Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biochar-Improved Growth and Physiology of Ehretia asperula under Water-Deficit Condition

Ehretia asperula’s physiological responses to growth performance following oak-wood biochar application under water stress conditions (WSC) and no water stress conditions (non-WSC) were investigated in a pot experiment. Biochar (WB) was incorporated into the soil at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 tons ha−1 before transplanting Ehretia asperula in the pots. One month after transplanting, Ehretia asperula plants were put under water stress by withholding water for ten days. Water stress significantly decreased the growth and physiology of Ehretia asperula. Under WSC, the application of WB at the concentrations of 15 and 20 tons ha−1 to the soil increased the plant height; number of leaves; fresh and dry weight of the roots, shoots, and leaves; Fv/Fm; chlorophyll content; leaf relative water content; and soil moisture as well as decreased the relative ion leakage. The application of WB enhanced drought tolerance in Ehretia asperula plants by lowering the wilting point. The findings suggest that WB application at the concentration of 15 tons ha−1 could be recommended for ensuring the best physiological responses and highest growth of Ehretia asperula plants.
Mango Peel Pectin: Recovery, Functionality and Sustainable Uses

Concerns regarding the overconsumption of natural resources has provoked the recovery of biopolymers from food processing biomass. Furthermore, the current market opportunity for pectin in other areas has increased, necessitating the search for alternative pectin resources. This is also a step towards the sustainable and circular green economy. Mango peel is the byproduct of agro-processing and has been used for high value-added components such as polysaccharide biopolymers. Pectin derived from the peel is yet to be exploited to its greatest extent, particularly in terms of its separation and physiochemical properties, which limit its applicability to dietary fiber in culinary applications. The functionality of the mango peel pectin (MPP) strongly depends on the molecular size and degree of esterification which highlight the importance of isolation and characterisation of pectin from this novel resource. This article therefore provides a useful overview of mango peel as a potential biomaterial for the recovery of MPP. Different extraction techniques and the integrated recovery were also discussed. The utilisation of MPP in different industrial schemes are also detailed out from different perspectives such as the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. This review convincingly expresses the significance of MPP, providing a sustainable opportunity for food and pharmaceutical development.
Organ-on-a-chip model of vascularized human bone marrow niches

Animal models of bone marrow have limited spatial and temporal resolution to observe biological events (intravasation and cellular egress) and are inadequate to dissect dynamic events at the niche level (100 microns). Utilizing microfluidic and stem cell technology, we present a 3D in vitro model of human bone marrow that contains perivascular and endosteal niches complete with dynamic, perfusable vascular networks. We demonstrate that our model can perform in vivo functions including maintenance and differentiation of CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) for up to fourteen days, egress of myeloid progenitors, and expression of markers consistent with in vivo human bone marrow. The platform design enables the addition of tissue niches at a later timepoint to probe mechanisms such as tumor cell migration. Overall, we present a novel organ-on-a-chip platform that is capable of recapitulating the human bone marrow microenvironment to observe hematopoietic phenomena at high spatial and temporal resolution.
Rehabilitandenzufriedenheit in den sozialen Medien und auf Online-Bewertungsportalen

Zusammenfassung Ziel Rehabilitanden äußern sich zu ihrem Rehabilitationsaufenthalt vermehrt im Internet, bewerten die Leistungserbringer mit Sterneratings und schreiben Erfahrungsberichte. Bisher liegen keine Erkenntnisse zur im Internet kommunizierten Rehabilitandenzufriedenheit für die stationäre medizinische Rehabilitation in Deutschland vor. Die Studie verfolgte erstmalig das Ziel einer systematischen Analyse der Rehabilitandenzufriedenheit in den sozialen Medien und auf Klinikvergleichsportalen. Methoden Bewertungen zur Rehabilitation auf dem Portal Klinikbewertungen.de und dem sozialen Netzwerk Facebook wurden für 8 Indikationsgruppen (Orthopädie, Psychosomatik/Psychotherapie, Onkologie, Kardiologie, Neurologie, Innere Medizin, Pneumologie/Dermatologie, Gastroenterologie) in einer Vollerhebung über drei Jahre (10/2014–09/2017) für federführend belegte Reha-Kliniken der Rentenversicherung (N=497) erhoben. Zur Bestimmung der Rehabilitandenzufriedenheit wurden die Sternebewertungen, aggregriert nach Indikationsgruppen, ausgewertet (Chi-Quadrat-Test nach Pearson, Exakter Test nach Fisher, Phi-Koeffizient). Ergebnisse Auf Klinikbewertungen.de waren 97,2% der Reha-Kliniken mit 24 806 Bewertungen vertreten. Die am häufigsten bewerteten Indikationsgruppen waren die Orthopädie (38,5%) und die Psychosomatik/Psychotherapie (27,1%). Für Facebook wurden Bewertungen (N=4127) zu Reha-Kliniken (38,6%) mit jeweils einer Fachabteilung erfasst, um eine Indikationsgruppenzuordnung sicherzustellen. Es wurden annährend gleich viele Bewertungen auf offiziellen (48,7%) wie inoffiziellen Facebookseiten (51,3%) ermittelt, wobei kein signifikanter Zusammenhang der Seitenverwaltung zur Gesamtzufriedenheit bestand (p>0,05). Auf den Facebookseiten waren 49,1% der Bewertungen von Frauen (38,5% männlich; 12,4% nicht zuordenbar). Soziodemografische Angaben auf Klinikbewertungen.de bezogen sich einzig auf den Versichertenstatus (89,1% gesetzlich Versicherte). Die Bewertungen wurden zu 95,4% von Rehabilitanden und 4,0% von Angehörigen verfasst. 77,5% der Rehabilitanden gaben eine Weiterempfehlung ab (Angehörige: 37,2%). Die meisten Rehabilitandenbewertungen waren positiv. Es zeigten sich Unterschiede in der Gesamtzufriedenheit zwischen den Indikationsgruppen. Die Rehabilitanden in der Onkologie (77,9%) waren zufriedener als in der Neurologie (59,0%). Schlussfolgerung Online-Bewertungen über die stationäre medizinische Rehabilitation konnten im erheblichen Umfang erhoben werden. Diese fallen überwiegend positiv aus und sind mit Ergebnissen standardisierter Befragungen vergleichbar. Trotz Einschränkungen bei der Nutzung von Daten aus den sozialen Medien weisen die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass das öffentlich zugängliche zeitnahe Online-Feedback von Rehabilitanden nützliche Informationen für das Qualitätsmanagement der Kliniken sowie für Patienten in der Wahrnehmung des Wunsch- und Wahlrechts haben kann.
Repurposing of High-Dose Erythropoietin as a Potential Drug Attenuates Sepsis in Preconditioning Renal Injury

Due to (i) the uremia-enhanced sepsis severity, (ii) the high prevalence of sepsis with pre-existing renal injury and (iii) the non-erythropoiesis immunomodulation of erythropoietin (EPO), EPO was tested in sepsis with pre-existing renal injury models with the retrospective exploration in patients. Then, EPO was subcutaneously administered in mice with (i) cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) after renal injury including 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx-CLP) and bilateral nephrectomy (BiNx-CLP) or sham surgery (sham-CLP) and (ii) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, along with testing in macrophages. In patients, the data of EPO administration and the disease characteristics in patients with sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (sepsis-AKI) were evaluated. As such, increased endogenous EPO was demonstrated in all sepsis models, including BiNx-CLP despite the reduced liver erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), using Western blot analysis and gene expression, in liver (partly through hepatocyte apoptosis). A high-dose EPO, but not a low-dose, attenuated sepsis in mouse models as determined by mortality and serum inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, EPO attenuated inflammatory responses in LPS-activated macrophages as determined by supernatant cytokines and the expression of several inflammatory genes (iNOS, IL-1β, STAT3 and NFκB). In parallel, patients with sepsis-AKI who were treated with the high-dose EPO showed favorable outcomes, particularly the 29-day mortality rate. In conclusion, high-dose EPO attenuated sepsis with preconditioning renal injury in mice possibly through the macrophage anti-inflammatory effect, which might be beneficial in some patients.
Fabrication of a UV Photodetector Based on n-TiO2/p-CuMnO2 Heterostructures

The heterojunction based on n-TiO2 nanolayer/p-CuMnO2 thin film was achieved using an efficient two-step synthesis process for the fabrication of a UV photodetector. The first step consisted of obtaining the TiO2 nanolayer, which was grown on titan foil by thermal oxidation (Ti-TiO2). The second step consisted of CuMnO2 thin film deposition onto the surface of Ti-TiO2 using the Doctor Blade method. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction, UV-VIS analysis, SEM, and AFM morphologies were used for the investigation of the structural and morphological characteristics of the as-synthesized heterostructures. The Mott–Schottky analysis was performed in order to prove the n-TiO2/p-CuMnO2 junction. The I-V measurements of the n-TiO2 nanolayer/p-CuMnO2 thin film heterostructure confirm its diode characteristics under dark state, UV and visible illumination conditions. The obtained heterojunction, which is based on two types of semiconductors with different energy band structures, improves the separating results of charges, which is very important for high-performance UV photodetectors.
Students with Special Educational Needs: Explaining Their Social Integration and Self-Concept

Social integration of special need students is viewed as a necessary phenomenon for the skills’ development which adds quality to their lives and provides them with satisfaction. This study explores the perception and attitude of the teachers towards social integration as a general school policy. A total of 150 individuals were selected from the integrated primary schools in KSA. Survey approach was employed to collect data using a close-ended questionnaire which was then statistically analysed. The results revealed that there is a positive impact of the social integration upon the special needs students. A statistically significant difference was found among participants based on their experience, education, and age. Moreover, there was significant difference in the attitudes of participants with Diploma in Education qualifications and Bachelor in Education qualifications towards integration. The study concluded that the implementation of the integrated school as general policy should be considered and an effective teacher training curriculum with special needs courses should be introduced.
Relationships between cognitive factors and gait strategy during exoskeleton-augmented walking

Individual variation in exoskeleton-augmented gait strategy may arise from differences in cognitive factors, e.g., ability to respond quickly to stimuli or complete tasks under divided attention. Gait strategy is defined as different approaches to achieving gait priorities (e.g., walking without falling) and is observed via changes in gait characteristics like normalized stride length or width. Changes indicate shifting priorities like increasing stability or coordination with an exoskeleton. Relationships between cognitive factors and exoskeleton gait characteristics were assessed. Cognitive factors were quantified using a modified Simon task and a speed achievement task on a self-paced treadmill with and without a secondary go/no-go task. Individuals with faster reaction times and decreased ability to maintain a given speed tended to prioritize coordination with an exoskeleton over gait stability. These correlations indicate relationships between cognitive factors and individual exoskeleton-augmented gait strategy that should be further investigated to understand variation in exoskeleton use.
Microscale Thermophoresis Reveals Oxidized Glutathione as High-Affinity Ligand of Mal d 1

Pathogenesis-related (PR)-10 proteins, due to their particular secondary structure, can bind various ligands which could be important for their biological function. Accordingly, the PR-10 protein Mal d 1, the major apple allergen, probably also binds molecules in the hydrophobic cavity of its secondary structure, but it has not yet been investigated in this respect. In this study, various natural products found in apples such as flavonoids, glutathione (GSH), and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) were investigated as possible ligands of Mal d 1 using microscale thermophoresis. Dissociation constants of 16.39 µM, 29.51 µM, 35.79 µM, and 0.157 µM were determined for catechin, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, GSH, and GSSG, respectively. Molecular docking was performed to better understand the underlying binding mechanism and revealed hydrophobic interactions that stabilize the ligands within the pocket while hydrophilic interactions determine the binding of both GSH derivatives. The binding of these ligands could be important for the allergenicity of the PR-10 protein and provide further insights into its physiological role.
Activation Mechanisms of the VPS34 Complexes

Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P) is essential for cell survival, and its intracellular synthesis is spatially and temporally regulated. It has major roles in two distinctive cellular pathways, namely, the autophagy and endocytic pathways. PtdIns(3)P is synthesized from phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) by PIK3C3C/VPS34 in mammals or Vps34 in yeast. Pathway-specific VPS34/Vps34 activity is the consequence of the enzyme being incorporated into two mutually exclusive complexes: complex I for autophagy, composed of VPS34/Vps34–Vps15/Vps15-Beclin 1/Vps30-ATG14L/Atg14 (mammals/yeast), and complex II for endocytic pathways, in which ATG14L/Atg14 is replaced with UVRAG/Vps38 (mammals/yeast). Because of its involvement in autophagy, defects in which are closely associated with human diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, developing highly selective drugs that target specific VPS34/Vps34 complexes is an essential goal in the autophagy field. Recent studies on the activation mechanisms of VPS34/Vps34 complexes have revealed that a variety of factors, including conformational changes, lipid physicochemical parameters, upstream regulators, and downstream effectors, greatly influence the activity of these complexes. This review summarizes and highlights each of these influences as well as clarifying key questions remaining in the field and outlining future perspectives.
Tracking control of underwater vehicles including thruster dynamics by second order sliding modes

The paper is devoted to the introduction of a multi-input second order sliding mode control algorithm in a underwater robotic context. This approach guarantees perfect tracking and stabilization in presence of disturbance and uncertainties typical of this kind of system. This property is guaranteed by acting on the voltage of the motors driving the thrusters and the resulting forces and torques are continuous.
Perception of Reproduced Sound: Audibility of Individual Reflections in a Complete Sound Field, III

This paper reports on the influence of individual reflections on the auditory localization of a loudspeaker in a small room. Two previous papers [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97, 1717–1726 (1995); ibid. (in press)] have reported on the influence of individual reflections on timbre of reproduced sound. The sound field produced by a single loudspeaker positioned in a normal listening room has been simulated using an electroacoustical setup. The setup models the direct sound, 17 individual reflections, and the reverberant field. The threshold of detection was measured using the method of adjustment for five reflections using three subjects for noise and speech. The thresholds have been measured for two simulated situations: (1) A loudspeaker with frequency‐independent directivity characteristics and frequency‐independent absorption coefficients of the room surfaces and (2) a loudspeaker with directivity according to a standard two‐way system and absorption coefficients according to real materials. The results have shown that subjects can reliably distinguish between timbre and localization, that the spectrum level above 2 kHz for individual reflections determines their influence on the localization of the main source, and that only the first‐order floor reflection will contribute to localization of the main source. a)Present address: Bang and Olufsen A/S, Peter Bangs Vej 15, DK‐7600 Struer, Denmark.
Soluble Dietary Fiber, One of the Most Important Nutrients for the Gut Microbiota

Dietary fiber is a widely recognized nutrient for human health. Previous studies proved that dietary fiber has significant implications for gastrointestinal health by regulating the gut microbiota. Moreover, mechanistic research showed that the physiological functions of different dietary fibers depend to a great extent on their physicochemical characteristics, one of which is solubility. Compared with insoluble dietary fiber, soluble dietary fiber can be easily accessed and metabolized by fiber-degrading microorganisms in the intestine and produce a series of beneficial and functional metabolites. In this review, we outlined the structures, characteristics, and physiological functions of soluble dietary fibers as important nutrients. We particularly focused on the effects of soluble dietary fiber on human health via regulating the gut microbiota and reviewed their effects on dietary and clinical interventions.
Regional Variation in Dengue Virus Serotypes in Sri Lanka and Its Clinical and Epidemiological Relevance

Dengue is a significant health concern in Sri Lanka, but diagnosis of the infecting dengue virus (DENV) serotype has hitherto been largely restricted to the Colombo district in the western province. Salinity tolerant Aedes vectors are present in the island’s northern Jaffna peninsula, which is undergoing rapid groundwater salinization. Virus serotypes were determined by RT-qPCR in 107 and 112 patients diagnosed by NS1 antigen positivity from the Jaffna district in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and related to clinical characteristics. DENV1 and DENV2 were the most common serotypes in both years. Infections with multiple serotypes were not detected. DENV1 was significantly more prevalent in 2019 than 2018, while DENV3 was significantly more prevalent in 2018 than 2019 among the Jaffna patients. Limited genomic sequencing identified DENV1 genotype-I and DENV3 genotype-I in Jaffna patients in 2018. Dengue was more prevalent in working age persons and males among the serotyped Jaffna patients. DENV1 and DENV2 were the predominant serotypes in 2019 in the Colombo district. However, DENV1 and DENV3 were significantly more prevalent in Colombo compared with Jaffna in 2019. The differences in the prevalence of DENV1 and DENV3 between the Jaffna and Colombo districts in 2019 have implications for dengue epidemiology and vaccination. Salinity-tolerant Aedes vector strains, widespread in the Jaffna peninsula, may have contributed to differences in serotype prevalence compared with the Colombo district in 2019. Significant associations were not identified between virus serotypes and clinical characteristics among Jaffna patients.
Introdução à Análise de Dados Geoespaciais com Python

A análise espacial, ou apenas análise geoespacial, é uma abordagem para aplicar a análise estatística e outras técnicas analíticas a dados que possuem um aspecto geográfico ou espacial. Essa análise normalmente é feita utilizando técnicas de renderização de mapas a partir do processamento de dados espaciais e a aplicação de métodos analíticos a conjuntos de dados terrestres ou geográficos. Este minicurso é uma introdução à análise de dados geoespaciais com Python, com foco em dados vetoriais tabulares usando GeoPandas. O conteúdo concentra-se em apresentar as diferentes bibliotecas para trabalhar com dados geoespaciais e as relações no espaço. Isso inclui a importação de dados em diferentes formatos (por exemplo, shapefile, GeoJSON), visualizando, combinando e organizando-os para análise, fazendo o uso de bibliotecas como pandas, geopandas, shapely, pyproj, matplotlib, cartopy, dentre outras.
A Ready-to-Use Metal-Supported Bilayer Lipid Membrane Biosensor for the Detection of Phenol in Water

This work presents a novel metal-supported bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) biosensor built on tyrosinase to quantitate phenol. The detection strategy is based on the enzyme–analyte initial association and not the commonly adopted monitoring of the redox cascade reactions; such an approach has not been proposed in the literature to date and offers many advantages for environmental monitoring with regard to sensitivity, selectivity, reliability and assay simplicity. The phenol sensor developed herein showed good analytical and operational characteristics: the detection limit (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) was 1.24 pg/mL and the sensitivity was 33.45 nA per pg/mL phenol concentration. The shelf life of the tyrosinase sensor was 12 h and the lifetime (in consecutive assays) was 8 h. The sensor was reversible with bathing at pH 8.5 and could be used for eight assay runs in consecutive assays. The validation in real water samples showed that the sensor could reliably detect 2.5 ppb phenol in tap and river water and 6.1 ppb phenol in lake water, without sample pretreatment. The prospects and applicability of the proposed biosensor and the underlying technology are also discussed.
Managing runoff in rainfed agriculture under no-till system: potential for improving crop production

Strategies to mitigate degradation and ensure food and water security are among the main challenges in agricultural development. Unconsolidated information about the positive impact of conservationist practices on productivity increase is fundamental for their adoption by farmers. This study evaluated if the saved rainfall excess in catchment with terrace generates higher soybean and corn yield due to greater water availability in the crop rooting zone. Experiments were conducted in southern Brazil during the agricultural years of 2016/17 (soybean) and 2017/18 (corn) in two paired zero-order catchments (~2.4 ha) with similar topography and soil properties. One catchment has no terraces, while the other has five broad-based terraces as a complementary practice to control runoff. Soybean and corn yield was compared between catchments through five paired transects, totaling 47 sampling points. The fraction of available water (FAW – the current in relation to the total available water) was monitored at two points in each catchment, one at the base and the other at the top, considering the elevation. The FAW was monitored with CS616 probes at eight soil layers (from 0.00 up to 1.60 m) at each point during the crop growth cycle. The FAW was higher in the terraced catchment than the non-terraced catchment during the soybean (14 %) and corn (8 %) cycles. The terraced area provided higher soybean (12 %) and corn (10 %) than the non-terraced area. These results highlight the importance of terraces to increase productivity by managing runoff on hillslopes, indicating the potential of terraces to mitigate water deficits.