Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Effects of Fatty Acids, Chelating Agents, and Other Substances on Rennet Clotting of Skim Milk

Abstract In vitro studies were on inhibition of rennet-casein clotting by free fatty acids, chelating agents, and other substances as affected by pH and added calcium ++ . At . 4% (volume/volume), pH 6.1, propionic, butyric, caproic, and heptanoic acids were relatively ineffective in inhibiting clotting of reconstituted skim milk powder (10%, weight/volume); caprylic, myrstic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were highly inhibitory; and capric, lauric, and pelargonic acids completely prevented coagulation. Clotting at pH 6.1 also was prevented by 15mM citrate, 5mM phytic acid, 10mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 100mM formaldehyde, and 5mM sodium lauryl sulfate. Lowering pH below 6.1 and adding 20mM calcium ++ restored clotting and curd firmness to varying degrees for all agents. In studies on the role of stomach clots on the performance of young calves involving use of clot-preventive agents in milk replacer, the free fatty acids and other agents used here likely would not be useful because even small reductions in pH below 6.1, as occur in the abomasum soon after feeding, markedly reduce their anticlotting activity.
Adaptation of the Marine Bacterium Shewanella baltica to Low Temperature Stress

Marine bacteria display significant versatility in adaptation to variations in the environment and stress conditions, including temperature shifts. Shewanella baltica plays a major role in denitrification and bioremediation in the marine environment, but is also identified to be responsible for spoilage of ice-stored seafood. We aimed to characterize transcriptional response of S. baltica to cold stress in order to achieve a better insight into mechanisms governing its adaptation. We exposed bacterial cells to 8 °C for 90 and 180 min, and assessed changes in the bacterial transcriptome with RNA sequencing validated with the RT-qPCR method. We found that S. baltica general response to cold stress is associated with massive downregulation of gene expression, which covered about 70% of differentially expressed genes. Enrichment analysis revealed upregulation of only few pathways, including aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, sulfur metabolism and the flagellar assembly process. Downregulation was observed for fatty acid degradation, amino acid metabolism and a bacterial secretion system. We found that the entire type II secretion system was transcriptionally shut down at low temperatures. We also observed transcriptional reprogramming through the induction of RpoE and repression of RpoD sigma factors to mediate the cold stress response. Our study revealed how diverse and complex the cold stress response in S. baltica is.
Seven-Transmembrane Receptor Signaling Through β-Arrestin

Cell surface receptors are important communicators of external stimuli to the cell interior where they lead to initiation of various signaling pathways and cellular responses. The largest receptor family is the seven-transmembrane receptor (7TMR) family, with approximately 1000 coding genes in the human genome. When 7TMRs are stimulated with agonists, they activate heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins), leading to the production of signaling second messengers, such as adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate, inositol phosphates, and others. Activated receptors are rapidly phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues by specialized enzymes called G protein–coupled receptor kinases. Phosphorylated receptors bind the multifunctional adaptor proteins β-arrestin1 and β-arrestin2 with high affinity. β-arrestin binding blocks further G protein coupling, leading to "desensitization" of G protein–dependent signaling pathways. For several years, this was considered the sole function of β-arrestins. However, novel functions of β-arrestins have been discovered. β-arrestins are now designated as important adaptors that link receptors to the clathrin-dependent pathway of internalization. β-arrestins bind and direct the activity of several nonreceptor tyrosine kinases in response to 7TMR stimulation. β-arrestins also bind and scaffold members of such signaling cascades as the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). β-arrestins are crucial components in 7TMR signaling leading to cellular responses that include cell survival and chemotaxis. β-arrestins act as endocytic adaptors and signal mediators not only for the 7TMRs, but also for several receptor tyrosine kinases.
Isolation and structure determination of a new oligosaccharide from Blume riparia

A water-soluble oligosaccharide (BROS) was obtained from Blume riparia DC. by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and fractionated by Sephadex G-50 and Sephadex G-25 column filtration chromatography. BROS is a homogenous composition. Its molecular weight was 1.314×103 Da by MALDI-TOF-MS accurate determination. It was composed of 8 monosaccharides, namely Glcp, Frup and Fruf in molar ratio of 1:1:6. The linkage type of all residues were determined by the means of methylation. A combination of 1H NMR and13C NMR spectroscopy analysis, the BROS structure was confirmed finally as: β-D-Frup-(2→1)-β-D-Fruf-1-(2→1)-β-D-Fruf-2-(2→1)-β-D-Fruf-3-(2→1)-β-D -Fruf-4-(2→1)-β-D-Fruf-5-(2→1)-β-D-Fruf-6-(2→1)-α-D-Glcp. Key words: Blumea riparia (Blume) DC, oligosaccharide (BROS), purification, methylation, spectroscopy, structure.
Taxonomy and Systematics of Spiny-Backed Treefrogs, Genus Osteocephalus (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

The pan-Amazonian treefrog genus Ostecephalus is poorly understood both on a taxonomic and phylogenetic level. The status of several frogs already or not yet referred to the genus is unclear and the relationships among the genus and with respect to related genera is not understood. In this work O. cabrerai (Cochran and Goin, 1970) from Colombia and Peru is redescribed and O. festae (Peracca, 1904) from the foothills of the Andes in Ecuador is revalidated. Hyla inframaculata Boulenger, 1882, from the lower Amazon in Brazil, is reallocated to Osteocephalus and O. elkejungingerae (Henle, 1981) from the Andean foothills in Peru is shown to be a synonym of Hyla mimetica (Melin, 1941), the valid name being O. mimeticus. Hyla vilarsi Melin, 1941 is considered a valid species in the genus Osteocephalus and revalidated from the synonymies of several other frogs. Three new species, O. castaneicola from northern Bolivia and southern Peru, O. duellmani from a sub-Andean mountain range in southern Ecuador, and O. camufatus from central Amazonian Brazil, are described. A phylogenetic analysis based on up to nine mitochondrial genes and one nuclear one reveals the paraphyly of the genus as previously understood with respect to the genus Tepuihyla. A new taxonomy is proposed, securing the monophyly of Osteocephalus and Tepuihyla by rearranging and redefining the content of both genera. A new genus, Dryaderces, is erected for the sister group of Osteocephalus. The colouration of newly metamorphosed individuals is proposed as a morphological synapomorphy for Osteocephalus. Five monophyletic species groups within Osteocephalus are recognized, three species of Osteocephalus (O. germani, O.rnphasmatus, O. vilmae) and three species of Tepuihyla (T. celsae, T. galani, T. talbergae) synonymized and three species (Hyla helenae to Osteocephalus, O.rnexophthalmus to Tepuihyla and O. pearsoni to Dryaderces gen. n.) reallocated. Furthermore, nine putative new species are flagged (an increase to 138% of the current diversity), an indication that species numbers are largely underestimated, with most hidden diversity centred on widespread and polymorphic nominal species. The evolutionary origin of breeding strategies within Osteocephalus is discussed in the light of this new phylogeny and a novel type of amplexus (gular amplexus) is described.
Redox-Dependent Copper Ion Modulation of Amyloid-β (1-42) Aggregation In Vitro

Plaque deposits composed of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although copper ion dyshomeostasis is apparent in AD brains and copper ions are found co-deposited with Aβ peptides in patients’ plaques, the molecular effects of copper ion interactions and redox-state dependence on Aβ aggregation remain elusive. By combining biophysical and theoretical approaches, we here show that Cu2+ (oxidized) and Cu+ (reduced) ions have opposite effects on the assembly kinetics of recombinant Aβ(1-42) into amyloid fibrils in vitro. Cu2+ inhibits both the unseeded and seeded aggregation of Aβ(1-42) at pH 8.0. Using mathematical models to fit the kinetic data, we find that Cu2+ prevents fibril elongation. The Cu2+-mediated inhibition of Aβ aggregation shows the largest effect around pH 6.0 but is lost at pH 5.0, which corresponds to the pH in lysosomes. In contrast to Cu2+, Cu+ ion binding mildly catalyzes the Aβ(1-42) aggregation via a mechanism that accelerates primary nucleation, possibly via the formation of Cu+-bridged Aβ(1-42) dimers. Taken together, our study emphasizes redox-dependent copper ion effects on Aβ(1-42) aggregation and thereby provides further knowledge of putative copper-dependent mechanisms resulting in AD.
Tradition Gone Mobile: An Exploration of #Betelnut on Instagram

Abstract Background: As a psychoactive substance that spans borders and cultures, researchers estimate that 600 million people use the areca nut. Despite its historical and geographical significance, betel nut use has received far less research attention than other stimulants such as tobacco, coffee or tea. Scholars have observed that social media platforms have significant effects on the promotion and use of addictive substances. Objectives: Our study investigates user practices and activities on a sample of Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dating back to 2011. Methods: Using social media analytics and hashtag network analysis, we examined user practices and activities on a sample of over 7800 Instagram posts tagged #betelnut dated between July 2011 to February 2019 that were collected in early 2019. Results: Findings determined that #betelnut is a growing topical hashtag on Instagram with content that drives social engagement. Importance: Co-occurring hashtags with #betelnut reflect regional language and cultural naming conventions that center around the Indian subcontinent and Melanesia. The importance of future work in this area is highlighted.
Fabrication and performance evaluation of nickel-rich conductive coating for carbon steel grounding grids in saline-alkali soil solution

Abstract A nickel-rich conductive anti-corrosive coating (CACC) was fabricated to improve the corrosion resistance of the carbon steel grounding materials. The coating was tested using surface contact resistance measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface characterization. The results indicate that the increase of the nickel powder content in the coating induces its electrical conductivity enhancement; the surface contact resistance is as low as 0.05 Ω/cm2 when the nickel powder content is 20%. The EIS data show that the anti-corrosive performance of the coating with 20% nickel powder content in three soil saline-alkali solutions (mild, moderate and severe) is higher than that with 40% nickel powder content, and the impedance of the coating decreases with the increase of the salt concentration. It is detected that 20% nickel powder content can achieve a good balance between low surface contact resistance and high corrosion resistance of the coating.
Anaerobic methane oxidation by archaea/sulfate-reducing bacteria aggregates: 1. Thermodynamic and physical constraints1 1 Dedicated to Bill Reeburgh on occasion of his retirement and in celebration of over 40 years of work on the biogeochemistry of methane.

Aggregates of archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) recently discovered in methane-seep sediments are widely assumed to engage in anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO), but the reaction mechanism remains poorly understood. We used a spherical diffusion-reaction model that incorporates thermodynamic controls, realistic aggregate morphology, and essential elements of cell structure to quantify maximum reaction rates and energy yields for competing mechanisms, to determine how cellular energy yields are affected by aggregate size and morphology, and to investigate the impact of organic-matter remineralization on archaea and SRB in the aggregate. The model provides the following insights: (a) syntrophic AMO is thermodynamically and physically possible for a variety of intermediate compounds (including H2, formate, and acetate); (b) the energy yield for syntrophic AMO is low but compatible with the maintenance needs of non- or slowly-growing cells; (c) archaea and SRB engaged in syntrophic AMO face a substantial energetic cost for aggregating; (d) direct contact between archaea and SRB provides only a modest energetic advantage compared to a loose association; and (e) sulfidogenic-methanogenic aggregates that take advantage of fermentation products released during organic-matter decay have a substantial energetic advantage over aggregates that rely exclusively on syntrophic AMO. Moreover, the model calls attention to a discrepancy between the observed sulfate-reduction rate at a well-characterized methane-seep site and the theoretical upper-limit rate of syntrophic AMO by a mechanism involving interspecies transfer of H2, formate, acetate, or other chemical intermediates. An analysis of possible errors, ambiguities, and artifacts in modeling and experimental techniques leads us to a surprising conclusion: that archaea/SRB aggregates in methane-seep sediments may be methanogenic rather than methanotrophic. In contrast, AMO in non-seep (diffusion-dominated) sediments is best explained by a consortium involving methanogenic archaea (that oxidize methane and release H2) and hydrogenotrophic SRB.
An evidence of brain-heart disorder: mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia regulated by inflammatory cytokines

ABSTRACT Objective Underlying Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) complicated by Mental Stress-Induced Myocardial Ischemia (MSIMI) has been linked with an increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events and even sudden death. However, the underlying mechanisms of MSIMI remain unknown. In this study, we investigated cytokine levels at baseline inflammation status and during acute inflammatory responses to mental stress in patients with known CAD who presented with MSIMI. Method 77 patients with known CAD were recruited and all underwent echocardiography before and during arithmetic stress task. MSIMI was diagnosed by new or worsening wall motion abnormalities greater than or equal to a 5% reduction of left ventricle ejection fraction. Inflammatory markers were measured both before and immediately after the Mental Stress (MS) by ELISA kits. Repeated measures models were used to report the responses and mixed linear regression models were used to report the differences between MSIMI negative and positive patients. Result MS induced a significant increase in Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1α (SDF-1α) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) in all subjects; 20.78% of the patients with known CAD developed MSIMI during the arithmetic task. MSIMI positive patients had significantly lower baseline levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), but a higher response in levels of SDF-1α than MSIMI negative patients. Conclusion MS can induce acute inflammatory responses. MSIMI is associated with lower levels of IL-1β and TNF-α at baseline and higher levels of SDF-1α in response to MS.
Effects of Semantic Feature Type, Diversity, and Quantity on Semantic Feature Analysis Treatment Outcomes in Aphasia.

Purpose Semantic feature analysis (SFA) is a naming treatment found to improve naming performance for both treated and semantically related untreated words in aphasia. A crucial treatment component is the requirement that patients generate semantic features of treated items. This article examined the role feature generation plays in treatment response to SFA in several ways: It attempted to replicate preliminary findings from Gravier et al. (2018), which found feature generation predicted treatment-related gains for both trained and untrained words. It examined whether feature diversity or the number of features generated in specific categories differentially affected SFA treatment outcomes. Method SFA was administered to 44 participants with chronic aphasia daily for 4 weeks. Treatment was administered to multiple lists sequentially in a multiple-baseline design. Participant-generated features were captured during treatment and coded in terms of feature category, total average number of features generated per trial, and total number of unique features generated per item. Item-level naming accuracy was analyzed using logistic mixed-effects regression models. Results Producing more participant-generated features was found to improve treatment response for trained but not untrained items in SFA, in contrast to Gravier et al. (2018). There was no effect of participant-generated feature diversity or any differential effect of feature category on SFA treatment outcomes. Conclusions Patient-generated features remain a key predictor of direct training effects and overall treatment response in SFA. Aphasia severity was also a significant predictor of treatment outcomes. Future work should focus on identifying potential nonresponders to therapy and explore treatment modifications to improve treatment outcomes for these individuals.
Isolation, identification and molecular characterization of contagious ecthyma virus from goat and sheep

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is one of the most widespread viral diseases; primarily affect goat and sheep but also reported from human, reindeer, musk ox, dog, cat, red squirrel etc. The disease is caused by contagious ecthyma virus (CEV) and he virus is circulating in Bangladesh. Present study was aimed at isolation, identification and molecular characterization of the CEV circulating in Bangladesh. A total of 13 samples (scab materials; 11 from goat and 2 from sheep) were collected from three different farms of Sylhet and Dhaka divisions followed by processing for virus detection by PCR and isolation in Vero cell. Four different sets of primers were used targeting four different genes of CEV. Of these samples, 10 (8 from goat and 2 from sheep) were found positive by PCR. From these positive samples three viruses were isolated. Sequencing of different genes of several CEV isolates has been done directly from PCR product using automated DNA sequencer 3010 Genetic Analyzer available at the National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza (NRL-AI), Bangladesh. Bangladeshi isolates were found to have 95-99% identity to each other. When compared to viruses from other countries, high homology (92-96%) was observed to viruses from New Zealand and India, and phylogenetically clustered with them. This is the first report of molecular characterization, though partial, of CEV in Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 19(1-2): 97-106, Jan-Dec 2012
The morality of abusing a robot

Abstract It is not uncommon for humans to exhibit abusive behaviour towards robots. This study compares how abusive behaviour towards a human is perceived differently in comparison with identical behaviour towards a robot. We showed participants 16 video clips of unparalleled quality that depicted different levels of violence and abuse. For each video, we asked participants to rate the moral acceptability of the action, the violence depicted, the intention to harm, and how abusive the action was. The results indicate no significant difference in the perceived morality of the actions shown in the videos across the two victim agents. When the agents started to fight back, their reactive aggressive behaviour was rated differently. Humans fighting back were seen as less immoral compared with robots fighting back. A mediation analysis showed that this was predominately due to participants perceiving the robot’s response as more abusive than the human’s response.
Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk: A Meta-Meta-Analysis

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common subtype of dementia. In the last ten years, the relationship between cholesterol and AD has been investigated. Evidence suggests that cholesterol is associated with AD and represents promising targets for intervention. However, the causality of these associations is unclear. Therefore, we sought to conduct a meta-meta-analysis to determine the effect of cholesterol on the development AD. Then, we assessed the effect of serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), on AD risk. Methods: A systematic search of meta-analyses was conducted. Scopus, Web of Science, Science direct, PubMed and Google academic system databases were reviewed. Results: We found 100 primary studies and five meta-analyses to analyze the relationships between cholesterol and AD. The total effect of cholesterol on risk of AD was significant and heterogeneous. Subgroup analysis shows that LDL-C levels influence the development of AD. However, non-significant effects of HDL-C, TC and TG levels on AD were found. Conclusions: These results strengthen the evidence that LDL-C cholesterol levels increase risk for AD. More initiatives to investigate the relationship between cholesterol and AD are needed.
Wireless E-Nose Sensors to Detect Volatile Organic Gases through Multivariate Analysis

Gas sensors are critical components when adhering to health safety and environmental policies in various manufacturing industries, such as the petroleum and oil industry; scent and makeup production; food and beverage manufacturing; chemical engineering; pollution monitoring. In recent times, gas sensors have been introduced to medical diagnostics, bioprocesses, and plant disease diagnosis processes. There could be an adverse impact on human health due to the mixture of various gases (e.g., acetone (A), ethanol (E), propane (P)) that vent out from industrial areas. Therefore, it is important to accurately detect and differentiate such gases. Towards this goal, this paper presents a novel electronic nose (e-nose) detection method to classify various explosive gases. To detect explosive gases, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors are used as reliable tools to detect such volatile gases. The data received from MOS sensors are processed through a multivariate analysis technique to classify different categories of gases. Multivariate analysis was done using three variants—differential, relative, and fractional analyses—in principal components analysis (PCA). The MOS sensors also have three different designs: loading design, notch design, and Bi design. The proposed MOS sensor-based e-nose accurately detects and classifies three different gases, which indicates the reliability and practicality of the developed system. The developed system enables discrimination of these gases from the mixture. Based on the results from the proposed system, authorities can take preventive measures to deal with these gases to avoid their potential adverse impacts on employee health.