Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of methyltestosterone on food utilization and growth of Sarotherodon niloticus Fry

Three groups of Sarotherodon niloticus fry were fed for 8 weeks on diets either treated with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT), alcohol (CA), or untreated (CO). Growth rate and food utilization in the different groups were compared. Results indicate that the best growth, Food Conversion Ratio (FCR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Mean Growth Rate (MGR) were obtained with the MT diet. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in growth and food utilization of the CA and CO fry, nor in the mortality rate of the three treatments. The androgen methyltestosterone promotes growth and protein anabolism without producing toxic effects in S. niloticus.
A Review on Electronic Payments Security

Modern technology is turning into an essential element in the financial trade. We focus the emphasis of this review on the research on the E-wallet and online payment, which is an element of an electric payment system, to get the pattern of using this service. This research presents a review of 131 research articles published on electronic payment between 2010 and 2020 that uses a qualitative method of answering the research questions (RQ): RQ1: “What are the major security issues regarding using electronic payments”? and RQ2: “What security properties need to comply for secure electronic payments? ” With the systematic literature review approach, the results show that interest in E-wallet and online payment has grown significantly during this period, and it was found that for the increasing uses of electronic payments, researchers are more focused on security issues. The results show that, to conquer the key gaps, electronic payment must have some protection properties, namely, availability, authorization, integrity, non-repudiation, authentication, and confidentiality. Nowadays, security problems in electronic payment are usually more demanding than the present security problems on the web. These findings can enable electric transaction providers to strengthen their security methods by boosting their security gaps, as required for relevant services.
An IoT-Based Framework for Smart Water Supply Systems Management

The world’s population growth and climate changes increase the demand for high-quality water. This fact forces humankind to create new water management strategies. Smart cities have successfully applied the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in many sectors. Moreover, Complex Event Processing (CEP) can analyze and process large data sets produced by IoT sensors in real-time. Traditional business processes are too rigid in expressing the dynamic behavior of water supply systems. Every execution path must be explicitly specified. On the other hand, declarative business processes allow execution paths that are not prohibited by the rules, providing more flexibility for water supply managers. This paper joins together IoT, CEP, and declarative processes to create a powerful, efficient, and flexible architecture (REFlex Water) to manage water supply systems. To the knowledge of the authors, REFlex Water is the first solution to combine these technologies in the context of water supply systems. The paper describes the REFlex Water architecture and demonstrates its application to a real water system from a Brazilian municipality. Results are promising, and the managers from the Brazilian water company are expanding the use of REFlex Water to other sectors of their water supply system.
Los posibles caminos desde el gen a la función proteica

Proteins are the basic components of the machinery of all living beings. The instructions for their production are written in the genes of the DNA. The advances in DNA sequencing techniques have enabled the acquisition of a large amount of information of the genes of a variety of organisms, like bacteria, fungi, virus, plants, animals, etc. In most cases the function of the described genes is unknown. In this article we discuss the challenges involved in the functional analysis of genes and proteins, focusing on the particular case of the enzyme Lumazine Synthase from Brucella abortus as example.
Studying Epithelial-Stromal Interactions in Prostate Cancer Using Tissue Recombination Models

The study of cancer requires a range ofmodels, each ofwhichwill have their own strengths and weaknesses. Tissue recombination models, which are composed of mixtures of epithelial and stromal cells grafted to host mice, have been used to study aspects of developmental biology and disease pathogenesis in a number of organs, notably including the prostate (1). The strengths of the tissue recombination approach include flexibility, speed and the ability to interrogate human cells in vivo.Weaknesses include legitimate but addressable questions related to graft site choice and the need to use immune-compromised hosts, at least for models involving human cells. As currently practiced, tissue recombination allows the investigator to specify epithelial and stromal components, to upregulate or suppress gene expression using appropriate viral vectors in all, or a proportion, of one or both tissues, and to assess the consequences of such modifications in vivo. This session will use examples to describe applications of the tissue recombination approach in the investigation of prostate cancer biology. The choice of graft site for specific applications and techniques to track cells in this model will be discussed (2). The use of immune-compromisedmice clearly inhibits the ability to examine the role of the immune system in carcinogenesis; however, approaches to examine a wide range of non-immune leukocytes have been successfully developed and will be discussed, as will syngeneic approaches that allow the use of immune-intact hosts.
Comparative Study on the Effects of Crude Extracts of Pterocarpus Soyauxii and Telfairia Occidetalis on Haematological Parameters of Albino Rats

A comparative study on the effects of crude extracts of pterocarpus soyauxii and Telfairia occidentalis on haematological parameters of albino wistar rats was carried out. Forty nine albino rats of both sexes, weighing between 150 and 250 g were used for the study. The rats were divided into seven groups of seven rats each. Group I rats served as the control and received normal feed and water ad libitum, while groups II - VII were the experimental groups. The extracts were administered to the animals orally for thirty days. Groups II and III rats were given 0.5 and 1.0 ml of the crude extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii respectively. Rats in groups IV and V received 0.5 and 1.0 ml of the crude extract of Telfairia occidentalis respectively, while rats in groups VI and VII received 0.5 and 1.0 ml mixtures of both extracts respectively. Results revealed that Pterocarpus soyauxii significantly increased RBC, HBC, PCV, MCH, MCHC levels (p>0.05) and the levels increased with increasing quantity of the extract. There was a significant increase in WBC as well as other parameters with the administration of Telfairia occidentalis and this continued with increasing doses of the extract. The mixture of both extracts showed a significant increase at a lower dose and no significant difference at higher dose. In conclusion, Pterocarpus soyauxii at lower dosage has haematopoietic potential and could be used in the alleviation of anaemic conditions but not at higher dosage. Telfairia occidentalis on the other hand has haematinic effects at both low and high dosages. Keywords: Pterocarpus soyauxii, Telfairia occidentalis , vegetables anaemia, haematinics, rats
Evaluating effects of a multi-generation pollution on Caenorhabditis elegans' population

The assessment of toxic effects at biologically and ecologically relevant scales is an important challenge in ecosystem protection. Indeed, in most time, stressors impact populations over longterm. The selection pressure exerted by a pollutant is known to amplify the phenomenon of natural selection and could lead to evolutionary changes across generations. It is therefore important to study the evolutionary response of a population submitted to a long term stress. Regarding this background, we assessed the evolution of two populations (control and exposed to 1.1 mM of the heavy radiotoxic metal, uranium) of the ubiquitous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans submitted to a long-term exposure to uranium. The experimentation was conducted over 16 generations and life history traits (growth, reproduction and survival) as well as dose-response evolution were assessed. These parameters were followed daily on individuals extracted from the populations and exposed to a range of concentration (from 0 to 1.2 mM U). Our experiment showed an increase of adverse effects as a function of uranium concentration. Indeed the NOEC for reproduction and growth traits were respectively of 0.5 mM U and 0.9 mM U. Moreover, reproduction and growth were respectively reduced by over 60% and 20% for individual exposed at 1.1 mM U. This reduction remained constant throughout the generations. We also pointed out the appearance of genetics differentiations on reproduction traits throughout the generations. This differentiation, observed from generation 3, showed us that the total egg-laying of the uranium population was significantly decreased compared with the control population. In contrast, no differentiations were highlighted on growth traits. Our results confirm the importance of studying environmental risks related to pollutant through multi-generational studies in order to capture effects that may appear after several generation of exposition.
Leaf-feeding Resistance to the European Corn Borer in Genotypes of Tropical (Low-DIMBOA) and U.S. Inbred (High-DIMBOA) Maize

Leaf-feeding and survival of 1st instar Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner) were studied using 5 genotypes of maize, Zea mays L. Plant factors other than DIMBOA mediated resistance during a 60 h post-caging observation period on the tropical genotypes I.D. R.N. Cornell 6008 (Puerto Rico-1 × Antigua-2) and I.D. R.N. Cornell 6006 (San Juan-3 × Antigua-8D). In addition to any DIMBOA induced mortality on the inbreds (B49 and B68), feeding deterrency may be important in natural resistance as well. Rate of feeding was greatly suppressed on B49 and 6006, while feeding on 6008 and B68 was moderately reduced compared to a susceptible control WF9, in no-choice and 2-choice regimes using 2 caging techniques.
Characterization of the Role of Elg1-RFC in Suppression of Genome Instability

Sliding clamps and their cognate clamp loaders facilitate DNA synthesis, DNA repair, and sister chromatid cohesion in eukaryotes. ELG1 (enhanced level of genome instability) encodes a member of the fourth clamp-loader-like complex identified to date, and is important in the maintenance of genome integrity. Like all clamp loaders, Elg1 is a replication factor C (RFC) homologue. I examined the roles of the unique and conserved regions of S.cerevisiae Elg1 in resistance to exogenous DNA damage and suppression of spontaneous DNA damage. The conserved RFC region of Elg1 mediates association with chromatin function. The unique Cterminus of Elg1 mediates oligomerization with Rfc2-5, a core complex present in all clamp loaders, and is essential for Elg1 function. Finally, the N-terminus of Elg1 promotes its nuclear localization and contributes to the maintenance of genome stability. The Elg1-RFC complex most likely functions in collaboration with the sliding clamp PCNA. Combining mutations in ELG1 and PCNA results in endogenous DNA damage, which activates a noncanonical DNA damage response that results in upregulation of dNTP production. Increased dNTP pools allow significant DNA synthesis to occur at hydroxyurea (HU) concentrations that prevent replication in wild type cells. However, consistent with the recognized correlation between dNTP levels and spontaneous mutation, the double mutant exhibits a significant increase in mutation frequency. These phenotypes are also detectable in the single mutants although to a lesser extent. Together, these findings suggest that spontaneous mutagenesis stimulated by endogenous DNA damage may be a general feature of the DNA
Early-Life Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Long-term Risk of Prostate Cancer

Background: Adolescence is a period of rapid prostatic growth, yet is understudied for susceptibility for future risk of prostate cancer. We examined cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in late adolescence in relation to long-term prostate cancer risk. Methods: A population-based cohort study was conducted of all 699,125 Swedish military conscripts during 1972–1985 (97%–98% of 18-year-old men) in relation to risk of prostate cancer overall, aggressive prostate cancer, and prostate cancer mortality during 1998–2017 (ages 50–65 years). CRF was measured by maximal aerobic workload, and prostate cancer was ascertained using the National Prostate Cancer Register. Muscle strength was examined as a secondary predictor. Results: In 38.8 million person-years of follow-up, 10,782 (1.5%) men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, height, weight, and family history of prostate cancer, high CRF was associated with a slightly increased risk of any prostate cancer [highest vs. lowest quintile: incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03–1.19; P = 0.008], but was neither significantly associated with aggressive prostate cancer (1.01; 0.85–1.21; P = 0.90) nor prostate cancer mortality (1.24; 0.73–2.13; P = 0.42). High muscle strength also was associated with a modestly increased risk of any prostate cancer (highest vs. lowest quintile: IRR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07–1.23; P < 0.001), but neither with aggressive prostate cancer (0.88; 0.74–1.04; P = 0.14) nor prostate cancer mortality (0.81; 0.48–1.37; P = 0.43). Conclusions: High CRF or muscle strength in late adolescence was associated with slightly increased future risk of prostate cancer, possibly related to increased screening, but neither with risk of aggressive prostate cancer nor prostate cancer mortality. Impact: These findings illustrate the importance of distinguishing aggressive from indolent prostate cancer and assessing for potential detection bias.
Pollinator Bees on Alfalfa in the Erzurum Region of Turkey

SummaryA study was undertaken to determine the pollinator bees on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in the vicinity of Erzurum. Fifteen species of bees belonging to various families were collected. Among them Rhophites canus, Bombus lederi, Anthophora kaufmanii, Melitta leporina, Bombus incertus, Melitturga clavicomis, Eucera cinerea, Bombus armeniacus and Andrena labialis were the most valuable pollinators of alfalfa.
COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

ABSTRACT Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread world over causing morbidity and mortality in affected patients, especially elderly and those with co-morbidities. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients frequently require immunosuppressive therapy and are known to be at risk of opportunistic infections. Areas covered We hereby review the available literature pertaining to COVID-19 in IBD based on published consensus guidelines, expert opinions, case series, registries and reports. Expert opinion Preliminary data suggests no increase in incidence of COVID-19 in IBD patients as compared to general population. Morbidity and mortality rates attributable to COVID-19 are also similar in IBD patients as compared to general population. Though exact reason is unknown, some aspects of COVID-19 pathogenesis may explain this paradox. Medications for IBD need to be carefully reviewed during COVID-19 crisis. Steroids may need dose tapering or substitution to avoid complications based on anecdotal evidence. Endoscopic procedures for IBD maybe deferred unless absolutely necessary. General measures recommended for COVID-19 tailored to specific needs of IBD patients maybe the best way to prevent infection. Our understanding of the disease outcomes and optimal management protocols are likely to evolve as we move ahead in this pandemic.
Shape Memory Polymer Foam with Programmable Apertures

In this work, a novel type of polyester urethane urea (PEUU) foam is introduced. The foam was produced by reactive foaming using a mixture of poly(1,10–decamethylene adipate) diol and poly(1,4–butylene adipate) diol, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 1,4–butanediol, diethanolamine and water as blowing agent. As determined by differential scanning calorimetry, the melting of the ester-based phases occurred at temperatures in between 25 °C and 61 °C, while the crystallization transition spread from 48 °C to 20 °C. The mechanical properties of the foam were simulated with the hyperplastic models Neo-Hookean and Ogden, whereby the latter showed a better agreement with the experimental data as evidenced by a Pearson correlation coefficient R² above 0.99. Once thermomechanically treated, the foam exhibited a maximum actuation of 13.7% in heating-cooling cycles under a constant external load. In turn, thermal cycling under load-free conditions resulted in an actuation of more than 10%. Good thermal insulation properties were demonstrated by thermal conductivities of 0.039 W·(m·K)−1 in the pristine state and 0.052 W·(m·K)−1 in a state after compression by 50%, respectively. Finally, three demonstrators were developed, which closed an aperture or opened it again simply by changing the temperature. The self-sufficient material behavior is particularly promising in the construction industry, where programmable air slots offer the prospect of a dynamic insulation system for an adaptive building envelope.
Isolation of Cancer-Derived Exosomes Using a Variety of Magnetic Nanostructures: From Fe3O4 Nanoparticles to Ni Nanowires

Isolating and analyzing tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) can provide important information about the state of a tumor, facilitating early diagnosis and prognosis. Since current isolation methods are mostly laborious and expensive, we propose herein a fast and cost-effective method based on a magnetic nanoplatform to isolate TEX. In this work, we have tested our method using three magnetic nanostructures: (i) Ni magnetic nanowires (MNWs) (1500 × 40 nm), (ii) Fe3O4 nanorods (NRs) (41 × 7 nm), and (iii) Fe3O4 cube-octahedral magnetosomes (MGs) (45 nm) obtained from magnetotactic bacteria. The magnetic response of these nanostructures has been characterized, and we have followed their internalization inside canine osteosarcoma OSCA-8 cells. An overall depiction has been obtained using a combination of Fluorescence and Scanning Electron Microscopies. In addition, Transmission Electron Microscopy images have shown that the nanostructures, with different signs of degradation, ended up being incorporated in endosomal compartments inside the cells. Small intra-endosomal vesicles that could be precursors for TEX have also been identified. Finally, TEX have been isolated using our magnetic isolation method and analyzed with a Nanoparticle tracking analyzer (NanoSight). We observed that the amount and purity of TEX isolated magnetically with MNWs was higher than with NRs and MGs, and they were close to the results obtained using conventional non-magnetic isolation methods.
Fatty Acids and Membrane Lipidomics in Oncology: A Cross-Road of Nutritional, Signaling and Metabolic Pathways

Fatty acids are closely involved in lipid synthesis and metabolism in cancer. Their amount and composition are dependent on dietary supply and tumor microenviroment. Research in this subject highlighted the crucial event of membrane formation, which is regulated by the fatty acids’ molecular properties. The growing understanding of the pathways that create the fatty acid pool needed for cell replication is the result of lipidomics studies, also envisaging novel fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid-mediated signaling. Fatty acid-driven mechanisms and biological effects in cancer onset, growth and metastasis have been elucidated, recognizing the importance of polyunsaturated molecules and the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 families. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids are biomarkers in several types of cancer, and their characterization in cell membranes and exosomes is under development for diagnostic purposes. Desaturase enzymatic activity with unprecedented de novo polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis is considered the recent breakthrough in this scenario. Together with the link between obesity and cancer, fatty acids open interesting perspectives for biomarker discovery and nutritional strategies to control cancer, also in combination with therapies. All these subjects are described using an integrated approach taking into account biochemical, biological and analytical aspects, delineating innovations in cancer prevention, diagnostics and treatments.
Large amplitude torsions in nitrotoluene isomers studied by rotational spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations.

Rotational spectra of ortho-nitrotoluene (2-NT) and para-nitrotoluene (4-NT) have been recorded at low and room temperatures using a supersonic jet Fourier Transform microwave (MW) spectrometer and a millimeter- wave frequency multiplier chain, respectively. Supported by quantum chemistry calculations, the spectral analysis of pure rotation lines in the vibrational ground state has allowed to characterize the rotational energy, the hyperfine structure due to the 14 N nucleus and the internal rotation splittings arising from the methyl group. For 2-NT, an anisotropic internal rotation of coupled -CH 3 and -NO 2 torsional motions was identified by quantum chemistry calculations and discussed from the results of the MW analysis. The study of the internal rotation splittings in the spectra of three NT isomers allowed to characterise the internal rotation potentials of the methyl group and to compare them with other mono-substituted toluene derivatives in order to study the isomeric influence on the internal rotation barrier.
Plant Nitrilase Homologues in Fungi: Phylogenetic and Functional Analysis with Focus on Nitrilases in Trametes versicolor and Agaricus bisporus

Fungi contain many plant-nitrilase (NLase) homologues according to database searches. In this study, enzymes NitTv1 from Trametes versicolor and NitAb from Agaricus bisporus were purified and characterized as the representatives of this type of fungal NLase. Both enzymes were slightly more similar to NIT4 type than to NIT1/NIT2/NIT3 type of plant NLases in terms of their amino acid sequences. Expression of the synthetic genes in Escherichia coli Origami B (DE3) was induced with 0.02 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside at 20 °C. Purification of NitTv1 and NitAb by cobalt affinity chromatography gave ca. 6.6 mg and 9.6 mg of protein per 100 mL of culture medium, respectively. Their activities were determined with 25 mM of nitriles in 50 mM Tris/HCl buffer, pH 8.0, at 30 °C. NitTv1 and NitAb transformed β-cyano-L-alanine (β-CA) with the highest specific activities (ca. 132 and 40 U mg−1, respectively) similar to plant NLase NIT4. β-CA was transformed into Asn and Asp as in NIT4 but at lower Asn:Asp ratios. The fungal NLases also exhibited significant activities for (aryl)aliphatic nitriles such as 3-phenylpropionitrile, cinnamonitrile and fumaronitrile (substrates of NLase NIT1). NitTv1 was more stable than NitAb (at pH 5–9 vs. pH 5–7). These NLases may participate in plant–fungus interactions by detoxifying plant nitriles and/or producing plant hormones. Their homology models elucidated the molecular interactions with various nitriles in their active sites.