Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Anthropogenic Areas May Influence Colonization by Zoonotic Microorganisms in Scavenging Birds

Wild bird species have commonly been implicated as potential vectors of pathogens to other species, humans included. However, the habitat where birds live could influence the probability to acquire these pathogens. Here, we evaluated if the characteristics of the environment used by obligate scavenging birds (vultures) influence their colonization by zoonotic pathogens. For this, we particularly focused on Salmonella spp. , a zoonotic pathogen commonly present in bird species. The occurrence of this bacteria was evaluated in free ranging Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) using natural environments from Argentina and compared with those obtained from condors under human care. In addition, we compared our results with those reported for other wild vultures using natural and anthropized environments at a global scale. We did not find Salmonella spp. in samples of wild condors. Captive condor samples presented Salmonella spp. with an occurrence of 2.8%, and one isolate of Meticilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, among other potential pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, some species of free ranging vultures from diverse geographical areas using anthropized environments tend to present higher occurrences of Salmonella spp. These results highlight the importance of pristine ecosystems to protect vultures’ health toward pathogenic microorganisms that can produce disease in these birds, but also in other species. We call for more studies evaluating differences in occurrence of zoonotic pathogens in vultures according to the quality of the environment they use. Even when vultures have not been implicated in zoonotic pathogen spread, our results add information to evaluate potential events of pathogen spillover between vultures and from these birds to other species.
Extrusion Process as an Alternative to Improve Pulses Products Consumption. A Review

The development of new food products obtained by extrusion processing has increased in recent years. Extrusion is used by the food industry to produce a wide variety of food products, such as ready-to-eat foods (e.g., snacks), among others. Pulses have also gained popularity as novel food ingredients in the formulation of a variety of food and food products, due to their high content of macro and micronutrients, and bioactive compounds that improve the nutritional and functional properties of the final food products. In this review, the impact of extrusion variables on proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, phenolics and antinutritional compounds in pulses and pulse-based formulations are highlighted. Particularly, the impact of the specific mechanical energy. Also, the preservation, increase and/or reduction in those functional compounds, as a consequence of different extrusion processing conditions, are discussed.
Mechanisms of Beta-Cell Apoptosis in Type 2 Diabetes-Prone Situations and Potential Protection by GLP-1-Based Therapies

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia secondary to the decline of functional beta-cells and is usually accompanied by a reduced sensitivity to insulin. Whereas altered beta-cell function plays a key role in T2D onset, a decreased beta-cell mass was also reported to contribute to the pathophysiology of this metabolic disease. The decreased beta-cell mass in T2D is, at least in part, attributed to beta-cell apoptosis that is triggered by diabetogenic situations such as amyloid deposits, lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity. In this review, we discussed the molecular mechanisms involved in pancreatic beta-cell apoptosis under such diabetes-prone situations. Finally, we considered the molecular signaling pathways recruited by glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies to potentially protect beta-cells from death under diabetogenic situations.
Pediatric Tumors-Mediated Inhibitory Effect on NK Cells: The Case of Neuroblastoma and Wilms’ Tumors

Simple Summary Neuroblastoma (NB) and Wilms’ tumor (WT) are the most common childhood solid extracranial tumors. The current treatments consist of a combination of surgery and chemotherapy or radiotherapy in high-risk patients. Such treatments are responsible for significant adverse events requiring long-term monitoring. Thus, a main challenge in NB and WT treatment is the development of novel therapeutic strategies to eliminate or minimize the adverse effects. The characterization of the immune environment could allow for the identification of new therapeutic targets. Herein, we described the interaction between these tumors and innate immune cells, in particular natural killer cells and monocytes. The detection of the immunosuppressive activity of specific NB and WT tumor cells on natural killer cells and on monocytes could offer novel cellular and molecular targets for an effective immunotherapy of NB and WT. Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in the control of cancer development, progression and metastatic dissemination. However, tumor cells develop an array of strategies capable of impairing the activation and function of the immune system, including NK cells. In this context, a major event is represented by the establishment of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) composed of stromal cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumor-associated macrophages, regulatory T cells and cancer cells themselves. The different immunoregulatory cells infiltrating the TME, through the release of several immunosuppressive molecules or by cell-to-cell interactions, cause an impairment of the recruitment of NK cells and other lymphocytes with effector functions. The different mechanisms by which stromal and tumor cells impair NK cell function have been particularly explored in adult solid tumors and, in less depth, investigated and discussed in a pediatric setting. In this review, we will compare pediatric and adult solid malignancies concerning the respective mechanisms of NK cell inhibition, highlighting novel key data in neuroblastoma and Wilms’ tumor, two of the most frequent pediatric extracranial solid tumors. Indeed, both tumors are characterized by the presence of stromal cells acting through the release of immunosuppressive molecules. In addition, specific tumor cell subsets inhibit NK cell cytotoxic function by cell-to-cell contact mechanisms likely controlled by the transcriptional coactivator TAZ. These findings could lead to a more performant diagnostic approach and to the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the identified cellular and molecular targets.
Development of Flexible and Functional Sequins Using Subtractive Technology and 3D Printing for Embroidered Wearable Textile Applications

Embroidery is often the preferred technology when rigid circuit boards need to be connected to sensors and electrodes by data transmission lines and integrated into textiles. Moreover, conventional circuit boards, like Lilypad Arduino, commonly lack softness and flexibility. One approach to overcome this drawback can be flexible sequins as a substrate carrier for circuit boards. In this paper, such an approach of the development of flexible and functional sequins and circuit boards for wearable textile applications using subtractive and additive technology is demonstrated. Applying these techniques, one-sided sequins and circuit boards are produced using wax printing and etching copper-clad foils, as well as using dual 3D printing of conventional isolating and electrically conductive materials. The resulting flexible and functional sequins are equipped with surface mounted devices, applied to textiles by an automated embroidery process and contacted with a conductive embroidery thread.
Presepsin in the Rapid Response System for Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

Introduction: Early diagnosis of sepsis is paramount to effective management. The present study aimed to compare the prognostic accuracy of presepsin levels and other biomarkers in the assessment of septic shock and mortality risk in cancer patients. Materials and methods: A total of 74 cancer patients were evaluated for presepsin, lactic acid, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and white blood cell count (WBC). Specificity and sensitivity values for septic shock and death were compared between four biomarkers in all patients and those with and without acute kidney injury (AKI). Results: A total of 27 and 29 patients experienced septic shock and died, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) and sensitivity and specificity estimated for presepsin levels for septic shock were 60%, 74%, and 51%, respectively. The corresponding values for mortality were 62%, 72%, and 49%, respectively. In patients without AKI, AUC of presepsin levels for septic shock and death were 62% and 65%, respectively; in those with AKI, these values were 44% and 58%, respectively. Presepsin levels showed higher sensitivity and specificity values than WBC and higher specificity than CRP but were similar to those of lactic acid levels. Conclusions: Presepsin levels are similar to lactic acid levels in the assessment of septic shock and mortality risk in cancer patients. In patients with AKI, presepsin levels should be considered carefully.
Cataloguing the bacterial diversity in the active ectomycorrhizal zone of Astraeus from a dry deciduous forest of Shorea

Abstract The plant microbiome has been considered one of the most researched areas of microbial biodiversity, yet very little information is available on the microbial communities prevailing in the mushroom's ectomycorrhizosphere. Ectomycorrhizal symbioses often result in the formation of a favourable niche which enables the thriving of various microbial symbionts where these symbionts endorse functions, such as quorum sensing, biofilm formation, volatile microbial compound (VOC) production, regulation of microbial gene expression, symbiosis and virulence. The identification of hidden uncultured microbial communities around the active ectomycorrhizal zone of Astraeus from dry deciduous sal forest of Jharkhand, India was carried out using MinION Oxford Nanopore sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons genes. High richness of Operational Taxonomic Units (1,905 OTUs) was observed. We recorded 25 distinct phyla. Proteobacteria (36%) was the most abundant phylum, followed by Firmicutes (28%), Actinobacteria (10%) and Bacteroidetes (6%), whereas Gammaproteobacteria was the most abundant class of bacterial communities in the active ectomycorrhizal zone. The ectomycorrhizosphere soil has abundant phosphate-solubilising bacteria (PSB). This is the first report of the ectomycorrhizosphere microbiome associated with Astraeus.
Lactic Starter Dose Shapes S. aureus and STEC O26:H11 Growth, and Bacterial Community Patterns in Raw Milk Uncooked Pressed Cheeses

Adding massive amounts of lactic starters to raw milk to manage the sanitary risk in the cheese-making process could be detrimental to microbial diversity. Adjusting the amount of the lactic starter used could be a key to manage these adverse impacts. In uncooked pressed cheeses, we investigated the impacts of varying the doses of a lactic starter (the recommended one, 1×, a 0.1× lower and a 2× higher) on acidification, growth of Staphylococcus aureus SA15 and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11 F43368, as well as on the bacterial community patterns. We observed a delayed acidification and an increase in the levels of pathogens with the 0.1× dose. This dose was associated with increased richness and evenness of cheese bacterial community and higher relative abundance of potential opportunistic bacteria or desirable species involved in cheese production. No effect of the increased lactic starter dose was observed. Given that sanitary criteria were paramount to our study, the increase in the pathogen levels observed at the 0.1× dose justified proscribing such a reduction in the tested cheese-making process. Despite this, the effects of adjusting the lactic starter dose on the balance of microbial populations of potential interest for cheese production deserve an in-depth evaluation.
Effect of a Black Soldier Fly Ingredient on the Growth Performance and Disease Resistance of Juvenile Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Simple Summary This study investigates the use of a Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) ingredient in juvenile shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) diets at various inclusion rates (4.5, 7.5, and 10.5%), monitoring both the growth performance and then health performance in the face of three separate challenges (White spot syndrome virus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and osmotic stress). This work showed that growth performance (measured through weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and specific growth rate) of L. vannamei was significantly improved in a linear trend with the inclusion of the Black soldier fly ingredient (p < 0.05), whilst health performance was not significantly altered. Overall, the Black soldier fly ingredient proves to be a promising additive for L. vannamei diets, impacting performance and sustainability positively. Abstract This study was performed as part of developing a functional feed ingredient for juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Here we assess the effects of dietary inclusion of a Black Soldier Fly Ingredient (BSFI) from defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal on growth performance, tolerance to salinity stress, and disease resistance when challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus or a strain of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). A control diet was used for comparison with three test diets including 4.5, 7.5, and 10.5% of BSFI (BSFI4.5, BSFI7.5, and BSFI10.5). After 28 days, all diets with BSFI had improved weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) compared to control. Indeed, SGR was significantly improved from inclusion of 4.5% in the diet, whilst FCR was significantly improved at 7.5% (p < 0.05). During the growth trial, survival was not affected by diet. Shrimp health performance was not significantly affected by the diets across the disease and salinity challenges. Overall, the results indicate that the inclusion of BSFI from H. illucens improves the performance of juvenile L. vannamei.
The Effect of Changes in Physical Self-Concept through Participation in Exercise on Changes in Self-Esteem and Mental Well-Being

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of the changes in physical self-concept induced by exercise participation on the changes in global self-esteem and mental well-being using a structural model analysis. A total of 189 university students in Seoul, Korea, participated in the present study for two waves. The participants responded through a survey measuring physical self-concept, self-esteem, and mental well-being before and after a six-week exercise course. Regression analysis was used to calculate the amount of change in each variable, and the calculated residual scores were used for correlation analysis and structural model analysis. The amounts of changes in the variables are significantly correlated with each other and there was a complementary mediating effect of the changes in self-esteem on the pathway from the changes in physical self-concept to the changes in mental well-being. Physical self-concept changed by exercise participation might directly and positively influence mental well-being, and it can indirectly influence the changes in mental well-being via the improvement of self-esteem.
Recent progress in Ga2O3 power devices

This is a review article on the current status and future prospects of the research and development on gallium oxide (Ga2O3) power devices. Ga2O3 possesses excellent material properties, in particular for power device applications. It is also attractive from an industrial viewpoint since large-size, high-quality wafers can be manufactured from a single-crystal bulk synthesized by melt–growth methods. These two features have drawn much attention to Ga2O3 as a new wide bandgap semiconductor following SiC and GaN. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the research and development on fundamental technologies of Ga2O3 devices, covering single-crystal bulk and wafer production, homoepitaxial thin film growth by molecular beam epitaxy and halide vapor phase epitaxy, as well as device processing and characterization of metal–semiconductor field-effect transistors, metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors and Schottky barrier diodes.
Purification and Identification of Cholesterol Micelle Formation Inhibitory Peptides of Hydrolysate from High Hydrostatic Pressure-Assisted Protease Hydrolysis of Fermented Seabass Byproduct

This research focuses on the proteolytic capacity of sea bass byproduct (SB) and their hypocholesterolemic activity via the cholesterol micelle formation (CMF) inhibition. SB was fermented with seven mixed lactic acid bacteria for 5 h at 42 °C. The lactic fermented SB was hydrolyzed with Protease N for 6 h under HHP to obtain the SB hydrolysates (HHP-assisted Protease N hydrolysis after fermentation, F-HHP-PN6). The supernatant was separated from the SB hydrolysate and freeze-dried. As the hydrolysis time extended to 6 h, soluble protein content increased from 187.1 to 565.8 mg/g, and peptide content increased from 112.8 to 421.9 mg/g, while inhibition of CMF increased from 75.0% to 88.4%. Decreasing the CMF inhibitory activity from 88.4% to 42.1% by simulated gastrointestinal digestion (FHHP-PN6 was further hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal enzymes, F-HHP-PN6-PP) reduced the CMF inhibitory activity of F-HHP-PN6. Using gel filtration chromatography, the F-HHP-PN6-PP was fractioned into six fractions. The molecular weight of the fifth fraction from F-HHP-PN6-PP was between 340 and 290 Da, and the highest inhibitory efficiency ratio (IER) on CMF was 238.9%/mg/mL. Further purification and identification of new peptides with CMF inhibitory activity presented the peptide sequences in Ser-Ala-Gln, Pro-Trp, and Val-Gly-Gly-Thr; the IERs were 361.7, 3230.0, and 302.9%/mg/mL, respectively.
Clinical and Multimodal Imaging Features of Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits

Abstract Purpose To describe the multimodal imaging (MMI) features of subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) in Indian population. Methods Patients diagnosed to have SDD from January 2016 to December 2018 at our tertiary care center were recruited. The diagnosis of SDD was made on the basis of MMI consisting of a combination of color fundus photography (CFP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), red-free (RF) imaging, blue autofluorescence (BAF), and near-infra red reflectance (NIR) imaging. The morphological type and distribution of SDD and the associated retinal lesions were reviewed. Results Twenty-three patients with SDD were included. The mean age of the patients was 68.1 ± 12.2 years. SDD were noted in 77.8% of eyes clinically (n = 35/45) and could be detected in 100% of these eyes with OCT. The morphology of SDD was nodular in 65.7% of eyes (n = 23/35), reticular in 5.7% (n = 2/35), and mixed pattern in the remaining cases. BAF and NIR showed hyporeflective nodular lesions often with a target configuration. The location was commonly in the perifoveal area, mostly involving the superotemporal quadrant (74.3%, n = 26/35). Associated retinal lesions were type-3 neovascularization or retinal angiomatous proliferation in 17.1% (n = 6/35), disciform scar in 11.4% (n = 4/35), type-1 neovascularization in 8.5% (n = 3/35), and geographic atrophy in 5.7% (n = 2/35) of eyes. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was 186.2 ± 57.8 µm. Conclusion SDD commonly have a nodular morphology and their identification often requires confirmations with OCT. Advanced age-related macular degeneration features are frequently present in eyes with SDD and the fellow eyes.
A Genome-Wide Association Study for Hypertensive Kidney Disease in Korean Men

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the coexistence of hypertension and CKD increases morbidity and mortality. Although many genetic factors have been identified separately for hypertension and kidney disease, studies specifically focused on hypertensive kidney disease (HKD) have been rare. Therefore, this study aimed to identify loci or genes associated with HKD. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using two Korean cohorts, the Health Examinee (HEXA) and Korean Association REsource (KARE). Consequently, 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be significantly associated with HKD in the discovery and replication phases (p < 5 × 10−8, p < 0.05, respectively). We further analyzed HKD-related traits such as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at the 14q21.2 locus, which showed a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD). Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis was also performed to determine whether HKD-related SNPs affect gene expression changes in glomerular and arterial tissues. The results suggested that the FANCM gene may affect the development of HKD through an integrated analysis of eQTL and GWAS and was the most significantly associated candidate gene. Taken together, this study indicated that the FANCM gene is involved in the pathogenesis of HKD. Additionally, our results will be useful in prioritizing other genes for further experiments.
Dimethylglyoxime Clathrate as Ligand Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Supported Nano-Metal Particles as Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal nano-particles show great promise as high-performance catalysts for novel energies, organic synthesis, environmental protection, and other fields. The synergistic effect between nitrogen-doped carbon and metal nano-particles enhances the catalytic properties. Thus, how to effectively combine nitrogen-doped carbon with metal nano-particles is a crucial factor for the synthesis of novel catalysts. In this paper, we report on a facile method to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal nano-particles by using dimethylgly-oxime as ligand. The nano-particles of Pd, Ni, Cu, and Fe were successfully prepared by the pyrolysis of the corresponding clathrate of ions and dimethylglyoxime. The ligand of dimethylglyoxime is adopted as the source for the nitrogen-doped carbon. The nano-structure of the prepared Pd, Ni, Cu, and Fe particles are confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and trans-mission electron microscopy tests. The catalytic performances of the obtained metal nano-particles for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are investigated by cyclic voltammetry, Tafel, linear sweeping voltammetry, rotating disc electrode, rotating ring disc electrode, and other technologies. Results show that the nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal nano-particles can be highly efficient catalysts for ORR. The results of the paper exhibit a facile methodology to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal nano-particles.