Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Effects of Bisphenol A and Di (2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure on Crestin and the Expression of Some Genes Related to Apoptosis and Inflammation in Zebrafish Embryos

Objective: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) in plastics may disrupt proper endocrine system functioning. Zebrafish embryos are formed through external fertilization, and their rapid development, short life cycle, and transparency provide imaging advantages. In zebrafish embryos, neural crest development occurs similarly to other vertebrate embryos and crestin is found in the neural crest during embryogenesis. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which are the most widely used EDCs, on the expression of crestin, apoptosis, and inflammation-related parameters in zebrafish embryos. Materials and Methods: The embryos were exposed to either DEHP or BPA in well plates for 72 h post fertilization (hpf ). Expressions of crestin were evaluated by in situ hybridization, while the expressions of bax, casp8, casp3a, ifng1, fas, and tp53 were evaluated by RT-PCR. Results: Expressions of bax and casp8 increased and casp3a, ifng1, and fas decreased in BPA and DEHP groups. tp53 expression increased in the BPA group but decreased in the DEHP group compared with the control group. In the DEHP group, casp3a, ifng1, fas, bax, casp8, and tp53 expressions decreased compared with the BPA group. No significant change was observed in the crestin expressions in the groups. When compared with the control group, an inverse relation between ifng1 expression and apoptosis, as evidenced by increased bax and casp8 expressions, was observed in the BPA and DEHP groups. Conclusion: Our study provided important data on the effects of EDCs on the relationship between inflammation and apoptosis.
The Impact of Continuous Care Model on the Quality of Life of patients with Thalassemia Major: A Clinical Trial Study

Background: Major thalassemia has a significant impact on the personal performance and life of the affected person and leads to reduced quality of life of the patient. One of the ways to improve quality of life is to use the Continuous Care Model (CCM). Aim: This study aimed to determine the impact of CCM on the QoL of patients with thalassemia major. Method: A clinical trial was performed with 60 thalassemia patients referred to Aliasghar Hospital in Zahedan. Eligible candidates were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (n=30 per group). Data collection tools comprised a demographics, the quality of life questionnaire WHOQOL-BREF, and self-control checklist. The continuous care model was administered for the intervention group. The program initiated with the orientation and sensitization sessions in the hospital (six educational sessions) followed by the control phase(three months twice weekly by phone and in person) and the evaluation step(one and three months after the care model was administered). No intervention was performed in the control group. Data analysis was performed through IBM SPSS Statistics 21. Results: There was no significant difference between intervention and control groups concerning the mean score of QoL and its dimensions before the intervention (P>0.05). One and three months after the implementation of the model, It has seen a significant difference between intervention and control groups concerning the mean score of QoL and its dimensions (P<0.05). Implications for Practice: The finding indicated that the CCM improves the QoL in patients with major thalassemia. The model can be suggested as an intervention in nursing care to increase patients’ QoL
Mechanistic insights into the success of xenobiotic degraders resolved from metagenomes of microbial enrichment cultures

Even though microbial communities can be more effective at degrading xenobiotics than cultured micro-organisms, yet little is known about the microbial strategies that underpin xenobiotic biodegradation by microbial communities. Here, we employ metagenomic community sequencing to explore the mechanisms that drive the development of 49 xenobiotic-degrading microbial communities, which were enriched from 7 contaminated soils or sediments with a range of xenobiotic compounds. We show that multiple microbial strategies likely drive the development of xenobiotic degrading communities, notably (i) presence of genes encoding catabolic enzymes to degrade xenobiotics; (ii) presence of genes encoding efflux pumps; (iii) auxiliary catabolic genes on plasmids; and (iv) positive interactions dominate microbial communities with efficient degradation. Overall, the integrated analyses of microbial ecological strategies advance our understanding of microbial processes driving the biodegradation of xenobiotics and promote the design of bioremediation systems.
Role of Interface in Ion Mixing or Thermal Annealing Induced Amorphization in Multilayers in Some Immiscible Systems

Six binary metal systems were selected to study the possibility of forming amorphous alloys by ion mixing or thermal annealing in multilayered Films, i.e. the Ta-Cu, Zr-Nb, Zr-Ta, Y-Zr, Y-Mo and Y-Ta systems, featuring positive heats of formation (ΔH f ) ranging from +3 to +40 kJ/mol. Firstly, the interfacial free energy consisting of a chemical and an elastic terms was calculated and added to the energetic state of the multilayers. It was found that the excess interfacial free energy increased with increasing the fraction of the interfacial atoms in the multilayers, and could raise the multilayers to an energy level intersecting with or being higher than thai of the amorphous phase possessing a typical convex shape. It is therefore possible to produce amorphous alloys in such systems, if the multilayered filins included enough fraction of the interfacial atoms. The multilayered samples were then designed and prepared accordingly and both ion mixing and thermal annealing under appropriate conditions resulted in the formation of a number of new amorphous alloys, confirming the above prediction based on the interfacial free energy concern. It is noted that the success of synthesising amorphous alloys by solid-state reaction in the immiscible systems develops a new glass forming technique, namely interface-generated spontaneous amorphization, which has a great potential to produce new and relatively thick amorphous films, e.g. a Ta 72 Cu 28 amorphous film of 800 nm thick was obtained.
Gender differences in professional identities and development of engineering skills among early career engineers in Finland

ABSTRACT Formation of professional identity is a process where individuals attempt to bring together the social expectations set for them as professionals and their own interests and values. The cultural landscape of engineering is masculine in various ways, which can be challenging especially for female engineers who need to match the cultural expectations with their personal identities. So far, few studies have compared the professional identities of early-career men and women engineers. This study aims to understand the professional identities of newly graduated Finnish male and female engineers by analysing their perceptions of the importance and development of professional engineering skills. An analysis of cross-sectional survey data of more than 4000 early-career engineers suggests some gender differences related to professional identities and indicates that the observed differences in values and perceived skills can put women at a greater risk of dropping out of an engineering career.
Quantitative evaluation of bone marrow fat content and unsaturated fatty index in young male soccer players using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS): a preliminary study.

Background Marrow fat exists as a distinct adipose tissue and plays a critical role in affecting both the quantity and quality of bone. However, the effect of soccer training on marrow fat has been rarely reported. This study aims to evaluate and characterize the marrow fat content and composition in different bone areas of soccer players and age-matched healthy subjects using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Methods Between May 2020 and June 2020, 20 professional soccer players (20.7±0.9 years) and 20 age-matched healthy subjects (21.2±0.8 years) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The 1H-MRS were acquired from the 3rd lumbar vertebrae, bilateral femoral necks, and distal tibias of all subjects using a single-voxel point-resolved spatially localized spectroscopy (PRESS) sequence. Four soccer players underwent a second magnetic resonance (MR) examination within a 30-minute interval after the initial scan to evaluate test-retest reproducibility. Inter- and intra-observer measurement reliabilities were assessed using 10 randomly selected spectra from the soccer players group. All spectra were processed using the jMRUI software package (http://www.jmrui.eu/). Quantified water and lipid signals were used to calculate fat content (FC) and the unsaturated fatty index (UI). Results Compared with healthy subjects, we found that soccer players had a lower FC in L3 and bilateral femoral necks and higher UI in the left femoral neck (P<0.05). All FC and UI values of the bilateral distal tibias showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The UI values of the right femoral neck or distal tibia were markedly higher than the left side in both inactive subjects and soccer players (P<0.05, except for the femoral neck in players), and there were notable ΔUI differences in the lower limbs between the soccer players and the healthy subjects (P<0.05). Conclusions Soccer practice can be considered a positive sport that contributes to decreasing FC in lumbar vertebrae and femoral necks and increasing the UI in femoral necks. Quantitative MRS provides an ideal modality to predict marrow fat metabolism caused by mechanical stimulation.
Dazzling Descriptions and Tantalizing Titles: How Simple Versus Complex Course Information Influences Course Selection

Research exploring a student’s “path to purchase” when considering course selection has revealed a number of influential factors including course content, reputation, and professor style. To date, little is known about the direct (or indirect) influence that course titles and course descriptions have on student interest and enrollment in courses, or how easy-sounding (simple) versus difficult-sounding (complex) information is inferred and interpreted as it relates to various enrollment markers. Using ideas from metacognition research, this research explores the impact of subjective assessment of simple versus complex course titles and course descriptions on general interest in a course and enrollment intentions. Findings indicate that not only does an easy versus complex course description affect enrollment intention, but it also affects subjective interpretations of course interest, expected workload, and learning outcomes, whereas course title has few meaningful effects. Application of these ideas for specific students and future research opportunities are discussed.
6,7,8,9-Tetrahydropyridoquinazolines, a new class of alkaloids from Mackinlaya species (Araliaceae)

Leaves and stems of Mackinlaya subulata Philipson and M. macrosciadia (F. Muell.) F. Muell. (fam. Araliaceae) contain two new alkaloids, 6,7,8,9-tetra-hydropyrido[2,1-b]quinazolin-11-one (I), and 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-llH-pyrido[2,1-b]- quinazoline (11), and the known alkaloid anabasine. The new Mackinlaya alkaloids had previously been prepared by synthesis1-3.
Pairwise registration for terrestrial laser scanner point clouds based on the covariance matrix

ABSTRACT Automatic pairwise registration for unordered terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) point clouds is the pre-requisite for many applications, including 3D model reconstruction, cultural heritage management and landslide monitoring. However, most of the existing registration methods are still suffering from several limitations: (1) difficult to find the correct corresponding point pairs from the source and target point cloud, (2) low accuracy of pairwise registration and (3) the iterative process of registration is time-consuming. To overcome these challenges, based on the covariance matrix, this paper presents a robust and descriptive feature descriptor vector (FDV) to locally describe a point, by which the corresponding point pairs are obtained and the registration matrix is calculated. First, the FDVs of the original point cloud’s keypoints are calculated. Second, the corresponding point pairs are found via their FDVs. Third, the coarse transformation matrix is calculated by the corresponding point pairs using the singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm, and which is further refined by the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm to get a better result. Finally, the experiments are conducted on the Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL) and ISPRS datasets; our results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain good registration performance, and outperforms the compared methods.
Gasless laparoscopy versus conventional laparoscopy and laparotomy: A systematic review on the safety and efficiency

Gasless laparoscopy (GL) emerged to overcome the clinical and financial challenges of pneumoperitoneum and is often seen as a viable option for use in resource‐limited settings as a means of saving costs and resources. This study aims to systematically review the evidence available on the safety and efficiency of GL compared with conventional laparoscopy (CL) and laparotomy.
Genetic and Malt Quality Diversity of East Asian Two-Rowed Barley Accessions in Relationship to North American Malting Barley1

Because of epidemics of Fusarium head blight (FHB; caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [teleomorph Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch]) in the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada in the past two decades, malting barley breeders have been forced to use nonadapted barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions as sources of FHB resistance. Many of the resistant accessions are from East Asia, and limited information is available on their genetic diversity and malt quality. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic diversity among 30 East Asian accessions and two North American cultivars. Genetic diversity was based on 49 simple-sequence repeat markers. All accessions were tested for barley grain brightness; protein content; 1,000-kernel weight; malting loss; fine-grind malt extract; content of plump kernels, free amino nitrogen, soluble protein, and wort β-glucan; the Kolbach index (i.e., the ratio of malt soluble protein to malt total protein); α-amylase activity; diastatic power; wort color; and wort viscosity. A few accessions had equal quality compared with Harrington and Conlon barley for individual traits but not for all. Qing 2, Mokkei 93–78, and Nitakia 48 could be excellent sources for increased malt extract; Nitakia 48 is a possible source for low wort viscosity; and Mokkei 93–78 and Nitakia 48 are putative sources of low β-glucan content. The cluster analyses also implied that the malt quality of an accession cannot be predicted based on the country where it was developed.
Effect of the Forest-Mine Boundary Form on Woody Colonization and Forest Expansion in Degraded Ecosystems

We evaluated the ecological significance of the boundary form between two patches with contrasting vegetation (mine grassland and adjacent forest) on woody colonization and forest expansion in open-cast coal mines in Northern Spain. Woody colonization and browsing traces were measured on three mine sites, along 24 transects that were laid out perpendicular to the forest-mine boundary and classified according to their shape (concave, convex, straight). Mine sites were colonized from the close forest by woody species, whose colonization intensity depends on the boundary form. The overall colonization intensity decreased with increasing distance to the forest and differed depending on the boundary form. The more intense colonization was found in concave boundaries and the strongest decrease in convex boundaries close to the forest, whereas straight boundaries showed an intermediate colonization pattern. Concave boundaries reached higher woody cover in the basal strata of the mines than convex (up to 2 m) or straight boundaries (up to 1 m) from 11 m to the forest edge, mainly by the presence of dense patches of Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link, with a scattered overstory of Genista florida L. These shrubs might reduce the browsing intensity and act as nurse plants facilitating the establishment of Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. in mine areas at greater distances from the forest edge. The forest-mine boundary form does not affect the forest vertical structure that is homogenous and does not help explain the woody colonization pattern in the mines. We conclude that edge characteristics have a strong potential to be used in the restoration of native forests based on natural processes. The implications of our results for sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. ) forest expansion along edges in fragmented Mediterranean forest landscapes were discussed.
Stable behavioral state-specific mesoscale activity patterns in the developing cortex of neonates

Endogenous neuronal activity is a hallmark of the developing brain. In rodents a handful of such activities were described in different cortical areas but the unifying macroscopic perspective is still lacking. Here we combined large-scale in vivo Ca2+ imaging of the dorsal cortex in non-anesthetized neonatal mice with advanced mathematical analyses to reveal unique behavioral state-specific maps of endogenous activity. These maps were remarkably stable over time within and across experiments, and used patches of correlated activity with little hemispheric symmetry as well as stationary and propagating waves as building blocks. Importantly, the maps recorded during motion and rest were almost inverse, with sensory-motor areas active during motion and posterior-lateral areas active at rest. The retrosplenial cortex engaged in both resting- and motion-related activities, building functional long-range connections with respective cortical areas. The data obtained bind different region-specific activity patterns described so far into a single consistent picture and set the stage for future inactivation studies, probing the exact function of this complex activity pattern for cortical wiring in neonates.
Effects of Ventenata dubia removal on rangelands of northeast Wyoming

Abstract Ventenata [Ventenata dubia (Leers) Coss. ] is one of several annual grass invaders of the western United States. Ventenata dubia is documented reducing the forage availability for livestock and wildlife as well as lowering biodiversity in the Great Basin. This species has recently spread to the Great Plains, where it could bring these impacts with it. We attempt to answer questions on whether or not conservation practices, in this case removal of V. dubia with herbicide, result in recovery of forage resources and biodiversity. We answer these questions by measuring biomass, cover, and nutrient content 1-yr posttreatment at 9 sites in Sheridan County, WY, conducted in two years. Perennial grasses have higher crude protein and total digestible nutrients than V. dubia, and removal of V. dubia resulted in a positive perennial grass response both years. Further, the differences in pattern of growth between perennial and annual species, with annual grasses quickly senescing early in the year, make perennial grasses a more dependable forage base with higher available nutrients. Interestingly, total biomass and nutrient mass did not change after V. dubia removal due to equal replacement with perennial grasses. Species richness and diversity were unaffected by removal of V. dubia. Our results suggest that managing invasive annual grasses, particularly V. dubia, in the Northern Great Plains can improve forage resources for livestock and wildlife while maintaining species diversity. Therefore, proactive monitoring and management efforts to prevent spread should be prioritized in this region.
Molecular Interaction Analysis of COX-2 Against Aryl Amino Alcohol Derivatives from Isoeugenol as Anti Breast Cancer using Molecular Docking

Breast cancer occurs due to uncontrolled cells proliferation. The Proliferation causes severe inflammatory which can be the initial stages of cancer symptoms. Aryl amino alcohol compounds from isoeugenol derivatives are proposed for the potential drugs of breast cancer. This study was conducted on iso-eugenol derivatives by adding carbonyl groups, hydroxyl groups, halide compounds and amines to determine the effect on anticancer activity through molecular docking studies. The molecular docking approach is carried out to see the interaction of ligands with protein compounds by using the minimized ligand energy bind with protein active site using protein data bank ID 5GMN. The docking result show that IE-Benzanilide-Cl (11) and IE-Benzanilide-OH (10) have the lowest binding energy (−8.3 kcal/mol and −8.6 kcal/mol) compare to another compounds. AdmetSAR computer simulations show that all compounds have very few toxic effects. The use of aryl amino alcohol derivatives (10 and 11) may be suggested as anti-breast cancer drugs. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Defining Stress among Corrections Professionals

Corrections professionals experience high levels of acute and chronic work-related stress. This stress leads to increased mental and physical illness, early disability and mortality, and increased healthcare costs. Reducing stress requires identifying and prioritizing factors that contribute to it. Corrections professionals (n = 296) working at six different Oregon Department of Corrections facilities completed a cross-sectional survey, including demographics, work history and validated stress and occupational constructs. The outcome of perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4 Short Form). Using a linear mixed effects regression model, we found that perceived stress increases with increased work-related stress (p = 0.02), work hours (p = 0.03), operational stressors (p = 0.002), and lack of procedural injustice (p = 0.03) and decreases with more time employed at current facility (p = 0.06), improved job satisfaction (p < 0.001), and among married or partnered individuals (p = 0.05). Identifying these predictors of stress can inform the development of policy changes to mitigate the stress of this challenged work force.
How do managerial perceptions of performance feedback affect innovation?

Although managers’ perceptions are core to the Performance Feedback Theory, few empirical studies measure managerial perceptions of their organization’s performance and theorize on the (in)consistency between perceptual and objective performance feedback. Based on longitudinal survey data of Canadian organizations, we examine how this (in)consistency affects the propensity for innovation in organizations. Our analysis broadly validates that inconsistency between the two types of feedback dampens innovation. Second, positive perceptions strengthen the relationship between positive objective performance feedback and innovation, leading to increased innovation, whereas negative perceptions strengthen the relationship between negative performance feedback and innovation, echoing the problemistic search hypothesis. We also find that perceptions moderate the effect of objective performance feedback differently in the social and historical dimensions as well above and below the aspiration thresholds.