Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Sulfamethoxazole on Growth and Antibiotic Resistance of A Natural Microbial Community

Diffuse environmental antibiotic and antibiotic resistance gene contamination is increasing human and animal exposure to these emerging compounds with a consequent risk of reduction in antibiotic effectiveness. The present work investigated the effect of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on growth and antibiotic resistance genes of a microbial community collected from an anaerobic digestion plant fed with cattle manure. Digestate samples were used as inoculum for concentration-dependent experiments using SMX at various concentrations. The antibiotic concentrations affecting the mixed microbial community in terms of growth and spread of resistant genes (sul1, sul2) were investigated through OD (Optical Density) measures and qPCR assays. Moreover, SMX biodegradation was assessed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The overall results showed that SMX concentrations in the range of those found in the environment did not affect the microbial community growth and did not select for antibiotic-resistant gene (ARG) maintenance or spread. Furthermore, the microorganisms tested were able to degrade SMX in only 24 h. This study confirms the complexity of antibiotic resistance spread in real matrices where different microorganisms coexist and suggests that antibiotic biodegradation needs to be included for fully understanding the resistance phenomena among bacteria.
Robust Control of a 2-DOF parallel mechanism combining feedback linearization and H-infinity design.

This work presents the robust control of a nonlinear plant with uncertain parameters, in this case a 2-DOF parallel mechanism. First, the robot dynamic and kinematic models were computed using a new methodology based on the serial subsystems models that compose the parallel topology, which are later pieced together through mechanical constraints to form the complete parallel robot model. Then, a robust control architecture combining H∞ design and feedback linearization was designed in order to guarantee robust performance and stability even in the presence of uncertain parameters in the model. To validate both mechanism’s modeling and control, simulation results were provided.
Synthesis and physicochemical properties of hydroxypropyl tannins from maritime pine bark (Pinus pinaster Ait.)

Abstract Simple derivatives of condensed tannins are described, which allow the tailoring of gelation (with aldehydes) and thermal degradation behaviors that have been obstacles to the commercial utilization of this abundant bioresource. Hydroxypropyl tannin (HPT) derivatives from bark of Pinus pinaster with varying degrees of substitution (DS 0.1–4.7) were analyzed with regard to molecular and physical characteristics, such as structure, molecular weight, thermal behavior, solubility and gelation. The modification reaction of tannin proceeds stoichiometrically to a mixture of oligomeric derivatives, mostly to trimers and tetramers, as demonstrated by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, elemental analysis, and gel permeation chromatography. The derivatives have an improved solubility in organic solvents and increased thermal stability. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was reduced by up to 37°C over unmodified tannin. At DS ≥1.0, the HPT lost the capacity to produce gel with formaldehyde. A structure-property relationship was established by means of multivariate analysis, and the derivatives could be grouped according to their physicochemical profile. HPTs are promising biomacromolecular building blocks for tannin-derived materials.
Understanding the Role of the Arp2/3 Complex and its Upstream Regulator in Actin Cytoskeleton Mediated Organization of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Plant Cells

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF ARP 2/3 COMPLEX AND ITS UPSTREAM REGULATOR IN ACTIN CYTOSKELETON MEDIATED ORGANIZATION OF THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM IN PLANT CELLS Madhulika Sareen Advisor: Dr.Jaideep Mathur University of Guelph, 2013 The Actin Related Protein (ARP) 2/3 complex is a major regulator of the actin cytoskeleton that is implicated in cell morphogenesis in plants. However, a similar role is attributed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). My research explored the relationship between the two systems by using transgenic plants simultaneously expressing fluorescent proteins highlighting F-actin and ER organization in living cells. A comparison of F-actin organization in cells of wild type Arabidopsis thaliana and mutants with aberrant actin cytoskeleton suggests bundling in the distorted2 mutant but a relatively fine F-actin arrangement in klunker. These differences correlate with ER organization into cisternae, fenestrated sheets and tubules. A model relating ERorganization to the degree of actin bundling in a cell emerges and is supported by druginduced interference in actin polymerization, altered ionic conditions and temperature. The study adds to the mechanistic understanding of cell morphogenesis in plants.
Ecofriendly management of mixed coconut oil cake waste for lipase production by marine Streptomyces indiaensis and utilization as detergent additive

The utilization of agro waste for the production of lipase enzyme was one of the ecofriendly methods for the management of waste. From 34 actinomycetes strains screened from sediments of Tiruchendhur coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, India, 26 strains exhibited lipase activity. The marine actinomycete strain MAC 7 was used for the production of extracellular lipase by using mixed coconut oil cake waste as substrate. The strain showed maximum lipase activity at pH 9 and temperature 55°C. The solid state fermentation was carried out for 8 days with 80% moisture content. The lipase extracted from marine actinomycete was highly alkaline and thermophilic in nature. The enzyme was further utilized as a good detergent additive. Key words: Actinomycete, coconut oil cake, lipase, Streptomyces indiaensis, solid state fermentation, wheat bran.
Structure and biological function of human 3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 in breast cancer

La 3-alpha hydroxysteroide deshydrogenase de type 3 humaine (3α-HSD3) a un role essentiel dans l’inactivation de la 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT). Par une combinaison de la mutagenese, de la cinetique et de la cristallographie par rayon-X, nous demontrons que la mutation de la Valine54 a la Leucine54 dans la 3α-HSD3 reduit sa capacite d’inactivation de la 5α-DHT et ameliore une activite 20-alpha hydroxysteroide deshydrogenase. Par ailleurs, la structure cristalline de la 3α-HSD3 en complexe avec la 5α-androstane-3,17-dione/epi-androsterone (A-dione/epi-ADT) a ete obtenue par la co-cristallisation, avec la 5α-DHT, ce qui implique que la 5α-DHT a des modes de liaison alternative avec la 3α-HSD3. La suppression de l’expression de la 3α-HSD3 par des ARNsi ne fait pas seulement qu’augmenter la concentration de la 5α-DHT dans les cellules MCF7, mais elle diminue aussi la proliferation cellulaire des cellules MCF7 en presence de 5α-DHT. Le recepteur des estrogenes de type alpha (ERα) controle le developpement sexuel et les fonctions reproduction. Nous avons mis en place une methode de purification du fragment de l’ERα incluant son domaine de liaison a l’ADN et de son domaine de liaison au ligand (DBD-LBD). La cristallogenese preliminaire de l’ERα DBD-LBD en complexe avec les elements de reponse a l’estrogene a ete effectuee. Par ailleurs, nous avons rapporte une methode de purification simple et efficace pour le domaine de liaison au ligand de l’ERα. %%%%Human 3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (3α-HSD3) has an essential role in the inactivation of androgen 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT). By a combination of mutagenesis, kinetics and X-ray crystallography, we demonstrate that the mutation of Valine54 to Leucine54 in 3α-HSD3 reduces its 5α-DHT inactivation ability and enhances a 20-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Furthermore, the crystal structure of 3α-HSD3 in complex with 5α-androstane-3,17-dione/epi-androsterone (A-dione/epi-ADT) is obtained by co-crystallization with 5α-DHT, which implies that 5α-DHT has the alternative binding mode within 3α-HSD3. Suppression of 3α-HSD3 expression by specific siRNA not only increases 5α-DHT concentration in MCF7 cells, but also decreases MCF7 cell proliferation in the presence of 5α-DHT. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) controls sexual development and reproductive functions. We establish a purification protocol of ERα fragment including its DNA binding domain and ligand binding domain (DBD-LBD). Preliminary crystallogenesis of ERα DBD-LBD in complex with estrogen response elements is carried out. Additionally, we report a simple and efficient purification method for ERα LBD.
Obtaining and Research of Palladium Complexes with 4-aminopiridine

The obtaining and investigation of various complex compounds of the biologically active aromatic heterocyclic ligands with platinum and palladium are of interest due to their potential medical applications. To that end, 4-amino pyridine containing cyclic and exocyclic nitrogen atoms has been used. The main aim of this work is to clarify which nitrogen atom of the ligand composes stronger and more stable bond. For that purpose, the synthesis of palladium salts with ligand has been accomplished within a wide interval of pH (3-12) and temperature (50-800C). The cation-anion and neutral complex compounds have been obtained depending on stoichiometric ratio of the reacting components, temperature and pH and was further studied. As a result of IR-spectroscopic investigation of synthesized complexes, the acquired information demonstrated that the pyridine nitrogen atom of the ligand is protonated and composes outer sphere as monocharged cation. However, tetraacidoanion is formed in the inner sphere. In the alkaline medium the ligand is monodentately coordinated with palladium through nitrogen atom of pyridine. The exocyclic nitrogen atom of the ligand does not participate in the coordination regardless of pH of the medium and stoichiometric ratio of the taken compounds. As a result of investigation of the thermal stability of the complexes it was determined that the neutral complexes are decomposed without melting at higher temperature than cation-anion complexes. It has been found that one of the factors that affects thermal stability is the steric structure of the complexes. The initial biological probes were accomplished and the correlation between their biological activities, composition and structures of complexes were determined. Despite the fact of taking the same medium and ligand, the cation-anion complexes indicate completely different biological activities than neutral ones.
Preparation of a natural deep eutectic solvent mediated self polymerized highly flexible transparent gel having super capacitive behaviour

A novel natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) was prepared by the endothermic complexation of choline chloride (hydrogen bond acceptor) and orcinol (hydrogen bond donor) at room temperature. Among N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM), vinyl acetate (VA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), only HEMA was found to self-polymerized in the above NADES at room temperature at optimized concentrations, resulting in the formation of a highly stretchable gel (>30 times). Polymerization of HEMA in the DES was established and rheological investigations revealed the highly stretchable behaviour of the gels. The gels obtained with HEMA in the ratio of 0.35, 0.5 and 1% v/v with respect to the NADES demonstrated good capacitive behaviour with metal oxide frame works (>200 F g−1).
Simple Capacitor Voltage Balancing for Three-Level NPC Inverter Using Discontinuous PWM Method With Hysteresis Neutral-Point Error Band

Three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) voltage source inverters are widely used in many low- and medium-power applications. However, the 3L-NPC inverter has an inheritance issue of the neutral-point (NP) voltage unbalancing due to the deviation of dc-link capacitor voltages causing distortions for the output waveform quality. Generally, discontinuous pulsewidth modulation (DPWM) is used to diminish the stress on power transistors and prolong their lifespan, however; it is not capable of solving the issue of NP voltage unbalancing. Therefore, this article proposes a simple voltage balancing control based on DPWM with a hysteresis NP voltage band. The balancing control method is only activated once the capacitance voltage error exceeds the hysteresis band by generating a momentary offset on the opposite direction of the DPWM offset. In this way, both top and bottom capacitance voltages will converge within a predefined error band. Various hysteresis error bands are investigated by analyzing the power losses, total harmonic distortions, and common mode voltage. The advantages of this proposed method are its simplicity and ease of control while maintaining the features of DPWM. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated using simulation and experimental results.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of upper Paleozoic strata in the Williston Basin Province, 2020

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quantitatively assessed the potential for undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and gas resources in six upper Paleozoic total petroleum systems (TPSs) of the Williston Basin Province in North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota (figs. 1 and 2). Eight geologically defined assessment units (AUs) were assessed within these TPSs for undiscovered oil, gas, and natural gas liquids. Total petroleum systems have been defined in the Williston Basin Province based mainly on oil geochemistry (Osadetz and Snowden, 1995; Jarvie, 2001; Lillis, 2012; Nesheim, 2019). Using these studies as a framework, six TPSs were identified within upper Paleozoic strata and assessed for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources (fig. 3). The Winnipegosis TPS encompasses oil generated from basinal organic-rich shales that migrated into carbonate platforminterior patch reef, platform margin, slope, and pinnacle reef reservoirs within the Winnipegosis Carbonate Reservoirs AU, with seals provided by overlying evaporites of the Prairie Formation (Ehrets and Kissling, 1987). Most oil production from carbonate reservoirs of the Winnipegosis Formation is in proximity to structures like the faulted Nesson anticline (Gerhard and others, 1987).
Eye-tracker-based Evaluation of Saccadic Deficits in Young Children with Developmental Disorders

Visually guided saccadic eye movement has been considered a promising screening tool for cognitive function because of its simple and objective nature. However, its application to young children, especially those with developmental disorders, is limited due to the lack of sustained attention required to complete the measurement using the traditional electrophysiological protocol. We have previously reported that saccades can be reliably evaluated in typically developing young children using an eye tracker, which allows non-contact measurement of eye movement with a suf ciently short preparation time. Using the eye tracker system combined with an in-house developed analysis software, we investigated the changes in saccadic behavior between typically developing children (n = 30) and children with developmental disorders (attention-de cit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] and autism spectrum disorder [ASD], n = 27) at ages ranging from 4.8 to13.2 years. Four saccade responses were measured, consisting of eye movement to the instantaneously shifted visual target either to the right or left (step condition), to the visual target that appeared 200 ms after turning off the xation point (gap condition), to the visual target while the xation point remained (overlap condition), and in the direction opposite to the visual target (anti-saccade condition). Statistically signi cant de cits were found in children with developmental disorders compared to typically developing children, with decreased number of correct saccades in the step condition in children with ASD and reduced peak saccadic velocity in the overlap condition in children with ADHD. Interestingly, when saccadic parameters were further evaluated with regard to the direction of eye movement (rightward and leftward), a signi cant decrease in peak velocity in children with developmental disorders compared to typically developing children was only con rmed in saccades to the right side in the overlap condition. In addition, right-lateralized de cits in peak velocity and initial accuracy were also found in the step, overlap, and anti-saccade conditions in children with developmental disorders. These lateralized oculomotor responses may represent the affected cortical function in children with developmental disorders, suggesting a possible role of non-contact saccadic examination as an assessment tool for visual cognitive function, especially in young children.
Neutron diffraction study of β iron titanium deuteride

The beta phase of FeTiD is shown to be orthorhombic with lattice parameters a=2.956+or-0.004 AA, b=4.543+or-0.006 AA and c=4.388+or-0.006 AA. The deuterium atoms are ordered on certain octahedral interstitial sites with two nearest-neighbour iron atoms.
Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease

Chronic ischemic heart disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several trials have been performed to evaluate benefit of stem cells transplantation to restore cardiac function in short- and long-term period after myocardial infarction. This concise review analyzes 15 clinical trials between 2005 and 2020 comprising 1372 patients (608 treated) and is aimed to: 1): assess percent increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and decrease in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class at 12 months after stem cells transplantation after acute myocardial infarction and 2) correlate LVEF percent increase with number of transfused stem cells. Nine trials reported a significant percent LVEF increase and NYHA class decrease at 12 months after bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells transplantation correlating with transplanted cells number. Caution should be exercised in the evaluation of these results due to the different stem cells utilized, transplant protocols and endpoints, and the small number of patients treated in some studies.
Gastrointestinal and kidney manifestations in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infections: role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020, which has a substantial structural similarity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused the outbreak in 2003, is currently a threat to global health Lung involvement is the principal clinical feature in infected patients but extra-pulmonary clinical presentations are also common The reasons for the extensive involvement of other organs are not yet clear Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the key peptide of renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has recently identified as a major receptor for the both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 that might be a main target of coronavirus infection ACE2 is mainly expressed in the pulmonary pneumocytes, the small intestine enterocytes as well as the proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidneys In addition to the respiratory tract infection symptoms, the noticeable prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms as well as kidney impairment in hospitalized infected patients highlights other routes of infection/transmission In present review, we discussed the role of RAS with emphasis on ACE2 in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, particularly in gastrointestinal and kidney manifestations of the diseases
Preparation and Photoelectrochemical Performance of Visible-Light Active AgI/TiO2-NTs Composite with Rich β-AgI

AgI sensitized TiO2 nanotube arrays (AgI/TiO2-NTs) with adjustable β/γ ratio of AgI were prepared by a simple dissolution–precipitation–calcination process. The samples were characterized by various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky plots. We found that calcination temperature (100–500 °C) had significant effect on regulating the phase of AgI. After calcination at 350 °C, the highest β/γ ratio of AgI was achieved. Moreover, greatly enhanced photocurrent response and reduced charge transfer resistance were also observed, which together led to easier generation and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Thus, for the reduction of Cr(VI) under visible light, significantly enhanced photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance was observed using AgI/TiO2-NTs calcined at 350 °C (denoted as AgI/TiO2-N.
Effect of cocoa bean origin and conching time on the physicochemical and microstructural properties of Indonesian dark chocolate

Indonesian cocoa is cheaper and considered second grade compared with most other cocoa. However, the domestic chocolate industry is not well-developed due to significantly low consumption. To cope with these issues, product innovation through technical process improvement is required to stimulate the domestic chocolate industry. This study aimed to investigate the effect of cocoa bean origin and conching time on the physicochemical (water content, texture, color, crude fat content, and melting enthalpy) and microstructural properties of chocolate. The experiment was conducted under a completely randomized factorial design consisting of two factors: cocoa bean origin (100% fermented cocoa beans from Jember, 100% fermented cocoa beans from Southeast Sulawesi, 50% fermented cocoa beans from Jember + 50% non-fermented cocoa beans from Southeast Sulawesi, and 50% fermented cocoa beans from Southeast Sulawesi + 50% non-fermented cocoa beans from Southeast Sulawesi) and conching time (4, 6 and 8 h). The results showed that cocoa bean origin significantly affected the hardness, gumminess and color of chocolate, including the redness and yellowness level, whereas conching time affected water content, hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, and crude fat content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the treatment with 100% fermented cocoa beans from Jember presented higher values of Tonset, ΔHmelt and area compared with those of the treatment with 100% fermented cocoa beans from Southeast Sulawesi, which presented higher values of Tpeak and Tend. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a distribution of solid and dense particles with crystal interaction with chocolate structures.
Mediterranean diet, olive oil and health

The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterised by an abundance of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes); olive oil is the principle source of fat. Dairy products, mainly yoghurt and cheese, are eaten in low to moderate amounts, as well as fish and poultry. Red meat is eaten only in small amounts. The Mediterranean diet contains wine in moderation, usually consumed with meals. These food patterns lead to a nutrient composition with low contents of unfavourable or undesirable nutrients (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, cholesterol), with high contents of desirable and health-beneficial nutrients (dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, minor components), and with a low energy density. Due to its specific food patterns and its favourable nutrient composition the Mediterranean diet has undoubtedly contributed to the low rates of numerous chronic diseases observed in the Mediterranean region and has been proven as a model for healthy nutrition. In particular, a large body of evidence documents the beneficial relationship between the traditional Mediterranean diet, cardiovascular risk factors, such as hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes and obesity, and coronary heart disease. Furthermore, there is evidence that the Mediterranean diet plays a role in cancer prevention.