Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rice CASP1 regulates suberin deposition in small lateral roots and plays crucial role in metal homeostasis in plant

Arabidopsis Casparian strip membrane domain proteins (CASPs) form a transmembrane scaffold to recruit lignin biosynthetic enzymes for Casparian strip (CS) formation. Compared with Arabidopsis, rice root is more complex with a CS of the exodermis and sclerenchyma and a CS that does not block propidium iodide entry into the stele. Rice CASP1 is highly similar to AtCASPs, but it is not required for CS formation. Its mutation results in early leaf senescence and fewer tillers and does not change the CS structure and permeability. OsCASP1 is mainly located in the nuclear membrane. Its expression is concentrated in the root stele and at small lateral root tips and can be induced by salt stress. OsCASP1 mutation causes ectopic suberin deposition in small lateral roots and ion imbalances in the plant. Homeostatic disorder induces nutrient recycling and accelerate leaf senescence. To our knowledge, OsCASP1 is the first CASP to be described in the nuclear membrane; it modulates suberin deposition and does not involve CS formation, representing a novel regulatory mode of CASPs.
Structural, spectroscopic (FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR) and computational analysis (DOS, NBO, Fukui) of 3,5-dimethylisoxazole and 4-(chloromethyl)-3,5-dimethylisoxazole: A DFT study

The theoretical and computational analysis of two isoxazole derivatives 3,5-dimethylisoxazole and 4-chloromethyl-3,5-dimethylisoxazole were carried out along with some of the experimental evidences. The density functional theory calculations of these compounds were done with DFT/B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) basis set using Gaussian 09 software. From the DFT calculations, the optimization geometry, vibrational analysis, electronic properties, local reactivity descriptors, natural bond orbitals, and other structural properties of the title compounds were elucidated. The chemical shifts of every C and H atom of the title compounds were calculated using Gauge Independent Atomic orbitals (GIAO) method for both proton and carbon NMR spectra. The molecular electrostatic potential of DMI has been found out and the difference in MEP on addition of chloromethyl group is also discussed. The hyperpolarizability calculations of the investigated molecules shows that the nonlinear optical activity of CDMI is greater when compared to DMI.
Decomposition Mechanism of Anisole on Pt(111): Combining Single-Crystal Experiments and First-Principles Calculations

To valorize lignin as a renewable source of aromatics, it is necessary to develop selective heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation reaction of aromatic oxygenates such as anisole. Most of the metal-supported catalysts tested so far exhibit a high conversion but a low selectivity toward valuable aromatic hydrocarbons, yielding mainly phenolic compounds. To gain insights into that catalytic system, we performed surface science experiments (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption) under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions (UHV). Dosing anisole on Pt(111) surprisingly gave benzene, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen as the main desorbing products of decomposition. With the help of density functional theory (DFT) we successfully explain the unexpected selectivity. In the present work we show in particular that phenoxy (PhO) stands as a key intermediate. Although the UHV conditions do not allow the hydrogenation of phenoxy into phenol, i.e. the catalytic product, they reveal the ke.
Loneliness as a risk factor for frailty transition among Chinese old people

Background: previous literature has reported that loneliness is a strong predictor of frailty risk, yet less is known about the role of loneliness in frailty transition types. In this study, we examined whether and how loneliness is related to frailty transition among Chinese old people. Methods: our study used participants (aged>=60) from 2008/2009, 2011/2012 and 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Loneliness was assessed by a single question asking how often the respondent feels lonely. FRAIL Scale was created to measure physical frailty for our study, and frailty was also assessed by a broader definition of frailty index. Frailty transition as an outcome variable has been designed as two types according to the measurement of frailty. Results: greater loneliness at baseline reduced the possibility of remaining robust or prefrail physical frailty state after 3 years (OR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.68 - 0.91, p<0.01), adjusted for all confounding variables. Greater loneliness was associated with an increased risk of worsening physical frailty after years: compared with those who had never felt lonely, the odds ratios for people who often felt lonely were 1.19 (95%CI: 1.01 - 1.41, p<0.05) after 3 years and 1.34 (95%CI: 1.08 - 1.66, p<0.01) after 6 years, adjusted for confounding variables. The association between loneliness and change in the frailty index differed in survey periods: loneliness at baselines was found to increase the possibility of participants remaining in frailty (seldom loneliness: OR= 1.78, 95%CI: 1.25 - 2.55, p<0.01; often loneliness: OR= 1.74, 95%CI: 1.21 - 2.50, p<0.01) after 6 years, but no significant sign was shown in 3 years follow-up. Besides, loneliness at baselines was significantly associated with frailty transition at follow-up among males, even after adjusting for all potential confounding variables. However, a similar association was not observed among females. Conclusion: old people with a high level of loneliness tend to be frail in the future, and greater loneliness is related to increased risk of worsening frailty and remaining frail. Male elderly with a high level of loneliness were more likely to suffer from frailty transition than female elderly in China.
Toxicity Analysis of Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp. Leaves Extract and Its Stability against Different pH and Temperature

Food sanitizer is important to reduce or eliminate microbial population on the food surface and also to removes dirt. Nowadays, food sanitizer is basically from chemical base. Therefore, this study was to evaluate the toxicity level of S. polyanthum and its stability against different pHs and different temperatures in determining the suitability of leaves extract as natural food sanitizer. Leaves extract was adjusted to pH 3, pH 7, pH 11 conditions and exposed to temperatures at 30°C, 50°C and 80°C for 15 min each. Treated extracts were tested for their antimicrobial properties in term of MICs and MBCs. Toxicity level of S. polyanthum was determined by brine shrimp lethality assay. As a result, antimicrobial activities of S. polyanthum extract was not affected by different pHs and temperatures while toxicity study demonstrated that S. polyanthum, extract was not toxic to Artemia salina with LC50 was 75.85 mg/mL. Therefore, S. polyanthum had the potential to be developed as antimicrobial agent in food sanitizer.
Rapamycin alleviates experimental autoimmune hepatitis by immunoregulation of Th1 and Th17 cells

Background Increasing evidence in recent years has suggested that Th1, Th17 cells act as a crucial regulatorin autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Rapamycin, as a inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which modulates T cell activation, differentiation and migration, is known to be able to selectively inhibit the activation of T helper cells including Th1 and Th17 subsets. However, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Results In this study, we demonstrated that rapamycin ameliorated AIH in mice model by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells. Further analysis revealed that the suppressive function of rapamycin was associated with the downregulation of p70s6k-STAT3 signaling, which is downstream of mTOR, in AIH mice. Conclusions These findings suggest a previously unrecognized role for rapamycin immunoregulatory function and its protective effect on AIH, providing additional insight for the selection of alternative clinical protocols for autoimmune diseases.
Transcriptome analysis in the shell gland of laying hens affecting eggshell qualities

Background Eggshell plays an important role in protecting against physical damage and microorganic invasion. It is subject to quality loss with increasing hen age, and fragile eggshells result in huge economic losses to the poultry industry. Therefore, improving eggshell quality is particularly important. However, little is known about the potential molecular mechanisms regulating eggshell quality in chickens. Methods In this study, we aimed to compare differential expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs between old and young laying hens to identify related candidate genes for chicken shell gland development by the method of high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Results In total, we detected 176 and 383 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs, respectively. Moreover, functional annotation analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases revealed that DE-lncRNAs and DE-mRNAs were significantly enriched in “phosphate-containing compound metabolic process”, “mitochondrial proton-transporting ATP synthase complex”, “inorganic anion transport”, and other terms related to eggshell calcification and cuticularization. Through integrated analysis, we found that some important genes such as FGF14, COL25A1, GPX8, and GRXCR1 and their corresponding lncRNAs were expressed differentially between two groups, and the results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) among these genes were also in excellent agreement with the sequencing data. In addition, our research indicates that FGF14, COL25A1, GPX8, and the members of the SLC family may be key genes that affect eggshell quality in hens. Conclusions This study provides a catalog of lncRNAs and mRNAs of the laying hen eggshell gland and will contribute to a fuller understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the function of the shell gland in poultry. Our findings will provide a valuable reference for the development of breeding programs aimed at breeding excellent poultry with high eggshell quality or regulating dietary nutrient levels to improve eggshell quality.
Analysis of genome-wide mutation pro�le and establishment of risk signature for prognosis of bladder cancer

Background: Emerging studies have shown that a variety of gene mutations occur in development and progression of cancer and highly mutation genes could play oncogenic or tumor suppressive roles in cancer. Therefore, our aim is to explore mutation genes which affect the prognosis of bladder. Methods: Mutation pro�le was obtained and analyzed from TCGA data set. A mutation-based signature was established by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier was performed to assess the prognostic power of signature. Time-dependent ROC was conducted to evaluate predictive accuracy of signature for bladder cancer patients. Results: There are 20177 genes have alteration in 403 bladder patients and 662 of them were frequently variation (mutation frequency > 5%). In this study, we assessed the prognostic predictive ability of 662 highly mutated genes and identi�ed a mutation signature as an independent indicator for predicting the prognosis of bladder. The time-dependent ROC showed that AUC were 0.893, 0.896, 0.916 and 0.965 at 1, 3, 5 and 10 year, respectively. Strati�ed analysis and Multivariate Cox analysis showed that this mutation signature was reliable and independent biomarker. Furthermore, the nomogram predictive model can be used to effectively predict clinical prognosis of bladder patients. The decision analysis curve showed patients with risk threshold of 0.03-0.92 potentially yielded clinical net bene�t. Finally, we identi�ed several signaling pathways that associated with risk score by GSEA and KEGG analysis including PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and so on. Conclusions: In general,
Quantitative and Qualitative Characterization of Plant Endo-bacteriome by Plant Dna-free Sequencing Method

Background: Plant endophytic bacteria colonize plants’ internal tissues and interact with plants more closely than do epiphytic or environmental bacteria. However, the community structure of such endophytic bacteria could not be efficiently deciphered, and the microbiota abundance could not be quantified through absolute quantification. Application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the plant endophytic community is greatly hindered by the high sequence identities among bacterial 16S rRNA, plant mitochondrial 18S rRNA and chloroplast 16S rRNA genes. This makes it difficult to identify bacterial sequences among total DNAs extracted from plant material.Results: We designed PCR primer sets that are able to specifically amplify bacterial DNAs, even when there are very few bacteria colonizing the plant material. We computationally and experimentally evaluated the specificity, coverage, and accuracy of the newly designed primer sets (322F/796R and 799F/1107R) and two widely used primer sets (338F/806R and 799F/1193R). When applied to a same planting-soil community through next generation sequencing (NGS), the four different primer sets revealed similar high-abundant taxa composition with variation in taxa abundance. Primer sets amplifying the same 16S variable regions generated more comparable sequencing results. When applied to a rice endo-bacteriome, both 799F/1107R and modified 322F-Dr/796Rs (Primer pair 322F/796R with a penultimate-base substitution in 322F) produced plant DNA-free bacterial amplicon libraries. Primer 322F-A/796R was then used through NGS to decipher the rice endo-bacteriomes. The rice root and leaf endo-bacteriomes shared 66.36% OTU identity but enriched different bacterial species. Within the same host genotype and soil type, the root endo-bacteriome was more stable than the leaf endo-bacteriome across individual plants. 322F-A/796R was used through absolute quantitative PCR to quantitate the population size of leaf or root endophytes, which revealed 106–107 and 109–1010 bacteria per gram fresh weight, respectively.Conclusions: This is the first study to develop plant DNA-free bacterial 16S amplification methods. The newly designed primer sets combined with NGS deciphered the rice endo-bacteriome structure, and absolute quantitative PCR quantitated the size of the endobacterial population. The protocols developed here are suitable for various plants, will significantly advance studies on plant endo-bacteriomes.
Microbial diversity in rhizosphere soil of soybean grass under different cultivation methods in an alpine region

Background A large number of studies have shown that soybean grass with mixed seeding cultivation can significantly improve the yield and quality of forage grass compared with clean culture cultivation.This study explores the differences in the characteristics of the composition and diversity of the microbial community in the rhizosphere of soybean grasses between clean culture and mixed seeding methods in an alpine region. We used high-throughput sequencing technology to determine the microbial diversity and analytical methods to determine the physicochemical characteristics of plant rhizosphere soil of Avena sativa L. and Vicia sativa L. Results There were no significant differences in pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium in the rhizosphere soil samples of soybean grasses under the clean culture and mixed seeding methods, while there were significant differences in the available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and organic matter content (P < 0.05). The bacterial diversity of the rhizosphere soil of Avena sativa L. was the highest under the clean culture method, and the fungal diversity of the rhizosphere soil of Vicia sativa L. was the highest under the clean culture method. Furthermore, the microbial diversity of the rhizosphere was significantly different under the different cultivation methods (P < 0.05). The differences between the microbial species in the rhizosphere of the treated soil were at three class level. The abundance of Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria in the rhizosphere of Avena sativa L. and Vicia sativa L. under the mixed seeding method was conspicuously higher than that of Avena sativa L. and Vicia sativa L. under the clean culture method, while the abundance of Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospira, and Acidimicrobiia were significantly lower than that obtained under the clean culture method. Regarding fungal predominance, Mortierellomycetes was the most abundant (32.66%) under the mixed seeding method, while the abundance of Sordariomycetes and Leotiomycetes were significantly lower than that under clean culture. The distribution of bacterial and fungal community species in the rhizosphere differed significantly between the treatments. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolism analysis showed that the metabolic pathways of functional genes in the soil microbial communities were similar. Conclusions Mixed sowing changed the diversity of plant rhizosphere microbial community structure and promoted plant yield.
The Strategy and Efficacy of Prophylaxis Against Hepatitis B Virus Recurrence After Liver Transplantation in the Era of High Potent Nucleos(t)ide Analogues: A Meta-Analysis

Background: High potent nucleos(t)ide analogues (HP NAs) with or without hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) is the standard prophylactic therapy for avoiding the HBV recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). While the clinical impact of HP NAs-based prophylaxis has not been well documented, the optimal treatment strategy is currently debated. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate clinical outcome of LT recipients under HP NAs-based regimens and investigate different prophylaxis schemes. Methods: We followed PRISMA statement to conduct this study. Two reviewers independently searched relevant literature via PubMed, EMBAES, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies were included if they observed HBV recurrence under HP NAs-based regimens in patients who received HBV-related LT. Primary and secondary outcome were HBV recurrence, HCC recurrence, all-cause and HBV-recurrence related mortality. Incidence with 95% confidence intervals was aggregated and assess by fixed effect model/random effect model. Subgroup analysis was applied to examine the impact of different treatment strategies. Results: 26 studies (n=2374) were included, with a pooled HBV recurrence rate of 0.92% (95% CI 0.47%-1.48%). Studies with and without HBV viremia or HDV superinfected patients demonstrated comparable HBV recurrence (p=0.25, p=0.69). Recurrence rate under indefinite combination of HP NAs and HBIG was lower than that under HP NAs monotherapy (p=0.0003), and similar to that under NAs plus finite course of HBIG (p=0.53). Pooled HCC recurrence rate was 5.34% (95% CI 0.78%-12.48%). HBV-recurrence related mortality and all-cause mortality were 0.17% (95% CI 0.00%-1.51%) and 7.29% (95% CI 4.42%–10.71%) respectively. Conclusion: Our study suggests HP NAs-based regimens provide satisfactory HBV antiviral prophylaxis and improved long-term outcome for LT recipients. Finite combination of HP NAs and HBIG is an alternative to lifelong dual therapy.
Experimental investigation of the fluctuating static pressure in a subsonic axisymmetric jet

Measuring the fluctuating static pressure within a jet has the potential to depict in-flow sources of the jet noise. In this work, the fluctuating static pressure of a subsonic axisymmetric jet was experimentally investigated using a 1/8” microphone with an aerodynamically shaped nose cone. The power spectra of the fluctuating pressure are found to follow the -7/3 scaling law at the jet centerline with the decay rate varying as the probe approaches the acoustic near field. Profiles of skewness and kurtosis reveal strong intermittency inside the jet shear layer. By applying a continuous wavelet transform (CWT), time-localized footprints of the acoustic sources were detected from the pressure fluctuations. To decompose the fluctuating pressure into the hydrodynamic component and its acoustic counterpart, two techniques based on the CWT are adopted. In the first method the hydrodynamic pressure is isolated by maximizing the correlation with the synchronously measured turbulent velocity, while the second method originates from the Gaussian nature of the acoustic pressure where the separation threshold is determined empirically. Similar results are obtained from both separation techniques, and each pressure component dominates a certain frequency band compared to the global spectrum. Furthermore, cross-spectra between the fluctuating pressure and the turbulent velocity were calculated, and spectral peaks appearing around Strouhal number of 0.4 are indicative of the footprint of the convecting coherent structures inside the jet mixing layer.
A Novel Bone-Targeting Enoxacin Delivery System to Eradicate Staphylococcus Aureus-Related Implantation Infections

Post-operative infections in orthopaedic implants are severe complications that require urgent solutions. Owing to the presence of implants and the formation of bacterial biofilms, the efficacy of antibiotics is limited. Furthermore, osteoclasts can become extremely active, accompanied by bone loss in the infected microenvironment. Therefore, implants often need to be removed. To improve the concentrations of antibiotics in bony tissues and enhance their effectiveness in preventing bacterial biofilm formation, the infection rate must be controlled to preserve the implants. Enoxacin exerts combined antibacterial and osteoclast inhibitory effects. It also plays a role in limiting infections and preventing bone loss. Aspartic acid octapeptide (ASP8) can also recognize and combine with hydroxyapatite crystals in bones and can be targeted to increase antibiotic concentrations in bones. Our previous research showed that preparing mesoporous nanomaterials resulted in optimal drug loading, releasing, and bone-targeting properties. Based on earlier research, a new bone-targeted antibiotic release system was developed. Enoxacin and ASP8 were loaded on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to increase antibiotic concentrations, prevent bacterial biofilm formation, inhibit aberrant osteoclast activities, and reduce bone loss. Enoxacin-loaded MSNs (Gen@MSN-D) were assessed using a variety of experimental methods, including rat models. We studied the in vitro antibacterial properties of the new drug delivery system. We found that these materials had antibacterial properties in vivo, inhibitory effects on osteoclasts, and can be used to prevent and treat post-implantation infections and bone loss. Therefore, we believe these materials will provide a new method for preventing and treating post-operative, orthopaedic implant-associated infections.
Assessment of high school teachers on their digital competences

Digital Technologies’ potential has brought new challenges to teachers, making it essential to acquire digital competences that will allow them to effectively use those technologies. The aim of this research is to assess the Portuguese high school teachers’ digital competence level. The quantitative methodology used emphasises the teachers’ perception of their digital competences in three focal dimensions: teachers’ professional and pedagogic competences and learners’ competences. The findings show that teachers’ digital competence level is moderate; the dimensions with the lowest values are “teachers’ pedagogic competences” and “learners’ competences”. Subdimensions Assessment, Empowering Learners and Facilitating Learners’ Digital Competence are the weakest.