Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teucrium polium: Liver and kidney effects

Sir, Teucrium polium (Lamiaceae family) is a wild-growing flowering herb, abundantly found in various regions such as Europe, North Africa and South-Western Asia. [1,2,3] T. polium has been used for different diseases such as diabetes, rheumatologic diseases, inflammation, and gastrointestinal disorders. [4,5,6,7,8] Indeed, herbal drugs are being increasingly used throughout the world. However, herbal medicines are not risk-free and many cases of nephrotoxicities, liver toxicities or other complications have been reported. [7,8,9,10] According to this background, various investigations have been conducted to confirm the effectiveness of T. polium. Recent studies have shown the antioxidant property of T. polium. [11] It was supposed that the presence of an ortho-dihydroxy substitution in the flavone B-ring is responsible for the antioxidant activity of this herb. [10,11] Recently, Forouzandeh et al. conducted a study to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of T. polium. [11] In this preclinical investigation, they aimed to investigate the protective effect of T. olium extract on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. They showed the protective effect of T. polium against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity which was supported and confirmed by histological examination. [11] However, there are a few comments on protective efficacy of T. polium. To test the possible renal toxicity of hydroalcoholic extract of T. polium, we recently conducted a study on 100 male Wistar rats. [12] Rats were divided into 10 groups of ten each. Five groups were injected intra-peritoneally of 50, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg extracts or normal saline for 28 days and were killed to study the probable renal injury. Five other groups were injected the same drug regimen, but they were killed 28 days after cessation of drug injections to investigate the effect of possible complication or regeneration during recovery. Following 28 days of T. polium consumption (Phase I), kidney damages were not increased in comparison with the control group. However, following 28 days of drug cessation, renal injury including vacuolization, degeneration and destruction[13,14,15,16,17,18] appeared in comparison to control group. In this study, we concluded that T. polium may be associated with renal tubular damage and this herbal medicine should be used with caution. [12] It is well-understood that herbal medicines have an important role in the treatment of some disease;[13,14] however, some of the medicinal plant can be a common source of renal injury. The probable mechanisms of plant toxicity is not clear but pro-oxidant activity of some antioxidants plants have been shown to produce oxidative stress and toxicity. [15,16,17] This toxicity inclines to be more common among certain patients and in specific clinical conditions. Thus, knowledge about successful prevention or amelioration of a medicinal drug requires information about pathogenic mechanisms of kidney damage and related risk factors. [1,8,18,19] In this regard, to better find the renal and lever effects of T. polium, more clinical or experimental studies are suggested.
Non-commercial Research and Educational Use including without Limitation Use in Instruction at Your Institution, Sending It to Specific Colleagues That You Know, and Providing a Copy to Your Institution's Administrator. All Other Uses, Reproduction and Distribution, including without Limitation Comm

The genomes of mammals and birds show dramatic variation in base composition over large scales, the so called isochore structure of the genome. The origin of isochores is still controversial: various neutral and selectionist models have been proposed – and criticized – since the discovery of isochores in the 1970s. The availability of complete mammalian genomes has yielded new opportunities for addressing this question. In particular, it was recently proposed that (i) the isochore structure is declining in many mammalian groups, and that (ii) GC-content is influenced by local recombination rate, possibly via the mechanism of GC-biased gene conversion. In this article we review the existing support for these two hypotheses, and discuss how they can be combined to provide a new perspective on isochore evolution.
Three Challenges: Propofol, Colonoscopy by Undertrained Physicians, and CT Colonography

Thanks very much Jay and good morning friends and colleagues. This has been a great year for ACG. We have had numerous successes including very exciting new activities of our committees, reorganization of the Board of Governors, development of an entirely new Web site that was rolled out at this meeting, purchase of a revenue generating building that will house our offices, development of new regional courses, and a recertification course, and the list goes on. These achievements are outlined in our publications including those issued at this meeting, and I hope you will take some time to make yourself aware of what our many volunteer members and our talented staff have accomplished this past year—I certainly am enormously grateful to all of them for their efforts. Rather than review these achievements of the past year for you in detail, I would like to speak about certain current and future challenges. As I have talked to or been contacted by members this year, three issues have come up repeatedly as concerns in clinical GI practice. To one extent or another each of these areas is very controversial, and therefore worthy of open and frank discussion.
Emotional intelligence as determinant/predictor of work performance among executives

Preset study seeks to explain the relative effect of emotional intelligence on work performance of executives; it provides a link between emotional intelligence and effective work performance. A sample of 20 Male executives within the age range of 40 to 55yrs. from Tehran and Esfahan were selected on random basis. Emotional intelligence scale constructed by Dhar, Hyde and Pethe (2001) was used and work performance of the executives was measured by the Performance rating scale constructed by Prof Assistant sorayaie. Test for mean difference significance (t-test) was used to analyze the results. The findings of the study revealed that Emotional intelligence has a positive effect on the work performance among executives. The executives having higher emotional intelligence shows better quality of work performance as compared to their counterparts. Emotional intelligence is an effective determent of work performance.
Performance analysis of the sensorless adaptive sliding-mode neuro-fuzzy control of the induction motor drive with MRAS-type speed estimator

This paper discusses a model reference adaptive sliding-mode control of the sensorless vector controlled induction motor drive in a wide speed range. The adaptive speed controller uses on-line trained fuzzy neural network, which enables very fast tracking of the changing speed reference signal. This adaptive sliding-mode neuro-fuzzy controller (ASNFC) is used as a speed controller in the direct rotor-field oriented control (DRFOC) of the induction motor (IM) drive structure. Connective weights of the controller are trained on-line according to the error between the actual speed of the drive and the reference model output signal. The rotor flux and speed of the vector controlled induction motor are estimated using the model reference adaptive system (MRAS) – type estimator. Presented simulation results are verified by experimental tests performed on the laboratory-rig with DSP controller.
Wild pedigrees: the way forward

Metrics derived from pedigrees are key to investigating several major issues in evolutionary biology, including the quantitative genetic architecture of traits, inbreeding depression, and the evolution of cooperation and inbreeding avoidance. There is merit in studying these issues in natural populations experiencing spatially and temporally variable environmental conditions, since these analyses may yield different results from laboratory studies and allow us to understand population responses to rapid environmental change. Partial pedigrees are now available for several natural populations which are the subject of long-term individual-based studies, and analyses using these pedigrees are leading to important insights. Accurate pedigree construction supported by molecular genetic data is now feasible across a wide range of taxa, and even where only imprecise pedigrees are available it is possible to estimate the consequences of imprecision for the questions of interest. In outbred diploid populations, the pedigree approach is superior to analyses based on marker-based pairwise estimators of coancestry.
Multicultural Music Instruction in the Elementary School: What Can Be Achieved?

Increased interest in multicultural music education raises questions regarding student outcomes and learning. No qualitative studies were found that addressed achievement resulting from instruction in multicultural music. This study* sought an answer to the following question: What is the nature of musical or nonmusical achievement acquired from each of four instructional approaches in American Indian music? Instructional approaches utilized a social studies/music approach that consisted of large-group lessons with authentic (native) instruments, an American Indian guest artist, and the use of nonauthentic or authentic instruments in small-group learning centers. An additional fourth-grade music class was taught traditional curriculum (music listening/analysis, singing, recorder, and an Israeli folk dance) with no American Indian music. I observed the classes and trained the school's music teacher in the American Indian music components. Qualitative data in the form of student-written paragraphs (achievement writing samples) were gathered following the 6-week (12-lesson) instructional period. Coded analyses revealed distinct differences in breadth and depth (amount written and content richness) between the groups receiving Indian music instruction and the traditional curriculum group. Each of the groups expressed unique learnings related to their particular instruction. Although student writings from the Indian music classes most often mentioned the acquisition of Indian culturebased content and skills, additional prominent categories included instructional attitudes, cultural awareness/sensitivity and valuing. Subcategories such as cultural similarities/dissimilarities and self-acknowledgment of growth also emerged. An instructional theory was formulated, stating that fourth-grade students are capable of four levels of responses from multicultural music instruction: knowledge/skills/attitudes, cultural awareness, sensitivity, and valuing. If such responses are desired outcomes, the results suggest implications for instruction with American Indian music regarding instructional approach, authenticity of materials, learning from a native guest artist, teacher preparation, and curricular time. Results from the study suggest that multicultural "achievement " can include many forms of musical and extramusical learning, but that in-depth experiences can facilitate unique learning and depth of understanding about another culture. The nature of achievement from experiences in multicultural music needs further research.
Factors That Correlate With the Decision to Delay Extubation After Multilevel Prone Spine Surgery

Background: Multilevel spinal decompressions and fusions often require long anesthetic and operative times, which may result in airway edema and prolonged postoperative intubation. Delayed extubation can lead to bronchopulmonary infections and other complications. This study analyzed which factors correlated with the decision to delay extubation after multilevel spine surgery. Methods: We reviewed the records of 289 patients who underwent multilevel spine surgery lasting ≥8 hours in the prone position from 2006 to 2012. Variables hypothesized to affect the decision of the anesthesiologist to delay extubation at the end of the surgery were collected. These included preoperative factors (age, sex, ASA class, history of obstructive sleep apnea, BMI, previous spine surgery, current cervical surgery, anterior in addition to posterior spine surgery, emergency surgery) and intraoperative factors (difficult intubation, number of surgical levels, case time, estimated blood loss, fluid and blood administration, attending handoff and resident handoff, and case end time). We also compared the incidence of pulmonary postoperative complications between patients extubated at the end of the case to patients who had a delayed extubation. Results: A total of 126 patients (44%) were kept intubated after multilevel spine surgery. Multiple linear regression analysis showed factors that correlated with prolonged intubation which included age, ASA class, procedure duration, extent of surgery, total crystalloid volume administered, total blood volume administered, and the case end time. Patients who had a delayed extubation had a 3-fold higher rate of postoperative pneumonia. Conclusions: Our study found that age, ASA class, procedure duration, extent of surgery, and total crystalloid and blood volume administered correlate with the decision to delay extubation in multilevel prone spine surgery. It also finds that the time the case ends is an independent variable that correlates with the decision not to extubate at the end of a long multilevel spinal surgery. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia is higher in patients who had a delayed extubation after surgery.
Development of P2 Olfactory Glomeruli in P2-Internal Ribosome Entry Site-Tau-LacZ Transgenic Mice

Primary olfactory neurons project their axons to the olfactory bulb, where they terminate in discrete loci called glomeruli. All neurons expressing the same odorant receptor appear to terminate in a few glomeruli in each olfactory bulb. In the P2-IRES-tau-LacZ line of transgenic mice, LacZ is expressed in the perikarya and axons of primary olfactory neurons that express the P2 odorant receptor. In the present study, we examined the developmental appearance of P2 neurons, the topographical targeting of P2 axons, as well as the formation of P2 glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. P2 axons were first detected in the olfactory nerve fiber layer at embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5), and by E15.5 these axons terminated in a broad locus in the presumptive glomerular layer. During the next 5 embryonic days, the elongated cluster of axons developed into discrete glomerulus-like structures. In many cases, glomeruli appeared as pairs, which were initially connected by a fascicle of P2 axons. This connection was lost by postnatal day 7.5, and double glomeruli at the same locus were observed in 85% of adult animals. During the early postnatal period, there was considerable mistargeting of P2 axons. In some cases P2 axons entered inappropriate glomeruli or continued to grow past the glomerular layer into the deeper layers of the olfactory bulb. These aberrant axons were not observed in adult animals. These results indicate that olfactory axons exhibit errors while converging onto a specific glomerulus and suggest that guidance cues may be diffusely distributed at target sites in the olfactory bulb.
Worldwide Evaluations of Quinoa: Preliminary Results from Post International Year of Quinoa FAO Projects in Nine Countries

Chenopodium quinoa Willd. , a high quality grain crop, is resistant to abiotic stresses (drought, cold, and salt) and offers an optimal source of protein. Quinoa represents a symbol of crop genetic diversity across the Andean region. In recent years, this crop has undergone a major expansion outside its countries of origin. The activities carried out within the framework of the International Year of Quinoa provided a great contribution to raise awareness on the multiple benefits of quinoa as well as to its wider cultivation at the global level. FAO is actively involved in promoting and evaluating the cultivation of quinoa in 26 countries outside the Andean region with the aim to strengthen food and nutrition security. The main goal of this research is to evaluate the adaptability of selected quinoa genotypes under different environments outside the Andean region. This paper presents the preliminary results from nine countries. Field evaluations were conducted during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in Asia (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), and the Near East and North African countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Yemen). In each country, the trials were carried out in different locations that globally represent the diversity of 19 agrarian systems under different agro-ecological conditions. Twenty-one genotypes of quinoa were tested using the same experimental protocol in all locations consisting in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Some genotypes showed higher yields and the Q18 and Q12 landraces displayed greater adaptation than others to new environmental conditions. The Q21 and Q26 landraces were evaluated with stable and satisfactory levels of yield (>1 t.ha−1) in each of the different trial sites. This production stability is of considerable importance especially under climate change uncertainty. While these results suggest that this Andean crop is able to grow in many different environments, social, and cultural considerations remain crucial regarding its possible introduction as a staple food in new cropping systems around the world.
The Social Situatedness of Sexual Expression Among Youth in Rural Edo State, Nigeria

This research, utilizing data gathered among adolescent students living in rural southern Nigeria (Edo State), elucidates the youths’ sexual understandings and their connections to HIV risk. I found that gender and age-related understandings acted as ‘hubs’ for the organization of the youths’ sexual scripts. Overall, scripts that promote vulnerability to HIV include sex as controlled by the male, inherent in valued female/male relationships, a means to social status, and ‘normally’ violent. In addition, the youth do not view HIV as a present or preventable danger and view condoms as unreliable protection from disease that mainly work to disassociate oneself from a disrespected sex partner. Scripts that may promote the adoption of safer-sex behaviors include the ability to ‘play love’ rather than have sex in a female/male relationship, sex as a danger to personal and familial success, and condom use as a ‘masculine’ activity which demonstrates caring for the female partner.
MATERIAL ASPECTS OF TRANSNATIONAL SOCIAL FIELDS: AN INTRODUCTION

The author argues that ethnographic insights into migrants' personal relations achieved through objects, and their involvement in social networks proved through objects, can open up new avenues of understanding and contribute to the creation of new conceptual lenses in studies of migration. Conceptual and methodological issues are discussed, and the themes outlined, that connect ethnographic examples presented in the contributions to this section. Most important is the reconsideration of the migrants' presupposed collective identities. The claims to and representations of (usually ethnic) belonging may be detached from the ways in which people fashion their transnational social fields.
Semantic Web complex ontology mapping

Ontology mapping is the process whereby two ontologies are semantically related at conceptual level and the source ontology instances are transformed into target ontology entities according to those semantic relations. Ontology mapping faces new challenges in the context of semantic Web, especially concerning heterogeneity, dynamics, distribution and limitations on representation technology. We introduce a new methodology and transformation process based on the notion of service, which represents system transformation capabilities. MAFRA toolkit is a specific implementation of MAFRA-mapping framework, where these new methodology and transformation process are being validated. MAFRA toolkit is being applied in the European project Harmonise, which aims to provide solutions for (semi) automatic interoperability between major operators in tourism e-business. MAFRA plays a major role in the specification, representation and reconciliation phases of the semantic mapping within the scope of the Harmonise technology.
Mechanism of parkinsonian neuronal oscillations in the primate basal ganglia: some considerations based on our recent work

Accumulating evidence suggests that abnormal neuronal oscillations in the basal ganglia (BG) contribute to the manifestation of parkinsonian symptoms. In this article, we would like to summarize our recent work on the mechanism underlying abnormal oscillations in the parkinsonian state and discuss its significance in pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease. We recorded neuronal activity in the BG of parkinsonian monkeys treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. Systemic administration of L-DOPA alleviated parkinsonian motor signs and decreased abnormal neuronal oscillations (8–15 Hz) in the internal (GPi) and external (GPe) segments of the globus pallidus and the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Inactivation of the STN by muscimol (GABAA receptor agonist) injection also ameliorated parkinsonian signs and suppressed GPi oscillations. The blockade of glutamatergic inputs to the STN by local microinjection of a mixture of 3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (glutamatergic NMDA receptor antagonist) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2,3-dioxo-benzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (glutamatergic AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist) suppressed neuronal oscillations in the STN. STN oscillations were also attenuated by the blockade of GABAergic neurotransmission from the GPe to the STN by muscimol inactivation of the GPe. These results suggest that cortical glutamatergic inputs to the STN and reciprocal GPe-STN interconnections are both important for the generation and amplification of the oscillatory activity of GPe and STN neurons in the parkinsonian state. The oscillatory activity in the STN is subsequently transmitted to the GPi and may contribute to manifestation of parkinsonian symptoms.
Musicians’ Online Performance during Auditory and Visual Statistical Learning Tasks

Musicians’ brains are considered to be a functional model of neuroplasticity due to the structural and functional changes associated with long-term musical training. In this study, we examined implicit extraction of statistical regularities from a continuous stream of stimuli—statistical learning (SL). We investigated whether long-term musical training is associated with better extraction of statistical cues in an auditory SL (aSL) task and a visual SL (vSL) task—both using the embedded triplet paradigm. Online measures, characterized by event related potentials (ERPs), were recorded during a familiarization phase while participants were exposed to a continuous stream of individually presented pure tones in the aSL task or individually presented cartoon figures in the vSL task. Unbeknown to participants, the stream was composed of triplets. Musicians showed advantages when compared to non-musicians in the online measure (early N1 and N400 triplet onset effects) during the aSL task. However, there were no differences between musicians and non-musicians for the vSL task. Results from the current study show that musical training is associated with enhancements in extraction of statistical cues only in the auditory domain.