Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Biochemical Parameters, Rumen Fermentation, and Rumen Bacterial Communities Are Partly Driven by the Breed and Sex of Cattle When Fed High-Grain Diet

Hybridization in bovines is practiced with the main aim of improving production performance, which may imply the microbial variations in the rumen from the parental breed cross to their progeny. Besides, the interactions of offspring breed with sex in terms of rumen bacteria are not clear. This study aims to evaluate the variations in rumen bacterial communities in different breeds and sexes, and the correlations among fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. Forty-two 19.2 ± 0.67-month-old beef cattle (390 ± 95 kg of initial body weight) comprising two genetic lines (Yiling and Angus × Yiling) and two sexes (heifers and steers) were raised under the same high-grain diet for 120 d. On the last two days, blood samples were collected from each animal via the jugular vein before morning feeding for analyzing serum biochemical parameters; rumen fluid samples were obtained via esophageal intubation 2 h after morning feeding for analyzing rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial communities. The results show that both breed and sex had a certain impact on fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. No differences in the diversity and structure of rumen bacterial communities were observed. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) of breed and sex were observed for Succinivibrionaceae UCG-002 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001. The relative abundances of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Prevotellaceae UCG-003, and Succinivibrio were different (p < 0.05) between breeds. Heifers had a higher (p = 0.008) relative abundance of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group than steers. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) of rumen bacteria with serum biochemical parameters, rumen pH, and rumen fermentation patterns. Additionally, only two genera, Prevotellaceae UCG-003 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001, had positive correlations with feed efficiency. In conclusion, serum biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation, and rumen bacterial communities are partly driven by the breed and sex of cattle fed a high-grain diet.
The Inherent Coupling of Intrinsically Disordered Regions in the Multidomain Receptor Tyrosine Kinase KIT

RTK KIT regulates a variety of crucial cellular processes via its cytoplasmic domain (CD), which is composed of the tyrosine kinase domain, crowned by the highly flexible domains—the juxtamembrane region, kinase insertion domain, and C-tail, which are key recruitment regions for downstream signalling proteins. To prepare a structural basis for the characterization of the interactions of KIT with its signalling proteins (KIT INTERACTOME), we generated the 3D model of the full-length CD attached to the transmembrane helix. This generic model of KIT in inactive state was studied by molecular dynamics simulation under conditions mimicking the natural environment of KIT. With the accurate atomistic description of the multidomain KIT dynamics, we explained its intrinsic (intra-domain) and extrinsic (inter-domain) disorder and represented the conformational assemble of KIT through free energy landscapes. Strongly coupled movements within each domain and between distant domains of KIT prove the functional interdependence of these regions, described as allosteric regulation, a phenomenon widely observed in many proteins. We suggested that KIT, in its inactive state, encodes all properties of the active protein and its post-transduction events.
Deprivation of Auditory Experience Influences Numerosity Discrimination, but Not Numerosity Estimation

Number sense is the ability to estimate the number of items, and it is common to many species. Despite the numerous studies dedicated to unveiling how numerosity is processed in the human brain, to date, it is not clear whether the representation of numerosity is supported by a single general mechanism or by multiple mechanisms. Since it is known that deafness entails a selective impairment in the processing of temporal information, we assessed the approximate numerical abilities of deaf individuals to disentangle these two hypotheses. We used a numerosity discrimination task (2AFC) and an estimation task, in both cases using sequential (temporal) or simultaneous (spatial) stimuli. The results showed a selective impairment of the deaf participants compared with the controls (hearing) in the temporal numerosity discrimination task, while no difference was found to discriminate spatial numerosity. Interestingly, the deaf and hearing participants did not differ in spatial or temporal numerosity estimation. Overall, our results suggest that the deficit in temporal processing induced by deafness also impacts perception in other domains such as numerosity, where sensory information is conveyed in a temporal format, which further suggests the existence of separate mechanisms subserving the processing of temporal and spatial numerosity.
Effect of Seaweed Extract Supplement on Rice Rhizosphere Bacterial Community in Tillering and Heading Stages

Rhizosphere microbiota are conducive to soil nutrient cycling for plant growth. Long-term and excessive application of chemical fertilizer is harmful to agriculture. Seaweed extract is a good organic substitute for rhizosphere ecosystem and plant growth. We supplemented 5‰ seaweed extract powder to chemical fertilizer, and then studied its effect on rhizosphere bacteria of japonica rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp. japonica). In a short-term experiment, we compared the changes in rhizosphere bacteria among four treatments, i.e., no fertilizer (T1), chemical fertilizer only (T2), chemical fertilizer with 5‰ seaweed extract (T3), and less chemical fertilizer with 5‰ seaweed extract (80% of that of T3) (T4). Results show that seaweed extract supplement could affect the bacterial community in tillering and heading stages; the α-diversity of rhizosphere bacteria in the heading stage was obviously improved. In addition, seaweed extract supplement improved significantly the content of nitrate nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and available potassium (K) in rhizosphere soil in the tillering stage, and, finally, increased the rice yield and quality mildly. Therefore, the seaweed extract supplement is shown to be a potential strategy to enrich the diversity of rhizosphere bacteria, which enhanced soil nutrient level, increased rice yield and quality, and also saved the use of chemical fertilizer.
FROM FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY

AbstractThis paper explores the issue of managing knowledge within a medium sized public library, and how knowledge management (KM) principles, often practiced in corporate environments can be effective within non-profit organizations. The study investigates how organizational structure and culture as well as knowledge exchange strategies within a library setting promote the practice of KM. In addition, the paper also identifies a technological gap in the organization's current strategies and recommends an Intranet based solution to augment current knowledge sharing practices. This study seeks to contribute to the body of research related to the practice of KM within the library domain, identify successful knowledge sharing initiatives already in practice as well as propose a low cost IT based solution with the potential to enhance the practice of KM within libraries.
Impact of Corporate Governance on Social Information Disclosure

Information disclosure is an integral to corporate governance, i.e., an important element of corporate governance, since higher disclosure could be able to reduce the information asymmetry, to clarify the conflict of interests between the shareholders and the management, and to make corporate insiders accountable. The study has utilized primary data. In order to collect the primary data, 150 questionnaires were distributed to the customers of 16 Nepalese commercial banks that include private banks, joint venture banks and public banks. The study includes eight non joint venture banks, six joint venture banks and two public banks. The opinion survey reveals that the most of the respondents are convinced about effective corporate governance is linked towards the better level of social information disclosure. The majority of respondents have highlighted that CEO and Chairman must be different for high level of social information disclosure.
Study on Kinetics of Trans-Resveratrol, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity Increase in Vine Waste during Post-Pruning Storage

There is increasing evidence surrounding the health benefits of E-resveratrol; this has triggered interest in stilbenoids in grapes, wine, and by-products. On the one hand, there is an enormous amount of underutilized vine waste, rich in bioactive substances during wine production. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for promising phytochemicals, for dietary and pharmaceutical purposes. Vine shoots are promising sources of stilbenoids; they have economic potential because they are sources of high-value phytochemicals. Recent studies have shown that, due to biosynthesis pathway genes, especially STS (forming trans-resveratrol), which is abundant during storage periods of vine shoots—trans-resveratrol accumulates up to 40-fold. The objective of this research was to determine the most economical part of vine waste to be exploited, and to study the kinetics of resveratrol increase in a 90-day period, to determine the optimal storage period to reach a maximum trans-resveratrol content. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) were studied to determine possible correlations. In Fetească Neagră vine shoot varieties stored at laboratory temperatures, trans-resveratrol content increased to a maximum (2712.86 mg/kg D.W.) at day 70, and then slightly decreased until day 90. TPC remained constant and there was a slight increase in AA. Vine shoots contained the largest amounts of trans-resveratrol (1658.22 mg/kg D.W.), followed by tendrils (169.92 mg/kg D.W.), and leaves (43.54 mg/kg D.W.).
The Outbreak of Digital Detox Motives and Their Public Health Implications for Holiday Destinations

This paper aims to analyze the external and objective barriers of the digital difference between being at home and being on holiday, and the intrinsic and subjective inhibitors to remaining online once at a destination. In this study, the literature is thoroughly reviewed, going beyond the traditional economic and technological explanations, along with those related to skill, to consider those rooted in well-being and psychology. Hence, a more integrative and exhaustive framework deals with how tourists approach their perceived hazardous and oversaturating digital environment. Finally, the role played by sociodemographics is studied by profiling those who are predisposed toward disconnecting in order to preserve their wellness. In total, 346 tourists were surveyed at random, with proportional stratification, on the island of Gran Canaria. The measuring instrument comprised a questionnaire whose scales gathered information about more than eighteen devices, twenty-eight social media platforms, and sixteen device and social media barriers. The obtained evidence demonstrates how crucial “detox” motivations are when trying to elucidate the differences in digital behavior between their home and holiday destination. Similarly, the evidence highlights that while gender, age, nationality, and income are associated with these differences, education is not. This study pioneers an analysis of the detox barrier regarding staying connected while on holiday and provides insight into how this intrinsic and subjective inhibitor interacts with other external hindrances to people’s health, both where they live and where they travel.
Radiomics Features of the Spleen as Surrogates for CT-Based Lymphoma Diagnosis and Subtype Differentiation

Simple Summary In malignant lymphoma an early and accurate diagnosis is essential for therapy initiation and patient outcome. Within the diagnostic process, imaging plays a crucial role in disease staging. However, an invasive biopsy is required for subtype classification. Involvement of the spleen, a major lymphoid organ, is frequent in malignant lymphoma; this may be reactive or due to infiltration by malignant cells. Using radiomics features of the spleen in a machine learning approach, we investigated the possibility of distinguishing malignant lymphoma patients from other cancer patients and to classify lymphoma subtypes in the case of disease presence. Recent studies have proven the value of radiomics analysis in differentiating lymphoma from non-lymphoma groups on involved sites. Supported by machine learning, imaging could gain importance as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for future lymphoma classification, offering more precise radiological information for an interdisciplinary approach regarding treatment planning. Abstract The spleen is often involved in malignant lymphoma, which manifests on CT as either splenomegaly or focal, hypodense lymphoma lesions. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of radiomics features of the spleen in classifying malignant lymphoma against non-lymphoma as well as the determination of malignant lymphoma subtypes in the case of disease presence—in particular Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL), and follicular lymphoma (FL). Spleen segmentations of 326 patients (139 female, median age 54.1 +/− 18.7 years) were generated and 1317 radiomics features per patient were extracted. For subtype classification, we created four different binary differentiation tasks and addressed them with a Random Forest classifier using 10-fold cross-validation. To detect the most relevant features, permutation importance was analyzed. Classifier results using all features were: malignant lymphoma vs. non-lymphoma AUC = 0.86 (p < 0.01); HL vs. NHL AUC = 0.75 (p < 0.01); DLBCL vs. other NHL AUC = 0.65 (p < 0.01); MCL vs. FL AUC = 0.67 (p < 0.01). Classifying malignant lymphoma vs. non-lymphoma was also possible using only shape features AUC = 0.77 (p < 0.01), with the most important feature being sphericity. Based on only shape features, a significant AUC could be achieved for all tasks, however, best results were achieved combining shape and textural features. This study demonstrates the value of splenic imaging and radiomic analysis in the diagnostic process in malignant lymphoma detection and subtype classification.
An IoT-Based Smart System with an MQTT Broker for Individual Patient Vital Sign Monitoring in Potential Emergency or Prehospital Applications

Emergency care is a critical area of medicine whose outcomes are influenced by the time, availability, and accuracy of contextual information. The success of critical or emergency care is determined by the quality and accuracy of the information received during the emergency call and the data collected during emergency transportation. The Internet of Things (IoT) consists of many smart devices and components that communicate via their connection to the Internet, which is used to collect data with sensors that obtain personal health parameters. In the past, most health measurement systems were based on a single dedicated orientation, and few systems had multiple devices on the same platform. In addition to traditional health measurement technologies, most such systems use centralized data transmission, which means that health measurement data have become the exclusive intellectual asset of the system developer. Therefore, this study develops an IoT-based message-broker system that is deployed and demonstrated for five health devices: blood oxygen, blood pressure, forehead temperature, body temperature, and body weight sensors. A central controller accessed by radio-frequency identification (RFID) collects clients' health profiles on the cloud platform. All collected data can be quickly shared, analyzed, and visualized, and the health devices can be changed, added to, and removed reliably when the requirements change. Additionally, following the message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol, all devices can communicate with each other and be integrated into a higher-level health measurement standard (such as blood pressure plus weight or body temperature plus blood oxygen). We implement a smart healthcare monitoring system (SHMS) and verify its reliability. We use MQTT to establish an open communication format that other organizations can follow to perform individual patient vital sign monitoring in potential applications. The robustness and flexibility of this research can be verified through the addition of other systems. Through this structure, more large-scale health detection devices can be integrated into the method proposed in this research in the future. Personal RFID or health insurance cards can be used for personal services or in medical institutions, and the data can easily be shared through the mechanism of this research. Such information sharing will enable the utilization of medical resources to be maximized.
New Insights into the Chloroplast Outer Membrane Proteome and Associated Targeting Pathways

Plastids are a dynamic class of organelle in plant cells that arose from an ancient cyanobacterial endosymbiont. Over the course of evolution, most genes encoding plastid proteins were transferred to the nuclear genome. In parallel, eukaryotic cells evolved a series of targeting pathways and complex proteinaceous machinery at the plastid surface to direct these proteins back to their target organelle. Chloroplasts are the most well-characterized plastids, responsible for photosynthesis and other important metabolic functions. The biogenesis and function of chloroplasts rely heavily on the fidelity of intracellular protein trafficking pathways. Therefore, understanding these pathways and their regulation is essential. Furthermore, the chloroplast outer membrane proteome remains relatively uncharted territory in our understanding of protein targeting. Many key players in the cytosol, receptors at the organelle surface, and insertases that facilitate insertion into the chloroplast outer membrane remain elusive for this group of proteins. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of well-characterized chloroplast outer membrane protein targeting pathways as well as provide new insights into novel targeting signals and pathways more recently identified using a bioinformatic approach. As a result of our analyses, we expand the known number of chloroplast outer membrane proteins from 117 to 138.
Can We Use Ginkgo biloba Extract to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease? Lessons from Preclinical and Clinical Studies

(1) Background: Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) has been widely used to treat central nervous system and cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating evidence has revealed the therapeutic potential of GBE against Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, no systematic evaluation has been performed; (2) Methods: a total of 17 preclinical studies and 20 clinical trials assessing the therapeutic effects of GBE against AD were identified from electronic databases. The data in the reports were extracted to conduct a meta-analysis of the AD-related pathological features or symptoms; (3) Results: For the preclinical reports, 45 animals treated with GBE, in six studies, were subjected to cognitive function assessments by the Morris water maze. GBE was shown to reduce the escape latencies in several studies, in both rats and mice (I2 > 70%, p < 0.005). For the clinical trials, eight trials, including 2100 individuals, were conducted. The results show that GBE improved the SKT and ADAS-Cog scores in early-stage AD patients after high doses and long-term administration; (4) Conclusions: GBE displayed generally consistent anti-AD effects in animal experiments, and it might improve AD symptoms in early-stage AD patients after high doses and long-term administration. A lack of sample size calculations and the poor quality of the methods are two obvious limitations of the studies. Nevertheless, the preclinical and clinical data suggest that further large-scale clinical trials may be needed in order to examine the effects of long-term GEB administration on early-stage AD.
Comparisons of Soybean and Wheat; in the Focus on the Nutritional Aspects and Acute Appetite Sensation

Soybean flour is often used as a gluten-free ingredient. We aimed to compare the nutrients and the difference in satiety of soybean and wheat after ingestion. We measured the amounts of polyphenol and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and examined the acute appetite sensation after the ingestion of soybean powder and bread powder. Japanese women were enrolled in the meal tests. Participants were provided with 18 g of bread or soybean powder, 180 g of yogurt, and 285 mL of bottled water. Subjective satiety (hunger, appetite, satiety, and stomach fullness) was measured using a visual analog scale 120 min after sample ingestion. The polyphenol content and ORAC were 2- and 12-folds higher, respectively, in soybean powder than in bread flour. In the meal tests, the area under the curve (AUC) of satiety 60–120 min after ingestion (n = 44) was significantly higher for soybean powder than bread powder. The AUCs of hunger and appetite 60–120 min after ingestion were significantly lower for soybean powder than bread powder. The effect sizes of hunger and appetite by soybean powder were 0.341 and 0.424, respectively. Thus, these results suggest that soybean is a healthy food and soybeans maintain satiety and suppress hunger more than bread flour.
Response of Wheat Genotypes to Drought Stress Stimulated by PEG

Wheat is a cereal grain crop that is commonly cultivated and is a good source of nutrients that are beneficial to human health. In recent years, the productivity of wheat has been steadily declining, with abiotic pressures accounting for almost half of all yield losses. Drought stress is a significant limiting factor for plant development and production around the planet. The influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15%)-induced drought stress on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of fifteen wheat genotypes was investigated in this work. Overall, it was discovered that morphological and physiological indicators such as germination % and shoot-root lengths during the seedling stage had reduced significantly. The proline content, on the other hand, was shown to be positively correlated with the concentration of PEG treatments. There was a significant difference between the genotypes HD2733, HD2888, and RAJ3765 regarding tolerance to abiotic stress caused by drought. A further finding was that under stressful settings, the first three main components explained 56.65 percent, 65.06 percent, and 72.47 percent of the total variability in PEG treatment levels of five, ten, and fifteen percent, respectively. These collective morphological and physiological parameters, and analyses of their diverse responses, could be used for screening of drought tolerance among the 15 wheat genotypes to select for significant drought tolerance and diverse molecular responses during breeding of stress resistant forms.