Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Ammonia and Salinity Stress on Non-Volatile and Volatile Compounds of Ivory Shell (Babylonia areolata)

In this study, the flavor compounds of ivory shell (Babylonia areolata) and their changes caused by ammonia and salinity stresses were studied. Ammonia stress improved the contents of free amino acids (FAAs), 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP), citric acid, and some mineral ions such as Na+, PO43−, and Cl−. The FAA contents decreased with increasing salinity, while the opposite results were observed in most inorganic ions (e.g., K+, Na+, Mg2+, Mn2+, PO43−, and Cl−). Hyposaline and hypersaline stresses increased the AMP and citric acid contents compared to the control group. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values were 3.53–5.14 g monosodium glutamate (MSG)/100 g of wet weight, and the differences in EUC values among treatments were mainly caused by AMP. Hexanal, butanoic acid, and 4-(dimethylamino)-3-hydroxy- and (E, E)-3,5-octadien-2-one were the top three volatile compounds, and their profiles were significantly affected when ivory shells were cultured under different ammonia and salinity conditions.
NIGERIA CURRENCY REDESIGN AND ITS ANTICIPATED EFFECTS ON THE NATION’S SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Nigeria is one country that embarked on strategies to improve its financial policies and in the run, anticipated to grow the economy of the Nation. One of these policies was the recent 2022 redesign of the Nation’s currency in (₦200, ₦500, ₦1000 notes), launched on Wednesday, November 22, 2022. However, the small businesses in Nigeria viewed this policy with much mixed feelings, Reviewed literature was carried out. Small businesses developmental positions much more depended on the form of money in circulation, its acceptability, availability and how it was managed by the monetary authorities. The study adopted the descriptive survey design with a population of 2,850,900, adopted Yamane formula to arrive at a sample size of 400. Simple random sampling method was used for the selection of respondents with a distribution of 740 copies of questionnaire, self-administered and 620 responded and retrieved from small businesses. The source of data was primary. A five-point Likert-scale nature of questionnaire was adopted, validated by four distinguished lecturers. The method of data analysis was by linear regression. Findings showed that small businesses developmental planning would negatively be affected for they were not consulted for ideas at the initial point of conception of the process of currency redesign, during the redesign process and final launched of the currency hence small businesses were at serious risk of losing their developments’ planning initiative results. Also, small businesses would seriously lose their customers base astronomically having serious money exchange challenge with their individual and collective customers because of the very short period given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the fading out of the old currency designed to the new currency redesigned. In conclusion, it must be said that the Central Bank of Nigeria could have a better intention on the redesign of the currency. More so, the approach to its public engagements and public notifications were graced with mixed feelings. Recommended are that the Central Bank of Nigeria should quickly consult small businesses in all the processes on the redesign of the currency to help these small businesses in their developmental planning. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria should give longer period for the fading out of the old currency designed to the new currency redesigned so that small businesses would not seriously lose their customers’ base astronomically.
Effect of Salt Stress on the Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity, Microbial Load, and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Two Microalgae Species (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Spirulina platensis)

Microalgae have gained attention as alternative food sources due to their nutritional value and biological effects. This study investigated the effect of salt stress on the antioxidant activity, phenolic profile, bioavailability of bioactive compounds, and microbial counts in the blue-green algae Spirulina platensis and diatom species Phaeodactylum tricornutum. These microalgae were cultured in growth mediums with different salt concentrations (15–35‰) We observed the highest antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds in the control groups. S. platensis (20‰) exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to P. tricornutum (30‰), which decreased with increasing salt stress. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, we identified and quantified 20 and 24 phenolic compounds in the P. tricornutum and S. platensis culture samples, respectively. The bioavailability of these compounds was assessed through in vitro digestion with the highest amounts observed in the intestinal phase. Salt stress negatively affected the synthesis of bioactive substances. Microbial counts ranged from 300 to 2.78 × 104 cfu/g for the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and from 10 to 1.35 × 104 cfu/g for yeast/mold in P. tricornutum samples while the S. platensis samples had microbial counts from 300 to 1.9 × 104 cfu/g and the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria from 10 to 104 cfu/g, respectively. This study suggests that adding salt at different ratios to the nutrient media during the production of P. tricornutum and S. platensis can impact phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, microbial load evaluation, and in vitro bioaccessibility of the studied microalgae.
Decreased Expression of GLYATL1 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background GLYATL1 is a member of the glycine-N-acyltransferase family, which catalyses acyl group transfer. The role of GLYATL1 in cancer is largely unknown; therefore, the potential value of GLYATL1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) was explored. Methods The ccRCC gene expression profiles and clinical data were obtained from the University of California Santa Cruz Xena platform. Differential expression and survival analysis were performed using R software. Samples from the TIMER public database and real-world were used for validation. The potential molecular mechanism of GLYATL1 in ccRCC was explored using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results GLYATL1 was downregulated, indicating a poor prognosis in ccRCC. Low expression of GLYATL1 was significantly associated with advanced stage and higher histological grade ccRCC. The differential expression of GLYATL1 was validated at the protein level using clinical samples and tissue microarray. The results of GSEA showed that multiple crucial signalling pathways including fatty acid metabolism, adipogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition were enriched. Conclusion This study demonstrated that GLYATL1 downregulation has an unfavourable impact on the survival of patients with ccRCC. The resulting data indicated that GLYATL1 could be a potential new target for ccRCC therapy, which may be helpful for the personalized treatment of such individuals.
Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals the Genetic Basis of Total Flavonoid Content in Brown Rice

Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticarcinogenic effects. Breeding rice varieties rich in flavonoids can prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. However, most of the genes reported are known to regulate flavonoid content in leaves or seedlings. To further elucidate the genetic basis of flavonoid content in rice grains and identify germplasm rich in flavonoids in grains, a set of rice core collections containing 633 accessions from 32 countries was used to determine total flavonoid content (TFC) in brown rice. We identified ten excellent germplasms with TFC exceeding 300 mg/100 g. Using a compressed mixed linear model, a total of 53 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). By combining linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis, location of significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), gene expression, and haplotype analysis, eight candidate genes were identified from two important QTLs (qTFC1-6 and qTFC9-7), among which LOC_Os01g59440 and LOC_Os09g24260 are the most likely candidate genes. We also analyzed the geographic distribution and breeding utilization of favorable haplotypes of the two genes. Our findings provide insights into the genetic basis of TFC in brown rice and could facilitate the breeding of flavonoid-rich varieties, which may be a prevention and adjuvant treatment for cancer and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases.
In Search of Ethics Infrastructure in U.S. Local Governments: Building Blocks or Dead End?

The literature in public administration has advanced various propositions to promote ethical behavior. Local governments have undertaken various efforts in that direction. Those efforts are considered critical for building ethical leadership and culture in the long run. Based on a literature review and use of Social Learning Theory, we identify four building blocks of an ethics infrastructure for public organizations. Employing a comprehensive survey of local governments, this paper shows that displaying awareness and knowledge of ethics, enforcing rules and norms, demonstrating policy support for ethical behavior, and incentivizing the right behaviors are key building blocks of ethics infrastructure that still need improvement in local governments. The reality of ethics infrastructure revealed by the survey is far from the idealism promoted in the literature. We discuss the results and offer several insights and remedies.
Galaxolide-contaminated soil and tolerance strategies in soybean plants using biofertilization and selenium nanoparticle supplementation

The current study aimed to address the response of soybean (Glycine max) plants to biofertilization and selenium supplementation treatments under galaxolide contamination of soil. In this regard, a pot experiment was carried out where the soybean plants were treated with the plant growth-promoting Actinobacteria (Actinobacterium sp.) as a biofertilizer (PGPB treatment) and/or selenium nanoparticles (Se treatment; 25 mg L-1) under two non-polluted and galaxolide-polluted soils (250 mg galaxolide per kg of soil) to assess the modifications in some plant physiological and biochemical traits. Although higher accumulation of oxidative biomarkers, including hydrogen peroxide (+180%), malondialdehyde (+163%), and protein oxidation (+125%), indicating oxidative stress in galaxolide-contaminated plants, an apparent decline in their contents was observed in response to biofertilization/supplementation treatments in contaminated soil, especially. It was mainly related to the higher detoxification of ROS in PGPB- and Se-treated plants under galaxolide-induced oxidative stress, in which the direct ROS-scavenging enzymes (+44 -179%), enzymatic (+34 - 293%) and non-enzymatic (+35 - 98%) components of the ascorbate-glutathione pathway, and antioxidant molecules (+38 - 370%) were more activated than in control plants. In addition, a higher accumulation of detoxification activity markers, including phytochelatins (+32%) and metallothioneins (+79%), were found in the combined treatments (PGPB+Se) under galaxolide contamination. Moreover, combined treatment with PGPB and Se ameliorated the levels of chlorophyll a content (+58%), stomatal conductance (+57%), the maximum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (+36%), and photorespiratory metabolism (including +99% in glycolate oxidase and +54% in hydroxypyruvate reductase activity) in leaves under galaxolide contamination, which resulted in higher photosynthesis capacity (+36%) and biomass production (+74%) in galaxolide-stressed plants as compared to control group. In conclusion, the application of beneficial Actinobacteria and selenium nanoparticles as biofertilization/supplementation is expected to be useful for improving plant toleration and adaptation against galaxolide contamination.
Rising Strong: The Interplay between Resilience, Social Support, and Post-Traumatic Growth among Teachers after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: When schools reopened for face-to-face classroom instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers faced many professional challenges. Most studies examining teachers’ psychosocial condition after school reopening predominantly focused on negative aspects of their emotional well-being, leaving a gap in the understanding of the potential positive effects. This study is grounded in the theory of post-traumatic growth, which suggests that growth and development can occur alongside difficulties. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to shed light on the lesser explored associations between resilience, social support, and post-traumatic growth among teachers after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the differences in post-traumatic growth between teachers in special education and those in general education. Methods: The participants in this cross-sectional study were recruited by convenience sampling. A self-report online survey was used to collect data from 208 Israeli teachers during November 2022. Results: Most of the participants (79.4%) reported experiences of post-traumatic growth during the pandemic. The findings revealed that post-traumatic growth exhibited a positive association with social support (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = 0.18, p < 0.001). The multiple regression model was significant, explaining 14.5% of the variance in post-traumatic growth [F(4.202) = 8.58, p < 0.001]. Finally, special education teachers exhibited higher levels of post-traumatic growth than general education teachers (t = −2.36, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Social support for teachers must be provided during and after traumas caused by crises and pandemics similar to COVID-19. Intervention programs and ongoing training should offer effective tools to help teachers balance their professional and personal lives. Promoting positive changes in teacher well-being must be a priority in the education system.
ON CURRENTS AND VERTICAL MIXING IN LAKE-ONTARIO DURING SUMMER STRATIFICATION

Currents and vertical mixing characteristics were investigated on the basis of time series of current meter and temperature data from a summer-stratified period in Lake Ontario. The experimental set up consisted of seven current meters distributed in one vertical line from 12 m below the surface to 1 m above the lake bottom at a total depth of 143 m. The period considered for the analysis was from June to September, 1991. The currents showed pronounced oscillations with two significant kinetic energy peaks, one at about 17 hours due to inertial motions, and one at 10 days, probably due to meteorological forcing. The current shear in the hypolimnion was strong enough to overcome stability and generate turbulence (Richardson numbers below 0.25) and there was probably turbulence enough available to keep the matter (almost neutral buoyant particles) in the whole Nepheloid bottom layer in suspension. In the thermocline region the turbulence was mainly damped (Richardson numbers above 1), but some events with lower Richardson numbers were also calculated indicating increased mixing during these events. By analysing filtered and unfiltered current meter data it was found that the shear-generated turbulence in the hypolimnion was mainly due to the meteorologically forced currents. In the thermocline region, however, the vertical shear associated with the inertial oscillation had a greater impact on the mixing.
A Compact Circularly Polarized Crossed Dipole Antenna with Wide Bandwidth using Split Ring Resonator and Parasitic Patches

A new compact broadband circularly polarized (CP) crossed dipole antenna using split ring resonator (SRR) and parasitic patches are presented. The proposed antenna is mainly composed of two orthogonal strip dipoles, two 90∘ phase delay lines, four SRRs, and four parasitic patches. The combination of the orthogonal strip dipoles and the delay lines forms a crossed dipole as the main CP radiator. The well-designed SRR can extend the current path and improve the current distribution of high-frequency without increasing the size of the antenna, thereby reducing the size of the antenna and increasing the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of the high-frequency. The introduction of parasitic patches can improve the current distribution between the upper and lower cut-off frequency points of the bandwidth, and make up for the defects of the insufficient bandwidth of the crossed dipole and the SRR, thereby realizing broadband CP radiation. To verify the antenna, a physical prototype is fabricated. The measured results show that the impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 69.1% (1.38-2.84 GHz), and a wide AR bandwidth of 57.7% (1.43-2.59 GHz). In addition, the designed antenna achieves a stable gain in the working band and a certain band-edge selectivity. Such a single-fed, simple structure and the wideband CP antenna is an excellent candidate for communication systems such as ISM (2.4 GHz), WiBro (2.3-2.39 GHz)and Inmarsat.
Physical Activity Counseling in College Students

ABSTRACT Many college students are insufficiently physically active, and health care practitioner consultations represent an opportunity to provide at risk students with physical activity counseling (PAC). This study examined whether any demographic or physiological variables differentiated those who had received PAC and those who did not. An objective fitness assessment and survey collected data from college students concerning the following: demographics; body composition; aerobic fitness; cholesterol, lipid, and glucose levels; muscular endurance; physical activity (PA) levels; health care and PAC; PA information sources; and depression. Parametric and nonparametric techniques were used to examine differences between those who did and did not receive PAC, by location of counseling, and between those who did and did not report depressive symptoms. Rates of PAC were high, with only total cholesterol differentiating those who did and did not receive PAC. Study design prevented the determination of whether students or health care providers initiated PAC and what form of PAC was provided. Vigorous PA was significantly lower among those who reported mental health–related symptoms. Findings suggest a lack of targeted PAC among the least active, least fit, or most overweight/obese. Further investigation is warranted on the use of PAC at campus health services. In particular, the initiation of PAC, the PAC techniques/strategies used by physicians, and the short- and long-term effectiveness of PAC on PA and associated health outcomes. Barriers to student health care center physicians providing PAC also require further investigation, as does the effectiveness of any PAC and any support provided by physical fitness professionals that students may be referred to in both the short and long term.
Multi-omics analysis identifies IgG2b class-switching with ALCAM-CD6 co-stimulation in joint-draining lymph nodes during advanced inflammatory-erosive arthritis

Introduction Defective lymphatic drainage and translocation of B-cells in inflamed (Bin) joint-draining lymph node sinuses are pathogenic phenomena in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this lymphatic dysfunction remain poorly understood. Herein, we utilized multi-omic spatial and single-cell transcriptomics to evaluate altered cellular composition (including lymphatic endothelial cells, macrophages, B-cells, and T-cells) in the joint-draining lymph node sinuses and their associated phenotypic changes and cell-cell interactions during RA development using the tumor necrosis factor transgenic (TNF-Tg) mouse model. Methods Popliteal lymph nodes (PLNs) from wild-type (n=10) and TNF-Tg male mice with “Early” (5 to 6-months of age; n=6) and “Advanced” (>8-months of age; n=12) arthritis were harvested and processed for spatial transcriptomics. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) was performed in PLNs from the TNF-Tg cohorts (n=6 PLNs pooled/cohort). PLN histopathology and ELISPOT along with ankle histology and micro-CT were evaluated. Histopathology of human lymph nodes and synovia was performed for clinical correlation. Results Advanced PLN sinuses exhibited an increased Ighg2b/Ighm expression ratio (Early 0.5 ± 0.1 vs Advanced 1.4 ± 0.5 counts/counts; p<0.001) that significantly correlated with reduced talus bone volumes in the afferent ankle (R2 = 0.54, p<0.001). Integration of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics revealed the increased IgG2b+ plasma cells localized in MARCO+ peri-follicular medullary sinuses. A concomitant decreased Fth1 expression (Early 2.5 ± 0.74 vs Advanced 1.0 ± 0.50 counts, p<0.001) within Advanced PLN sinuses was associated with accumulation of iron-laden Prussian blue positive macrophages in lymph nodes and synovium of Advanced TNF-Tg mice, and further validated in RA clinical samples. T-cells were increased 8-fold in Advanced PLNs, and bioinformatic pathway assessment identified the interaction between ALCAM+ macrophages and CD6+ T-cells as a plausible co-stimulatory mechanism to promote IgG2b class-switching. Discussion Collectively, these data support a model of flare in chronic TNF-induced arthritis in which loss of lymphatic flow through affected joint-draining lymph nodes facilitates the interaction between effluxing macrophages and T-cells via ALCAM-CD6 co-stimulation, initiating IgG2b class-switching and plasma cell differentiation of the expanded Bin population. Future work is warranted to investigate immunoglobulin clonality and potential autoimmune consequences, as well as the efficacy of anti-CD6 therapy to prevent these pathogenic events.
Exploring rigid-backbone protein docking in biologics discovery: a test using the DARPin scaffold

Accurate protein-protein docking remains challenging, especially for artificial biologics not coevolved naturally against their protein targets, like antibodies and other engineered scaffolds. We previously developed ProPOSE, an exhaustive docker with full atomistic details, which delivers cutting-edge performance by allowing side-chain rearrangements upon docking. However, extensive protein backbone flexibility limits its practical applicability as indicated by unbound docking tests. To explore the usefulness of ProPOSE on systems with limited backbone flexibility, here we tested the engineered scaffold DARPin, which is characterized by its relatively rigid protein backbone. A prospective screening campaign was undertaken, in which sequence-diversified DARPins were docked and ranked against a directed epitope on the target protein BCL-W. In this proof-of-concept study, only a relatively small set of 2,213 diverse DARPin interfaces were selected for docking from the huge theoretical library from mutating 18 amino-acid positions. A computational selection protocol was then applied for enrichment of binders based on normalized computed binding scores and frequency of binding modes against the predefined epitope. The top-ranked 18 designed DARPin interfaces were selected for experimental validation. Three designs exhibited binding affinities to BCL-W in the nanomolar range comparable to control interfaces adopted from known DARPin binders. This result is encouraging for future screening and engineering campaigns of DARPins and possibly other similarly rigid scaffolds against targeted protein epitopes. Method limitations are discussed and directions for future refinements are proposed.