Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling the Inactivation of Viruses from the Coronaviridae Family in Response to Temperature and Relative Humidity in Suspensions or on Surfaces

The prediction of the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on fomites is essential in investigating the importance of contact transmission. This study collects available information on inactivation kinetics of coronaviruses in both solid and liquid fomites and creates a mathematical model for the impact of temperature and relative humidity on virus persistence. The predictions of the model can support more robust decision‐making and could be useful in various public health contexts. A calculator for the natural clearance of SARS-CoV-2 depending on temperature and relative humidity could be a valuable operational tool for public authorities. ABSTRACT Temperature and relative humidity are major factors determining virus inactivation in the environment. This article reviews inactivation data regarding coronaviruses on surfaces and in liquids from published studies and develops secondary models to predict coronaviruses inactivation as a function of temperature and relative humidity. A total of 102 D values (i.e., the time to obtain a log10 reduction of virus infectivity), including values for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), were collected from 26 published studies. The values obtained from the different coronaviruses and studies were found to be generally consistent. Five different models were fitted to the global data set of D values. The most appropriate model considered temperature and relative humidity. A spreadsheet predicting the inactivation of coronaviruses and the associated uncertainty is presented and can be used to predict virus inactivation for untested temperatures, time points, or any coronavirus strains belonging to Alphacoronavirus and Betacoronavirus genera. IMPORTANCE The prediction of the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on fomites is essential in investigating the importance of contact transmission. This study collects available information on inactivation kinetics of coronaviruses in both solid and liquid fomites and creates a mathematical model for the impact of temperature and relative humidity on virus persistence. The predictions of the model can support more robust decision‐making and could be useful in various public health contexts. A calculator for the natural clearance of SARS-CoV-2 depending on temperature and relative humidity could be a valuable operational tool for public authorities.
Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Contagion and Frontline Paramedics’ Agonistic Behaviour: Employing a Stressor–Strain–Outcome Perspective

Historically, infectious diseases have been the leading cause of human psychosomatic strain and death tolls. This research investigated the recent threat of COVID-19 contagion, especially its impact among frontline paramedics treating patients with COVID-19, and their perception of self-infection, which ultimately increases their agonistic behaviour. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome paradigm, a research model was proposed and investigated using survey-based data through a structured questionnaire. The results found that the perceived threat of COVID-19 contagion (emotional and cognitive threat) was positively correlated with physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, which led toward agonistic behaviour. Further, perceived social support was a key moderator that negatively affected the relationships between agonistic behaviour and physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. These findings significantly contributed to the current literature concerning COVID-19 and pandemic-related effects on human behaviour. This study also theorized the concept of human agonistic behaviour, which has key implications for future researchers.
Carbon input to soil may decrease soil carbon content

It is commonly predicted that the intensity of primary production and soil carbon (C) content are positively linked. Paradoxically, many long-term field observations show that although plant litter is incorporated to soil in large quantities, soil C content does not necessarily increase. These results suggest that a negative relationship between C input and soil C conservation exists. Here, we demonstrate in controlled conditions that the supply of fresh C may accelerate the decomposition of soil C and induce a negative C balance. We show that soil C losses increase when soil microbes are nutrient limited. Results highlight the need for a better understanding of microbial mechanisms involved in the complex relationship between C input and soil C sequestration. We conclude that energy available to soil microbes and microbial competition are important determinants of soil C decomposition.
Lipids by Yarrowia lipolytica Strains Cultivated on Glucose in Batch Cultures

Oleaginous microorganisms, such as Yarrowia lipolytica, accumulate lipids that can have interesting applications in food biotechnology or the synthesis of biodiesel. Y. lipolytica yeast can have many advantages such as wide substrate range usage and robustness to extreme conditions, while under several culture conditions it can produce high lipid productivity. Based on this assumption, in this study, 12 different Yarrowia lipolytica strains were used to investigate microbial lipid production using a glucose-based medium under nitrogen-limited conditions in shake-flask cultivations. Twelve wild-type or mutant strains of Yarrowia lipolytica which were newly isolated or belonged to official culture collections were tested, and moderate lipid quantities (up to 1.30 g/L) were produced; in many instances, nitrogen limitation led to citric acid production in the medium. Lipids were mainly composed of C16 and C18 fatty acids. Most of the fatty acids of the microbial lipid were unsaturated and corresponded mainly to oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids. Linolenic acid (C18:3) was produced in significant quantities (between 10% and 20%, wt/wt of dry cell weight (DCW)) by strains H917 and Po1dL.
Resistance to PD1 blockade in the absence of metalloprotease-mediated LAG3 shedding

LAG3 shedding from conventional CD4+ T cells drives responsiveness to anti-PD1 immunotherapy (see the related Focus by Seidel and Bengsch). Lending PD1 a helping hand LAG3 is an inhibitory receptor expressed on exhausted T cells that is thought to temper T cell activation by engaging peptide–MHC class II complexes. Here, Andrews et al. have engineered mice expressing a noncleavable form of LAG3 (LAG3NC) that cannot be shed from the cell surface by ADAM family proteases. By generating mouse strains that express LAG3NC ion-distinct T cell types, they found that LAG3 shedding by conventional CD4+ T cells rather than T regulatory cells (Tregs) or CD8+ T cells to be important for driving responsiveness to anti-PD1. Although both CD8+ T cells and Tregs have received considerable attention in the context of immunotherapy, this study highlights the importance of T cell help in promoting antitumor immunity. Mechanisms of resistance to cancer immunotherapy remain poorly understood. Lymphocyte activation gene–3 (LAG3) signaling is regulated by a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain-containing protein–10 (ADAM10)– and ADAM17-mediated cell surface shedding. Here, we show that mice expressing a metalloprotease-resistant, noncleavable LAG3 mutant (LAG3NC) are resistant to PD1 blockade and fail to mount an effective antitumor immune response. Expression of LAG3NC intrinsically perturbs CD4+ T conventional cells (Tconvs), limiting their capacity to provide CD8+ T cell help. Furthermore, the translational relevance for these observations is highlighted with an inverse correlation between high LAG3 and low ADAM10 expression on CD4+ Tconvs in the peripheral blood of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, which corresponded with poor prognosis. This correlation was also observed in a cohort of patients with skin cancers and was associated with increased disease progression after standard-of-care immunotherapy. These data suggest that subtle changes in LAG3 inhibitory receptor signaling can act as a resistance mechanism with a substantive effect on patient responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Removal of lead, mercury and nickel using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Objective. In this study the biomass of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to remove lead, mercury and nickel in the form of ions dissolved in water. Materials and methods. Synthetic solutions were prepared containing the three heavy metals, which were put in contact with viable microorganisms at different conditions of pH, temperature, aeration and agitation. Results. Both individual variables and the interaction effects influenced the biosorption process. Throughout the experimental framework it was observed that the biomass of Saccharomyces cerevisiae removed a higher percentage of lead (86.4%) as compared to mercury and nickel (69.7 and 47.8% respectively). When the pH was set at a value of 5 the effect was positive for all three metals. Conclusions. pH was the variable that had a greater influence on the biosorption of lead on the biomass of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The affinity of the heavy metals for the biomass followed the order Pb>Hg>Ni.
'In vitro' Micropropagation through Cotyledonary Node Culture of Castor Bean ('Ricinus communis' L.)

An efficient plant regeneration protocol was described for castor (Ricinus communis L.) using whole cotyledonary nodes as explant. Seeds were surface sterilized with 0.1% (w/v) mercuric chloride and germinated in growth regulatorfree MS medium. Cotyledonary nodes were excised from 5-7 days old seedlings and were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of BAP, Kin singly or in combination with NAA. Use of BAP at 3.0 mg.l -1 induced the highest frequency (85%) of shoot induction as well as maximum number of shoots per explant (12.56). Proliferated shoot clusters were elongated in 1.0 mg.l -1 BAP in combination with 0.25 mg.l -1 GA3 . For root induction, in vitro shoots were transferred to rooting media containing NAA or IBA. The highest rooting frequency (87.5%) as well as highest number of roots (10.5) was observed in MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg.l -1 NAA. Regenerated plantlets were acclimatized successfully in the growth room for further development.
Enhancing the Sensing Performance of Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbon to Detect NO, NO2, and NH3 Gases

In this article, a zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR)-based sensor was built utilizing the Atomistic ToolKit Virtual NanoLab (ATK-VNL), and used to detect nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ammonia (NH3). The successful adsorption of these gases on the surface of the ZGNR was investigated using adsorption energy (Eads), adsorption distance (D), charge transfer (∆Q), density of states (DOS), and band structure. Among the three gases, the ZGNR showed the highest adsorption energy for NO with −0.273 eV, the smallest adsorption distance with 2.88 Å, and the highest charge transfer with −0.104 e. Moreover, the DOS results reflected a significant increase of the density at the Fermi level due to the improvement of ZGNR conductivity as a result of gas adsorption. The surface of ZGNR was then modified with an epoxy group (-O-) once, then with a hydroxyl group (-OH), and finally with both (-O-) and (-OH) groups in order to improve the adsorption capacity of ZGNR. The adsorption parameters of ZGNR were improved significantly after the modification. The highest adsorption energy was found for the case of ZGNR-O-OH-NO2 with −0.953 eV, while the highest charge transfer was found for the case of ZGNR-OH-NO with −0.146 e. Consequently, ZGNR-OH and ZGNR-O-OH can be considered as promising gas sensors for NO and NO2, respectively.
Formulation Design, Statistical Optimization, and In Vitro Evaluation of a Naringenin Nanoemulsion to Enhance Apoptotic Activity in A549 Lung Cancer Cells

Naringenin (NAR), a flavonoid mainly found in citrus and grapefruits, has proven anti-cancer activities. However, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of NAR limits its use as a therapeutic agent. The aim of this study was to develop and optimize stable naringenin nanoemulsions (NAR-NE) using a Box–Behnken experimental design to obtain a formulation with a higher efficiency. Anticancer activity of optimized NAR-NE was evaluated in A549 lung cancer cells using cell viability, flow-cytometric assays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The stabilized nanoemulsion, which showed a spherical surface morphology, had a globule size of 85.6 ± 2.1 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.263 ± 0.02, a zeta potential of −9.6 ± 1.2 mV, and a drug content of 97.34 ± 1.3%. The NAR release from the nanoemulsion showed an initial burst release followed by a stable and controlled release for a longer period of 24 h. The nanoemulsion exhibited excellent thermodynamic and physical stability against phase separation and storage. The NAR-NE showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in A549 lung cancer cells, which was greater than that of free NAR. The percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M and pre-G1 phases induced by NAR-NE were significantly higher than those produced by free NAR (p < 0.05). NAR-NEs were more effective than the NAR solution in reducing Bcl2 expression, while increasing pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-3 activity. Therefore, stabilized NAR-NE could be a suitable drug delivery system to enhance the effects of NAR in the treatment of lung cancer.
DESCRIBING NORTHERN ABALONE, HALIOTIS KAMTSCHATKANA, HABITAT: FOCUSING REBUILDING EFFORTS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Abstract The northern abalone is listed as threatened under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Northern abalone occur in a wide range of habitats from fairly sheltered bays to exposed coastlines. However, not all habitats are likely to support high abalone densities with large northern abalone that have high fecundity. Therefore, habitats that can support dense concentrations of large abalone would be better suited for aggregation rebuilding projects. Several experimental rebuilding projects are currently underway; the experimental sites were, in general, selected based on abalone presence and relative abundance. This study attempts to describe abalone habitat suitable for rebuilding efforts by using data from surveys completed at the start of the large decline of abalone densities observed in British Columbia (BC). Several areas were surveyed to determine abalone density on the southeast coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands and the north central mainland coast of BC between 1978 and 1980. Habitat data were recorded after each dive, including substrate types and dominant algae cover and species. Four categories of algal types were analyzed based on height and growth patterns: (1) canopy; (2) understorey (large bottom cover); (3) turf (short bottom cover); and (4) encrusting. In addition, an index of wave exposure was also calculated for each site surveyed. Northern abalone density was inversely correlated to mean abalone shell lengths. The exposure index was correlated positively to abalone density but negatively to mean shell length. Regression tree classifications successfully separated habitats of high and low abalone densities, but these differed from habitats classified using mean shell length as the response variable. To optimize rebuilding efforts, a compromise between the two classification models, one with density as the response variable and the other with mean shell length, may have to be developed.
Centrifuged Liquid and Breadmaking Properties of Frozen-and-Thawed Bread Dough

ABSTRACT Breadmaking properties (bread height, mm, and specific volume, cm3/g ) showed marked deterioration when bread dough was frozen and stored at -20°C for one day. However, these properties of bread dough baked after storage for three to six days were not further deteriorated as compared with that baked after one day of storage. A large amount of liquid was oozed from the frozen-and-thawed bread dough. The liquid was separated from the bread dough by centrifugation (38,900 × g for 120 min at 4°C), and collected by tilting the centrifuge tube at an angle of 45° for 30 min. There was a strong correlation between the amount of centrifuged liquid and breadmaking properties (bread height and specific volume). The mechanism responsible for the oozing of liquid in frozen-and- thawed bread dough was studied. The presence of yeast and salt in bread dough was suggested to be closely related to the amount of centrifuged liquid, and fermented products particularly had a large effect on the amount of centrifuged .
Comparative Assessment of Protein Kinase Inhibitors in Public Databases and in PKIDB

Since the first approval of a protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001, 55 new PKIs have reached the market, and many inhibitors are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. This is a clear indication that protein kinases still represent major drug targets for the pharmaceutical industry. In a previous work, we have introduced PKIDB, a publicly available database, gathering PKIs that have already been approved (Phase 4), as well as those currently in clinical trials (Phases 0 to 3). This database is updated frequently, and an analysis of the new data is presented here. In addition, we compared the set of PKIs present in PKIDB with the PKIs in early preclinical studies found in ChEMBL, the largest publicly available chemical database. For each dataset, the distribution of physicochemical descriptors related to drug-likeness is presented. From these results, updated guidelines to prioritize compounds for targeting protein kinases are proposed. The results of a principal component analysis (PCA) show that the PKIDB dataset is fully encompassed within all PKIs found in the public database. This observation is reinforced by a principal moments of inertia (PMI) analysis of all molecules. Interestingly, we notice that PKIs in clinical trials tend to explore new 3D chemical space. While a great majority of PKIs is located on the area of “flatland”, we find few compounds exploring the 3D structural space. Finally, a scaffold diversity analysis of the two datasets, based on frequency counts was performed. The results give insight into the chemical space of PKIs, and can guide researchers to reach out new unexplored areas. PKIDB is freely accessible from the following website: http://www.icoa. fr/pkidb.
Increased CD95 (Fas) and PD‐1 expression in peripheral blood T lymphocytes in COVID‐19 patients

A low count of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes is a hallmark laboratory finding in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Using flow cytometry, we observed significantly higher CD95 (Fas) and PD‐1 expression on both CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in 42 COVID‐19 patients when compared to controls. Higher CD95 expression in CD4+ cells correlated with lower CD4+ counts. A higher expression of CD95 in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes correlated with a lower percentage of naive events. Our results might suggest a shift to antigen‐activated T cells, expressing molecules increasing their propensity to apoptosis and exhaustion during COVID‐19 infection.
Influence of the Infill Orientation on the Properties of Zirconia Parts Produced by Fused Filament Fabrication

The fused filament fabrication (FFF) of ceramics enables the additive manufacturing of components with complex geometries for many applications like tooling or prototyping. Nevertheless, due to the many factors involved in the process, it is difficult to separate the effect of the different parameters on the final properties of the FFF parts, which hinders the expansion of the technology. In this paper, the effect of the fill pattern used during FFF on the defects and the mechanical properties of zirconia components is evaluated. The zirconia-filled filaments were produced from scratch, characterized by different methods and used in the FFF of bending bars with infill orientations of 0°, ±45° and 90° with respect to the longest dimension of the specimens. Three-point bending tests were conducted on the specimens with the side in contact with the build platform under tensile loads. Next, the defects were identified with cuts in different sections. During the shaping by FFF, pores appeared inside the extruded roads due to binder degradation and or moisture evaporation. The changes in the fill pattern resulted in different types of porosity and defects in the first layer, with the latter leading to earlier fracture of the components. Due to these variations, the specimens with the 0° infill orientation had the lowest porosity and the highest bending strength, followed by the specimens with ±45° infill orientation and finally by those with 90° infill orientation.
A randomized blinded retrospective study: the combined use of micro-needling technique, low-level laser therapy and autologous non-activated platelet-rich plasma improves hair re-growth in patients with androgenic alopecia

ABSTRACT Introduction Mini-invasive therapies based on autologous non-activated Platelet-Rich Plasma (ANA-PRP), Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLL-T), and Micro-Needling Technique (MN-T) used in combining for hair re-growth need to be standardized. Objectives The work aims to show in vivo outcomes resulted from retrospective case-series study in which ANA-PRP + MN-T + LLL-T were used in combined in patients affected by Androgenic alopecia. Methods 23 patients were treated, of which 13 males were classified in stage I–V by the Norwood–Hamilton scale, and 10 females were classified in stage I–III by the Ludwig scale. Assessment of hair re-growth was evaluated with photography, physician’s and patient’s global assessment scale, and standardized phototrichograms during a follow-up: T0 – baseline, T1 – 12 weeks, T2 – 23 weeks, T3 – 44 weeks, T4 – 58 weeks. Results Interesting outcomes represented by a hair density increase of 81 ± 5 hairs/cm2 and 57 ± 7 hairs/cm2 respectively at T1 and T2 compared with baseline (173 ± 5 hairs/cm2 at T1 and 149 ± 9 hairs/cm2 at T2 versus 92 ± 2 hairs/cm2 at baseline) were observed using computerized trichograms. Expert Opinion The main limitation in the autologous regenerative therapies and biotechnologies in hair-regrowth is the extreme variability of PRP products used, in the absence of standardized protocols and widely shared. Appropriate PRP preparations have to be pick after carefully thinking about their bio-molecular specifications and intended indications for use in patients. This approach will aid in matching the optimal PRP product to specific patient factors, leading to improved outcomes and the elucidation of the cost-effectiveness of this treatment. The combined use of biotechnologies as the association of PRP with micro-needling and low-level laser therapy may improve the results in terms of hair count and hair density compared with those obtained by alone PRP. All the procedures must be performed in the full respect of international and local rules. Conclusions The effect of the combined use of MN-T, LLL-T, and ANA-PRP has been demonstrated.