Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium buffering and protection from excitotoxic cell death by exogenous calbindin-D28k in HEK 293 cells.

Calbindin-D28k (CaBP) is a calcium-binding protein found in specific neuronal populations in the mammalian brain that, as a result of its proposed calcium-buffering action, may protect neurons against potentially harmful increases in intracellular calcium. We have stably transfected HEK 293 cells with recombinant human CaBP in order to determine the influence of this protein upon transient increases in intracellular ionic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) induced either by transient transfection of the NR1 and NR2A subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and brief exposure to glutamate, photolysis of the caged calcium compound NP-EGTA, or exposure to the Ca(2+)]-ionophore 4-Br-A23187. The presence of CaBP did not significantly reduce the peak [Ca(2+)](i)stimulated by glutamate activation of NMDA receptors but significantly prolonged the recovery to baseline values. Flash photolysis of NP-EGTA in control cells resulted in an almost instantaneous increase in [Ca(2+)](i)followed by a bi-exponential recovery to baseline values. In cells stably expressing CaBP, the peak [Ca(2+)](i)levels were not statistically different from the controls, however, there was a significant prolongation of the initial portion of the slow recovery phase. In cells exposed to 4-Br-A23187, the presence of CaBP significantly reduced the rate of rise of [Ca(2+)](i), reduced the peak response, slowed the rate of recovery, and reduced the depolarization of mitochondria. In studies of delayed, Ca(2+)]-dependent cell death, CaBP transfected cells exhibited enhanced survival 24h after a 1-h exposure to 200 microM NMDA. However, necrotic cell death observed after the first 6h was not prevented by the presence of CaBP. These results provide direct evidence for a Ca(2+)-buffering effect of CaBP which serves to limit Ca(2+)entry and the depolarization of mitochondria, thereby protecting cells from death mediated most likely by apoptosis.
Effect of melatonin on B16 melanoma growth in athymic mice.

The effect of melatonin on the growth of B16 mice melanoma was examined. Male and female BALB/c athymic mice, inoculated with 7 X 10(4) melanoma cells, were given drinking water containing melatonin (5 micrograms/g body weight/day) and 0.5% ethanol. Compared to control animals the melatonin treated male and female athymic mice had significantly smaller tumors on Day 40. The weights of the testes, the ovaries, and the adrenal glands of melatonin treated mice were significantly reduced compared to control animals. These data indicate that melatonin p.o. significantly inhibited the growth of B16 mouse melanoma and that the antitumor effect of melatonin was associated with a significant decrease in gonadal and adrenal weights.
IB-367, a Protegrin Peptide with In Vitro and In Vivo Activities against the Microflora Associated with Oral Mucositis

ABSTRACT Although the microflora associated with oral mucositis initiated by cytotoxic therapy is not well characterized, several studies suggest that reduction of the microbial load in the oral cavity has some clinical benefit. The MICs of IB-367, a synthetic protegrin analog, ranged from 0.13 to 64 μg/ml for gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sanguis,Streptococcus salivarius, and Staphylococcus aureus) and from 0.06 to 8 μg/ml for gram-negative species (Klebsiella, Escherichia, andPseudomonas). IB-367 exhibited rapid, microbicidal activity against both log- and stationary-phase cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) andPseudomonas aeruginosa. At concentrations near the MICs for these two organisms (4 and 2 μg/ml, respectively), IB-367 reduced viability by more than 3 logs in less than 16 min. Similarly, IB-367 effected a 4-log reduction of the endogenous microflora in pooled human saliva within 2 min at 250 μg/ml, a concentration readily attained by local delivery. After nine serial transfers at 0.5× the MIC, the MIC of IB-367 for MRSA and P. aeruginosa increased only two to four times. In a phase I clinical study with healthy volunteers, IB-367 was well tolerated, with no detectable systemic absorption. One hour after treatment with 9 mg of IB-367, the prevalence of gram-negative bacteria and yeast was reduced, and the density of the predominant gram-positive oral flora was decreased 1,000 times. IB-367's properties (speed of killing, breadth of spectrum, and lack of resistance) make the compound a strong candidate for the prophylaxis of oral mucositis. Phase II clinical trials with IB-367 are under way for this indication in immunocompromised subjects.
Problem Behaviors in Inner‐City Adolescents with Chronic Illness

This study examines the prevalence of problem behaviors (sexual activity, substance use, delinquency, and school failure) in a clinical hospital-based sample of 217 inner-city, 14 to 17 year olds with a variety of serious, chronic medical illnesses and compares this prevalence to that in a group of 121 similaraged, healthy friends with no known chronic illnesses living in the same community. No differences were found between groups in substance use, delinquency, percent who had ever had sexual intercourse, or mean age at first intercourse. There was a significant interaction effect of chronic illness and gender on age at first intercourse (p = .015); boys without chronic illness initiated sexual intercourse at a younger age than those with an illness. Conversely, girls with a chronic illness initiated sexual intercourse at a younger age than their girlfriends without illness. Contrary to expectations, significantly more of the healthy friends had repeated a grade in school than had those with chronic illness (p = .002). Results are discussed in terms of the interrelationships of chronic illness, gender, and environment on problem behaviors.
Context-aware Android applications through transportation mode detection techniques

In this paper, we study the problem of how to detect the current transportation mode of the user from the smartphone sensors data, because this issue is considered crucial for the deployment of a multitude of mobility-aware systems, ranging from trace collectors to health monitoring and urban sensing systems. Although some feasibility studies have been performed in the literature, most of the proposed systems rely on the utilization of the GPS and on computational expensive algorithms that do not take into account the limited resources of mobile phones. On the opposite, this paper focuses on the design and implementation of a feasible and efficient detection system that takes into account both the issues of accuracy of classification and of energy consumption. To this purpose, we propose the utilization of embedded sensor data accelerometer/gyroscope with a novel meta-classifier based on a cascading technique, and we show that our combined approach can provide similar performance than a GPS-based classifier, but introducing also the possibility to control the computational load based on requested confidence. We describe the implementation of the proposed system into an Android framework that can be leveraged by third-part mobile applications to access context-aware information in a transparent way. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Analysis of The Students Preposition Errors in Writing Recount Text at English Department in Academic Year 2013/2014 at IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang

Preposition is one of language elements that plays an important role to join the words to build sentences. However, the errors of using it keep occurring in the sixth semester students writing compositions. This research was conducted to find out and analyzed the errors on using preposition that occur in the students writing of recount essay. This research was classified into descriptive one. This research was about the errors of preposition used in the recount essay done by the sixth semester students of English Department of IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang. The data of this research were the incorrect preposition found in the recount essay written by the students. The data were collected through giving the students a writing test of recount test. In order to know the causes of the errors, the data were collected by doing the interview. This research investigated about the types of errors and which type that mostly occurs of preposition used in the writing of recount essay and what are the causes. The findings show that the students made some errors on the use of preposition. They are within the category of interlingual; features of L1 are transferred to the target language, and intralingual; ommission, addition, misselection of FL preposition, and redundancy. These types are based on Corder. Meanwhile, the interview guideline is derived from Richards theory of causes of errors. The cause of error in using English preposition is the ignorance of the rule restriction that the students perform in doing the writing activity. To conclude, the error in using English preposition is because of the students low of grammatical ability.
Enhanced oxidative killing of azole-resistant Candida glabrata strains with ERG11 deletion

The susceptibility of genetically defined Candida glabrata strains to killing by H2O2 and neutrophils was assessed. Fluconazole-susceptible L5L and L5D strains demonstrated survival rates higher than those of two fluconazole-resistant strains lacking the ERG11 gene coding for 14 alpha-demethylase. Fluconazole resistance can occur by mechanisms which increase fungal susceptibility to oxidative killing by H2O2 and neutrophils.
A vision of ethics in efficient occupational healthcare

Background: Occupational healthcare is nowadays more and more regulated by economic demands of gain and efficiency. Aim and research questions: The aim of this study is to reach a new understanding of ethics in occupational healthcare by uncovering this from occupational healthcare nurses’ own views. The research questions are as follows: (1) What is the core of an ethical value base in occupational healthcare? (2) What does it mean for occupational healthcare nurses to fulfill their ethical value base in occupational healthcare? Research design, participants, and research context: The study uses a hermeneutical approach. The context of the study is occupational healthcare. The material was collected through interviews with four occupational healthcare nurses in Finland. The texts were interpreted through hermeneutical reading. Ethical considerations: The data storage, study participation, and data handling for research purposes were approved by the participants when they provided their informed consent. Findings: The study revealed that the core of ethical values in occupational healthcare is something universal that concerns justice, honesty, and faithfulness. To fulfill the ethical value base means to continuously strive toward the inner core of love and bravely choose to listen to the this core in the name of the client and the universal good even if it involves a struggle or a sacrifice. Discussion: The ethical value base is not primarily tied to profession but is something that is general and universal. Nor do ethics and the implementation of ethical values stand in opposition to, for example, external values such as demands for efficiency and economic gain. However, ethics may promote efficiency. Conclusion: The fulfillment of nurses’ ethical value base in occupational healthcare requires that ethics first and foremost is allowed to enter the leadership and is prioritized on a leadership level. Creating caring cultures that encourage openness and support ethical discussions is fundamental.
QUANTITATION OF LEISHMANIA INFANTUM IN TISSUES OF INFECTED BALB/c MOUSE BY SANDWICH ELISA

In this report, a sandwhich ELISA was developed to quantify spleen and liver burdens from L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice. Amastigote antigens obtained following Nonidet P40 extraction of parasite-harbouring tissues were captured by anti-L. infantum human IgG insolubilized onto microtiter plate and subsequently revealed with anti-L. infantum F(ab)' fragments labelled with peroxidase. The method was easy to perform, precise and capable to specifically and accurately detect 5 × 104 amastigotes/100 mg tissue. Parasite burdens from infected BALB/c mice, in various conditions, were measured by ELISA and Giemsa-stained touch imprint reference methods, and compared. Both techniques agreed well with close values for liver burdens, but the spleen loads measured by the ELISA were, on average, 10.7 times higher than those calculated from imprints. This difference was attributed partly to the underestimation brought by Stauber's formula. However, it did not preclude the usefulness of this newly developed test, since results obtained in kinetics studies and evaluation of the efficiency of leishmanicidal drugs allowed us to draw identical conclusions.
Nerve reconstruction with glycerol‐preserved allogenic grafts in the rat, by Wolff, Walter, and Zimmer. Microsurgery 14:315–322, 1993

This experimental research study is reported by the authors to demonstrate that glycerol preserved nerve allografts in the rat may be used to reconstruct successfully a 10 mm defect in the femoral nerve. We have no doubt that this observation is true. However, as the authors point out, glycerol is injurious to Schwann cells. In the clinical situation, a nerve allograft will be used most certainly to reconstruct long peripheral nerve defects. Experimental work has shown clearly that a peripheral nerve will regenerate well across nerve defects of 3 cm or less without the need for Schwann cells’32; however, at distances greater than 3 cm neural regeneration, the Schwann cells provide critical neurotrophic s u ~ p o r t . ~ It is therefore theoretically disadvanta-geous, we believe, to choose an allograft preservation technique that does not permit a critical population of Schwann cells to survive. The authors indicate that no material “has been shown to be consistently equal with regard to functional outcome when compared to standard autogenous nerve
The Impact of Fuel Oil Price Fluctuations on Indonesia’s Macro Economic Condition

Since the beginning of the new order government up to now, Indonesia’s economic development constantly influences by fluctuation in fuel oil price. This paper aims to know the impact of fuel oil price change on economic growth, inflation, and poverty in Indonesia using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) method. Data used in the research are quarterly time series data for 1980-2017 period. The research result indicates that an increase in fuel oil price gives negative impact on Indonesia’s economy. Therefore, the government as well as all stakeholders needs to cooperate to reduce the negative impact of fuel oil price on economy.
A Case Study on Comparison of Male and Female Vowel Formants by Native Speakers of Korean

Compared to the amount of research on Korean consonants, few studies indeed have been done to analyze Korean vowels. In addition, the results of recent studies are mixed. This study was conducted for reviewing the Korean vowel system. In this study, we measured the formant frequencies of eight Korean vowels by three Seoul dialect female speakers of Korean in their early 30s, and compared the results with those of two Korean males in their early 30s. We confirmed overlapped /e, /, /u, o/ and /a, / formant frequencies uttered by female speakers, this was also the result of male speakers. These findings were similar to the results in the previous studies. Additionally vowel spaces of males have corresponded to the results indicated in previous studies. However the vowel spaces of females were different from the results of previous studies.
Detection of tumor-derived DNA dispersed in the airway improves the diagnostic accuracy of bronchoscopy for lung cancer

The diagnostic accuracy of bronchoscopy for detecting lung cancer, especially peripheral lung cancer with lesions outside the endoscopically visible range, remains unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to perform next-generation sequencing on bronchoscopic specimens to determine whether this improves the accuracy of bronchoscopy for diagnosing lung cancer and to identify factors influencing sensitivity. The bronchoscopic sensitivity for diagnosing lung cancer was initially evaluated in 191 patients who underwent lobectomy after bronchoscopy at our hospital. Sputum, bronchial wash fluid, and resected lung cancer specimens were subsequently collected from 18 patients with peripheral small cell lung cancer for genomic analysis. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded surgical tissue specimens and the supernatant and cell fractions of sputum and bronchial wash fluid. Deep sequencing was performed using a lung cancer panel covering all exons of 53 lung cancer-related genes. The bronchoscopic sensitivity for diagnosing lung cancer at our hospital was 60.7%. Multivariate analysis revealed that this was influenced by tumor size and location, but not histological type or lymph node metastasis. The sensitivity was the highest for biopsy followed by curettage and bronchial wash specimens. DNA mutations homologous to those identified in the primary lesions were detected in the bronchial wash fluid of 10 patients (55.6%), while only 2 patients (11.1%) were diagnosed with lung cancer based on conventional cytological examinations. In conclusion, the addition of genomic analysis to routine pathological examinations improves the diagnostic accuracy of bronchoscopy.
Binding Ability of Corn Cobs Hemicellulose toward

Non-Starch Polysaccahride (NSP) is an agricultural byproduct containing of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Hemicellulose has a hydroxyl functional group and carboxylic function on the monomer hemicellulose used as a binding ability for cadmium ion and hence as a pharmaceutical active ingredient to prevent cadmium toxicity. The purpose of this study is to isolate and evaluate hemicelluloses from corn cobs as a binding ability toward cadmium ion. The study is conducted by isolating the corn cobs in such way using 0.2 M NaOH, characterization of hemicellulose from corn cobs produced by Infra Red Spectrofotometry. Binding ability of corn cobs hemicellulose (CCH) was done in 3 ways. The first, it was by titrimetric with cadmium 3 mg/cm as a titrant and indicator of 0.05 N NaOH. The second, it was by in vitro test at pH 2 as a comparison to use pectin. The third, the in vivo test was conducted in 3 variations of treatment covering CCH 10 mg, 100 mcg of cadmium for 10 weeks. Assay of cadmium was conducted using atomic absorption spectrophotometry with flame at a wavelength of 228.8 nm. The research result showed that the highest yield of hemicellulose (12.04%) was obtained from delignication with 0.03 M NaOH in 60% ethanol and 3% H2O2, hemicellulose isolation with 500 cm of 0.2 M NaOH, and precipitation with 1:4 ratio of 10% acetic acid in 95% ethanol. Characteristics of CCH on infrared vibration methods provide vibrational hemicellulose in the region of 182
Striatal dopaminergic activity (FDOPA‐PET) associated with cognitive items of a depression scale (MADRS) in Parkinson's disease

Motor symptoms form the hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), although other features such as depression are often present. Currently‐used depression rating scales measure affective and somatic symptoms. These somatic symptoms of depression can also be core PD symptoms, suggesting an overlap of symptoms between depression and PD. Using in vivo radiotracer methods, striatal dopaminergic dysfunction is found in both PD and depression. This study investigates to what extent the overlapping symptoms of depression and PD are associated with the striatal dopaminergic dysfunction typical of PD. Symptoms of depression were assessed in 23 PD patients who did not have major depression according to the Montgomery–Åsberg depression rating scale (MADRS; cut‐off < 18) and according to a trained psychologist who interviewed all patients. The striatal dopaminergic activity of patients was assessed with FDOPA‐PET. Dopaminergic activity of the putamen and caudate nucleus was associated with MADRS total score and specifically with the symptom ‘Concentration difficulties’. These results suggest that the typical striatal dopaminergic dysfunction of PD can cause symptoms that can also be categorized as symptoms of depression. In particular, cognitive symptoms measured with a depression rating scale may be based on the dopaminergic dysfunction of the striatum in PD patients.
Compact Model of Dielectric Breakdown in Spin-Transfer Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junction

Spin-transfer torque magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is a promising candidate for nonvolatile memories thanks to its high speed, low power, infinite endurance, and easy integration with CMOS circuits. However, a relatively high current flowing through an MTJ is always required by most of the switching mechanisms, which results in a high electric field in the MTJ and a significant self-heating effect. This may lead to the dielectric breakdown of the ultrathin (~1 nm) oxide barrier in the MTJ and cause functional errors of hybrid CMOS/MTJ circuits. This paper analyzes the physical mechanisms of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in an oxide barrier and proposes an SPICE-compact model of the MTJ. The simulation results show great consistency with the experimental measurements. This model can be used to execute a more realistic design according to the constraints obtained from simulation. The users can estimate the lifetime, the operation voltage margin, and the failure probability caused by TDDB in the MTJ-based circuits.
Investigation of the thermal behavior and energy consumption of refrigeration systems

The object of this research study is to develop a thermal simulation model that can be used to investigate the thermal parameters of the refrigerant systems (with ON/OFF and PID control) used in cooling chambers. Moreover, the model was further developed which takes into account also the types of compressors, feeder, and control units used commonly in practice for energetic investigations. Using the measured energy consumption data obtained by experimental tests during the previous phase of this research work, the validation of the developed energy simulation model by MATLAB R2016a could be also achieved with good agreement. The MATLAB software seemed to be the most appropriate tool for numerical investigations on the energy consumption of refrigeration systems used in commercial cold stores and transient behavior of the indoor air temperature of the cold store, cooling energy performance and consumed energy to the goods stored in cold store.
Independence referendums and nationalist rhetoric: the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract Using the case study of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and the 2017 independence referendum, this article examines the nexus between independence referendums, nationalism and political power. It argues that the referendum in the KRI was held due to internal political competition and growing rebellion from the population against the poor economic performance and political situation rather than because the time was right for independence referendum. Focusing on the poor political and financial dynamics, as well as the lack of regional and international support for Kurdish independence, the article argues that independence was not a realistic goal and was rather used as a distraction amid internal turmoil. The example of the referendum in the KRI poses questions about the democratic credibility of such referenda, as the population were voting for an unachievable result and the referendum itself became a tool of internal political competition.
Carbohydrates of rapeseed: a review.

Graded extraction of oil-free, dehulled, rapeseed cotyledon meal with boiling aqueous ethanol, hot water, hot ammonium oxalate and finally sodium hydroxide yielded a series of fractions. The composition, identification and structural evaluation of the various products is presented and the results compared with those obtained from other seeds.