Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural Occurrence of Alternaria Toxins in Citrus-Based Products Collected from China in 2021

A total of 181 citrus-based products, including dried fruits, canned fruits, and fruit juices, collected from China and from abroad in 2021 were analyzed for the four Alternaria toxins (ALTs): alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tentoxin (TEN), and tenuazonic acid (TeA) via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS). Although the concentrations of the four ALTs varied by product and geographically, TeA was the predominant toxin followed by AOH, AME, and TEN. Products made in China showed higher levels of ALTs than those made abroad. Maximum levels of TeA, AOH, and AME in analyzed domestic samples were 4.9-fold, 1.3-fold, and 1.2-fold, respectively, higher than those in imported products. Furthermore, 83.4% (151/181) of the analyzed citrus-based products were contaminated with at least two or more ALTs. There were significant positive correlations between AOH and AME, AME and TeA, and TeA and TEN in all analyzed samples. More importantly, the solid and the condensed liquid products had higher concentrations of ALTs than the semi-solid product samples, as well as tangerines, pummelos, and grapefruits compared to the other kinds of citrus-based products. In conclusion, co-contamination with ALTs in commercially available Chinese citrus-based products was universal. Extensive and systematic surveillance of ALTs in citrus-based products, both domestic and imported, is required to obtain more scientific data for the determination of the maximum allowable concentrations of ALTs in China.
Neurofilament Light Protein Predicts Disease Progression in Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Background: Idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is increasingly recognized as a manifestation preceding the α-synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) have been reported to be higher in synucleinopathies as a sign of neurodegeneration. Objective: To evaluate whether plasma NfL is valuable in reflecting cognitive and motor status in iRBD and PD with a premorbid history of RBD (PDRBD), and predicting disease progression in iRBD. Methods: Thirty-one patients with iRBD, 30 with PDRBD, and 18 healthy controls were included in the cross-sectional and prospective study. Another cohort from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset was enrolled for verification analysis. All patients received evaluations of cognitive, motor, and autonomic function by a battery of clinical tests at baseline and follow-up. Blood NfL was measured by the Quanterix Simoa HD-1. Results: In our cohort, 26 patients with iRBD completed the follow-up evaluations, among whom eight (30.8%) patients displayed phenoconversion. Baseline plasma NfL cutoff value of 22.93 pg/mL performed best in distinguishing the iRBD converters from non-converters (sensitivity: 75.0%, specificity: 83.3%, area under the curve: 0.84). Cognitive and motor function were significantly correlated with NfL levels in PDRBD (correlation coefficients: –0.379, 0.399; respectively). Higher baseline NfL levels in iRBD were significantly associated with higher risks for cognitive, motor, autonomic function progression, and phenoconversion at follow-up (hazard ratios: 1.069, 1.065, 1.170, 1.065; respectively). The findings were supported by the PPMI dataset. Conclusion: Plasma NfL is valuable in reflecting disease severity of PDRBD and predicting disease progression and phenoconversion in iRBD.
Automation of Kerr microscopy system for domain wall velocity measurements

The present work reports the automation of a Kerr microscopy system for capturing magnetic domains and subsequently measuring the displacement of domain walls (DWs) with pulsed magnetic fields. Suitable algorithms are utilized for enhancing the image contrast, image filtering and the simultaneous quantitative evaluation of images, while the data acquisition with pulsed fields is run in the front-end. In order to test these aspects, DW velocity measurements in the widely studied Pt/Co/Pt system, which exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, are carried out at different temperatures ( ⩽ 300 K). It is observed that the obtained features agree with the results reported in the literature, indicating the validity of the developed automation.
The Economic Impact of Parasitism from Nematodes, Trematodes and Ticks on Beef Cattle Production

Simple Summary Cattle parasites live inside or on the body of beef cattle. The most common beef parasites include intestinal roundworms, flatworms and ticks. The act of parasitizing cattle reduces the health of the animals and reduces the economic value to the farmer through reduced body weight, milk production, coat and hide quality and ability to give birth to healthy calves. As a result, beef cattle producers lose billions of dollars in the value of their herds each year due to parasitism. Preventing and treating parasites is an important step in increasing the farmers’ ability to raise healthy beef cattle, make a profit and meet the world’s need for sustainable protein and other cattle products. Abstract Global human population growth requires the consumption of more meat such as beef to meet human needs for protein intake. Cattle parasites are a constant and serious threat to the development of the beef cattle industry. Studies have shown that parasites not only reduce the performance of beef cattle, but also negatively affect the profitability of beef agriculture and have many other impacts, including contributing to the production of greenhouse gases. In addition, some zoonotic parasitic diseases may also threaten human health. Therefore, ongoing cattle parasite research is crucial for continual parasite control and the development of the beef cattle industry. Parasitism challenges profitable beef production by reducing feed efficiency, immune function, reproductive efficiency, liveweight, milk yield, calf yield and carcass weight, and leads to liver condemnations and disease transmission. Globally, beef cattle producers incur billions (US$) in losses due to parasitism annually, with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and cattle ticks causing the greatest economic impact. The enormity of losses justifies parasitic control measures to protect profits and improve animal welfare. Geographical differences in production environment, management practices, climate, cattle age and genotype, parasite epidemiology and susceptibility to chemotherapies necessitate control methods customized for each farm. Appropriate use of anthelmintics, endectocides and acaricides have widely been shown to result in net positive return on investment. Implementing strategic parasite control measures, with thorough knowledge of parasite risk, prevalence, parasiticide resistance profiles and prices can result in positive economic returns for beef cattle farmers in all sectors.
Food processing to reduce antinutrients in plant-based foods

Antinutrients such as phytic acids, tannins, saponin, and enzyme inhibitors are phytochemicals that can decrease the bioavailability of micro- and macronutrients, thus causing them to be unavailable for absorptions in the digestive system. Antinutrients are a major concern especially in countries where plant-based commodities such as wheat, legumes, and cereals are staple foods, for the antinutrients can cause not only mineral deficiencies, but also lead to more serious health issues. Although various thermal and non-thermal processing methods such as cooking, boiling, and fermentation processes have been practiced to decrease the level of antinutrients, these processes may also undesirably influence the final products. More advanced practices, such as ozonation and cold plasma processing (CPP), have been applied to decrease the antinutrients without majorly affecting the physicochemical and nutritional aspects of the commodities post-processing. This review will cover the types of antinutrients that are commonly found in plants, and the available processing methods that can be used, either singly or in combination, to significantly decrease the antinutrients, thus rendering the foods safe for consumption.
Automatic Co-registration of Satellite Time Series via Least Squares Adjustment

Abstract Image-to-image co-registration is a fundamental task for data processing of satellite time series. This paper presents a new multi-image co-registration algorithm that simultaneously uses multi-image corresponding points in the whole multi-temporal sequence. Image co-registration parameters are then computed on the basis of a global adjustment. The implemented algorithm provides sub-pixel accuracy similar to that achievable with interactive measurements, but it is also able to register images which do not directly share corresponding features with the reference. Results for a (i) synthetic dataset and a (ii) real complex multi-temporal series made up of 13 Landsat images collected over a period of 30 years are illustrated and discussed. The obtained results showed that the implemented algorithm is atmospheric resistant and quite robust against land cover changes, cloud cover, and snow.
Dipeptide Nitrile CD34 with Curcumin: A New Improved Combination Strategy to Synergistically Inhibit Rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

Rhodesain is the main cysteine protease of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the parasite causing the acute lethal form of Human African Trypanosomiasis. Starting from the dipeptide nitrile CD24, the further introduction of a fluorine atom in the meta position of the phenyl ring spanning in the P3 site and the switch of the P2 leucine with a phenylalanine led to CD34, a synthetic inhibitor that shows a nanomolar binding affinity towards rhodesain (Ki = 27 nM) and an improved target selectivity with respect to the parent dipeptide nitrile CD24. In the present work, following the Chou and Talalay method, we carried out a combination study of CD34 with curcumin, a nutraceutical obtained from Curcuma longa L. Starting from an affected fraction (fa) of rhodesain inhibition of 0.5 (i.e., the IC50), we observed an initial moderate synergistic action, which became a synergism for fa values ranging from 0.6 to 0.7 (i.e., 60–70% inhibition of the trypanosomal protease). Interestingly, at 80–90% inhibition of rhodesain proteolytic activity, we observed a strong synergism, resulting in 100% enzyme inhibition. Overall, in addition to the improved target selectivity of CD34 with respect to CD24, the combination of CD34 + curcumin resulted in an increased synergistic action with respect to CD24 + curcumin, thus suggesting that it is desirable to use CD34 and curcumin in combination.
Using indentation to characterize the poroelasticity of gels

When an indenter is pressed into a gel to a fixed depth, the solvent in the gel migrates, and the force on the indenter relaxes. Within the theory of poroelasticity, the force relaxation curves for indenters of several types are obtained in a simple form, enabling indentation to be used with ease as a method for determining the elastic constants and permeability of the gel. The method is demonstrated with a conical indenter on an alginate hydrogel.
Effect of Behavior Change Communication on Self-Care Practices Among Adult Type-2 Diabetic Patients in a Semi-urban Community of South India: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Diabetes mellitus is often termed the modern epidemic, and India ranks second after China in the global disease burden. Practice and adherence to essential self-care behaviors, positively correlated with good glycemic control and reduced complications in people with diabetes, have been inadequately understood, especially in a semi-urban setting. Methods: This community-based interventional study was done among 269 known adult type 2 diabetic patients from a semi-urban community in South India for three months. By simple random sampling, known diabetics identified in the health survey by the tertiary care teaching institute were considered for the study. Self-care practices in diabetes were recorded in the pre-test using a validated semi-structured questionnaire. Two health education sessions, each for 30 minutes, were conducted with 15-20 subjects in a group. Health education materials on self-care in diabetes, such as charts, handouts, video clippings, and PowerPoint presentations in the local language, were used. The self-care practices were re-recorded in the post-test after two months. Inferential statistics were carried out with a t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficient, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 253 diabetic subjects were included in the final analysis, with an attrition rate of 6%. The mean age of participants was 56.5 ± 11.9 years. The mean score of self-care practices among diabetic subjects at the baseline was 14.6 ± 13.2. Illiteracy and smoking habit were significantly associated with lower self-care scores in the pre-test. In the post-test, after health education, there was a significant improvement in the mean self-care practices score and a reduction in the mean fasting blood sugar level. Also, a significant mild negative correlation between the self-care scores and blood sugar levels was seen (Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.21, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Self-care practices, which were not satisfactory in most diabetic participants, were found to be significantly impacted by the small group education. This stresses the need for effective health education sessions as envisaged under the national program.
The relationship between quality of life and functionality in patients with schizophrenia – A preliminary report

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between quality of life and level of functioning in a group of Romanian patients with schizophrenia. A cross-sectional, observational, prospective study on 47 patients with schizophrenia was conducted. Socio-demographic and clinical data were documented and WHOQOL-BREF and Life Skills Profile-16 instruments were further administered. To examine the correlation between variables, Person correlation test was employed. The mean age of the sample was 38.32±12.32 years and 66% of the patients were males. Significant correlations were found between all aspects of the quality of life (physical health, psychological, social relationships and environmental health) and total score of LSP-16 (r=-0.426, p<0.01; r=- 0.396, p<0.01; r=-0.452, p<0.01; r=-0.470, p<0.001, respectively). Our research revealed that lower overall functionality in patients with schizophrenia was associated with a decreased quality of life. The development and implementation of new psychological and pharmacological tools in clinical practice to improve these outcomes appears to be critically needed.
Minimal-Access Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Closure

Progress towards the development and adoption of minimally invasive techniques in cardiac surgery has been slower than that seen in other surgical specialties. Congenital heart disease (CHD) patients represent an important population within cardiac disease, of which atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common diagnoses. Management of ASD encompasses a range of minimal-access and minimally invasive approaches, including transcatheter device closure, mini-sternotomy, thoracotomy, video-assisted, endoscopic, and robotic approaches. In this article, we will discuss the pathophysiology of ASD, along with diagnosis, management, and indications for intervention. We will review the current evidence supporting minimally invasive and minimal-access surgical ASD closure in the adult and paediatric patient, highlighting peri-operative considerations and areas for further research.
Extraction and characterization of a novel tropical fibre Megaphrynium macrostachyum as a biosourced reinforcement for gypsum-based biocomposites

Identifying the potential of new bast fibres is a solution for diversifying biobased reinforcements and replacing environmentally harmful synthetic fibres. In this study, fibres were extracted from Megaphrynium macrostachyum stems by biological and chemical retting. The chemical fibres were bleached with a 2.5wt% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) solution. The biological, chemical and bleached fibres were analysed from a chemical, morphological, physical, mechanical and thermal point of view. The possibility of using these fibres as reinforcement in gypsum-based biocomposites for construction was analysed by three-point bending tests. Chemical analysis revealed a cellulose content of more than 56 wt% within the usual range (50-85 wt%) for reinforcing fibres. SEM images showed that bleaching cleans the surface of the fibres. Physical analysis by gravimetric analysis showed that the bleached fibre had the lowest density (1.01 g.cm−3), fineness (5.2tex) and water absorption (64wt%). In addition, the highest thermal stability (237°C) was obtained for the chemical fibre. Young’s modulus and tensile strength, evaluated according to ASTM D3822-07, were dispersed and depended on the fibre diameter, and the highest values were obtained for the chemical fibre (6.4 GPa and 251 MPa). In contrast, gypsum composites with a volume fraction of 1.5% bleached chemical fibre had the highest stiffness (258 MPa) and flexural strength (5 MPa). The results obtained for each fibre type are relatively close to those of other fibres in the literature, indicating that all three fibre types studied can be used as alternative raw materials for the manufacture of gypsum-based biocomposites. Graphical Abstract
Local support of climate change policies in Germany over time

Political conflicts about energy and climate change policies often have local implications, yet little is known about local public opinion towards these policies. Here, we estimate support towards 26 climate change mitigation policies for 402 German counties and for up to four points of time using multilevel regression and poststratification. We find that local support for climate policies varies by up to 60 percentage points across German counties with large disparities between the rural and urban population. While support for the expansion of wind power plants and solar power plants have converged over the last years, attitudes on the phase-out of coal power have polarized across regions. Using a spatial panel analysis, we find that support for the expansion of wind and solar plants correlate with the actual development of solar and wind capacities in these regions. Moreover, the spread of climate policy opinion is strongly determined by spatial diffusion as change in one region positively influences the trajectory of policy opinion among its neighbors.
Reverse Leakage Mechanism of Dislocation-Free GaN Vertical p-n Diodes

The reverse leakage mechanism of threading dislocation (TD)-free gallium nitride (GaN) vertical p-n diode was investigated in various temperature range, and it was compared with that of the p-n diode having a threading dislocation density (TDD) of around <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{{6}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-{2}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The reverse leakage current was increased markedly by increasing the temperature from 400 K, the dominant mechanism was explained by thermionic and Poole-Frenkel emissions for TD-free and high-TDD p-n diodes, respectively. At high temperatures and electric fields, the leakage current of the high TDD p-n diode showed 2 times higher than the TD-free p-n diode. These results indicate that the performance of vertical GaN devices, especially when employed at high temperatures and electric fields, can be enhanced by removing TDs.
Utilisation of black sticky rice (Oryza sativa L.) extract in chitosan-methylcellulose film

Botanical extracts have potential for application in active food packaging systems in terms of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, including other smart functions. In the present work, black sticky rice (Oryza sativa L.) extract (BE; 10 - 30%) was incorporated into a composite film of chitosan (1.0%) and methylcellulose (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%), and prepared by a casting technique using polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) as a plasticiser. Application of 1.5% methylcellulose in combination with chitosan slightly increased film solubility and the water vapour permeability coefficient (WVPC), and improved physical properties as compared to other treatments. Film with a high BE content (20 - 30%) was thicker, and had a decreased WVPC. The tensile strength of the film increased in contrast to a statistically significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in the percentage of elongation at break. The surface morphology of the film was flat and smooth, and the cross section was more rigid when viewed under a scanning electron microscope. The colour of the film containing 30% BE changed clearly from red (pH 1.0) to pinkish brown (pH 6.0) and finally yellow (pH 12.0), indicated by decreased a* value and increased b* value. ΔE presented the total colour difference that changed from an initial before immersing. The film was responsive when tested in food systems by mounting it on the lid of the box, showing a visible orange-brown colour in torpedo scad, greyish brown in chicken tenderloin, and light orange in minimally processed pineapple when foods spoiled. The present work revealed the potential of anthocyanin extract derived from purple sticky rice for use as a natural pH indicator in chitosan-methylcellulose-based films for intelligent packaging.
EMITTANCE MEASUREMENTS ON THE LBL ECR SOURCE

Measurements of radial emittance and the upper limit of energy spread have been made using a scanning Faraday cup after a waist, on beams of oxygen, argon and krypton. The general features are that the divergence seen at the scanning cup shows a central core and tails on each side. The un-normalized emittance of the beam core decreases with increasing Q/A in a way that is not explained by simple assumptions about the plasma or extraction system. Data from an experimental 1 mm diameter extraction aperture indicates that plasma density is about the same as over the standard aperture, but that the plasma energy spread is reduced to an upper limit of . 2 to . 4 V, and beam brightness is up by a factor of 10 for medium charge states. 9 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.
Novel Space Vector Based Current Controllers for PWM-Inverters

Two novel simple control strategies €or current-controlled, pulsewidth modulated (PWM) transistor inverters are presented. Both methods are based on the three-level hysteresis comparators which se- lect appropriate inverter output voltage vectors via switching electri- cally programmable read-only memory (EPROM) table. The first controller works with current components represented in a stationary coordinate system (ac components) and the second one with compo- nents represented in a rotated (field-oriented) coordinate system (dc components). The theoretical principle of these methods are discussed. The results of comparative study which illustrate performance of the proposed controllers in comparison to the most popular scheme based on three independent two-level histeresis comparators are presented.