Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Various Extraction Methods Influence the Adhesive Properties of Dried Distiller’s Grains and Solubles, and Press Cakes of Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) and Lesquerella [Lesquerella fendleri (A. Gary) S. Watson], in the Fabrication of Lignocellulosic Composites

Lignocellulosic composite (LC) panels were fabricated using an adhesive matrix prepared from three different agricultural by-products: dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) press cake (PPC), or lesquerella [Lesquerella fendleri (A. Gary) S. Watson] press cake (LPC) reinforced with Paulownia elongata L. wood (PW) particles. The goal in this study was to assess the mechanical properties of composites utilizing these low-cost matrix materials, which were subjected to various oil extraction methods. Three types of oil extraction methods were utilized: ethanol, supercritical CO2, and hexane, in order to generate matrix materials. These matrix materials were mixed with equal proportions of PW and hot pressed to generate panels. Overall, hexane extraction was the best method to enhance the mechanical properties of the matrices used to fabricate lignocellulosic composites. LPC’s produced a matrix that gave the resulting composite superior flexural properties compared to composites generated from DDGS and PPC matrices. The mechanical properties of composites generated from soy products (soybean meal flour or soy protein isolate) were similar to those derived from DDGS, PPC, or LPC. The dimensional stability properties of LCs were improved when the hexane extraction method was employed, unlike with the other extraction methods that were used to generate matrices.
The SCATE prototype : a smart computer-aided translation environment

Making audiovisual educational material accessible for non-native speakers and people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing is an ongoing challenge and the state-of-the-art in this field shows that no current software provides a fully automatic, high-quality solution. This article presents Miro Translate, a hybrid intralinguistic subtitling tool developed in response to this challenge by the Miro Programme at the University of Perpignan Via Domitia. This cloud-based solution integrates the automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology provided by the Microsoft Translator Speech API to generate automatic captions. It also incorporates a set of editing functionalities to provide a readable and legible target output that complies with subtitling conventions. In conclusion, the aim of Miro Translate is to produce a costefficient solution that meets the increasing demand for high quality captions in instructional video.
Robust decentralized power system controller design: Integrated approach

Abstract A unique approach to the design of gain scheduled controller (GSC) is presented. The proposed design procedure is based on the Bellman-Lyapunov equation, guaranteed cost and robust stability conditions using the parameter dependent quadratic stability approach. The obtained feasible design procedures for robust GSC design are in the form of BMI with guaranteed convex stability conditions. The obtained design results and their properties are illustrated in the simultaneously design of controllers for simple model (6-order) turbogenerator. The results of the obtained design procedure are a PI automatic voltage regulator (AVR) for synchronous generator, a PI governor controller and a power system stabilizer for excitation system.
Real Time PCR-based diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis using urine samples

Background: Diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) through the detection of its causative agents namely Leishmania donovani and L. infantum is traditionally based on Giemsa-stained smears of bone marrow, spleen aspirates, liver or lymph node. Collection of these samples involve invasive procedures and carries the risk of fatal hemorrhage especially during splenic aspiration. Earlier, we reported a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based diagnosis of L. donovani in peripheral blood using a novel set of PCR primers with absolute specificity (Khatun et al. 2017). Using the same set of primers and PCR conditions, here we describe diagnosis of L. donovani from urine, for a non-invasive, rapid and safe diagnosis. Methods: Diagnosis of L. donovani was carried out using urine samples collected from clinically diagnosed VL patients (n=23) of Bangladesh in Real Time PCR. Test results were validated by comparing blood samples from the same set of patients. Sensitivity and specificity of this diagnosis was analyzed using retrospective bone marrow samples, collected earlier from confirmed VL patients (n=19) (Khatun et al. 2017). Results: The method showed 100% sensitivity in detecting VL in urine and corresponding blood samples and bone marrow samples, as well as 100% specificity in control groups. Conclusion: Urine-based diagnosis could be a patient-friendly, non-invasive approach for VL detection with precision and perfection.
Diversity of Astrovirus in Goats in Southwest China and Identification of Two Novel Caprine Astroviruses

Caprine astrovirus is a newly emerging virus, and information regarding its prevalence and molecular characteristics remains limited. In this study, six genotypes of astrovirus, including MAstV–13 and MAstV–24, were identified in goats, adding two novel caprine astrovirus genotypes to the four previously known genotypes, thereby enriching the diversity of the caprine astrovirus. ABSTRACT A total of 232 goat fecal samples (124 diarrheic and 108 nondiarrheic) collected from 12 farms in Southwest China were tested for astrovirus using RT-PCR. A total of 16.9% (21/124) of diarrheic and 20.4% (22/108) of nondiarrheic samples were astrovirus-positive, and no statistical difference was found in the detection rate between healthy and sick goats. Furthermore, 28 obtained complete ORF2 sequences could be classified into six genotypes according to the species classification criteria of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). It is worth noting that, in addition to four known caprine astrovirus genotypes (MAstV–33, MAstV–34, Caprine Astrovirus G5.1, and Caprine Astrovirus G3.1), MAstV–13 and MAstV–24 genotypes were identified in goats. Interestingly, five of 19 ORF2 sequences in the Caprine Astrovirus G3.1 genotype showed possible intragenotypic recombination events. Furthermore, nearly complete caprine astrovirus genomes of MAstV–13 and MAstV–24 genotypes were obtained. The genome of the SWUN/ECJK3/2021 strain shared the highest similarity (62.0% to 73.9%) with astrovirus in MAstV–13, and clustered in the so-called human-mink-ovine (HMO) clade, which contained the majority of the neurotropic astrovirus strains. Moreover, the SWUN/LJK2-2/2020 strain showed the highest similarity (69.7% to 78.6%) and the closest genetic relationship to the known porcine and bovine astroviruses in MAstV–24. In conclusion, this study confirmed six genotypes of astrovirus circulating among goats in Southwest China, including MAstV–13 and MAstV–24 genotypes. These findings enhance our knowledge of the prevalence and diversity of astroviruses. IMPORTANCE Caprine astrovirus is a newly emerging virus, and information regarding its prevalence and molecular characteristics remains limited. In this study, six genotypes of astrovirus, including MAstV–13 and MAstV–24, were identified in goats, adding two novel caprine astrovirus genotypes to the four previously known genotypes, thereby enriching the diversity of the caprine astrovirus. Moreover, genomes of MAstV–13 SWUN/ECJK3/2021 and MAstV–24 SWUN/LJK2-2/2020 strains were obtained from goats, which aids in the understanding of the infection spectrum and host range of the two genotypes. This study is the first to demonstrate the presence of neurotropic-like astrovirus (MAstV–13) in goats, which has significant implications for the diagnosis of neurological diseases in goats.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia from Nepal Producing Two Novel Antibiotic Inactivating Enzymes, a Class A β-Lactamase KBL-1 and an Aminoglycoside 6′-N-Acetyltransferase AAC(6′)-Iap

The emergence of drug-resistant S. maltophilia has become a serious problem in medical settings worldwide. The present study demonstrated that drug-resistant S. maltophilia strains in Nepal harbored novel genes encoding a class A β-lactamase, KBL-1, or a 6′-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, AAC(6′)-Iap. ABSTRACT Seven drug-resistant strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were isolated from patients at two university hospitals in Nepal. S. maltophilia JUNP497 was found to encode a novel class A β-lactamase, KBL-1 (Kathmandu β-lactamase), consisting of 286 amino acids with 52.98% identity to PSV-1. Escherichia coli transformants expressing blaKBL-1 were less susceptible to penicillins. The recombinant KBL-1 protein efficiently hydrolyzed penicillins. The genomic environment surrounding blaKBL-1 was a unique structure, with the upstream region derived from strains in China and the downstream region from strains in India. S. maltophilia JUNP350 was found to encode a novel 6′-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, AAC(6′)-Iap, consisting of 155 amino acids with 85.0% identity to AAC(6′)-Iz. E. coli transformants expressing aac(6′)-Iap were less susceptible to arbekacin, amikacin, dibekacin, isepamicin, neomycin, netilmicin, sisomicin and tobramycin. The recombinant AAC(6′)-Iap protein acetylated all aminoglycosides tested, except for apramycin and paromomycin. The genomic environment surrounding aac(6′)-Iap was 90.99% identical to that of S. maltophilia JV3 obtained from a rhizosphere in Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis based on whole genome sequences showed that most S. maltophilia isolates in Nepal were similar to those isolates in European countries, including Germany and Spain. IMPORTANCE The emergence of drug-resistant S. maltophilia has become a serious problem in medical settings worldwide. The present study demonstrated that drug-resistant S. maltophilia strains in Nepal harbored novel genes encoding a class A β-lactamase, KBL-1, or a 6′-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, AAC(6′)-Iap. Genetic backgrounds of most S. maltophilia strains in Nepal were similar to those in European countries. Surveillance of drug-resistant S. maltophilia in medical settings in Nepal is necessary.
Changes in the Mucosa-Associated Microbiome and Transcriptome across Gut Segments Are Associated with Obesity in a Metabolic Syndrome Porcine Model

Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which is the most common cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. The link between obesity and gut mucosa-associated microbiota is unclear due to challenges associated with the collection of intestinal samples from humans. ABSTRACT Several studies have suggested a role for gut mucosa-associated microbiota in the development of obesity, but the mechanisms involved are poorly defined. Here, the impact of the gut mucosa-associated microbiota on obesity and related metabolic disorders was evaluated in a metabolic syndrome (MetS) porcine model. Body composition was determined among male Wuzhishan minipigs consuming a high-energy diet (HED) and compared to that of those consuming a normal diet (ND), and gut segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum) were sampled for paired analysis of mucosa-associated microbiota and transcriptome signatures with 16S rRNA gene and RNA sequencing, respectively. Our data indicated that long-term HED feeding significantly increased body weight and visceral fat deposition and aggravated metabolic disorders. Specially, HED feeding induced mucosa-associated microbiota dysbiosis and selectively increased the abundance of the families Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae in the upper intestine. The association analysis indicated that specific bacteria play key roles in adiposity, e.g., Lactobacillus johnsonii in the duodenum, Actinobacillus indolicus in the jejunum, Acinetobacter johnsonii in the ileum, Clostridium butyricum in the cecum, Haemophilus parasuis in the colon, and bacterium NLAEzlP808, Halomonas taeheungii, and Shewanella sp. JNUH029 in the rectum. Transcriptome data further revealed intestinal lipid metabolism and immune dysfunction in the MetS individuals, which may be associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders. Our results indicated that gut mucosa-associated microbiota dysbiosis has the potential to exacerbate obesity, partially through modulating systemic inflammatory responses. IMPORTANCE Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which is the most common cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. The link between obesity and gut mucosa-associated microbiota is unclear due to challenges associated with the collection of intestinal samples from humans. The current report provides the first insight into obesity-microbiome-gut immunity connections in a metabolic syndrome (MetS) porcine model. The present results show that dysbiosis of mucosal microbiota along the entire digestive tract play a critical role in the proinflammatory response in the host-microbial metabolism axis, resulting in obesity and related metabolic disorders in the MetS model.
Unveiling the Biosynthetic Pathway for Short Mycolic Acids in Nontuberculous Mycobacteria: Mycobacterium smegmatis MSMEG_4301 and Its Ortholog Mycobacterium abscessus MAB_1915 Are Essential for the Synthesis of α′-Mycolic Acids

Mycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium responsible for an increasing number of hard-to-treat infections due to the impervious nature of its cell envelope, a natural barrier to several antibiotics. Mycolic acids are key components of that envelope; thus, their synthesis is a valuable target for drug development. ABSTRACT Mycolic acids, a hallmark of the genus Mycobacterium, are unique branched long-chain fatty acids produced by a complex biosynthetic pathway. Due to their essentiality and involvement in various aspects of mycobacterial pathogenesis, the synthesis of mycolic acids—and the identification of the enzymes involved—is a valuable target for drug development. Although most of the core pathway is comparable between species, subtle structure differences lead to different structures delineating the mycolic acid repertoire of tuberculous and some nontuberculous mycobacteria. We here report the characterization of an α′-mycolic acid-deficient Mycobacterium smegmatis mutant obtained by chemical mutagenesis. Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis identified a premature stop codon in MSMEG_4301, encoding an acyl-CoA synthetase. Orthologs of MSMEG_4301 are present in all mycobacterial species containing α′-mycolic acids. Deletion of the Mycobacterium abscessus ortholog MAB_1915 abrogated synthesis of α′-mycolic acids; likewise, deletion of MSMEG_4301 in an otherwise wild-type M. smegmatis background also caused loss of these short mycolates. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium abscessus is a nontuberculous mycobacterium responsible for an increasing number of hard-to-treat infections due to the impervious nature of its cell envelope, a natural barrier to several antibiotics. Mycolic acids are key components of that envelope; thus, their synthesis is a valuable target for drug development. Our results identify the first enzyme involved in α′-mycolic acids, a short-chain member of mycolic acids, loss of which greatly affects growth of this opportunistic pathogen.
The Greenhouse Phyllosphere Microbiome and Associations with Introduced Bumblebees and Predatory Mites

Greenhouses, though highly effective agricultural environments, are characterized by reduced sources of bacterial diversity and means of dispersal compared to more natural settings. As it is known that plant health and productivity are affected by associated bacteria, improving our knowledge on the bacterial communities on greenhouse crops is key to further innovate in horticulture. ABSTRACT Greenhouses are highly productive environments in which conditions are regulated to optimize plant growth. The enclosed character of greenhouses usually results in reduced microbial diversity, while it is known that a diverse microbiome is important for plant health. Therefore, we explored the phyllosphere microbiome of tomatoes and strawberries grown in greenhouses. We observed that the microbiome of both crops was low in diversity and abundance and varied considerably over time and space. Interestingly, the core taxa of tomatoes were Snodgrasella and Gilliamella, genera typically associated with bumblebees. The same amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were found on reared bumblebees, indicating that the bumblebees, present in the sampled greenhouses to pollinate flowers, had introduced and dispersed these bacteria in the greenhouses. Overall, we found that 80% of plants contained bumblebee-associated taxa, and on these plants, bumblebee-associated reads accounted for up to a quarter of the reads on tomatoes and a tenth of the reads on strawberries. Furthermore, predatory mites had been introduced for the control of spider mites. Their microbiome was composed of a diverse set of bacteria, which varied between batches ordered at different times. Still, identical ASVs were found on mites and crops, and these belonged to the genera Sphingomonas, Staphylococcus, Methylobacterium, and Pseudomonas. These new insights should now be further explored and utilized to diversify ecosystems that are characterized by low diversity and abundancy of microbes. IMPORTANCE Greenhouses, though highly effective agricultural environments, are characterized by reduced sources of bacterial diversity and means of dispersal compared to more natural settings. As it is known that plant health and productivity are affected by associated bacteria, improving our knowledge on the bacterial communities on greenhouse crops is key to further innovate in horticulture. Our findings show that tomato and strawberry crops cultivated in greenhouses harbor poor and variable bacterial communities. Furthermore, commonly implemented biological solutions (i.e., those based on living organisms such as bumblebees and predatory mites) are important sources and means of dispersal of bacteria in greenhouses. This study shows that there is great potential in using these biological solutions to enrich the greenhouse microbiome by introducing and dispersing microbes which have beneficial effects on crop production and protection, provided that the dispersed microbes have a beneficial function.
New material of Incadelphys antiquus (Pucadelphyda, Metatheria, Mammalia) from the early Palaeocene of Bolivia reveals phylogenetic affinities with enigmatic North and South American metatherians

ABSTRACT The present paper describes a partial skull referred to Incadelphys antiquus, from the early Palaeocene of Tiupampa (Bolivia). The specimen includes the anterior part of the skull with maxillae, premaxillae, nasals, lacrimals, anterior part of frontals and jugal, and both dentaries. Most of the teeth are preserved except some incisors. Some of the major characteristics of Incadelphys are the elongation and slenderness of the rostrum as compared to other Tiupampa taxa and the narrowness and blade-like morphology of the premolars. The new specimen is compared to the other Tiupampan pucadelphydans, especially, pucadelphyids, but also sparassodonts. Comparisons with Marmosopsis juradoi, from the early Eocene of Itaboraí and with Aenigmadelphys archeri from the latest Campanian of North America is also meaningful. Among others, the three genera share a strong distolabial extension of their metastylar area of the M1, which has not been observed, to a such extant, in other American metatherians. A phylogenetic parsimony analysis has been performed with exclusion some poorly known taxa, such as Jaskhadelphys minutus (two upper molars only), from Tiupampa or Kiruwamaq chisu (one M? 3 only) from the late Eocene of Peru. The taxa included in our analysis are at least known from all upper and lower molars. The result of our analysis with unweighted characters retrieved the inclusion of Incadelphys, Marmosopsis, Szalinia and Aenigmadelphys in the clade Pucadelphyda, which also includes the Pucadelphyidae and the Sparassodonta. An analysis with downweighted homoplastic characters (with Goloboff K=3) resulted in a monophyletic grouping of Szalinia, Aenigmadelphys, Marmosopsis, and Incadelphys in an unnamed clade designated with the working term SAMI (after the initial of these four genera). This result, which we favor, is the first hypothesis which suggests a close relationship between the early Palaeocene - early Eocene, Tiupampa -Itaboraí pucadelphydans and a Late Cretaceous North American taxon, Aenigmadelphys, which is included within the Pucadelphyda.
Identification of osteoporosis based on gene biomarkers using support vector machine

Abstract Osteoporosis is a major health concern worldwide. The present study aimed to identify effective biomarkers for osteoporosis detection. In osteoporosis, 559 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Foxo signaling pathway. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed that green, pink, and tan modules were clinically significant modules, and that six genes (VEGFA, DDX5, SOD2, HNRNPD, EIF5B, and HSP90B1) were identified as “real” hub genes in the protein–protein interaction network, co-expression network, and 559 DEGs. The sensitivity and specificity of the support vector machine (SVM) for identifying patients with osteoporosis was 100%, with an area under curve of 1 in both training and validation datasets. Our results indicated that the current system using the SVM method could identify patients with osteoporosis.
Defects on silver based coatings

Abstract New trends in the automotive and construction industries are leading manufacturers to develop new materials with added value. In this article, we deal with the introduction of such a material, namely a silver-based emission coating, which is used in both architecture and the automotive industry. Silver-based coating thus makes it possible to increase the driver’s comfort, or to increase the comfort of working in the office on hot steamy days. This coating changes the transmittance of IR radiation from or to the building, or from or to the car. The coating is based primarily on the presence of layers of silver, which are able to provide the primary functions of modulation of incoming and outgoing radiation. Silver-based coatings can also be used to heat, for example, car windshields. The production of a silver-based coating is very demanding and sensitive to the formation of coating defects. In this article, we discuss common coating defects and discuss their possible origins.
Does COVID-19 Cause Hypertension?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak remains a major public health challenge worldwide. The present study investigated the effect of COVID-19 on blood pressure (BP) during short term follow-up. A total of 211 consecutive COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Parkhayat Kutahya hospital were retrospectively screened. Information was obtained from the electronic medical records and National health data registry. The study outcome was new onset of hypertension according to the Eight Joint National Committee and European Society of Cardiology Guidelines. Finally, 153 confirmed COVID-19 patients (mean age 46.5 ± 12.7 years) were enrolled. Both systolic (120.9 ± 7.2 vs 126.5 ± 15.0 mmHg, P <.001) and diastolic BP (78.5 ± 4.4 vs 81.8 ± 7.4 mmHg, P <.001) were significantly higher in the post COVID-19 period than on admission. New onset hypertension was observed in 18 patients at the end of 31.6 ± 5.0 days on average (P <.001). These findings suggest that COVID-19 increases systolic and diastolic BP and may cause new onset hypertension.