investigate the impact on F. graminearum growth, followed by analyzing its effect on Fusarium toxins accumulation, and Fusarium transcriptomics in the barley leaf pathosystem. Confirmatory antifungal assays revealed that CS_10, a specific batch of chitosan, retarded Fusarium growth with an application concentration of 200 ppm, significantly reducing toxin synthesis and disease symptoms in Fusarium-inoculated barley leaves. RNA-Seq analysis of F. graminearum in barley leaf pathosystem exposed to CS_10 showed a list of differentially expressed genes involved in redox balance, cell respiration, nutrient transport, cell wall degradation enzymes, ergosterol biosynthesis, and trichothecenes production. The genes functioning in these essential pathways are discussed and assigned as critical checkpoints to control Fusarium infections. The results suggest some important molecular targets in F. graminearum that may be suitable in gene-specific targeting or transgene-free methods, such as spray-induced gene silencing during host-pathogen interactions.
The microbiota of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO cheese: a study across the manufacturing process

Introduction Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO cheese (MBC) is a globally esteemed Italian cheese. The traditional cheesemaking process of MBC relies on natural whey starter culture, water buffalo's milk, and the local agroecosystem. Methods In this study, the microbial ecology of intermediate samples of MBC production, coming from two dairies with slightly different cheesemaking technology (dairy M large producer, and dairy C medium-small), was investigated using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This research aimed to provide insights into the dynamics of microbial consortia involved in various cheesemaking steps. Results and discussion All samples, except for raw buffalo milk, exhibited a core microbiome predominantly composed of Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. , albeit with different ratios between the two genera across the two MBC producers. Notably, the microbiota of the brine from both dairies, analyzed using 16S amplicon sequencing for the first time, was dominated by the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus genera, while only dairy C showed the presence of minor genera such as Pediococcus and Lentilactobacillus. Intriguingly, the final mozzarella samples from both producers displayed an inversion in the dominance of Lactobacillus spp. over Streptococcus spp. in the microbiota compared to curd samples, possibly attributable to the alleviation of thermal stress following the curd stretching step. In conclusion, the different samples from the two production facilities did not exhibit significant differences in terms of the species involved in MBC cheesemaking. This finding confirms that the key role in the MBC cheesemaking process lies with a small-sized microbiome primarily composed of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus spp.
Chronic Kidney Disease Linked to Higher Incidence of Gastric Diseases

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and different gastric diseases by conducting a population-based retrospective analysis using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. A total of 7,159,694 patients diagnosed with gastric diseases with or without CKD were included, and the diagnoses of gastritis, gastric polyps, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and Helicobacter pylori infection were based on ICD-10-CM codes. The study found a higher prevalence of gastritis and gastric polyps in patients with CKD compared to patients without CKD, especially in the late stages of CKD. After adjustment, patients with CKD also had a higher risk of developing these gastric diseases than patients without CKD. However, there was no significant association between all stages of CKD and PUD or Helicobacter pylori infection. These results underscored the importance of monitoring gastric health in patients with CKD.
Urban Transport and Mobility

Urban areas and their populations are expected to grow substantially in the next 40 years, particularly in the least developed countries that are less likely to tackle the resulting problems. The objectives of urban transport policy are unlikely to change significantly. However, priorities are likely to change over time. Climate change, resource depletion, health and resilience are expected to be of growing importance. Congestion, pollution, safety, accessibility and the attributes of climate change are likely to grow even more rapidly than urban populations, as a result of growing motorization and urban sprawl. There are considerable opportunities for technological innovation, particularly in motive power sources and vehicle design, and to a lesser extent in the form of driverless public transport systems. Such technologies will not provide a complete answer to the problems which cities will face. Behavioral change will be of equal importance and will require a growing emphasis on demand management. Innovations in the range of transport policy instruments can be expected to continue, reflecting recent trends in which as many as ten new policy approaches have arisen in each decade. This will provide a wider range of options for cities but will increase the need for objective evaluation of these innovative solutions. The development of packages of policy measures, including new technologies and new and existing transport policy instruments will be of increasing importance. More effort is needed to understand the design of effective policy packages in different contexts, both through underpinning research and through the collection of empirical evidence as leading cities apply such packages. Innovation in urban transport policy can be applied at several stages in the policy process. At the early stages of understanding problems and developing possible solutions, innovations in decision-support tools and in the policy making process can help overcome barriers to progress. In considering the range of possible solutions, innovations in technology and also in policy instruments can contribute to a richer policy package. Once policies are being prepared for implementation, innovations in governance, finance and in increasing public acceptability will help to streamline the implementation process. Finally, when one city has achieved success with an innovative policy, innovations in learning culture and in information exchange can help ensure effective policy transfer to other cities. To be fully effective, innovation needs to be pursued, and encouraged on all of these fronts
ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF TRICHODESMA INDICUM (L.) R.BR.AND TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS L.ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF MAIZE AND WHEAT

: Allelopathy is the direct or indirect effect of one plant on another through release of substances in the environment and occurs widely in natural plant communities. The secondary metabolites or natural products involved in allelopathy are called allelochemicals and can be produced in different parts of the plants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the allelopathic potential of invasive plant weed Trichodesma indicum (L.) R. Br. and Tribulus terrestris L. on seed germination and seedling growth of maize ( Zea mays L.) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). The laboratory bioassay was conducted to study root, stem, leaf and whole plant aqueous extracts of T. indicum and T. terrestris at 05%, 10%, 15 and 20% concentrations against maize and wheat. It is interesting to note that, the all concentrations of both the weed extracts noticeably inhibited the germination and seedling growth of maize and wheat. Increasing concentrations of extracts (15% and 20%) greatly affected a germination percentage and root shoot length of both the test crops. The plumule length was more affected than radicle growth in all extracts of both the weeds.
Developing the “Language Profile Test” for Greek Students aged 11-15 Years.

This paper discusses the development of the “Language Profile Test,” a tool for assessing the underlying component skills of reading fluency and comprehension for students aged 11–15 in the context of Greek as L1. The test consists of five subtests: three reading subtests (isolated words, pseudowords, and text), spelling (single-word spelling), comprehension, and vocabulary (cloze test). The paper aims to present the development of the test, which was based on previous research on lexical representations, specialized corpora, word-frequency lists, and cloze tests as a measure of vocabulary assessment and comprehension, reading fluency, and spelling. Special emphasis has been given to the asymmetry in the transparency of Greek orthography between the feedforward (reading) and feedback (spelling) directions that were considered for the test creation. The “Language Profile Test” was tested on a sample of 346 students. Our findings revealed that students fell into three performance categories for each subtest: high, average, and low. This classification can give teachers more insights into students’ challenges regarding the underlying components of reading fluency and comprehension.
Flow Characteristics in Perforated Subsurface Drain of Drainage System Application: Case Study of Gate Fully Open with Longitudinal Slope 1/500

Subsurface drainage is part of a sustainable drainage system's components. This component represents the infiltration of stormwater into the subsurface drainage system for flow attenuation purposes. This study examines the flow parameters of subsurface drainage components. The laboratory validation of perforated subsurface drains was conducted at a longitudinal slope gradient of 1/500 with the Gate Fully Open. The manning, n data obtained in these experiments varies with several hydraulic parameters. Therefore, the experimental relationship between the flow characteristics of these subsurface drain components has been investigated. The relationship between flow behavior has been determined. The sub-critical and supercritical, and turbulence flow has occurred in this study.
A cleaved METTL3 potentiates the METTL3-WTAP interaction and breast 1 cancer progression 2

35 N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) methylation of RNA by the methyltransferase complex (MTC), with core 36 components including METTL3-METTL14 heterodimers and Wilms’ tumor 1-associated protein 37 (WTAP), contributes to breast tumorigenesis, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. 38 Here, we identify a novel cleaved form METTL3a (residues 239-580 of METTL3). We find that 39 METTL3a is required for the METTL3-WTAP interaction, RNA m 6 A deposition, as well as cancer cell 40 proliferation. Mechanistically, we find that METTL3a is essential for the METTL3-METTL3 interaction, 41 which is a prerequisite step for recruitment of WTAP in MTC. Analysis of m 6 A sequencing data shows 42 that depletion of METTL3a globally disrupts m 6 A deposition, and METTL3a mediates mTOR activation 43 via m 6 A-mediated suppression of TMEM127 expression. Moreover, we find that METTL3 cleavage is 44 mediated by proteasome in an mTOR-dependent manner, revealing positive regulatory feedback between 45 METTL3a and mTOR signaling. Our findings reveal METTL3a as an important component of MTC, 46 and suggest the METTL3a-mTOR axis as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. 47
Oyster life positions and shell beds from the Upper Jurassic of Poland

s, 28th Intemational Geological Congress, 70. Washington, D.C. Seilacher, A. , Matyja, B.A., & Wierzbowski, A. 1985. Oyster Beds: Morphologic response to changing substrate conditions. In: U. Bayer & A. Seilacher (eds), Sedimentary and Evolutionary Cycles. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 1,421435. Skelton,P.W&Gili,E. l99l.Palaeoecologicalclassificationofrudistmorphotypes. In:Proceedingsofthe First Intemational Conference on Rudists (Beograd, 1988) Serbian Geological Society Special P ublications 2. 265-287 . smith,A.B. &Paul,C.R.C.1985. variationintheirregularechinoidDiscoidesduńngtheearlyCenomanian. Special Papers in Palaeontology 33,29-37. Stenzel, H.B. 1971. Oysters. 1n: R.C. Moore & C. Teichert (eds), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology (N) Mollusca 6, Bivalvia 3, N953-Nlf24.Unwersity of Kansas Printing Service, Lawrence. Taylor, P.D. 1990. Preservation of soft-bodied and other organisms by bioimmuration a review. Palaeontology 33, I-I7 . Thomson, J.M. 1954. The genera of oysters and the Australian species. Australian Journal Marine and F re shw at e r Re s e arch 5, I3f-I68. Todd, J.A. 1993. The bivalve shell as a preservation trap, as illustrated by the Late Jurassic gryphaeid, Deltoideum delta (Smith). Scripta Geologica, Special Issue 2,417433. Trammer, J. 1981. Morphological variation and relative growth in two Jurassic demosponges. Neues J ahrbuc h fiir G e o lo g i e und P altiont ol o gi e, M onat s heft e 1, 5 M4. Waddington, C.H. 1957.The Strategy of Genes.262pp. Allen & Unwin, London.
Design of Waveguide Slot Filtering Antenna With Wide Suppression Bandwidth

This letter presents a waveguide slot filtering antenna that uses two filtering technologies to achieve a wide suppression bandwidth (SBW). The filtering response is achieved by a frequency-selective surface (FSS) and a coaxial waveguide filtering converter (CWFC). The FSS loaded on the internal bottom of the waveguide slot antenna serves as the first-stage out-band filtering. The CWFC, which realizes the filtering response and impedance matching, acts as the second-stage out-band filtering, providing a wide SBW is obtained with high suppression levels. To verify the design concept, a wide SBW waveguide slot filtering antenna is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measured results show that the proposed antenna obtains the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula>10 dB impedance bandwidth of about 13.6% (9.42–10.79 GHz) and the stable gain of about 11.5 dBi with the cross-polarization levels less than <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula>30 dB in the main beam, and the SBW of about 24.6% (11.68–14.95 GHz) with suppression levels above 41.5 dB.
Assessment of the Influence of Risk Factors on the Incidence of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) in the Northern Pakistani Population

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral cancer, accounting for over 94 percent of all cases, with substantial disparities in occurrence among South Asian countries. In Pakistan its occurrence rate rises from last two decade. A combination of risk factor habit, duration and intensity doubles the rate of incidence. Methods: Fully informed consent was taken. Both genders having age 18-55 years and cases confirmed by biopsy reports were included in the study. A thorough history of the disease and risk factors were taken and labelled (smoking, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing) accordingly. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. Gender base stratification was done using chi-square test and significance was defined as a P value of ? 0.05. Results: In present study 110 (73.3%) male and 40 (26.7%) female patients. Mean ±SD of age of OSCC patients was 47.00± 9.170 years. Among the participants 9 (6.0%) smokers, 39 (26.0%) consumed alcohol, use betel and 24 (16.0%) areca nut pan. Association of smoking with gender was statistically significant (p=0.013). Similarly, betel nut chewing also showed statistically significant correlation with gender (p=0.044). Both alcohol and snuff did not show any statistically significant correlation with gender. Conclusion: The public should be aware of the association of the risk factors and development of oral cancer. Public health measures should be taken to prevent smoking and chewing tobacco.
Assessment of Exposure to Air Pollution from Road Traffic : Use of Air Dispersion Model Caline4 at a Fine Scale in Cracow

This article deals with the road traffic air pollution modeling which is also part of a main multidisciplinary study of health risk characterization untitled: "Air pollution generated by road traffic and childhood asthma in Cracow". Cracow, a city declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, constitutes a relevant urban area to study insofar road traffic as a strong anthropogenic source of air pollution. The final aim of the health study is to establish in Cracow the relationship between air quality and the development of asthma among children. We have chosen the air dispersion model CALINE4 and its software interface, CALROADS VIEW, to estimate the PM10 and NO2 concentrations generated by road traffic at 43 key intersections in Cracow during the period 2001-2005. This model is recognized as an international reference in road traffic air pollution modeling. The concentration of traffic and trips in the historical downtown area and the importance of exchanges between the two downtowns of Cracow (historical downtown and Nowa Huta) are the main causes of high air pollution levels from road traffic. Depending on the pollutant considered (PM10, NO2) as well as the density of traffic and the meteorological situations, areas of exposure to air pollution and their potential health effects to the exposed population are quite different in time and in space. The main results show that: 1) Only the NO2 exposure areas reach the residential areas because the PM10 areas of exposure (Avg: 66.8 m SD: ą 48.5, max: 284 m) are quite less extensive than those of NO2 (Avg: 125.4 SD: ą 64.4, max: 381 m); 2) Extension of these two pollutant areas is proportionally related to the density of traffic and is extended in an unsymmetrical way around roads depending on meteorological cases determined by both the Pasquill-Gifford classification and the wind directions. According to our methodology, the validation of estimated PM10 and NO2 concentrations shows that they have been overwhelmingly validated.
Does exposure to democracy decrease health inequality?

Abstract Exposure to (a liberal) democracy can have an impact on both the political attention and visibility of the needs of marginalized populations, as well as the design of health policies that can influence the distribution of population health. This paper investigates the effect of exposure to democracy, that is, the number of years spent in a democracy as measured by democracy indexes, on various measures of inequality in self-reported health across European countries. We use an instrumental variable strategy to leverage the potential endogeneity of a country’s exposure to democracy, drawing on both bivariate (socioeconomic) and univariate health inequality measures. Our estimates provide evidence that an additional year in a democracy reduces both bivariate (income-related) health inequality and overall (univariate) health inequality. Our preferred specification suggests a two-point rank reduction in inequality with an additional year under a democracy. The effect is mainly driven by a reduction of “health poverty” alongside other effects.
The stimulation of school improvement processes: the orientation of development perspectives

ABSTRACT In a constantly changing world, schools need to adapt. Difficulties, successes, and experienced challenges can be important driving forces for school improvement. This study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the situation and decision-making processes related to school improvement strategies in socially disadvantaged areas, where schools face particularly challenging circumstances. The study comprises data from 100 Austrian schools, that is, answers to open-ended questions in a survey. A mixed-methods approach was applied. The qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The data were processed, frequencies of themes were determined, and latent profile analysis was applied. The results show the diversity of challenges, difficulties, strengths, and development perspectives reported by schools. The results of the latent profile analysis indicate that there are different underlying profiles in the orientation of development perspectives towards strengths, difficulties, challenges, and/or not identified factors.
Expression of Cholera Toxin (CT) and the Toxin Co-Regulated Pilus (TCP) by Variants of ToxT in Vibrio cholerae Strains

The expression of the two major virulence genes of Vibrio cholerae—tcpA (the major subunit of the toxin co-regulated pilus) and ctxAB (cholera toxin)—is regulated by the ToxR regulon, which is triggered by environmental stimuli during infection within the human small intestine. Special culture methods are required to induce the expression of virulence genes in V. cholerae in the laboratory setting. In the present study, induction of the expression of virulence genes by two point mutations (65th and 139th amino acids) in toxT, which is produced by the ToxR regulon and activates the transcription of the virulence genes in V. cholerae, under laboratory culture conditions has been investigated. Each of the four toxT alleles assessed displayed different transcriptional activator functions in a given V. cholerae strain. Although the ToxR regulon has been known to not be expressed by El Tor biotype V. cholerae strains cultured under standard laboratory conditions, the variant toxT alleles that we assessed in this study enabled the expression virulence genes in El Tor biotype strains grown under simple culture conditions comprising shake culture in LB medium, suggesting that the regulation of virulence gene expression may be regulated more complexly than previously thought and may involve additional factors beyond the production of ToxT by the ToxR regulon.
Rapid Assessment of Ocular Toxicity from Environmental Contaminants Based on Visually Mediated Zebrafish Behavior Studies

The presence of contaminants in the environment has increased in recent years, and studies have demonstrated that these contaminants have the ability to penetrate the blood–retinal barrier and directly affect the visual systems of organisms. Zebrafish are recognized as an ideal model for human eye diseases due to their anatomical and functional similarities to the human eye, making them an efficient and versatile organism for studying ocular toxicity caused by environmental contaminants in the field of environmental toxicology. Meanwhile, zebrafish exhibit a diverse repertoire of visually mediated behaviors, and their visual system undergoes complex changes in behavioral responses when exposed to environmental contaminants, enabling rapid assessment of the ocular toxicity induced by such pollutants. Therefore, this review aimed to highlight the effectiveness of zebrafish as a model for examining the effects of environmental contaminants on ocular development. Special attention is given to the visually mediated behavior of zebrafish, which allows for a rapid assessment of ocular toxicity resulting from exposure to environmental contaminants. Additionally, the potential mechanisms by which environmental contaminants may induce ocular toxicity are briefly outlined.