Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An overview of advances in the standardization of herbal drugs

Herbal formulations have reached extensive acceptability as therapeutic agents for several diseases. The development of authentic analytical methods which can reliably profile the phytochemical composition, including quantitative analyses of marker/bioactive compounds and other major constituents, is a major challenge to scientists. Standardization is an important step for the establishment of a consistent biological activity, a consistent chemical profile, or simply a quality assurance program for production and manufacturing of herbal drugs. WHO specific guidelines for the assessment of the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal medicines as a prerequisite for global harmonization are of utmost importance. An overview covering various techniques employed in extraction and characterization of herbal medicines as well as herbal nanomedicines standardization is reported. In addition, phytosomes increased bioavailability, bhasma as a metal nanocarrier drug delivery system, potential of metabolomics in the development of improved phytotherapeutic agents, DNA based molecular markers in distinguishing adulterants, and SCAR markers for authentication and discrimination of herbs from their adulterants are reported. The extraction of high-valued herbal compounds using microwave‐assisted extraction and supercritical phase extraction technology followed by the standardization utilizing various spectroscopic, chromatographic and thermogravimetric techniques individually and/or in combination has been discussed in relation to herbal drugs. Capillary electrophoresis and polarographic techniques contributions towards standardization of herbal drugs is also reported. Nanotechnology based Chinese herbal drugs possess improved solubility and enhanced bioavailability.
ISO 14000: Assessing Its Perceived Impact on Corporate Performance

SUMMARY The ISO 14000 series of environmental standards is a relatively recent development in environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM). It applies to environmental systems and processes the same approach used by its predecessor, the ISO 9000 quality standards. Being relatively new, numerous questions have arisen regarding the impact of these new standards on both the corporate environmental management system and corporate performance. This article addresses some of these questions by drawing on data generated by a large-scale survey of American managers. The results indicate that, even though ISO 14000 has achieved relatively limited acceptance, there is strong evidence to indicate that this series of standards can positively impact both the performance of the environmental management system as well as overall corporate performance. Further, it was found to outperform other ERM initiatives such as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 33/50 program.
HISTOLOGIC EFFECTS OF ISONIAZID ON THE LIVER OF ALBINO MICE

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: to investigate the effects of thirty days of isoniazid administration on histomorphology of adult male albino mice liver. METHODS: Forty healthy adult male mice were obtained from the Veterinary Research Institute Lahore and were kept in the animal house facility of University of Health Sciences Lahore. Animals were fed on normal mouse diet and water ad libitum. Mice were divided into two groups, i.e. group A & B. Group A served as a control and received 10ml/kg of distilled water while group B served as experimental and treated with isoniazid 100mg/kg body weight for 30 days. At the end of the experiment liver was dissected and processed for light microscopy. Serial sections of liver 4µm thick were stained with Harris Hematoxylin & Eosin and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) for microscopic examination.RESULTS: No obvious gross abnormalities were present in either control or experimental group. Group A showed the normal liver histology. Group B showed disturbed liver architecture with loss of radial arrangement of hepatic cords and sinusoids. Hepatocyte boundaries were ill-defined. Darkly stained nuclei indicating pyknotic changes. Necrosis evident by pyknosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis was also observed. Apoptotic bodies were clearly seen and fatty change was evident by signet ring formation. Larger, swollen and empty looking hepatocytes, with the loss of cytoplasmic contents appearing as micro and macro vacuoles were noticed. Vessels were dilated and congested. Periportal and focal areas of inflammation were present.CONCLUSION: Isoniazid treatment has potential hepatotoxic effects on male albino mice causing disturbed liver architecture.Key words: Isoniazid (MeSH), Necrosis (MeSH), Apoptosis (MeSH), hepatotoxic (Non-MeSH), Antitubercular Agents (MeSH).
Electric field effects on gasification/combustion at thermo-chemical conversion of biomass mixtures

A series of experimental studies and mathematical simulations of the electric field influence on the thermal decomposition of mixtures of wheat straw with wood and peat pellets and on the development of volatile combustion downstream the swirling flame flow was carried out. The main aim of these studies is to provide more efficient use of straw for cleaner and more efficient energy production by improving the gasification/combustion characteristics of the mixture and the composition of emission. The electric field influence on the combustion dynamics was studied experimentally using a pilot device, which combines a biomass gasifier and a combustor. An electric field was applied to the flame base using an axially inserted electrode. The electric field effect on the main gasification/combustion characteristics of a biomass mixture was estimated through complex measurements of the field-induced variations of the flow velocity, flame temperature, composition and heat output by varying the positive bias voltage of the axially inserted electrode. The mathematical model of the combustion process considers the electric field influence on the combustion characteristics using the approach of single chemical reaction. Simulations were performed for the opposite field configuration, when the negative bias voltage was applied to the axially inserted electrode by varying its length.
VHF signal power suppression in stratiform and convective precipitation

Previous studies have indicated that VHF clear-air radar return strengths are reduced during periods of precipi- tation. This study aims to examine whether the type of pre- cipitation, stratiform and convective precipitation types are identified, has any impact on the relationships previously ob- served and to examine the possible mechanisms which pro- duce this phenomenon. This study uses a combination of UHF and VHF wind-profiler data to define periods associated with stratiform and convective precipitation. This identifica- tion is achieved using an algorithm which examines the range squared corrected signal to noise ratio of the UHF returns for a bright band signature for stratiform precipitation. Re- gions associated with convective rainfall have been defined by identifying regions of enhanced range corrected signal to noise ratio that do not display a bright band structure and that are relatively uniform until a region above the melting layer. This study uses a total of 68 days, which incorporated sig-
The factors that influence customer e-services adoption

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the investigation into customer e-service adoption. The investigation includes a qualitative survey and observation of participants using e-services. E-services are used to attract customers and persuade them to transact online and the customer’s perception of an e-service contributes greatly to e-service adoption or rejection. This paper describes the factors that influence customer perception towards e-services. Relationships between the identified factors were also considered in order to build a conceptual framework. Grounded theory was used for its flexibility, repetitive comparisons of data, and emergence of concepts and theories.
DID IFRS REPORTING BY UK FIRMS REDUCE EARNINGS MANAGEMENT

This paper investigates the effect of reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS) versus reporting under UK GAAP on earnings management in the UK. Prior studies find mixed evidence regarding the effect of voluntary and mandatory adoption of IFRS on earnings quality. I test whether the effect of reporting under IFRS on earnings management is sufficient to overcome earnings management incentives. Furthermore, I test whether the effect of IFRS reporting is conditional on audit quality surrogated by audit firm size. I build the analysis on measures of discretionary accruals and earnings benchmark tests. I find evidence that reporting under IFRS generally reduces levels of earnings management and furthermore, the mitigating effect of IFRS is stronger for income decreasing than for income increasing earnings management. In addition, I find that audit quality plays a key role in IFRS reporting, with only firms audited by big four auditors having a significant IFRS reporting effect.
Board of Director Independence and Financial Leverage in the Absence of Taxes

This paper investigates whether board of director independence affects the financial leverage of listed companies in Saudi Arabia. Although many studies have investigated capital structure theories, there are limited studies that consider board of director independence as a determinant of capital structure especially in the absence of tax regime. In a tax free regime, financial leverage would not be perceived as a tool to increases firm performance since firms cannot exploit the tax shield. This study employs panel data of 122 non-financial listed firms during the period 2012-2015. The results show a significant negative relationship between the presence of independent directors and capital structure; the independent directors appeared to play a significant role in motivating managers to pursue a low level of leverage among Saudi listed firms. This finding is robust to different model specifications.
Enhancing Kindergarten Student Teachers' Conversation Techniques in the Context of their Teaching Practicum

Early oral language stimuli that children experience in the school environment play a significant role in their language and literacy development [1]. Supporting children’s early oral language skills through appropriate practices is considered crucial [2], since they relate significantly with several aspects of their subsequent literacy achievement, such as reading accuracy, fluency and text comprehension [3] [4].
Photodegradation of algal derived dissolved organic carbon

"C-radiolabelled dissolved organic carbon (DO14C) produced in a Thalassiosira tumida culture was aged in the dark for 8 mo and irradiated for 15 h at a UV intensity of 40 W m-2 at 350 Â 20 nm. Comparison with control bottles showed no evidence of DO^C decrease. Fractionation with XAD-2 resin before and after irradiation indicated no changes in the humic fractions. This suggests that a pool of autochthonous marine DOC might be relatively resistant against natural UV radiation.
Photoevaporation and high-eccentricity migration created the sub-Jovian desert

The mass-period or radius-period distribution of close-in exoplanets shows a paucity of intermediate mass/size (sub-Jovian) planets with periods ~< 3 days. We show that this sub-Jovian desert can be explained by the photoevaporation of highly irradiated sub-Neptunes and the tidal disruption barrier for gas giants undergoing high-eccentricity migration. The distinctive triangular shape of the sub-Jovain desert result from the fact that photoevaporation is more effective closer to the host star, and that in order for a gas giant to tidally circularise closer to the star without tidal disruption it needs to be more massive. Our work indicates that super-Earths/mini-Neptunes and hot-Jupiters had distinctly separate formation channels and arrived at their present locations at different times.
Profile of Micronutrients, Electrolytes, Haematology and CD4 Count in HIV Infected Subjects on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been of immense concern over the years. It belongs to a larger group, the Retroviruses, based on the mode of replication, and to a smaller group, the Lentiviruses, based on duration for onset of symptoms. To help combat the infection, the use of three or more combinations of antiretroviral agents was introduced. This was termed Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). This has dramatically altered the treatment and life expectancy of HIV infected individuals. The use of antiretroviral therapies (ART) is recommended globally for the management of HIV/AIDS since a permanent cure is still elusive. Different types of ART or combination therapies are currently in use and the prescription and use of a particular therapy depends on tolerability, the cost, and the therapeutic objectives. In recent times, WHO has recommended first-line therapy with two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI). A combination of nevirapine, stavudine, and Lamivudine or lamivudine with zidovudine is frequently prescribed. The efficacy of ART is routinely assessed by measuring the blood plasma viral load and CD4+T-cell count.
Certification and accreditation of organics in Austria: implementation, strengths and weaknesses.

____________________________ Institute of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences Vienna, Peter Jordan Str. 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. Corresponding author. Email: ika.darnhofer@boku.ac. at Institute of Organic Farming, University of Agricultural Sciences Vienna, Gregor Mendel Str. 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria. Email: christian.vogl@boku.ac. at Over the past few years, policy makers have supported the development of organic farming at the European and national level as a process that contributes to environmentally sound farming practices. In Austria, about 9% of farms are currently under certified organic management, the highest percentage in the European Union (EU). Several factors have contributed to this: the activities of organic farmers’ associations; the early inclusion of guidelines for organic crop production and animal husbandry in the Austrian Codex Alimentarius; government support through direct payments for organic farms during and after conversion; the early commitment of supermarket chains; and the establishment of a private organic marketing company (Vogl and Hess, 1999).
Identification of adverse selection and moral hazard : evidence from a randomised experiment in Mongolia

Insurance market failures are common in developing countries and one commonly proposed explanation for this is the presence of asymmetric information. In this paper I test for the relative importance of adverse selection and moral hazard for car insurance using a randomised experiment at the largest insurance company in Mongolia, randomly upgrading low coverage buyers to a higher coverage. With this experiment, I find significant ex-ante adverse selection for third party and theft risks, while there is no evidence of ex-post moral hazard for either risk. Moreover, I find no evidence of adverse selection or moral hazard for coverages differing in co-payment rates. I also discuss how certain market features, likely to be perceived as specific to this context, are common in other insurance markets in developing countries, and whether these factors are likely to be driving the results in this paper.
ADHD theories still need to take more on board: Serotonin and pre-executive variability

correcting the relationship between tonic and burst firing modes in dopamine neurons may help normalise stimulus-reinforcement gradients and contingent behaviour in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd) children. but appropriate evaluations of stimuli for developing adaptive plans and controlling impulsivity will not occur without moderating the gain-like functions of serotonin. the “dynamic theory” correctly highlights the need to account for variability in adhd. the dysmaturation of pre-executive information processing is proposed as an explanation. at the core of the article by sagvolden and colleagues there is a set of data that throws light on an aspect of the adhd phenomenon. but one asks if the authors are a measure too brave to generalise so broadly from the unusually steep reinforcement gradients reported for the human condition and an animal model to the syndrome as a whole.
Quality Control Assessment of Radiology Devices in Kerman Province, Iran

Introduction Application of quality control (QC) programs at diagnostic radiology departments is of great significance for optimization of image quality and reduction of patient dose. The main objective of this study was to perform QC tests on stationary radiographic X-ray machines, installed in 14 hospitals of Kerman province, Iran. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, QC tests were performed on 28 conventional radiographic X-ray units in Kerman governmental hospitals, based on the protocols and criteria recommended by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), using a calibrated Gammex QC kit. Each section of the QC kit incorporated different models. Results Based on the findings, kVp accuracy, kVp reproducibility, timer accuracy, timer reproducibility, exposure reproducibility, mA/timer linearity, and half-value layer were not within the acceptable limits in 25%, 4%, 29%, 18%, 11%, 12%, and 7% of the evaluated units (n=28), respectively. Conclusion As radiographic X-ray equipments in Kerman province are relatively old with a high workload, it is recommended that AEOI modify the current policies by changing the frequency of QC test implementation to at least once a year.
COMPARATIVE ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF STROMAL CELLS IN GIANT CELL TUMOR OF BONE

Giant cell tumor of bone is an osseous neoplasm that is histologically benign but clinically shows local aggression and high rate of recurrence. The histogenesis of this lesion remains unclear. The histological appearance does not predict the clinical outcome and there are still many unanswered questions with regard to both its treatment and prognosis. In order to further clarify this lesion, we examined ultrastructurally and immunohistochemically the tumor mononuclear cells in ten patients operated on in our hospital for matrix metalloproteinase-9. Positive reaction was detected in the spindle-like stromal cells of giant cell tumor of bone and these cells had the ultrastructural characteristics of fibroblastic cells. The other mononuclear cells did not express matrix metalloproteinase-9 and showed ultrastuctural characteristics of macrophage-like cells. The positive reaction for matrix metalloproteinase-9 in all patients clearly shows that this protease may play a key role in the pathophysiology of giant cell tumor of bone.
ESTIMATION IN AN INSTRUMENTAL VARIABLES MODEL WITH TREATMENT EFFECT HETEROGENEITY

This paper analyzes estimators based on the classic linear instrumental variables model when the treatment effects are in fact heterogeneous, as in Imbens and Angrist (1994). I divide these estimators into two classes: two-step instrumental variables (tsiv) estimators that include the two-stage least squares (tsls) estimator; and minimum distance estimators that include the limited information maximum likelihood (liml) estimator. I show that if the local average treatment effects vary, estimators in the tsiv class typically all estimate the same convex combination of them. In contrast, estimands of minimum distance estimators may be outside of the convex hull of the local average treatment effects, and may therefore not correspond to a causal effect. This result questions the standard recommendation to use liml when the number of instruments is large as a way of addressing the bias exhibited by tsls in these settings. Instead, I propose a new tsiv estimator, a version of the jackknife instrumental variables estimator (ujive). Unlike tsls or liml, ujive is consistent for a convex combination of local average treatment effects under many instrument asymptotics that also allow for many covariates and heteroscedasticity. I therefore recommend that in settings with many instruments researchers use ujive, instead of tsls or liml.
Radiative properties of carriers in CdSe-CdS core-shell heterostructured nanocrystals of various geometries

We report a model on core-shell heterostructured nanocrystals with CdSe as the core and CdS as the shell. The model is based on one-band Schrodinger equation. Three different geometries, nanodot, nanorod, and nanobone, are implemented. The carrier localization regimes with these structures are simulated, compared, and analyzed. Based on the electron and hole wave functions, the carrier overlap integral that has a great impact on stimulated emission is further investigated numerically by a novel approach. Furthermore, the relation between the nanocrystal size and electron-hole recombination energy is also examined.
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development in a Resource-Abundant Country: Challenges of Wind Power Generation in Kazakhstan

In recent years, the environmental effects of energy production have increasingly entered into the foreground of the sustainable development agenda. Hydrocarbon-abundant countries are blamed to become the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, trace metals, and other pollutants due to extensive use of oil, gas, and coal in energy production. Combustion of fossil fuels for heat and power generation is reported to be among the major reasons for progressing climate change globally. The United Nations and other international actors have called on national governments to substantially increase the share of renewable energy, but the main point is how to incentivize the resource-rich countries to shift to greener technologies. For the example of Kazakhstan, whose energy sector is centered on coal, this paper discusses the challenges and prospects of wind power as both an environmentally friendly and efficient option to support a transition of a resource-rich country to a green economy and a sustainable energy future. Forty-two locations across the country have been assessed on the parameters of average annual wind speed, wind availability, and four types of potential for wind power production: gross, technical, economic, and emissions reduction. Some of the key findings are that at the height below 50 m above ground level, wind power production is economically viable in electricity-deficientt southern territories, particularly, in Djungar, Saryzhas, Zhuzimdyk, and Taraz. In western, central, and northern parts of Kazakhstan, at a height above 50 m, the most promising areas for wind power production are Caspian, Northwestern, Central, and Tarbagatay corridors. The paper identifies the areas with the highest emission reduction potential and elaborates the policies to encourage the selection of wind farm locations based on their “economic potential-environmental effect” ratio. The approach allows assessing the opportunities, which decentralized wind energy systems offer to transition away from a dependence on fossil fuels and to enable sustainable economic growth.
Reduction of Social Choice Problems : A Simple Proof of Arrow’s General Possibility Theorem

In this note, we show that there exists an Arrovian social welfare function for a society with nI members (n;~3) if there exists an Arrovian social welfare function for a society with n members. By the repeated use of this property, we are assured of the existence of an Arrovian soical welfare function for a two-person society. It is easy to verify, however, that such a function does not exist for a two-person society, which annihilates an Arrovian social welfare function for a society of any finite size by one stroke. It is hoped that this way of viewing social choice problems might be of some help, especially from the pedagogical