Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibodies against HSV-1 and Curli Show the Highest Correlation in Parkinson’s Disease Patients in Comparison to Healthy Controls

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn)/Lewy bodies in the brain and -enteric nervous system. The etiology of the disease is not well understood, but bacterial and viral infections may contribute to the pathogenesis of PD. It has been suggested that the gastrointestinal (GI) complications observed in PD patients may arise from bacterial dysbiosis, leading to curli/α-syn deposits in the enteric nervous system. Enteric bacteria secrete curli, a functional amyloid peptide involved in adhesion to surfaces, cell invasion, and biofilm formation. However, these bacterial amyloids can initiate additional α-syn deposits through immune system activation and cross-seeding. In this study, we investigate the humoral response against α-syn, curli peptides, and various bacterial and viral immunogen peptides in PD patients, and compare them with those in healthy controls (HCs). Polyclonal IgG antibodies (Abs) were detected against peptides derived from α-syn (α-syn100–114), curli (Curli133–141), Porphyromonas gingivalis Pg (RgpA800–812, Kpg328–339), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (LtxA1429–445, LtxA264–80), Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP3865c125–133, MAP1,4-a-gbp157–173 and MAP_402718–32), Epstein–Barr virus (EBNA1400–413, BOLF1305–320), and Herpes Simplex virus 1 (UI4222–36), as investigated by indirect ELISA of 51 serum samples from PD and 58 sex and age-matched HCs. Significant differences in OD (optical density) values and Abs positivity between PD patients and HCs were observed for Kpg (82.3% vs. 10.3%), followed by RgpA (60.7% vs. 24.1%), curli (51% vs. 22.4%), and UI42 (43.1% vs. 25.8%) in PD, compared to HCs sera (p < 0.001). No significant difference was found in the ODs obtained from other tested peptides in PD patients, compared to HCs. Significant positive correlations between OD values obtained by ELISA were observed for UI42 and curli (r = 0.811, p < 0.0001), Kpg and RgpA (r = 0.659, p < 0.0001), followed by LtxA1 and LtxA2 (r = 0.653, p < 0.0001). The correlation between the HY scale (Hoehn and Yahr Scale) and LtxA1 (r = 0.306, p < 0.028) and HY and Kpg (r = 0.290, p < 0.038) were significantly positive. This study reports a significantly increased humoral response against curli, Pg, and HSV-1 in PD patients, implying that they could be important factors in the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, the high positive correlation between UI42 and curli may suggest the involvement of HSV-1 in GI dysbiosis. Therefore, the role of each individual pathogen and curli in PD needs to be further investigated.
Zoonotic diseases risk perception and infection prevention and control practices among poultry farmers in the Buea Health District, Cameroon: A one health perspective

Background and Aim: Livestock are associated with pathogenic microbes and farm workers play a significant role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases (ZDs). Lack of awareness of exposure risk among farmers may influence their farm practices, thereby enhancing the spread of diseases on farms and to the community. This study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge, risk perception, and prevention and control practices of ZDs among poultry farmers to provide baseline data for establishing a “One Health” practical approach to reducing ZD transmission in poultry farms. Materials and Methods: Using the exponential discriminative snowball technique, a community-based cross-sectional study involving poultry farmers was carried out in the Buea Health District from April to July 2021. Six feed-producing mills were used as focal points to identify and recruit farmers who were also referred to other farmers. Questionnaires were used to collect data related to participants’ knowledge, risk perception, and prevention and control practices of ZDs. Descriptive analyses were performed for all variables while the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations at 95% confidence level. Results: In all, 183 poultry farms and 207 workers were enrolled in the study. Despite being aware that animal diseases can be transmitted to humans, most participants showed poor knowledge (54.6%), low-risk perception (51.7%), and poor prevention/control practices (54.1%) on ZDs. The majority did not consider coming in contact with birds’ body fluid (blood) or apparently healthy birds to be a risk of infection. More participants with small farms (<500 birds) had low-risk perception of ZDs than those with larger farms (>1000 birds) (p = 0.03). Furthermore, most participants reported practicing hand washing but they neither used protective devices such as gloves and face masks, and >50% would not invite veterinary professionals to their farms. There was a significant association between risk perception and knowledge (p = 0.007; CI = 1.257–4.200) as well as between risk perception and prevention/control practice (p = 0.002; CI = 1.451–4.867). Conclusion: Poultry farm workers in Buea had poor knowledge and perception of ZD risk and this might have contributed to their poor prevention/control practices on the farms. Enhanced informal education of poultry farmers through training workshops and seminars will improve their knowledge and skills on ZD transmission risk and prevention.
Petrocodon asterostriatus (Gesneriaceae), a New Species from Guangxi, China

Petrocodon asterostriatus F. Wen, Y.G. Wei & W.C. Chou sp. nova (Gesneriaceae) is described and illustrated. It is a lithophytic species that grows in the limestone area of southwestern Guangxi, China. According to the maximum likelihood (ML) analysis, it nests in a strongly supported clade (BP = 92%) that includes P. lui, P. tiandengensis, P. integrifolius, P. albinervius and P. ionophyllus. Of these, P. asteriostriatus is morphologically closest to P. integrifolius, but can be distinguished from it by the shape and size of bracts, the indumentum of the pedicel, the shape and indumentum of the corolla tube, the shape of the lip lobes, and the indumentum and glands of filaments.
Evaluation of indirect diagnostic tests and PBMC expression of innate immune genes in subclinical mastitis in dairy cows

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SCM), its innate immunity and to compare the efficacy of indirect diagnostic tests [California mastitis test (CMT), differential electrical conductivity (DEC), absolute EC, enzyme based color detection method (Tanucheck kit) and brothymol blue strip (BTB) tests] to milk somatic cell count (SCC) method using 200×103 cells/ml as a cut off value in Deoni (N=27) and HF crossbred (N=32) cows. Cumulative prevalence of SCM was 38% and 63% in Deoni and HF crossbred cows, respectively on milk SCC basis (N=215). Breed, udder health status and its interaction had significant effect on SCC level. The overall sensitivity and specificity of above indirect tests were 38 and 99%; 52 and 72%; 52 and 69%; 76 and 31%, and 1 and 100%, respectively. mRNA expression of serum amyloid A (SAA), IL-1β and TNF- α genes were significantly up-regulated while, TNF-α gene was significantly down-regulated in PBMC of SCM affected HF crossbred and Deoni cows, respectively. It is concluded that, DEC is more suitable indirect method to detect SCM and mRNA expression of SAA and TNF-α was strongly related to SCM in HF crossbred and Deoni cows, respectively.
Multi‐scale analysis of the 25–27 July 2006 convective period over Niamey: Comparison between Doppler radar observations and simulations

The present study investigates the multi‐scale processes associated with a sequence of convective events that occurred over Niamey during the period 25–26 July 2006. This period corresponds to the active stage of the first intense monsoon surge over Sahel for 2006. During this two‐day period, two successive sequences of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) were located ahead of and in phase with the trough of an African Easterly Wave (AEW). They were followed by suppressed or isolated convection behind the trough and in the vicinity of the ridge. The large AMMA‐SOP dataset, in particular the UHF radar and the MIT Doppler radar in Niamey, are used in combination with a low‐resolution (5 km) cloud‐resolving model to understand the convection organization and its interaction with the environment. Several initial and boundary conditions have been tested, but only the simulation starting with the ECMWF AMMA reanalysis succeeds in reproducing the observed features; this emphasizes the importance of the initial state. From the simulated MCSs, the along‐line component of the apparent source of momentum due to the convection is found to be up to 1 m s−1h−1. It seems that MCSs globally reduce the monsoon flow and generate southerlies at mid levels which can reinforce the rotation of the wind at the passage of the trough. During the afternoon of 26 July, the local convection over Niamey resulted from some favourable factors (humidity, CAPE, CIN) that triggered convection, while inhibiting factors (mid‐level dry layer, weaker low‐level wind shear pointing to the north, anticyclonic curvature of the streamlines at 700 hPa) prevented it organizing itself and propagating. In particular, the low‐level wind shear seems of critical importance. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
LOCAL PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE CHÀM ISLANDS, VIETNAM

Local perceptions have the most significant impact on the sustainable tourism practices in a region. This study used the Social Exchange Theory (SET) to examine how local perceptions towards the environmental costs and benefits affect their support for tourism development. The study involved 300 residents of the Chàm Islands. Two factors that affect local perceptions towards the environmental costs and benefits; namely, community concern and eco-centric attitudes; were assessed. Two factors were found to have a positive effect on the perceived environmental costs while community concern had influence on perceived environmental benefits. Local perceptions towards the environmental costs and benefits also had a positive and significant correlation with their support for tourism development. Therefore, the locals still support tourism development even though they believe the environmental costs outweigh its benefits. The government and tourism planners may use the findings to guide local perceptions towards the environmental impacts to develop sustainable practices.
Mean Square Consensus Control for Second Order Multi-Agent Systems under Fixed Topologies and Measurement Noises

This paper considers the mean square consensus problems for second order multi-agent systems with fixed topologies and measurement noises. Two cases were analyzed: 1) undirected networks with fixed topologies; 2) undirected networks with fixed topologies and measurement noises. In order to attenuate the measurement noises, a time-varying consensus gain was introduced in the consensus protocol. Sufficient conditions were derived for all agents to reach consensus in mean square via algebraic graph theory, matrix theory and stochastic analysis approach, by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov function. A numerical example was given to verify our theoretical analysis.
Satellite-framed lexicalization of creation events in French?

As a typical verb-framed language, French has only limited ability to combine manner verbs with result-denoting constituents in the VP. Based on an event structural approach, this contribution explores the compatibility of different types of manner verbs with two syntactic means of lexicalizing the product/result of a creation event, namely effected objects and resultative PPs headed by en. Data from two acceptability judgment tasks show the following findings: 1) Manner verbs that do not allow for an effected object canonically can still be coerced into a creation reading as long as no general constraint is violated. 2) Resultative PPs prove as acceptable across verb classes, but acceptability is shown to vary based on the internal makeup of the PP, which embeds either a bare noun or a full DP. Verbs that allow for an effected object are judged as well-formed with PPs of both types, whereas verbs not selecting an effected object are only fully acceptable when a bare noun is embedded in the PP. Creation event lexicalizations that can be regarded as satellite-framed are, thus, not only subject to general structural constraints, but also to more subtle and verb‑specific restrictions.
Corporate Disclosure of Sustainability Reporting and Value Relevance in Developing Countries - A Review of Literature

In many countries, sustainability reporting has now become popular and necessary, as well as the impact of sustainability implementation and disclosures on firm value remains mixed. As a result, the focus of this study is primarily on the impact of sustainability reporting on the value relevance of firms in developing countries. This paper draws on arguments from a variety of theoretical frameworks; stakeholders' theory and legitimacy theory. A systematic approach was adopted in this study to form the basis for the study’s conclusion and recommendations. The results of the evaluated existing literature revealed that the influence of sustainability reporting on business value was contradictory. A vast number of studies, on the other hand, showed a favourable association between sustainability reporting and business value. Second, the research discovered that the degree of sustainability disclosure in emerging countries was lower than in other industrialized countries. It was discovered that existing research on the industry analysed and sample size utilized had certain methodological issues. This paper adds to the field by providing crucial insights into the influence of sustainability reporting on company value using samples from developing countries. As a main proposal in the report, implementing sustainability disclosure methods may increase the value relevance of firms.
Numerical viscosity and convergence of finite volume methods for conservation laws with boundary conditions

The authors study the convergence of finite volume schemes for general multidimensional conservation laws with boundary conditions. A unique result for a measure-valued solution, which generalizes those of Diperna for unbounded domains and Szepessy for bounded domains, is proved. It gives us sufficient conditions to get convergence. By studying carefully the entropy production for one-dimensional E-schemes we are able to prove convergence of finite volume E-schemes under general assumption.
Energy dissipation in viscous‐plastic sea‐ice models

In viscous-plastic (VP) sea-ice models, small deformations are approximated by irreversible viscous deformations, introducing a nonphysical energy sink. As the spatial resolution and the degree of numerical convergence of the models increase, linear kinematic features (LKFs) are better resolved and more states of stress lie in the viscous regime. Energy dissipation in this nonphysical viscous regime therefore increases. We derive a complete kinetic energy (KE) balance for sea ice, including plastic and viscous energy sinks to study energy dissipation. The main KE balance is between the energy input by the wind and the dissipation by the water drag and the internal stresses (dissipating 87% and 13% of the energy input on an annual average). The internal stress term is mostly important in winter when ice-ice interactions are dominant. The energy input that is not dissipated locally is redistributed laterally by the internal stresses into regions of dissipation by small-scale deformations (LKFs). Of the 13% dissipated annually by the internal stress term, 93% is dissipated in plastic friction along LKFs (14% in ridging, 79% in shearing) and 7% is stored as potential energy in ridges. For all time and spatial scales tested, the frictional viscous dissipation is negligible in the KE balance. This conclusion remains valid regardless of the degree of numerical convergence of the simulations. Overall, the results confirm the applicability, from an energetical point of view, of the VP approximation.
Identification of Risk Genes Associated with Myocardial Infarction—Big Data Analysis and Literature Review

Acute myocardial infarction occurs when blood supply to a particular coronary artery is cut off, causing ischemia or hypoxia and subsequent heart muscle destruction in the vascularized area. With a mortality rate of 17% per year, myocardial infarction (MI) is still one of the top causes of death globally. Numerous studies have been done to identify the genetic risk factors for myocardial infarction, as a positive family history of heart disease is one of the most potent cardiovascular risk factors. The goal of this review is to compile all the information currently accessible in the literature on the genes associated with AMI. We performed a big data analysis of genes associated with acute myocardial infarction, using the following keywords: “myocardial infarction”, “genes”, “involvement”, “association”, and “risk”. The analysis was done using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Data from the title, abstract, and keywords were exported as text files and imported into an Excel spreadsheet. Its analysis was carried out using the VOSviewer v. 1.6. 18 software. Our analysis found 28 genes which are mostly likely associated with an increased risk for AMI, including: PAI-1, CX37, IL18, and others. Also, a correlation was made between the results obtained in the big data analysis and the results of the review. The most important genes increasing the risk for AMI are lymphotoxin-a gene (LTA), LGALS2, LDLR, and APOA5. A deeper understanding of the underlying functional genomic circuits may present new opportunities for research in the future.
Limitations of theoretical benefit from an adaptive directional system in reverberant environments

Hearing aids with adaptive and fixed two-microphone processing are currently available. Although the noise reduction increase of adaptive over fixed aids can theoretically be tens of dB, it is unclear if this benefit can be found with realistic processing and conditions. Thus, a theoretical analysis of the ability of today’s aids to attenuate jammers in “everyday” conditions [direct-reverberant ratio ⩽5.0 dB] is provided. Processing limitations restrict aids to wideband null steering through intermicrophone delay variation. Delay variation is predicted to provide maximally 2.0 dB more noise reduction than the best fixed system on average, and only at the highest direct-reverberant ratios.
Novel scheme to study structural and thermal properties of continuously deformable molecules

The authors present a method for calculating the chemical potential of arbitrary chain molecules in a computer simulation. The method is based on a generalization of Siepmann's method for calculating the chemical potential of chain molecules with a finite number of conformations. Next, the authors show that it is also possible to extend the configurational-bias Monte Carlo scheme developed recently by Siepmann and Frenkel (1992) to continuously deformable molecules. The utility of their technique for computing the chemical potential of chain molecules is demonstrated by computing the chemical potential of a fully flexible chain consisting of 10-20 segments in a moderately dense atomic fluid. Under these conditions the conventional particle-insertion schemes fail completely. In addition, they show that their novel configurational-bias Monte Carlo scheme compares favourably with conventional Monte Carlo procedures for chain molecules.
Evaluation of extractive distillation using efficiency correlation and experimental data

In order to evaluate the behavior of extractive distillation columns efficiency was used the correlation developed by Barros & Wolf, which considers the mass and heat transfer parameters, based on the physical and thermal characteristic of ideal and non-ideal liquid mixtures. The results obtained from Barros & Wolf correlation efficiency were compared with the experimental data obtained by Meirelles. For all cases studied, the solvent used to separate each mixture, reflect on the efficiency values in extractive distillation column. Those factors are more strongly when the interaction between the liquid and vapor phase in the column promote the turbulence, factor predominant on mass and heat transference. The correlation used here shows good approximation when the data from this correlation were compared with that from real profile data obtained by Meirelles, for extractive distillation column. The precision of this correlation is due the mass and heat phenomenon are involved in real process and the behavior efficiency along of distillation column is similar that described in the literature. For this, due the high complexity associated with carried out experiment in laboratory, the correlation used here can be explore to evaluate the profile of extractive distillation operations.
Implication of the Mediterranean diet on the human epigenome

Summary Epigenetics, defined as “hereditary changes in gene expression that occur without any change in the DNA sequence”, consists of various epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. The epigenome, which has a dynamic structure in response to intracellular and extracellular stimuli, has a key role in the control of gene activity, since it is located at the intersection of cellular information encoded in the genome and molecular/chemical information of extracellular origin. The focus shift of studies to epigenetic reprogramming has led to the formation and progressive importance of a concept called “nutriepigenetics”, whose aim is to prevent diseases by intervening on nutrition style. Among the diet types adopted in the world, the renowned Mediterranean Diet (MD), being rich in unsaturated fatty acids and containing high levels of whole grain foods and large quantities of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, has shown numerous advantages in excluding chronic diseases. Additionally, the fact that this diet is rich in polyphenols with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has an undeniable effect in turning some cellular pathways against the disease. It is also apparent that the effects of polyphenols on the epigenome cause changes in mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation/deacetylation, which have a regulatory effect on gene regulation. This review presents the effects of long-term consumption of nutrients from the MD on the epigenome and discusses the benefits of this diet in the treatment and even prevention of chronic diseases.