Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antidiabetic, Antihypercholestermic and Antioxidative Effect of Aloe Vera Gel Extract in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

Aloe vera is used worldwide for several medical purposes as alternative medicine. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidative activity of aloe vera gel extract in diabetic and control rats. Forty male albino rats, weighing (95±5g) were divided into four groups; group 1: normal control, group 2: Diabetic control group (by Intraperitoneal injection of alloxan 100mg/Kg body weight), group 3: normal rats received aloe vera gel extract (0.5ml/day for 5 weeks) and group 4: diabetic rats received aloe vera gel extract (0.5ml/day for 5 weeks). Serum glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide and total antioxidant capacity were estimated. Alloxan injection induced hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress. Oral administration of aloe vera gel extract resulted in a significant decrease in serum glucose, total cholesterol and triacylglycerols (p < 0.05) in treated diabetic group as compared with diabetic control group. In addition , treatment with aloe vera gel extract ameliorated the oxidative stress evidenced by a significant decrease in serum MDA level and a significant increase in serum nitric oxide and total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05) in treated diabetic group as compared with diabetic control group. Trace element analysis of aloe vera gel extract showed that aloe vera gel extract contained appreciable amount of (Cr, Mn and Zn) which potentiate the antidiabetic activity of this plant. Moreover, aloe vera gel extract contained natural antioxidants (total phenols, total flavonoid, vitamins C and E) which are responsible for the antioxidative effect of this plant.
Extracellular Enzymes and Susceptibility to Fluconazole in Candida Strains Isolated From Patients With Vaginitis and Healthy Individuals

Background: Extracellular phospholipase, proteinase, and coagulase are accounted as the major virulence factors in Candida albicans. Several reports showed that the incidence of resistance to fluconazole has risen during last two decades. Objectives: The present study has investigated the extracellular enzymes of C. albicans and non-albicans species isolated from both patients with vaginitis and healthy women. In addition, susceptibility of the isolates was evaluated against fluconazole. Patients and Methods: Vaginal samples were collected using sterile cotton swabs and inoculated on CHROMagar Candida. Routine morphological tests and ID 32C and API 20C AUX Kits were used to identify species. Phospholipase, proteinase, and coagulase activity were determined by standard methods. Susceptibility to fluconazole was also evaluated using ATB Fungus 3 Kits. Results: The phospholipase activity was detected in 66.7% of the tested isolates recovered from patients with vaginitis. In the present study, phospholipase activity with higher Pz values (< 0.70) was more common in patients with vaginitis (28 of 66 isolates) whereas this rate in the normal individual was 13 of 42. Proteinase activity was detected in 74.2% and 61.9% of tested isolates recovered from patients and normal individuals, respectively. All tested isolates were negative for coagulase activity. In the present study, resistance to fluconazole was found in 34.8% of isolates. C. dubliniensis was the most common isolate (6 out of 11 isolates) that showed resistance to fluconazole. Conclusions: Our results showed that C. albicans was the most frequently isolated from both patients with vaginitis and normal individual. In the present study, we could not find any correlation between extracellular activities and sources of isolates (patients and normal flora) and sensitivity or resistance to fluconazole.
Enhancing Traditional Behavioral Parent Training for Single Mothers of Children with ADHD

Behavioral parent training is an efficacious treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, single-mother households are at high risk for poor outcomes during and following behavioral parent training. This study randomly assigned cohorts of 120 single mothers of children (ages 5–12 years) with ADHD to a waitlist control group, a traditional behavioral parent training program, or an enhanced behavioral parent training program—the Strategies to Enhance Positive Parenting (STEPP) program. Intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated benefits of participating in behavioral parent training, in general, and the STEPP program more specifically at immediate posttreatment on child and parental functioning. Moreover, the STEPP program resulted in increased engagement to treatment. However, results indicated that behavioral parent training does not normalize behavior for most children and treatment gains are not maintained.
Hostility-related differences in the associations between stress-induced physiological reactivity and lipid concentrations in young healthy women

We examined the relations of fasting lipid levels to stress-induced neuroendocrine and cardiovascular responses as a function of hostility in 36 healthy young women. Participants were women who scored above 17 (n = 23) or below 12 (n = 13) on the Cook-Medley Hostility (Ho) Inventory. Lipids were determined following an overnight fast. Individuals participated in a solvable anagram task, which evoked significant physiological responses in all participants. The Ho group by total serum cholesterol (TSC) and the Ho group by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol interactions significantly predicted heart rate (HR) and norepinephrine (Ne) responses. For high Ho women, elevations in TSC and LDL cholesterol were associated with smaller HR responses and larger Ne responses. In contrast, for low Ho women, elevations in TSC and LDL cholesterol were associated with larger HR responses and smaller Ne responses. Results also indicated a significant Ho group by TSC to high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio interaction for Cortisol. For high Ho women, larger Cortisol responses were associated with a greater TSC to HDL cholesterol ratio. For low Ho women, larger Cortisol responses were associated with a smaller TSC to HDL cholesterol ratio. Lastly, higher TSC and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly associated with larger epinephrine responses. The findings suggest that stress-induced physiological responses are differentially associated with fasting lipids as a function of hostility in healthy young women.
Enhanced retinal ganglion cell differentiation by ath5 and NSCL1 coexpression.

PURPOSE The molecular mechanism underlying retinal ganglion cell (RGC) differentiation is not fully understood. In this study, the role of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes ath5 and NSCL1 in RGC differentiation was examined, by testing whether their coexpression would promote RGC differentiation to a greater extent than either gene alone. METHODS The replication-competent avian RCAS retrovirus was used to coexpress ath5 and NSCL1 through an internal ribosomal entry site. The effect of the coexpression on RGC differentiation was assayed in vivo in the developing chick retina and in vitro in RPE cell cultures derived from day 6 chick embryos. RESULTS Coexpression of ath5 and NSCL1 in RPE cells cultured in the presence of bFGF promoted RPE transdifferentiation toward RGCs, and the degree of transdifferentiation was much higher than with either gene alone. Cells expressing RGC markers, including RA4, calretinin, and two neurofilament-associated proteins, displayed processes that were remarkably long and thin and often had numerous branches, characteristics of long-projecting RGCs. In the developing chick retina, retroviral expression of NSCL1 resulted in a moderate increase in the number of RGCs, results similar to retroviral expression of ath5. Coexpression of ath5 and NSCL1 yielded increases in RGCs greater than the sum of their increases when expressed separately. CONCLUSIONS Both in vitro and in vivo data indicate that the combination of ath5 and NSCL1 promotes RGC differentiation to a greater degree than either gene alone, suggesting a synergism between ath5 and NSCL1 in advancing RGC development.
Genotypic Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii Strains Associated with Human Toxoplasmosis in Spain: Direct Analysis from Clinical Samples

ABSTRACT Genetic analysis of the SAG2 locus was performed to determine the prevalence of the different genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii (strain types I, II, and III) associated with human toxoplasmosis in Spain. This determination was made directly from primary clinical samples, obviating the previous process of isolation in mice or cell culture. A total of 34 isolates of T. gondii, collected from immunocompromised patients and congenital infection cases, were analyzed. Restriction fragment length polymorphism in PCR-amplified SAG2 products was used to group strains into one of the three genotypes of T. gondii. Complete characterization of the SAG2 gene was successful in 76.5% of the cases, demonstrating the feasibility of direct genotype analysis from clinical samples of different origins. Strains of T. gondii type II were the most prevalent in immunocompromised patients, with 52% of cases, while strains of type I were present in 75% of the congenital infection cases. These data differ from previous reports that show type II strains to be mostly associated with all kinds of human toxoplasmosis. These differences might be an effect of selection in the process of culture and isolation of the samples performed by other researchers prior to strain characterization.
A Couple's Guide to Communication

Although this book was written to be used primarily by couples, it has become a bestselling text for college counseling courses. The skills and techniques introduced are based on the way distressed and nondistressed couples differ when solving problems. Each chapter includes practice exercises to help couples master the problem-solving techniques presented. Appendices contain problem inventories for husband and wife, a knowledge assessment self-test, and a trouble-shooting guide.
Boost Up Mobility of Solution‐Processed Metal Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors via Confining Structure on Electron Pathways

Novel structure-engineered amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors using a solution process to overcome the trade-off between high mobility and other parameters (i.e., on/off ratio, sub-threshold voltage swing, threshold voltage, and so on) are proposed. High performance confining structure-engineered AOS TFTs are successfully demonstrated, which utilize a specially designed layer with ultra-high density and high electron mobility.
Hierarchical DSmP transformation for decision-making under uncertainty

Dempster-Shafer evidence theory is widely used for approximate reasoning under uncertainty; however, the decision-making is more intuitive and easy to justify when made in the probabilistic context. Thus the transformation to approximate a belief function into a probability measure is crucial and important for decision-making based on evidence theory framework. In this paper we present a new transformation of any general basic belief assignment (bba) into a Bayesian belief assignment (or subjective probability measure) based on new proportional and hierarchical principle of uncertainty reduction. Some examples are provided to show the rationality and efficiency of our proposed probability transformation approach.
Stochastic resonances in photon number resolving detectors

The photon number statistics of a coherent optical pulse will typically follow a Poissonian distribution. At low photon numbers, a gated avalanche photo-detector (GAPD) is used to detect the presence of photons in each optical pulse. GAPDs use a thresholding logic, but suffer from after-pulsing effects. The efficiency of a GAPD was characterized and its after-pulses were analyzed by looking at the detection patterns obtained. The GAPD was found to show evidence of stochastic resonance which affected the dark noise of the detector. We post-process the detected bit patterns to eliminate the resonances and estimate the true dark count of the detector. The GAPD was then used with a recirculating optical loop to build a multi-photon resolving detector (MPRD). In the MPRD, the probability of detection at consecutive loop round trip times were used to estimate the mean photon number. We quantify these statistics and establish a reliable measure of photon number at an optical power of −94 dBm. The digital electronics was able to store data for 224 optical pulses, making the statistical analysis meaningful.
F-Type Lectins: A Highly Diversified Family of Fucose-Binding Proteins with a Unique Sequence Motif and Structural Fold, Involved in Self/Non-Self-Recognition

The F-type lectin (FTL) family is one of the most recent to be identified and structurally characterized. Members of the FTL family are characterized by a fucose recognition domain [F-type lectin domain (FTLD)] that displays a novel jellyroll fold (“F-type” fold) and unique carbohydrate- and calcium-binding sequence motifs. This novel lectin family comprises widely distributed proteins exhibiting single, double, or greater multiples of the FTLD, either tandemly arrayed or combined with other structurally and functionally distinct domains, yielding lectin subunits of pleiotropic properties even within a single species. Furthermore, the extraordinary variability of FTL sequences (isoforms) that are expressed in a single individual has revealed genetic mechanisms of diversification in ligand recognition that are unique to FTLs. Functions of FTLs in self/non-self-recognition include innate immunity, fertilization, microbial adhesion, and pathogenesis, among others. In addition, although the F-type fold is distinctive for FTLs, a structure-based search revealed apparently unrelated proteins with minor sequence similarity to FTLs that displayed the FTLD fold. In general, the phylogenetic analysis of FTLD sequences from viruses to mammals reveals clades that are consistent with the currently accepted taxonomy of extant species. However, the surprisingly discontinuous distribution of FTLDs within each taxonomic category suggests not only an extensive structural/functional diversification of the FTLs along evolutionary lineages but also that this intriguing lectin family has been subject to frequent gene duplication, secondary loss, lateral transfer, and functional co-option.
A Genetic Incompatibility Accelerates Adaptation in Yeast

During mismatch repair (MMR) MSH proteins bind to mismatches that form as the result of DNA replication errors and recruit MLH factors such as Mlh1-Pms1 to initiate excision and repair steps. Previously, we identified a negative epistatic interaction involving naturally occurring polymorphisms in the MLH1 and PMS1 genes of baker’s yeast. Here we hypothesize that a mutagenic state resulting from this negative epistatic interaction increases the likelihood of obtaining beneficial mutations that can promote adaptation to stress conditions. We tested this by stressing yeast strains bearing mutagenic (incompatible) and non-mutagenic (compatible) mismatch repair genotypes. Our data show that incompatible populations adapted more rapidly and without an apparent fitness cost to high salt stress. The fitness advantage of incompatible populations was rapid but disappeared over time. The fitness gains in both compatible and incompatible strains were due primarily to mutations in PMR1 that appeared earlier in incompatible evolving populations. These data demonstrate a rapid and reversible role (by mating) for genetic incompatibilities in accelerating adaptation in eukaryotes. They also provide an approach to link experimental studies to observational population genomics.
Algorithms for resource allocation in data transfer over EGPRS networks

The third generation (3G) mobile system will be based on the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and will begin with the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Finally the additional channel capacity offered by the Enhanced Data-rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) will bring 3G services to users of these systems. This final system is often regarded as part of the 3G family and is referred to as Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS). Our goal is to investigate the efficiency of different algorithms used for resource allocation in data transfer over EGPRS networks. We consider a number of users in a cell that want either to send or to receive data and a centralized controller known as the packet control unit (PCU). The PCU is the part of the base station sub-system (BSS) which performs the arbitration mechanism to share the radio resources between users. The users can use nine different channel coding schemes, each one allowing a certain bit rate, but for the purposes of this discussion it is assumed that users can only use coding schemes one and two (CS1 and CS2) as a higher degree of flexibility is unimportant to this investigation.
Genetics of Adult Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness throughout the world with a prevalence of over 2% in individuals over the age of 40 years. It is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by a progressive degeneration of axons manifesting as optic nerve head cupping and field loss. Most glaucomas are asymptomatic until late in the disease course and therefore many patients are diagnosed on routine examinations or only after advanced field loss has occurred. The molecular etiology of glaucoma is largely unknown but there are numerous studies demonstrating a genetic etiology for this disorder. Specific gene mutations have been identified for the common adult forms of glaucoma such as primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), normal-pressure glaucoma, and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (XFG). Understanding the molecular basis of glaucoma would be helpful in both the diagnosis and management of this disorder. For example, genetic testing could be used to identify individuals who are at high risk for the development or progression of glaucoma. Furthermore, identifying and understanding novel pathways could be used to design more specific and effective therapies. This article will review the genes associated with common forms of adult glaucoma. Juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG) will also be discussed because of its genetic similarity to POAG.
The effects of dextroamphetamine on physiological responses and complex performance during sleep loss.

Abstract : On two separate occasions, performance of 10 male subjects was measured on the Civil Aeromedical Institute Multiple Task Performance Battery at 4-hour intervals for a period of 24 hours without sleep. Each subject received a capsule at 4-hour intervals beginning at 2000. On one occasion, the first three doses contained 5 mg each of dextroamphetamine sulfate followed by placebos for the remaining three capsules. On the other occasion, all capsules were placebos. Results of the experiment demonstrated that the dextroamphetamine sulfate sustained a high level of proficiency and alertness and delayed the effects of fatigue for 8 to 12 hours after the ingestion of the third and final drug capsule. Heart rate, rectal temperature, and urinary excretion rates of catecholamines were elevated with this drug. These increases could support the enhancement of proficiency and alertness demonstrated with amphetamines. Neither the subjects' feelings of fatigue nor the accuracy of their estimates of performance capabilities differed significantly in these two test conditions. (Author)
Locomotor imagery training improves gait performance in people with chronic hemiparetic stroke: a controlled clinical trial

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether locomotor imagery training leads to clinical improvements in gait after stroke. Design: Pretest—posttest matched control design. Participants: A total of 24 people with chronic hemiparetic stroke (13 for experimental and 11 for control) were recruited in this study. Interventions: The subjects in the experimental group participated in videotape-based locomotor imagery training five days a week for four weeks. They also conducted regular physical therapy. Outcome measures: Kinematic gait parameters were collected using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Functional gait performance was assessed using clinical measures: Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Berg Balance Test, Dynamic Gait Index and modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile. Results: After training, walking velocity increased 0.07 ± 0.06 m/s in the experimental group and 0.01 ± 0.07 m/s in the control group. In the experimental group, the affected and less affected limb stride lengths increased by 0.09 ± 0.12 m and 0.10 ± 0.07 m respectively, whereas in the control group they decreased by 0.00 ± 0.04 m and increased by 0.02 ± 0.06 m, respectively. Kinematic parameters in the lower extremity joints during walking were more improved after the training in the experimental group. Confidence in balance, postural control, dynamic balance and performance time for different environmental walking situations were also improved more in the experimental group. Conclusion: Locomotor imagery training can be considered as a useful option for restoration of ambulation for individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke who are unable to participate in physical gait training.
Starch storage in the stems of wheat plants: localization and temporal changes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Carbohydrate temporarily accumulates in wheat stems during the early reproductive growth phase, predominantly as water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), and is subsequently remobilized during grain filling. Starch has also been reported as a minor storage carbohydrate component in wheat stems, but the details are lacking. METHODS The accumulation and localization of starch in wheat stem and leaf sheath tissue over a developmental period from 6 d before anthesis to 35 d after anthesis was investigated. KEY RESULTS The region of the peduncle enclosed by the flag-leaf sheath, and the penultimate internode were the main tissues identified as containing starch, in which the starch grains localized to the storage parenchyma cells. In contrast, the exposed peduncle lacked starch grains. Starch grains were also found in the flag-leaf and second-leaf sheath. Plants grown in low-nitrogen conditions exhibited increased storage of both starch and WSC compared with plants grown in high-nitrogen supply. CONCLUSIONS The major accumulation and decrease of starch occurred temporally independently to that for WSC, suggesting a different functional role for starch in wheat stems. Starch reutilization concomitant with peduncle growth, and the early development of the reproductive structures, suggested a role in provision of energy and/or carbon scaffolds for these growth processes.