Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Storage Effect on Phenols and on the Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Anemopsis californica and Inhibition of Elastase Enzyme

The amount of total phenols and flavonoids and the antioxidant activity of leaf, stem, and rhizome methanolic extracts from a commonly consumed Anemopsis californica under different storage conditions were investigated. Storage conditions were at 50, 25, 4, and −20°C, protected or not from light, during 180 days. The inhibition of the elastase enzyme was also evaluated. The results demonstrated that leaf, stem, and rhizome methanolic extracts of Anemopsis californica maintain approximately up to 97 and 95% stability in phenolic content and antioxidant activity, respectively, when stored during 60 days at −20°C in the dark. Additionally, these extracts, principally from leaf and rhizome, showed an elastase inhibitory effect by 75 and 71.8%, respectively. Therefore, this study provides the basis for further research on the anti-inflammatory activity. On the other hand, Anemopsis californica could comprise a good alternative of use as antioxidant in foods.
Is there a microbial loop in Lake Baikal

The occurrence of a microbial loop in the pelagic environment is discussed with regard to hydrological and meteorological effects as well as to the planktological states during the seasons in lake Baikal. Strong local conditions due the melting ice and the sequence of the spring bloom indicate close local interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria. However, missing reports on micro-zooplankton and continuous reports of the roles of the individual organism groups involved in the microbial loop make is difficult to establish the way of matter flow in the lake as a general path. Further, sinking rates of diatoms do not allow a remineralisation of plankton-C and –N in the deep water in its upper photic levels. Thus, microbial mineralized nutrients will stay for long time in the abyssal area of the lake, which can be regarded responsible for its oligotrophic nature in the upper layers.
Effect of Confinement Anisotropy on Excitonic Properties in InAs/InP Quantum Dashes

E ect of Con nement Anisotropy on Excitonic Properties in InAs/InP Quantum Dashes P. Mrowi«skia,∗, A. Musiaa, G. S¦k, J. Misiewicz, S. Hofling, A. Somers, S. Hein and A. Forchel Institute of Physics, Wrocaaw University of Technology, Wybrze»e Wyspia«skiego 27, 50-370 Wrocaaw, Poland Technische Physik, University of Wurzburg and Wilhelm-Conrad-Rontgen-Research Center for Complex Material Systems (RCCM), Am Hubland, D-97074 Wurzburg, Germany
Using Flipped Learning Model in Teaching English Language among Female English Majors in Majmaah University

This study aims at investigating the effect of using Flipped Learning Model in teaching English language among female English majors in Majmaah University on their achievement in two different English courses and identifying their feelings and satisfaction about flipping their classes. The study used a pre-post test design and included two experimental groups (n=62). A comparison of students’ scores in pre and post experimentation were carried to identify the effect of the model and size of improvement in students’ achievement. An analysis of students’ responses to an online questionnaire was conducted to reveal their feelings towards the flipped model. Results affirmed the hypotheses of the study and there was a significant higher improvement in students’ scores in post-tests. Students also favored the flipped learning model and had positive feelings towards it.
Single Top Production at the Tevatron

We present recent results of single top quark production in the lepton plus jet final state, performed by the CDF and D0 collaborations based on 7.5 and 5.4 fb{sup -1} of p{bar p} collision data collected at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV from the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Multivariate techniques are used to separate the single top signal from the backgrounds. Both collaborations present measurements of the single top quark cross section and the CKM matrix element |V{sub tb}|. A search for anomalous Wtb coupling from D0 is also presented.
The Triple Immune Argument; Surveillance/Evasion/ Senescence and the Increased Incidence of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Observed with Age

AML originates from genetic insults of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs/HSCs) that was identified earlier as leukemia stem cells (LSCs). In quiescent state, trafficking immune cells are crucial for eradication of aberrant clones and obtaining balance between proliferation and apoptosis to maintain HSCs pool. Regulatory T-cells shield the HSCs from the inflammatory reactions by suppressing T- and B- cells. Cancer immunoediting characterize the interaction between the tumor cells and the immune system during cancer evolution. Both branches of the immune system; innate and adaptive can identify AML blasts, eliminating them completely or keeping a balance state that prevents tumor excrescence. However, the AML blasts are struggling to survive and induce many evasion mechanisms ranged from suppression of natural killer and T cytotoxic cells up to the support of suppressor cells and creating a tumor permissive microenvironment. Upon aging, the immune system is restructured in a process termed immunosenescence. The most sticking event in immunosenescence is thymic involution with reduced T-cell output and diversity that will affect the immune surveillance properties, in addition to inflammaging that prepare a convenient environment for the evolution of AML. In this age-impaired immunity background, together with the other age related changes occur in HSPCs and bone marrow microenvironment would initiate and promote the development of AML that is indeed observed in older patients. Realizing this relation would help in proper choice of therapy and the development of new lines of immunotherapy against this difficult disease in that critical age.
MAGNESIUM IN TUMOURS OF THE DOGS' SKIN

The experiments were conducted in order to determine magnesium concentration in the tissue of malignant and nonmalignant skin tumours in dogs in comparison to that in the skin of healthy dogs. Magnesium concentration was also determined in the blood serum. It was stated that magnesium concentration in malignant tumours was higher than in nonmalignant tumours and in of healthy dogs tissue. Magnesium concentration in the serum of dogs with malignant tumours was lower in comparison to the concentration of this element in the serum of dogs with non-malignant tumours and dogs from the control group. The relationship between skin tumour malignancy in dogs and magnesium concentration in the tissue and serum was discussed.
The WeIzmann Supercooled Droplets Observation (WISDOM) on a Microarray and application for ambient dust

The WeIzmann Supercooled Droplets Observation on Microarray (WISDOM) is a new setup for studying ice nucleation in an array of monodisperse droplets for atmospheric implications. WISDOM combines microfluidics techniques for droplets production and a cryo-optic stage for observation and characterization of freezing events of individual droplets. This setup is designed to explore heterogeneous ice nucleation in the immersion freezing mode, down to the homogenous freezing of water (235 K) in various cooling rates (typically 0.1-10 K min −1 ). It can also be used for studying homogenous freezing of aqueous solutions in colder temperatures. Frozen fraction, ice nucleation active surface site (INAS) densities and freezing kinetics can be obtained from WISDOM measurements with excellent statistics of hundreds of individual droplets in a single freezing experiment. Droplets are surrounded by a mineral oil phase which assures the isolation of the droplets and prevents mutual seeding, mass transfer or evaporation, and hence increases the reliability and reproducibility of the measurement. WISDOM also allows repeatable cycles of cooling and heating for the same array of droplets. This paper describes the WISDOM setup, its temperature calibration, validation experiments and measurement uncertainties. Finally, application of WISDOM to study the INP properties of size-selected ambient Saharan dust particles is presented.
Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields: The importance of the need to belong and self-esteem on the intention to leave a job

WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) FIELDS: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEED TO BELONG AND SELF-ESTEEM ON THE INTENTION TO LEAVE A JOB by Jung Eun Lee The purpose of the study was to predict individual intentions to leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field jobs. Psychological predictors were gender, the need to belong, self-esteem, perceived personal discrimination, and perceived group discrimination. We used the Amazon Mechanical Turk to recruit participants and Survey Monkey to conduct an online survey. Participants were 174 men and women who worked or studied in STEM fields. Two-step hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. As a result, we found that all predictors mentioned above accounted for the variance in the intention to leave a job. Self-esteem and perceived personal discrimination were critical predictors for men in STEM fields; self-esteem and perceived group discrimination were critical predictors for women in STEM fields. For women, interestingly, the interaction effect of the need to belong and self-esteem added an additional variance in predicting the intention to leave a job. The need to belong buffered the effect of self-esteem on the intention of STEM women to leave a job. Thus, it might be that STEM women with low self-esteem are more likely to change a job if their need to belong is not fulfilled.
Analyzing the relationships between organization justice dimensions and selected organizational outcomes- empirical research study

This study investigated the relationship between organization justice dimensions namely; procedural justice, distributive justice, informational justice, and interpersonal justice and selected organizational outcomes. Based on the review of the previous literature and studies the research objectives and hypotheses were posed. Organization justice in relation to organizational outcomes was not fully understood particularly in the Eastern countries with a specific focus on Egypt. A questionnaire was constructed, tested and administered to teachers in the International schools in Cairo, Egypt. Results indicate the presence of a relationship between organization justice dimensions and the selected organizational outcomes. Future research should extend to other study sectors within the Egyptian environment as well as expanding the research to include several other organizational outcomes.
Application of In Situ Reverse Transcription to Estuarine Bacterial Community Analysis

Bacterial communities along a salinity gradient (0 to 30 ‰) of the Satilla River in southern Georgia were analyzed by in situ reverse transcription (ISRT) using primers specific for the beta, gamma, delta, marine alpha proteobacteria, subdivisions of eubacteria, as well as one for eubacterial domain. Bacteria yielding a positive ISRT reaction with the eubacterial domain primer accounted for 76, 43, and 85% of total DAPI-positive cells at stations with salinities of 34.8, 24.6, and 0‰, respectively. Marine alpha-positive bacteria were most numerous (32 % of eubacteria) at the highest salinity and were least abundant (<1%) in freshwater stations. The gamma Proteobacteria were more uniformly distributed and accounted for 23 to 42% eubacteria from the freshwater end to the coastal site of the river. The high percentage of gamma Proteobacteria across a broad range of salinities may be associated with high abundance of detrital material in the coastal river system. The beta Proteobacteria were more abundant (41% of eubacteria) near the freshwater end and less abundant (13% eubacteria) in marine-type samples. Delta-proteobacteria accounted for less than 8% of eubacteria at all salinities examined. ISRT was also used to detect the proportion (12-30%) of the marine bacterial community that actively expressed genes for degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e. benzene, ethanol, toluene and xylene). In unamended estuarine water, no bacteria expressing genes for degradation of the hydrocarbons were detected.
Species evenness and invasion resistance of experimental grassland communities

Concern for biodiversity loss coupled with the accelerated rate of biological invasions has provoked much interest in assessing how native plant species diversity affects invasibility. Although experimental studies extensively document the effects of species richness on invader performance, the role of species evenness in such studies is rarely examined. Species evenness warrants more attention because the relative abundances of species can account for substantially more of the variance in plant community diversity and tend to change more rapidly and more frequently in response to disturbances than the absolute numbers of species. In this study, we experimentally manipulated species evenness within native prairie grassland mesocosms. We assessed how evenness affected primary productivity, light availability and the resistance of native communities to invasion. The primary productivity of native communities increased significantly with species evenness, and this increase in productivity was accompanied by significant decreases in light availability. However, evenness had no effect on native community resistance to invasion by three common exotic invasive species. In this study, niche complementarity provides a potential mechanism for the effects of evenness on productivity and light availability, but these effects apparently were not strong enough to alter the invasibility of the experimental communities. Our results suggest that species evenness enhances community productivity but provides no benefit to invasion resistance in otherwise functionally diverse communities.
Nitrogen fixation by Trichodesmium and small diazotrophs in the subtropical northeast Atlantic.

We measured gross and net nitrogen fixation in fractionated samples (organisms >10 μm and 10 μm fraction in most of the areas studied. The <10 μm fraction was responsible for 70 to 92% of the total nitrogen fixation in cold nutrient-rich areas. The contribution of small diazotrophs to nitrogen fixation in the upwelling sites suggests that the distribution and activity of these organisms are more widespread than previously thought.
Incidence of Acute Symptomatic Posterior Vitreous Detachment, its Complications and Impact on Emergency Eye Care Set Up

Purpose. To determines the incidence of complications of acute symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and its impact on ophthalmic emergency setup. Design. A retrospective study of 172 patients presented in one years’ time, with acute symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment. Methods. A retrospective record of 172 patients (n=172) was reviewed who were seen in one years’ time period at local hospital’s eye departments as emergency referrals. Referrals were made by primary care physicians and optometrists. Only patients with acute symptomatic PVD were taken into account. Their symptomatology, visual acuity, fundus examination findings, follow up appointments and outcomes were checked. Results. Mean age at presentation was 62.76 years. Acute Symptomatic Posterior vitreous detachment was detected without complications in 126 (73.25%). Retinal breaks were found on initial presentation in 33 patients (19.18%). Out of these, 18 had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment on initial presentation (10.46%), while one patient who also had vitreous haemorrhage developed it later. PVD was seen with vitreous haemorrhage in 4 patients (2.32%). Seven patients presented with PVD and associated retinal haemorrhages (4.06%). Demographically 96 patients were females (55.81%) as compared to 76 males (44.186%). The highest incidence was between 51 to 75 years of age (84.29%). Posterior vitreous detachments accounted for 7.50% of total eye emergencies in one year. Conclusions. Patients with flashes and floaters should be seen urgently. Priority should be given to patients with cells in vitreous (shafer’s sign) as well as retinal or vitreous haemorrhages. These patients should be seen by experienced ophthalmologist to rule out any break with 360 degree indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations. Junior doctors should have extensive training with indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral indentation and should not miss shafer’s sign in all patients with acute symptomatic PVD.
Videogames and wellbeing: A comprehensive review

Responding to concerns about the negative impacts of videogames on young people’s mental health, as well as emerging evidence of positive impacts of videogames, the Young and Well CRC’s Gaming Research Group have compiled this report on the state of play of research linking videogame play and flourishing mental health. The report specifically explores the role of videogames in young people’s lives and how technology can be used to improve mental health and wellbeing. It is designed to develop understandings about the positive intersection of gaming and wellbeing, to document evidence regarding links between videogames and positive mental health and to provide guidelines for use by other researchers as they design specific tools and games to improve mental health and wellbeing for young Australians. There is a range of evidence suggesting that videogames have a positive impact on young people’s wellbeing. Existing research suggests that videogames contribute to young people’s emotional, social and psychological wellbeing. Specially, videogames have been shown to positively influence young people’s emotional state, self-esteem, optimism, vitality, resilience, engagement, relationships, sense of competence, self-acceptance and social connections and functioning. Emerging research suggests that how young people play as well as whom they play with may be more important in terms of wellbeing than what they play. Further research is needed to explore key questions including the moderating influence of personal characteristics on the relationship between videogames and wellbeing and extending existing research by replicating findings across game types, demographic samples and play environments.
Exploring Two Teacher Education Online Learning Designs

Abstract Online learning is rapidly becoming a permanent feature of higher education. In a preponderance of instances, online learning is designed using conventional educational practices: lecture, grades, group discussion, and the like. Concerns with traditional pedagogy instantiated by course management systems raise questions about the quality of learner’s online experiences. There is a need to reconsider the design of learning opportunities in light of emerging online delivery modes. This study compared learner perceptions of two online courses—one using the more traditional approach capitalizing on the affordances of Blackboard and one using the COPLS one-on-one model (Norton, 2003). Results revealed that both environments were perceived as providing a high quality learning experience. In addition, results point to the importance of self-regulation, the role of the instructor/facilitator/mentor, and the role of the group as factors influencing learners’ perception of the quality of their learning experience, positive aspects of their learning experience, and challenges that influenced their learning experience.
Novel Natural Anti Gout Medication Extract from Momdica charantia

Medicinal plants were evaluated for their Xanthine Oxidase (XO) inhibitory potential. Their aqueous extracts, prepared from used parts, were tested in vitro , at 100 ? g/mL concentration, for their inhibition potencies expressed as % inhibition of XO activity. Two of the test plants were found inhibition% activity of xanthine oxidase. Namely Zingiber officinat (81.56±3.76) , Momdica charantia (96.5±2.17). Total Phenolic of Momdica charantia (80.83±0.30) was more than Zingiber officinat (62.18±0.65). Fraction of Momdica charantia (coumarin) was achieved the highest activity (inhibition activity of xanthine oxidase 97%) based on analysis HPLC. Screening of xanthine oxidase activity by coumarin in terms of kinetic parameter revealed uncompetitive mode of inhibition where K m 25Mm -1 ,V max 0.38 Mm min -1 . Data showed that coumarin (0.5 mg/kg) treatment cause significant reduction in the serum uric acid level of hyperuricemia in normal mice. These finding suggest that Momdica charantia extract possess prominent medicinal properties and can be exploited as natural drug to treat diseases associated with free radical formation , oxidative stress and xanthine oxidase activity. Keyword s : Gout , Allpurinol , Xanthine Oxidase , Momdica charantia
Cold Bosonic Atoms in Optical Lattices

The dynamics of an ultracold dilute gas of bosonic atoms in an optical lattice can be described by a Bose-Hubbard model where the system parameters are controlled by laser light. We study the continuous (zero temperature) quantum phase transition from the superfluid to the Mott insulator phase induced by varying the depth of the optical potential, where the Mott insulator phase corresponds to a commensurate filling of the lattice (``optical crystal''). Examples for formation of Mott structures in optical lattices with a superimposed harmonic trap and in optical superlattices are presented.
A STUDY OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DOWNSIZING AND INNOVATION DETERMINANTS

Using a survey data of UK firms that engaged in downsizing, this paper explores the link between downsizing and innovation determinants. We suggest that the relationship between downsizing and innovation determinants is contingent upon the speed of implementing the downsizing and the severity of downsizing. Overall, the results confirm our general proposition and shed new light on the relationship between downsizing and innovation enhancers, and barriers to innovation.
MAINTENANCE CULTURE IN ELECTRICAL POWER INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA: CASE STUDY OF AFAM POWER STATION

The constant use of any production facility especially machines, equipment and tools increases its depreciation rate. Hence from time to time, repairs are needed, but repairs alone do not constitute good maintenance. Good maintenance policies prevent production interruption and losses in addition to the fact that it lengthens the service life of machines and equipment. This entails planned inspection, testing, cleaning, drying, monitoring, adjusting, corrective modification and repair of electrical equipment. This paper investigates the maintenance culture at Afam Power Station for selected years and the impact of such policies on installed machines and operational efficiency of the station. Results show that there are extensive deviations between maintenance policies guiding the station and actual practice. The resultant effect is that by 1997 only two generating units were working and the percentage performance of the station fell to 45.3%. Recommendations include the establishment of a good maintenance work documentation system, increased training programme for local manpower, privatization of the electric power industry among others.