Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abrogation by Curcumin on Testicular Toxicity Induced by Cisplatin in Rats

Cisplatin is one of the most effective and widely-used antineoplastic agents for the treatment of testicular germ cell tumors. The present study was conducted to examine the possible modifying effects of curcumin against testicular toxicity induced by cisplatin in male rats. 60 male albino rats were equally divided into six groups; the first and second groups were the control and curcumin treated group respectively while the 3rd group was cisplatin treated group; the 4th and 5th groups were co- and post treated cisplatin rat with curcumin respectively and the 6th group was self treated cisplatin rat group. Many side effects were observed in animals injected with cisplatin such as loosing of body weight, loss of activity, weakness, yellowish body hair. A significant decrease in the body and testicular weights,, sperm counts, sperm motility, plasma testosterone, luteinizing hormone reduced glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, and total protein levels in cisplatin and cisplatin self treated groups when compared with the control group. On the other hand; a significant increase in the MDA and NO in cisplatin and cisplatin self treated groups when compared with the control group. sperm count and sperm motility, GSH and TAC exhibited significant increased in cisplatin treated with curcumin when compared with cisplatin groups, moreover, sperm abnormality, MDA, NO and total protein exhibited significant decrease in cisplatin treated groups with curcumin when compared with cisplatin groups. A significant decrease in sperm abnormality, MDA, NO and total protein and a significant increase in GSH and TAC in Co-treated group when compared with post treated cisplatin with curcumin. Our recommendation, administration of curcumin caused ameliorative effect against cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity.
Insider insights : building a results-based management and evaluation system in Colombia

Colombia's National Results-Based Management and Evaluation System (SINERGIA) is one of Latin America's outstanding results-based monitoring and evaluation initiatives. With 15 years of progressive development, SINERGIA has endured the countries' institutional, political, and fiscal problems and has attained one of the highest levels of development and customization in Latin America. Based on its accomplishments it has been held up as an example by multilateral organizations, donor agencies, and other governments. This paper examines the experience of institutionalizing Colombia's monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, from the perspective of a former SINERGIA manager: Manuel Fernando Castro, Director of Public Policy Evaluation, and Department of National Planning. This study is meant to complement previous studies by other authors with an insider's account, description, and analysis of the obstacles encountered and the results obtained. Likewise, it presents recommendations on how to ensure further institutionalization and identifies several lessons that might be of interest to professionals who are developing evaluation systems in other countries.
The denial of politics in PRSP's monitoring and evaluation : experiences from Rwanda

The new development paradigm strongly reconfirms and redefines the importance of M&E because of some newly incorporated principles. First, increased value is attached to results-orientation, iterative learning and evidence-based policy-making. Realisation of these principles is conditional upon a strong and well-functioning M&E system. A second major principle is an increased role and responsibility for the national government in elaborating and managing the entire M&E system. At the same time, donors are expected to increasingly rely and align to national M&E systems and arrangements. So far, however, a narrowly confined ‘technocratic’ approach to M&E has been adopted, largely neglecting its institutional and political embeddedness. While the fact that politics are part and parcel of M&E has been acknowledged before in the context of projects and programmes, it seems that when moving to the sectoral and national level (where interests and stakeholders are multiplied) the interaction among ‘politics’ and ‘M&E’ is disregarded. This paper elaborates a conceptual framework that furthers the understanding of the interlinkages among politics and M&E in a context of upwardly moving aid modalities. Bringing in case-study material from Rwanda, it argues that a narrow technocratic approach to M&E risks worsening political constraints and even undermines M&E’s technical soundness. Yet, there exist ways of escaping this downward spiral. ‘Smart’ M&E that acknowledges the institutional and political embeddedness of M&E has the leverage to stimulate public discussion, to bring more ‘sensitive’ issues into the bargaining area, to shift debates on a more factual basis and to eventually open up closed political opportunity structures.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THE ROLE OF AMINO ACIDS IN THE ADAPTATION TO PROTEIN DEFICIENCY Protein undernutrition

(1) Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France To whom correspondence should be addressed : Tél. : (33) 4 73 62 45 62 / FAX : (33) 4 73 62 45 70 / e-mail: fpierre@clermont.inra. fr In mammals, the impact of nutrients on gene expression has become an important area of research. Nevertheless, the current understanding of amino acid-dependent control of gene expression is limited. Amino acids have multiple and important functions, so their homeostasis has to be finely maintained. However, the amino acidemia can be affected by certain nutritional conditions or various forms of aggression. It follows that mammals have to adjust several of their physiological functions involved in the adaptation to amino acid availability by regulating expression of numerous genes. The aim of this review is to examine the role of amino acids in regulating mammalian gene expression and physiological functions.
The physical characteristics of a SLIC-EPID for transmitted dosimetry

Background: Electronic Portal Imaging Devices (EPIDs) have found an outstanding position for treatment verification in radiation therapy. Several physical characteristics of Scanning Liquid filled Ionization Chamber EPID (SLIC-EPID) including: extra build-up layer, reproducibility and uniformity, and noise level were investigated. Materials and Methods: To determine the extra build-up layer to reach the electronic equilibrium, 1-30 mm white water materials (RW3) were placed on the EPID cover and the variation of pixel values were investigated. To assess the short term reproducibility, a series of 10 consecutive Electronic Portal Images (EPIs) were acquired. The variation of pixel values were then determined in irradiated field using MATLAB software. For long term reproducibility, the described above experiment was then repeated seven times. To determine the noise level in EPID images, 10 consecutive flood images were acquired. The measurement was repeated after two days during a fortnight. Results: 5 mm of RW3 material was found to increase the pixel values to the maximum possible. No significant variation was observed between the maximum thickness of build-up layer required for the central axis and peripheral points. For reproducibility measurements, no systematic variation was observed between mean, maximum and minimum acquired pixel values. Both the long-term and short term reproducibility was found to be less than 1%. The noise level was generally less than 1% and this can be referred as an acceptable dose level. Conclusion:The physical characteristics, measured in this work, suggest that the SLIC-EPID can be used for dosimetry. However, for a particular linac energy and EPID image acquisition mode, the extra build-up layer thickness must be known for the EPID to be used for dosimetric purposes. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2005; 2 (4): 175-183
International Re-Migration Analysis: Evidence from Puerto Ricans

Geographical human migration, including international, interregional, and interstate moves, is a very important form of human capital investment, and it has been receiving major popular and professional attention. We observe relatively high geographical migration rates near the time individuals complete their,formal schooling. Also, significant migration follows episodes of unemployment and plans to retire from the workforce. Frequently individuals return to the area where they were born, especially in retirement. The United Nations(1989, p.61) estimated that there are approximate 60 million people, or 1.2 percent of the world's population, now living in a country other than where they were born or in host (or foreign) countries. Over half of all immigrants go to the United States, Canada, or Australia. The U.S. has experienced a rapid increase in the size of immigrant flows and major changes in the national-origin composition of the immigrant population overtime. These changes are partly due to changes in the U.S. immigration policy. ^
Systemic Resistance Induced in Potato Plants Against Potato Virus Y Common Strain (PVY o ) by Plant Extracts in Iraq

Potato virus Y is one of the most important viruses affecting potato wherever grown in Iraq. The virus is transmitted by sap and by more than 50 species of aphids, in non–persistant manner. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of frog fruit (Lippia nodiflora L.), Datura (Datura metel L.), and Thuja (Thuja orientalis L.) extracts for inducing systemic resistance against Potato virus Y common strain (PVY O ) in potato plants. Air dried of aerial parts powdered was extracted with 70% ethanol (1:3) weight: volume, then concentrated to consistence syrup in water bath at 42<C. The alcoholic extract was used as tuber-dipping before cultivation or foliage spraying after germination. The PVY O multiplication in the plants was followed serologically by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results showed that dipping the tubers in the extracts, at 1, 2, 3 g/L for 24 hrs. , or spraying the foliage by the extracts at the same concentrations exhibited a protection period to the plants against PVY O infection up to one month in the presence of virus source with the vector Myzus persicae Sulz. Means of ELISA readings at 405 nm for samples from treated plants were found to be 0.11 and 0.125 for L. nodiflora extract, 0.13 and 0.126 for D. metel extract, 0.13 and 0.12 for T. orientalis extract for the three concentrations and the two methods of application respectively, compared with 2.52 for untreated plants. No significant differences between the concentrations or between the methods of application on virus multiplication were observed.
Data envelopment analysis efficiency in two-stage networks with feedback

Conventional applications of data envelopment analysis generally treat the Decision-Making Unit (DMU) as a black box in that the internal processes are not examined in detail. In some situations, such as the measurement of performance of a set of supply chains, the DMU can be viewed as exhibiting a network structure. A significant body of recent literature has examined a particular form of network structure, namely, where the DMU is a two-stage serial process in which the outputs from the first stage are intermediate variables that serve as inputs to the second stage. The current article extends this idea to include those situations where outputs from the second stage can be fed back as inputs to the first stage. Such feedback variables thus serve a dual role. Models are developed for examining performance in this feedback setting and are illustrated using an application involving the measurement of performance of a set of Chinese universities.
Electrochemical monitoring of methyl parathion degradation based on carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFME)

The electrochemical degradation of methyl parathion (MP) has been investigated by using carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFME) as working electrode and acetate buffer pH 5.2 as supporting electrolyte. pnitrophenol (PNP) and p- aminophenol (PAP) recognized as by-products of MP degradation process have been detected and identified in real time using square wave voltammetry. This study shows for the first time that CFME could be used to follow MP degradation in real time and to identify its stables metabolites. Keywords : Organopollutants, decomposition, p- nitrophenol, p- aminophenol, Cyclic voltammetry, Square wave voltammetry
Intrinsic religiosity reduces intergroup hostility under mortality salience

Results of three studies indicate that intrinsic religiosity and mortality salience interact to predict intergroup hostility. Study 1, conducted among 200 American Christians and Jews, reveals that under mortality salience, intrinsic (but not extrinsic or quest) religiosity is related to decreased support for aggressive counterterrorism. Study 2, conducted among 148 Muslims in Iran, demonstrates that intrinsic religiosity predicts decreased out-group derogation under mortality salience. Study 3, conducted among 131 Polish Christians, shows that under mortality salience, priming of intrinsic religious concepts decreases support for aggressive counterterrorism.
The effects of providing eldercare on daughters’ employment and mental health in Japan

We examine the association between informal parental care and daughters’ employment and mental health in Japan, using the 2008-2013 waves of the Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Elderly Persons, a large and nationally representative panel survey of middle-aged Japanese people. We find that caregiving reduces the probability of employment by only 2.8 percent, after controlling for time-invariant individual heterogeneity, while caregiving is not associated with either hours or days worked per week for those who are working. We further observe that employment does not increase the psychological distress already experienced by the caregivers as a result of their caregiving role.
Cervical Cancer Screening in Selangor, Malaysia

A total of 384 females aged 20 years and above from two urban health centres in Selangor were recruited to determine the cervical cancer screening behaviours.Researchers used a set of questionnaires to collect data. The prevalence of ever undergone Pap smear was 58.1%. Working commitment was a significant barrier to performing Pap smear among non-performers with higher educational level relative to those with lower educational level. Non- Malays were four times more likely to perceive cost as a barrier. Older women perceivedworry due to Pap smear less likely compared to those younger. Keywords: urban;cervicalcancer;screening;barriers. 2398-4295 © 2017 The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, UniversitiTeknologi MARA, Malaysia.
For How Long Should What Data Be Assimilated for the Mesoscale Forecasting of Convection and Why? Part I: On the Propagation of Initial Condition Errors and Their Implications for Data Assimilation

Data assimilation is used among other things to constrain the initial conditions of weather forecasting models by fitting the model fields to observations made over a certain time interval. In particular, it tries to tie incomplete data with model constraints to detect and correct for initial condition errors. This is possible only if initial condition errors leave their signature on the data assimilated and if the model is capable of faithfully reproducing such signatures. Using simulations of the evolution of convective storms in the Great Plains over an active 6-day period, the propagation of initial condition errors to other variables as well as their effect on the accuracy of the forecasts were investigated. Increasing the assimilation time window boosts the ability of assimilation systems to detect a variety of initial condition errors; however, limits to the predictability of convective events impose a maximum assimilation period that is a function of the type of measurements assimilated as well as of the type of errors one tries to correct for. These findings are then used to suggest changes in assimilation approaches to take into account the different predictability times of the model fields constrained by assimilation.
Quantitative Assessment of Yam Based Farmers’ Perception on Climate Change in Edo State, Nigeria

Using data collected from 250 yam based farming households in the Edo state, Nigeria, the study demonstrated the quantitative assessment of yam based farmers’ perception on climate change. Farmers' perceptions on three important climatic variables in agricultural production (temperature, rainfall and wind intensity) were quantified using a quasi-arbitrary ordinal weighting system. The results revealed first demand indices for temperature, rainfall and wind intensity as 0.87, 0.38 and 0.84 respectively while the first supply indices for temperature, rainfall and wind intensity were 0.27, 0.22 and 0.14 respectively. The study indicated significant increase and decrease in temperature and rainfall respectively. The study also affirmed that climate change contributed significantly to reduction in yam production in the study area. The study recommends the need for programmes geared towards providing farmers with effective adaptation strategies which would help provide a buffer against adverse climatic conditions.
Allochthonous sources and dynamic cycling of ocean dissolved organic carbon revealed by carbon isotopes

We present concentration and isotopic profiles of total, size, and polarity fractionated dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from Station ALOHA (A Long‐term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment), an oligotrophic site in the North Pacific Ocean. The data show that, between the surface and 3500 m, low molecular weight (LMW) hydrophilic DOC, LMW hydrophobic DOC, and high molecular weight (HMW) DOC constitute 22–33%, 45–52%, and 23–35% of DOC, respectively. LMW hydrophilic DOC is more isotopically depleted (δ13C of −23.9‰ to −31.5‰ and Δ14C of −304‰ to −795‰; mean age of 2850 to 15000 years) than the LMW hydrophobic DOC (δ13C of −22‰ to −23‰ and Δ14C of −270‰ to −568‰; 2470 to 6680 years) and HMW DOC (δ13C of ~−21‰ and Δ14C of −24‰ to −294‰; 135–2700 years). Our analyses suggest that a large fraction of DOC may be derived from allochthonous sources such as terrestrial and hydrothermal DOC and cycle on much longer time scales of >10000 years or enter the ocean as preaged carbon.
Sialosis Parotídea Alcohólica: Estudio Estructural y Ultraestructural

Objetivos: El proposito del presente trabajo fue establecer posibles diferencias histopatologicas entre los estadios iniciales y terminales de la sialosis alcoholica, patologia que generalmente involucra hipertrofia parotidea y afecta estructuralmente en diverso grado a las demas glandulas salivales. Diseno del estudio: se analizaron y compararon las modificaciones estructurales y ultraestructurales de glandulas parotidas provenientes de: A) biopsias de alcoholicos cronicos con diagnostico clinico de cirrosis hepatica, de las que una fraccion fue procesada para microscopia optica (MO) y otra fraccion fue fijada en glutaraldehido y procesada para microscopia electronica de trasmision (MET) Jeol JEM 1010 B) autopsias de individuos fallecidos por cirrosis hepatica alcoholica, procesadas para MO y re-procesadas posteriormente para MET. Una porcion de glandula normal obtenida de material quirurgico fue usada como control. Resultados: Las alteraciones encontradas en las biopsias son considerablemente comparables a las modificaciones encontradas en las autopsias de alcoholicos, especialmente debido a la acumulacion de granulos secretorios de diferente tamano, forma y electrodensidad, generalmente ocupando todo el citoplasma de las celulas acinares. En ambos tipos de muestras los ductos excretores se encontraban dilatados y el epitelio de los conductos estriados presentaba celulas claras y oscuras, con nucleos de aspecto y disposicion irregular. Se observo asimismo moderada infiltracion grasa en el estroma y leve edema periacinar. En las biopsias se observaron al MO y MET inclusiones lipidicas en las celulas acinares y ductales del parenquima glandular. Conclusiones: Los resultados estructurales y ultraestructurales encontrados en biopsias y autopsias de parotidas, ponen de manifiesto que las alteraciones ya estan presentes en las glandulas salivales de alcoholicos cronicos antes de la etapa terminal de la cirrosis hepatica. La dilatacion de los lumenes del sistema ductal podria ser la principal responsable de la hipertrofia glandular.
The link between eddy‐driven jet variability and weather regimes in the North Atlantic‐European sector

This study reconciles two perspectives on wintertime atmospheric variability in the North Atlantic–European sector: the zonal‐mean framework comprising three preferred locations of the eddy‐driven jet (southern, central, northern), and the weather regime framework comprising four classical North Atlantic‐European regimes (Atlantic ridge AR, zonal ZO, European/Scandinavian blocking BL, Greenland anticyclone GA). A k‐means clustering algorithm is used to characterize the two‐dimensional variability of the eddy‐driven jet stream, defined by the lower tropospheric zonal wind in the ERA‐Interim reanalysis. The first three clusters capture the central jet and northern jet, along with a new mixed‐jet configuration; a fourth cluster is needed to recover the southern jet. The mixed cluster represents a split or strongly tilted jet, neither of which is well described in the zonal‐mean framework, and has a persistence of about one week, similar to the other clusters. Connections between the preferred jet locations and weather regimes are corroborated – southern to GA, central to ZO, and northern to AR. In addition, the new mixed cluster is found to be linked to European/Scandinavian blocking, whose relation to the eddy‐driven jet was previously unclear.
EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE MODEL OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY OF CAREER: CONTRIBUTIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES

INTRODUCTION. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure of the self-efficacy sources scale in Mathematics (Usher & Pajares, 2009) and the academic performance model proposed by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown & Hackett, 1994), considering the self-efficacy sources, self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and goals. METHOD . We evaluated 574 Argentinean teenagers (between 12 and 16 years of age, M = 13.73). RESULTS . Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fitted the data well. Regarding internal consistency, the four self-efficacy sources reported adequate values (>.70). Nevertheless, vicarious experience presented low reliability. Structural equation modeling also indicated that Social Cognitive Career Theory performance model fits adequately to the local population in our study. The contribution of self-efficacy sources to self-efficacy beliefs was consistent with other research. In the case of outcome expectations, there was only a significant contribution from vicarious learning and physiological and emotional states. DISCUSSION. We discuss these results and analize the limitations in order to propose further studies.