Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physiological and metabolic effect of mercury accumulation in higher plants system

Heavy metals, lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are non-essential elements. Plants absorb these metals from soil, water and air through their roots and leaves. Heavy metals are the major environmental pollutants, which spread to soil through the use of pesticides, herbicides and micronutrient fertilizers, industrial effluents, decay of junk materials and sewage sludge, vehicular emissions, re-suspended road dust, diesel generator sets and coal-based thermal power plants. Sewage and sludge have contributed to heavy metal contamination of peri-urban lands and vegetable crops. The present review focuses on the effects of various concentrations of Hg on growth of young and mature seedlings as well as on nitrate reductase activity and nitrate assimilation in intact and excised seedling, especially the mechanism underlying nitrate reductase regulation by this heavy metal. Evidence indicates that mercury exerts significant adverse effects on the physiological activity of plants.
Etude des bactéries oxydantes du fer dans les aquifères hétérogènes : rôle dans le fonctionnement biogéochimique des zones d'interface

Les bacteries de la famille des Gallionellaceae (β-proteobacteria) oxydent le fer dissous a pH neutre pour alimenter leur metabolisme energetique. Ces bacteries sont endemiques des habitats microaerobies, ou elles peuvent rivaliser avec l'oxydation abiotique rapide du fer par l'oxygene. Elles sont ainsi retrouvees generalement dans les zones d’interfaces entre l’atmosphere et un compartiment anoxique riche en fer, tel qu’une resurgence d’eau souterraine. Pourtant ces cinq dernieres annees, de plus en plus d’etudes attestent de la presence des Gallionellaceae en profondeur dans certains milieux souterrains, a des profondeurs ou ils sont generalement consideres comme anoxiques. Dans plusieurs de ces milieux, comme par exemple certains aquiferes du massif armoricain (Bretagne, France), les Gallionellaceae semblent meme dominer les communautes microbiennes presentes. Cela suggere que non seulement il existe des zones d’interface en profondeur dans ces aquiferes entre un compartiment contenant de l’oxygene et un compartiment anoxique riche en fer, mais aussi que ces zones d’interfaces peuvent avoir un role preponderant dans le maintien des populations microbiennes en profondeur. L’objectif de cette these etait ainsi d’explorer la diversite et l’ecologie des Gallionellaceae au sein des milieux souterrains, afin de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement biogeochimique global de ces milieux. Une approche pluridisciplinaire, faisant intervenir des analyses metagenomiques et hydrogeochimiques, a ete privilegiee pour repondre a cet objectif.
Mechanisms initiating cataract formation

Osmotic swelling is a common feature of many cataracts. Sugar cataracts and hereditary mouse cataracts are two types in which osmotic changes play a prominent role. In sugar cataracts, the initial swelling brought about by polyol accumuation leads to an imbalance in the pump-leak equilibrium. The pump mechanism becomes unable to keep pace with the leaky membranes. The marked increases in Na and Cl eventually results in Donnan swelling. In the hereditary mouse cataract, the imbalance of the pump-leak system appears to be initiated by a deficiency of Na-K ATPase, a component of the cation pump mechanism. The inefficiency in the pump mechanism results in Na retention and osmotic swelling.
X-Ray Scattering Study and Molecular Simulation of Glass Forming Liquids: Propylene Carbonate and Salol

Wide angle x-ray scattering and classical molecular-dynamics simulations were employed to study structural and dynamic properties of two low-molecular weight glass-forming liquids, propylene carbonate, and salol. We observe pronounced changes in the liquid structure as a function of temperature in a wide temperature range bracketing the glass transition temperature. The experimental and simulation results compare the x-ray scattering from the liquid slightly and far above the experimental glass transition temperature, Tgexp. The simulations largely reproduce the characteristic behavior of the experimental x-ray intensities, which is interpreted in terms of clusterlike heterogeneities forming in the liquid as Tgexp is approached.
Decolorization of High Polluted Textile Wastewater by Indirect Electrochemical Oxidation Process

It is attempted in the present investigation to treat a synthetic textile effluent containing indigo dye by indirect electro-oxidation. Electrochemical degradation process was performed using Graphite as anode and Stainless Steel as cathode. The influence of effluent pH, supporting electrolyte concentration and the current intensity on pollutant degradation were studied. The best removal of organic compounds contained in the waste has been obtained at pH 13, low electrolyte concentration and current intensity (0.1M and 200 mA, respectively). COD and percentage colour removal were 75% and 43% respectively. Due to its effectiveness and ease in operation, this technique can be applied for treatment of a large volume and industrial scale of textile wastewater.
EFFECT OF ZnO NPS SYNTHESIZED BY OLIVE LEAVES EXTRACT IN CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT AND SOME ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES OF MENTHA PIPERITA L. LEAVES

The Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) green syntheses were prepared using olea europaea extract as a bio-reducing agent. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been characterized by several techniques UV-vis-spectrophotometric, FTIR, XRD, EDAX and FESEM. The antioxidant effect of catalase enzyme activity and superoxide dismutase has increased with the increase of concentration nano-zinc oxide that treated of Peppermint plant, which stimulates ZnONPs biosynthesis of the antioxidant enzymes as important components of the defense mechanisms against the toxicity of ZnONPs. The results of the present study shown a significant increase (P≤0.05) in activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzyme with the high concentration of ZnONPs. The content of Chl a, b and total chlorophyll levels in Peppermint plant treated with ZnONPs were increased significantly at lower concentrations of ZnONPs (5 ppm) compared with control treatment. Chl a, b contents and total chlorophyll levels decreased significantly in the higher concentrations of ZnONPs treatment was observed at 10 ppm and 15 ppm. The carotenoid in Peppermint plant treated with ZnONPs, at high concentration of ZnONPs 10 ppm and 15 ppm produce significantly a highest total carotenoid in Peppermint plant as compared with control.
Formulation and Characterization of Effervescent Floating Matrix Tablets of Famotidine Hydrochloride

Gastro retentive drug delivery systems are the dosage forms which are retained in the stomach for a prolonged period of time and hence improve the bioavailability of drugs. Famotidine, an anti-ulcer drug, have less oral bioavailability (50%) because of its poor solubility in alkaline pH. Therefore, the main objective of present work is to develop floating effervescent tablets of famotidine. The tablets were prepared with polymers like HPMC K4M and HPMC K100M using directly compression technique. The floating tablets were evaluated for uniformity of weight, hardness, friability, drug content, In vitro buoyancy and dissolution studies All the prepared batches showed good In vitro buoyancy. The tablet remained buoyant for 6-10 hours. The tablets with HPMC K100M were found to float for longer duration as compared with formulations containing HPMC K4M. The In vitro dissolution studies confirmed the sustained and non fickian drug release from tablets. Stability studies showed that tablets can be stored at room temperatue.
Automatic 12-lead ECG Classification Using a Convolutional Network Ensemble

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a major diagnostic test for cardiovascular diseases and enhanced automated analysis tools might lead to more reliable diagnosis and improved clinical practice. Deep neural networks are models composed of stacked transformations that learn tasks by examples. Inspired by the success of these models in computer vision, we propose an end-to-end approach for the task at hand. We trained deep convolutional neural network models in the heterogeneous dataset provided in the Physionet 2020 Challenge and used an ensemble of seven of these convolutional models for the classification of abnormalities present in the ECG records. Ensembles use the output of multiple models to generate a combined prediction and are known to improve performance and generalization when compared to the individual models. In our submission, we use an ensemble of neural networks with the architecture similar to the one described in Nat Commun 11, 1760 (2020) for 12-lead ECGs classification. Our approach achieved a challenge validation score of 0.657, and full test score of 0.132, placing us, the “Code Team”, in 28 out of 41 in the official ranking.
Varietal Differences in Cadmium Levels of Rice Grains of Japonica, Indica, Javanica, and Hybrid Varieties Produced in the Same Plot of a Field

Cadmium levels were determined in rice grains of Japonica, Indica, Javanica, and Indica-Japonica hybrid-bred varieties that were produced in the same plot of a non-polluted field in 1983 and 1985, using nameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Cadmium levels in the brown rice grains harvested in 1983 and 1985 ranged from 2.1 to 27 0 ppb Cd for 28 Japonica varieties, 4.1 to 55.5 for 23 Indica varieties, 4.4 to 16.5 for 5 Javanica varieties, and 24.5 to 73.6 for 4 hybrid varieties. The significant correlation of the cadmium levels between the 1983 and 1985 products may indicate the possible occurrence of varietal differences in the natural abundance of cadmium in rice grains. There was no correlation between the cadmium levels and the duration of ripening in each variety, suggesting that these differences could be partly attributed to some physiological characteristics of the rice varieties.
Cleaning Agents: The Divide – Human Friendly vs Environmentally Friendly

Abstract The choice of purchasing an environmentally friendly or “green” cleaning product appears to be one that consumers are increasingly happy to make, however the reality is that environmentally friendly cleaners may contain ingredients that can adversely affect those people suffering from asthma and allergies. Confirming that a product will not adversely affect a user is not straightforward, there is little point to a cleaning product that is harmless to the consumer but is ineffective in its cleaning performance. However, adhering to strict guidelines regarding allowable concentrations of chemicals and other constituents may allow consumers to purchase a product that is both human (and environment) friendly as well as being effective. We discuss the basis by which cleaners may be assessed for suitability for those with asthma and allergies.
HIV-1 Vpr protein directly loads helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF) onto the CRL4-DCAF1 E3 ubiquitin ligase

The viral protein R (Vpr) is an accessory virulence factor of HIV-1 that facilitates infection in immune cells. Cellular functions of Vpr are tied to its interaction with DCAF1, a substrate receptor component of the CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase. Recent proteomic approaches suggested that Vpr degrades helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF) DNA helicase in a proteasome-dependent manner by redirecting the CRL4-DCAF1 E3 ligase. However, the precise molecular mechanism of Vpr-dependent HLTF depletion is not known. Here, using in vitro reconstitution assays, we show that Vpr mediates polyubiquitination of HLTF, by directly loading it onto the C-terminal WD40 domain of DCAF1 in complex with the CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase. Mutational analyses suggest that Vpr interacts with DNA-binding residues in the N-terminal HIRAN domain of HLTF in a manner similar to the recruitment of another target, uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG2), to the CRL4-DCAF1 E3 by Vpr. Strikingly, Vpr also engages a second, adjacent region, which connects the HIRAN and ATPase/helicase domains. Thus, our findings reveal that Vpr utilizes common as well as distinctive interfaces to recruit multiple postreplication DNA repair proteins to the CRL4-DCAF1 E3 ligase for ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation.
Enhancement of proteasome function by PA28α overexpression protects against oxidative stress

The principal function of the proteasome is targeted degradation of intracellular proteins. Proteasome dysfunction has been observed in experimental cardiomyopathies and implicated in human congestive heart failure. Measures to enhance proteasome proteolytic function are currently lacking but would be beneficial in testing the pathogenic role of proteasome dysfunction and could have significant therapeutic potential. The association of proteasome activator 28 (PA28) with the 20S proteasome may play a role in antigen processing. It is unclear, however, whether the PA28 plays any important role outside of antigen presentation, although up‐regulation of PA28 has been observed in certain types of cardiomyopathy. Here, we show that PA28α overexpression (PA28αOE) stabilized PA28β, increased 11S proteasomes, and enhanced the degradation of a previously validated proteasome surrogate substrate (GFPu) in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. PA28αOE significantly attenuated H2O2‐induced increases in the protein carbonyls and markedly suppressed apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes under basal conditions or when stressed by H2O2. We conclude that PA28αOE is sufficient to up‐regulate 11S proteasomes, enhance proteasome‐mediated removal of misfolded and oxidized proteins, and protect against oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes, providing a highly sought means to increase proteasomal degradation of abnormal cellular proteins. —Li, J., Powell, S. R. , Wang, X. Enhancement of proteasome function by PA28α overexpression protects against oxidative stress. FASEB J. 25, 883–893 (2011). www.fasebj. org
The Effect of Sediment Type and pH-Adjustment on the Porewater Chemistry of Copper- and Zinc-Spiked Sediments

The spiking of metals into sediments lowers pH, raises the oxidative state, and exacerbates the partitioning of Fe, Mn, and spiked metal to the porewater. This study reports the geochemical response of three sediments of varying metal-binding capacity to Cu-/Zn-additions and the influence of pH-adjustment on the major metal-partitioning processes. The increase in redox potential and porewater metal concentrations observed in metal-spiked sediment was minimized by sediment neutralization to pH 7 irrespective of sediment type. In the presence of minimal sulfide concentrations, porewater metal concentrations suggested a greater affinity of copper for organic carbon than zinc, which was thought more dependent on iron oxyhydroxide phases. The amount of iron in the porewater of metal-spiked pH adjusted sediment was, in turn, affected by the type and concentration of spiked metal in the porewater. Increasing porewater concentrations of copper and zinc corresponded to decreasing and increasing porewater iron concentrations, respectively. Porewater copper appeared to act as a toxicant of Fe(III) reducing bacteria, while porewater zinc is thought to have had a stimulatory effect. The present study provides further insight on geochemical changes occurring to metal-spiked sediments and their implications for the interpretation of toxicity tests.
Desain Konstruksi Sel untuk Immunosensor Berbasis QuartzCrystal Microbalance (QCM)

Biosensor merupakan suatu perangkat sensor yang menggabungkan senyawa biologi dengan suatu transduser. Salah satu jenis biosensor yang menggunakan teknik pendeteksian perubahan massa adalah QCM (Quartz Crystal Microbalance). QCM merupakan suatu sensor yang bekerja dengan prinsip pergeseran frekuensi pada kristal kuarsa akibat adanya deposisi massa di permukaan kristal. QCM dapat dipergunakan untuk mendeteksi reaksi antar molekul, sehingga QCM dapat berfungsi sebagai biosensor yang dapat dipergunakan untuk diagnosis suatu penyakit. Dalam pengembangan QCM untuk immunosensor terdapat berbagai permasalahan, salah satunya adalah konstruksi sel. Konstruksi sel dapat dipergunakan sebagai tempat reaksi antanra biomolekul. Konstruksi sel terbuat dari bahan teflon putih. Untuk menjaga agar sensor QCM tidak mengalami tekanan fisik yang bisa mengakibatkan pecah karena tekanan dari teflon maka digunakan o-ring silikon sebagai penyekat. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa konstruksi sel yang dibuat dapat digunakan untuk dipergunakan sebagai media pengamatan imobilisasi Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) di atas permukaan sensor.
Simulation Study of the Arrhythmogenic Effects of Two Missense Mutations in Human Atrial Fibrillation

Genetic mutations affecting genes encoding for ion channel protein structures have been associated with the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in healthy individuals. The aim of this study is to model and simulate the effects of two gain-of-function mutations found in literature, T895M and T436M, and affecting the rapid delayed rectifier potassium current. Courtemanche human atrial model has been chosen to reproduce myocytes behaviour and an optimization algorithm has been employed to fit model parameters to experimental data. Single cell and tissue patch simulations have been performed to study the effects of the two mutations in control, paroxysmal and permanent AF conditions, both in right and left atrium. 0D simulations revealed that both mutations cause an increase in IKr current, leading to action potential duration shortening and flattening of restitution curves, especially in presence of the mutation T895M. Initiation of a re-entrant activity in 2D simulations were possible both in case of T895M and T436M. The study reports the arrhythmogenicity of the two mutants and reveals T895M having a stronger effect with respect to T436M, in particular in control rather than in paroxysmal and permanent AF conditions. Differences in the dynamics of the two mutations highlight the importance of a patient-specific approach in planning targeted drug therapies.
Coloration and application of pH‐sensitive dyes on textile materials

A large number of studies have been devoted to the development of chromic textile materials because of their wide applicability as sensor systems. More recently, pH-sensitive chromic textiles have also been investigated to a considerable extent, as the pH value is an important parameter in various circumstances. This review therefore elaborates on pH-sensitive textile materials. The outcome of this review process demonstrates that halochromic dyes can be successfully incorporated into textile materials, leading to flexible sensors. Various textile materials and different application methods have both been shown to be effective. Yet the textile material in which the pH-sensitive agent is present affects its halochromic behaviour and this factor should thus always be considered. Finally, this review establishes the major potential of pH-sensitive textile materials.
Modified Chitosan for Efficient Dye Adsorption in Low Acid Media

Polyoxypropylenediamine-modified chitosan (D2000-Cs) was prepared by crosslinking of Cs by using epichlorohydrin (ECH) followed by chemical modification using D2000. D2000-Cs was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The stability of D2000-Cs in acid medium was also tested. The adsorption of an anionic dye, acid green 25 (AG) from acidic aqueous solution onto D2000-Cs was investigated. The adsorption experiments were conducted by varying parameters namely: initial concentration of AG, pH and temperature. The kinetic models: pseudo-ﬁrst order, pseudo-second order, and the intraparticle diffusion models were applied to the experimental data. The adsorption process was found to follow pseudo-second order kinetic model. The Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich models were used to fit the adsorption isotherms. It was observed that the experimental data fits very well to the Langmuir model.
Infidelity as a predictor of jealousy in mexican couples

Suspicion of infidelity in couples elicits jealousy in men and women (Bendixen, Kennair & Buss, 2015; Buss, 2014; Buss & Abrams, 2017). It is also known that, in many people, a reaction to a partner’s infidelity consists of intense and aggressive jealousy (Buss, 2000; Shakelford, LeBlanc & Drass, 2000; Wilson & Daly, 1992). However, there is scant literature on the subject of infidelity itself. In other words, there are no relevant data on whether actual infidelity, and even the urge to commit infidelity, evoke jealousy toward one’s partner. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether unfaithful behavior, the motives imputed to infidelity, the concept of infidelity, and the consequences associated with it are predictors of jealousy in men and women involved in couple relationships in Mexico. We applied the Multidimensional Infidelity Inventory and the Jealousy Scale to 302 adult volunteers in couple relationships in central Mexico. Multiple regression in stages found that infidelity is a reliable predicter for jealousy, more in men than in women. The working hypothesis was proved. The results are discussed from the theory of
Clinical Investigation : Thoracic Cancer Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Re-irradiation of Persistent or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Re-irradiation of Persistent or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Marco Trovo, MD,* Emilio Minatel, MD,* Elena Durofil, RTT,* Jerry Polesel, ScD,y Michele Avanzo, ScD,z Tania Baresic, MD,x Alessandra Bearz, MD,jj Alessandro Del Conte, MD,{ Giovanni Franchin, MD,* Carlo Gobitti, MD,* Imad Abu Rumeileh, MD,* and Mauro G. Trovo, MD* *Department of Radiation Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico of Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; yDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico of Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; zDepartment of Medical Physics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico of Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; xDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico of Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; jjDepartment of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico of Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; and {Department of Medical Oncology, Pordenone General Hospital, Aviano, Pordenone, Italy
A Path-Based Distribution Measure for Network Comparison

As network data increases, it is more common than ever for researchers to analyze a set of networks rather than a single network and measure the difference between networks by developing a number of network comparison methods. Network comparison is able to quantify dissimilarity between networks by comparing the structural topological difference of networks. Here, we propose a kind of measures for network comparison based on the shortest path distribution combined with node centrality, capturing the global topological difference with local features. Based on the characterized path distributions, we define and compare network distance between networks to measure how dissimilar the two networks are, and the network entropy to characterize a typical network system. We find that the network distance is able to discriminate networks generated by different models. Combining more information on end nodes along a path can further amplify the dissimilarity of networks. The network entropy is able to detect tipping points in the evolution of synthetic networks. Extensive numerical simulations reveal the effectivity of the proposed measure in network reduction of multilayer networks, and identification of typical system states in temporal networks as well.