Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
At the dawn of winter: comparing COVID-19and influenza presentation and trajectory

Background: COVID-19 is a newly recognized illness with a predominantly respiratory presentation. As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, it is important to characterize the differences in disease presentation and trajectory between COVID-19 patients and other patients with common respiratory illnesses. These differences can enhance knowledge of pathogenesis and help in guiding treatment. Methods: Data from electronic medical records were obtained from individuals admitted with respiratory illnesses to Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel, between October 1st, 2014 and September 1st, 2020. Four groups of patients were defined: COVID-19 (693), influenza (1,612), severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) (2,292) and Others (4,054). The variable analyzed include demographics (7), vital signs (8), lab tests (38), and comorbidities (15) from a total of 8,651 hospitalized adult patients. Statistical analysis was performed on biomarkers measured at admission and for their disease trajectory in the first 48 hours of hospitalization, and on comorobidity prevalence. Results: COVID-19 patients were overall younger in age and had higher body mass index, compared to influenza and SARI. Comorbidity burden was lower in the COVID-19 group compared to influenza and SARI. Severely- and moderately-ill COVID-19 patients older than 65 years of age suffered higher rate of in-hospital mortality compared to hospitalized influenza patients. At admission, white blood cells and neutrophils were lower among COVID-19 patients compared to influenza and SARI patients, while pulse rate and lymphoctye percentage were higher. Trajectories of variables during the first two days of hospitalization revealed that white blood count, neutrophils percentage and glucose in blood increased among COVID-19 patients, while decreasing among other patients. Conclusions: The intrinsic virulence of COVID-19 appeared higher than influenza. In addition, several critical functions, such as immune response, coagulation, heart and respiratory function and metabolism were uniquely affected by COVID-19.
NMR study of the Escherichia coli 70S ribosome particle using residual dipolar couplings

The ribosome is the 2.5-MDa complex that is responsible for production of biologically active polypeptide chains. Crystallographic and cryo-EM studies have revealed the intricate motions of the ribosome during protein synthesis, but less is known about the highly dynamic regions such as L7/L12 stalk protein, which has an important role during this process. Moreover, there is currently very little structural information on the dynamic nascent polypeptide chain (NC), which during its progressive emergence from the ribosome has its first opportunity to acquire structure, folding in a co-translational manner. While the formation of tertiary structure occurs outside of the ribosomal exit tunnel while the NC remains tethered there is little understanding of how this process takes place. NMR spectroscopy, which has the ability to report on both residue-specific structure and dynamics at atomic resolution, has previously been applied to report on mobile regions of the ribosome, such as the L7/L12 stalk protein, and more recently, to the study of co-translational folding of ribosome-nascent chain complexes (RNC). For example, chemical shift studies of RNCs of an immunoglobulin domain (ddFLN-Dom5), have revealed a dynamic RNC capable of adopting the native fold. The motional properties of both L7/L12 and the NC therefore permit the application of NMR strategies, such as residual dipolar couplings (RDC), to derive direct three-dimensional structural information. RDCs encode detailed structural information in the form of distance-independent bond-vector orientations, and can be exploited for both structured and unstructured proteins. This thesis describes steps towards the development of RDC techniques for probing the structural and dynamic properties of RNCs. Initial application to the L7/L12 stalk protein was used as the foundation for subsequent studies of RNCs. Alignment in phage enabled a set of RDCs to be measured for both ribosome-bound and isolated L7/L12, yielding the first direct structural information on the L7/L12 protein in its ribosome-bound form. The application of RDCs to the study of RNCs required extensive development of the strategy for the production of isotopically-labelled RNCs, which resulted in significant improvements in both the yield and quality of the final RNC samples. The RDC study of a model RNC, Dom5+110, highlighted the inherent challenges associated with the finite sample lifetime, low sample concentration and restricted mobility of the RNC. These were addressed with the study of the intrinsically disordered alpha-Syn-RNC, which enabled the measurement of N-H RDCs. A potential interaction between the alpha-Syn NC and the ribosome prevented acquisition of RDCs for all residues, but further studies are underway to improve the quality of the spectra with a view to obtain the complete set of RDC data. Together these data provide a solid foundation for an RDC methodology for application to the ribosome and RNCs, and will enable more detailed structural and dynamical studies of the emerging nascent chain.
Process intensification : a study of micromixing and residence time distribution characteristics in the spinning disc reactor

Mr. Salah R. Al-Hengari II Abstract Micromixing phenomena (i.e. mixing at molecular level) play a very important role in the chemical industry when the time scale of the chemical reaction involved have the same magnitude or smaller than the time scale of mixing process. The study of micromixing is very critical to the understanding of important processes such as polymerization, precipitation, crystallization and competing fast chemical reactions. It has long been recognised that the intense mixing characteristics of thin films in the spinning disc reactor (SDR), play an important role in improving the selectivity, yield, and quality of final products of a chemical reaction. However, to date, there has been no systematic study of micro and macro mixing in SDR thin films. The first part of this study reports on the fundamental study undertaken to characterise micromixing in the thin films formed in 10 cm and 30 cm SDRs operating under a wide range of operating conditions. A well-established parallel-competitive reaction test scheme was adopted to quantify micromixing in terms of the segregation index (Xs) or micromixedness ratio (α), the power dissipation (ε) and micromixing time(tm). The micromixing data obtained from 10cm and 30cm SDRs were benchmarked against both a 1.37 l conventional semi-batch reactor (SBR) and continuous tubular flow reactors in the form of narrow channels (NCRs) of 1.0 mm diameter and three different lengths namely 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm (Y and T shape junctions). The effects of various operating parameters such as disc rotation rates, disc size, disc surface configurations, feed flowrates, feed distribution systems, liquid feed concentrations and viscosities were investigated. It was observed that, at an acid concentration of 1 M, the lowest segregation index of 0.05 was achieved for a feed of 0.001Ns/m 2 viscosity at the highest flowrate of 5ml/s (corresponding to Refilm=72) and highest rotational speed of 2400 rpm in the 10cm diameter disc. Greatly improved micromixing was obtained on the larger disc of 30 cm diameter, especially at the lower Refilm of 15 and 42, in comparison to the smaller disc. Under optimised conditions, the micromixing time(tm) in the water-like film on the 30cm diameter disc was estimated to be as low as 0.3ms with corresponding power dissipation (ε) of 1025 W/kg. In contrast, the SBR could only achieve, under optimised conditions, segregation indices of no lower than 0.13 corresponding to a micromixing time of above 1ms with power dissipation of no more than about 21 W/kg. On the other hand, the NCRs could only achieve, under optimised conditions, a
Low temperature Li-ion battery ageing

Different kinds of batteries suit different applications, and consequently several different chemistries exist. In order to better understand the limitations of low temperature performance, a Li-ion battery chemistry normally intended for room temperature use, graphite-Lithium Iron Phosphate, with 1 M LiPF6 ethylene carbonate:diethylene carbonate electrolyte, is here put under testing at -10°C andcompared with room temperature cycling performance. Understanding the temperature limitations of this battery chemistry will give better understanding of the desired properties of a substitute using alternative materials. The experimental studies have comprised a combination of battery cycle testing, and surface analysis of the electrodes by Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Results showed that with low enough rate, temperature is less of a problem, but with increased charge rate, there are increasingly severe effects on performance at low temperatures. XPS measurements of low charge rate samples showed similar Solid Electrolyte Interface layers formed on the graphite anode for room- and low temperature batteries, but with indications of a thicker layer on the former. A section of the report handles specific low temperature battery chemistries. The conclusions- and outlook were made by comparing the results found in the study with earlier findings on low temperature Li-ion batteries and present possible approaches for modifying battery performance at lowered temperatures.
An assessment of uncertainties in using volume-area modelling for computing the twenty-first century glacier contribution to sea-level change

Abstract. A large part of present-day sea-level change is formed by the melt of glaciers and ice caps (GIC). This study focuses on the uncertainties in the calculation of the GIC contribution on a century timescale. The model used is based on volume-area scaling, combined with the mass balance sensitivity of the GIC. We assess different aspects that contribute to the uncertainty in the prediction of the contribution of GIC to future sea-level rise, such as (1) the volume-area scaling method (scaling factor), (2) the glacier data, (3) the climate models, and (4) the emission scenario. Additionally, a comparison of the model results to the 20th century GIC contribution is presented. We find that small variations in the scaling factor cause significant variations in the initial volume of the glaciers, but only limited variations in the glacier volume change. If two existing glacier inventories are tuned such that the initial volume is the same, the GIC sea-level contribution over 100 yr differs by 0.027 m or 18 %. It appears that the mass balance sensitivity is also important: variations of 20 % in the mass balance sensitivity have an impact of 17 % on the resulting sea-level projections. Another important factor is the choice of the climate model, as the GIC contribution to sea-level change largely depends on the temperature and precipitation taken from climate models. Connected to this is the choice of emission scenario, used to drive the climate models. Combining all the uncertainties examined in this study leads to a total uncertainty of 0.052 m or 35 % in the GIC contribution to global mean sea level. Reducing the variance in the climate models and improving the glacier inventories will significantly reduce the uncertainty in calculating the GIC contributions, and are therefore crucial actions to improve future sea-level projections.
EFFECT OF STIRRING SPEED AND REACTION TIME ON SUNFLOWER BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

Biodiesel was produced from sunflower oil using methyl alcohol at a ratio of 22.5% (v/v) to the oil and sodium hydroxide as a catalyst at a ratio 5.5 g per 1 liter oil. The production of biodiesel was carried out under four stirring speeds: 250, 500, 750 and 1000 rpm and for each stirring speed, five reaction times were used: 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 min. the research concluded to that: 1- the optimum stirring speed for the production of biodiesel from sunflower oil is 750 rpm. 2- the optimum reaction times are 40 and 50 min. 3- the highest biodiesel production is 98% and was obtained at 50 min time of reaction for each of the two speeds of stirring: 500 and 750 rpm and at 10 min time of reaction under the speed 10 rpm. 5- the use of sodium hydroxide as a catalyst for the production of biodiesel from sunflower oil at a concentration of 3.5 g per liter of oil results in an excess soap in the produced biodiesel and a loss of biodiesel in the washing water.
PENGARUHKEBEBASAN BERBISNIS TERHADAP HARGA SAHAM DI NEGARA-NEGARA ASEAN

T h e purp ose of this s t u dy is to e xam i ne the r e lationship b e t w e en f r e e d om of bus i ness and s to c k pri c e in f o ur ASEAN c o un tries (Singapor e , Ma l a y s i a, Tha il a nd , and Indo nesia). Contrad i c t o ry t o the o ry, we f o un d that f r e edom of b usiness ha s a negat i ve i m p a ct on s tock pri c e. This indic a tes t hat t h e h i gh e r busi n e ss f r e e do m in a c o untry, the l ow e r t he s t o c k pri c e in that countr y . I t can be sa i d t hat in v e stors ca r e abou t t h e l e vel of ea s i n e ss of b us iness in a country b e c ause higher c o mp e tition without a strong e c o nomic fundame n tals t i l l inc r e as e unhealt h y c o m p etitio n , i nc r ease un c e rtainty an d will d e c r e a se expe c t e d c a s h f l ow, then it will decre a se stock pr i c e. G ov e rnment in fo u r c o un t ries s ho uld be co m m it t ed to i mp rove fundamentals of e co n o m i c s and g i ve regulations to r e duce u n h e a lt h y compe t i t io n . Key w ords : stock pr i c e, f r e e d o m of bus i ne s s, i ndex of economic fr e e dom, A S EAN count r i e s
Gingival Crevicular Fluid Cytokines in Moderate and Deep Sites of Stage III Periodontitis Patients in Different Rates of Clinical Progression

Clinical criteria are inappropriate to measure the degree of susceptibility to progression of periodontal damage. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of cytokines could discriminate patients suffering from stage III periodontitis with moderate (Grade B) and rapid rates of progression (Grade C) prior to and 6 months after non-surgical periodontal treatment. GCF samples were obtained from moderate and deep sites of 20 patients diagnosed as Grade B and 20 patients as grade C stage III periodontitis and analyzed for interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-9, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) using a high-sensitivity Bio-Plex Suspension Array System. At baseline, higher IL-1β but lower IL-9 GCF levels were observed in moderate sites of the grade C compared to the grade B group. In spite of comparable clinical improvement, this difference maintained after treatment, suggesting a residual pro-inflammatory state. In deep sites, no differences were observed between periodontitis groups except for VEGF levels that decreased more in Grade B periodontitis at 6 months post-therapy. A mathematical model was constructed to identify Grade C periodontitis patients based on the subjects’ GCF levels of IL-1β and IL-9, which achieved an area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.94. This study can contribute to the early assessment of risk of future breakdown in periodontitis patients.
Recovery of monosaccharides via catalytic hydrolysis

This research has provided a fundamental analysis of the use of novel separation and catalyst techniques for saccharification of lignocellulosic tissues. Separation techniques focused on providing a feedstock that was more amenable to hydrolysis. Catalyst development focused on solid acid materials that would provide processing advantages, cost reductions, and waste reduction. A mechanical separation technique was used on corn stover to separate the parent material into two streams with improved processing characteristics. The desire was to produce a material that was easier to hydrolyze in addition to producing a material with enhanced fiber character. The separation technique was effective; however, the material streams did not have significantly different hydrolysis characteristics, which made further development of this technique unattractive. A second separation process that was evaluated was the hydrothermal treatment of distiller's dry grain (performed at Purdue University). This treatment was effective in producing a stream of soluble oligosaccharides that were amenable to hydrolysis to monosaccharides. Acid-functionalized mesoporous silica was synthesized and tested in a model system as a cellobiose hydrolysis catalyst, as well as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of solubilized oligosaccharides generated from distiller's dry grain hydrothermal treatment. These materials were also evaluated with monosaccharides to determine the catalyst activity towards undesirable degradations reactions. The acid-functionalized silica materials were effective catalyst materials with performance similar to homogeneous catalyst materials. These materials were robust enough to be utilized in real systems without severe reduction in catalyst activity. Acidfunctionalized silicas were particularly attractive due to low degradation rates of desirable
Flavor and lipid chemistry of seafoods

1. Flavor and Lipid Chemistry of Seafoods: An Overview 2. Influence of Processing on the Flavor of Seafoods 3. Role of Aldehydes in Cooked Fish Flavors 4. Determination of Potent Odorants in Ripened Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus L.) by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis and by Gas ChromatographyOlfactometry of Headspace Samples 5. Aroma Compounds of Fresh and Stored Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) 6. Gas ChromatographyMass Spectrometry Analysis of Volatile Flavor Compounds in Mackerel for Assessment of Fish Quality 7. Lipoxygenase and Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids in Seafood Flavor Formation 8. Thermally Generated Flavors from Seal Protein Hydrolysate 9. Character-Impact Aroma Compounds of Crustaceans 10. Flavor Characteristics and Lipid Composition of Atlantic Salmon 11. Potent Odorants in Boiled Cod as Affected by the Storage of Raw Material 12. Manipulating the Flavor of Freshwater Crustacea Using Postharvest Seawater Acclimation 13. Aroma-Active Compounds in Salt-Fermented Anchovy 14. Impact of Dietary Peroxides and Tocopherols on Fillet Flavor of Farmed Atlantic Salmon 15. Effect of Sodium Potassium Phosphate (Carnal 2110) on Acceptability and Color of Hot Smoked White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) 16. Influence of Microenvironment on Oxidative Susceptibility of Seafood Lipids 17. Marine Lipids and Their Stabilization with Green Tea and Catechins 18. Analysis of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Isomeric Hydroperoxides by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Post-Column Fluorescence Detection 19. Evaluation Method for Lipid Oxidation by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 20. Structural Characteristics of Marine Lipids and Preparation of *w 3 Concentrates 21. Separation of *w3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Fish Oil and Stabilization of the Oil Against Autoxidation 22. Microencapsulation and Oxidative Stability of Docosahexaenoic Acid
Blood markers in remote ischaemic conditioning for acute ischaemic stroke: data from the REmote ischaemic Conditioning After Stroke Trial

Remote ischaemic per‐conditioning (RIC) is neuroprotective in experimental ischaemic stroke. Several neurohumoral, vascular and inflammatory mediators are implicated. The effect of RIC on plasma biomarkers was assessed using clinical data from the REmote ischaemic Conditioning After Stroke Trial (RECAST‐1).
Genetic Carriers and Genomic Distribution of cadA6—A Novel Variant of a Cadmium Resistance Determinant Identified in Listeria spp.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen responsible for severe cases of food poisoning. Listeria spp. strains occurring in soil and water environments may serve as a reservoir of resistance determinants for pathogenic L. monocytogenes strains. A large collection of Listeria spp. strains (155) isolated from natural, agricultural, and urban areas was screened for resistance to heavy metals and metalloids, and the presence of resistance determinants and extrachromosomal replicons. Of the tested strains, 35% were resistant to cadmium and 17% to arsenic. Sequence analysis of resistance plasmids isolated from strains of Listeria seeligeri and Listeria ivanovii, and the chromosome of L. seeligeri strain Sr73, identified a novel variant of the cadAC cadmium resistance efflux system, cadA6, that was functional in L. monocytogenes cells. The cadA6 cassette was detected in four Listeria species, including strains of L. monocytogenes, isolated from various countries and sources—environmental, food-associated, and clinical samples. This resistance cassette is harbored by four novel composite or non-composite transposons, which increases its potential for horizontal transmission. Since some cadAC cassettes may influence virulence and biofilm formation, it is important to monitor their presence in Listeria spp. strains inhabiting different environments.
SGLT2 Inhibitor-Induced Sympathoexcitation in White Adipose Tissue: A Novel Mechanism for Beiging

Recent preclinical data show that sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are able to reduce weight gain and induce beiging in white adipose tissue (WAT). We have previously shown that in neurogenic hypertensive Schlager (BPH/2J) mice, treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor, Dapagliflozin, reduced blood pressure and prevented weight gain. Here we show that chemical sympathetic denervation achieved by systemic administration of 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) reduces body weight and the heightened sympathetic nervous system (SNS) innervation in WAT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that 2 weeks of Dapagliflozin treatment increases SNS innervation in WAT of hypertensive mice. This increase is accompanied by a non-significant elevation in mRNA levels of the Ucp1 and Pgc-1α genes, which are markers of beiging. No significant difference in the mRNA levels of the inflammatory mediators Il-6 and Tnf-α were detected in WAT of Dapagliflozin treated mice. These findings suggest that SGLT-2 inhibitor-associated prevention of weight gain may be mediated, at least in part, by inducing the beiging of WAT.
Administration of exogenous progesterone protects against Brucella abortus infection-induced inflammation in pregnant mice.

Progesterone has been recognized as essential for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and is typically known as an immunosuppressive agent. However, its effects on mediating Brucella infection-induced inflammation have not been evaluated. Here we demonstrated that B. abortus infection inhibits progesterone levels in the pregnant mouse via suppressing the production of progesterone by placenta. Progesterone treatment significantly reduced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in serum, macrophages and trophoblasts of B. abortus-infected mice leading to decreased placentitis and enhanced the pup viability. Mechanistically, this decreased inflammatory response results from inhibition of NF-kB activation by progesterone. Moreover, progesterone treatment suppresses B. abortus growth within trophoblasts associated with an inability of bacteria to escape the late endosome compartment in vitro. Collectively, our data illustrate that progesterone treatment might be useful therapeutically in protection against placentitis or abortion caused by B. abortus infection.