Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ginsenoside Rb1 Alleviates Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury by Inhibiting Steatosis, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has become a heavy burden on health worldwide. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), extracted from Panax quinquefolium L. , has protective effects on many diseases, but the effect and mechanisms of GRb1 on ALD remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of GRb1 on ALD and to discover the potential mechanisms. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to 350 mM ethanol for 32 h to establish a model of acute alcoholic liver injury, and the larvae were then treated with 6.25, 12.5, or 25 μM GRb1 for 48 h. The human hepatocyte cell line was stimulated by 100 mM ethanol and meanwhile incubated with 6.25, 12.5, and 25 μM GRb1 for 24 h. The lipid changes were detected by Oil Red O staining, Nile Red staining, and triglyceride determination. The antioxidant capacity was assessed by fluorescent probes in vivo, and the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that GRb1 alleviated lipid deposition in hepatocytes at an optimal concentration of 12.5 μM in vivo. GRb1 reversed the reactive oxygen species accumulation caused by alcohol consumption and partially restored the level of glutathione. Furthermore, GRb1 ameliorated liver inflammation by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration in the liver parenchyma and downregulating the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B pathway-associated proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. This study revealed that GRb1 has a protective effect on alcohol-induced liver injury due to its resistance to lipid deposition as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. These findings suggest that GRb1 may be a promising candidate against ALD.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Immune and Prognostic Implication of COL6A6 in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Collagen type VI alpha 6 chain (COL6A6), a novel collagen, has been considered as a tumor suppressor and therapeutic target in several tumors. However, the functional role of COL6A6 in immune cell infiltration and prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unknown. Here, we evaluated COL6A6 expression and its impact on survival among LUAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and several other databases. COL6A6 was downregulated in LUAD tissues compared to normal tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. COL6A6 expression was negatively associated with pathological stage, tumor stage, and lymph node metastasis. High COL6A6 expression was a favorable prognostic factor in LUAD. Next, we explored the associations between COL6A6 expression and immune cell infiltration. COL6A6 expression was positively associated with the infiltration of B cells, T cells, neutrophils and dendritic cells. Additionally, the immune cell infiltration levels were associated with COL6A6 gene copy number in LUAD. Consistently, gene set enrichment analysis showed that various immune pathways were enriched in the LUAD samples with high COL6A6 expression, including pathways related to T cell activation and T cell receptor signaling. The impacts of COL6A6 on immune activity were further assessed by enrichment analysis of 50 COL6A6-associated immunomodulators. Thereafter, using Cox regression, we identified a seven-gene risk prediction signature based on the COL6A6-associated immunomodulators. The resulting risk score was an independent prognostic predictor in LUAD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis confirmed that the seven-gene signature had good prognostic accuracy in the TCGA-LUAD cohort and a Gene Expression Omnibus dataset. Finally, we constructed a clinical nomogram to predict long-term survival probabilities, and calibration curves verified its accuracy. Our findings highlight that COL6A6 is involved in tumor immunity, suggesting COL6A6 may be a potential immunotherapeutic target in LUAD. The proposed seven-gene signature is a promising prognostic biomarker in LUAD.
Reported Affect Changes as a Function of Response Delay: Findings From a Pooled Dataset of Nine Experience Sampling Studies

Delayed responses are a common phenomenon in experience sampling studies. Yet no consensus exists on whether they should be excluded from the analysis or what the threshold for exclusion should be. Delayed responses could introduce bias, but previous investigations of systematic differences between delayed and timely responses have offered unclear results. To investigate differences as a function of delay, we conducted secondary analyses of nine paper and pencil based experience sampling studies including 1,528 individuals with different clinical statuses. In all participants, there were significant decreases in positive and increases in negative affect as a function of delay. In addition, delayed answers of participants without depression showed higher within-person variability and an initial strengthening in the relationships between contextual stress and affect. Participants with depression mostly showed the opposite pattern. Delayed responses seem qualitatively different from timely responses. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these differences.
Evaluation of an Automatic Classification Algorithm Using Convolutional Neural Networks in Oncological Positron Emission Tomography

Introduction: Our aim was to evaluate the performance in clinical research and in clinical routine of a research prototype, called positron emission tomography (PET) Assisted Reporting System (PARS) (Siemens Healthineers) and based on a convolutional neural network (CNN), which is designed to detect suspected cancer sites in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT). Method: We retrospectively studied two cohorts of patients. The first cohort consisted of research-based patients who underwent PET scans as part of the initial workup for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The second cohort consisted of patients who underwent PET scans as part of the evaluation of miscellaneous cancers in clinical routine. In both cohorts, we assessed the correlation between manually and automatically segmented total metabolic tumor volumes (TMTVs), and the overlap between both segmentations (Dice score). For the research cohort, we also compared the prognostic value for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of manually and automatically obtained TMTVs. Results: For the first cohort (research cohort), data from 119 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The median Dice score between automatic and manual segmentations was 0.65. The intraclass correlation coefficient between automatically and manually obtained TMTVs was 0.68. Both TMTV results were predictive of PFS (hazard ratio: 2.1 and 3.3 for automatically based and manually based TMTVs, respectively) and OS (hazard ratio: 2.4 and 3.1 for automatically based and manually based TMTVs, respectively). For the second cohort (routine cohort), data from 430 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The median Dice score between automatic and manual segmentations was 0.48. The intraclass correlation coefficient between automatically and manually obtained TMTVs was 0.61. Conclusion: The TMTVs determined for the research cohort remain predictive of total and PFS for DLBCL. However, the segmentations and TMTVs determined automatically by the algorithm need to be verified and, sometimes, corrected to be similar to the manual segmentation.
The Novel Key Genes of Non-obstructive Azoospermia Affect Spermatogenesis: Transcriptomic Analysis Based on RNA-Seq and scRNA-Seq Data

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is one of the most important causes of male infertility. It is mainly characterized by the absence of sperm in semen repeatedly or the number of sperm is small and not fully developed. At present, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. The goal of this study is to identify hub genes that might affect biomarkers related to spermatogenesis. Using the clinically significant transcriptome and single-cell sequencing data sets on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we identified candidate hub genes related to spermatogenesis. Based on them, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment pathway analyses, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), cell cluster analysis, and pseudo-chronological analysis. We identified a total of 430 differentially expressed genes, of which three have not been reported related to spermatogenesis (C22orf23, TSACC, and TTC25), and the expression of these three hub genes was different in each type of sperm cells. The results of the pseudo-chronological analysis of the three hub genes indicated that TTC25 was in a low expression state during the whole process of sperm development, while the expression of C22orf23 had two fluctuations in the differentiating spermatogonia and late primary spermatocyte stages, and TSACC showed an upward trend from the spermatogonial stem cell stage to the spermatogenesis stage. Our research found that the three hub genes were different in the trajectory of sperm development, indicating that they might play important roles in different sperm cells. This result is of great significance for revealing the pathogenic mechanism of NOA and further research.
Tandem Carboxylation‐Hydration Reaction System from Methanol, CO2 and Benzonitrile to Dimethyl Carbonate and Benzamide Catalyzed by CeO2

CeO2 is an effective catalyst for a new tandem reaction system; The synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol+ CO2 and benzonitrile hydration to benzamide. In combination with benzonitrile hydration, the yield of DMC was drastically promoted even at CO2 pressures as low as 0.1 MPa. The yields of methanol‐ and CO2‐based DMC were as high as 47 % and 70 %, respectively. Calcination of the catalyst at 873 K after the reaction, enables the catalyst to be reused without any structural change, although benzamide, produced by the benzonitrile hydration, poisons of the catalyst. This reaction system can be applied to the synthesis of other dialkylcarbonates from their corresponding alcohols and CO2.
Early Miocene Exhumation of High-Pressure Rocks in the Himalaya: A Response to Reduced India-Asia Convergence Velocity

Low-viscosity channel flow, originating from a melt-weakened mid-crustal layer, is one of the most popular tectonic models to explain the exhumation of deep-seated rocks in the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS). The driving mechanism of such channel flow, generally attributed to focused erosion in the mountain front, is still debated, and yet to be resolved. Moreover, the channel flow model cannot explain eclogites in the GHS. In this study, we present a new two-dimensional thermo-mechanical numerical model, based on lubrication dynamics to demonstrate the exhumation process of deep crustal rocks in GHS. The model suggests that a dynamic-pressure drop in the Himalayan wedge, following a large reduction in the India-Asia convergence velocity (15 cm/yr at 50 Ma to nearly 5 cm/yr at ∼22 Ma) localized a fully developed extrusion zone, which controlled the pressure-temperature-time (P-T-t) path of GHS rocks. We show that the wedge extrusion, originated in the lower crust (∼60 km), was initially bounded by two oppositely directed ductile shear zones: the South Tibetan Detachment systems (STDS) at the top and the Higher Himalayan Discontinuity (HHD) at the bottom. With time the bottom shear boundary of the extrusion zone underwent a southward migration, forming the Main Central Thrust (MCT) at ∼17 Ma. Our model successfully reproduces two apparently major paradoxical observations in the Himalaya: syn-convergence extension and inverted metamorphic isograds. Model peak P (10–17 kb) and T (700–820°C) and the exhumation P-T-t path estimated from several Lagrangian points, traveling through the extrusion zone, are largely compatible with the petrological observations in the GHS. The model results account for the observed asymmetric P-T distribution between the MCT and STDS, showing peak P-T values close to the MCT. The lubrication dynamics proposed in this article sheds light on the fast exhumation event (>1 cm/yr) in the most active phase of crustal extrusion (22-17 Ma), followed by a slowed-down event. Finally, our model explains why the extrusion zone became weak in the last 8-10 Ma in the history of India-Asia collision.
Validation and Optimization of Host Immunological Bio-Signatures for a Point-of-Care Test for TB Disease

The development of a non-sputum-based, point-of-care diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) is a priority in the global effort to combat this disease, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Previous studies have identified host biomarker signatures which showed potential, but there is a need to validate and refine these for development as a test. We recruited 1,403 adults presenting with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB at primary healthcare clinics in six countries from West, East and Southern Africa. Of the study cohort, 326 were diagnosed with TB and 787 with other respiratory diseases, from whom we randomly selected 1005 participants. Using Luminex® technology, we measured the levels of 20 host biomarkers in serum samples which we used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of previously identified and novel bio-signatures. Our previously identified seven-marker bio-signature did not perform well (sensitivity: 89%, specificity: 60%). We also identified an optimal, two-marker bio-signature with a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 69% in patients with no history of previous TB. This signature performed slightly better than C-reactive protein (CRP) alone. The cut-off value for a positive diagnosis differed for human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)-positive and -negative individuals. Notably, we also found that no signature was able to diagnose TB adequately in patients with a prior history of the disease. We have identified a two-marker, pan-African bio-signature which is more robust than CRP alone and meets the World Health Organization (WHO) target product profile requirements for a triage test in both HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals. This signature could be incorporated into a point-of-care device, greatly reducing the necessity for expensive confirmatory diagnostics and potentially reducing the number of cases currently lost to follow-up. It might also potentially be useful with individuals unable to provide sputum or with paucibacillary disease. We suggest that the performance of TB diagnostic signatures can be improved by incorporating the HIV-status of the patient. We further suggest that only patients who have never had TB be subjected to a triage test and that those with a history of previous TB be evaluated using more direct diagnostic techniques.
Optimizing a Fed-Batch High-Density Fermentation Process for Medium Chain-Length Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates) in Escherichia coli

Production of medium chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) [PHA] polymers with tightly defined compositions is an important area of research to expand the application and improve the properties of these promising biobased and biodegradable materials. PHA polymers with homopolymeric or defined compositions exhibit attractive material properties such as increased flexibility and elasticity relative to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [PHB]; however, these polymers are difficult to biosynthesize in native PHA-producing organisms, and there is a paucity of research toward developing high-density cultivation methods while retaining compositional control. In this study, we developed and optimized a fed-batch fermentation process in a stirred tank reactor, beginning with the biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxydecanoate) [PHD] from decanoic acid by β-oxidation deficient recombinant Escherichia coli LSBJ using glucose as a co-substrate solely for growth. Bacteria were cultured in two stages, a biomass accumulation stage (37°C, pH 7.0) with glucose as the primary carbon source and a PHA biosynthesis stage (30°C, pH 8.0) with co-feeding of glucose and a fatty acid. Through iterative optimizations of semi-defined media composition and glucose feed rate, 6.0 g of decanoic acid was converted to PHD with an 87.5% molar yield (4.54 g L–1). Stepwise increases in the amount of decanoic acid fed during the fermentation correlated with an increase in PHD, resulting in a final decanoic acid feed of 25 g converted to PHD at a yield of 89.4% (20.1 g L–1, 0.42 g L–1 h–1), at which point foaming became uncontrollable. Hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, 10-undecenoic acid, and 10-bromodecanoic acid were all individually supplemented at 20 g each and successfully polymerized with yields ranging from 66.8 to 99.0% (9.24 to 18.2 g L–1). Using this bioreactor strategy, co-fatty acid feeds of octanoic acid/decanoic acid and octanoic acid/10-azidodecanoic acid (8:2 mol ratio each) resulted in the production of their respective copolymers at nearly the same ratio and at high yield, demonstrating that these methods can be used to control PHA copolymer composition.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia in Selected Districts of North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is an infectious and highly contagious respiratory disease of cattle and water buffalo, which is caused by the Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony. It induces significant economic losses and leads to a serious food security problem, negatively influencing peoples' livelihoods in affected countries. The disease has been reported in different parts of Ethiopia with prevalence ranging from 1.78 to 96%. However, there is not enough epidemiological information about CBPP in the northwestern part of the country, particularly in North Gondar Administrative Zone. This cross-sectional study, therefore, was conducted in four selected districts (Metema, Alefa, Quara, and Dembia) of North Gondar Administrative Zone to detect the incursion and estimate the seroprevalence of CBPP and to identify the potential predisposing factors associated with the spread and occurrence of CBPP in the area. A total of 751 serum samples were collected from 41 herds (villages) having no history of CBPP vaccination. Information like age, sex, breed, herd size, and management were collected during blood sample collection. Data related to agro-climatic zone, trade trekking route from or through CBPP endemic/epidemic zone, transhumance grazing route, vehicle route, and bordering with CBPP epidemic/endemic zone were obtained from district agricultural offices. The serum was screened for CBPP using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) test. The animal level and herd level apparent seroprevalences were 12.92% (95% CI: 10.70–15.52) and 65.85% (95% CI: 49.57–79.10), respectively. The true animal level and herd level prevalences were estimated at 20.13% (95% CI: 16.64–24.21) and 65.22% (95% CI: 48.64–78.72%), respectively. At the animal level, trekking route from or through CBPP endemic/epidemic zone to the study area [OR = 4.77 (95% CI: 1.92–11.84) compared to without trekking route] was identified as the most important risk factor for CBPP spread and seropositivity. In general, epidemiological evidence of the present study indicates that CBPP is a prevalent disease, and animal trekking is an important risk factor for spread of the disease in the study area. This needs due attention from the government and other concerned bodies for its prevention and control to mitigate its economic impact.
Numerical simulation of inductively coupled plasma flows under chemical non‐equilibrium

This paper presents a detailed review of the numerical modeling of inductively coupled air plasmas under local thermodynamic equilibrium and under chemical non‐equilibrium. First, the physico‐chemical models are described, i.e. the thermodynamics, transport phenomena and chemical kinetics models. Particular attention is given to the correct modelling of ambipolar diffusion in multi‐component chemical non‐equilibrium plasmas. Then, the numerical aspects are discussed, i.e. the space discretization and iterative solution strategies. Finally, computed results are presented for the flow, temperature and chemical concentration fields in an air inductively coupled plasma torch. Calculations are performed assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and under chemical non‐equilibrium, where two different finite‐rate chemistry models are used. Besides important non‐equilibrium effects, we observe significant demixing of oxygen and nitrogen nuclei, which occurs due to diffusion regardless of the degree of non‐equilibrium in the plasma.
Resolution of Overlapping Bands – An Idea for Quantitative Analysis of Undefined Mixtures a

Abstract A method for quantitative analysis of multicomponent mixtures with unknown individual spectra of the components, based on resolution of overlapping bands, is developed and its reliability is illustrated in analysis of both model and real mixtures. The two-step optimization procedure allows attainment of high precision, the molar parts and the individual spectra of the components. This approach could be used in molecular spectroscopy (UV-Vis-NIR, IR, Raman and CD spectroscopy) as well as in chromatography. 1Dedicated to our memorable teacher and colleague Assoc. Prof. Dr. V. Dyakovitch, who died in 1995.
Notizen: Monoaminhaltige Zellelemente im stomatogastrischen Nervensystem und in den Corpora cardiaca von Schistocerca gregaria Forsk. (Insecta, Orthoptera) / Monoamine-containing Cell Elements in the Stomatogastric Nervous System and in the Corpora cardiaca of Schistocerca gregaria Forsk. (Insecta, 

Im retrocerebralen neurosekretorischen System der Insekten, besonders in den Corpora cardiaca, wurden Stoffe beschrieben, deren pharmakologische Eigenschaften den Wirkungsweisen von Katecholaminen 1 7 und Indolalkylaminen, insbesondere von 5-Hydroxytrypta m i n 5 9 entsprechen. Mit biochemischen Methoden gelang es, 5-Hydroxytryptamin in den Corpora cardiaca bei Schaben nachzuweisen 8>10' n . Mit der spezifischen fluoreszenzmikroskopischen Formaldehyd-Methode nach FALCK und HILLARP lassen sich Katecholund Indolalkylamine auch in geringen Konzentrationen intrazellulär nachweisen 12' 13 und können mikrospektrofluorimetrisch voneinander differenziert werden1 3 1 5 . Bei der fluoreszenzmikroskopischen Untersuchung des stomatogastrischen Nervensystems und des Corporacardiacaund des Corpora-allata-Komplex bei Vertretern der Trichoptera konnten in seltenen Fällen zwei Paar Zellkörper beobachtet werden, deren Fluorophor Eigenschaften von Indolalkylaminen aufwies16. Dagegen erbrachten Untersuchungen an Heuschrecken den Nachweis spezifischer Fluoreszenz für primäre Katecholamine im Neuropil des Ganglion frontale 17 und Ganglion ventriculare (ingluviale) 18. Mit der Methode nach FALCK und HILLARP wurde deshalb das stomatogastrische Nervensystem sowie die Corpora cardiaca und Corpora allata bei Imagines und
Impact of loading rate and filter height on the retention factor in the model of total coliform (TC) removal in direct rapid sand filtration

AbstractAs a promising technology for wastewater reuse, direct rapid sand filtration has been widely used throughout the world, especially in arid developing and emerging countries. Retention factor describing the equilibrium between retained and mobile total coliform (TC) bacteria plays an important role in the model of TC removal in direct rapid sand filtration. Little attention has been given to the relationship between retention factor and loading rate as well as filter height, two critical parameters impacting retention factor. Therefore, the influence of loading rate as well as filter height on retention factor was discussed. Results showed that retention factor decreased dramatically with loading rate ranging from 9 to 15 m/h, but increased slightly as loading rate ranged from 5 to 9 m/h, which is a little different with the variation of suspended solids and total phosphorus removal efficiency. Retention factor decreased significantly with filter height of 0–30 cm and 120–150 cm, but reduced unifor.