Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteinease inhibition, membrane stabilization, antioxidant and phytochemical evaluations of leaves, seeds and calyces of four selected edible medicinal plants

Abstract The aqueous extracts of the edible parts of four common medicinal plants (Hibiscus sabdariffa, Telfairia occidentalis, Moringa oleifera and Ocimum gratissimum) readily consumed as food or supplements in many African settings are examined for some of their acclaimed pharmacological activities and possible potential associated risks. The classes of phytochemicals present are examined qualitatively and quantitatively, while the antioxidant activities were determined using three assays which include 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) assays. The anti-inflammatory activities were also examined using proteinase inhibitory assays and red blood cell membrane stabilisation assays. Both the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the plants indicated that the plants have potentials for applications in foods and nutraceuticals that can be used for the management of various ailments and diseases. However, the consumption of H. sabdariffa leaf should be highly regulated as the extract exhibited reduced cell membrane stabilisation activities at increased concentrations.
CSR and the Supply Chain: Effects on the Results of the SME

Currently, companies and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are looking to be more competitive. In order to achieve this, they are adopting new business models and strategies that allow them to move towards sustainability. Strategies such as CSR (Corporate social responsibility) and supply chain management have become essential for ensuring a company’s permanence and financial consolidation. The literature has stated that the theories of Stakeholders and Sustainability are fundamental pillars for the development and sustained growth of business. The purpose of this article is to examine the effects of CSR and the SC (supply chain) on innovation, image and reputation, and in turn, their influences on profitability in SMEs. This research is based on a sample of 143 companies in the city of Guaymas Sonora, in Mexico. For the analysis and validation of the results, we used the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) statistical technique based on the variance, through PLS (Partial Least Squares) (using SmartPLS version 3.2.6 Professional). The findings show that SMEs that develop social and sustainable practices increase their level of innovation, and improve their image, their reputation, and their financial profitability. This work contributes mainly to the development of Stakeholders and Sustainability.
Expression of long non-coding RNA CCAT 2 has a predictive value for patient survival and tumor metastasis in gastric cancer

Objective: To explore the predictive value of CCAT2 expression for patients survival and tumor metastasis in Gastric Cancer (GC). Methods: In this study, we measured the levels of CCAT2 mRNA expression in gastric cancer tissue samples by RT-qPCR assay. The correlation among CCAT2 levels, pathological types, and survivals of GC patients were also explored using the Kaplan-Meier method. We also researched the effects of CCAT2 on GC cell migration/invasion and the molecular mechanisms were also explored primarily. At the same time, the predictive value of CCAT2 on metastasis of GC was detected by ROC curve. Results: The levels of CCAT2 expression in gastric cancer patients are higher than the normal ones (P<0.01). Thus, the CCAT2 silencing inhibited the cell migration and invasion in three gastric cancer cell lines (P<0.01). After that, the result of test for the predictive value showed that the levels of CCAT2 expression have an effective value (P<0.05). Conclusion: Level of CCAT2 expression is higher in GC patients and overexpression of CCAT2 promotes gastric cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating the MMPs and key EMT markers. In addition, the level has a predictive value on the diagnosis of GC metastasis.
A turbulent jet in crossflow analysed with proper orthogonal decomposition

Detailed instantaneous velocity fields of a jet in crossflow have been measured with stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). The jet originated from a fully developed turbulent pipe flow and entered a crossflow with a turbulent boundary layer. The Reynolds number based on crossflow velocity and pipe diameter was 2400 and the jet to crossflow velocity ratios were R=3.3 and R=1.3. The experimental data have been analysed by proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). For R=3.3, the results in several different planes indicate that the wake vortices are the dominant dynamic flow structures and that they interact strongly with the jet core. The analysis identifies jet shear-layer vortices and finds that these vortical structures are more local and thus less dominant. For R=1.3, on the other hand, jet shear-layer vortices are the most dominant, while the wake vortices are much less important. For both cases, the analysis finds that the shear-layer vortices are not coupled to the dynamics of the wake vortices. Finally, the hanging vortices are identified and their contribution to the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) and interaction with the newly created wake vortices are described.
Naturalistic Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Background Despite repeated calls for research on the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy with people with intellectual disabilities there has been little progress in this area. This paper reports a naturalistic study of the effectiveness of individual psychodynamic psychotherapy provided in routine clinical practice. Method The study was an open trial design with a 3-month follow-up period. Widely available and used psychotherapy outcome measures were adopted, but administered in an assisted completion format at intake, outcome and follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Effect sizes were also computed. Results The results show statistically significant reductions in recipients’ levels of psychological distress and interpersonal problems and an increase in self-esteem. Effect sizes were modest to large. Conclusions The study shows that adults with intellectual disabilities can benefit from individual psychotherapy provided in routine clinical practice. The method has obvious limitations because of its uncontrolled, open trial design. However, the study had a recipient group that represents the client population and thus has greater generalisability to clinical practice. This study also provides some suggestions for routine audit and evaluation exercises and more rigorous designs.
TESTING OF NONSTATIONARITIES IN THE UNIT CIRCLE,LONG MEMORY PROCESSES AND DAY OF THE WEEK EFFECTS IN FINANCIAL DATA

AbstractThis paper examines a version of the tests of Robinson (1994) that enables one to test models of the form (1 – Lk)dxt = ut, where k is an integer value, d may be any real number, and ut is I(0). The most common cases are those with k = 1 (unit or fractional roots) and k = 4 and 12 (seasonal unit or fractional models). However, we extend the analysis to cover situations such as (1–L5)d xt = ut, which might be relevant, for example, in the context of financial time series data. We apply these techniques to the daily Eurodollar rate and Dow Jones index, and find that for the former series the most adequate specifications are either a pure random walk or a model of the form xt = xt−5 + et, implying in both cases that the returns are completely unpredictable. In the case of Dow Jones index, a model of the form (1 – L5)d xt = ut is selected, with d constrained between 0.50 and 1, implying nonstationarity and mean-reverting behavior.
Diagnostic Value of α-Glutathione S-transferase in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a life-threatening problem, and the early clinical manifestations of it are non-specific. Despite the advances in laboratory & radiological diagnostic procedures, the mortality rate of AMI is still high. Aim: The purpose of the study to evaluate the ability of α-glutathione S-transferase (α- GST) to predict AMI in patients with abdominal pain. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Tanta University Hospitals between November 2014 and December 2017. Nighty patients were included after clinical suspicious of AMI. Serum levels of α- GST were measured in the collected stored samples, and other biochemical markers were performed (e.g. LDH, PH, and WBC). AMI was confirmed by CT angiography or laparotomy. Patients without ischemic bowel were considered to be controls. Results: A total of 90 patients in the study, the ischemic group included 52 patients, and the non-ischemic group included 38 patients. Patients with intestinal ischemia had significant higher serum values of D-dimer, LDH and α –GST. Where α –GST diagnosed AMI by accuracy of 84.4%. Conclusion: Measurement of plasma α -GST is a simple, early, easy, and effective procedure making it a useful serum biomarker for early diagnosis of AMI.
The Performance of School Leader Elements as Impact of the Implementation of Regional School Operational Assistance (Bosda) Policy

The performance of school leader elements needed to get special attention, because it had an effect on the quality of learning service in empowering the optimal teacher. Incentive was one of the factors that affected the quality of the performance of school leader elements, therefore the government of Padang City gave special attention through the implementation of Bosda policy. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of Bosda policy implementation on the performance of school leader elements of Public SMP in Padang City. This research focused on descriptive and analytical. The sample was 62 respondents that were determined randomly. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. The results showed that the performance of school leader elements was in good category (76,46%), and the implementation of Bosda policy was in quite good (76,17%). Bosda had a significant impact on the performance of school leader elements (7,1%) in improving the quality of learning service. The performance of school leader elements can be enhanced through the implementation of Bosda policy. Therefore, Bosda needed to be implemented continuously by always trying to improve its governance especially in the aspect of the implementation of follow up in the evaluation of the improvement of school leader elements performance to realize the optimal learning service through the teacher empowering as a result of the implementation of Bosda policy. Keywords—Bosda; The Performance of School Leader Elements
Cytogenetic analysis on the gall generation of two aphid species: Tetraneura nigriabdominalis and T-ulmi

SUMMARYWe carried out a comparative cytogenetic study on gall-forming generations of Tetraneura nigriabdominalis and Tetraneura ulmi using NOR and C-banding followed by Giemsa, Chromomycin A3 (CMA3) and DAPI staining reactions in order to improve our knowledge of these species and better define their identification. In both species, C-banding revealed that heterochromatin was not equilocated on each chromosome. Moreover, in T. nigriabdominalis the C-banding technique identified B chromosomes. The different response to the CMA3 and DAPI staining reactions after C-banding points out heterogeneity of the heterochromatic DNA composition in both species. Moreover, both CMA3 and silver staining revealed heteromorphism of NORs.
Reduction in Sunshine Duration over Taiwan: Causes and Implications

Long-term records (about 100 years) of meteorological parameters of Taiwan have been analyzed to study causes and implications of decreasing trends in sunshine duration observed during Taiwan's rapid economic developing period that started in the 1960's. Although the largest decreasing trends in sunshine duration are found in major urban centers, in-depth analysis shows that the reductions are surprisingly uniform and well correlated among stations throughout Taiwan and her surrounding islands, implying that direct scattering by aerosols is not the major cause of the reductions. Similar reductions occur at two high altitude stations, namely Alishan (2.4 km) and Yushan (3.85 km), suggesting that the cause of the reductions is at altitude above 3.85 km. After eliminating other potential causes, we hypothesize that the trends are most likely caused by an increase in regional clouds and/or cloud albedo as a result of increased anthropogenic aerosols. The extent of the region depends on the season. Strong westerlies above 3.85 km in winter and spring imply that southern China, Southeast Asia, India and regions further upwind may suffer similar reductions and could be the major source of anthropogenic and fall, the wind pattern indicates Taiwan's own emissions of aero sols can play a significant role in the reduction. Potential ramifications of the increase in clouds/cloud albedo to regional climate change are serious. The increase in clouds/cloud albedo obviously has lead to a decrease in the diurnal temperature range. These changes may also be linked to an in﹒ crease in precipitation intensity and other observed changes in some key climate parameters in Taiwan.
Current Insights in Mammalian Glycosylation: Implication of Glycoproteomics as Next-Generation Biomarkers in Diabetes Mellitus

Glycosylation, an enzyme-directed, site-specific process is one of the major co-translational and post-translational modifications in proteins. So formed product, glycoproteins, mediate multiple functions of signal transductions, cell association, and inter and intra cell signalling. Glycoproteomics exploits all these biological functions and serves as the next generation diagnostic marker for analyzing proteins that are associated with micro- and macro-vascular complication of diabetes mellitus. This tool can unreveal the secrets of the patterned expression of glycoproteins in healthy and patients with diabetes with secondary complications. The expression profile of several O-linked and Nlinked mammalian glycoproteins delivers the knowledge and helps to create a database for expression in diabetes mellitus, for proposing a mechanistic approach to understanding the cellular pathway severely involved in the regulation of all glycoproteins. This future next generation glycopeptides tool will describe a novel strategy for the quantification of the several glycoproteins based on a specific chemical ligation described as reverse glycoblotting techniques, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, western blotting, multiple reaction monitoring, LC-MS/MS analysis of glycosylated peptides along with lectin chromatography. These recent tools will reveal the expression pattern of several glycoproteins that will serve as a power tool precise diagnosis of diabetes associated complications.
Information Management and Incentives

We ask how the incentives of an agent are affected by an information management system that lets the agent receive information about the performance of a colleague before (“transparent firm”) rather than after he provides effort (“nontransparent firm”). Transparency is detrimental for incentives if the performance of the colleague provides information on the relative impact of the agent’s effort on his success probability. The findings imply that firms in which comparisons between employees play a minor role for compensation are transparent. Firms in which they play a major role sometimes choose to be nontransparent despite the flexibility gains transparency provides.
Ultrasonic assisted extraction to obtain bioactive, antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds from marcela

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of extraction conditions on bioactive compounds, as well as on antioxidant activity, and the antimicrobial activity of the extracts with the highest antioxidant characteristics. The extracts were obtained by conventional method and ultrasound-assisted extraction at various temperatures (20°C, 40°C and 60°C). Total phenolics, total flavonoids, antimicrobial activity and antioxidant activity were quantified by the methods of DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC, respectively. The conventional extraction method and ultrasound method influenced the phenolic content at all the tested temperatures. Flavonoids were not influenced by extraction methods. The antioxidant activity (DPPH) was highest in the ultrasonic method at temperatures of 40°C and 60°C; however, in the case of the FRAP method the best results were for the conventional extraction method. The conventional and ultrasonic methods did not influence the IC50 at temperatures of 20°C and 40°C, but using ORAC the antioxidant activity was influenced by the methods at all temperatures. The extract obtained at 60°C by the ultrasound method had high antimicrobial action in relation to the strains of Salmonella sp. , Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Extraction ultrasonic-assisted can be considered adequate to obtain extracts of marcela, which are rich in bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity.
Adjuvant Sunitinib for Renal Cell Carcinoma: Still at the Beginning of the Road

The remarkable progress in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with antiangiogenics and immunotherapy has yet to be translated to the adjuvant space, where opportunity exists for improving overall survival (OS) in patients with high risk of relapse following radical nephrectomy. In this setting, RCC trials have been hampered repeatedly by negative results [1, 2]. Unfortunately, up to 40% of RCC patients diagnosed with locoregional disease will have a relapse after nephrectomy [3]. The S-TRAC trial has shown that sunitinib, a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI), may provide clinical benefit, improving disease-free survival (DFS) compared to placebo in RCC patients at high risk for recurrent disease [4]. This study provides the first evidence that targeting the VEGF pathway may help to delay the recurrence in RCC. However, these results are not definitive since survival data are not mature yet. Adjuvant treatments often have this feature: the purported benefit must usually be inferred long before it is experienced. If the intermediated endpoint (in this instance, DFS) is validated, then earlier and adequate decisions are possible. If not, treatment may confer risks far greater than any expected benefits.
Estimating Evaporation in a Prairie Landscape under Drought Conditions

Physically-based atmospheric models of evapotranspiration (ET) that consider the Penman combination energy balance and aerodynamic approach have achieved acceptance as useful tools for obtaining estimates of actual ET from land surfaces. These models have been made applicable to the case of non-saturated conditions through either surface resistance formulations (e.g., Penman-Monteith) or by application of the complementary evaporation theory of feedback between the atmosphere and surface moisture states (e.g., Granger-Gray). Their application becomes complicated under conditions of drought, when extremely low soil moisture availability severely restricts ET from the soil and plants. Under such severe conditions, consideration for the surface water balance and interactions with the balance of available energy and aerodynamic principles are important for accurately estimating actual ET. A modelling application is demonstrated using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) platform to examine the estimation of ET under drought conditions. CRHM allows users to assemble hydrological models by linking a suite of modular physically-based algorithms that describe the individual processes. In this case, the models assembled consider infiltration, evaporation, and soil moisture accounting and are applied to a mixed prairie located at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada under drought conditions during the growing period in 2000 and 2001. Near surface meteorological and ecological observations used as model input and for evaluating model performance were obtained through the Ameriflux network and the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AFC) Lethbridge Research Centre. Results show that consideration for the effective rooting zone depth of the mixed-prairie at the site is important for estimating actual ET using the Penman-Montieth and Granger-Gray models during severe moisture stress. Relative differences in ET estimates provided by the models are discussed in the context of their contrasting theoretical approaches.
A new fifth order finite difference WENO scheme for Hamilton‐Jacobi equations

In this continuing paper of (Zhu and Qiu, J Comput Phys 318 (2016), 110–121), a new fifth order finite difference weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (WENO) scheme is designed to approximate the viscosity numerical solution of the Hamilton‐Jacobi equations. This new WENO scheme uses the same numbers of spatial nodes as the classical fifth order WENO scheme which is proposed by Jiang and Peng (SIAM J Sci Comput 21 (2000), 2126–2143), and could get less absolute truncation errors and obtain the same order of accuracy in smooth region simultaneously avoiding spurious oscillations nearby discontinuities. Such new WENO scheme is a convex combination of a fourth degree accurate polynomial and two linear polynomials in a WENO type fashion in the spatial reconstruction procedures. The linear weights of three polynomials are artificially set to be any random positive constants with a minor restriction and the new nonlinear weights are proposed for the sake of keeping the accuracy of the scheme in smooth region, avoiding spurious oscillations and keeping sharp discontinuous transitions in nonsmooth region simultaneously. The main advantages of such new WENO scheme comparing with the classical WENO scheme proposed by Jiang and Peng (SIAM J Sci Comput 21 (2000), 2126–2143) are its efficiency, robustness and easy implementation to higher dimensions. Extensive numerical tests are performed to illustrate the capability of the new fifth WENO scheme. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 1095–1113, 2017
EVENTOS DE INTENSIFICACIÓN Y RELAJACIÓN DEL VIENTO EN LA BAHÍA DE SANTA MARTA (CARIBE COLOMBIANO): IMPLICACIONES OCEANOGRÁFICAS

Events of wind intensification and relaxation bring changes in their components that can be favorable or not to the coastal upwelling because there is a change in the alignment of these with respect to the coast line. In order to assess the oceanographic dynamics in the bay of Santa Marta during 2014 and 2015 in response to changes in the zonal and meridional wind component, wind data were analyzed in an adjacent marine point at Santa Marta’s bay and measurements of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen were conducted in the water column during the months of March, May, July, and October 2014 and 2015 at a fixed station in the bay up to 18 m deep. Interannual oceanographic differences were found in March and June, which were explained by intra-seasonal variations in the wind field during 2015; in March alternating events of wind intensification and relaxation occurred with changes in both magnitude and direction, which explain the increases in temperature and water advection from La Guajira with lower oxygen values. In June 2015, an event of wind intensification, associated with changes in magnitude but no direction, was recorded, which explained the decrease in temperature, which was lower than the one in 2014. That month was characterized by strong winds and waves, but the directions were not favorable to the coastal upwelling, which explained that no low values of dissolved oxygen as expected in this type of events were found.