Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exosomes: New Insights into the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Syndrome

Simple Summary Patients with long-lasting metabolic syndrome (MS) are at high risk for cancer and complications of cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death globally. Despite the development of many novel therapies for MS, a huge unmet need persists. Currently, there is considerable evidence that exosomes are strongly associated with the occurrence and progression of MS. Thus, this article reviews the composition, biogenesis, biological functions and potential applications of exosomes, particularly focusing on current advances about the potential role of exosomes in the development of MS. Comprehensively understanding the effects of exosome on MS could have the significant potential to identify safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to MS. Abstract Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs) with a diameter of 30~150 nm (averaging ~100 nm) that are primarily produced through the endosomal pathway, and carry various components such as lipids, proteins, RNA, and other small molecular substances. Exosomes can mediate intercellular communication through the bioactive substances they carry, thus participating in different physiological activities. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disease caused by disturbances in the body’s metabolism, mainly including insulin resistance (IR), diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis (AS). Recent studies have shown that exosomes are closely related to the occurrence and development of MS. Exosomes can act as messengers to mediate signaling transductions between metabolic cells in the organism and play a bidirectional regulatory role in the MS process. This paper mainly reviews the components, biogenesis, biological functions and potential applications of exosomes, and exosomes involved in the pathogenesis of MS as well as their clinical significance in MS diagnosis.
Abrupt Photoperiod Changes Differentially Modulate Hepatic Antioxidant Response in Healthy and Obese Rats: Effects of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract (GSPE)

Disruptions of the light/dark cycle and unhealthy diets can promote misalignment of biological rhythms and metabolic alterations, ultimately leading to an oxidative stress condition. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE), which possesses antioxidant properties, has demonstrated its beneficial effects in metabolic-associated diseases and its potential role in modulating circadian disruptions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of GSPE administration on the liver oxidant system of healthy and diet-induced obese rats undergoing a sudden photoperiod shift. To this end, forty-eight photoperiod-sensitive Fischer 344/IcoCrl rats were fed either a standard (STD) or a cafeteria diet (CAF) for 6 weeks. A week before euthanizing, rats were abruptly transferred from a standard photoperiod of 12 h of light/day (L12) to either a short (6 h light/day, L6) or a long photoperiod (18 h light/day, L18) while receiving a daily oral dose of vehicle (VH) or GSPE (25 mg/kg). Alterations in body weight gain, serum and liver biochemical parameters, antioxidant gene and protein expression, and antioxidant metabolites were observed. Interestingly, GSPE partially ameliorated these effects by reducing the oxidative stress status in L6 through an increase in GPx1 expression and in hepatic antioxidant metabolites and in L18 by increasing the NRF2/KEAP1/ARE pathway, thereby showing potential in the treatment of circadian-related disorders by increasing the hepatic antioxidant response in a photoperiod-dependent manner.
Determination of Dicaffeoylquinic Acid in Selected Medicinal Plants using HPLC-PDA and LC-ESI-MS/MS

MUHAMMAD NASIMULLAH QURESHI*, GUENTHER STECHER, MUHAMMAD UBAIDULLAH QURESHI, TAHIRA SULTANA AND GUENTHER K. BONN Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan. Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Innrain 52 a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Bionorica Research GmbH, Mitterweg 24, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Department of Live Stock and Dairy Development, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. Department of Environmental Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. mnasimuq@yahoo.com*
Wind-Forced Intraseasonal Sea Level Variability of the Extratropical Oceans

Abstract Seven years' worth of sea level observations from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeters and wind observations from the European Remote-Sensing Satellites (ERS-1/2) scatterometers were used to investigate the dynamics of large-scale intraseasonal sea level variability at mid- and high latitudes. Coherent patterns of sea level variability with spatial scales of 1000 km and timescales of 20 days to 1 year are identified in three particular regions: the Bellingshausen Basin west of Drake Passage, the Australian–Antarctic Basin, and the central North Pacific Ocean (30°–50°N) near the date line. Significant coherence is found between wind stress curl and the sea level variability. A simple barotropic vorticity equation, in which the time rate of relative vorticity variation is balanced by the wind stress curl and a damping term, is used to simulate the sea level anomalies with a significant degree of correlation with the observations. Although the coherence between the simulation and the observation is signifi.
A Synoptic Analysis on Forecasting of Sand-Dust Storm in November over Inner Mongolia

A detailed analysis on a missing-reported sand-dust process in western Inner Mongolia during November of 2010 is made in this paper.Based on sounding data,surface observations and numerical forecast products which are available in weather prediction,many aspects concerning this sand-dust process are analyzed from a practical forecast perspective,including weather conditions for sand-dust process,the evolution of large scale circulation which may cause other hazard weather,and climate probability of sand-dust process.The results showed that:(1)Sand-dust process always is accompanied by windy weather,but the drop zone of sand-dust weather and windy weather are different.The wind weather always occurs before the sand-dust weather. (2)There will be obvious warming process before the sand-dust weather,and the cold wave or precipitation sometimes occur after the sand-dust weather. (3)Strong atmospheric baroclinic instability is the main reason of the sand-dust weather and strong wind. (4)The prefrontal ascending motion is strong and could reach the middle-high level of troposphere(higher than 400 hPa). (5)The whole level vorticity zone is positive during the sand-dust process. (6)During the sand-dust process,the development of deep mixed layer in the afternoon is contributed to the downward transportation of upper air momentum and strong wind.Finally,the analysis on this missing-reported sand-dust process will remind forecasters to increase forecasting sensitivity to multi-hazard weathers which appear simultaneously and to avoid the missing-report of hazards whose frequency is less.
ICF1-Syndrome-Associated DNMT3B Mutations Prevent De Novo Methylation at a Subset of Imprinted Loci during iPSC Reprogramming

Parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression of a few hundred human genes is achieved by differential DNA methylation of both parental alleles. This imprinting is required for normal development, and defects in this process lead to human disease. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) serve as a valuable tool for in vitro disease modeling. However, a wave of de novo DNA methylation during reprogramming of iPSCs affects DNA methylation, thus limiting their use. The DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) gene is highly expressed in human iPSCs; however, whether the hypermethylation of imprinted loci depends on DNMT3B activity has been poorly investigated. To explore the role of DNMT3B in mediating de novo DNA methylation at imprinted DMRs, we utilized iPSCs generated from patients with immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, facial anomalies type I (ICF1) syndrome that harbor biallelic hypomorphic DNMT3B mutations. Using a whole-genome array-based approach, we observed a gain of methylation at several imprinted loci in control iPSCs but not in ICF1 iPSCs compared to their parental fibroblasts. Moreover, in corrected ICF1 iPSCs, which restore DNMT3B enzymatic activity, imprinted DMRs did not acquire control DNA methylation levels, in contrast to the majority of the hypomethylated CpGs in the genome that were rescued in the corrected iPSC clones. Overall, our study indicates that DNMT3B is responsible for de novo methylation of a subset of imprinted DMRs during iPSC reprogramming and suggests that imprinting is unstable during a specific time window of this process, after which the epigenetic state at these regions becomes resistant to perturbation.
Bridging Community Needs and Government Planning in the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

The presence of endemic species and the biologically diverse and economically valuable marine environments prompted CI to develop, in partnership with Indonesian NGO, YABSHI and a long-term research and conservation program in the Togean Islands. Local project activities are administered from a permanent research station established by YABSHI at Malenge Island and managed as a locally-based entity called Sekber Konsorsium Togean. Increasingly, since the partnership began with CI in 1992, YABSHI has expanded its scientific role to community development and policy outreach to build political support for conservation. In addition to bringing its conservation expertise and help in acquiring funding for the project, CI has taken the lead in the development of community-based conservation enterprises. Konsorsium Togean’s goal is to develop an integrated marine and terrestrial protected area in the Togean Islands, in which coastal communities, local government and other stakeholders can achieve consensus upon the designation, delineation and management of the area. This paper briefly presents the successes, challenges and lessons learned in implementing a tropical marine ecosystem management project in the Togean Islands archipelago. Site Description Nestled in the middle of the Gulf of Tomini, just south of the Equator, the Togean Islands archipelago is composed of seven principal islands and their satellites on a shallow plateau no deeper than 200 metres. An almost continuous barrier reef protects this plateau. The Togeans occupy approximately 70 000 ha of land, with a total marine and terrestrial area of nearly 200 000 ha. The Togean Islands archipelago is frequently mentioned as containing all four coral reef types (patch, fringing, barrier and atoll reefs) in close proximity. It is located in the Coral Triangle, an area with extraordinary levels of marine biodiversity, roughly bounded by Indonesia to the west, the Philippines to the north and Papua New Guinea to the east. ITMEMS 1998 Proceedings
Nine Steps to Success: an ISO 27001 Implementation Overview

Completely up to date with ISO27001:2013, this is the new edition of the original no-nonsense guide to successful ISO27001 certification. Ideal for anyone tackling ISO27001 for the first time, Nine Steps to Success outlines the nine essential steps to an effective Information Security Management System (ISMS) implementation; nine critical steps that mean the difference between project success and abject failure.
Space and time in the tectonic evolution of the northwestern Iberian Massif: Implications for the Variscan belt

Recent advances in geochemical studies of igneous rocks, isotopic age data for magmatism and metamorphism, quantitative pressure-temperature (P-T) estimates of metamorphic evolution, and structural geology in the northwestern Iberian Massif are integrated into a synthesis of the tectonic evolution that places the autochthonous
Environmental quality in the park of Naples hills (Italy) before the opening of Chiaiano's dump (Naples)

The metropolitan Park of Naples hills (Italy) was instituted by the regional law 17/2003 with the aim of the green area’s safeguard of the city hills. However, in consequence of the waste emergency in the Campanian region, the Italian government decided the opening of a dump in Chiaiano, a quarter located inside the Park. Through the utilization of the birds as bioindicators, we studied the environmental quality of the whole area, correlating the avifaunal indices to some landscape indices. The results show, generally, that the various areas of the park were constituted from a fragmented landscape and not many mature birds communities. The dump site, called Chiaiano wood, was not so different from other areas of the park because of a similar landscape, formed from old chestnut coppices alternated to cultivation and buildings. This is an important nesting site for some predators, as Falco peregrinus and Falco tinnunculus and of some Chiroptera. This is why the dump might cause the lost of rocky habitats in the Chiaiano wood with a remarkable impact on the ecosystem. Key words: Naples hills, birds, landscape, dump, destruction of rocky habitat.
The temporal and spatial distribution of tropospheric nitrous oxide

The concentration of nitrous oxide has been measured in air samples collected between 1976 and 1980 at several monitoring stations and aboard Oceanographic vessels in the major world oceans. These measurements demonstrate that the tropospheric nitrous oxide concentration is increasing at ∼0.2% per year, thus confirming earlier observations of the increase based on stored samples. The measurements also show that the concentration of nitrous oxide in the northern hemisphere is higher than in the southern hemisphere, the average difference during the sampling interval having been about 0.8 parts per billion (ppb), compared to a January 1, 1978 northern hemisphere dry air mole fraction of 300.2 ppb. The data are well represented by a simple box model which relates the tropospheric rate of increase to an exponentially increasing source function. The observed increase may be explained by combustion of fossil fuels and agricultural activity, with a total source strength of ∼11 × 1010 mol/yr as of January 1, 1978. A substantial fraction of this production is explained by combustion, and agricultural production is therefore considerably less than has been previously estimated. The concentration of nitrous oxide in the preindustrial unperturbed troposphere is estimated to have been between 281 and 291 ppb, depending upon the rate of increase of the mean anthropogenic source function, and the preindustrial latitudinal distribution is estimated to have been nearly uniform. According to the model projections, the concentration of tropospheric nitrous oxide in the year 2000 will be 5 to 7% above present values. The observed rate of tropospheric increase directly affects the production of stratospheric nitric oxide, and plays a significant role in the earth's radiation balance, conservatively estimated as 10–15% of the effect due to increasing carbon dioxide.
The role of the Forest Service in aquatic invasive species research

Aquatic ecosystems include the most imperiled taxa in the United States, and invasive species are the second leading contributor to this imperilment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service is legally mandated to sustainably manage aquatic habitats and native species on National Forest System (NFS) lands. Invasive species add complexity and uncertainty to natural resource management, and, thus, invasive species research is needed to guide effective, science-based management of aquatic systems. Although Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) scientists have much expertise to apply, aquatic invasive species research has not been an agency focus. We identify areas in which the Forest Service is well positioned to contribute research that other organizations are not addressing.
Árboles útiles para los planes de reforestación en la Reserva de la Biosfera Buenavista, Cuba

In Cuba, Biosphere Reserves protect and keep natural areas of variable size including one or several forest, scrub or grassland vegetation units, either primary or secondary, also taking into account the various kinds of complex vegetation and communities. The Biosphere Reserve Buenavista, located in Central Cuba, includes several primary vegetation units such as the mangrove forest, sandy coast and rocky coast vegetation, littoral scrub and the dry semi-deciduous, semi-deciduous and gallery forests. Ferns and their allies, gimnosperms and angiosperms were determined and listed in the Reserve and dominant or dominated tree taxa were selected, also listing their standard heights with the ultimate purpose of using them in future reforestation planning if deforestation in some zones occurs.
Comparative Efficacy of Chitosan with or Without Honey on Cutaneous Wound Healing in Donkeys

The domesticated donkey, derived from the African wild ass, has played a crucial role in human history for over 5,000 years, serving as a working and pack animal. However, donkeys often suffer from skin wounds and injuries due to various factors, including equipment use, road accidents, and lack of veterinary care. Wound healing is a complex process involving inflammation, proliferation, and maturation phases, with impaired cell proliferation potentially delaying healing. Equines, including donkeys, are particularly susceptible to traumatic skin wounds, with limb wounds healing more slowly due to factors such as tissue loss, contamination, and excessive skin tension. In such cases, wound healing by second intention is common but can lead to complications. Chitosan, a biopolymer derived from the shells of crustaceans, has shown promise in promoting wound healing. It helps with tissue granulation, collagen deposition, and tissue regeneration, while also preventing wound contamination and maintaining a sterile environment. Honey, with its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, is another natural remedy that accelerates wound healing and is often used in combination with chitosan for optimal results. This biologically-based approaches hold potential for improving the healing of donkey wounds and preventing infections, offering safer and more effective alternatives to traditional wound care.
GC-MS Fingerprinting Combined with Chemical Pattern-Recognition Analysis Reveals Novel Chemical Markers of the Medicinal Seahorse

Seahorse is a valuable marine-animal drug widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and which was first documented in the “Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu” during the Liang Dynasty. Hippocampus kelloggi (HK) is the most common seahorse species in the medicinal material market and is one of the genuine sources of medicinal seahorse documented in the Chinese pharmacopeia. It is mainly cultivated in the Shandong, Fujian, and Guangxi Provinces in China. However, pseudo-HK, represented by Hippocampus ingens (HI) due to its similar appearance and traits, is often found in the market, compromising the safety and efficacy of clinical use. Currently, there is a lack of reliable methods for identifying these species based on their chemical composition. In this study, we employed, for the first time, a strategy combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprints and chemical patterns in order to identify HK and HI; it is also the first metabolomic study to date of HI as to chemical components. The obtained results revealed remarkable similarities in the chemical fingerprints, while significant differences were also observed. By employing hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), based on the relative contents of their characteristic peaks, all 34 samples were successfully differentiated according to their species of origin, with samples from the same species forming distinct clusters. Moreover, nonadecanoic acid and behenic acid were exclusively detected in HK samples, further distinguishing them from HI samples. Additionally, the relative contents of lauric acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, margaric acid, oleic acid, fenozan acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exhibited significant differences between HK and HI (p < 0.0001), as determined by an unpaired t-test. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) identified seven components (DHA, EPA, n-hexadecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, octadecanoic acid, and margaric acid) with high discriminatory value (VIP value > 1). Thus, nonadecanoic acid, behenic acid, and these seven compounds can be utilized as chemical markers for distinguishing HK from HI. In conclusion, our study successfully developed a combined strategy of GC-MS fingerprinting and chemical pattern recognition for the identification of HK and HI, and we also discovered chemical markers that can directly differentiate between the two species. This study can provide a foundation for the authentication of Hippocampus and holds significant importance for the conservation of wild seahorse resources.
The influence of conversational agents’ role and communication style on user experience

Conversational Agents (CAs) are characterized by their roles within a narrative and the communication style they adopt during conversations. Within computer games, users’ evaluation of the narrative is influenced by their estimation of CAs’ intelligence and believability. However, the impact of CAs’ roles and communication styles on users’ experience remains unclear. This research investigates such influence of CAs’ roles and communication styles through a crime-solving textual game. Four different CAs were developed and each of them was assigned to a role of either witness or suspect and to a communication style than can be either aggressive or cooperative. Communication styles were simulated through a Wizard of Oz method. Users’ task was to interact, through real-time written exchanges, with the four CAs and then to identify the culprit, assess the certainty of their judgments, and rank the CAs based on their conversational preferences. In addition, users’ experience was evaluated using perceptual measures (perceived intelligence and believability scales) and behavioral measures (including analysis of users’ input length, input delay, and conversation length). The results revealed that users’ evaluation of CAs’ intelligence and believability was primarily influenced by CAs’ roles. On the other hand, users’ conversational behaviors were mainly influenced by CAs’ communication styles. CAs’ communication styles also significantly determined users’ choice of the culprit and conversational preferences.