Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of combined electrical resistivity tomography and seismic reflection method to explore hidden active faults in Pingwu, Sichuan, China

Abstract Pingwu County, which is located at the northern end of the Longmenshan fault structural belt, has an active regional geological structure. For a long time, the Longmenshan fault tectonic belt has become intensely active with frequent earthquakes. According to the existing geological data, the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault passes through the urban area of Pingwu. However, because of the great changes in the original landform of Pingwu caused by the construction activities in this urban area, a precise judgment of the location of the Pingwu–Qingchuan fault according to the new landform characteristics is difficult. Here, the seismic reflection method, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and drilling method were used to determine the accurate location of the buried active faults in Pingwu County. The seismic reflection method and ERT are used to determine the location of faults, the thickness of overlying strata of the fault, and the basic characteristics of faults. The drilling data can be used to divide the bedrock lithology and confirm the geophysical results. The geological model of the faults can be constructed by 3D inversion of ERT, and the structural characteristics of the faults can be viewed intuitively. The results of this study can provide a basis for earthquake prevention and construction work in Pingwu. The finding also shows that seismic reflection method and ERT can effectively explore buried active faults in urban areas, where many sources of interferences may exist.
Antibiotic resistance pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients of lower respiratory tract infection

The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from sputum samples of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) patients admitted to the Department of Pediatrics and Pulmonary Medicine and also to update clinicians on various antimicrobial alternatives available in treatments. Sputum samples from 298 patients were cultured identified and antibiotic sensitivity was performed by standard methods. Out of the 298 sputum samples from LRTI patients 102 (34.23%) patients had established P. aeruginosa aetiology. Cefepime and ceftazidime show more resistance to P. aeruginosa isolates with resistance 36.27 and 35.30%, respectively. Least resistance was noted for piperacillin/tazobactam and Imipenam that is, 4.90 and 5.88%, respectively. Fifty percent P. aeruginosa are intermediate or marginally sensitive to gentamycin. Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Imipenam was found to be the most sensitive drug against P. aeruginosa in LRTI patients. Gentamycin resistance is continuously increasing. Key words: Antibiotic susceptibility profile of P. aeruginosa, lower respiratory tract infection, multiple antibiotic resistance.
The balance between deterministic and stochastic processes in structuring lake bacterioplankton community over time

One major goal in microbial ecology is to establish the importance of deterministic and stochastic processes for community assembly. This is relevant to explain and predict how diversity changes at different temporal scales. However, understanding of the relative quantitative contribution of these processes and particularly of how they may change over time is limited. Here, we assessed the importance of deterministic and stochastic processes based on the analysis of the bacterial microbiome in one alpine oligotrophic and in one subalpine mesotrophic lake, which were sampled over two consecutive years at different time scales. We found that in both lakes, homogeneous selection (i.e., a deterministic process) was the main assembly process at the annual scale and explained 66.7% of the bacterial community turnover, despite differences in diversity and temporal variability patterns between ecosystems. However, in the alpine lake, homogenizing dispersal (i.e., a stochastic process) was the most important assembly process at the short‐term (daily and weekly) sampling scale and explained 55% of the community turnover. Alpha diversity differed between lakes, and seasonal stability of the bacterial community was more evident in the oligotrophic lake than in the mesotrophic one. Our results demonstrate how important forces that govern temporal changes in bacterial communities act at different time scales. Overall, our study validates on a quantitative basis, the importance and dominance of deterministic processes in structuring bacterial communities in freshwater environments over long time scales.
Practical Considerations in Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Abstract Purpose There are increasing reports in the literature of high rates of coagulopathy and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Understanding of these abnormalities is continually evolving, but these conditions may pose a risk to COVID-19 patients beyond the risk typically seen in critically ill patients. Summary There are currently no widely accepted evidence-based guidelines regarding specifics related to treatment and prevention of COVID-19–related coagulopathies. Areas of management requiring clinical equipoise include agent selection and dosing, continuation vs interruption of home oral anticoagulant therapy during hospital admission, and postdischarge VTE prophylaxis. Clinicians may wish to consider use of a stratified, 3-tiered approach of low-intensity anticoagulation, intermediate-intensity anticoagulation, and therapeutic-dose anticoagulation. Patients can be categorized by tier depending on their risk factors for VTE, acuity of illness, and laboratory values such as D-dimer level. Conclusion Practical guidance on anticoagulation considerations and dosing suggestions are provided to assist clinicians faced with challenging anticoagulation-related situations in caring for hospitalized COVID patients until formal evidence-based guidelines become available.
Heparin-binding protein as a biomarker of gastrointestinal dysfunction in critically ill patients: a retrospective cross-sectional study in China

Objective To investigate the association of plasma heparin-binding protein (HBP) with the development of acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) in critically ill patients. Design Clinical retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting A general teaching hospital in China. Participants Adult patients (age ≥18 years) admitted to our department with an intensive care unit (ICU) stay ≥5 days. Main outcome measures HBP levels were recorded twice or more within 5 days after admission. The initial AGI grades and the worst AGI grades within 5 days after admission, the number of patients receiving total enteral nutrition (TEN) and the number of patients with feeding intolerance (FI) and with sepsis were also recorded, along with some clinical severity and outcome variables. Results From June 2018 to May 2019, 221 patients were enrolled in this study. We divided patients into four groups based on the HBP values: HBP ≤20 ng/mL, 20100 ng/mL. Significant differences were found in the ratios of AGI deterioration and TEN and the incidence rates of FI and sepsis among the four groups. Differences were also found among the groups regarding the worst AGI grades. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves for AGI deterioration, severe AGI (grades II or above), TEN and FI were 0.738 (p=0.001), 0.774 (p<0.001), 0.810 (p<0.001) and 0.729 (p=0.001), respectively. The optimal HBP cut-off values for AGI deterioration and severe AGI were 53.27 ng/mL and 41.26 ng/mL, respectively. However, no differences in ICU duration or 28-day mortality were found. Conclusions HBP levels were associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction in critically ill patients. Increased HBP was positively correlated with sepsis but it was not correlated with 28-day mortality.
Enhanced Production of Bacterial Cellulose in Komagataeibacter xylinus Via Tuning of Biosynthesis Genes with Synthetic RBS

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has outstanding physical and chemical properties, including high crystallinity, moisture retention, and tensile strength. Currently, the major producer of BC is Komagataeibacter xylinus. However, due to limited tools of expression, this host is difficult to engineer metabolically to improve BC productivity. In this study, a regulated expression system for K. xylinus with synthetic ribosome binding site (RBS) was developed and used to engineer a BC biosynthesis pathway. A synthetic RBS library was constructed using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter, and three synthetic RBSs (R4, R15, and R6) with different strengths were successfully isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using synthetic RBS, we optimized the expression of three homologous genes responsible for BC production, pgm, galU, and ndp, and thereby greatly increased it under both static and shaking culture conditions. The final titer of BC under static and shaking conditions was 5.28 and 3.67 g/l, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that reinforced metabolic flux towards BC through quantitative gene expression represents a practical strategy for the improvement of BC productivity.
Neuromuscular responses to fatiguing locomotor exercise

Over the last two decades, an abundance of research has explored the impact of fatiguing locomotor exercise on the neuromuscular system. Neurostimulation techniques have been implemented prior to and following locomotor exercise tasks of a wide variety of intensities, durations, and modes. These techniques have allowed for the assessment of alterations occurring within the central nervous system and the muscle, while techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and spinal electrical stimulation have permitted further segmentalization of locomotor exercise‐induced changes along the motor pathway. To this end, the present review provides a comprehensive synopsis of the literature pertaining to neuromuscular responses to locomotor exercise. Sections of the review were divided to discuss neuromuscular responses to maximal, severe, heavy and moderate intensity, high‐intensity intermittent exercise, and differences in neuromuscular responses between exercise modalities. During maximal and severe intensity exercise, alterations in neuromuscular function reside primarily within the muscle. Although post‐exercise reductions in voluntary activation following maximal and severe intensity exercise are generally modest, several studies have observed alterations occurring at the cortical and/or spinal level. During prolonged heavy and moderate intensity exercise, impairments in contractile function are attenuated with respect to severe intensity exercise, but are still widely observed. While reductions in voluntary activation are greater during heavy and moderate intensity exercise, the specific alterations occurring within the central nervous system remain unclear. Further work utilizing stimulation techniques during exercise and integrating new and emerging techniques such as high‐density electromyography is warranted to provide further insight into neuromuscular responses to locomotor exercise.
Isolation, characterization of plant growth promoting bacteria from the plant Chlorophytum borivilianum and in-vitro screening for activity of nitrogen fixation, phospthate solubilization and IAA production

During the late 19 and early 20 centuries inorganic compounds containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (NPK) were synthesized and used as fertilizers. Due to the increase in human population, fertilizers were used to increase crop production to meet rising demands for food. The hazardous nature of chemical fertilizers for the environment has led to a resurgence of interest in the use of bio-fertilizers for enhanced crop yield and environmental sustainability. In the past 10 15 years close to 4,000 publications have appeared in the field of plant growth promoting bacteria (Bashan and Holguin, 1998). Numerous species of soil bacteria which flourish in the rhizosphere of plants, but which may grow in, on, or around plant tissues, stimulate ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 7 (2014) pp. 1082-1090 http://www.ijcmas. com
Zitierkartelle und Lobbyisten Vergleichende Perspektiven auf die Klimawandelleugner

Zusammenfassung Der Zweifel am Klimawandel reicht bis in hohe politische Ämter, wie die Beispiele USA und Brasilien zeigen. Doch auch in Deutschland versuchen Organisationen, Publizisten und Interessenvertreter, die Öffentlichkeit davon zu überzeugen, dass die Klimaforschung irrt. Wie erfolgreich sind sie damit? Ein Vergleich zwischen den Klimaskeptikern bzw. Klima(wandel)leugnern in den USA und Deutschland zeigt erhebliche Unterschiede auf – etwa im Hinblick auf Finanzen, Organisationsgrad und mediale Reichweite. Andererseits bestehen teils enge ideelle, organisatorische und mitunter finanzielle Verbindungen. Die Darstellung einiger Strategien dieser Akteure verdeutlicht: Der Zweifel an den Erkenntnissen der Klimaforschung hat oft weniger eine wissenschaftliche, sondern vor allem gesellschaftliche, politische und ökonomische Dimensionen. Das stellt Klimaforschung und Medien vor Herausforderungen.
Thiolated Chitosan: Modified Advanced Generation of Mucoadhesive Polymers

Drugs taken by oral administration have many problems such as low solubility, low permeability and always go quickly through gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and hardly to accumulate in this segment. Mucoadhesion is the ability of biological or synthetic macromolecules to adhere to the mucosal layers present in the body. Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems promise several advantages such as it improve the specific localization of the drug delivery system on various membranes, prolong the residence time and an intensified contact with the mucosa increasing the drug concentration gradient. Chitosan is a natural mucoadhesive polymer. It is a non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable cationic polysaccharide from chitin by deacetylation. Thiolated chitosans (thiomers) are the new generation of mucoadhesive polymers having high mucoadhesion, act as permeation enhancer and also exhibit in situ gelling behavior such as chitosan-thioglycolic acid conjugates, chitosan-cysteine conjugates, chitosan glutathione conjugate and chitosan-4-thiobutyl-amidine (chitosan-TBA) conjugates etc. This delivery system can protect the drugs from the acidic environment in stomach, increase the solubility and permeability to increase the absorption of the drug in gastrointestinal tract.
Klimaschutz als Gestaltungsaufgabe für die Zivilgesellschaft

Zusammenfassung Die Herausgeber*innen des Themenschwerpunkts reflektieren die aktuelle klimapolitische Debatte und erörtern insbesondere den Beitrag zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteure. Dabei wird besonderes Augenmerk auf thematische Verknüpfungen, Vernetzungspotentiale und mögliche neue Akteurskoalitionen gelegt. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser klimapolitischen Zwischenbilanz gibt der Beitrag einen Überblick über Konzeption und Beiträge des vorliegenden Themenschwerpunkts.
Hyper production of glucoamylase by Aspergillus niger through the process of chemical mutagensis

The main objective of this study was to produce glucoamylase under optimum conditions and to study the effect of chemical mutagenesis on Aspergillus niger for the production of glucoamylase. The maximum activity of glucoamylase for mutant A. niger (3.185 ± 0.020 IU/ml/min) and wild A. niger (2.085 ± 0.021 IU/ml/min) was recorded in the culture filtration after 96 h of solid state fermentation of growth medium with 70% moisture level and in the presence of 0.3% yeast extract, 0.4% peptone and 4 ml Tween-80 at pH 4.8. The maximum fraction value after gel filtration for wild A. niger and mutant A. niger was 2.850 and 2.980 IU/ml/min, respectively. Purification through the sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) revealed the indication of glucoamylase purification from A. niger. The high value of Km shows that substrate had great affinity for glucoamylase. Glucoamylase enzyme had many useful applications in food processing industry and fermentation biotechnology. Key words: Aspergillus niger, glucoamylase, ethidium bromide, fermentation, wheat bran.
Modifying Effects of Some Plant Hormones on Zucchini Cotyledons Subjected to High Temperature and Excess Copper

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the potential beneficial effects of exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJa) and phenylurea cytokinin (4PU-30) on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) cotyledons subjected to high temperature (HT) and combined HT plus excess copper (Cu2+) stress. Compared to HT stressed zucchini cotyledons, exposure to excess Cu2+ prior to HT treatment inhibited the growth, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, increased glutathione-Stransferase (GST) and peroxidase (Px) total activities, and induced new enzyme isoforms (GST4, GST8, and Px4). The effect of MeJa on the double-stressed plants was to increase SOD, GPx and Px total activities and stimulate the activity of GST8, GST9, GST10, SOD5, Px3 and Px8 isoenzymes. In addition to SOD, GPx and Px, 4PU-30 increased GST total activity, up-regulated Px1 and GR1, and had a higher stimulatory effect on SOD5, Px3, GPx3, GST9 and GST10 activities. Copper, 4PU-30 and MeJa treatments changed the abundance and pattern (MeJa) of soluble zucchini polypeptides in a specific manner. MeJa and especially 4PU-30 applied alone, or in combination, stimulated the growth of later HT-treated cotyledons. 4PU-30 counteracted better than MeJa in the HT+heavy metal-caused inhibition of the growth. The data indicated that both MeJa and 4PU- 30 may protect the zucchini plants from high temperature and combined high temperature plus excess copper stress, but 4PU-30 was more effective; the protective effect was related to the changes in the gene expression, total antioxidant enzyme activities and the activity of individual isoforms of the enzymes.
Components of pathozone behaviour

SUMMARY Pathozone behaviour of soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi is characterized by curves for the change in probability of infection with distance of inoculum from a host. We identify three major components that give rise to the pathozone profile for infection efficiency: the germinability of inoculum, given that it occurs in the pathozone (P1), the growth of the resulting fungal colony outwards to make contact with the host (P2), and the infectivity of mycelium once contact is made (P3). The probability of infection (P) is then given by the product, P1×P2×P3. Using Raphanus sativus and two contrasting types of inoculum of Rhizoctonia solani as a model experimental system, we measured each of the three components by quantifying germinability, colony architecture (to determine the chance of contact by one or more hyphae) and the change in susceptibility over time as a measure of infectivity as mycelium arrives from different distances away. The germinability of inoculum is uniform across the pathozone whereas the probability of contact declines with distance, and the net effect of host susceptibility and infectivity increases. The characteristics of these components result in pathozone profiles that vary in shape. Infection efficiency can decline in an exponential or sigmoidal fashion with increasing distance from the host or follow a curve that rises close to the host and then falls asymptotically to zero with increasing distance. Colony architecture was summarized by the distribution of the furthest extent of hyphal growth amongst colonies growing out from single inoculum units (described, because of its asymmetrical pattern, by a gamma distribution) and by the radial density of hyphae on concentric circles at different distances from the centre of the colony (described by a negative binomial distribution with parameters changing with distance). The mechanistic model for the components of pathozone behaviour is tested by comparing the magnitude and shape of pathozone profiles predicted by the model with independent estimates for P obtained by placing inoculum at fixed distances from the host, and measuring the proportion of successful infections. The shape depends on the relative magnitudes and change with distance of the three components, P1, P2 and P3, which differed between the two types of inoculum. The profiles could be reproduced accurately when the probability of contact was based on the distribution and density of hyphae reaching the host rather than on the furthest extent of hyphal growth amongst colonies. The model is used to analyse the effects of replication and stochastic variability in the components of pathozone behaviour on the comparison of treatments for disease control.
THE EFFECT OF OREGANO AND ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OILS OR ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACE-TATE ON PERFORMANCE AND LIPID OXIDATION OF MEAT ENRICHED WITH N-3 PUFAS IN BROILERS

The study was conducted to compare the effects of two essential oils, fed individually or in combination, with alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) on performance parameters and lipid oxidation of broiler meat enriched with n-3 PUFAs. Seven hundred and twenty day-old Hubbard-JV unsexed broiler chicks were used. Treatments included; control: without antioxidant; alpha-TA200: with alpha-TA at 200 mg/kg; OO150: with oregano essential oil (OO) at 150 mg/kg; OO300: with OO at 300 mg/kg; RO150: with rosemary essential oil (RO) at 150 mg/kg; RO300: with RO at 300 mg/kg; OO75+RO75: both OO and RO at 75 mg/kg; OO150+RO150: both OO and RO at 150 mg/kg. The feeding program consisted of a starter diet to 21 d and a grower diet to the end of the trial at 42 d. Both feeds contained 15 g fish oil/kg as the source of n3 PUFAs. Birds fed alpha-TA200 had significantly higher weight gains at 42 d than those fed OO150, OO75+RO75 and OO150+RO150. However, there were no differences in carcass yield, feed intake, feed conversion ratio or mortality between treatments. Neither essential oil exerted any growth-promoting effect on performance, and there was no interaction between them. Antioxidants retarded lipid oxidation as measured in TBARS, but the effect of each differed according to storage time (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 d) and meat type (breast or thigh). Alpha-TA200, RO300 and combined essential oils (EO) had higher antioxidant effects in breast meat, and OO150+RO150 in thigh meat, than the other treatments with antioxidant at zero time of storage. The ability of natural antioxidants to inhibit lipid oxidation to the end of the storage period was, in decreasing order, combinations of EOs > alpha-TA200 = OO300 = RO150 = RO300 > OO150 in breast meat; and combinations of EOs > RO at both levels > alpha-TA200 = OO150 = OO300 in thigh meat. Combinations of EOs had a greater effect than those fed individually or alpha-TA200 on inhibiting lipid oxidation, and protecting alpha-TA concentration in refrigerated meat enriched with n-PUFAs stored for 15 d. Thigh meat was more susceptible to lipid oxidation than breast meat. The combination of OO and RO, at 150 mg/kg, proved as effective as alpha-TA in retaining the sensory qualities of breast meat after 15 d storage, and was more effective than when these EOs were fed individually or at 300 mg/kg. There is a possible synergistic effect between oregano and rosemary essential oil in preventing lipid oxidation in stored meat enriched with n-3 PUFAs.