Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversity Analysis of Endophytic Bacterial Community in Two Citrus Cultivars With Different Resistance to Citrus Canker

The selective infection of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri to citrus cultivars is universally known, but it is not clarified whether there is a relationship between endophytic bacteria and the resistance of host variety to canker disease. In order to explore the relationship, Satsuma mandarin and Newhall navel orange were collected respectively as samples of resistant or susceptible cultivars to citrus canker disease, and endophytic bacterial community of two citrus cultivars were analyzed by using a next-generation, Illumina-based sequencing approach. Simultaneously, the seasonal dynamics of endophytic bacterial community and dominant genera were analyzed. The results showed that there were four dominant groups including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes in all samples at phylum level. Endophytic bacteria were the most abundant in spring samples, then in summer and autumn samples. There were some differences between endophytic bacterial community of resistant citrus and that of susceptible citrus to canker disease, and the endophytic bacteria of Satsuma mandarin are more abundant than that of Newhall navel orange. According to the analysis of dominant bacteria in two citrus cultivars, it was found that some endophytic bacteria with antagonistic characteristics existed universally in all samples, although the dominant bacteria in different seasonal sample were different. However, in Newhall navel orange of susceptible citrus to canker disease, there were not only some bacteria against Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, but also some cooperative bacteria of canker occurrence like Stenotrophomonas.
A Cell-free Infection System to Study Translation, Replication and Phage-particle Production During Infection of E. coli by Bacteriophage Qβ

Background Viruses infect all kingdoms of life, and new species are continuously being discovered. The single-stranded (+)-RNA viruses comprise the largest group of viruses, which includes pathogens such as Dengue virus, Corona virus and West Nile virus. Also, the simple bacteriophage Qβ belongs to this group of viruses. Studies of the mechanism of Qβ infection can increase our general understanding of the single-stranded (+)-RNA viruses, which can be exploited in the pursuit to treat and prevent of diseases caused by pathogenic (+)-RNA viruses.MethodsIn this study, we have analysed the production of infectious Qβ phage particles in three different cell-free infection systems upon addition of the Qβ genome as a template. The cell-free infection systems were based on cell-free protein expression systems: two commercial systems and one custom-made system. We studied the course of infection by analysing the production of viral RNA, proteins and phage particles produced in the cell-free reactions. The replication of the viral RNA was determined by RT-PCR, while the translation of the viral proteins was examined by radiolabelling, and the production of infectious phage particles was evaluated by double-layered plaque assays. ResultsBacteriophage Qβ was found to replicate in two of the three tested cell-free infection systems. Specifically, the viral RNA was replicated, the viral proteins were translated, and infectious phage particles were produced in the cell-free infection systems. The pattern of translation regulation of the viral proteins appeared similar to in vivo infection. Infectious Qβ phage particles were produced at yields of 25.4 × 104 PFU/μL reaction and 2.5 × 103 PFU/μL reaction in the commercial and custom-made system, respectively. Importantly, intact Qβ phage particles were shown not to replicate in the cell-free infection systems under the tested conditions. ConclusionCell-free infection systems can support replication of viral RNA, translation of viral proteins and self-assembly of infectious Qβ phage particles. We provide opportunities for further optimisation of the phage particle yield. Cell-free infection systems can be used in the future to study newly discovered viruses, the development of antiviral and antibacterial drugs, and in biotechnology.
The Evaluation of the Corrosion Rates of Alloys Applied to the Heating Tower Heat Pump (HTHP) by Machine Learning

The corrosion rate is an important indicator describing the degree of metal corrosion, and quantitative analysis of the corrosion rate is of great significance. In the present work, the support vector machine (SVM) and the artificial neural network (ANN) integrating the k-fold split method and the root-mean-square prop (RMSProp) optimizer are used to evaluate the corrosion rates of alloys, i.e., copper H65, aluminum 3003, and 20# steel, applied to the heating tower heat pump (HTHP) in various anti-freezing solutions at different corrosion times, flow velocities, and temperatures. The mean-square error (MSE) versus the epoch of the ANN model shows that the result breaks the local minimum and is at or close to the global minimum. Comparisons of the SVM-/ANN-evaluated corrosion rates and the measured ones show good agreements, demonstrating the good reliability of the obtained SVM and ANN models. Moreover, the ANN model is recommended since it performs better than the SVM model according to the obtained R2 value. The present work can be further applied to predicting the corrosion rate without any prior experiment for improving the service life of the HTHP.
Unique Considerations for Complete Surgical Analgesia for Below-the-Knee Amputations

Recent cadaver studies have suggested that posterior femoral cutaneous nerve (PFCN) may contribute to the sensory innervation of the posterior lower leg. Whether this is clinically relevant may be revealed in patients who underwent below-the-knee amputation (BKA) with monitored anesthesia care (MAC) and peripheral nerve blocks. We performed femoral and sciatic nerve blocks for a 55-year-old male patient who underwent BKA and subsequent formalization surgeries as the main surgical analgesia while providing MAC in the operating room. In both cases, the patient could not tolerate surgical incisions in the posteromedial aspect of the lower leg, despite reporting no pain in other areas of the lower leg with surgical stimulation. There may exist a small population of patients in which PFCN makes significant contribution to the sensory innervation of the posterior lower leg. For these patients, the combination of femoral and sciatic nerve blocks may not be adequate in providing surgical analgesia for BKA and related procedures.
An all-optical equalizer SWAP gate (ESG)

A reversible logic gate differs from the conversational logic gate in many ways, such as equal number of input–output, its reverse operation and bijective input/output mapping. In this paper, a new class of 4 × 4 conservative-reversible logic gate named the equalizer SWAP gate (ESG) has been proposed. This gate is self-invertible and performs SWAP operation when two of its control inputs are logic either 0 or 1. The all-optical design of the ESG using a ‘semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) assisted Sagnac interferometer’ with a counter-propagating signal passing through the SOA has been shown with a mathematical model in this paper. Quantum realization of the ESG has been carried out to construct its unitary matrix. Also, the matrix has been established through numerical simulation. Some complex reversible logic circuits, viz. n-bit XOR/XNOR, full-adder circuit, n-bit binary-to-gray and gray-to-binary conversion, using the ESG unit have also been shown. Simulated outputs, logical complexity, quantum realization, optical cost and delay of the proposed circuit have been analyzed, and are compared with other reversible logic gates.
Potential Benefits of Sorghum [sorghum bicolor (l.) Moench] on Human Health: A Review

Introduction: From a nutritional perspective, sorghum is very important with respect to healthy and nutrition. Its higher proportion of slowly digestible and resistant starch components compared with other staple cereal crops. Furthermore, Sorghum is a source of some minerals, proteins (kafirins that have high degrees of polymerization, extensive disulfide bridges, strong interaction with tannins and starch makes proteins resistant to enzymatic digestion in the digestive tract) lipids, vitamins and phenolic compounds. Possessing diverse phytochemical content particularly in the bran layer (six times higher than the whole grain) and other beneficial compounds makes it more important and represents a promising opportunity to be exploited as a functional food or food ingredient and to reduce risk of non-communicable chronic diseases. Objective: To review literatures on potential health benefits of sorghum grain and understanding detailed phenolic extracts with respect to health. Method: original, adequate and recent articles on the same field were researched and conduct a comprehensive review on this topic. Thus, extraction and isolation of these compounds from sorghum is another option to fully exploit their application potential. In addition, some relevant scientific papers published in previous years were included. The article search was performed by matching the terms sorghum and Sorghum bicolor L. with a group of terms related to phenolic composition and nutritional value. The articles were screened and selected based on the title and abstract presented. Result: results of several articles showed that some sorghum varieties (black and brown sorghums) are rich in phenolic compounds, especially 3-deoxyanthocyanidins and condensed tannins which will show a lot of promise for utilization of sorghum with regard to human health in near future and sorghum may also be used as promising natural multifunctional additives in broad food processing. The studies demonstrated in vitro and in animals have shown that phenolic compounds and fat soluble polycosanols isolated from sorghum can benefit in different parameters. Sorghum phenolic compounds may also be used in medicinal products such as creams and cosmetics due to their pharmacological and antimicrobial properties. But the effects of whole sorghum and its fractions on human health need to be evaluated especially, preventive and therapeutic effects of sorghum whole grain and its fractions on human health, including gene and protein expression. Conclusion: Sorghum is an excellent source of bioactive compounds that can promote benefits to human health. In recent times, genetic engineering and breeding tools provide promising prospects to develop sorghum with desirable nutritional and phenolic profile, while maintaining good agronomic performance and yield, and this could be a fruitful area for further research. Investigations through mutagenesis-assisted breeding revealed that biosynthesis of phenolic compounds can be enhanced in sorghum.
The Association Between the Serotonin Receptor Type 1B (HTR1B) Gene rs13212041 Polymorphism and Trait Anxiety in China Han College Subjects

Trait anxiety is a vulnerable personality factor for anxiety and depression. High levels of trait anxiety confer elevated risk for the development of anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. There is evidence that serotonin receptor type 1B (5-HT1B) gene polymorphisms play an important role in emotional disorders. Genotyping for four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (rs11568817, rs130058, rs6297 and rs13212041) was conducted for 388 high trait-anxious (HTA) individuals and 463 low trait-anxious (LTA) individuals in China Han college subjects. The results showed that the frequency of the C-allele and TC+CC genotype in rs13212041 in the LTA individuals was higher than that in the HTA individuals (p = 0.025 and p = 0.014, respectively). Both the C-allele and TC+CC genotype were associated with trait anxiety decreasing (OR = 0.771 and OR = 0.71, respectively). Furthermore, different gene models analysis also showed that the C allele is a protective factor in trait anxiety in Chinese Han college subjects. These findings suggest that the variance in 5-HT1B gene polymorphisms may play a role in trait anxiety in China Han college subjects. The rs13212014 polymorphism may be involved in decreasing the risk of trait anxiety. These results also provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism about trait anxiety.
Oxidative Potential of Ambient PM and Related Health Endpoints over South Asia: A Review

South Asia occupies only about 3.5% of the world’s area but, about 25% of the average world’s population lives here and is continuously exposed to severe air pollution. Unprecedented development activities in most of the South Asian cities emit primary and secondary pollutants into the atmosphere. Particulate matter (PM), a principal air pollutant, are tiny enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere for a long time (about a week). They can penetrate the human nasal airway and damage the lungs. PM effects on human health are assessed based on their mass concentration, size distribution, and chemical composition. Despite being critically important, studies related to PM effects on human health are limited over South Asia. In recent years, only a few South Asian research groups started studying the ability of atmospheric PM to cause human health hazards by generating in situ reactive oxygen species (ROS). The capability of atmospheric PM to produce ROS and/or deplete antioxidants is termed as their oxidative potential (OP). Though limited, efforts are made to identify particular species with the higher OP. Atmospheric aging of PM can also alter their OP. No studies from South Asia, except a few from India, investigated how the atmospheric aging changes the chemical and physical properties of PM and affect their OP over South Asia. These studies also showed that OP depends more on PM composition rather than its concentrations. Therefore, mitigation strategies for reducing PM mass concentrations alone may not be sufficient, and linking PM OP with significant health effects may be a better way to regulate specific sources of PM rather than overall PM mass. This review reports the necessities and limitations for PM OP studies in South Asia and future directions.
Environmental and Oceanographic Conditions at the Continental Margin of the Central Basin, Northwestern Ross Sea (Antarctica) Since the Last Glacial Maximum

The continental margin is a key area for studying the sedimentary processes related to the advance and retreat of the Ross Ice Shelf (Antarctica); nevertheless, much remains to be investigated. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge of the last glacial/deglacial dynamics in the Central Basin slope–basin system using a multidisciplinary approach, including integrated sedimentological, micropaleontological and tephrochronological information. The analyses carried out on three box cores highlighted sedimentary sequences characterised by tree stratigraphic units. Collected sediments represent a time interval from 24 ka Before Present (BP) to the present time. Grain size clustering and data on the sortable silt component, together with diatom, silicoflagellate and foraminifera assemblages indicate the influence of the ice shelf calving zone (Unit 1, 24–17 ka BP), progressive receding due to Circumpolar Deep Water inflow (Unit 2, 17–10.2 ka BP) and (Unit 3, 10.2 ka BP–present) the establishment of seasonal sea ice with a strengthening of bottom currents. The dominant and persistent process is a sedimentation controlled by contour currents, which tend to modulate intensity in time and space. A primary volcanic ash layer dated back at around 22 ka BP is correlated with the explosive activity of Mount Rittmann.
Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Implementation in Several Countries across the World and Lessons Learned for Vietnam

Quality assurance and accreditation in higher education has been implemented in many countries across the world with the main purposes of quality control, quality improvement and accountability. This paper aims to synthesize and analyze quality assurance and accreditation policies and practices in Australia, the U.S. and several other countries in Europe and Asia to propose recommendations for Vietnam. Employing the method of document analysis, the study reviewed scholarly papers and scientific reports discussing the implementation of quality assurance and accreditation in many higher education systems across the world. The results showed that quality assurance and accreditation activities were diverse ranging from institutional accreditation to program accreditation, from voluntary to compulsory accreditation, and from fitness-for-purpose approaches to standard-based approaches. These findings were used to compare and contrast the emerging quality assurance and accreditation system of Vietnam and make recommendations for its future development.
New strains of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in combinations with humic acid to enhance squash growth under saline stress

Salinity is one of the most severe biotic stress that limits plant growth and productivity. Stress negatively affects agricultural crop yields throughout the worldwide, affecting production, whether for subsistence or economic gain. At present, about 20 % of the world’s cultivated land and approximately half of all irrigated land and 2.1 % of the dry agriculture land are affected by salinity (FAO, 2018). Salinization is spreading more rapidly in irrigated lands because of inappropriate management of irrigation, water quality and drainage (Hessini et al, 2015). It is an ever-increasing problem in the arid and semi-arid regions (Mwai, 2001). Salinity can negatively impact plants through three major components; osmotic, nutritious, and toxic stresses. When exposed to salinity, growth, development, and yield of most cultivated crops tend to decline with consequent reduction in their economic value (Rafie and El-Boraie, 2017).
The impact of climate change on edible food production: a panel data analysis

ABSTRACT Food production as global public goods depends upon many factors. This poses a risk to food safety as well as food prices. One of the most prominent factors that affects food production is climate change, which is mainly caused by carbon emissions. The knowledge of the impact of climate change on food production is important in terms of food policies and awareness regarding the issue. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the way in which climate change impacts edible food production in 12 selected countries as they had the highest carbon emissions during the 1995–2014 period. Unlike previous studies in the literature, we employ a food production index as an indicator of food production that does not include products such as coffee and tea, which are not nutritious. Further, we investigate the effects of climate change both statically and dynamically. We also do not focus on any specific country or food, as done by many studies in the literature. The results revealed that climate change adversely affects food production, with the production of edible food decreasing with the increase of climate change/carbon emissions.
High spectral field enhancement and tunability in core–double shell metal–dielectric–metal spherical nanoparticles

In this work we have developed full Mie theory for spherical core–double shell NPs, considering the boundary conditions of the electric and magnetic fields at each interface, to study plasmon resonances, optical extinction and spectral field enhancement of a generalized metal–dielectric–metal NPs. Keeping gold as the outer metal shell, calculations were carried out for different core metals (gold, silver, copper and aluminium) and different intermetallic dielectrics (silica, titanium dioxide, aluminium oxide and water). The metal dielectric function includes free and bound electron size corrections. Theoretical results show that the structures Al–SiO2–Au, Ag–SiO2–Au and Cu–SiO2–Au have field enhancement maxima factors of 33, 30 and 20 respectively in the outer region, all larger than that for Au–SiO2–Au (18). For the intermetallic region, field enhancement factors between 459, 960 and 841 are obtained for the first three structures mentioned before, respectively, also larger than that for Au–SiO2–Au (770). Spatial field enhancement was also calculated for both regions, for different core metals and fixed core–double shell size. A hybridization model specially developed for a core–double shell system allows an insightful interpretation of its plasmon resonances, field enhancement maxima and lack of symmetry in the outer region field distribution.
The Relationship Between Vitamin C and Frailty Among Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Methods: A case control study was conducted among 88 elderly patients aged 60 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited via purposive sampling from the inpatient ward and outpatient clinics of Ain Shams university hospitals from March to December 2019. They were classified according to Hemoglobin A1c levels as controlled and uncontrolled groups. Then, they were further subdivided into frail and non-frail subjects. Comprehensive geriatric assessment, fried criteria and vitamin C levels were measured in all participants.
Effects of vertical gastrectomy on sleep quality, eating behavior, and metabolic parameters in obese adults: a case study

ABSTRACT Obesity is a serious, chronic, and progressive disease associated with physiological dysfunctions that interact with circadian clock activity. Vertical gastrectomy (VG) is currently the most frequently performed bariatric procedure for the treatment of obesity. The objective of this case study was to verify the effect of VG on sleep quality, eating behavior, and metabolic parameters of obese individuals four months after the procedure. In this study, 14 volunteers (6 men and 8 women) aged 21–48 years (M = 35.57; SD = 7.33) were evaluated before and after VG. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Binge Eating Scale, and the Night Eating Questionnaire were used as assessment instruments. Generalized linear models for repeated measures [Generalized estimating equation (GEE)] revealed significant differences in sleep quality (χ2 = 10.145, df = 1, p = 0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (χ2 = 6.172, df = 1, p = 0.013), binge eating (χ2 = 9.947, df = 1, p = 0.002) and night eating habits (χ2 = 5.557, df = 1, p = 0.033). The results indicate that VG can cause improvements in overall sleep quality and can significantly reduce excessive daytime sleepiness levels, symptoms associated with binge eating, and metabolic parameters.
Introduction to Electrochemistry and the Use of Electrochemistry to Synthesize and Evaluate Catalysts for Water Oxidation and Reduction

Electrochemical analysis is an important skill to teach in chemistry curricula because it is a critical tool in current high-impact chemical research. Electrochemistry enables researchers to analyze a variety of systems extending from molecules to materials that encompass research themes ranging from clean energy to substrate activation in biological systems. Specifically, it can reveal information about catalytic efficiency, the role of catalysts, and the nature of chemical reduction and oxidation (redox) processes. Researchers working in the area of catalysis rely heavily on electrochemistry, using it to identify effective catalysts and optimize reaction conditions. This laboratory experiment begins with an introductory tutorial to electrochemistry by guiding students through the use of several electrochemical techniques using the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox couple as a model system. The techniques covered in the tutorial include cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, Tafel analysis, an.