Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SNARE-mediated membrane fusion with a novel single vesicle-fusion assay.

Membrane fusion in the secretory pathway of eukaryotic cells, including exocytosis of synaptic vesicles, is catalysed by SNARE proteins. In case of the synaptic vesicle fusion, two of the members of this protein family reside on the presynaptic plasma membrane and one on synaptic vesicles. When these three proteins come together they undergo an exergonic reaction of zippering, from membrane distal to membrane proximal regions, to form a coiled coil structure. This process pulls membranes towards each other and induces membrane fusion. Despite many years of research, the molecular mechanism of the SNARE-driven fusion is still not fully understood, and remaining questions concern the extraordinary synaptic vesicle exocytosis speed, or translation of the zippering force to fusing membranes. In vitro, SNAREs are sufficient to mediate effective fusion of both native and artificial membranes. Over the past years, reconstitution systems have been instrumental in characterising the basic features of the SNARE-mediated membrane fusion in combination with various accessory proteins (especially these involved in synaptic vesicle exocytosis). First, ensemble measurements of SNARE-mediated liposome fusion were performed, however they lacked the possibility of distinguishing of reaction steps. Therefore, more recently, microscopy assays were developed that allow observation of the fusion reaction on a single vesicle level. Nevertheless, these assays often lack temporal resolution for monitoring fast fusion reaction catalysed by neuronal SNAREs, and usually involve membrane immobilisation to a solid surface that may lead to various artefacts. In this study a novel single vesicle assay was developed for monitoring membrane fusion on the example of neuronal exocytosis. This assay includes giant unilamellar vesicles as presynaptic plasma membrane mimics and smaller vesicles (either liposomes or purified secretory granules). Membrane topology of giant liposomes ensures that only a small portion of the membrane is involved in interactions with the surface. Additionally, this free-standing membrane is largely free of curvature stress, similarly as presynaptic plasma membrane. Assay allows monitoring ms-kinetics of secretory vesicle fusion, that is close to fusion rates observed in vivo in neuroendocrine cells. What is more, due to correct membrane topology, docked vesicles are very mobile and the mechanism of docking can be studied in great detail. The assay presented in this study is also very versatile as it can be adapted for other studies concerning for example endosomal membrane fusion or viral cell entry.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Carya illinoinensis cv. wichita and its phylogenetic analysis

Abstract Carya illinoinensis is an important nut tree with high economic and ecological values. Here, we presented the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of C. illinoinensis cv. wichita. The whole cp genome is 160,532 bp in length, displaying a typical quadripartite structure with a large single-copy (LSC) of 897,99 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,751 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,991 bp. A total of 128 genes were predicted to contain in the whole cp genome, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The GC contents of the cp genome is 36.19%. Phylogenomic analysis suggested Carya illinoinensis as a sister species of C. cathayensis, C. kweichowensis, and Annamocarya sinensis.
Quality improvement: an expanding domain for the application of scientific method

Fisher’s early work on statistical data analysis and experimental design made possible the application of scientific method to industrial problems and to the improvement of the quality of everyday life. The use is discussed of simple statistical techniques for informed observation which can be used to improve quality in hospitals and other service organizations as well as in the factory. At a more sophisticated level, statistical experimental design may be used by engineers and scientists to design products that rarely go wrong. Experimental design can be employed to maximize a desirable quality characteristic, to minimize its variance, and to make it insensitive to environmental changes. Such expansion of the domain of the application of scientific method can not only raise industrial efficiency, but can improve the quality of life for everyone.
Dry Eye Disease among Medical Students at the University of Fallujah, Iraq

Objective: to estimate the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among the students of College of Medicine at the University of Fallujah, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students at University of Fallujah in Iraq for the period of 1st August to 1st October 2019. Upon obtaining informed consent, all participants were given Schirmer 1 test under topical anesthesia. Patients with Schirmer 1 reading less than 15 mm were identified as dry-eye patients. After that, a pre-designed questionnaire was applied to all dry eye subjects that asked about different symptoms and risk factors of dry eyes. Results: Among 214 medical Students,117 (54%) were females and 97 (46%) were males. The mean age of students was 20.95 ± 1.91 years. 79.9 % of the participants were normal while the 20.1 % had dry eyes. Conclusion: The DED was highly prevalent among medical students at the University of Fallujah. Further studies are crucial for prevention or early detection and treatment. DED was statically significant more prevalent in male compared to female.
Role of the exercise of high intensity intervals (HIIT) in health in the older adults: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials

espanolExiste un creciente interes en el entrenamiento de alta intensidad en personas mayores, aunque hay poco consenso sobre la mejor manera de planificar una intervencion HIIT. Los objetivos de esta revision son examinar el entrenamiento en intervalos de alta intensidad como una forma de mejorar la salud y descubrir el protocolo HIIT viable de mayor intensidad. Los estudios se incluyeron en esta revision sistematica si: (1) estudiaron una poblacion de adultos mayores; (2) prescribio una intervencion que puede describirse como de alta intensidad; y (3) informaron medidas de resultado relacionadas con la salud. Los 14 documentos resultantes se incluyeron en nuestro estudio. La presente revision encontro que el entrenamiento HIIT es una herramienta efectiva para mejorar los indicadores de composicion corporal, asi como la salud cardiometabolica ycardiovascular, con 90-95% de sesiones de ergometro de ciclo de FCmax realizadas dos o tres veces por semana, con una duracion minima de la sesion de 40 minutos, en una intervencion de al menos 12 semanas de duracion, logrando mejoras significativas en la salud de los participantes. Las recomendaciones sobre la duracion optima del ejercicio y los intervalos de descanso deben seguir siendo ambiguas dada la escasez de literatura publicada y la metodologia y las limitaciones de los estudios que ya estan disponibles EnglishDespite growing interest in high-intensity interval training as a time-effective way for older adults to improve their health, there is little consensus regarding the better way to plan a HIIT intervention. Given the loss of function and health problems of an older adult population, the identification and characterization of interventions and strategies is a fundamental prerequisite. The goals of this review are examining high-intensity interval training as a way to improve health, and finding out the highestintensity viable HIIT protocol. Studies were included in this systematic review if: (1) they studied a population of older adults; (2) prescribed an intervention that can be described as high intensity; and (3) reported health-related outcome measures. The resulting 14 papers were included in our study. The present review found that high-intensity interval training is an effective tool to improve indicators of body composition as well as cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health, with 90-95% HRmax cycle ergometer sessions held two-three times a week, with a minimum session length of 40 minutes, in an intervention at least 12-week long, effecting significant improvements on the health of participants. Recommendations regarding optimal exercise duration and rest intervals must remain ambiguous given the scarcity of published literature and the methodology and limitations of those studies that are already available
Smart Technologies for Personalized Nutrition and Consumer Engagement (Stance4health Eu H2020 - Funded Project)

The overall objective of Stance4Health EU H2020 project is to develop Stance4Health will develop a complete Smart Personalised Nutrition (SPN) service in an interdisciplinary approach through the exchange of knowledge and methods of different disciplines (i.e. nutrition food sciences, nutrition-health sciences, consumer science-social anthropology-psychology, economics and computer sciences, among others) via shared knowledge-interactions. Based on the use of mobile technologies as well as tailored food production that will optimize the gut microbiota activity and long-term consumer engagement. Stance4Health will also increase the health status and well-being of individuals by adopting a longlasting healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour. A huge innovation capacity will be enhanced by creating new market opportunities and bringing other important benefits to the European society from the Circular Economy and the Digitisiting European Industry Focus Areas.
Secondary School English Teachers’ Preception Towards The Use of Flipped Learning in Buleleng Regency

This study is aimed at (1) investigating the perception of secondary school English teachers’ perception towards the use of Flipped Learning in Buleleng regency, (2) observing the problems that the teachers encountered during implementing Flipped Learning, and (3) evaluating the solutions that the teachers do to solve the problems. This study was a mixed-method research design which used cross-sectional survey as the method. Purposive sampling was employed to four secondary English teachers who apply Flipped Learning. They came from three public secondary schools in Buleleng regency. This study used a questionnaire and an interview guide as instruments which had been tested for its validity and reliability. The data from the questionnaires were processed by using Arithmetic Statistics in Microsoft Office Excel to calculate the mean score in order to know the qualification level of each perception. The results of data analysis indicated that most of teachers corresponded to very positive perception on the use of Flipped Learning since the mean score was 81.25 which categorized to very high category. The results imply that Flipped Learning is highly recommended to be implemented in the English teaching and learning process.
A fish rots from the head down: how to use the leading digits of ecological data to detect their falsification

Managing wildlife populations requires good data. Researchers and policy makers need reliable population estimates and, in case of commercial or recreational harvesting, also trustworthy information about the number of removed individuals. However, auditing schemes are often weak and political or economic pressure could lead to data fabrication or falsification. Time-series data and population models are crucial to detect anomalies, but they are not always available nor feasible. Therefore, researchers need other tools to identify suspicious patterns in ecological and environmental data, to prioritize their controls. We showed how the Benford’s law might be used to identify anomalies and potential manipulation in ecological data, by testing for the goodness-of-fit of the leading digits with the Benford’s distribution. For this task, we inspected two datasets that were found to be falsified, containing data about estimated large carnivore populations in Romania and Soviet commercial whale catches in the Pacific Ocean. In both the two datasets, the first and second digits numerical series deviated from the expected Benford’s distribution. In data about large carnivores, the first too digits, taken together, also deviated from the expected Benford’s distribution and were characterized by a high Mean Absolute Deviation. In Soviet whale catches, while the single digits deviated from the Benford’s distribution and the Mean Absolute Deviation was high, the first two digits were not anomalous. This controversy invites researchers to combine multiple measures of nonconformity and to be cautious in analyzing mixtures of data. Testing the distribution of the leading digits might be a very useful tool to inspect ecological datasets and to detect potential falsifications, with great implications for policymakers and researchers as well. For example, if policymakers revealed anomalies in harvesting data or population estimates, commercial or recreational harvesting could be suspended and controls strengthened. On the other hand, revealing falsification in ecological research would be crucial for evidence-based conservation, as well as for research evaluation.
The Impact of Working Capital Management on Financial Performance: Evidence from Jordan

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of working capital management on profitability. Working capital management was measured using; average collection period, average age of inventory, average payable period and cash conversion cycle as a comprehensive measure of working capital management. Two measures of profitability were employed; return on assets and net profit margin. The sample consisted of 33 industrial companies listed on Amman stock exchange (ASE) for the period from 2013-2017. Data required was gathered manually through the annual reports publicly available on (ASE). Panel data methodology was used with eight multiple regressions to test the study hypotheses. The findings revealed that average collection period and average age of inventory have a negative and significant impact on profitability measures; this implies that managers can enhance profitability by keeping average collection period and average age on inventory at the reasonable minimum level. However, the findings found no impact of cash conversion cycle on the net profit margin. This study contributes to the literature by providing recent evidence from developing countries about the impact of working capital management on profitability.
Biology and life table parameters of Metaphycus marensis Chirinos and Kondo, 2019, an encyrtid parasitoid of guava cottony scale in Venezuela

The guava cottony scale, Capulinia linarosae (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) is an important pest of guava, Psidium guajava, in Venezuela and northern Colombia. Metaphycus marensis (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a new primary parasitoid species recently described associated with this pest. Studies were conducted on oogenesis, life cycle, survival, daily fecundity and life table parameters of Metaphycus marensis Chirinos & Kondo (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), generation time (T) and net reproductive rate (Ro). Females of M. marensis are synovigenic and this parasitoid goes through four larval instars and completes its life cycle in about 12.7 days. Survival was of type I, where mortality was initially detected by encapsulation of eggs and larvae. Metaphycus marensis was able to multiply its population 28.7 times (Ro) with rm of 0.242 in 13.9 days (T). The short generation time of the parasitoid in relation to its eriococcid host could represent a desirable attribute as a natural enemy. However, the low fecundity and the encapsulation by the host must be analyzed through field experiments in order to evaluate its effectiveness as a biological control agent for C. linarosae.
Theoretical basis of justification of electromechanical hardening modes of machine parts

In the practice of agricultural machine building and repair of machines, technological methods of surface hardening are widely used, which significantly increase wear resistance and durability of parts. Combined methods of combining temperature, force and time effects in different manifestations, in particular electromechanical hardening, are particularly effective. The purpose of the study is to identify the relationships between the modes and parameters of the process of electromechanical hardening for parts of machines made of unalloyed and low-alloy structural quality steels. The hardening modes include: magnitude of the force and voltage of the amperage on the hardening tool, contact force of the tool to the part. The parameters of the technological process are: speed of rotation of the part, central angle of contact between the tool and the part, time of point contact between the part and the tool, presence of forced cooling, depth of hardening. Among the tested materials – steel 65G and its substitutes according to GOST 14959, foreign analogues 1056 (USA), 66Mn4 (Germany) and 080A67 (England). Based on theoretical relationships between the temperature of phase transformations in steels, amperage on the tool and force of its pressing, taking into account thermophysical characteristics of the material and process of electromechanical hardening, as well as geometrical parameters of contact zone, a mathematical model of dependence of current force at strengthening from of tool contact force and voltage in secondary circuit is obtained with subsequent quantitative estimation of depth of strengthening of the surface layer of the part. In order to study mutual couplings and influence of factors on response functions at studies of the hardening technological process the graphical interpretation of the mathematical model is performed, which allows to justify range of modes of electromechanical hardening at planning of experiments.
Assessing sodium limitation as a resource for ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an area of the Amazonian Terra Firme Forest

The availability of nutrients in the soil acts as a filter in the ants that inhabit this layer, affecting their foraging patterns and showing preferences or limitations on their nutritional needs. Especially in environments far from the ocean, the salt deficit can be a limiting resource in the environment. Here, we test whether changes in species richness and composition reveal food preferences for ants that inhabit the soil, using sugar and salt as attractions in an area of the Amazon Forest. In total, 21 species in nine genera were collected; all species were collected in sugar and only two in salt. In addition to the ant richness eleven times greater in sugar, the composition differed between the attractions. Our results indicate that the litter ants in the preserved forest are not limited by availability of sodium and they prefer sugar to salt as attractant, even with this environment far from the coast.
Low temperature magnetic ordering of frustrated rare-earth pyrochlores

We study the low temperature magnetic ordering of rare-earth pyrochlores. The dominant magnetic interaction: nearest neighbour antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange, is frustrated with a macroscopic ground-state degeneracy. This degeneracy is lifted by weaker interactions, stabilising long-range order. First we study the dipolar governed gadolinium stannate with an external magnetic field. Factorising the Hamiltonian in terms of ten quadratics provides exact solutions to the over-constrained model with fields orientated along highly symmetrical directions. Next we study the isostructural gadolinium titanate: the much more complex magnetism is indexed by a different propagation-vector to gadolinium stannate due to further neighbour exchange interactions. This material is controversial: elastic neutron scattering and Mossbauer experiments have been using contradictory interpretations. We propose a new state which appears to resolve this inconsistency. Finally we model erbium titanate, which is approached differently due to the dominant crystal-field. Existing elastic neutron scattering data is reexamined and found inconsistent with the state currently discussed in the literature so we suggest an unusual multiple-q state. The spins are not orientated along the expected crystal-field direction: a consequence of frustration. Energetics are studied phenomenologically. We suggest that experimentally observed gapless spin-waves control transfer of spin density between different q-points of the proposed state.
ISLAMIC VIEWS ON HEDONISM AMONG STUDENTS

Hedonism refers to an understanding considering that pleasure is the only way to achieve happiness in the world. Today, many students are willing to do anything in order to achieve that pleasure even though they have to violate the ethics and moral values applied in society. Nowadays, students no longer uphold the ethics and moral values of the nation. In this paper, the authors discussed the phenomenon of hedonism which is prevalent among Indonesian students according to the basic concepts of the philosophy of hedonism and the view of Islam. This study was conceptual research. Based on the discussion of the study, it can be concluded that hedonism begins to develop in Indonesian students at this time. They are willing to do anything to get their personal desires and pleasures, even if they have to do the actions contrary to the noble values of the nation, such as promiscuity and criminal acts. From the viewpoint of Islam, hedonism clearly contradicts the teachings of Islam since Islam does not teach its people to be wasteful and do useless things, and even commit disgraceful acts. Moreover, hedonism also has negative influences on the students. Therefore, the stdents should be well behaved in order not not fall into negative things. Besides, students are also expected to be able to fortify themselves by strengthening their faith so that they are not deceived by negative lifestyles, one of which is hedonism.
Impact of glutamine on the effect of neopterin in methyl mercury-exposed neurons

Abstract Exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg), induces blood-brain barrier damage leading to non-selective influx of cytotoxic agents, besides the entrance of inflammatory cells into the brain. However, there is no data available regarding the effects of co-treatment of neopterin and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in MeHgexposed SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neurons. MeHg-exposed SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells were treated with neopterin and IFN-gamma in the presence and absence of L-Glutamine. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Oxidative stress intensity coefficient was calculated by taking into consideration the amount of nitric oxide production per viable neuron. 5μM MeHg was found to be more toxic than 1μM or 2μM doses of MeHg for SH-SY5Y cells in glutamine-containing medium. Furthermore, 0. 1μM neopterin supplementation significantly increased the neuronal cell viability while, oxidative stress significantly decreased. Glutamine supplementation in culture medium, not only enhanced the MeHg toxicity, but also supported the antioxidant effect of neopterin. These results indicate that neopterin has a protective effect on MeHg toxicity in SH-SY5Y neurons. Neopterin was more effective in improving the total mitochondrial metabolic activity of cells exposed to 5μM MeHg in comparison to IFN-gamma. Although IFN-gamma supplementation alone partially improved 5μM MeHg toxicity on neurons, it weakened the protective effect of neopterin.