Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solving the Mechanism of Na+/H+ Antiporters Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Na/H antiporters are vital membrane proteins for cell homeostasis, transporting Na ions in exchange for H across the lipid bilayer. In humans, dysfunction of these transporters are implicated in hypertension, heart failure, epilepsy, and autism, making them well-established drug targets. Although experimental structures for bacterial homologs of the human Na/H have been obtained, the detailed mechanism for ion transport is still not well-understood. The most well-studied of these transporters, Escherichia coli NhaA, known to transport 2 H for every Na extruded, was recently shown to bind H and Na at the same binding site, for which the two ion species compete. Using molecular dynamics simulations, the work presented in this dissertation shows that Na binding disrupts a previously-unidentified salt bridge between two conserved residues, suggesting that one of these residues, Lys300, may participate directly in transport of H. This work also demonstrates that the conformational change required for ion translocation in a homolog of NhaA,Thermus thermophilus NapA, thought by some to involve only small helical movements at the ion binding site, is a large-scale, rigid-body movement of the core domain relative to the dimerization domain. This elevator-like transport mechanism translates a bound Na up to 10 Å across the membrane. These findings constitute a major shift in the prevailing thought on the mechanism of these transporters, and serve as an exciting launchpad for new developments toward understanding that mechanism in detail.
Fast Ray Tracing of Scale‐Invariant Integral Surfaces

Scale‐invariant integral surfaces, which are implicit representations of surfaces, provide a way to define smooth surfaces from skeletons with prescribed radii defined at their vertices. We introduce a new rendering pipeline allowing to visualize such surfaces in real‐time. We rely on the distance to skeleton to define a sampling strategy along the camera rays, dividing each ray into sub‐intervals. The proposed strategy is chosen to capture main field variations. Resulting intervals are processed iteratively, relying on two main ingredients; quadratic interpolation and field mapping, to an approximate squared homothetic distance. The first provides efficient root finding while the second increases the precision of the interpolation, and the combination of both results in an efficient processing routine. Finally, we present a GPU implementation that relies on a dynamic data‐structure in order to efficiently generate the intervals along the ray. This data‐structure also serves as an acceleration structure that allows constant time access to the primitives of interest during the processing of a given ray.
Quality attributes during maturation of ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Red Delicious’ apples grown in two geographical regions with different environmental conditions

Apples have distinctive quality attributes that may be defined by environmental conditions of the geographical regions where fruits are cultivated, such as temperature, solar radiation, photoperiod, and photothermic units. A three-year study was conducted to compare ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Red Delicious’ apples from two different regions, Washington, USA (WA) and Chihuahua, Mexico (CHIH). Apple samples were harvested weekly from early August to late October (~120-180 days after full bloom DAFB), and analysed for quality parameters. Geographic environmental data were obtained, and photoperiod, solar radiation, degree-days and photothermal units were calculated. Results show quality differences between CHIH and WA apples. WA shows a ~5-week delay in apple bloom, possibly due to the lower temperatures presented in WA. Apples from both regions required the same photoperiod, ~ 2,222 h, to attain the beginning of the ripening stage, which took more days (three weeks) for CHIH apples, most likely attributed to the higher elevation of CHIH orchards (2,062 vs. 763 masl). The main distinctive quality differences found between WA and CHIH apples were firmness and aroma volatile compounds. CHIH apples presented substantially higher amounts of aroma compounds. WA apples showed greater firmness, probably due to lower photothermal units. Using all firmness data (both varieties, both growing zones) a remarkable correlation was found between firmness and photothermal units (R=0.89), which may suggest firmness could be improved by the manipulation of degree days and photoperiod, that is, temperature and light.
Machine-Learning Approach Using SAR Data for the Classification of Oil Palm Trees That Are Non-Infected and Infected with the Basal Stem Rot Disease

Basal stem rot disease (BSR) in oil palm plants is caused by the Ganoderma boninense (G. boninense) fungus. BSR is a major disease that affects oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia. As of now, the only available sustaining measure is to prolong the life of oil palm trees since there has been no effective treatment for the BSR disease. This project used an ALOS PALSAR-2 image with dual polarization, Horizontal transmit and Horizontal receive (HH) and Horizontal transmit and Vertical receive (HV). The aims of this study were to (1) identify the potential backscatter variables; and (2) examine the performance of machine learning (ML) classifiers (Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Random Forest (RF) to classify oil palm trees that are non-infected and infected by G. boninense. The sample size consisted of 55 uninfected trees and 37 infected trees. We used the imbalance data approach (Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE) in these classifications due to the differing sample sizes. The result showed backscatter variable HV had a higher correct classification for the G. boninense non-infected and infected oil palm trees for both classifiers; the MLP classifier model had a robust success rate, which correctly classified 100% for non-infected and 91.30% for infected G. boninense, and RF had a robust success rate, which correctly classified 94.11% for non-infected and 91.30% for infected G. boninense. In terms of model performance using the most significant variables, HV, the MLP model had a balanced accuracy (BCR) of 95.65% compared to 92.70% for the RF model. Comparison between the MLP model and RF model for the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve region, (AUC) gave a value of 0.92 and 0.95, respectively, for the MLP and RF models. Therefore, it can be concluded by using only the HV polarization, that both the MLP and RF can be used to predict BSR disease with a relatively high accuracy.
THE FLOW OF LYMPH FROM THE LUNGS OF THE DOG

Volume 136: No. 1, p. 207, 1941. M. F. Warren and C. K. Drinker, The Flow of Lymph from the Lungs of the Dog. P. 208, change (Drinker et al., 1941) to (Drinker et al., 1940). P. 213, change Maurer .
El polietilén tereftalato (PET) como envase de aguas minerales

espanolEl envasado de agua mineral natural en botellas de polietilen tereftalato (PET), como metodo mas ampliamente extendido, es un tema que actualmente se esta revisando debido a la creciente preocupacion sobre la toxicidad de los materiales polimericos, plasticos, en contacto con alimentos de consumo humano. Se hace necesario clarificar si es posible la migracion de compuestos genotoxicos y estrogenicos, principalmente, desde el polietilen tereftalato al agua de bebida. A pesar de ser considerado uno de los plasticos mas inocuos para la salud humana y medioambiental, existen compuestos claramente relacionados con la migracion al agua, como son el antimonio, el formaldehido y el acetaldehido, y otros que se han visto asociados por los medios de comunicacion pero que, en realidad, no se encuentran presentes en el producto final y/o en el procesado del PET. Para ello, se reviso la bibliografia existente sobre estudios de lixiviacion mediante la busqueda en revistas medicas y relacionadas con la industria de los plasticos y de las caracteristicas del PET como polimero en el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. EnglishThe packaging of mineral natural water in polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PET), as a method more widely extended, is a question that actually is being reviewed by the growing concern about the toxicity of the plastic polymers in contact with food for human consumption. It is needed to clarify if it is possible the leaching of genotoxic and estrogenic compounds, mainly from polyethylene terephthalate (actually the more used plastic) to the drinking water. Despite of being considered one of the most innocuous plastic for the human and environmental health, there are some compounds clearly related to the migration into the water, like antimony, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, and other that are been associated by the media but they are not really present in the final product or in the PET manufacturing. For this, the literature about the leaching studies has been reviewed through the research in medical journals and journals related to the plastic industry and the PET characteristics as a polymer in the Higher Council for Scientific Research.
Decreasing Stress Through a Spatial Audio and Immersive 3D Environment: A Pilot Study With Implications for Clinical and Medical Settings

There is evidence that music-based interventions can be effective in treating clinical and non-clinical populations. With the emergence of audio-visual technologies, there are new opportunities for developing web-based applications that have therapeutic effects in mental health and medical settings. Here we conducted a pilot study (N = 100) to test if an immersive web-based spatial audio application can decrease stress and negative mood states. Results showed that the application was effective for both clinical (n = 40) and non-clinical (n = 60) groups, and that the effect was most profound for individuals diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders. Though the present study needs to be replicated with physiological methods, the findings provide initial evidence that web-based spatial audio applications can be effective for short-term stress reduction and have the potential to be a supplement to clinical music interventions, but not a replacement or substitute for such interventions.
Genome Size in South American Gentianella (Gentianaceae, Swertiinae), with a Special Emphasis on Species from the Bolivian and Ecuadorian Andes

The subcosmopolitan genus Gentianella Moench (Gentianaceae, Swertiinae), with more than 170 currently accepted species in South America alone, is one of the emblematic examples of major and rapid radiations in the Andes. However, the taxonomy of South American Gentianella is far from being resolved. Over a century has passed since the publication of the last comprehensive treatment by Ernst Gilg in 1916. Using flow cytometry, the genome size of 115 accessions of 39 species, of which 37 were from South America, was measured, with the objective to assess the taxonomic utility of that trait. Also, the relationships of genome size with environmental factors such as mean annual temperature and precipitation, as well as the life history traits, habit, reproduction, habitat, and elevational belt were examined. The genome size values of the investigated South American accessions fell into two size classes, ranging from 2C = 7.60 pg to 11.30 pg and from 2C = 16.54 pg to 18.34 pg. The latter size class contained only accessions of G. briquetiana (Gilg) T. N. Ho & S. W. Liu. These accessions, and a further one of G. limoselloides (Kunth) Fabris with an intermediate value of 2C = 14.71 pg, were inferred to be octoploid. Genome size was not correlated with temperature, precipitation, habit, or elevational belt. By contrast, significant differences in genome size between groups were found regarding habitat and reproduction. Furthermore, genome size of one of the informal taxonomic groups of Gilg (Barbatae) differed from that of the remaining groups. However, this finding is of doubtful taxonomic relevance because of inconsistencies in the application of Gilg’s defining criterion of Barbatae, i.e., the presence of trichomes inside the corolla tube. Based on the overall results, it is concluded that genome size is not a taxonomically useful trait in South American Gentianella. Still, the data offer a first view on genome size variation and evolution in this diverse but poorly studied group.
Functional Foods for the Management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly evolving and a critical public health concern, raising the likelihood of liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes and cardiac problems. Existing epidemics of obesity and sedentary life style have lead to NAFLD’s elevated prevalence. In recent years there is profound change in the diet pattern, particularly the hypercaloric fat and carbohydrates for preventing or treating chronic liver disorders such as NASH and NAFLD. Functional and nutritional foods have contributed significantly to NAFLDimprovement and management. The justification for exploring functional foods as anti-NAFLD candidates for the chronic liver disease prevention is derived knowledge from in vitro and in vivo models. The findings from the in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that these compounds are healthy, efficient, reversible inhibitors, when sufficiently consumed over a lifetime without severe toxicity, suitable for clinical trials and potentially becoming low-cost medication.
Glacier clear ice bands indicate englacial channel microbial distribution

Abstract Distant glacial areas are interconnected by a complex system of fractures and water channels which run in the glacier interior and characterize the englacial realm. Water can slowly freeze in these channels where the slow freezing excludes air bubbles giving the ice a clear aspect. This ice is uplifted to the surface ablation zone by glacial movements and can therefore be observed in the form of clear surface ice bands. We employed an indirect method to sample englacial water by coring these ice bands. We were able, for the first time, to compare microbial communities sampled from clear (i.e. frozen englacial water bands) and cloudy ice (i.e. meteoric ice) through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Although microbial communities were primarily shaped and structured by their spatial distribution on the glacier, ice type was a clear secondary factor. One area of the glacier, in particular, presented significant microbial community clear/cloudy ice differences. Although the clear ice and supraglacial communities showed typical cold-adapted glacial communities, the cloudy ice had a less defined glacial community and ubiquitous environmental organisms. These results highlight the role of englacial channels in the microbial dispersion within the glacier and, possibly, in the shaping of glacial microbial communities.
Kan offentlig digitalisering vække tillid?

SAMFUNDSØKONOMEN 1/2021 Udgives af Djøf Forlag Digitalisering af den offentlige sektor betyder, at borgerne ikke kun skal have tillid til en fysisk sagsbehandler og myndighed – men også til digitale teknologier og systemer. Men hvordan kan myndigheder i Danmark understøtte borgernes tillid til offentlige digitale løsninger? Vi præsenterer en model for tillid til offentlige, digitale løsninger og offentlig digitalisering i en dansk kontekst (TODL-modellen). Vi konkluderer, at TODL-modellen kan være et udgangspunkt for at styrke tilliden til offentlige, digitale løsninger, men at bestræbelser på at gøre løsninger ”tillidsvækkende” kræver et tilsvarende fokus på, at løsningerne er ”tillidsværdige” i form af lovlighed, sikkerhed og etik.
Utility of transient elastography in determining liver fibrosis

Department of Radiology, Silchar Medical College, Assam, India *Corresponding Author Bishnu Prasad Tripathy Abstract Background:It was a descriptive study to evaluate the accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for thedetection of liver fibrosis in patients with diffuse chronic liver diseases (CLD). Materials and Methods: In our study 36 adult healthy volunteers and 65 adult patients with Chronic liver diseases were evaluated using ARFI based US-elastography. Histopathological correlation was done as and when required. Results: ARFI was done in all 36 healthy volunteers and all 65 CLD patients and valid measurements were obtained. The mean shear-wave velocity (SWV) in healthy volunteers was 1.19±0.2 m/s. A gradual increase in mean SWV was noted from fibrosis of Grade F0 to F6 (Ishak’s score) and a high positive correlation was found between the mean SWV on ARFI and fibrosis scores at liver biopsy (rho=0.8409). we found statistically significant difference (p<0.001) between the mild (F1 and F2) and significant fibrosis (F3 and F4). The difference in the SWV measurements obtained from consecutive groups (i.e., F1 versus F2, F2 versus F3, and F3 versus F4) was not statistically significant. Using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the best calculated cut-off SWVs for the presence of fibrosis (≥F1), significant fibrosis (≥F3), severe fibrosis (≥F4), and cirrhosis (F6) were found to be 1.207, 1.347, 1.513, and 1.92 m/s, respectively. ARFI values were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than in other patients (p<0.001). Conclusions: ARFI elastography can be used for non-invasive evaluation of liver stiffness and may help to differentiate between no/mild fibrosis and significant fibrosis. Hence when ARFI suggests significant fibrosis the need for liver biopsy may, indeed, be obviated.
Analysis of Coil Parameters and Comparison of Circular, Rectangular, and Hexagonal Coils Used in WPT System for Electric Vehicle Charging

In this paper, the major factors that affect the performance of wireless power transfer systems, such as coil inner radius and coil number of turns, are discussed. A comparison of three coil shapes covering the coreless case, the case with ferrite, and the case with ferrite and aluminum is also carried out. Another comparison is proposed by addressing the combination of different coil shapes in the wireless power transfer (WPT)system. The analysis covers the coupling coefficient, the mutual inductance, and the self-inductance. Due to the complexity of calculating these parameters, the finite element analysis (FEA) method is adopted by using the Ansys Maxwell software. An introduction to the typical WPT system for electric vehicle charging is also presented.
Monitoring the fracture behavior of epoxy resin repaired fiber reinforced concrete specimens by acoustic emission

In this study, fracture experiments on fiber reinforced concrete beams are conducted. The aim is to examine the level of restoration in the different types of fiber reinforced concrete specimens by means of acoustic emission (AE) technique. The concrete specimens have been reinforced with three different types of metal fibers by means of shape and geometry and were tested in four-point bending. Consequently, they were repaired by means of suitable epoxy agent and mechanically loaded again. The repair has been conducted with epoxy resin injection to the main macrocrack that has been developed during the four-point bending. This work discusses the passive monitoring of fracture in repaired with epoxy resin fiber reinforced concrete specimens and shows that AE parameters provide good insight of the microstructure and characterize the level of restoration which is important especially when other NDE techniques cannot be used because of construction limitations.
Life satisfaction in priesthood: an inter-religious study

The life satisfaction of the priests is of utmost importance as they are seemingly the closest to self-actualization but in the end are mere mortals and they too have mundanities of life to deal with and the duties of the priest aren’t just limited to the place of worship while they deal with their own issues, they help people navigate through the vagaries of human experience, there is no common definition of priesthood across all faiths and they don’t have anyone they can go for guidance, they are sometimes lost themselves. The present study was conducted to obtain the Life Satisfaction score through purposive sampling which consisted of 60 male participants above the age of 45 years of age. The L-S Scale designed and prepared by Alam & Srivastava was used. The objective of the study is to explore the life satisfaction among priests across religions and the difference between life satisfaction across religions. The obtained results show the current state relating to their level of life satisfaction which show out of 60, none of the participants had high level of life satisfaction. These findings can be attributed to being unemployed, in low-income scale groups. The research findings showed the dire situation of the priests meanwhile the populous looks up to them to be the remedy for their own day-to-day problems and the priests’ own well-being needs to be addressed at the earliest.
Osteomorphological Features of the Carcass of Inia geoffrensis (Cetacea: Iniidae)

Osteological studies can have implications that allow direct biological inferences to be made, such as locomotion, as well as indirect ones, such as species distribution, evolution and ecology. This study was aimed at describing some osteological traits of Inia geoffrensis (Blainvillei, 1817), Macapá/AP. A nearly complete carcass was found in a local forest. Information about the killing was collected through community reports. After collecting bones and information, the carcass was taken to the Laboratory of Zoology at the Federal University of Amapá for cleaning and examination. The cleaning process was carried out following the step-by-step maceration protocol and measurements of bones were taken with a measuring tape (2 m) and ruler (50 cm), except for cervical vertebrae, which were measured with a caliper (15 cm). To find the limbs in the carcass, an identification guide and a bone chart of aquatic mammals were used. Based on the observed data, the animal was a female, determined by the genital cleft. Examination of the occipital bone revealed an adult with complete bone fusion, obliterated sutures on the external surface of the Original Research Article Santos et al.; AJOB, 11(3): 35-43, 2021; Article no.AJOB. 66229 36 skull. The carcass was nearly complete, with the entire face measuring 55 cm. Further studies are needed on environmental education about cetaceans, local awareness with the assistance of inspectors and competent authorities for the conservation of freshwater dolphins in the region and studies on carcasses for the maintenance of the species.
Stable 15N isotopes in fine and coarse urban particulate matter

Abstract Particulate nitrogen has far-reaching negative effects on human health and the environment, and effective strategies for reducing it require understanding its sources and formation processes. To learn about these factors, we recorded size-resolved nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of total particulate N at an urban site in northwest Germany during a four-week measuring campaign. We observed a steady decrease in δ15N when going from fine to coarse particles, with values between +18 ‰ and −2 ‰. This difference based on particle size is caused by different isotope fractionation processes during particle formation: The fine particles contain ammonium nitrate, which is formed in an equilibrium process, leading to an enrichment of 15N. Moreover, fine particles are more reactive due to their larger surface areas and relatively long residence times in the atmosphere, which leads to an additional enrichment of 15N; a key step of this process likely occurs when the ammonium particles interact with ammonia from agricultural sources. In contrast to fine particles, coarse particles are formed by direct absorption of HNO3 on preexisting particles; the HNO3 stems from traffic emissions of NOx and subsequent oxidation in the atmospheric gas phase. Because only a small amount of isotope fractionation is associated with non-equilibrium processes during phase transitions, there is less 15N enrichment in the coarse particles. Overall, nitrogen isotopes clearly reflect the different formation processes of fine and coarse aerosol particles.