Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surrounded by Kindred: Spermophilus major Hybridization with Other Spermophilus Species in Space and Time

Simple Summary The role of hybridization in biological evolution and cases of hybridogenic speciation is one of the most complicated but also interesting and actively studied topics. Russet ground squirrel Spermophilus major is known as a fine biological species according to a number of criteria—morphological, ecological, and behavioral, respectively. Nevertheless, a large body of evidence has accumulated on the hybridization of S. major with four neighboring Spermophilus species. Our goal was to identify their contribution to the nuclear and mitochondrial genome of S. major, and to propose a hypothesis describing the hybridization history in space and time. We found that 36% of S. major individuals had extraneous alleles, and every contacting species contributed to S. major’s genetic variability. Our data suggested at least five independent hybridization events that were associated with shifts in the species ranges due to paleoclimate changes. Two of them were potentially accompanied by mitochondrial captures with replacement of the mitochondrial genome of one of the hybridizing species. We highlight the potential threat to the existence of S. major as a species under the current conditions of population decline along with the simultaneous influx of extraneous genes. It is also particularly important to emphasize the necessity of protecting this inhabitant of unique steppe communities. Abstract Among the numerous described cases of hybridization in mammals, the most intriguing are (a) cases of introgressive hybridization deeply affecting the evolutionary history of species, and (b) models involving not a pair of species but a multi-species complex. Therefore, the hybridization history of the russet ground squirrel Spermophilus major, whose range has repeatedly changed due to climatic fluctuations and now borders the ranges of four related species, is of great interest. The main aims of this study were to determine the direction and intensity of gene introgression, the spatial depth of the infiltration of extraneous genes into the S. major range, and to refine the hypothesis of the hybridogenic replacement of mitochondrial genomes in the studied group. Using phylogenetic analysis of the variability of mitochondrial (CR, cytb) and nuclear (SmcY, BGN, PRKCI, c-myc, i6p53) markers, we determined the contribution of neighboring species to the S. major genome. We showed that 36% of S. major individuals had extraneous alleles. All peripheral species that were in contact with S. major contributed towards its genetic variability. We also proposed a hypothesis for the sequence and localization of serial hybridization events. Our assessment of the S. major genome implications of introgression highlights the importance of implementing conservation measures to protect this species.
Perspectives and Implications of Coanda Effect in Aneurysms

It is yet unknown how the formation of an aneurysm inside the human body occurs. Thus, understanding and analyzing the Coanda effect will result in a better overview of the overall fluid mechanics that develop inside such a structure, leading not only to better treatment plans, but also to diminished postoperative risks. This paper presents how the fluid behaves in this situation, and takes into consideration how this physical phenomenon influences the hemodynamics inside numerous anatomical regions, located in the central nervous system, where aneurysms usually develop. Analyzing the three main areas in which cerebral aneurysms form, the Coanda effect can potentially lead to the rupture of the aneurysm by changing the blood flow trajectory; this should be taken into consideration when choosing a treatment plan, especially in postoperative care. In addition, there are other factors that can influence the evolution of an aneurysm, such as its shape, size, localization and the patient’s health condition. Understanding and analyzing the Coanda effect will result in a better overview of the overall fluid mechanics that develop inside such a structure, leading not only to better treatment plans, but also to diminished postoperative risks.
Knowledge, Attitude And Behaviour Towards Mental Illness Among Non-Psychiatric Clinicians In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Aim of the study-To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour towards mental illness among nonpsychiatric clinicians in a tertiary care teaching hospital and to test the primary hypothesis that doctors who hold more negative attitudes towards people with mental illness will have more discriminatory behaviours. Material and MethodsThis was a cross sectional study which was conducted on post graduate resident doctors and consultants of various medical faculties of Medical College, Baroda. Each participant was given MAKS (Mental Health Knowledge Schedule), MICA (Mental Illness Clinician’s Attitude Scale) and RIBS (Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale) along with the socio demographic data sheet for age, sex, medical speciality, years of experience to be filled in their respective departments and two reminders were given for filling the data sheets at an interval of two days each. Those who did not return the data sheets after two reminders were considered dropouts. ResultsThe study enrolled 200 participants out of which 147 were resident doctors and 53 were consultants. The mean score for MAKS, MICA-4 AND RIBS were 24 +/-3, 46 +/-9 and 15 +/-3 respectively. Consultant doctors had a more negative attitude towards mental illness as compared to resident doctors. There was a negative correlation between MICA-4 score and RIBS score i.e. People with more negative attitude towards mental illness are likely to have less favourable intended behavior towards people with mental illness. Conclusion-From this study we can conclude that a significant proportion of the doctors still lack knowledge about mental illnesses and still hold a negative attitude towards mental illness which demonstrates the need of mental health awareness programs aimed at doctors. KeywordsKnowledge, attitude, behavior towards mental illness, Non-psychiatric clinicians, tertiary care teaching hospital.
Biliary Amino Acids and Telocytes in Gallstone Disease

The role of amino acids in cholesterol gallstone formation is not known. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the amino acid profile in the bile of patients with and without cholecystolithiasis in relation to bile lithogenicity and telocyte numbers within the gallbladder wall. The study included 23 patients with cholecystolithiasis and 12 gallstone-free controls. The levels of free amino acids in the bile were measured, and telocytes were identified and quantified in the gallbladder muscle wall. The mean values of valine, isoleucine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, serine alanine, proline and cystine were significantly higher in the study group than in the controls (p from 0.0456 to 0.000005), and the mean value of cystine was significantly lower in patients with gallstone disease than in the controls (p = 0.0033). The relationship between some of the amino acids, namely alanine, glutamic acid, proline, cholesterol saturation index (CSI) and the number of telocytes was significant (r = 0.5374, p = 0.0051; r = 0.5519, p = 0.0036; and r = 0.5231, p = 0.0071, respectively). The present study indicates a potential relationship between the altered amino acid composition of bile and the reduced number of telocytes in the gallbladder muscle wall in cholelithiasis.
Simultaneous Analysis of 53 Pesticides in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) by Using LC–MS/MS Coupled with a Modified QuEChERS Technique

Objective: An optimized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) technique was investigated and compared with the conventional QuEChERS technique for the simultaneous analysis of fifty-three pesticide residues in safflower using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Method: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) consisting of a major amount of carbon and nitrogen with a large surface area was used as a QuEChERS adsorbent instead of graphitized carbon black (GCB) for safflower extraction purification. Validation experiments were performed using spiked pesticide samples, and real samples were analyzed. Results: The linearity of the modified QuEChERS technique was evaluated with high coefficients of determination (R-2) being higher than 0.99. The limits of detection were <10 μg/kg. The spiked recoveries ranged from 70.4% to 97.6% with a relative standard deviation of less than 10.0%. The fifty-three pesticides exhibited negligible matrix effects (<20%). Thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, metolachlor, and difenoconazole were detected in real samples using an established method. Conclusion: This work provides a new g-C3N4-based modified QuEChERS technique for multi-pesticide residue analysis in complex food matrices.
Trabecular Bone Score Significantly Influences Treatment Decisions in Secondary Osteoporosis

The trabecular bone score (TBS) can be determined in addition to the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) for bone mineral density (BMD) measurement to diagnose, evaluate, and stratify bone loss and decide on appropriate treatment in patients at risk. Especially in patients with secondary osteoporosis, TBS detects restricted bone quality. To investigate the influence of an additional evaluation of TBS on patients’ treatment strategy decisions, we enrolled 292 patients, with a high proportion of patients with secondary osteoporosis, from one outpatient unit over one year. Patients eligible for BMD measurement had the option to opt-in for TBS measurement. We analyzed demographic data, leading diagnoses, bone metabolism parameters, and results of BMD and TBS measurements. More than 90% of patients consented to TBS measurement. TBS measurement influenced the decision in approximately 40% of patients with a treatment indication for anti-osteoporotic drugs. We demonstrate that depending on the underlying disease/risk spectrum, 21–25.5% of patients had an unremarkable BMD measurement with poor bone quality shown in the TBS measurement. In patients with secondary osteoporosis, the use of TBS supplementary to DXA seems useful to better assess fracture risk and, thus, to initiate therapy for osteoporosis in these patients in time.
Characterization of Freisa Wines from Piedmont (Italy) by Aroma and Element Profile

The main purpose of this study was to characterize Freisa red wines from Piedmont (northern Italy) according to their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and elemental composition. Moreover, the authors investigated whether it was possible to distinguish among the five different DOCs produced in Piedmont on the basis of these chemical parameters. The VOCs profile of Freisa wines was very similar, and the most abundant species detected were isoamyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl octanoate, and diethyl succinate. Conversely, elemental composition allowed us to partially distinguish one Freisa DOC with respect to the others. Multivariate statistical analysis applied to elemental composition revealed differences among Freisa wines and other red wines from different regions of Italy. In particular, Freisa wines featured higher concentrations of Cr and Ni metals, which are strongly correlated with the composition of the soil of Piedmont. These two elements are hence good candidates as chemical markers for Freisa wines from Piedmont.
“A STUDY TO ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOFT SKILLS TRAINING AND EMPLOYABILITY COMPETENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (HEI)”

Management students are reluctant to take up behavioral courses, especially the ones relating to soft skills. There is cynicism in registering for such courses in higher educational institutions (HEI). This has resulted in lack of awareness about soft skills potential. However, institutions are educating students to take up such courses to build their careers. Learning throughout life time enhances employability and this applies to the students, universities, corporate business houses who can collate their respective efforts towards the factor of employability. In India, we are witnessing a thorough skill gap worsened by non-availability of quality education. This is at a time when India’s service driven economy is moving at a pace unprecedented over the past many years. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between Soft skills training and Employability Competency and understand Students perception about soft skills training provided in B – schools(HEI). Karl Pearson’s Correlation test was applied to find out the relationship between Soft skills training and Employability Competency.
High Solubility and Bioavailability of Lobster Shell-Derived Calcium for Significantly Proliferating Bone and Skin Cells In Vitro

Shell wastes pose environmental and financial burdens to the shellfish industry. Utilizing these undervalued shells for commercial chitin production could minimize their adverse impacts while maximizing economic value. Shell chitin conventionally produced through harsh chemical processes is environmentally unfriendly and infeasible for recovering compatible proteins and minerals for value-added products. However, we recently developed a microwave-intensified biorefinery that efficiently produced chitin, proteins/peptides, and minerals from lobster shells. Lobster minerals have a calcium-rich composition and biologically originated calcium is more biofunctional for use as a functional, dietary, or nutraceutical ingredient in many commercial products. This has suggested a further investigation of lobster minerals for commercial applications. In this study, the nutritional attributes, functional properties, nutraceutical effects, and cytotoxicity of lobster minerals were analyzed using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion combined with growing bone (MG-63), skin (HaCaT), and macrophage (THP-1) cells. The calcium from the lobster minerals was found to be comparable to that of a commercial calcium supplement (CCS, 139 vs. 148 mg/g). In addition, beef incorporated with lobster minerals (2%, w/w) retained water better than that of casein and commercial calcium lactate (CCL, 21.1 vs. 15.1 and 13.3%), and the lobster mineral had a considerably higher oil binding capacity than its rivals (casein and CCL, 2.5 vs. 1.5 and 1.0 mL/g). Notably, the lobster mineral and its calcium were far more soluble than the CCS (98.4 vs. 18.6% for the products and 64.0 vs. 8.5% for their calcium) while the in vitro bioavailability of lobster calcium was 5.9-fold higher compared to that of the commercial product (11.95 vs. 1.99%). Furthermore, supplementing lobster minerals in media at ratios of 15%, 25%, and 35% (v/v) when growing cells did not induce any detectable changes in cell morphology and apoptosis. However, it had significant effects on cell growth and proliferation. The responses of cells after three days of culture supplemented with the lobster minerals, compared to the CCS supplementation, were significantly better with the bone cells (MG-63) and competitively quick with the skin cells (HaCaT). The cell growth reached 49.9–61.6% for the MG-63 and 42.9–53.4% for the HaCaT. Furthermore, the MG-63 and HaCaT cells proliferated considerably after seven days of incubation, reaching 100.3% for MG-63 and 115.9% for HaCaT with a lobster mineral supplementation of 15%. Macrophages (THP-1 cells) treated for 24 h with lobster minerals at concentrations of 1.24–2.89 mg/mL had no detectable changes in cell morphology while their viability was over 82.2%, far above the cytotoxicity threshold (<70%). All these results indicate that lobster minerals could be used as a source of functional or nutraceutical calcium for commercial products.
Predictive modeling of self-catalyzed III-V nanowire growth

We develop a quantitative model of the self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth of GaAs nanowires, that depends on only a few a priori unknown physical parameters. The model is based on the sole consideration of the As species and incorporates all relevant mechanisms of exchange of As between the vapor, liquid, and solid phases, namely direct impingement of molecules on the droplet, their re-emission by the neighboring surfaces, evaporation from the droplet, and nucleation at the solid-liquid interface. It reproduces quantitatively all salient features of our experimental study, namely the variations of nanowire growth rate with As flux, temperature, and nanowire radius. From these optimized fits, we extract a complete set of model parameters, in particular the nucleus edge energy. We also determine quantities so far inaccessible to experiment, such as the As concentration in the droplet (about 1%), supersaturation of the liquid, and nucleation barrier, for individual nanowires. The model can then be used to predict the growth rate (and all quantities of interest) for an arbitrary GaAs nanowire of given geometry in arbitrary growth conditions, including conditions not yet explored experimentally, provided the fraction of the As flux re-emitted by its environment is known. Although largely ignoring group III elements, our model captures most of the physics of self-catalyzed nanowire growth.
The Interplay between Atherosclerosis and Cancer: Breast Cancer Cells Increase the Expression of Endothelial Cell Adhesion Markers

Simple Summary Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the two most common causes of death worldwide. Although evidence shows a relationship between these two pathologies, there remain many unknown factors regarding their connection. We investigated the impact of the cancer environment on the initiation of atherosclerosis, which is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases. We observed that the cancer cell medium influences the expression of markers involved in the adhesion of monocytes and endothelial cells, leading to the initiation of atherosclerosis. Additionally, we found that cancer cells have the capacity to oxidize low-density lipoproteins, thereby increasing the likelihood of cholesterol plaque formation in the arteries. In conclusion, our results suggest that cancer could promote atherosclerosis through the increased expression of endothelial cell markers and oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. These findings should be confirmed through clinical studies. Abstract Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, closely followed by cancer. To investigate the impact of breast cancer cell lines (SKBR3, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) on endothelial cell adhesion, a blended medium containing 30% breast-cancer-conditioned medium was prepared. This medium was then exposed to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and monocytes (THP-1) for 48 h. Homemade oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) were optionally added to the blended medium. Immunofluorescence was performed to assess the expression of E-selectin, connexin-43, and ICAM-1 on HUVECs, as well as LOX-1, CD36, and CD162 on THP-1. Additionally, unoxidized LDL was exposed to the three breast cancer cell lines for 48 h, and the formation of oxLDL was quantified. Our results revealed an upregulation of all six adhesion markers involved in the initiation of atherosclerosis when HUVECs and THP-1 were exposed to the breast-cancer-conditioned medium. Furthermore, this expression was further increased by exposure to oxLDL. We also observed a significant elevation in oxLDL levels when LDL was exposed to breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings successfully demonstrate an increased LDL oxidation in the presence of breast cancer cells, accompanied by an augmented expression of receptors involved in atherosclerosis initiation. These findings shed new light on the clinically observed interplay between atherosclerosis and cancer.
Design, Modeling, and Control of an Aurelia-Inspired Robot Based on SMA Artificial Muscles

This paper presented a flexible and easily fabricated untethered underwater robot inspired by Aurelia, which is named “Au-robot”. The Au-robot is actuated by six radial fins made of shape memory alloy (SMA) artificial muscle modules, which can realize pulse jet propulsion motion. The thrust model of the Au-robot’s underwater motion is developed and analyzed. To achieve a multimodal and smooth swimming transition for the Au-robot, a control method integrating a central pattern generator (CPG) and an adaptive regulation (AR) heating strategy is provided. The experimental results demonstrate that the Au-robot, with good bionic properties in structure and movement mode, can achieve a smooth transition from low-frequency swimming to high-frequency swimming with an average maximum instantaneous velocity of 12.61 cm/s. It shows that a robot designed and fabricated with artificial muscle can imitate biological structures and movement traits more realistically and has better motor performance.
Exploring Sources and Health Risks in Beijing PM2.5 in 2019 and 2020

The various industries, sectors, and citizens’ daily lives have undergone significant changes after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers collected and analyzed PM2.5 samples including secondary inorganic ions (SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+, namely SNA), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and other 16 metal elements in Beijing in 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2020 (after the pandemic). The particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in the autumn and winter of 2020 is 21.16 µg/m3 and 14.05 µg/m3 lower than in 2019, respectively. The contribution of six sources of pollution, including coal combustion, secondary sources, transportation-related sources, dust, Industrial I, and Industrial II, were analyzed using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are choosing private transportation, such as private cars, instead of public transportation. As a result, the contribution of PM2.5 pollution related to transportation increased after the pandemic. The metal elements measured during the sampling period represent only a very small fraction (1%) of PM2.5. However, their health risk to humans cannot be ignored because of the toxicity of some metallic elements, and the carcinogenic risks induced by metal elements in PM2.5 exceeded the safety threshold (>10−6) during the autumn and winter of 2019 and 2020. Arsenic (As) contributes the most to carcinogenic risk, so controlling arsenic emissions is the primary approach to reducing cancer risk in Beijing. Considering the contribution to the health risk from various sources obtained in PMF, coal combustion is the most significant contributor to cancer risk. Therefore, serious consideration should be given to controlling coal combustion at the local and regional levels to reduce health risks in Beijing.
Integration of sEMG-Based Learning and Adaptive Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control for an Exoskeleton Assist-as-Needed Support System

This paper presents an adaptive Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control approach for an Assist-as-Needed (AAN) strategy to achieve effective human–exoskeleton synergy. The proposed strategy employs an adaptive instance-based learning algorithm to estimate muscle effort, based on surface Electromyography (sEMG) signals. To determine and control the inverse dynamics of a highly nonlinear 4-degrees-of-freedom exoskeleton designed for upper-limb therapeutic exercises, a modified Recursive Newton-Euler Algorithm (RNEA) with Sliding Mode Control (SMC) was used. The exoskeleton position error and raw sEMG signal from the bicep’s brachii muscle were used as inputs for a fuzzy inference system to produce an output to adjust the sliding mode control law parameters. The proposed robust control law was simulated using MATLAB-Simulink, and the results showed that it could instantly adjust the necessary support, based on the combined motion of the human–exoskeleton system’s muscle engagement, while keeping the state trajectory errors and input torque bounded within ±5×10−2 rads and ±5 N.m, respectively.