Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fisetin Regulates Gut Microbiota and Exerts Neuroprotective Effect on Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Previous studies have reported the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects of fisetin. However, the therapeutic efficacy of fisetin in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that fisetin could markedly alleviate 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in mice. To confirm the reported correlation between gut microbiota and PD, the bacterial DNA in the fresh feces of mice from each group was subjected to 16S rRNA (V3 and V4 regions) sequencing. The results revealed that fisetin changed the number, diversity, and distribution of gut microbiota in MPTP-induced mice model of PD. The alpha and beta diversity analyses showed that the fisetin intervented MPTP group gut microbiota exhibited a significantly higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae and a significantly lower abundance of uncultured_bacterium_g_Escherichia-Shigella and uncultured_bacterium_g_Bacillus than the MPTP group gut microbiota. These findings indicated that fisetin exerts a neuroprotective effect on neurodegeneration by altering the composition and diversity of gut microbiota. Thus, fisetin could be a potential novel therapeutic for PD.
Gut Microbial Dysbiosis and Plasma Metabolic Profile in Individuals With Vitiligo

Autoimmune diseases are increasingly linked to aberrant gut microbiome and relevant metabolites. However, the association between vitiligo and the gut microbiome remains to be elucidated. Thus, we conducted a case-control study through 16S rRNA sequencing and serum untargeted-metabolomic profiling based on 30 vitiligo patients and 30 matched healthy controls. In vitiligo patients, the microbial composition was distinct from that of healthy controls according to the analysis on α- and β-diversity (P < 0.05), with a characteristic decreased Bacteroidetes: Firmicutes ratio. Meanwhile, the levels of 23 serum metabolites (including taurochenodeoxycholate and L-NG-monomethyl-arginine) in the vitiligo patients were different from those in the healthy individuals and showed significant correlations with some microbial markers. We found that Corynebacterium 1, Ruminococcus 2, Jeotgalibaca and Psychrobacter were correlated significantly with disease duration and serum IL-1β level in vitiligo patients. And Psychrobacter was identified as the most predictive features for vitiligo by machine learning analysis (“importance” = 0.0236). Finally, combining multi-omics data and joint prediction models with accuracies up to 0.929 were established with dominant contribution of Corynebacterium 1 and Psychrobacter. Our findings replenished the previously unknown relationship between gut dysbiosis and vitiligo circulating metabolome and enrolled the gut-skin axis into the understanding of vitiligo pathogenesis.
Research on Non-verbal Signs of Lies and Deceit: A Blind Alley

Research on the detection of lies and deceit has a prominent place in the field of psychology and law with a substantial research literature published in this field of inquiry during the last five to six decades (Vrij, 2000, 2008; Vrij et al., 2019). There are good reasons for this interest in lie detection. We are all everyday liars, some of us more prolific than others, we lie in personal and professional relationships (Serota et al., 2010; Halevy et al., 2014; Serota and Levine, 2015; Verigin et al., 2019), and lying in public by politicians and other public figures has a long and continuing history (Peters, 2015). However, despite the personal problems that serious everyday lies may cause and the human tragedies political lies may cause, it is lying in court that appears to have been the principal initial motivation for the scientific interest in lie detection. Lying in court is a threat to fair trials and the rule of law. Lying witnesses may lead to the exoneration of guilty persons or to the conviction of innocent ones. In the US it is well-documented that innocent people have been convicted because witnesses were lying in court (Garrett, 2010, 2011; www.innocenceproject.com). In evaluating the reliability and the truthfulness of a testimony, the court considers other evidence presented to the court, the known facts about the case and the testimonies by other witnesses. Inconsistency with the physical evidence or the testimonies of other witnesses might indicate that the witness is untruthful, or it may simply reflect the fact that the witness has observed, interpreted, and later remembered the critical events incorrectly—normal human errors all too well known in the eyewitness literature (Loftus, 2005; Wells and Loftus, 2013; Howe and Knott, 2015). When the facts of the case are not well known, witness testimonies, including the testimony from alleged victims, may be critical to a verdict, and these testimonies are sometimes from witnesses who hold a personal stake in the case and shun self-incriminating statements. In many countries, a witness lying in court risks being charged with perjury—the accused typically does not risk such a reaction—but there are still cases where witnesses lie. In such cases, when there is a possibility that one or more of the witnesses are lying and the court’s verdict depends upon the perceived credibility of the witnesses, the issue arises of distinguishing between lying and truthful witnesses. Is it possible to identify liars vs. truth tellers based on the non-verbal signals transmitted by the sender?
A Serum Metabolic Profiling Analysis During the Formation of Fatty Liver in Landes Geese via GC-TOF/MS

During the process of fatty liver production by overfeeding, the levels of endogenous metabolites in the serum of geese would change dramatically. This study investigated the effects of overfeeding on serum metabolism of Landes geese and the underlying mechanisms using a metabolomics approach. Sixty Landes geese of the same age were randomly divided into the following three groups with 20 replicates in each group: D0 group (free from gavage); D7 group (overfeeding for 7 days); D25 group (overfeeding for 25 days). At the end of the experiment, 10 geese of similar weight from each group were selected for slaughter and sampling. The results showed that overfeeding significantly increased the body weight and the liver weight of geese. Serum enzymatic activities and serum lipid levels were significantly enhanced following overfeeding. Gas chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was employed to explore the serum metabolic patterns, and to identify potential contributors to the formation of fatty liver and the correlated metabolic pathways. Relative to overfeeding for 7 days, a large number of endogenous molecules in serum of geese overfed for 25 days were altered. Continuous elevated levels of pyruvic acid, alanine, proline and beta-glycerophosphoric acid and reduced lactic acid level were observed in the serum of overfed geese. Pathway exploration found that the most of significantly different metabolites were involved in amino acids, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The present study exhibited the efficient capability of Landes geese to produce fatty liver, identified potential biomarkers and disturbed metabolic pathways in liver steatosis. These findings might reveal the underlying mechanisms of fatty liver formation and provide some theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.
Whom to Believe? Understanding and Modeling Brain Activity in Source Credibility Evaluation

Understanding how humans evaluate credibility is an important scientific question in the era of fake news. Source credibility is among the most important aspects of credibility evaluations. One of the most direct ways to understand source credibility is to use measurements of brain activity of humans performing credibility evaluations. Nevertheless, source credibility has never been investigated using such a method before. This article reports the results of an experiment during which we have measured brain activity during source credibility evaluation, using EEG. The experiment allowed for identification of brain areas that were active when a participant made positive or negative source credibility evaluations. Based on experimental data, we modeled and predicted human source credibility evaluations using EEG brain activity measurements with F1 score exceeding 0.7 (using 10-fold cross-validation).
Foraging in Urban Environments Increases Bactericidal Capacity in Plasma and Decreases Corticosterone Concentrations in White Ibises

As humans continue to infringe on natural habitats, more animals are exposed to urbanization and its associated challenges. It is still unclear, however, whether the movement of animals into urban habitats negatively influences the health and/or survival of those animals, however those animals often experience shifts in resource availability, diet composition, and exposure to stimuli that are new and potentially stressful. Recently, white ibises (Eudocimus albus) have become increasingly common in urban habitats where they forage in close proximity to humans and even interact with them, collecting food handouts. We hypothesized that foraging in urban habitats would negatively impact measures of health, impair innate immunity, trigger elevated concentrations of corticosterone, and depress physiological responses to stressors in white ibises. We found that plasma from birds captured from urban sites had higher bactericidal capacity against Escherichia coli than those captured in natural sites. Additionally, adults captured in urban habitats had a significantly lower baseline corticosterone concentrations during the post-breeding season, and corticosterone responses to a handling challenge were lower for birds captured from urban sites during year 2 of the study. These results indicate that exposure to urban habitats impacts ibis health, though in the opposite direction of what was predicted.
MCAM/CD146 Signaling via PLCγ1 Leads to Activation of β1-Integrins in Memory T-Cells Resulting in Increased Brain Infiltration

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic auto-inflammatory disease of the central nervous system affecting patients worldwide. Neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis is mainly driven by peripheral immune cells which invade the central nervous system and cause neurodegenerative inflammation. To enter the target tissue, immune cells have to overcome the endothelium and transmigrate into the tissue. Numerous molecules mediate this process and, as they determine the tissue invasiveness of immune cells, display great therapeutic potential. Melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) is a membrane-anchored glycoprotein expressed by a subset of T-cells and MCAM+ T-cells have been shown to contribute to neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis. The role of the MCAM molecule for brain invasion, however, remained largely unknown. In order to investigate the role of the MCAM molecule on T-cells, we used different in vitro and in vivo assays, including ex vivo flow chambers, biochemistry and microscopy experiments of the mouse brain. We demonstrate that MCAM directly mediates adhesion and that the engagement of MCAM induces intracellular signaling leading to β1-integrin activation on human T-cells. Furthermore, we show that MCAM engagement triggers the phosphorylation of PLCγ1 which is required for integrin activation and thus amplification of the cellular adhesive potential. To confirm the physiological relevance of our findings in vivo, we demonstrate that MCAM plays an important role in T-cell recruitment into the mouse brain. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that MCAM expressed on T-cells acts as an adhesion molecule and a signaling receptor that may trigger β1-integrin activation via PLCγ1 upon engagement.
Giant Seebeck coefficient in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube film

We found a giant Seebeck effect in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films, which exhibited a performance comparable to that of commercial Bi2Te3 alloys. Carrier doping of semiconducting SWCNT films further improved the thermoelectric performance. These results were reproduced well by first-principles transport simulations based on a simple SWCNT junction model. These findings suggest strategies that pave the way for emerging printed, all-carbon, flexible thermoelectric devices.
Aplicação de FT-MIR e FT-NIR ao estudo de reação de cura de sistemas epoxídicos

The cure reaction of epoxy resin (EP) and curing agents based on polymercaptans (SH), amine-phenol and modified amine was studied in the MIR and NIR spectral regions. It was observed that the FT-NIR shows better the spectrometric changes of the reactions studied, which makes it possible to detect the curing agent in lower contents in epoxide systems.
Alkali metal and alkaline earth metal ion exchange with Na-4-mica prepared by a new synthetic route from kaolinite

The ion exchange selectivities of a high-charge-density fluorophlogopite mica, Na-4-mica (ideal chemical composition Na 4 Mg 6 Al 4 Si 4 O 20 F 4 ·xH 2 O) were investigated for alkali metal ions (Li + , K + and Cs + ) and alkaline earth metal ions (Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ ). The ion exchange isotherms were obtained at room temperature using Na-4-mica with a hydrated 12.11 A lattice, which was easily and economically prepared from a mixture of NaF, MgO and calcined kaolinite. The selectivity depended considerably on the degree of loading of metal ions in the mica for the alkaline earth metals, but not for the alkali metal ions. The selectivity increased in the order: Li + < Cs + < K + < Na + for alkali metal and Sr 2+ < Ba 2+ for alkaline earth metal ions. Mg 2+ -exchanged Na-4-mica with an expanded 13.33 A lattice was also prepared and its strontium and barium ion exchange were studied.
Water vapor solubility of poly(lactic acid) films modified the surface by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation

Surface modification of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) film is performed via 172 nm excimer lamp irradiation. Effects on water vapor solubility and physical properties via vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation are studied systematically. After VUV irradiation, water vapor solubility increases approximately 11–43% in the low-pressure region and approximately 20–38% in the high-pressure region as surface hydrophilicity increased. The increase is attributed to hydrogen bonding with the carboxyl groups because of VUV radiation. The modified layer is significantly swelling after water vapor sorption. The hydrophilic layer forms a thickness of 2–3 μm from the irradiated surface via VUV radiation, but no changes are observed inside the irradiated film. Therefore, PLA film solubility after irradiation is enhanced by hydrophilicity and the swelling effect of the surface. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42200.
Hydrogen in ZnO

The results of a combined study of Raman scattering, IR absorption, photoluminescence, and photoconductivity on ZnO are presented. Two shallow donors - hydrogen at the bond-centered lattice site, HBC, and hydrogen bound in an oxygen vacancy, HO, - were identified. Donor HBC has an ionization energy of 53 meV. The recombination of an exciton bound to HBC gives rise to the 3360.1±0.2 meV photoluminescence line. The 1s → 2p donor transition at 330 cm-1 is detected in the Raman scattering and photoconductivity spectra. The stretch mode of the associated O-H bond is detected in IR absorption at 3611 cm-1. The HO donor in ZnO has an ionization energy of 47 meV. The excitonic recombination at HO leads to the previously labeled I4 line at 3362.8 meV. Photoconductivity and Raman spectra reveal the 1s → 2p donor transition at 265 cm-1. It is shown that HBC migrating through the ZnO lattice forms electrically inactive interstitial H2. Vibrational modes of H2, HD, and D2 were identified at 4145, 3628, and 2985 cm-1, respectively. These results suggest that interstitial H2 is responsible for the "hidden" hydrogen in ZnO.
Efficient Organotin Catalysts for Urethanes: Kinetic and Mechanistic Investigations

Dibenzyltin bis(2-ethylhexanoate) 1 (4-Y-C 6 H 4 CH 2 ) 2 Sn(OC(O)R 1 ) 2 [Y = H, 1a; MeO, 1b; Cl, 1c; Me, 1d; and R 1 = MeCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 . CH(Et)-] were synthesized either from the reaction of corresponding dibenzyltin dichlorides with silver 2-ethylhexanoate or from the reaction of dibenzyltin oxides with 2-ethylhexanoic acid. Compound 1a was further utilized as a catalyst for the reaction of mono- and diisocyanates (PhNCO, CH 3 C 6 H 3 -2,4-(NCO) 2 and OCN(CH 2 ) 6 NCO] with alcohols (primary, secondary, tertiary, cyclohexcyl, alkyl, allyl, benzyl and aryl) leading to the formation of the corresponding urethanes. The catalytic efficiencies of 1 vis-a-vis industrially known organotin catalysts have been determined through kinetic studies for the reaction of PhNCO and n-BuOH at various temperatures. Compounds 1a, 1c and 1d show higher efficiency than dibutyltin bis(2-ethylhexanoate). FTIR studies further provide mechanistic insights into the catalytic cycle, which comprises pre-coordination of isocyanate to tin(IV), formation of stannyl carbamate and generation of dibenzyl(alkoxy)carboxylate as the active catalyst.
Enhancing the corrosion resistance and surface bioactivity of a calcium-phosphate coating on a biodegradable AZ60 magnesium alloy via a simple fluorine post-treatment method

Biocompatible coatings, such as calcium phosphate (CaP), have been applied on biodegradable magnesium and its alloy to control their rapid degradation rates. This paper reports a further enhancement to the CaP coating performance by applying a simple fluorine post-treatment on a CaP coating to form an F–CaP composite coating. The CaP coating was first deposited on AZ60 magnesium alloy samples via a phosphating method, then subjected to different post-treatment solutions to obtain F–CaP composite coatings. The effects of pH and post-treatment time were analyzed and the optimal corrosion resistance was obtained at pH 12 for 2 h. The F–CaP coating consisted of mainly fluoridated hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate and magnesium fluoride. An electrochemical corrosion measurement in simulated body fluid revealed that the polarization resistance of the F–CaP coating is about 3 and 26 times higher than those of the HA and CaP coatings, respectively, due to its denser coating structure and smoother surface. During immersion tests, the F–CaP coating also exhibited an improved corrosion resistance with more active biomineralization than the CaP and HA coatings. This fluorine post-treatment offers a novel practical approach in improving the biodegradation behavior of CaP coatings on biodegradable magnesium implants.
Density and activity characterization of activated sludge flocs

Activated sludge flocs are made up of a conglomerate of materials including microorganisms, exocellular polymers, inert particulates, slow and nonbiodegradable organic particles, and water. The goal of this study was to determine if inert/unbiodegradable aggregates had higher densities than active biomass. It was also desired to determine whether mixed liquor could be gravimetrically settled to differentially stratify flocs based on density and biological activity. In this manner, if activity stratification is possible, then less active biomass could be wasted preferentially during wastewater treatment operations (e.g., during daily wastage), thereby increasing the effective solids retention time and improving process performance. This paper reports the initial set of results, which focused on establishing density values of inert/unbiodegradable fractions of activated sludge floc, and the heterotrophic activity measurements of faster settling flocs compared to slower settling flocs. The results indicate t.
Global model of a radiofrequency H2 plasma in DENISE

A global model of a radiofrequency (rf) inductively coupled H2 plasma discharge in the Deuterium Negative Ion Source Experiment (DENISE) has been developed using the numerical code `Global Model Solver' (GMS). The volume-averaged energy and particle balance equations, along with the quasi-neutrality condition, are numerically solved to determine the averaged densities of all the species included in the model and the electron temperature. The effects of the multicusp magnetic field and of the asymmetry of the source chamber are considered in the model. The values of the volume-averaged electron density and the average electron temperature obtained are compared to experimental measurements in the pressure and input power ranges of interest and a reasonably good agreement is found.
Stress–relaxation properties of segmented polyurethane rubbers†

Stress–relaxation behavior of polyurethane elastomers based on two hydroxyl-terminated polyesters: poly(ethylene adipate) and poly(ethylene maleate) was studied. In addition, a polyester-diol consisting of poly(ethylene adipate) and oligo(ethylene terephthalate) blocks, a number of low-molecular-weight diols as chain extenders, and 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) were determined. The elastomers were crosslinked by an excess of MDI and had stiff segments of differing chemical structure and length. Stress–relaxation properties of the elastomers conformed with the three-component Maxwell model, with negligibly small contribution from the fastest relaxation process. The influence of crosslinking density, chemical structure, and stiff segment content on the relative relaxation speed and the parameters of the slow and fast relaxation processes, was examined. The elucidation of the results was based on the morphological models of segmented polyurethanes.
Blends of Biodiesels Synthesized from Non-edible and Edible Oils: Effects on the Cold Filter Plugging Point

To minimize use of biodiesels synthesized from edible oils, such as palm oil, because of the raising food versus fuel issue, palm biodiesel (PBD) was blended in different weight ratios with biodiesels synthesized from tree-borne non-edible oil seeds, jatropha and pongamia, to examine the effects on the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of PBD. The CFPP of PBD improved significantly after blending with jatropha biodiesel (JBD) and pongamia biodiesel (PoBD). The dependence of CFPP upon the esters of fatty acid composition was also examined. Good correlations between the CFPP and palmitic acid methyl ester (PAME) were obtained. A correlation between CFPP and total unsaturated fatty acid methyl ester (X) was also determined. Using these two correlations, the CFPP of different biodiesel blends can be determined.
Monitoring Motor Vehicle PM Emissions: An Evaluation of Three Portable Low-Cost Aerosol Instruments

The burgeoning diversification of particulate matter (PM) emissions regulations creates the need for aerosol monitors for use in engine development, on-board PM measurement, off-road emissions testing, roadside monitoring, and other applications where conventional instruments are impractical or too costly. This work critically examines from two perspectives the performance of three small, relatively inexpensive devices, the DustTrak, Pegasor Particle Sensor, and Diffusion Size Classifier, in engine exhaust PM measurement. First, results from chassis dynamometer vehicle emissions testing reveal that all three can provide accurate PM data that correlate well with the regulatory methods for PM mass and number, but only when there is little variation in morphology and composition. Second, detailed laboratory characterizations with oil and soot aerosols are reported that elucidate how these devices respond to particle size, morphology, and composition. They show that changes in aerosol properties affect all three monitors, but to a degree that depends on their particular detection method, optical, electrical charging, and charging plus diffusion. The results provide calibration data and describe conditions under which these monitors can reliably record PM emissions from engine exhaust. Copyright 2013 American Association for Aerosol Research