Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetic interactions study between carvedilol and some antidepressants in rat liver microsomes – a comparative study

Background and aims Cardiovascular diseases and depressive disorders are some of the most frequent diseases. The probability of concomitant prescription of antihypertensive and antidepressive medication is increasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the enzyme inhibition by bupropion, sertraline and fluvoxamine on the metabolism of carvedilol using rat pooled liver microsomes and to assess the importance of these interactions from the pharmacokinetic mechanism point of view. Methods Two substrate concentrations (0.5 and 1 μM) and four inhibitor concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.75 and 1.5 μM) were used for each tested inhibitor. Results The results of the in vitro experiments showed a significant decrease of the metabolic rate of carvedilol to 4′-hydroxyphenyl carvedilol, for all tested inhibitors, when the inhibitor was added to the incubation mixture containing the substrate. Moreover, an increase of the area under the concentration-time curve for carvedilol was observed after incubation with each tested inhibitor compared with the control state (no inhibitor). The most potent inhibitor was sertraline, followed by fluvoxamine and bupropion. Conclusion The co-administration of tested antidepressants led to a significant alteration of carvedilol’s metabolism in vitro. CYP2D6 inhibition is the main pharmacokinetic mechanism that can explain these drug-drug interactions, with possible clinical implications.
"O Lord… You Perceive my Thoughts from Afar": Recursiveness and the Evolution of Supernatural Agency

Across religious belief systems, some supernatural agents are nearly always granted privileged epistemic access into the self's thoughts. In addition, the ethnographic literature supports the claim that, across cultures, supernatural agents are envisioned as (1) incapable of being deceived through overt behaviors; (2) preoccupied with behavior in the moral domain; (3) punitive agents who cause general misfortune to those who transgress and; (4) committed to an implicit social contract with believers that is dependent on the rules of reciprocal altruism. The present article examines the possibility that these factors comprise a developmentally based, adaptive information-processing system that increased the net genetic fitness of ancestral human beings living within complex social groups. In particular, the authors argue that fear of supernatural punishment, whether in this life or in the hereafter, encouraged the inhibition of selfish actions that were associated with "real" punishment (and thus real selective impairments) by actual group members.
Evaluating the Negative or Valuing the Positive? Neural Mechanisms Supporting Feedback-Based Learning across Development

How children learn from positive and negative performance feedback lies at the foundation of successful learning and is therefore of great importance for educational practice. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural developmental changes related to feedback-based learning when performing a rule search and application task. Behavioral results from three age groups (8–9, 11–13, and 18–25 years of age) demonstrated that, compared with adults, 8- to 9-year-old children performed disproportionally more inaccurately after receiving negative feedback relative to positive feedback. Additionally, imaging data pointed toward a qualitative difference in how children and adults use performance feedback. That is, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior parietal cortex were more active after negative feedback for adults, but after positive feedback for children (8–9 years of age). For 11- to 13-year-olds, these regions did not show differential feedback sensitivity, suggesting that the transition occurs around this age. Pre-supplementary motor area/anterior cingulate cortex, in contrast, was more active after negative feedback in both 11- to 13-year-olds and adults, but not 8- to 9-year-olds. Together, the current data show that cognitive control areas are differentially engaged during feedback-based learning across development. Adults engage these regions after signals of response adjustment (i.e., negative feedback). Young children engage these regions after signals of response continuation (i.e., positive feedback). The neural activation patterns found in 11- to 13-year-olds indicate a transition around this age toward an increased influence of negative feedback on performance adjustment. This is the first developmental fMRI study to compare qualitative changes in brain activation during feedback learning across distinct stages of development.
Microwave absorbing material using rubber wood sawdust

A flat microwave absorber working at frequency 1.8GHz was developed by impregnation of activated carbon and polyurethane. The activated carbon is prepared from the conversion of rubber wood sawdust through chemical activation process using ZnCl2 solution as the precursor agent. The process involves leaching, heating and washing. The impregnation ratio between ZnCl2 and rubber wood sawdust were at 1∶1, 1.5∶1 and 2∶1. All samples are heated at temperature of 500°C for 60 minutes. It was found that the chemical activation at impregnation ratio of 2∶1 produced high purity activated carbons with 79 percent carbon content. Based on the BET analysis, the surface area of the powder for impregnation ratio 1.5∶1 reported highest value of 1301 m2/g, this formulation is selected for making microwave absorber and it was reported that the reflection loss is recorded 10dB at 1.8 GHz.
Investigating the Mathematics Incorporated in the Real World as a Starting Point for Mathematics Classroom Activities.

Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, University of Padova, Italy In this report we present preliminary results of a study on the relationship between informal out-of-school and formal in-school mathematics and the ways each can inform the other in the development of new mathematical knowledge, in this case concerning computation in base 12, 24 or 60. This study is based on a teaching experiment involving a sequence of classroom activities in upper elementary school based on the use of cultural artifacts, interactive teaching methods and the introduction of new socio-math norms, in an attempt to create a teaching/learning environment focused on fostering a mindful approach toward realistic mathematical modeling. In this way we wish to create a new tension between school mathematics and everyday-life experience in which cultural artifacts, incorporating mathematics, can play a fundamental role in bringing students’ out-of-school reasoning experiences into play. INTRODUCTION
When Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Meets Organizational Psychology: New Frontiers in Micro-CSR Research, and Fulfilling a Quid Pro Quo through Multilevel Insights

Researchers, corporate leaders, and other stakeholders have shown increasing interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—a company’s discretionary actions and policies that appear to advance societal well-being beyond its immediate financial interests and legal requirements. Spanning decades of research activity, the scholarly literature on CSR has been dominated by meso- and macro-level perspectives, such as studies within corporate strategy that examine relationships between firm-level indicators of social/environmental performance and corporate financial performance. In recent years, however, there has been an explosion of micro-oriented CSR research conducted at the individual level of analysis, especially with respect to studies on how and why job seekers and employees perceive and react to CSR practices. This micro-level focus is reflected in 12 articles published as a Research Topic collection in Frontiers in Psychology (Organizational Psychology Specialty Section) titled “CSR and organizational psychology: Quid pro quo. ” In the present article, the authors summarize and integrate findings from these Research Topic articles. After describing some of the “new frontiers” these articles explore and create, the authors strive to fulfill a “quid pro quo” with some of the meso- and macro-oriented CSR literatures that paved the way for micro-CSR research. Specifically, the authors draw on insights from the Research Topic articles to inform a multilevel model that offers multiple illustrations of how micro-level processes among individual stakeholders can explain variability in meso (firm)-level relationships between CSR practices and corporate performance. The authors also explore an important implication of these multilevel processes for macro-level societal impact.
Why children die: avoidable factors associated with child deaths

Aim To describe the avoidable factors associated with child deaths identified by a confidential enquiry. Method In the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries confidential enquiry, a sample (13%) of cases was subjected to case note review by multidisciplinary panels attempting to identify avoidable factors associated with the deaths. Cases were selected blindly but in equal numbers from predetermined age bands and participating regions. The anonymised records were reviewed in regions remote to where the child lived and died. Panel composition, conduct and reporting were standardised. Results 119 of 126 cases reviewed by enquiry panels had sufficient information to determine avoidable factors. These cases were comparable with the whole dataset in terms of sex and causes of death. 31 (26%) of 119 had avoidable factors that were predominantly related to individuals or agencies with a direct responsibility to the child. 51 (43%) of 119 were defined as potentially avoidable. In all, 130 factors were considered in relation to these 82 cases, and 64% of the factors were healthcare related. Avoidable factors were more likely where life-limiting illness was not present. Recurring avoidable factors included failure to recognise serious illness at the point of presentation and death occurring in children who had been lost to follow-up. Conclusion Child Death Overview Panels now have the responsibility to review child deaths using similar methods but relying upon data forms rather than the case record. Analysis of contributory factors on a national scale has the potential to improve understanding of why children die and indicate strategies to reduce child mortality.
Environmental Quality Assessment of Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) Using Living Foraminifera Assemblages and a Multiproxy Approach

This study investigated the environmental quality of the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) through an integrated approach that combined environmental, biogeochemical, and living benthic foraminiferal analyses. Specifically, we analyzed the physicochemical parameters of the water and sediment. The textural, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of the sediment, including total organic carbon, total nitrogen, simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), acid volatile sulfides (AVS), chlorophyll a, CaCO3, and changes in bacterial populations and carbon isotopes were measured. The SEM/AVS values indicated the presence of relatively high concentrations of toxic metals in only some areas. Foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by species such as A. parkinsoniana (20–91%), Bolivina striatula (<40%), Hopkinsina atlantica (<17%), and Bolivina ordinaria (<15%) that cannot be considered typical of impacted coastal lagoons both in Mediterranean and northeast Atlantic regions. The results of this work suggest that Bizerte Lagoon is a unique setting. This lagoon is populated by typical marine species that invaded this ecosystem, attracted not only by the prevailing favorable environmental conditions but also by the abundance and quality of food. The results indicate that the metal pollution found in some areas have a negative impact on the assemblages of foraminifera. At present, however, this negative impact is not highly alarming.
Exploring the relationship between Perceived Stress and Life Satisfaction among college students: the Indian context

Background: The current study attempted to examine the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction among college students in the Indian context and is based on prior research conducted on college students in Barbados. Methodology: Sample comprised 50 undergraduate students who completed the following questionnaires: Perceived Stress Scale4 item version, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and an adapted version of Chow’s satisfaction with specific aspects of life scale. Data obtained from the participants were subjected to relevant statistical analyses. Results: A significant negative correlation was obtained between perceived stress and life satisfaction (both generic and domain-specific). Findings obtained in the current study have been discussed in the light of existing literature. Conclusion: The study has crucial implications for mental health professionals to design appropriate psychosocial interventions for the target population.
Conceptualising ‘ Value for the Customer ’ : A Structural , Attributional and Dispositional Perspective Why ‘ Value for the Customer ’ ?

Tony Woodall is Senior Lecturer in Quality Management and Marketing, Department of Strategic Management and Marketing, Nottingham Business School, The Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG1 4BU. E-mail: tony.woodall@ntu.ac. uk, telephone: +44(0)115 8484313, facsimile: +44(0)115 8486420. The author would like to extend his thanks to the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments and advice.
The Language Learning Strategies Used by Students of Merchant Marine Studies Polytechnics Makassar

This thesis aims to (1) to investigate the kinds of language learning strategies the merchant marine polytechnics students use in learning English, (2) to investigate the most dominant language learning strategies used by successful and unsuccessful students, and (3) to find out whether or not the successful students employ different language learning strategies from the unsuccessful students. The researcher applied descriptive quantitative method. The population of this research was the students of merchant marine polytechnics of Makassar in academic year 2014/2015. The sample was the fourth semester students of nautical study program, class C which consisted of 30 students. This research used cluster random sampling technique. This research used 2 kinds of instruments; they were English skill tests and questionnaire. The research data was collected by using English skill tests and SILL questionnaire which were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistic through SPSS 20.0 for windows program.The result of the descriptive quantitative data showed that (1) the nautical students of merchant marine polytechnics used six kinds of language learning strategies namely metacognitive, compensation, social, memory, cognitive, and affective strategy (2) the most dominantly used language learning strategies among the successful students is metacognitive strategy and the most frequently used language learning strategies among unsuccessful students is social strategy (3) there is a difference in using language learning strategies between successful students and unsuccessful students. The six language learning strategies were employed by the students in learning English. The successful students employed two kinds of language learning strategies; metacognitive and compensation strategy while the unsuccessful students employed four kinds of language learning strategies namely social, memory, cognitive, and affective strategy. K ey w or d s : Language Learning Strategies, Successsful/Unsuccessful Students, Metacognitive, Compensation, Social, Memory, Cognitive, And Affective Strategy
Sex Differences in Severity, Social Functioning, Adherence to Treatment, and Cognition of Adolescents with Schizophrenia

Background. Previous studies have reported sex differences in the clinical presentation and outcome of adult patients with schizophrenia; the aim of present study was to compare the clinical characteristics, social functioning, adherence to treatment, and cognition of adolescents with this diagnosis in a six-month followup. Methods. A total of 87 adolescents with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Matrics Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), and the Rating of Medication Influences (ROMI). Results. Both groups showed a similar improvement in all PANSS factors and in the PSP scores during the followup. Males better adhered to treatment. Females displayed better results in the area of social cognition (F = 6.3, df = 2,52, and p = 0.003) and attention/vigilance (F = 8.3, df = 2,51, and p = 0.001). Conclusions. Male and female adolescents showed similar clinical presentation and functioning but a different pattern of cognitive improvement and adherence to treatment. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov II3/02/0811. ‏
Influences of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Hand-feel Touch Cues on Sensory Perception and Emotional Responses toward Beverage Products

Consumer perception of and preference toward products are influenced by intrinsic productspecific (e.g., product temperature) and extrinsic non-product-specific (e.g., packaging or container) characteristics. Besides communicating information between products and consumers to create expectations toward the content at the point of sale, packaging also influences sensory perception of the content during consumption. Previous cross-modal studies on packaging effects on the content had largely overlooked hand-feel touch cues. Touch closely relates to consumers’ emotional responses to and their quality evaluation of products. One way to manipulate hand-feel touch cues in a beverage consumption setting is to vary materials of cup sleeve, which are served concurrently with brewed coffee (BC) and green tea (GT). This thesis aimed to determine 1) influences of intrinsic cues (product temperature) on sensory perception of and emotional responses to BC and GT; 2) cross-modal association (CMA) of extrinsic hand-feel touch cues (12 sleeve materials) with evoked emotions, basic tastes, and coffee-related flavors; and 3) cross-modal influences of extrinsic hand-feel touch cues (4 sleeve materials) on emotional responses, sensory perception, arousal, and valence of BC. Results showed both intrinsic and extrinsic cues influenced emotional responses to and sensory perception of BC and GT. Beverages at higher temperature were characterized by positive emotions, while those at room and cold temperatures were characterized by low arousalnegative emotions and high arousal-negative emotions, respectively. CMA between hand-feel touch and taste cues were confirmed to exist: bitter taste and black coffee flavor with cardboard sleeves; sweet taste and creamy flavor with towel; sour taste with stainless steel; and salty taste with linen. Correlations between certain textural parameters and sensory CMA were also observed: thicker and rougher materials positively correlated with positive emotions and sweet taste, while thinner and smoother materials positively correlated with negative and high-arousal emotions and sour taste. Additionally, coffee presented with samples (towel, linen, or stainless steel) were perceived differently, in terms of both emotions and sensory attributes, compared to cardboard (control). As highlighted here, touch cues are important in product evaluation. Professionals in food and beverage industries should consider incorporating more hand-feel textural features on product packaging or container designs.
Genomic Landscapes of Pancreatic Neoplasia

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with a dismal prognosis. However, recent advances in sequencing and bioinformatic technology have led to the systematic characterization of the genomes of all major tumor types in the pancreas. This characterization has revealed the unique genomic landscape of each tumor type. This knowledge will pave the way for improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to pancreatic tumors that take advantage of the genetic alterations in these neoplasms.
HHLA2 is a member of the B7 family and inhibits human CD4 and CD8 T-cell function

T-cell costimulation and coinhibition generated by engagement of the B7 family and their receptor CD28 family are of central importance in regulating the T-cell response, making these pathways very attractive therapeutic targets. Here we describe HERV–H LTR-associating protein 2 (HHLA2) as a member of the B7 family that shares 10–18% amino acid identity and 23–33% similarity to other human B7 proteins and phylogenetically forms a subfamily with B7x and B7-H3 within the family. HHLA2 is expressed in humans but not in mice, which is unique within the B7 and CD28 families. HHLA2 protein is constitutively expressed on the surface of human monocytes and is induced on B cells after stimulation with LPS and IFN-γ. HHLA2 does not interact with other known members of the CD28 family or the B7 family, but does bind a putative receptor that is constitutively expressed not only on resting and activated CD4 and CD8 T cells but also on antigen-presenting cells. HHLA2 inhibits proliferation of both CD4 and CD8 T cells in the presence of T-cell receptor signaling. In addition, HHLA2 significantly reduces cytokine production by T cells including IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, and IL-22. Thus, we have identified a unique B7 pathway that is able to inhibit human CD4 and CD8 T-cell proliferation and cytokine production. This unique human T-cell coinhibitory pathway may afford unique strategies for the treatment of human cancers, autoimmune disorders, infection, and transplant rejection and may help to design better vaccines.
Specific Receptor Site and a Relation to Antitumor Activity Derivatives on Mammalian Topoisomerase I : Evidence for a Structure-Activity Study of the Actions of Camptothecin Updated

Twenty-two compounds related to camptothecin, a known inhibitor of eukaryotic topoisomerase I, were studied. The following effects on the actions of topoisomerase I were observed and were well correlated among most of the compounds studied: (a) inhibition of the first-order rate of relaxation of supercoiled DNA; (b) conversion of supercoiled DNA to nicked circles; and (c) single-strand cleavage of linear DNA at specific sites. The locations of the stimulated cleavage sites were the same for all of the active derivatives. Stereochemistry and the positions of substituents were found to be crucial for the presence or absence of effects on topoisomerase I, indicating that the compounds interact with an asym metrical receptor site on the enzyme or enzyme-DNA complex. From the structure-activity relations, the regions of interaction between the camp tothecin ring system and the receptor site were inferred. Striking corre lations were observed between activity against topoisomerase I and reported activity against murine leukemias, indicating that an action on topoisomerase I is responsible for the antitumor activity of the camptothecins.