Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A non-Lamarckian model for the inheritance of the epigenetically-coded phenotypic characteristics: a new paradigm for Genetics, Genomics and, above all, Ageing studies

In this paper I would like to introduce some theoretical considerations, which, if proven right by the experimental frameworks designed to test them, might stand for a paradigmatic change on genetics, genomics and ageing studies. This paper further develops a theoretical framework previously proposed by this author (Marsellach, 2017). Despite this, this paper is written as a standalone paper, which describe in more detail the previously hinted model (Marsellach, 2017), and adds emphasis in the putative implications that, the proposed theoretical framework, might have in describing the way in which the epigenetic information is transmitted from one generation to the following ones, and in the implications that this might have for genetics, genomics and ageing studies.
Deficient Skeletal Muscle Regeneration after Injury Induced by a Clostridium perfringens Strain Associated with Gas Gangrene

Gas gangrene, or clostridial myonecrosis, is usually caused by Clostridium perfringens and may occur spontaneously in association with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, or some malignancies but more often after contamination of a deep surgical or traumatic lesion. If not controlled, clostridial myonecrosis results in multiorgan failure, shock, and death, but very little is known about the muscle regeneration process that follows myonecrosis when the infection is controlled. ABSTRACT Gas gangrene, or clostridial myonecrosis, is usually caused by Clostridium perfringens and may occur spontaneously in association with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, or some malignancies but more often after contamination of a deep surgical or traumatic lesion. If not controlled, clostridial myonecrosis results in multiorgan failure, shock, and death, but very little is known about the muscle regeneration process that follows myonecrosis when the infection is controlled. In this study, we characterized the muscle regeneration process after myonecrosis caused in a murine experimental infection with a sublethal inoculum of C. perfringens vegetative cells. The results show that myonecrosis occurs concomitantly with significant vascular injury, which limits the migration of inflammatory cells. A significant increase in cytokines that promote inflammation explains the presence of an inflammatory infiltrate; however, impaired interferon gamma (IFN-γ) expression, a reduced number of M1 macrophages, deficient phagocytic activity, and a prolongation of the permanence of inflammatory cells lead to deficient muscle regeneration. The expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) agrees with the consequent accumulation of collagen in the muscle, i.e., fibrosis observed 30 days after infection. These results provide new information on the pathogenesis of gas gangrene caused by C. perfringens, shed light on the basis of the deficient muscle regenerative activity, and may open new perspectives for the development of novel therapies for patients suffering from this disease.
Use of Bioequivalence Tests and Its Properties under Different Sampling Techniques

Bioequivalence testing is the initial approach for the analysis of quantitative determination of drugs and their metabolism in biological samples. In this research work its applications was tested and reviewed under different sampling techniques. The basic concept of bioequivalence testing crossover design was used to make assessment of medicine for breast cancer methotrexate and tamoxifen. Effectiveness of methotrexate at initial stage was 2.38 and at advance stage it was 1.85 which means it was 43% effective at initial stage while 38% effective in advance stage. Effectiveness of tamoxifen at initial stage 3.19 at advance stage 3.68 which means it was 52% effective at initial stage while 57% effective in advance stage. The relation of bioequivalence testing and distance base inference was highlighted. An attempt was made to analyze the efficiency of both medicines at initial and advance stage of diagnostic of breast cancer.
The effect of DNA quality on the sequencing success of cattle

The extraction of amplifiable DNA is a crucial step for genetic analysis of farm animals. The aim of present study was to determine the quality and the quantity of DNA extracted from blood, milk, hair and tissue in cattle. It has been shown that milk and hair samples can be used as a reliable source for obtaining good quality and quantity of DNA ready for the next generation sequencing (NGS). Commercially available kit, with several modifications, was included in the evaluation. Raw milk or milk somatic cell pellet storage under -80 °C or -20 °C has shown to be a reliable procedure for preservation when large number of milk samples were collected at once. The quality (purity) and the quantity of extracted DNA were measured using a nanophotometer. The adequacy of the DNA extract was assessed by estimating average read depth of all captured bases of whole NGS mitogenome sequences. Although DNA extracted from different types of samples was suitable for NGS analysis, hair samples showed the largest variation of DNA quantity, low purity and DNA integrity. Non-invasive sampling methods such as milk and hair collection can be used for dairy cattle while sampling from free-range requires handling, capturing and caution. Milk and hair can be used for obtaining optimal DNA concentrations for NGS analysis.
Clinical Relevance of Immune Cells in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and their Implication in Immunotherapy

This thesis summarizes the work I have done during my PhD training, focused on the immune microenvironment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim was to delineate key features of immunologic and tumour components shaping the biology of pancreatic cancer. Immunotherapy has been largely explored as a promising anticancer approach but not convincingly introduced yet for this tumour type. The results here summarized could contribute to a better understanding of the microenvironment of human PDAC and foster the introduction of immunotherapeutic strategies into the clinical practice. The first section of the thesis summarizes the work done to investigate the occurrence of tertiary lymphoid tissue (TLT) in PDAC. TLT has been demonstrated to coordinate the recruitment and activation of adaptive immune cells in several tumour settings. This work documents the occurrence of TLT in pancreatic cancer, addresses the prognostic role of B cells according to their spatial distribution within TLT and tests the hypothesis that TLT can serve as immunological sites that contribute to efficacy of immunotherapeutic vaccination. The second section is focused on the intersection between cancer metabolism and immune function in PDAC. In order to unearth early metabolic alterations in PDAC, we have analyzed the pancreatic juice, a relatively unexplored liquid biopsy potentially enriched with tumor-derived metabolites. Our results indicate a specific metabolic signature that allows to single out PDAC from other pancreatic pathologies and reveal an important link between glucose metabolism and accumulation of PD-1+ cells in PDAC tumors.
Length-weight relationships, condition factor and morphometric characteristics of ten Spirlin (Alburnoides Jeitteles, 1861) species from Iranian inland waters

The length-weight relationships, condition factor and morphometrics of 10 species of the genus Alburnoides are provided from Iranian inland water. The a values ranged from 0.0037 (Alburnoides damghani) to 0.0128 (Alburnoides namaki), the b values ranged from 2.87 (A. namaki) to 3.50 (A. damghani) and the coefficient of variation (r2) ranged from 0.90 (Alburnoides samii) to 0.99 (A. namaki). Of these, Alburnoides coadi, A. damghani and Alburnoides eichwaldii show positive allometric growth while all the others are isometric growth. Mean condition factors (K) varied from 0.84 (Alburnoides holciki) to 1.37 (Alburnoides idignensis).
Structural characteristic and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of Dianthus Caryophyllus

Abstract Chloroplast genomes are widely used in genetic engineering, molecular marker development, and phylogeny. In order to analyze the complete chloroplast genome of Dianthus caryophyllus, the complete chloroplast genome of D. caryophyllus was sequenced and annotated. On the other hand, phylogenetic analysis of the chloroplast genome of D. caryophyllus was carried out. The results showed that the whole length of the chloroplast genome of D. caryophyllus was 147,604 bp, and had a typical conserved quadripartite structure. The G and C basic content of D. caryophyllus chloroplast was 36.3%. The genome contained 83 protein-coding genes, 34 tRNA genes, and 6 rRNA genes. Among the protein-coding genes, 10 genes contain a single intron and 2 genes contain two introns. The phylogeny of D. caryophyllus indicated that the closest phylogenetic relationship was D. longicalyxanus. This study provides materials for the molecular study of D. caryophyllus may improve the carnation industry.
What EBSD and TKD Tell Us about the Crystallography of the Martensitic B2-B19′ Transformation in NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

The complex and intricate microstructure of B19′ martensite in shape memory nickel titanium alloys is generally explained with the Phenomenological Theory of Martensitic Crystallography (PTMC). Over the last decade, we have developed an alternative approach that supposes the existence of a “natural” parent–daughter orientation relationship (OR). As the previous TEM studies could not capture the global crystallographic characteristics of the B2→B19′ transformation required to discriminate the models, we used Electron BackScatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) to investigate a polycrystalline NiTi alloy composed of B19′ martensite. The EBSD maps show the large martensite plates and reveal the coexistence of different ORs. The TKD maps permit us to image the “twins” and confirm the continuum of orientations suspected from EBSD. The results are interpreted with the alternative approach. The predominant OR in EBSD is the “natural” OR for which the dense directions and dense planes of B2 and B19′ phases are parallel—i.e., (010)B19′//(110)B2 and [101]B19′//[ 1 ¯ 11]B2. The natural OR was used to automatically reconstruct the prior parent B2 grains in the EBSD and TKD maps. From the distortion matrix associated with this OR, we calculated that the habit plane could be (1 1 ¯ 2)B2//(10 1 ¯ )B19′. The traces of these planes are in good agreement with the EBSD maps. We interpret the other ORs as “closing-gap” ORs derived from the natural OR to allow the compatibility between the distortion variants. Each of them restores a parent symmetry element between the variants that was lost by distortion but preserved by correspondence.
Robotic Arm Grasping System Based on 3D Object Matching

: Object grabbing by robotic arms is a research hotspot in current human-computer interaction research. This paper first introduces the overall process framework of the robotic arm grasping system, and then begins to introduce the specific operation process or specific implementation method of each part of the system. The method in this paper first uses a depth camera to reconstruct 3D objects. Then, before using 3D point cloud matching to solve the object pose, the current popular and highly accurate 2D object detection method is used to filter scene point clouds. In this way, it makes the speed of subsequent point cloud matching greatly improved, which also improves the speed and accuracy of the entire grasping system.
Enzyme activity during germination of different cereals: A review

ABSTRACT The germination process increases enzymatic activity. However, this does not occur in the same way in all cereals. It depends on the type of enzyme, the cereal, and the conditions of germination. During germination, most enzymes are localized in the aleurone layer and the scutellum. Some of them, such as xylanases, proteases, and β-glucanases, are also localized in the endosperm while β-glucanases and lipases have been identified in the embryo. The maximum activity of the enzymes in most cereals start from day 4 of germination. Germination allows the hydrolysis of macromolecules and compounds like β-glucans and phytic acid. In cereals, starch is the component that presents the most morphological changes. Germination mobilizes and increases the activity of some enzymes. Temperature, steeping time, and variety are determining factors in the activation time. At higher temperatures, the enzymatic activation is generally faster; however, there are some exceptions. The use of germination could be a promising resource for modifying grain properties and increase enzymatic activity; also, this process is simple and economical.
Financial inclusion and poverty transitions: an empirical analysis for Italy

We estimate the causal e ect of Financial inclusion on transition probabilities into and out of poverty. By exploiting a longitudinal sample from the Bank of Italy's Survey on Household Income andWealth between 2002 and 2016, we find that financial inclusion is effective in both reducing the likelihood of falling into poverty and helping poor people to improve economic conditions and get out of their poverty status. According to our baseline estimates, the access to a deposit account actually reduces the risk of falling below the poverty line by 3 percentage points and increases the chance of exiting poverty by 5 percentage points. The significance and the magnitude of such effects are confirmed also when considering alternative proxies for financial inclusion (availability of debit/credit/pre-paid cards, use of remote banking services) and are robust to alternative empirical strategies (bivariate model with overidentifying restrictions) and to misspeci cation problems related to omitted factors, such as the level of household indebtedness.
Quality Determination of the Saudi Retail Banking System and the Challenges of Vision 2030

Vision 2030 of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) requires numerous national and multinational organizations to re-engineer themselves to achieve the required targets for the upturn of the Saudi economy. In this respect, the quality of indigenous goods and services has been the biggest challenge to satisfy consumers of Saudi businesses. The banking and finance sector, specifically, has a great deal of responsibility to put in place a strong financial system that is capable of attracting capital from both local and foreign investors. SERVQUAL, with the five conventional dimensions—tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy—offers a great deal of flexibility in modifying the model to the specific requirements of a service in carrying out gap analysis. In this context, we have applied SERVQUAL by adding two new dimensions—functional and technical—to the conventional five dimensions. We applied SERVQUAL using a “performance-only approach” to identify quality gaps present in the services of national and multinational banks. Our analysis shows that gaps exist in the service quality—both in national and multinational banking systems. We therefore present weighted gap scores to assist service managers in setting up priorities to improve the quality of their services. This study suggests that there is much to be done to improve retail banking quality and gain customers’ confidence, both from within and outside the KSA.
Selection and Metabolic Disease in the Pacific

An example of a "signature of selection" in a population is a region of the genome that exhibits a reduction in genetic variability with a particular linkage disequilibrium pattern. This reduction in variation can arise when the phenotype of a neutral beneficial allele experiences a favourable change in environmental conditions. This results in an increased frequency of both the allele, and linked sites, within a population. Polynesian populations share a common genetic ancestry with East Asia, but little characterisation of genetic selection has been undertaken in Polynesian populations. Serum urate has been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, renal disease and metabolic syndrome. It is hypothesised that serum urate may have undergone positive selection in Polynesians due to some of the beneficial properties, such as its role as an anti-oxidant, or as an adjuvant for the innate immune system. New Zealand Polynesians have inherently elevated serum urate levels and increased rates of gout. This thesis presents the results of a genome-wide study of selection in Polynesian (and other) populations, focusing on testing the hypothesis that genomic loci containing genes involved in urate processing have undergone selection. There was no evidence of wide-spread selection at genes associated with urate and gout, or related metabolic disorders, but there was evidence at some individual loci. Pathway analysis showed that of the significant pathways, there was a dominance of metabolic pathways that were enriched for genes with signatures of selection. Calcium related transport and signalling was a theme amongst loci that displayed signs of possible selection. Regions of the genome that were possibly selected in modern-day Polynesian populations also had similarities to those of modern-day East Asian populations. This thesis has provided identification and characterisation of regions in the genome with possible evidence of genetic selection in Polynesian populations, that previously was not available. It has also provided insight into the role of genetic selection with respect to urate and metabolic disease.
Emancipating Identity: The Differential Effect of Organizational Identification on Commitment and Performance

Research on organizational identity (OI) and organizational identification (OID) has long considered the two concepts as inseparable. There is also a rising concern among scholars that OID and organizational commitment (OC) might be misrepresented and used interchangeably. These together raise the question: can OI, OID, and OC substitute each other, or should firms make an effort to establish all three differentially in order to capitalize on their unique effects on performance outcomes? In this study, we aim to address these unanswered inquiries with regards to how OI, OID, and OC are interrelated yet distinct constructs that in turn play unique roles in increased performance outcomes. We argue that, OI, OID and OC are distinct constructs that have differential effects on performance outcomes. By first looking at the effect of OI and OID on OC, we aimed to understand the differential relationship of OI and OID with OC. Also, we aimed to examine the concurrent effects of all three constructs namely OI, OID, and OC on individual performance. Drawing on the social identity and social categorization theories, we develop and empirically test a conceptual model where we examine the effects of OI and OID on OC and the effect of OC on individual performance. Through examining the data collected by 345 employees in the education sector, we show that OI and OID have positive significant effects on OC. Further, the results of our hierarchical multiple regression analyses reveal that OI, OID, and OC have positive and significant effects on individual performance.
INHIBITORY EFFECT OF PHYTOCHEMICALS FROM AZADIRACHTA INDICA A JUSS. AND TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA (THUNB.) MIERS AGAINST SARS-COV-2 Mpro AND SPIKE PROTEASE- AN IN SILICO ANALYSIS

COVID 19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is spreading worldwide and affected 10 million people with a mortality rate between 0.5 % to 5%. Medicinal plants from China, Morocco, Algeria, Africa and India were tested for antiviral efficacy in SARS-CoV-2. Ayurveda Medicine described many medicinal plants. The Nimba (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is used in fever, bacterial and viral infections, and Amrita (Tinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers) is used as antiviral, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory purposes. The combination of both these plants is called Nimbamritam, and it is widely used in pyrexia, dermatitis, viral infections, etc. Spike protease (PDB ID 6VXX) and Mpro (PDB ID 6LU) were retrieved from RCSB and 16 ligands from A. indica and 6 ligands from T. cordifolia were obtained from IMPPAT and PubChem. AutoDock Vina embedded PyRx was used for docking. Remdesivir was taken as a reference drug. In silico study of Cordifolide A of T cordifolia showed the highest scores with -8.2 Kcal/mol and -10.3Kcal/mol with Mpro protease and Spike protease respectively. Cordifolide A had 4 H bonds and Kaempferol had 7 non-conventional bonds, including van der Waal with Mpro (6LU7) protease. The interactions with 6VXX had 5 H bonds in each ligand Cordifolide A and Azadirachtin B. The prevention of virus entry by targeting spike protease host receptor ACE2 and restricting replication of the viral genome by targeting Mpro residues were identified in our study. A. indica and T. cordifolia are promising therapeutic agents in COVID 19.
Application of a gender perspective in tourism research: a theoretical and practical approach

Purpose This paper aims to present a conceptual model that identifies and relates the different approaches and thematic areas in the research area of tourism and gender. Design/methodology/approach The design of the conceptual model is based on a critical review of the literature and the evolution of feminist paradigms and theories. Findings The aforementioned theoretical frameworks are the basis for the further development of feminist studies and a gender perspective in the tourism industry research area, including research design, objectives, methodologies, analysis and result’s presentation. Research limitations/implications Based on literature review, is theoretical. Originality/value Presentation of a conceptual model around the gender perspective in tourism, that leads to the identification of important research opportunities in this area.