Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Effect of Processed Orange Peels on Growth Performance of Broiler Finisher Birds

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of varying dietary levels of processed orange peels on the performance of broiler finisher birds. A total of 60 4-week old Anak broiler birds were allocated into four treatment groups of 15 birds each. The experiment lasted for four weeks. The groups were randomly assigned to four iso-nitrogenous (20.01-20.04% CP) and iso-caloric (2.88-2.95 Mcal/kgME) diets containing four levels (0, 5, 10, and 15%) of processed orange peels. Each treatment was replicated three times with five birds per replicate. The Response parameters studied were body weight, feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. The results showed that significant (P<0.05) differences existed in average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), daily protein intake (DPI) and protein efficiency ratio(PER). Increasing levels of processed sweet orange peel significantly (P>0.05) decreased the average final body weight, average daily weight gain, ADFI, DPI and PER, and increased FCR as the level of processed orange peels increased in the diet. Based on the results obtained in the present study, it was therefore concluded that inclusion of processed sweet orange peels had adverse effect on the growth rate and nutrient utilization by broiler finisher birds.
The changing triad of plague in Uganda: invasive black rats (Rattus rattus), indigenous small mammals, and their fleas

ABSTRACT: Rattus rattus was first reported from the West Nile Region of Uganda in 1961, an event that preceded the appearance of the first documented human plague outbreak in 1970. We investigated how invasive R. rattus and native small mammal populations, as well as their fleas, have changed in recent decades. Over an 18-month period, a total of 2,959 small mammals were captured, sampled, and examined for fleas, resulting in the identification of 20 small mammal taxa that were hosts to 5,109 fleas (nine species). Over three-fourths (75.8%) of captured mammals belonged to four taxa: R. rattus, which predominated inside huts, and Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys sp. , and Crocidura sp. , which were more common outside huts. These mammals were hosts for 85.8% of fleas collected, including the efficient plague vectors Xenopsylla cheopis and X. brasiliensis, as well as likely enzootic vectors, Dinopsyllus lypusus and Ctenophthalmus bacopus. Flea loads on small mammals were higher in certain environments in villages with a recent history of plague compared to those that lacked such a history. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to historical data, the initial spread of plague in the WNR and the continuing threat posed by the disease.
Analysis of Peripheral Blood IL-6 and Leukocyte Characteristics in 364 COVID-19 Patients of Wuhan

SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen of COVID-19, is spreading around the world. Different individuals infected with COVID-19 have different manifestations. It is urgent to determine the risk factors of disease progress of COVID-19. 364 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, who were admitted to Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital from February 3, 2020 to March 16, 2020, were divided into mild, ordinary, severe, and critical groups, according to Chinese novel coronavirus pneumonia diagnosis and treatment plan. Peripheral blood IL-6 and leukocyte characteristics were analyzed, to evaluate the correlation with the severity of COVID-19. The levels of peripheral blood IL-6 were 2.35 ± 0.46 pg/ml (mild), 6.48 ± 1.13 pg/ml (ordinary), 20.30 ± 5.15 pg/ml (severe), and 123.48 ± 44.31 pg/ml (critical). The leukocytes were 5.70 ± 0.41×109/L (mild), 6.21 ± 0.14×109/L (ordinary), 6.37 ± 0.26×109/L (severe), and 10.03 ± 1.43×109/L (critical). The lymphocytes were 1.46 ± 0.19×109/L (mild), 1.89 ± 0.14×109/L (ordinary), 1.26 ± 0.07×109/L (severe), and 1.17 ± 0.23×109/L (critical). The neutrophils were 3.63 ± 0.36×109/L (mild), 3.78 ± 0.11×109/L (ordinary), 4.47 ± 0.25×109/L (severe), and 7.92 ± 1.19×109/L (critical). The monocytes were 0.42 ± 0.05×109/L (mild), 0.44 ± 0.01×109/L (ordinary), 0.46 ± 0.02×109/L (severe), and 0.78 ± 0.25×109/L (critical). Conclusively, increase of peripheral blood IL-6 and decrease of lymphocytes can be used as the indicators of severe COVID-19. The increase of neutrophils and monocytes was noticed in critical cases of COVID-19, suggesting that the increase of neutrophils and monocytes should be considered as risk factors of critical cases of COVID-19. Peripheral blood IL-6 and leukocyte characteristics were also analyzed in different age groups. The increase of serum IL-6, decrease of lymphocytes, and increase of neutrophils were noticed in patients over 60 years old.
Insights Into Nickel Slag Carbonation in a Stirred Bead Mill

This work is part of the ongoing development of the attrition-leaching carbonation process, a single-step aqueous carbonation technology that integrates a stirred bead mill. The principle of the attrition-leaching carbonation process is to continuously refresh the surfaces of reactive particles so that leaching can proceed unimpeded, yielding enhanced carbonation kinetics and yield. Invariably, attrition-leaching carbonation experiments carried out under controlled temperature and CO2 partial pressure conditions with different silicate-rich carbonation feedstocks - natural ores and nickel slags - show a carbonation yield that tends towards a plateau 20–50% below the stoichiometric yield. This repeatable behaviour raises the question as to whether the carbonation limitation is due to specific equilibrium side reactions of the carbonation feedstock or to a kinetic limitation of the attrition-leaching carbonation process. To try to provide some answers to this puzzling question, this reflexive paper implements a “thermo-kinetic” modelling methodology based upon geochemical equilibrium simulations and particle reaction models. The results obtained indicate that the observed slowing down of the carbonation process can be explained either by the formation of Mg- and/or Fe-rich silicates that precipitate at the expense of carbonates, or by a decrease in the efficiency of the attrition process over time. Indeed, either one of these mechanisms could explain the observed behaviour of the attrition-leaching carbonation process. However, the cross comparison of different data sources pleads in favour of the attrition-leaching carbonation performance being limited by the attrition process. Pending further confirmation, this tentative conclusion suggests that further development of the attrition-leaching carbonation process requires new knowledge about its inner workings, and that there may be ways to optimize the performance of this process beyond that based on standard stirred bead mill operating rules.
Upright BPPV Protocol: Feasibility of a New Diagnostic Paradigm for Lateral Semicircular Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Compared to Standard Diagnostic Maneuvers

Background: The diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involving the lateral semicircular canal (LSC) is traditionally entrusted to the supine head roll test, also known as supine head yaw test (SHYT), which usually allows identification of the pathologic side and BPPV form (geotropic vs. apogeotropic). Nevertheless, SHYT may not always allow easy detection of the affected canal, resulting in similar responses on both sides and intense autonomic symptoms in patients with recent onset of vertigo. The newly introduced upright head roll test (UHRT) represents a diagnostic maneuver for LSC-BPPV, supplementing the already-known head pitch test (HPT) in the sitting position. The combination of these two tests should enable clinicians to determine the precise location of debris within LSC, avoiding disturbing symptoms related to supine positionings. Therefore, we proposed the upright BPPV protocol (UBP), a test battery exclusively performed in the upright position, including the evaluation of pseudo-spontaneous nystagmus (PSN), HPT and UHRT. The purpose of this multicenter study is to determine the feasibility of UBP in the diagnosis of LSC-BPPV. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 134 consecutive patients diagnosed with LSC-BPPV. All of them received both UBP and the complete diagnostic protocol (CDP), including the evaluation of PSN and data resulting from HPT, UHRT, seated-supine positioning test (SSPT), and SHYT. Results: A correct diagnosis for LSC-BPPV was achieved in 95.5% of cases using exclusively the UBP, with a highly significant concordance with the CDP (p < 0.000, Cohen's kappa = 0.94), regardless of the time elapsed from symptom onset to diagnosis. The concordance between UBP and CDP was not impaired even when cases in which HPT and/or UHRT provided incomplete results were included (p < 0.000). Correct diagnosis using the supine diagnostic protocol (SDP, including SSPT + SHYT) or the sole SHYT was achieved in 85.1% of cases, with similar statistical concordance (p < 0.000) and weaker strength of relationship (Cohen's kappa = 0.80). Conclusion: UBP allows correct diagnosis in LSC-BPPV from the sitting position in most cases, sparing the patient supine positionings and related symptoms. UBP could also allow clinicians to proceed directly with repositioning maneuvers from the upright position.
Targeting Tau to Treat Clinical Features of Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairments. While motor deficits often confirm diagnosis, cognitive dysfunctions usually manifest early in the disease process and are consistently ranked among the leading factors that impact the patients' quality of life. The genetic component of HD, a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, is traditionally presented as the main contributor to disease pathology. However, accumulating evidence suggests the implication of the microtubule-associated tau protein to the pathogenesis and therefore, proposes an alternative conceptual framework where tau and mutant huntingtin (mHTT) act conjointly to drive neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. This perspective on disease etiology offers new avenues to design therapeutic interventions and could leverage decades of research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies to rapidly advance drug discovery. In this mini review, we examine the breadth of tau-targeting treatments currently tested in the preclinical and clinical settings for AD and other tauopathies, and discuss the potential application of these strategies to HD.
Down-Regulation of Lnc-CYP7A1-1 Rejuvenates Aged Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Improve Their Efficacy for Heart Repair Through SYNE1

Background Several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with cell senescence, termed senescence-associated lncRNAs (SAL-RNAs). However, the mechanisms involved for SAL-RNAs in aging are not fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of SAL-RNAs on aged human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs), and the possible means to counteract such effects to improve the regenerative capacity of aged hBM-MSCs. Methods By comparing the lncRNAs expression of hBM-MSCs derived from young and old individuals, lnc-CYP7A1-1 was identified as being significantly increased with age. Using predictive software, the expression of Spectrin Repeat Containing Nuclear Envelope Protein 1 (SYNE1), was found to be decreased with age. Next, through lentiviral constructs, we downregulated the expression of lnc-CYP7A1-1 or SYNE1 in hBM-MSCs separately. Additionally, hBM-MSCs proliferation, survival, migration, and senescence were investigated in vitro. In vivo, lnc-CYP7A1-1 downregulated aged hBM-MSCs were implanted into infarcted mouse hearts after myocardial infarction (MI), and cardiac function was measured. Through lentivirus-mediated downregulation of lnc-CYP7A1-1 in aged hBM-MSCs, we revealed that cell senescence was decreased, whereas cell proliferation, migration, and survival were increased. On the other hand, downregulation of SYNE1, the target gene of lnc-CYP7A1-1, in young hBM-MSCs increased cell senescence, yet decreased cell proliferation, migration, and survival. Downregulation of lnc-CYP7A1-1 in aged hBM-MSCs induced cell rejuvenation, yet this effect was attenuated by repression of SYNE1. In vivo, transplantation of lnc-CYP7A1-1 downregulated old hBM-MSCs improved cardiac function after MI. Conclusion Down-regulation of lnc-CYP7A1-1 rejuvenated aged hBM-MSCs and improved cardiac function when implanted into the infarcted mouse hearts, possibly through its target gene SYNE1.
Individualized Responses to Ipsilesional High-Frequency and Contralesional Low-Frequency rTMS in Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Study to Support the Individualization of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation

Background: In this pilot study, we examined the effects of ipsilesional high-frequency rTMS (iHF-rTMS) and contralesional low-frequency rTMS (cLF-rTMS) applied via a double-cone coil on neurophysiological and gait variables in patients with chronic stroke. Objective/Hypothesis: To determine the group and individual level effects of two types of stimulation to better individualize neuromodulation for rehabilitation. Methods: Using a randomized, within-subject, double-blind, sham-controlled trial with 14 chronic stroke participants iHF-rTMS and cLF-rTMS were applied via a double-cone coil to the tibialis anterior cortical representation. Neurophysiological and gait variables were compared pre-post rTMS. Results: A small effect of cLF-rTMS indicated increased MEP amplitudes (Cohen’s D; cLF-rTMS, d = −0.30). Group-level analysis via RMANOVA showed no significant group effects of stimulation (P > 0.099). However, secondary analyses of individual data showed a high degree of response variability to rTMS. Individual percent changes in resting motor threshold and normalized MEP latency correlated with changes in gait propulsive forces and walking speed (iHF-rTMS, nLAT:Pp, R = 0.632 P = 0.015; cLF-rTMS, rMT:SSWS, R = −0.557, P = 0.039; rMT:Pp, R = 0.718, P = 0.004). Conclusions: Changes in propulsive forces and walking speed were seen in some individuals that showed neurophysiological changes in response to rTMS. The neurological consequences of stroke are heterogeneous making a “one type fits all” approach to neuromodulation for rehabilitation unlikely. This pilot study suggests that an individual’s unique response to rTMS should be considered before the application/selection of neuromodulatory therapies. Before neuromodulatory therapies can be incorporated into standard clinical practice, additional work is needed to identify biomarkers of response and how best to prescribe neuromodulation for rehabilitation for post-stroke gait.
Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of nearly neutrally buoyant particulate slurry for advanced energy transmission fluids

Under sponsorship of the US Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is developing high-performance energy transmission fluids that have the potential to substantially reduce frictional losses and improve heat transfer in a variety of thermal systems, allowing the use of smaller piping, pumps, heat exchangers, and storage tanks. This paper presents experimental results and discusses the pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of non-melting slurry flows. The experimental data obtained in this study improve the fundamental understanding of slurry fluid mechanics and heat transfer, and provide support for the use of slurries as an advanced energy transmission fluids in thermal system applications. 6 refs., 9 figs.
Tailoring Low-Cost Granular Activated Carbons Intended for CO2 Adsorption

Physical adsorption on activated carbons has shown to be a very attractive methodology for CO2 separation from flue gas streams and biogas. In this context, the goal of this work was to prepare granular activated carbons intended for CO2 adsorption from an abundant and low-cost biomass residue (coconut shell) by using practical and cost-effective procedures. By the first time, parameters involved in chemical activation with dehydrating agents (H3PO4 or ZnCl2) and/or physical activation with CO2 were systematically screened in depth in order to obtain materials with improved performance for CO2 adsorption on a volume basis. Compared with the commonly used mass basis, the data expressed on a volume basis are very important for industrial applications because they permit to estimate the efficiency of a fixed bed adsorption column. The work permitted to prepare granular activated carbons with a blend of relatively high gravimetric CO2 uptake and bulk density, so that high volumetric CO2 uptakes were attained. The highest values were 2.67 and 1.17 mmol/cm3 for CO2 pressures of 1.0 and 0.15 bar, respectively. It is remarkable that the obtained results were similar to those reported by other authors for carbons chemically activated with KOH, the activation methodology that has been widely claimed as the one that produce ACs with the best performances for CO2 adsorption, but which involves severe restrictions. Therefore, the present work can be considered a very important step in paving the way toward making CO2 adsorption an each time more interesting technology to reduce the emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
Conditioned Placebo- and Nocebo-Like Effects in Adolescents: The Role of Conscious Awareness, Sensory Discrimination, and Executive Function

Background: Conditioning is a key mechanism of placebo and nocebo effects in adults. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects in youth and how they might be influenced by conscious awareness and cognitive abilities. In this study, the role of conditioning on thermal perception in youth was investigated. Methods: Differences in thermal ratings were assessed in response to consciously and non-consciously perceived cues that were conditioned to either low or high heat. Furthermore, we tested whether executive function mediates the effect of conditioning on thermal perception. Thirty-five high-school students (14–17 years) completed an executive function task and underwent a sensory perception paradigm. In a conditioning phase, two distinct neutral faces (conditioned cues) were coupled to either a low or a high temperature stimulus delivered to participants' forearms. In a testing phase, the conditioned cues, and novel faces (non-conditioned control cues), were paired with identical moderate thermal stimuli. In this testing phase, for half of the participants cues were presented consciously (supraliminally) and for the other half non-consciously (subliminally). Results: We found a significant main effect of cue type on thermal ratings (p = 0.003) in spite of identical heat being administered following all cues. Post-hoc analyses indicated that the nocebo-like effect (conditioned high cue compared to control) was significant (p = 0.027); the placebo-like effect (conditioned low cue compared to control) was non-significant. No difference between cues presented supra- vs. subliminally and no significant interaction effects were found. The association between sensory discrimination and the magnitude of the nocebo-like effect was mediated by executive function. Conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first study establishing a relationship between thermal perception, nocebo effects, and executive function in youth. Our results may have important implications for understanding cognitive/ learning processes involved in nocebo effects.
A Comparison of Low Read Depth QuantSeq 3′ Sequencing to Total RNA-Seq in FUS Mutant Mice

Transcriptomics is a developing field with new methods of analysis being produced which may hold advantages in price, accuracy, or information output. QuantSeq is a form of 3′ sequencing produced by Lexogen which aims to obtain similar gene-expression information to RNA-seq with significantly fewer reads, and therefore at a lower cost. QuantSeq is also able to provide information on differential polyadenylation. We applied both QuantSeq at low read depth and total RNA-seq to the same two sets of mouse spinal cord RNAs, each comprised by four controls and four mutants related to the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We found substantial differences in which genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed by the two methods. Some of this difference likely due to the difference in number of reads between our QuantSeq and RNA-seq data. Other sources of difference can be explained by the differences in the way the two methods handle genes with different primary transcript lengths and how likely each method is to find a gene to be differentially expressed at different levels of overall gene expression. This work highlights how different methods aiming to assess expression difference can lead to different results.
Moral Decision-Making, Stress, and Social Cognition in Frontline Workers vs. Population Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Explorative Study

On March 9, 2020, Italy has gone into “lockdown” because of COVID-19 pandemic, with a national quarantine. All non-essential working activities and schools of all levels have been temporarily closed: consequently, the entire population have been forced to dramatically change their daily habits. The pandemic raised important psychological, moral, social, and economic issues. Our research focused on the moral decision-making of people during an emergency. This paper reports two studies. The aim of Study 1 was to evaluate moral decision-making, level of perceived stress, ability of mentalizing and empathy in university students and Italian workers. 224 front-line workers (FLW), 413 second-line workers (SLW), and 663 university students (US), during Italian Phase 1 of lockdown, completed an online questionnaire. The results of Study 1 showed that participants in the FLW group are more likely to choose utilitarian solutions and judge as morally acceptable actions finalized to saving lives of more people if this requires sacrificing a low number of individuals. At the same time, decision-making was experienced as less unpleasant and less arousing with respect to the other two groups, demonstrating a greater ability to keep emotional control under pressure. In Study 2, we compared the same variables used in Study 1, selecting two professional categories from the FLW group engaged in emergency during COVID-19, namely healthcare providers (n = 82) and public safety personnel (n = 117). Our results showed that healthcare providers were more stressed and emotionally involved than public safety personnel, with higher empathic concern and arousal in moral decision-making. We suggest it is essential providing immediate psychological support and monitoring physical and emotional well-being for workers in the front-line during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to prevent experiences of moral distress or mental health problems.