Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
«Evaluation of the anti-icterus effect of crude powdered leaf of Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae) against CCl 4 -induced liver injury in rats».

Leaves of Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae) are used in the folk medicine of Burkina Faso (West Africa) to treat a variety of illness. Aqueous decoction of the drug is indicated in the treatment of malaria fever, abdominal pains, and jaundice. A preliminary study led by the authors showed a good anti-icterus (hepatoprotective) activity of leaves extracts on intoxicated Wistar rats. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the anti-icterus activity of crude leaf powder against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Liver functions were assessed by the activities of liver marker enzymes, ASAT/GOT, ALAT/GPT, ALP, Total Bilirubin (TBIL) and Direct Bilirubin (DBIL). A crude powdered leaf suspended in acacia gum solution (2% p/w) was administered orally to the animal at doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg attenuated significantly (p<0,05) the elevation of serum enzymes level and bilirubin (total and direct) if compared to the CCl4 treated groups. Silymarin (100 mg/kg, p.o.), a known antihepatoprotective drug was used as reference. The results showed a dose-dependent anti-hepatotoxic effect against liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats. These findings give an opportunity for a future elaboration of galenic formulation as phytomedicament.
The use of explicit teaching strategies for academic staff and students in bioscience foundation subjects

Many students from disadvantaged backgrounds enter university with limited educational capital and lack skills in academic literacy. These students require significant academic support and up-skilling if they are to progress in their course. This is the case with many students entering the Biomedical Sciences degree at Victoria University (VU). A factor limiting student progression is that first year bioscience foundation subjects are usually taught by sessional teaching staff with little or no teacher training. In this study, academic staff (permanent and sessional) attended a series of workshops run by staff developers who were trained to teach skills in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) system and it’s higher education counterpart, AVID for Higher Education (AHE). The aim of this study was to evaluate academic staff perceptions of the impact of using AHE strategies on their teaching capability and on student engagement. Of the 39 staff who responded to the surveys, 100% enjoyed using the AHE strategies and 78% believed that the AHE strategies greatly improved their sense of themselves as being a good teacher. Importantly, 90% reported that students appeared to be more engaged than previously. Whilst the results are promising, it remains to be seen whether the use of AHE strategies will lead to improved and sustained student success and retention.
Increased Urine and Serum Nerve Growth Factor Levels in Interstitial Cystitis Suggest Chronic Inflammation Is Involved in the Pathogenesis of Disease

Objective Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is considered a bladder disorder due to localized chronic inflammation. This study investigated the nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in serum and urine in patients with IC/BPS. Materials and Methods Thirty patients with IC/BPS and 28 normal subjects without lower urinary tract symptoms were recruited from an outpatient clinic. IC/BPS was diagnosed by frequency, bladder pain, and the presence of glomerulations during cystoscopic hydrodistention. Serum and urine were collected before any treatment was given. Serum NGF and urinary NGF/Cr levels were compared between IC/BPS and the controls. Results Urinary NGF levels were significantly higher in patients with IC/PBS (26.3±11.2 pg/ml) than in controls (1.40±0.63 pg) (p = 0.014). After normalization, the urinary NGF/Cr levels were significantly greater in IC/BPS (0.69±0.38 pg/mg) than controls (0.20±0.01, p = 0.011). Relative to the levels in control subjects (1.90±0.38 pg/mL), the mean serum NGF levels were higher in patients IC/BPS patients (3.48±0.55 pg/mL) (p = 0.015). No significant correlation was found between the serum and urinary NGF levels in IC/BPS patients. However, the clinical characteristics and medical co-morbidities did not show significant difference between IC/BPS patients with a higher and lower serum NGF level. Conclusions Increased urinary NGF levels in IC/BPS patients suggest that chronic inflammation is involved in this bladder disorder. Increased circulating serum NGF levels were noted in over half of patients with IC/BPS, however, the urinary and serum NGF were not inter-correlated and elevated serum NGF did not relate with clinical features.
EGFR-targeted delivery of DOX-loaded Fe3O4@ polydopamine multifunctional nanocomposites for MRI and antitumor chemo-photothermal therapy

Multifunctional nanocomposites that have multiple therapeutic functions together with real-time imaging capabilities have attracted intensive concerns in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This study developed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody-directed polydopamine-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA NPs) for magnetic resonance imaging and antitumor chemo-photothermal therapy. The synthesized Fe3O4@PDA-PEG-EGFR-DOX NPs revealed high storage capacity for doxorubicin (DOX) and high photothermal conversion efficiency. The cell viability assay of Fe3O4@PDA-PEG-EGFR NPs indicated that Fe3O4@ PDA-PEG-EGFR NPs had no cell cytotoxicity. However, Fe3O4@PDA-PEG-EGFR-DOX NPs could significantly decrease cell viability (~5% of remaining cell viability) because of both photothermal ablation and near-infrared light-triggered DOX release. Meanwhile, the EGFR-targeted Fe3O4@PDA-PEG-EGFR-DOX NPs significantly inhibited the growth of tumors, showing a prominent in vivo synergistic antitumor effect. This study demonstrated the potential of using Fe3O4@PDA NPs for combined cancer chemo-photothermal therapy with increased efficacy.
Body composition and energy balance: lack of effect of short-term hormone replacement in postmenopausal women.

Postmenopausal women (PMW) commonly believe that hormone replacement (HR) leads to weight gain, and fear of weight gain and/or an actual increase in weight is one of the principle reasons evoked for the discontinuation of HR. However, the potential effects of physiologic HR on body composition have yet to be separated from the effects of lifestyle or aging. Therefore, we examined the effect of short-term hormone replacement and age on alterations in weight, body composition, and energy balance. A prospective study of 28 healthy PMW aged 45 to 55 years (younger PMW, studies completed n = 18) and 70 to 80 years (older PMW, studies completed n = 15) was conducted. The last menstrual period was more than 12 months previously. The women had a body mass index (BMI) less than 30 kg/m(2) and were taking no medication. Subjects were studied at baseline, after 1 month of transdermal estrogen (Estraderm, 50 microg/day) administration (E2), followed by a further month of transdermal estrogen with progesterone (100 mg per vagina twice daily) for the final 7 days (E2 + P). Anthropometric measurements and energy assessments were performed at each visit. Physiologic HR was achieved in each subject, and there was no difference between levels achieved in older and younger women. Resting energy expenditure and activity level were positively correlated with fat-free mass (P <.0001), while energy intake was not. Resting energy expenditure was lower in older compared with younger PMW when adjusted for fat-free mass (P <.005). Energy intake was also lower in the older PMW when corrected for fat-free mass (P <.0001); as was activity level (P <.05). There was no effect of hormonal treatment on any of the parameters measured. Changes in weight from baseline for E2 (0.37 +/- 0.25 and 0.61 +/- 0.27 kg in younger and older) and E2 + P (0.11 +/- 0.38 and 0.28 +/- 0.31 kg) were not statistically significant. In addition, there was no difference in BMI, fat mass, fat-free mass, total body water, or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) between groups or with hormonal treatment. In conclusion, short-term transdermal HR is not associated with significant changes in weight or other anthropometric measures in younger or older PMW. These studies confirm the decrease in energy expenditure that occurs with aging, but indicates that there is no effect of HR on resting energy expenditure.
A multipath resistant PN code tracking algorithm

Multipath propagation is a major source of degradation in the performance of conventional PN code tracking loops. The mean-square tracking error of a conventional delay-locked loop (DLL) exhibits an irreducible floor due to the presence of closely spaced multipath components. We present a new PN code tracking algorithm that does not suffer from the presence of multipath components. This algorithm utilizes a finite impulse response (FIR) adaptive filter to mitigate the effect of multipath on delay estimation. It is shown that the tap-weight vector of the adaptive filter can be used to provide accurate estimation of the multipath delays. It is also shown that the mean-square tracking error of the proposed scheme is not affected by paths that are very close (within 1 to 2 chips apart). The effect of terminal mobility is also investigated by simulating the performance under frequency selective fading channel conditions with different Doppler frequencies. The proposed scheme is well suited for wideband CDMA systems where a large number of closely spaced multipath components need to be tracked and used in RAKE combining.
Temporal distribution of fine particulates (PM2.5, PM10), potentially toxic metals, PAHs and Metal-bound carcinogenic risk in the population of Lucknow City, India

Ubiquitous fine particulates can readily be bound to toxic metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and are considered to be a great threat to human health. The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of air pollution risks to public health by determining four crucial parameters- inhalable particulates, metals in particulates and PAHs which are associated with PM10 in the air environment of Lucknow, India during 2007–09. The values of PM10 and PM2.5 ranged between 102.3–240.5 and 28.0–196.9 μg/m3 whilst the average PM10 was 1.7 times and PM2.5 was 1.5 times higher than their respective NAAQS of 100 and 60 μg/m3 respectively. The estimated relative death rate and hospital admissions for each increase in the PM10 levels of 10 μg/m3 ranged from 1.5–8% and from 3.9–8.0% (as per APHEA2 1990) respectively in persons > 65 yrs. Among the locations; AQS-1, AQS-2, and AQS-3 (with diversified activities and heavy traffic) recorded higher concentrations of both the particulate fractions than the AQS-4 (residential area with low traffic). The average concentrations of Fe, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd in PM10 were 219.4, 40.6, 35.1, 27.3, 22.2 and 16.2 ng/m3 and that in PM2.5 were 54.3, 33.9, 38.5, 29.4, 8.4, and 1.17 ng/m3 respectively. Regression analysis revealed that correlation of metals with PM2.5 was stronger than PM10. The ratio of metals adsorbed on surface of particles (PM2.5:PM10) reveals that PM2.5 has more affinity for Ni, Cu and Pb and PM10 for Cd, Fe and Cr. Health risk due to carcinogenic metals bound to respirable particulates was predicted by estimating excess cancer risk (ECR). The highest ECR value was estimated for Cr, 266.70 × 10−6, which was associated with PM10 and 100.92 × 10−6 which was associated with PM2.5, whereas lead has the lowest ECR value. Amongst PAHs, benzo(a)pyrene (51.96±19.71 ng/m3) was maximum in PM10 samples. Maximum concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, metals and PAHs were detected during winter, and the lowest was during monsoon. The higher prevalence of diseases among the population may be due to high concentration of particulates coated with toxic metals and PAHs present in air environment.
Multiple cardiac proteasome subtypes differ in their susceptibility to proteasome inhibitors.

AIMS The proteasome is the proteolytically active core of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which regulates vital processes and which can cause various diseases when it malfunctions. Therefore, the proteasome has become an attractive target for pharmaceutical interventions. Inhibition of the cardiac proteasome by specific proteasome inhibitors has been shown to attenuate cardiac hypertrophy and ischaemia reperfusion injury of the heart. We have resolved the cardiac proteasome into its subtypes and have addressed the key question of how proteasome inhibitors affect single cardiac proteasomal subtypes. METHODS AND RESULTS The 20S proteasome from rat heart was dissected into three different subpopulations (groups I-III), each comprising 4-7 different subtypes. The major group (group II) comprises standard proteasome subtypes; the two minor subpopulations (groups I and III) contain intermediate proteasome subtypes. All subtypes exhibit chymotrypsin-, trypsin-, and caspase-like activity but to different degrees. We have tested the effect of two common proteasome inhibitors on the chymotrypsin-like activity of all subtypes: 20-30 nmol/L MG132 caused 50% inhibition of all subtypes from groups I and II, whereas 100 nmol/L was necessary to affect group III subtypes to the same extent. However, another inhibitor, bortezomib (VELCADE), already used clinically, inhibited 50% of the activity of group III proteasome subtypes even below 20 nmol/L, a concentration showing almost no effect on group I and II proteasome subtypes. The caspase-like activity of group II proteasome subtypes was not affected by MG132 and was inhibited by bortezomib only at concentrations above 100 nmol/L. CONCLUSION These data show that different inhibitors have differential inhibitory effects on the various cardiac proteasome subtypes. Different cardiac subtypes are inhibited by the same dose of proteasome inhibitor to a different extent.
Shy birds play it safe: personality in captivity predicts risk responsiveness during reproduction in the wild

Despite a growing body of evidence linking personality to life-history variation and fitness, the behavioural mechanisms underlying these relationships remain poorly understood. One mechanism thought to play a key role is how individuals respond to risk. Relatively reactive and proactive (or shy and bold) personality types are expected to differ in how they manage the inherent trade-off between productivity and survival, with bold individuals being more risk-prone with lower survival probability, and shy individuals adopting a more risk-averse strategy. In the great tit (Parus major), the shy–bold personality axis has been well characterized in captivity and linked to fitness. Here, we tested whether ‘exploration behaviour’, a captive assay of the shy–bold axis, can predict risk responsiveness during reproduction in wild great tits. Relatively slow-exploring (shy) females took longer than fast-exploring (bold) birds to resume incubation after a novel object, representing an unknown threat, was attached to their nest-box, with some shy individuals not returning within the 40 min trial period. Risk responsiveness was consistent within individuals over days. These findings provide rare, field-based experimental evidence that shy individuals prioritize survival over reproductive investment, supporting the hypothesis that personality reflects life-history variation through links with risk responsiveness.
Incidence, Predictors, and Procedural Results of Upgrade to Resynchronization Therapy: The RAFT Upgrade Substudy

Background—The resynchronization-defibrillation for ambulatory heart failure trial (RAFT) study demonstrated that adding cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in selected patients requiring de novo implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) reduced mortality as compared with ICD therapy alone, despite an increase in procedure-related adverse events. Data are lacking regarding the management of patients with ICD therapy who develop an indication for CRT upgrade. Methods and Results—Participating RAFT centers provided data regarding de novo CRT-D (CRT with ICD) implant, upgrade to CRT-D during RAFT (study upgrade), and upgrade within 6 months after presentation of study results (substudy). Substudy centers enrolled 1346 (74.9%) patients in RAFT, including 644 de novo, 80 study upgrade, and 60 substudy CRT attempts. The success rate (initial plus repeat attempts) was 95.2% for de novo versus 96.3% for study upgrade and 90.0% for substudy CRT attempts (P=0.402). Acute complications occurred among 26.2% of de novo versus 18.8% of study upgrade and 3.4% of substudy CRT implantation attempts (P<0.001). The most common complication was left ventricular lead dislodgement. The principal reasons for not yet attempting upgrade in the substudy were patient preference (31.9%), New York Heart Association Class I (17.0%), and a QRS <150 ms (13.1%). Conclusions—Among a broad group of implant physicians, CRT upgrades were performed in patients with an ICD in situ with no difference in implant success rate and a reduced acute complication rate as compared with a de novo CRT implant. Decisions to upgrade were influenced by predictors of benefit in subgroup analyses of the RAFT study and other trials.
PENGARUH WORD OF MOUTH TERHADAP MINAT BELI SERTA DAMPAKNYA PADA KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN (Survei pada Mahasiswa Pengguna Kartu Selular GSM “IM3” Angkatan 2011/2012 dan 2012/2013 Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya Malang)

This research aims to : investigate the influence of word of mouth on purchase intention; investigate the influence of word of mouth on purchase decision ; investigate the influence of purchase intention on purchase decision. The research method used in this study is explanatory research . The total sample is 116 college mobile users who adopt IM3 card at the Faculty of Administrative Science, Brawijaya U niversity class of 2011/2012 and 2012/2113 . The sampling technique used is simple random sampling with questionnaires as the instrument for collecting the data . Analysis of the data in this research uses descriptive analysis and path analysis. The results of this research show that : word of mouth has influence on purchase intention; word of mouth has influence on purchase decision; purchase intention has influence on purchase decision. Based on this research, then suggested the company PT. Indosat to take a higher concern in servicing their customer. As such, an emphatic opinion can be generated among the customer to create a positive word of mouth marketing for IM3 mobile card. Keywords : Word of Mouth, Purchase Intention, Purchase Decision Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan: mengetahui pengaruh Word of Mouth terhadap Minat Beli; pengaruh Word of Mouth terhadap Keputusan Pembelian; dan pengaruh Minat Beli terhadap Keputusan Pembelian. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah explanatory research . Sampel sebanyak 116 orang mahasiswa pengguna kartu selular GSM IM3 angkatan 2011/2012 dan angkatan 2012/2013 Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi Universitas Brawijaya Malang. Teknik sampling simpel random . Metode pengumpulan data dengan kuesioner. Analisis data secara deskriptif dan path analysis . Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variabel w ord of mouth berpengaruh signifikan terhadap variabel minat beli; variabel word of mouth berpengaruh signifikan terhadap variabel keputusan pembelian; variabel minat beli berpengaruh signifikan terhadap variabel keputusan pembelian. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini maka disarankan pihak PT. Indosat, Tbk. lebih meningkatkan pelayanan yang diharapkan dapat menciptakan pendapat positif dari konsumen, sehingga konsumen akan lebih merekomendasikan orang lain untuk menggunakan kartu selular GSM IM3. Kata kunci : Word of Mouth , Minat Beli, Keputusan Pembelian
Entropy landscape and non-Gibbs solutions in constraint satisfaction problems

We study the entropy landscape of solutions for the bicoloring problem in random graphs, a representative difficult constraint satisfaction problem. Our goal is to classify which types of clusters of solutions are addressed by different algorithms. In the first part of the study we use the cavity method to obtain the number of clusters with a given internal entropy and determine the phase diagram of the problem--e.g., dynamical, rigidity, and satisfiability-unsatisfiability (SAT-UNSAT) transitions. In the second part of the paper we analyze different algorithms and locate their behavior in the entropy landscape of the problem. For instance, we show that a smoothed version of a decimation strategy based on belief propagation is able to find solutions belonging to subdominant clusters even beyond the so-called rigidity transition where the thermodynamically relevant clusters become frozen. These nonequilibrium solutions belong to the most probable unfrozen clusters.
1 February 2008 ANL-HEP-PR-99-98 hep-ph / 9909352 The tW − Mode of Single Top Production

The t W mode of single top production is proposed as an important means to study the weak interactions of the top quark. While the rate of this mode is most likely too small to be observed at Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron, it is expected to be considerably larger at the CERN LHC. In this article the inclusive t W rate is computed, including O(1/ log mt /mb) corrections, and when combined with detailed Monte Carlo simulations including the top and W decay products, indicate that the t W single top process may be extracted from the considerable t t̄ and W+ W j backgrounds at low luminosity runs of the LHC. PACS numbers: 14.65. Ha, 12.39. Fe, 12.60-i Electronic address: tait@anl.gov
Clinical Manifestations of Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus Lytic Activation: Multicentric Castleman Disease (KSHV–MCD) and the KSHV Inflammatory Cytokine Syndrome

Soon after the discovery of Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), it was appreciated that this virus was associated with most cases of multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) arising in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. It has subsequently been recognized that KSHV–MCD is a distinct entity from other forms of MCD. Like MCD that is unrelated to KSHV, the clinical presentation of KSHV–MCD is dominated by systemic inflammatory symptoms including fevers, cachexia, and laboratory abnormalities including cytopenias, hypoalbuminemia, hyponatremia, and elevated C-reactive protein. Pathologically KSHV–MCD is characterized by polyclonal, IgM-lambda restricted plasmacytoid cells in the intrafollicular areas of affected lymph nodes. A portion of these cells are infected with KSHV and a sizable subset of these cells express KSHV lytic genes including a viral homolog of interleukin-6 (vIL-6). Patients with KSHV–MCD generally have elevated KSHV viral loads in their peripheral blood. Production of vIL-6 and induction of human (h) IL-6 both contribute to symptoms, perhaps in combination with overproduction of IL-10 and other cytokines. Until recently, the prognosis of patients with KSHV–MCD was poor. Recent therapeutic advances targeting KSHV-infected B cells with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab and utilizing KSHV enzymes to target KSHV-infected cells have substantially improved patient outcomes. Recently another KSHV-associated condition, the KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS) has been described. Its clinical manifestations resemble those of KSHV–MCD but lymphadenopathy is not prominent and the pathologic nodal changes of KSHV–MCD are absent. Patients with KICS exhibit elevated KSHV viral loads and elevation of vIL-6, homolog of human interleukin-6 and IL-10 comparable to those seen in KSHV–MCD; the cellular origin of these is a matter of investigation. KICS may contribute to the inflammatory symptoms seen in some patients with severe KS or primary effusion lymphoma. Additional research is needed to better define the clinical spectrum of KICS and its relationship to KSHV–MCD. In additional, research is needed to better understand the pathogenesis and epidemiology of both KICS and KSHV–MCD, as well as the optimal therapy for both of these disorders.