Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemometrics characterization of volatile changes in processed bayberry juice versus intact fruit during storage by headspace solid‐phase micro‐extraction combined with GC–MS

Chinese bayberry deteriorates rapidly after harvest. To gain a better understanding of flavor deterioration, we investigated the volatile changes in processed bayberry juice and intact fruits using HS–SPME/GC–MS during storage. The concentration of hexanal, which has a “grass” aroma, and other associated aldehydes significantly decreased (p < .05) during storage, and it is likely that these losses are responsible for the decrease in freshness. Ethanol (“alcoholic” note), ethyl acetate (“fruity” note), and acetic acid (“sour” note) were found to contribute to off‐flavor accumulation, and large increases were detected in both the bayberry juice and fruit. Meanwhile, increased concentrations of 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol, 1‐nonanol, ethyl hexanoate, and hexanoic acid were found in the bayberry juice. In contrast, storage of the intact fruit resulted in increased concentrations of terpinen‐4‐ol, methyl acetate, and γ‐terpinene. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: GC–MS fingerprinting is useful for practical application to catch the volatile changes and freshness during postharvest storage of bayberry fruit and juice.
Molecular Mechanism of Heme Acquisition and Degradation by the Human Pathogen Group A Streptococcus

Heme is the major iron source for the deadly human pathogen, Group A Streptococcus (GAS). During infection, GAS lyses host cells releasing hemoglobin and other hemoproteins. This dissertation aims to elucidate the general mechanism by which GAS obtains and utilizes heme as an iron source from the host hemoproteins. GAS encodes a heme relay system consisting of Shr, Shp and the SiaABC transporter. We specifically determine the role of Shr in the heme uptake process, by conducting a detailed functional characterization of its constituent domains. We also undertake to solve the long-standing mystery surrounding the catabolism of heme in streptococci. The studies presented herein established Shr as a prototype of a new family of NEAT-containing hemoproteins receptors. They demonstrate its importance in heme acquisition
An integrative approach combining molecular analyses and experiments to investigate predation of insect eggs by a mite

Uncovering the predation habits of small arthropods such as mites can be a major challenge, as direct observations are not always feasible in natura. Therefore, PCR-based analyses of gut content, or body content when gut dissection is not applicable, are being increasingly used to detect remains of prey items. Here, we present an integrative approach to investigate predation of eggs of the viburnum leaf beetle Pyrrhalta viburni , an invasive pest in North America, by the oribatid mite species Trichoribates trimaculatus , to assess the potential of this mite as a biological control agent. We combined (1) manipulative laboratory experiments exposing beetle eggs to mites under controlled conditions and (2) body content molecular analyses using quantitative PCR (qPCR) to detect traces of consumed P. viburni egg DNA in mites. To account for risks of false-negative and false-positive results, mainly due to detectability problems, body surface contamination, and non-speci ﬁ c DNA ampli ﬁ cation, we developed a stepwise procedure to analyze qPCR results. Egg integrity and survivorship were unaffected by mites in all experiments. However, traces of P. viburni DNA were detected in the body of mites exposed to P. viburni eggs, suggesting that they consumed either fragments of the chorion or fragments of the egg cap secreted by P. viburni females to protect the eggs, which was shown to contain P. viburni DNA. In conclusion, T. trimaculatus does not directly impact P. viburni eggs and should therefore not be considered as a biocontrol agent. The fact that mites did not directly predate eggs but contained traces of P. viburni DNA shows that detection of an organism's DNA within a presumed predator does not necessarily equal predation and that results of molecular analyses should be interpreted with caution in studies attempting to reconstruct trophic interactions. 2, experiment 3, There were no signi ﬁ cant differences among the relative proportions of the different cate-gories of eggs (intact, damaged, and pierced, or viable and non-viable) between the two treatments (Control and Mites) any
Molecular basis for the species-dependent bioactivation of vinylcyclohexene: Role of hepatic cytochrome P450 induction

4-Vinylcyclohexene (VCH) is an intermediate in the production of rubber and styrene. Following repeated exposure, VCH depletes the small pre-antral follicles of B6C3Fi mice. Interestingly, the female rat is resistant to VCH-induced ovotoxicity, which can be partially attributed to a reduced ability in forming the toxic metabolites (VCH-1,2-epoxide, VCH-7-8-epoxide, and ultimately, 4-vinyl-1cyclohexene diepoxide [VCD]), as compared to mice. Current studies have focused on species-dependent bioactivation of VCH, stereochemical considerations in VCH bioactivation, and the role of cytochrome P450 (CYP), particularly following repeated exposure to VCH. Hepatic microsomes isolated from mice pretreated with VCH converted VCH to epoxides to a greater extent than control mice or rats, or VCH-pretreated rats. In microsomes from both control animals and those pretreated with VCH, (R)-VCH formed more VCH-1,2epoxide while (S)-VCH formed more VCH-7,8-epoxide, demonstrating enantioseiectivity in metabolism. Rodents were also dosed with equitoxic doses of VCH, VCH-1,2-epoxide, or VCD for lOd and investigated for CYP expression. VCH or VCH-1,2-epoxide pretreatments were effective in increasing total CYP levels in the mouse only. Of the multiple specific CYP isoforms tested, expression of only CYP2A and CYP2B were induced following VCH and VCH1,2-epoxide pretreatment in the mouse. Neither CYP2A nor CYP2B were
11 Forging the Factory: Ribosome Synthesis and Growth Control in Budding Yeast

The observation that the level of RNA in a culture of Escherichia coli is related to the growth rate originated the study of macromolecular regulation (for review, see Maaloe and Kjeldgaard 1966). As the role of the ribosome in translation became evident, the issue could be clearly framed: Since the rate of growth depends on the synthesis of proteins, and the synthesis of proteins depends on ribosomes, the regulation of growth must ultimately depend on the regulation of synthesis of new ribosomes, which consumes a large fraction of the cell’s resources. This is undoubtedly as true of eukaryotic cells as of prokaryotic cells. This chapter deals largely with the regulation of ribosome synthesis in budding yeast. Aspects of the regulation of ribosomal RNA and of ribosomal protein (RP) synthesis in metazoan cells are covered in Chapters 12 and 9, respectively. At the outset, a short detour into the regulation of ribosome synthesis in E. coli can serve as a useful introduction to the problem. More than 20 years ago, it became clear from the work of Nomura, Lindahl, and others that the synthesis of RPs in E. coli is regulated by an extraordinary example of tight inventory control. Although the transcription of mRNA encoding RPs is more or less constitutive, the translation of RP messenger RNAs (mRNAs) depends on the continued formation of new rRNA with which the new RPs can associate. If there is insufficient transcription of new rRNA, the free RPs bind specifically to their (usually polycistronic) mRNAs.
Island Ecological Tourism: Construction of Indicators of Tourist Service System of Penghu National Scenic Area

In order to increase the number of tourism in ecotourism, enhance the ecotourism attractions. It is essential to construct the ecotourism service system for the Penghu National Scenic Area because the ecology system is sensitive and frangible. This study adopts the Fuzzy Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to establish an index framework of ecotourism service system of Penghu National Scenic Area. The results indicated that there are 4 dimensions which include 21 factors service attributes are identified as the service system for traveling. The findings are concluded as follows:(1)the security management capability is the main principle for ecotourism service system;(2)the ecological diversity is fundamental for the marine environment and the core resource for ecotourism;(3)the transportation capacity and environmental quality need to improve; (4)the marine environmental resources is the most important item for sound ecotourism development; (5)the enhancement of the operation willingness of local communities can promote ecotourism development;(6)the natural resources should be protected to provide an ideal recreational environment for ecotourism;(7)the development of ecotourism needs to support local conservation to achieve sustainability. The perspectives of sustainability and service system are involved to support the value of this study, which can continuously sustain Penghu archipelago.
Using Bayesian Nonparametric Item Response Function Estimation to Check Parametric Model Fit

Previous studies indicated that the assumption of logistic form of parametric item response functions (IRFs) is violated often enough to be worth checking. Using nonparametric item response theory (IRT) estimation methods with the posterior predictive model checking method can obtain significance probabilities of fit statistics in a Bayesian framework by accounting for the uncertainty of the parameter estimation and can indicate the location and magnitude of misfit for an item. The purpose of this study is to check the performance of the Bayesian nonparametric method to assess the IRF fit of parametric IRT models for mixed-format tests and compare it with the existing bootstrapping nonparametric method under various conditions. The simulation study results show that the Bayesian nonparametric method can detect misfit items with higher power and lower type I error rates when the sample size is large and with lower type I error rates compared with the bootstrapping method for the conditions with nonmonotonic items. In the real-data study, several dichotomous and polytomous misfit items were identified and the location and magnitude of misfit were indicated.
A Study on Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and the Factors Influencing among the Age Group of 20-60 Years in Urban Population of Mansurabad, Hyderabad, Telangana

D Ravi Babu, G Das Joel, D Subrahmanyam, D Rajeswari 1Professor and Head, 3Statistician, Dept. of Community Medicine, KAMSRC, Hyderabad. 2Student of KAMSRC, Hyderabad. 4Associate Professor of Zoology, Andhra Mahila Sabha College for Women OU Campus, Hyderabad. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048. 201917 Introduction: Diabetes is a Global Emergency. One in eleven adults have diabetes and one in two adults are with diabetes un diagnosed in 2015. Objectives: To study the prevalence of diabetes and its factors responsible among the age group of 20 to 60 years in urban area of Mansurabad, in Hyderabad. Methods: Cross Sectional study was conducted using the semi structure schedule and data was collected from 501 individuals on religion, socioeconomic status, presence of diabetes, habitual consumption of alcohol, habitual smoking, sleep duration per day, presence of stress at home/ work and also collected data on the components of Indian Diabetic Risk Score (IDRS) and later summed to obtain IDRS score ≥60 and <60. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine significant factors influencing diabetes. Result: Mean age of the population was 40.31 (SD+10.24), females comprised 60% (301) and males 40% (200). Socio-economic status score mean was 14.23 (SD+5.75). Eighty-eight (17.56%) individuals reported having diabetes. Four hundred and one (80%) reported they did not have diabetes. Twelve (2.39%) individuals reported they did not know their diabetic status. Approx. 36.52% (183) had IDRS score ≥60. Habitual consumption of alcohol was noted in 43.71% (219). Habitual smoking was noted in 26.74% (134). The duration of sleep less than 6 hrs per day was reported by 42.11% (211). Stress at work, or home or at both places was reported by 46.9% (235). Logistic regression analyses (adjusted model) indicated being female (odds ratio 2.23; reference ‘male’), IDRS ≥60 (odds ratio 4.26; reference IDRS <60), habitual alcohol consumption (odds ratio 2.06; reference ‘no’) and sleep duration <6 hrs. per day (odds ratio 2.07; reference ‘sleep duration 6-8 hrs. per day) were significant factors influencing diabetes. Conclusion: Educational measures should aim at encouraging regular physical exercise, refraining from alcohol consumption and maintaining adequate sleep duration of 6-8 hrs per day.
Rewetting of Three Drained Peatlands Drives Congruent Compositional Changes in Pro- and Eukaryotic Soil Microbiomes through Environmental Filtering

Drained peatlands are significant sources of the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide. Rewetting is a proven strategy to protect carbon stocks; however, it can lead to increased emissions of the potent GHG methane. The response to rewetting of soil microbiomes as drivers of these processes is poorly understood, as are biotic and abiotic factors that control community composition. We analyzed the pro- and eukaryotic microbiomes of three contrasting pairs of minerotrophic fens subject to decade-long drainage and subsequent rewetting. Also, abiotic soil properties including moisture, dissolved organic matter, methane fluxes and ecosystem respiration rates. The composition of the microbiomes was fen-type-specific, but all rewetted sites showed higher abundance of anaerobic taxa compared to drained sites. Based on multi-variate statistics and network analyses we identified soil moisture as major driver of community composition. Furthermore, salinity drove the separation between coastal and freshwater fen communities. Methanogens were more than tenfold more abundant in rewetted than in drained sites, while their abundance was lowest in the coastal fen, likely due to competition with sulfate reducers. The microbiome compositions were reflected in methane fluxes from the sites. Our results shed light on the factors that structure fen microbiomes via environmental filtering.
Training feedforward neural network using genetic algorithm to diagnose left ventricular hypertrophy

In this research work, a new technique was proposed for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) from the ECG signal. The advanced imaging techniques can be used to diagnose left ventricular hypertrophy, but it leads to time-consuming and more expensive. This proposed technique overcomes thesef issues and may serve as an efficient tool to diagnose the LVH disease. The LVH causes changes in the patterns of ECG signal which includes R wave, QRS and T wave. This proposed approach identifies the changes in the pattern and extracts the temporal, spatial and statistical features of the ECG signal using windowed filtering technique. These features were applied to the conventional classifier and also to the neural network classifier with the modified weights using a genetic algorithm. The weights were modified by combining the crossover operators such as crossover arithmetic and crossover two-point operator. The results were compared with the various classifiers and the performance of the neural network with the modified weights using a genetic algorithm is outperformed. The accuracy of the weights modified feedforward neural network is 97.5%.
Collagen fingerprinting for the species identification of archaeological amphibian remains

Amphibians are well known as being one of the main groups of animals today most threatened by environmental changes but they are also some of the least well understood of all terrestrial vertebrates. This gap in knowledge is much greater as we look further back into the relatively recent past, despite representing an invaluable resources in archaeological and palaeontological assemblages that are more indicative of palaeoclimate conditions than most other vertebrate taxa. This in part stems from their remains being typically much less studied, partly due to the less common forms of expertise required for identifications based on skeletal morphology – the most frequently observed tissue that remains in ancient assemblages. Here we apply a method of biomolecular species identification by collagen peptide mass fingerprinting to the British Late Pleistocene assemblage of Pin Hole Cave (Creswell Crags, UK) as well as a range of relevant extant taxa for comparison. Our results demonstrate the ability to separate at the species level with all modern taxa investigated, allowing for the identification of these archaeological remains to the amphibian taxa known to exist in Late Pleistocene Britain. Analyses of the Pin Hole assemblage found a dominance of the two species previously known from the site (common frogs and toads: Rana temporaria and Bufo bufo, respectively) and also a small number of the rarer natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) not previously identified in the Creswell Crags region but known from other sites in the UK; additionally, one specimen appeared to yield the fingerprint of the moor frog (R. arvalis), now extinct in the UK. As such, collagen fingerprinting is here shown to widen the known palaeobiodiversity of taxa, and highlights the further potential to enhance our understanding of climate change in the past.
Effect of wheat distillers dried grains with soluble on performance, carcass characteristics and immunity of broiler chicks

The study was performed to evaluate the effects of wheatdistillers dried grain with soluble (DDGS) levels on performance, carcasscharacteristics, lymphoid organs and antibody titer against Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease. A total of 144 day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly distributed between 3 treatments with 4 replicates and 12 chicks per each replication. The treatments included: control diet without wheat DDGS (A); 3, 4, 6 and 7% wheat-DDGS in starter, grower and finisher 1 and 2 phases respectively (B); 6, 8, 12 and 14% wheat-DDGS in starter, grower and finisher 1 and 2 phases respectively (C). Results showed that body weight at 50 d, daily weight gain at 25-39, 39-50 and 9-50 days significantly decreased C treatment (P˂0.05). The feed intake at 16-25 d significantly decreased by C treatment (P˂0.05). The feed conversion ratio at 25-39, 39-50 and 9-50 days in C treatment significantly decreased compare to control group (P˂0.05). The percentage of carcass, heart, gizzard and ileum significantly decreased by C treatment (P˂0.05). Also, jejunum weight percentage in B and C treatments compare to control group significantly increased (P˂0.05). As a conclusion, using incremental levels of wheatDDGS (3, 4, 6 and 7%) in starter, grower, finisher 1 and 2 phases did not make significant change on broilers; performance. On the other hand, inclusion high levels of wheat-DDGS (12 and 14%) in finisher 1 and 2 phases decreased broilers’ performance (P˂0.05).
Automated protein-family classification based on hidden Markov models

The aim of the project presented in this paper was to investigate the possibility toautomatically sub-classify the superfamily of Short-chain Dehydrogenase/Reductases (SDR). This was done based on an algorithm previously designed to sub-classify the superfamily ofMedium-chain Dehydrogenase/Reductases (MDR). While the SDR-family is interesting andimportant to sub-classify there was also a focus on making the process as automatic aspossible so that future families also can be classified using the same methods.To validate the results generated it was compared to previous sub-classifications done on theSDR-family. The results proved promising and the work conducted here can be seen as a goodinitial part of a more comprehensive full investigation
Genome-Wide Host Gene Expression Analysis Before and After the Initiation of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy And Natural Control of HIV in Therapy Naïve HIV+ Non-Progressors

iv Table of contents.vii List of figures . xiv List of tables . xviii Manuscript in preparation . xxi Abstracts presented relating to this work.xxiis presented relating to this work.xxii Abbreviation List.xxiii List of materials.xxv CHAPTER 1: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
How to pose for a professional photo: The effect of three facial expressions on perception of competence of a software developer

Abstract Objective Prospective employers can nowadays easily access applicants' photos via Internet, for instance on professional and social networks or previous employers' websites. In our study, we investigated whether a facial expression in a picture affects evaluation of one's competence for a position where facial qualities are not crucial, namely a position of a software developer. Method In Study 1, both “models” and participants were employed in IT companies. The experiment followed a 3 x 3 x 2 design, with facial expression (smile, neutral, and thinking) and evaluator's experience in hiring as between‐subjects factors and gender of the model as a within‐subjects factor. Study 2 was a survey among software specialists where we investigated their awareness of the impact of applicant's face on the evaluation of his/her competence. Results When the models smiled, they were perceived as more competent than when they had a neutral expression. When models adopted a thinking pose, they were evaluated as the least competent. Fifty‐five percent of the sample was previously involved in hiring employees; the amount of hiring experience had no impact on this effect. Women were perceived as less competent than men and an interaction analysis revealed that this effect was driven by participants without prior experience in hiring. In Study 2, software specialists assigned a significant role in hiring decisions to the applicant's competent physical appearance, only 10% of participants thought that employers were hardly ever affected by the applicant's face. Conclusion Facial expression in a photo affects perceived competence of applicants for a position of a software developer regardless of evaluators' prior hiring experience for this type of job.
Weighted Representative Democracy

Abstract We propose a new system of democratic representation. Any voter can choose any legislator as her representative; thus, different legislators can represent different numbers of voters. Decisions in the legislature are made by weighted majority voting, where the weight of each legislator is determined by the number of voters she represents. We show that, if the size of the electorate is very large, then with very high probability, the decisions obtained in the legislature agree with those which would have been reached by a popular referendum decided by simple majority vote.