Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Quality Characteristics of Traditional and Commercial Red Pepper Pastes (Gochujang)

Purpose: This study investigated the quality characteristics of traditional and commercial red pepper pastes ( Gochujang ) for development of traditional red pepper pastes. Methods: Proximate compositions, amino acid nitrogen contents, salt contents, color, viable bacteria, and inorganic substance contents of 19 traditional and three commercial Gochujang were investigated. Results: Analysis of proximate compositions showed huge differences between the samples. For moisture content, six kinds of traditional Gochujang did not meet the standard of the food codex. Contents of moisture, fat, and protein were significantly higher in traditional than commercial Gochujang . However, carbohydrate content was higher in commercial than traditional Gochujang , and thus calories were also higher. The amino nitrogen contents of the three kinds of traditional Gochujang did not meet the standard of the food codex. Salt contents and color were not significantly different between traditional and commercial Gochujang . In the microbiological analysis, total bacteria counts were higher in traditional than commercial Gochujang . The number of B. cereus did not exceed the standard of the food codex in all samples. S. aureus and fungi were not detected in any samples. In the inorganic substance analysis, inorganic substances contents in Gochujang were in the order of Na, K, Mg, and Ca. Overall, Na, K, Mg, and Ca were more abundant in traditional than commercial Gochujang . However, due to wide variations in inorganic substance contents of traditional Gochujang , there were no significant differences between traditional and commercial Gochujang . Conclusion: For the development of traditional Gochujang , quality standardization is considered necessary.
Antecedents and Consequences of Customer Experience Management- A Literature Review and Research Agenda

Customer Experience Management (CEM) is an emerging field and as companies try new ways of understanding and managing experiences this paper provides an integrative framework of customer experience antecedents and consequences which contributes both to academic research as well as has managerial implications. In this paper, the author critiques and consolidates the existing research on Customer Experience Management and develops a conceptual model of antecedents and consequences of customer experience management through an exhaustive study of literature. Six categories of antecedents namely- brand performance, multichannel interaction, service interface, physical environment, social environment and price and promotions are identified through exhaustive review of existing literature and three direct consequences namely customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer equity were also identified. Future directions of research are also discussed. The paper makes contributions towards new knowledge and understanding on customer experience management and can be used for managerial decision making.
Development and evaluation of novel surfactant-based elastic vesicular system for ocular delivery of fluconazole.

PURPOSE Fluconazole is a bis-triazole antifungal agent with a low molecular weight (306 Da). It is hydrophilic in nature and has low protein binding. It is available as eye drops for the treatment of ocular mycoses, the second most common cause of blindness in developing countries. However, its administration often results in poor patient compliance and limited use due to its short half-life (15-30 min) and a low log P (0.25). Therefore, fluconazole was incorporated into a novel sorbitan (spans) based elastic (spanlastic) vesicular system with intent to achieve a prolonged and better effect. Spanlastics are to niosomes what Transfersomes(®) are to liposomes. METHODS Developed spanlastics consisted of spans and an edge activator prepared by the ether injection method. Developed vesicles were characterized for size, shape, and the number of vesicles/ml by optical microscopy. Entrapment efficiency was determined by the dialysis method, and the ex vivo corneal permeability study was performed using porcine cornea. A 3-tier safety of the novel formulation was established by the Ames test, the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and in rabbits according to the OECD guidelines 404 and 405. RESULTS Spanlastics were smaller in size (3 times) and showed a better permeation in comparison to a corresponding niosomal formulation. The system showed an increase (3-fold) in the apparent permeability coefficient compared to the marketed formulation Zocon(®) (0.3% w/v solution of fluconazole) due to its elastic nature. The developed system was found to be stable for 2 months under refrigerated conditions and under extreme storage conditions. Safety was established in terms of genotoxicity (Ames test), cytotoxicity (MTT assay; mouse peritoneal macrophages), acute dermal/eye irritation/corrosion, and chronic eye irritation/corrosion tests (OECD guidelines). CONCLUSION The developed system is novel and provides an effective and safe formulation of fluconazole.
The in vitro antifungal evaluation of a commercial extract of Chilean propolis against six fungi of agricultural importance

Propolis has been used for millennia for its antimicrobial and pharmaceutical properties, whereas its use as an agricultural antifungal agent has only recently been assessed. The chemical characteristics of six ethanolic extracts of Chilean propolis (EEP-1 to EEP-6) were evaluated. The total polyphenols ranged between 7.8 and 42.3 mg mL-1 equivalents of a 2:1 pinocembrin: galangin standard, and the total flavonoid contents ranged between 4.0 and 19.7 mg mL-1 equivalents of quercetin. A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis allowed the identification of caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, pinocembrin, galangin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and rutin. The EEP-3 extract was selected for additional studies based on the higher total polyphenols and flavonoids contents (42.3 and 19.7 mg mL-1, respectively). The antifungal effects of four different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 %) of EEP-3 on Alternaria alternata, Fusarium sp . , Ulocladium sp . , Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum and Trichoderma reesei were evaluated in vitro using the agar dilution method. Although significant differences occurred among the extract concentrations, the results indicated that EEP-3 inhibited the mycelial growth of the six fungi evaluated. El propoleo ha sido utilizado por el hombre desde hace milenios por sus propiedades antimicrobianas y farmaceutica. Sin embargo, su uso como un agente antifungico agricola solo recientemente ha sido evaluado. Con el objetivo de estudiar su capacidad antifungica se caracterizaron quimicamente seis extractos etanolicos (EEP1-EEP6), comercializados en la Region de La Araucania. Se evaluo el contenido de polifenoles y flavonoides totales presentes en los EEP, estos presentaron concentraciones de polifenoles totales en un rango de 7,8 a 42,3 mg mL-1 equivalentes de la mezcla pinocembrina: galangina 2:1, y de flavonoides totales en un rango que vario entre 4,0 y 19,7 mg mL-1 equivalentes de quercetina. Analisis por cromatografia liquida de alta resolucion (HPLC) permitio la identificacion del acido cafeico, miricetina, quercetina, kaempferol, apigenina, pinocembrina, galangina, ester del acido cafeico (CAPE) y rutina. Se selecciono el EEP-3, pues presento las mayores concentraciones de polifenoles y flavonoides totales 42,3 y 19,7 mg mL-1, respectivamente. El efecto antifungico de cuatro diferentes concentraciones (0,5; 1,0; 2,5 y 5,0%) del EEP-3 sobre los hongos Alternaria alternata, Fusarium sp. , Ulocladium sp. , Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum y Trichoderma reese i, fue evaluado in vitro mediante el metodo de dilucion en agar. Se presentaron diferencias significativas entre las concentraciones de extracto ensayadas. Los resultados indican que el EEP-3 inhibio el crecimiento micelial en los seis hongos evaluados.
Elevated Uric Acid Increases Blood Pressure in the Rat by a Novel Crystal-Independent Mechanism

An elevation in circulating serum uric acid is strongly associated with the development of hypertension and renal disease, but whether uric acid has a causal role or whether it simply indicates patients at risk for these complications remains controversial. We tested the hypothesis that uric acid may have a causal role in the development of hypertension and renal disease by examining the effects of mild hyperuricemia in rats. Mild hyperuricemia was induced in rats by providing a uricase inhibitor (oxonic acid) in the diet. Hyperuricemic rats developed elevated blood pressure after 3 weeks, whereas control rats remained normotensive. The development of hypertension was prevented by concurrent treatment with either a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (allopurinol) or a uricosuric agent (benziodarone), both of which lowered uric acid levels. Blood pressure could also be lowered by reducing uric acid levels with either allopurinol or oxonic acid withdrawal. A direct relationship was found between blood pressure and uric acid (r =0.75, n=69), with a 10–mm Hg blood pressure increase for each 0.03-mmol/L (0.5-mg/dL) incremental rise in serum uric acid. The kidneys were devoid of urate crystals and were normal by light microscopy. However, immunohistochemical stains documented an ischemic type of injury with collagen deposition, macrophage infiltration, and an increase in tubular expression of osteopontin. Hyperuricemic rats also exhibited an increase in juxtaglomerular renin and a decrease in macula densa neuronal NO synthase. Both the renal injury and hypertension were reduced by treatment with enalapril or l-arginine. In conclusion, mild hyperuricemia causes hypertension and renal injury in the rat via a crystal-independent mechanism, with stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system and inhibition of neuronal NO synthase.
The influence of physicochemical properties on the reactivity and stability of acyl glucuronides†

Abstract 1. Formation of 1-O-acyl-β-d-glucuronide conjugates is a significant pathway in the metabolism of drugs containing a carboxylic acid group. The formation of acyl glucuronides results in an increase in both the aqueous solubility and molecular mass of the conjugate in comparison to the parent drug and thus facilitates excretion in both urine and bile. 2. Acyl glucuronides are effectively esters, which undergo first order decomposition by both hydrolysis and the intra-migration of the acyl group around the glucuronide ring to yield 2-, 3- and 4-O-glucuronic acid esters which, unlike the metabolically formed 1-O-acyl-β-d-glucuronides, are not substrates for β-glucuronidase. The first order degradation half-life is therefore a composite value of these two reactions and a useful indicator of chemical reactivity and potential toxicity. 3. Intra-molecular migration is expected to be the predominant pathway due to entropic considerations. 4. Such conjugates, together with their isomeric ester derivatives, react with nucleophilic sites on proteins and small endogenous molecules, such as glutathione, which potentially contributes to the observed toxicity and adverse drug reactions associated with some drugs. 5. Examination of the stability of the 1-O-acyl-β-d-glucuronides of aryl acetic acid, α-carbon substituted aryl acetic acid, aliphatic and aromatic acids, as determined by their first order degradation half-lives, indicates the significance of electronic and steric features that contribute to conjugate stability under physiological conditions. 6. Examination of the of the electronic properties of the carbonyl carbon atom in acyl glucuronides, as measured by the pKa of the parent acid, together with the steric substituents about the acyl carbonyl provides insight into the reactivity of these conjugates. 7. The investigations reported herein on a large number of 1-O-acyl-β-d-glucuronides has allowed rationalisation of their physicochemical properties in relation to the structure of the parent drug and has the potential to contribute to the design of carboxylic acid containing drug molecules with increased stability of a major metabolite with potential reduction in toxicity and adverse drug reactions.
Association of Body Weight and Body Mass Index with Bone Mineral Density in Women and Men from Kosovo

Background and objective: Body weight and body mass index (BMI) are considered potentially modifiable determinants of bone mass. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the association between body weight and body mass index (BMI) with total hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD). Methods: This cross-sectional study included a population of 100 women and 32 men from Kosovo into three BMI groups. All the study subjects underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. Results: Total hip BMD levels of obese menopausal and premenopausal women and men were significantly higher compared to overweight or normal weight subjects, while lumbar spine BMD levels of only menopausal women and men were higher among obese subjects. Age-adjusted linear regression analysis showed that BMI is a significant independent associate of lumbar spine and total hip BMD in menopausal women and men. Conclusion: Despite positive association between BMI and lumbar spine and total hip BMD in menopausal women, presence of more obese and osteoporotic subjects among menopausal women represent a population at risk for fractures because of poor balance and frequent falls; therefore, both obesity and osteoporosis prevention efforts should begin early on in life.
DNA-Sequence Variation Among Schistosoma mekongi Populations and Related Taxa; Phylogeography and the Current Distribution of Asian Schistosomiasis

Background Schistosomiasis in humans along the lower Mekong River has proven a persistent public health problem in the region. The causative agent is the parasite Schistosoma mekongi (Trematoda: Digenea). A new transmission focus is reported, as well as the first study of genetic variation among S. mekongi populations. The aim is to confirm the identity of the species involved at each known focus of Mekong schistosomiasis transmission, to examine historical relationships among the populations and related taxa, and to provide data for use (a priori) in further studies of the origins, radiation, and future dispersal capabilities of S. mekongi. Methodology/Principal Findings DNA sequence data are presented for four populations of S. mekongi from Cambodia and southern Laos, three of which were distinguishable at the COI (cox1) and 12S (rrnS) mitochondrial loci sampled. A phylogeny was estimated for these populations and the other members of the Schistosoma sinensium group. The study provides new DNA sequence data for three new populations and one new locus/population combination. A Bayesian approach is used to estimate divergence dates for events within the S. sinensium group and among the S. mekongi populations. Conclusions/Significance The date estimates are consistent with phylogeographical hypotheses describing a Pliocene radiation of the S. sinensium group and a mid-Pleistocene invasion of Southeast Asia by S. mekongi. The date estimates also provide Bayesian priors for future work on the evolution of S. mekongi. The public health implications of S. mekongi transmission outside the lower Mekong River are also discussed.
Complications and long-term outcomes of the ligation of congenital portosystemic shunts in 49 cats

Only two of 49 cats undergoing surgical ligation of congenital extra- and intrahepatic portosystemic shunts died perioperatively, a mortality rate comparable with the mortality rates of dogs undergoing surgical attenuation of congenital portosystemic shunts and cats in which the shunts are attenuated with an ameroid ring constrictor. Thirty (83 per cent) of the 36 cats for which long-term information was available were still alive at a median follow-up period of 47 months (range six to 105 months); the outcome was excellent (no clinical signs) in 20 of them (median follow-up 37 months, range six to 105 months) and good (minimal clinical signs) in seven (median follow-up 39 months, range 10 to 73 months) and none of these 27 cats was on any long-term medication or special diet. The only major cause of morbidity was the development of neurological signs in 18 (37 per cent) of the cats. These included seizures and a wide variety of other neurological signs, and their development and persistence was not affected by the presence of preoperative seizures, the type of shunt, the degree of shunt attenuation or the age of the cat. The serum concentrations of ammonia and preprandial bile acids were normal or significantly below normal in the cats with neurological signs. Liver histopathology was similar in the cats with and without neurological signs. Ten (56 per cent) of the 18 cats that developed neurological signs recovered normal neurological function long term.
Accurate statistical approaches for generating representative workload compositions

Composing a representative workload is a crucial step during the design process of a microprocessor. The workload should be composed in such a way that it is representative for the target domain of application and yet, the amount of redundancy in the workload should be minimized as much as possible in order not to overly increase the total simulation time. As a result, there is an important trade-off that needs to be made between workload representativeness and simulation accuracy versus simulation speed. Previous work used statistical data analysis techniques to identify representative benchmarks and corresponding inputs, also called a subset, from a large set of potential benchmarks and inputs. These methodologies measure a number of program characteristics on which principal components analysis (PCA) is applied before identifying distinct program behaviors among the benchmarks using cluster analysis. In this paper we propose independent components analysis (ICA) as a better alternative to PCA as it does not assume that the original data set has a Gaussian distribution, which allows ICA to better find the important axes in the workload space. Our experimental results using SPEC CPU2000 benchmarks show that ICA significantly outperforms PCA in that ICA achieves smaller benchmark subsets that are more accurate than those found by PCA.
Efficient iPS Cell Production with the MyoD Transactivation Domain in Serum-Free Culture

A major difficulty of producing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has been the low efficiency of reprogramming differentiated cells into pluripotent cells. We previously showed that 5% of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were reprogrammed into iPSCs when they were transduced with a fusion gene composed of Oct4 and the transactivation domain of MyoD (called M3O), along with Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (SKM). In addition, M3O facilitated chromatin remodeling of pluripotency genes in the majority of transduced MEFs, including cells that did not become iPSCs. These observations suggested the possibility that more than 5% of cells had acquired the ability to become iPSCs given more favorable culture conditions. Here, we raised the efficiency of making mouse iPSCs with M3O-SKM to 26% by culturing transduced cells at low density in serum-free culture medium. In contrast, the efficiency increased from 0.1% to only 2% with the combination of wild-type Oct4 and SKM (OSKM) under the same culture condition. For human iPSCs, M3O-SKM achieved 7% efficiency under a similar serum-free culture condition, in comparison to 1% efficiency with OSKM. This study highlights the power of combining the transactivation domain of MyoD with a favorable culture environment.
A ug 2 00 1 PROBING THE EVOLUTION OFGALAXIES USING REDSHIFTED H α EMISSION

In this paper we review the present status and implications of Hα surveys at various redshifts. With the advent of sensitive wide-format near-infrared detectors on large telescopes, deep and extensive Hα surveys are now feasible to redshift z ∼ 2.5. The cosmic star formation history can therefore be traced out to this redshift using Hα alone, avoiding complications arising from the comparison of different tracers at different redshifts. The Hα surveys to date confirm the rapid increase in luminosity density from z = 0 out to z = 1, and show that this increase flattens off at higher redshifts, remaining approximately constant out to at least z ∼ 2.2. We also discuss the prospects for determining the masses of high redshift galaxies based on emission lines. A set of high-quality Hα rotation curves of samples of disk galaxies at a number of different redshifts would allow a study of the evolution of the Tully-Fisher relation and address fundamental issues in disk galaxy formation. Such a program remains challenging even with present-day large telescopes.
Query recommendation in the information domain of children

Children represent an increasing group of web users. Some of the key problems that hamper their search experience is their limited vocabulary, their difficulty in using the right keywords, and the inappropriateness of their general‐purpose query suggestions. In this work, we propose a method that uses tags from social media to suggest queries related to children's topics. Concretely, we propose a simple yet effective approach to bias a random walk defined on a bipartite graph of web resources and tags through keywords that are more commonly used to describe resources for children. We evaluate our method using a large query log sample of queries submitted by children. We show that our method outperforms by a large margin the query suggestions of modern search engines and state‐of‐the art query suggestions based on random walks. We improve further the quality of the ranking by combining the score of the random walk with topical and language modeling features to emphasize even more the child‐related aspects of the query suggestions.