Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physico-chemical properties of Hyptis suaveolens essential oil

This work has reported the results of analyzes performed by GC/MS on essential oils extracted from leaves of H. suaveolens (Lamiaceae) collected in seven localities of Benin and their physico-chemical properties (density, refractive index, acid index, rotatoty power) determined by appropriate methods. The volatile extracts analyzed were characterized by the presence of different compounds, marked by significant quantitative variations. Sabinene (7.3- 31.3%), eucalyptol (14.0-24.6%), β-caryophyllene (6.9-12.7%), 1,8-cineole (11.5%), β-phellandrene (10.2%), terpinolene (8.7-9.6%), fenchone (4.1-8.1%), p-mentha-2 (7), 8-diene (7.9%), bicyclogermacrene (4.7-7.5%), β-pinene (4.9-7.4%), (Z)-β-ocimene (6.9%) and terpinen-4-ol (5.4-5.9%) were the predominant compounds of essential oils analyzed. The values of the physico-chemical factors, in partcular those of the rotatory power have likewise exhibited profound differences according to the harvest area of the plant material.
RESPONSE TO PLASMAPHERESIS AND IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUG THERAPY IN SIXTY MY ASTHENIA GRAVIS PATIENTS *

This report examines the response of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients to extended series of plasmapheresis combined with immunosuppressive drug therapy. All of these patients had received prior treatment with anti-cholinesterase drugs, 39 had been thymectomized, and 42 had received cortiosteroid therapy. Substantial remaining weakness despite prior therapy prompted treatment with plasmapheresis. Large volume plasmapheresis (50-60 ml/ kg body weight) was initially carried out weekly, but six patients eventually received maintenance plasmapheresis every 2-4 weeks. Forty-eight patients received prednisone or decadron during plasmapheresis: in 18 the dose was unchanged from before plasmapheresis, in seven it was decreased, in 11 it was increased, in three it was reinstituted, and in nine it was administered for the first time. Azathioprine 2.5 to 3.5 mg/kg body weight/day was administered to all patients receiving prednisone except Case 32, who was treated with prednisone, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine for metastatic thymoma. Of the 12 patients who did not receive prednisone during plasmapheresis, four received azathioprine and eight were treated with cyclophosphamide (2.0-2.5 mg/ kg body weight/day) . Immunosuppressive drug therapy was continued with only minor changes during the two to six month follow-up period. Patients received 9.9 grams of immune serum globulin intramuscularly or 5 grams of modified immune serum globulin (Cutter Laboratories, Berkeley, CA. ) per liter of plasma exchanged intravenously after each plasmapheresis. Titer of antibody to acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR) was measured according to Lindstr0m.l In order to provide a basis for analyzing these patients, their clinical response to treatment was rated (TABLE 1) according to persisting symptoms referable to MG, need for anti-cholinesterase medication, and weakness upon muscle testing. The 44 patients given ratings A, B, C, and D were judged to have achieved amelioration of the bulk of their symptoms and their improvement was clinically stable for at least a two to six month follow-up period, except for the six patients who received maintenance plasmapheresis (see below). Patients in Group A no longer had weakness or symptoms of MG, and no longer required anti-cholinesterase medication. Group B patients were close to those in Group A, but had minimal residual symptoms and continued to take anti-cholinesterase medication. Groups C and D were similar to each other, with mild to modest residual weakness. Patients assigned to Group E
Impact of thin intermediate thermal oxide films on the properties of PECVD passivation layer systems

We investigate the role of a few nm thin thermal oxide films in PECVD passivation layer systems. Our results show that an intermediate thermal oxide layer located between the Si substrate and the PECVD layers has a strong impact on the interface properties. Capacitance-voltage measurements reveal that for Al2O3 and SiNX passivation layers, the oxide film lowers or suppresses the formation of fixed charges. Adjusting the oxide film thickness therefore permits the control of band bending and thus field effect passivation at the interface. For SiOX capping layers, a thermal oxide thickness of a few nm is sufficient to reduce the interface trap density, enabling surface recombination velocities as low as a few cm/s.
Face Detection Benchmark Database Data Set Location Description

Images containing faces are essential to intelligent vision-based human computer interaction, and research efforts in face processing include face recognition, face tracking, pose estimation, and expression recognition. However, many reported methods assume that the faces in an image or an image sequence have been identified and localized. To build fully automated systems that analyze the information contained in face images, robust and efficient face detection algorithms are required. Given a single image, the goal of face detection is to identify all image regions which contain a face regardless of its three-dimensional position, orientation, and lighting conditions. Such a problem is challenging because faces are nonrigid and have a high degree of variability in size, shape, color, and texture. Numerous techniques have been developed to detect faces in a single image, and the purpose of this paper is to categorize and evaluate these algorithms. We also discuss relevant issues such as data collection, evaluation metrics, and benchmarking. After analyzing these algorithms and identifying their limitations, we conclude with several promising directions for
Pain affects depression through anxiety, fatigue, and sleep in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE Over a quarter million individuals in the United States have multiple sclerosis (MS). Chronic pain and depression are disproportionately high in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between chronic pain and depression in MS and to examine potentially meditational effects of anxiety, fatigue, and sleep. METHOD We used cross-sectional data from self-reported instruments measuring multiple symptoms and quality of life indicators in this study. We used structural equation modeling to model direct and indirect effects of pain on depression in a sample of 1,245 community-dwelling individuals with MS. Pain interference, depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were modeled as latent variables with 2 to 3 indicators each. The model controlled for age, sex, disability status (Expanded Disability Status Scale), and social support. RESULTS A model with indirect effects of pain on depression had adequate fit and accounted for nearly 80% of the variance in depression. The effects of chronic pain on depression were almost completely mediated by fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Higher pain was associated with greater fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, which in turn were associated with higher levels of depression. The largest mediating effect was through fatigue. Additional analyses excluded items with common content and suggested that the meditational effects observed were not attributable to content overlap across scales. CONCLUSION Individuals living with MS who report high levels of chronic pain and depressive symptoms may benefit from treatment approaches that can address sleep, fatigue, and anxiety.
A Validation Study of Goal Orientations and Self-Efficacy Scales

The aim of the current study was to investigate the validity and reliability of goal orientation and self-efficacy scales. The scales were administered to 264 university students (154 from engineering departments, 110 from business administration). Two samples were used. In the first sample, the original factor model was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. In the second sample, the Turkish versions of the scales were factor analyzed. Principal components analysis resulted in three components for the Goal Orientation scale: Learning goal orientation, Performance-prove goal orientation, and Performance-avoid goal orientation. The Self-efficacy scale had one factor as expected. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were satisfactory. The results did not fully support the use of current Turkish versions of the scales. Results of the studies are discussed along with the strengths and limitations of the study and suggestions for further development of the scales.
Multiple sclerosis-associated agent: transmission to animals and some properties of the agent

In confirmation and extension of observations by Carp and his associates, brain tissue and sera from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were found to harbor an agent which induces a transitory depression in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in mice as well as in rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs. All of eight MD brains contained this agent at titers as high as 10(-9)/g of brain tissue. The agent was found in MS sera at titers up to 10(-3)/ml of serum, but its presence depended to some extent on the clinical status of the patients; it was observed more frequently in sera of patients with active disease (73%) thatn in sera of patients with quiescent disease (31%). Control brain tissues or sera failed to induce PMN depression. The apparently MS-associated agent (MSAA) passed through 50-nm but not 25-nm membrane filters (Millipore Corp.) and was largely sedimented at 105,000 X g but not at 50,000 X g for 1 h. It multiplied to high titers in the central nervous tissue of the inoculated animals and could be serially transmitted from animal to animal by passage of brain homeganates. Various observations and considerations appear to preclude that MS-associated agent represents an indigenous animal virus. Although its role in MS remains to be determined, it should be considered a candidate for the etiology of this disease.
Five‐Year Outcomes after On‐Pump and Off‐Pump Coronary‐Artery Bypass

Background Coronary‐artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery may be performed either with cardiopulmonary bypass (on pump) or without cardiopulmonary bypass (off pump). We report the 5‐year clinical outcomes in patients who had been included in the Veterans Affairs trial of on‐pump versus off‐pump CABG. Methods From February 2002 through June 2007, we randomly assigned 2203 patients at 18 medical centers to undergo either on‐pump or off‐pump CABG, with 1‐year assessments completed by May 2008. The two primary 5‐year outcomes were death from any cause and a composite outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as death from any cause, repeat revascularization (CABG or percutaneous coronary intervention), or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Secondary 5‐year outcomes included death from cardiac causes, repeat revascularization, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Primary outcomes were assessed at a P value of 0.05 or less, and secondary outcomes at a P value of 0.01 or less. Results The rate of death at 5 years was 15.2% in the off‐pump group versus 11.9% in the on‐pump group (relative risk, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.58; P=0.02). The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events at 5 years was 31.0% in the off‐pump group versus 27.1% in the on‐pump group (relative risk, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.30; P=0.046). For the 5‐year secondary outcomes, no significant differences were observed: for nonfatal myocardial infarction, the rate was 12.1% in the off‐pump group and 9.6% in the on‐pump group (P=0.05); for death from cardiac causes, the rate was 6.3% and 5.3%, respectively (P=0.29); for repeat revascularization, the rate was 13.1% and 11.9%, respectively (P=0.39); and for repeat CABG, the rate was 1.4% and 0.5%, respectively (P=0.02). Conclusions In this randomized trial, off‐pump CABG led to lower rates of 5‐year survival and event‐free survival than on‐pump CABG. (Funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development Cooperative Studies Program and others; ROOBY‐FS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01924442.)
The role of actin bundling proteins in the assembly of filopodia in epithelial cells

The goal of this review is to highlight how emerging new models of filopodia assembly, which include tissue specific actin-bundling proteins, could provide more comprehensive representations of filopodia assembly that would describe more adequately and effectively the complexity and plasticity of epithelial cells. This review also describes how the true diversity of actin bundling proteins must be considered to predict the far-reaching significance and versatile functions of filopodia in epithelial cells.
Concept of the Environmental Kuznets Curve 2 . 1 General idea

The effect of economic growth on environmental quality is much under dispute. A number of empirical studies have made the claim that there exist in some income ranges a positive relation between per capita income and some measure of environmental quality. According to this inverted U-shaped pattern of different pollutants relative to per capita incomes in different countries which is also called the ”Environmental Kuznets Curve” (EKC), environmental pressure increases up to a point as income goes up; after the turning point environmental quality improves as income keeps rising. Possible explanations for this pattern are seen in the progression of economic development, from clean agrarian economies to polluting industrial economies to clean service economies. This trend is enhanced through the transfer of cleaner technology from high-income countries to low-income countries and the tendency of people with higher income having a higher preference for environmental quality. Since this relationship is so fundamental to questions of economic development and sustainability it has provoked a vast load of research over the last seven years supporting but also heavily criticizing the results and conclusions. This paper gives an overview of the literature published on this topic to date and the conceptual, methodological and fundamental critique put forward.
Mutations of ARX are associated with striking pleiotropy and consistent genotype–phenotype correlation

We recently identified mutations of ARX in nine genotypic males with X‐linked lissencephaly with abnormal genitalia (XLAG), and in several female relatives with isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). We now report 13 novel and two recurrent mutations of ARX, and one nucleotide change of uncertain significance in 20 genotypic males from 16 families. Most had XLAG, but two had hydranencephaly and abnormal genitalia, and three males from one family had Proud syndrome or ACC with abnormal genitalia. We obtained detailed clinical information on all 29 affected males, including the nine previously reported subjects. Premature termination mutations consisting of large deletions, frameshifts, nonsense mutations, and splice site mutations in exons 1 to 4 caused XLAG or hydranencephaly with abnormal genitalia. Nonconservative missense mutations within the homeobox caused less severe XLAG, while conservative substitution in the homeodomain caused Proud syndrome. A nonconservative missense mutation near the C‐terminal aristaless domain caused unusually severe XLAG with microcephaly and mild cerebellar hypoplasia. In addition, several less severe phenotypes without malformations have been reported, including mental retardation with cryptogenic infantile spasms (West syndrome), other seizure types, dystonia or autism, and nonsyndromic mental retardation. The ARX mutations associated with these phenotypes have included polyalanine expansions or duplications, missense mutations, and one deletion of exon 5. Together, the group of phenotypes associated with ARX mutations demonstrates remarkable pleiotropy, but also comprises a nearly continuous series of developmental disorders that begins with hydranencephaly, lissencephaly, and agenesis of the corpus callosum, and ends with a series of overlapping syndromes with apparently normal brain structure. Hum Mutat 23:147–159, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of commonly used herbicides on the virulence factor CDR1 in Candida albicans

The ubiquitous yeast Candida albicans becomes a troublesome pathogen by inducing virulence factors in response to environmental stimuli. Among these virulence factors is a drug‐exporting transport protein, Cdr1p, which renders cells resistant to certain antifungal drugs. The expression of the CDR1 gene responds to a wide spectrum of stimuli, including drugs, heat shock, and steroid hormones. The aim of the present study is to characterize the effects of commonly used herbicides on the expression of CDR1. Following exposure of C. albicans cultures to varying doses of herbicides and azole drugs, CDR1 expression was quantified by flow cytometry using a reporter strain in which expression of a green fluorescent protein is under the control of the CDR1 promoter. Correlating CDR1 expression with cell growth and survival revealed that—similar to antifungal azole drugs— herbicides induce CDR1 expression only at inhibitory doses. It is concluded that none of the tested herbicides mimics the worrisome action of hormones, which increase virulence without reducing survival.
Genetic Disorders of Surfactant Proteins

Inherited disorders of pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins are rare but provide important insights into unique mechanisms of surfactant dysfunction. Recessive loss-of-function mutations in the surfactant protein-B and the ATP-binding cassette family member A3 (ABCA3) genes present as lethal surfactant deficiency in the newborn, whereas other recessive mutations in ABCA3 and dominant mutations in the surfactant protein-C gene result in interstitial lung disease in older infants and children. The molecular basis and the genetic and tissue-based approaches to the evaluation of children suspected of having one of these disorders are discussed.
Complete mitochondrial genome of Shinisaurus crocodilurus (Squamata: Shinisaurus) and its genetic relationship with related species

The 16,585 base pairs mitochondrial genome of Shinisaurus crocodilurus was determined by using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. To determine the phylogenetic position of S. crocodilurus with related species within Squamata, the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 12 heavy-strand-encoded protein genes. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods consistently support that the S. crocodilurus was closely related to the Helodermatidae within a monophyletic Anguimorpha group. And the result here contradicted the monophyly of Varanoidea (Varanidae + Helodermatidae). In addition, the Gekkonidae was found to possess a basal phylogenetic position within squamata and the traditional hypothesis of monophyletic lineages of Iguania and Scleroglossa was not supported in this study.
B IN DNN : Resilient Function Matching Using Deep Learning

Determining if two functions taken from different compiled binaries originate from the same function in the source code has many applications to malware reverse engineering. Namely, this process allows an analyst to filter large swaths of code, removing functions that have been previously observed or those that originate in shared or trusted libraries. However, this task is challenging due to the myriad factors that influence the translation between source code and assembly instructions—the instruction stream created by a compiler is heavily influenced by a number of factors including optimizations, target platforms, and runtime constraints. In this paper, we seek to advance methods for reliably testing the equivalence of functions found in different executables. By leveraging advances in deep learning and natural language processing, we design and evaluate a novel algorithm, BINDNN, that is resilient to variations in compiler, compiler optimization level, and architecture. We show that BINDNN is effective both in isolation or in conjunction with existing approaches. In the case of the latter, we boost performance by 109% when combining BINDNN with BinDiff to compare functions across architectures. This result—an improvement of 32% for BINDNN and 185% for BinDiff—demonstrates the utility of employing multiple orthogonal approaches to function matching.
In Vivo Monitoring of Obligate Biotrophic Pathogen Growth by Kinetic PCR

ABSTRACT The plant kingdom is constantly challenged by a battery of evolving pathogens. New species or races of pathogens are discovered on crops that were initially bred for disease resistance, and globalization is facilitating the movement of exotic pests. Among these pests, obligate biotrophic parasites make up some of the most damaging groups and have been particularly challenging to study. Here we demonstrate the utility of kinetic PCR (kPCR) (real-time PCR, quantitative PCR) to assess the growth of poplar rust, caused by Melampsora species, by quantification of pathogen DNA. kPCR allowed the construction of reliable growth curves from inoculation through the final stages of uredinial maturation, as well as pathogen monitoring before symptoms become visible. Growth parameters, such as latency period, generation time in logarithmic growth, and the increase in DNA mass at saturation, were compared in compatible, incompatible, and nonhost interactions. Pathogen growth was monitored in different applications dealing with plant pathology, such as host and pathogen diversity and transgenic crop improvement. Finally, the capacity of kPCR to differentiate pathogens in the same sample has broad molecular ecology applications for dynamically monitoring the growth of fungi in their environments or in mixed populations or to measure the efficacy of pest control strategies.
Attending to biographical disruption: the experience of rehabilitation following tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury

Abstract Purpose: To explore the experience of rehabilitation from the perspective of individuals with tetraplegia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews of between 40 and 60 min were conducted with three men and one woman, with spinal injuries at C7 or higher, within 6 months of discharge from inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Data were subject to an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Participants described their injuries as more than a biological impairment that limited certain functional abilities. For them, SCI was a sudden event that also disrupted one’s “life biography”. Interviews uncovered three key themes essential to an individual’s ability to restore feelings of self-agency and biographical continuity: The importance of information, regaining control, and restoring a sense of personal narrative. Conclusion: Findings from studies using IPA have much to contribute to discussion and debate at the level of rehabilitation theory and can guide future research directions. The findings of the present study support a growing body of literature that argues that rehabilitation research needs to focus more intensely on the biographical disruption caused by SCI. Implications for Rehabilitation Participants in the present study experienced a significant disruption to their biographical narratives following a SCI as they entered an unknown and uncertain world. The findings from the present study provide an evidence-base that is best applied to discussion regarding psychosocial adjustment at the level rehabilitation theory. The concepts of identity and biographical disruption are appearing more frequently in qualitative literature and both merit further investigation to assess their prevalence among the wider SCI populations.