Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rocket salad (Diplotaxis and Eruca spp.) sensory analysis and relation with glucosinolate and phenolic content.

BACKGROUND Salad crops of the Brassicaceae family, such as Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Eruca vesicaria, commonly referred to as 'rocket salads', have attracted considerable interest as culinary vegetables because of their strong flavour and their content of putative health-promoting compounds. Among such compounds, glucosinolates and phenolics are well-known phytochemicals with an important role also in determining the characteristic flavour of these species. In this study, to identify potentially high-value rocket salads, 37 cultivated types were examined for sensory characters and their relations with glucosinolate and phenolic contents, which ranged from 0.76 to 3.03 g kg(-1) dry weight (DW) and from 4.68 to 31.39 g kg(-1) DW, respectively. RESULTS The perception of bitter taste was significantly affected by specific glucosinolates, namely progoitrin/epiprogoitrin and dimeric glucosativin. Aroma intensity was negatively related to glucoalyssin content, whereas pungency was significantly related to total glucosinolate content. Kaempferol-3-(2-sinapoyl-glucoside)-4'-glucoside was positively and significantly related to all flavour trait perceptions. Aroma intensity, pungency, crunchiness and juiciness were positively related to typical rocket salad flavour perception through a prominent direct effect. CONCLUSION Aroma intensity, pungency, crunchiness and juiciness were strong determinants of overall rocket salad flavour perception. Visual traits also characterised sensory components. Bitterness, usually considered a negative flavour trait, was moderately perceived in the examined material, without negatively affecting typical flavour perception. In the range of the examined material, glucosinolate content did not contrast with typical flavour, demonstrating that good taste and putative health-promoting properties may coexist.
Speech Accommodation in Inter-Dialectal Conversations: Exploiting Linguistic Repertoire and Weighing Sociolinguistic Options

Conversations of eight USA-based native speakers of Arabic, four Jordanians and four Egyptians, were recorded during several casual conversations. Contrary to the prevailing assumption about Arabic inter-dialectal communication, the participants maintained their speech and rarely switched to their interlocutors’ dialect of Arabic. Moreover, while only few instances of switching to Educated Spoken Arabic (ESA) were observed, several instances of switching to English were documented. In this regard, this study invalidates the once-prevailing assumption about the role of ESA as an extensive accommodation strategy for Arabic inter-dialectal interactions and reveals the role of English as a converging strategy in these interactions.
Use of novel monoclonal antibodies to determine the expression and distribution of the hypoxia regulatory factors PHD‐1, PHD‐2, PHD‐3 and FIH in normal and neoplastic human tissues

Aims : The cellular response to hypoxia includes the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)‐induced transcription of genes involved in diverse processes such as glycolysis, angiogenesis and the growth of experimental tumours. Regulation of the level of hypoxia inducible factors 1α and 2α (HIF‐1α and HIF‐2α) is a primary determinant of HIF activity. Recent biochemical and candidate gene approach studies have led to the discovery of three HIF‐regulatory prolyl hydroxylases, PHD‐1, ‐2 and ‐3 and an asparaginyl hydroxylase, also known as FIH (factor inhibiting HIF). In this study, we raised and characterized monoclonal antibodies against PHD‐1, PHD‐2, PHD‐3 and FIH.
Methyl CpG-Binding Protein 2 (a Mutation of Which Causes Rett Syndrome) Directly Regulates Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 in Mouse and Human Brains

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a major neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by mental retardation and autistic behavior. Mutation of the MeCP2 gene, encoding methyl CpG-binding protein 2, causes the disease. The pathomechanism by which MeCP2 dysfunction leads to the RTT phenotype has not been elucidated. We found that MeCP2 directly regulates expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) gene in human and mouse brains. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that the IGFBP3 promoter contained an MeCP2 binding site. IGFBP3 overexpression was observed in the brains of mecp2-null mice and human RTT patients using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses. Moreover, mecp2-null mice showed a widely distributed and increased number of IGFBP3-positive cells in the cerebral cortex, whereas wild-type mice at the same age showed fewer IGFBP3-positive cells. These results suggest that IGFBP3 is a downstream gene regulated by MeCP2 and that the previously reported BDNF and DLX5 genes and MeCP2 may contribute directly to the transcriptional expression of IGFBP3 in the brain. Interestingly, the pathologic features of mecp2-null mice have some similarities to those of IGFBP3-transgenic mice, which show a reduction of early postnatal growth. IGFBP3 overexpression due to lack of MeCP2 may lead to delayed brain maturation.
Dissociation of lung function changes with humoral immunity during inhaled human insulin therapy.

RATIONALE Inhaled human insulin (INH; Exubera [human insulin (recombinant DNA origin) Inhalation Powder]) causes small changes in pulmonary function and increases in insulin antibodies compared with subcutaneous (SC) insulin. OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between changes in pulmonary function and insulin antibodies and acute effects of INH on lung function. METHODS In a 24-wk multicenter study, 226 patients with type 1 diabetes were randomized to receive daily premeal INH or SC insulin for 12 wk (comparative phase), followed by SC insulin for 12 wk (washout phase). MEASUREMENTS Spirometry tests were conducted and insulin antibody levels were measured throughout the study. Acute insulin-induced changes in lung function were calculated as the difference between FEV1 before, and 10 and 60 min after, insulin. MAIN RESULTS There was a temporal dissociation between pulmonary function changes and insulin antibody generation. Small treatment group differences in changes in FEV1 from baseline, favoring SC insulin, were fully manifest by 2 wk of INH therapy, did not increase during the remainder of the comparative phase, and resolved within 2 wk of INH discontinuation. By contrast, insulin antibody levels remained low for the first 2 wk with INH, increased during Weeks 2 to 12, and gradually declined during washout. There was no evidence of acute insulin-induced alterations in lung function 10 and 60 min postinhalation. CONCLUSION The small lung function changes observed with INH therapy are not mediated by the humoral immune response, or associated with acute decrements in lung function immediately after insulin inhalation.
A Novel Galacto-Glycerolipid from Oxalis corniculata Kills Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia

ABSTRACT Oxalis corniculata is a naturally occurring weed that has been used in traditional medicine for the cure of dysentery and diarrhea in India. One of the common causes of dysentery is due to infection by the protist pathogen Entamoeba histolytica. Bioactivity profiling of extracts from O. corniculata identified several compounds that showed antiamoebic activity in axenic cultures of E. histolytica. These were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and mass spectrometry as (i) Oc-1, a mixture of saturated fatty acids C24 to C28; (ii) Oc-2, a mixture of long-chain alcohols C18 to C28; and (iii) Oc-3, a single compound that was a galacto-glycerolipid (GGL). Of the different compounds that were obtained, the strongest antiamoebic activity was found in GGL. The addition of GGL to E. histolytica xenic cultures containing other microbial flora from the large intestine did not affect its antiamoebic activity. Amoebicidal concentrations of GGL had no effect on intestinal microbial flora or on the mammalian cell line HEK-293. GGL was also found to be equally effective in killing another protist pathogen, Giardia lamblia, that causes diarrhea in humans. The importance of this study is based on the identification of novel natural products and the possibility of developing these compounds as active agents to treat at least two pathogenic parasitic intestinal infections endemic to tropical regions.
Platelet monoamine oxidase activity in alcoholism subtypes: relationship to personality traits and executive functions.

AIMS The purpose of the present study was to compare alcoholic subtypes (type 1 versus type 2) with regard to platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. A possible relationship between enzyme activity, personality traits and executive functions was also investigated. METHODS Seventeen type 1 and 16 type 2 in-patient male chronic alcoholic patients and 17 healthy male volunteers were included in the study. The personality traits were investigated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Executive functions were assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). RESULTS When compared to the healthy subjects, platelet MAO activity was reduced in both alcoholic groups. The enzyme activity of the type 2 group was significantly lower than that of type 1 patients. Both groups of alcoholic patients also displayed impairment in executive functions. The comparison of the MMPI-2 scores of the study groups revealed that type 2 alcoholics had more severe psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS The results support previous evidence suggesting that platelet MAO activity is a useful biochemical measure for the subtyping of alcoholics.
In vitro activities of PS-15, a new dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, and its cyclic metabolite against Mycobacterium avium complex

PS-15, a new dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, and its cyclic metabolite were evaluated for in vitro activity against 31 clinical Mycobacterium avium complex isolates. Broth dilution MICs of PS-15 ranged from 16 to 64 micrograms/ml. The cyclic metabolite was three to five times more active than the parent compound. Further evaluation of these compounds in an M. avium-infected murine test system will be of interest.
Does Shariah compliance make interest rate sensitivity of Islamic equities lower? An industry level analysis under different market states

ABSTRACT This paper examines the sensitivity of the Dow Jones Islamic market index and its corresponding industry equity indices to changes in the level, slope and curvature of the U.S. term structure of interest rates over the period 1996–2015 using the quantile regression approach. The empirical results reveal that the Islamic stock market has a considerable negative exposure to interest rate risk, although a declining time pattern of interest rate sensitivity is observed. The unexpected changes in the level factor of the U.S. yield curve, closely linked to long-term interest rates, are identified as the most important interest rate factor in explaining the variability of Islamic equity returns. Furthermore, the interest rate exposure tends to be stronger during extreme bearish conditions in the stock market, possibly due to the greater pessimism and risk aversion under these market circumstances. It is also shown that Islamic equities are not different from their mainstream counterparts in terms of interest rate sensitivity, indicating that the Islamic stock market does not provide a cushion against interest rate risk.
Microstructure changes of occipital white matter are responsible for visual problems in the 3–4-year-old very low birth weight children

Purpose: The main aim of the study was to evaluate which factors affect the long-time visual function in preterm children, whether it is prematurity or retinopathy of prematurity or perhaps disturbances in the visual pathway. Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight children with mean birth weight 1016 g (range 520–1500 g) were evaluated at mean age 48 months (range 42–54 months). All children underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, visual evoked potentials (VEPs), and the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP). The MRI evaluation included diffusion tensor imaging and fractional anisotropy (FA), and colored orientation maps were calculated for each subject. Based on the results of the VEP evaluation, children were divided into two groups: A-abnormal results of VEP (n = 16) and B-normal VEP results (comparison group, n = 42). Results: FA values of inferior left and right occipital white matter (OWM) were lower in the group of children with abnormal VEP compared to the comparison group (0.34 ± 0.06 vs. 0.38 ± 0.06; P = 0.047; 0.31 ± 0.04 vs. 0.36 ± 0.06; P = 0.007, respectively). Furthermore, there were correlations between the latency (r = −0.35; P = 0.01) and amplitude (r = 0.31; P = 0.02) and FA in OWM. Children with abnormal VEP had lower DTVP scores as compared with children with normal VEP results (88 ± 18 vs. 95 ± 16 points, P = 0.048). Finally, a multivariate logistic regression revealed that FA of the inferior OWM was the only independent risk factor for the abnormal VEP (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Visual perception, VEPs, and white matter microstructural abnormalities in very low birth weight children at the age of 3–4 are significantly correlated.
Prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: Insights from the COMMIT-HF registry.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that in patients with heart failure, an increased value of red cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with adverse outcomes. Nonetheless, data regarding the association between RDW values and long-term mortality in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are lacking. The aim of this investigation was to examine the relationship between mortality and RDW in patients with ischemic and non-ischemic LVSD. METHODS Under analysis was 1734 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% of whom were hospitalized between 2009 and 2013. Patients were divided into three groups based on RDW tertiles. Low, medium and high tertiles were defined as RDW ≤ 13.4%, 13.4% < RDW ≤ 14.6% and RDW > 14.6%, respectively. RESULTS There was a stepwise relationship between RDW intervals and comorbidities. Patients with the highest RDW values were older and more often diagnosed with anemia, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease. The main finding of our analysis was the presence of an 8-fold increase in all-cause mortality in the entire cohort between high and low RDW tertile. Cox hazard analysis identi-fied RDW as an independent predictive factor of mortality in all patients (HR 2.8; 95% CI 2.1-3.8; p < 0.0001) and in subgroups of patients with ischemic (HR 2.8; 95% CI 2.0-3.9; p < 0.0001) and non-ischemic (HR 3.3; 95% CI 2.01-5.5; p < 0.0001) LVSD. CONCLUSIONS The highest RDW tertile was independently associated with higher long-term mortality compared with low and medium tertiles, both in all patients with a LVEF ≤ 35% and in subgroups of patients with ischemic and non-ischemic LVSD.
How do Italian vocational teachers educate for a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship? Development and initial application of the SIE questionnaire

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how educators can teach the key competence of a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship (SIE) as a cross-curricular subject in compulsory education. It draws both on the literature relating to entrepreneurial education and on competence-based education to set out five features of entrepreneurial teaching. For illustrative purposes, these five characteristics are explored in a questionnaire put to a small group of teaching staff. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a qualitative approach, seeking to understand the personal perspectives of participants, and drawing out the complexities of their behaviour, whilst also providing a holistic interpretation of such behaviour. Findings The literature review identifies five features of entrepreneurial teaching: embedding learning outcomes for a SIE within taught subjects; active entrepreneurial teaching; educating for entrepreneurial attitudes; networking activities; being entrepreneurial as part of lifelong learning. It can be hypothesised that teaching staff teach different aspects of the SIE depending on the subject they teach (vocational or more traditional) and their role (teacher or workshop assistant). Originality/value Development of the SIE and the five characteristics of entrepreneurial teaching is a first step towards understanding how secondary vocational teachers and workshop assistants understand and teach the SIE as cross-curricular subject. In line with Fayolle and Gailly who called for deeper investigation of the most effective combinations of objectives, content and teaching methods, the paper seeks to establish a relationship between teaching methods, development of entrepreneurial attitudes and assessment.
Closed-Form and Explicit Analytical Model for Crosstalk in CMOS Photodiodes

A closed-form and explicit 2-D analytical model for crosstalk(CTK) effects in p-n+ CMOS photodiodes for pixel design optimization has been developed in this paper. This model complements and extends a previous development describing the photocurrent because of the active area illumination along with the lateral depletion region and lateral components owing to the diffused photocarriers from the surroundings of the junction. The model has very few fitting parameters because it is physically based. Similarly, it can be of great use for CMOS image sensors designers, especially to fulfill high resolution and small area requirements by pixel size reduction. The model was validated extensively through device simulations with ATLAS and experimental data, and describes the CTK dependencies on light conditions and physical, geometrical, and process parameters.
PEMANFAATAN MEDIA INFORMASI DALAM PROGRAM RUMAH TIDAK LAYAK HUNI (RTLH)

Desa Parakan memiliki program pembangunan berupa program Rumah Tidak Layak Huni (RTLH) dari pemerintah Pusat. Rumah Tidak Layak Huni adalah hunian atau rumah tinggal yang tidak layak huni disebabkan oleh tidak cukup persyaratan baik teknis dan non teknis sebagai rumah untuk dihuni. Dalam menjalankan program ini tentunya Desa Parakan membutuhkan media informasi sebagai penujang komunikasi desa yang efektif agar program RTLH berlangsung baik. Namun pada realiatasnya di desa parakan pemanfaatan media komunikasi belum menjadi sarana utama dalam menginformasikan kegiatan desa secara keseluruhan. Temuan dari penelitian ini adalah karakteristik media informasi dimanfaatkan oleh Desa Parakan cenderung arus pesannya dua arah, melakukan komunikasi secara langsung. Menggunakan surat sebagai media informasinya, sementara itu komunikasi tidak langsung Desa Parakan menggunakan Mading, pamflet, Banner, dan juga menggunakan teknologi seperti Whatsup, Website, Blog, Facebook. Sementara itu Sumberdaya Manusia, Media Informasi serta Dimensi Budaya menjadi pemicu yang mempengaruhi dalam penyampaian informasi RTLH.
Effect of altitude on the lung function of high altitude residents of European ancestry.

The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), and ratio of FEV to FVC (%FEV) of 161 male and 158 female youths of European ancestry who were born at high altitudes and who were residing in La Paz, Bolivia (average altitude of 3,600 m) were examined and compared with those for lowland Europeans and highland Aymara Amerindians. FVC and FEV were significantly larger (p less than .001) in the La Paz Europeans than in two lowland control samples of European ancestry, with the relative differences between samples varying from small (1.5-4.1%) to moderate (7.7-11.9%). It could not be determined whether the enhanced lung volumes of the La Paz European children were acquired through an accelerated development of lung volumes relative to stature during adolescence, as is the case for Amerindian highlanders. After controlling for body and chest size, FVC and FEV were significantly smaller in the La Paz Europeans than in highland Aymara (p less than .001), suggesting that the lung volumes of the Aymara are influenced by factors other than simply growth and development at high altitude. Finally, as found in Amerindians, chest size is an important determinant of intra-individual variation in lung function among highland Europeans.
A conflict of desires : global English and its effects on cultural identity in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) complex history, its current demographics, its youthfulness as a country, and the fact that it is a region undergoing fast-paced change make the issue of cultural identity particularly relevant and urgent to address in this part of the world. This is especially true given the rapid spread of English in the sphere of education and everyday life in recent years. The study investigates the effects of global English on cultural identity in the UAE through the perspectives of three distinct participant groups all working or studying at a large state university in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Taking a hybrid approach in the form of a phenomenological case study, the research draws on in-depth qualitative data from open-response questionnaires, focus groups and the researcher’s research journal. Salient findings from the study revealed vastly differing views concerning English and Arabic. While English was associated with the wider world, education, future careers and global communication, Arabic was connected to religion, home life, traditions and the region of the Middle East. Although the majority of Emirati participants held positive views towards English, seeing it as important, necessary and enabling, concerns were raised throughout the study over its dominance in multiple domains, including education, and its effects on the Arabic language and local culture, especially for the next generation. The study revealed Emirati cultural identities to be complex, multifaceted and at times conflicting. Hybridity in identity construction was prominent in terms of differentiated bilingualism, code switching and use of an informal creative written language combining English and Arabic, known as ‘Arabizi’. In terms of teaching preferences, native-speaker English teachers were favoured, along with a marked interest in learning about western culture as part of an English course. The majority of participants called for a choice between or combination of English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Arabic Medium Instruction (AMI) in Emirati Higher Education (HE). The findings led to four main recommendations for future policy and practice. These include challenging contrasting views of English and Arabic, promoting Arabic and local culture in education, a greater acceptance of hybridity over purity, and providing a choice regarding medium of instruction in higher education.