Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial properties and chemical composition of rose petals.

BACKGROUND Rosa rugosa petals are used for production of teas, jams, wines and juices. Despite the wide availability of rose cultivars, comprehensive information on petal chemical composition and healthful properties is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was analysis of cytotoxic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of rugosa rose petals. RESULTS Petals of R. rugosa were evaluated for their cytotoxic effect against cervical (HeLa) and breast cancer (T47D) cell lines and for antiradical activity (with DPPH•). As a result, significant cytotoxic (up to 100% of dead cells) and antiradical properties (IC₅₀ 1.33-0.08 mg mg⁻¹ DPPH•) were demonstrated. Moreover, notable antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial (i.e. Staphylococcus. epidermidis, S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis) and two yeast strains (Candida. albicans, C. parapsilosis) was shown. Total phenolic, flavonoid, phenolic acid, tannin, carotenoid and polysaccharide content in petals was determined using spectrophotometric methods. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry was used to thoroughly analyze phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides in the methanolic extract and fractions obtained after its separation. Five phenolic acids and six flavonoids previously not reported in the plant material were identified. CONCLUSION This is the first such detailed report on chemical composition and biological activity of R. rugosa petals.
Hypovolemia in extracorporeal life support can lead to arterial gaseous microemboli.

Next to severely decreased pump flow, hypovolemia in extracorporeal life support (ELS) can result in subatmospheric venous line pressure. Such pressure may lead to degassing and resultant gaseous microemboli (GME), with potential changes in neurological clinical outcome. CME activity resulting from degassing was investigated in relation to subatmospheric venous line pressure, partial oxygen pressure (pO2 ), and hematocrit in a model of a centrifugal pump-based circuit for long-term ELS. Additionally, a device that provides instantaneous volume buffer capacity during hypovolemia was evaluated in relation to GME appearance. An exponential relationship was found between decreasing venous line pressure and GME downstream of the centrifugal pump (P = 0.001). Arterial bubble activity appeared at subatmospheric venous line pressures of -200 mm Hg and less. A rising (pO2 ) increased formation of GME (P = 0.05). A rise in hematocrit, in contrast, did not affect embolic activity (P = 0.22). With simulated hypovolemia, volume buffer capacity added to the venous line dampened fluctuations of venous line pressure by approximately 40%, but a significant reduction in GME formation could not be found (P = 0.22). Moreover, the device enabled a 14% higher support flow. With ELS flow being related to patient volume status, hypovolemia can diminish support. A coherent decrease of venous line pressure triggers degassing of blood-dissolved gases and causes arterial GME, which can become massive during persistent conditions of limited venous return. Incorporation of a volume buffer capacity device into the extracorporeal support circuit enables a higher and more stable support flow in critically low patient filling.
Lessons from the London Climate Change Strategy: Focusing on Combined Heat and Power and Distributed Generation

Climate change differs from conventional environmental challenges in that it bridges spatial scales in unprecedented ways: anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are emitted from very local activities, but impacts are transmitted through processes at the global level to distant “elsewheres. ” This makes it particularly difficult for the individual observer, actor, or victim to recognize mechanisms of cause and effect. The irreducible complexity of the transmission processes involved makes it difficult to allocate responsibility and establish policy responses. Cities and the urban scale are particularly relevant in this context as they are hosting most GHG-emitting activities. While urban centers cover only about 2 percent of the terrestrial surface and harbor half of the global population, it is estimated that about three-quarters of the fossil fuel-related emissions are caused by cities. Cities are, consequentially, a most relevant focus for mitigation initiatives as re-engineering our energy systems will require changes in the fabric and maybe even function of urban areas. Moreover, cities are also an important scale for innovation and adaptation. They host crucial nodes of research and economic infrastructure and are usually early adopters of new technology. They are characterized by high-energy density and heterogeneity in energy use profiles which allow potential for better integration and provide economies of scale and agglomeration. Still most of the coordinated and international action in climate change abatement and mitigation occurs at the national level, and it is only poorly understood and articulated how national-level policies and reduction targets will actually be downscaled to measures and activities at the local level. Given the large regional variation in activities causing climate change and differences in vulnerability towards impacts of climate change, we need to better understand the implications and leverage available at the sub-national and local level. This paper focuses on the metropolitan region of Greater London and describes the evolution and structure of current energy consumption patterns as well as projections under various assumptions on policy initiatives. It presents a series of policy measures taken and critically discusses their likelihood of success.
Ultrasonic Assessment of Stabilized Soils

The feasibility of using ultrasonic testing, in particular P-wave velocities, to evaluate stabilized soils was investigated. A high-plasticity clay soil that was stabilized with lime, cement, and lime — fly ash mixtures was used in the study. The testing program consisted of determination of P-wave velocities and compression characteristics of the stabilized soils immediately after compaction and subsequent to 7 days and 28 days of curing. Variation of velocity with stabilizing agent, curing time, and also with the compression characteristics of the soils was investigated. It was observed that P-wave velocities were higher for samples stabilized with cement compared with samples stabilized with lime and fly ash. In addition, velocities increased with curing time for all the stabilized mixes. In general, the velocities of the samples increased as the unconfined compressive strength of the samples increased. However, there was a substantial amount of scatter in the data. The trends observed in the modulus data were better and the P-wave velocities of the stabilized soils increased as the modulus of the soils increased. Also the variation of modulus with time was similar to the variation of velocity with time. In addition, the P-wave velocities increased as the densities of the samples increased.
Nutritional, Health, and Technological Functionality of Lupin Flour Addition to Bread and Other Baked Products: Benefits and Challenges

Lupin is an undervalued legume despite its high protein and dietary fiber content and potential health benefits. This review focuses on the nutritional value, health benefits, and technological effects of incorporating lupin flour into wheat-based bread. Results of clinical studies suggest that consuming lupin compared to wheat bread and other baked products reduce chronic disease risk markers; possibly due to increased protein and dietary fiber and bioactive compounds. However, lupin protein allergy has also been recorded. Bread quality has been improved when 10% lupin flour is substituted for refined wheat flour; possibly due to lupin-wheat protein cross-linking assisting bread volume and the high water-binding capacity (WBC) of lupin fiber delaying staling. Above 10% substitution appears to reduce bread quality due to lupin proteins low elasticity and the high WBC of its dietary fiber interrupting gluten network development. Gaps in understanding of the role of lupin flour in bread quality include the optimal formulation and processing conditions to maximize lupin incorporation, role of protein cross-linking, antistaling functionality, and bioactivity of its γ-conglutin protein.
A placebo-controlled trial of oral fingolimod in relapsing multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND Oral fingolimod, a sphingosine-1-phosphate-receptor modulator that prevents the egress of lymphocytes from lymph nodes, significantly improved relapse rates and end points measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as compared with either placebo or intramuscular interferon beta-1a, in phase 2 and 3 studies of multiple sclerosis. METHODS In our 24-month, double-blind, randomized study, we enrolled patients who had relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, were 18 to 55 years of age, had a score of 0 to 5.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (which ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater disability), and had had one or more relapses in the previous year or two or more in the previous 2 years. Patients received oral fingolimod at a dose of 0.5 mg or 1.25 mg daily or placebo. End points included the annualized relapse rate (the primary end point) and the time to disability progression (a secondary end point). RESULTS A total of 1033 of the 1272 patients (81.2%) completed the study. The annualized relapse rate was 0.18 with 0.5 mg of fingolimod, 0.16 with 1.25 mg of fingolimod, and 0.40 with placebo (P<0.001 for either dose vs. placebo). Fingolimod at doses of 0.5 mg and 1.25 mg significantly reduced the risk of disability progression over the 24-month period (hazard ratio, 0.70 and 0.68, respectively; P=0.02 vs. placebo, for both comparisons). The cumulative probability of disability progression (confirmed after 3 months) was 17.7% with 0.5 mg of fingolimod, 16.6% with 1.25 mg of fingolimod, and 24.1% with placebo. Both fingolimod doses were superior to placebo with regard to MRI-related measures (number of new or enlarged lesions on T(2)-weighted images, gadolinium-enhancing lesions, and brain-volume loss; P<0.001 for all comparisons at 24 months). Causes of study discontinuation and adverse events related to fingolimod included bradycardia and atrioventricular conduction block at the time of fingolimod initiation, macular edema, elevated liver-enzyme levels, and mild hypertension. CONCLUSIONS As compared with placebo, both doses of oral fingolimod improved the relapse rate, the risk of disability progression, and end points on MRI. These benefits will need to be weighed against possible long-term risks. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00289978.)
Necessary and Sufficient Condition for the Quaternion Vector Measure

In this paper, the definitions of the quaternion measure and the quaternion vector measure are introduced. The relation between the quaternion measure and the complex vector measure as well as the relation between the quaternion linear functional and the complex linear functional are discussed respectively. By using these relations, the necessary and sufficient condition to determine the quaternion vector measure is given. Keywords—Quaternion, Quaternion measure, Quaternion vector measure, Quaternion Banach space, Quaternion linear functional.
Quantification of intensive hybrid coastal reclamation for revealing its impacts on macrozoobenthos

Managing and identifying the sources of anthropogenic stress in coastal wetlands requires an in-depth understanding of relationships between species diversity and human activities. Empirical and experimental studies provide clear evidence that coastal reclamation can have profound impacts on marine organisms, but the focus of such studies is generally on comparative or laboratory research. We developed a compound intensity index (reclamation intensity index, RI) on hybrid coastal reclamation, to quantify the impacts of reclamation on coastal ecosystems. We also made use of mean annual absolute changes to a number of biotic variables (biodiversity, species richness, biomass of total macrozoobenthos, and species richness and biomass of Polychaeta, Mollusca, Crustacea, and Echinodermata) to determine Hedges’d index, which is a measure of the potential effects of coastal reclamation. Our results showed that there was significant difference of coastal reclamation intensity between Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea, the biological changes in effect sizes of the three regions differed greatly over time. Our modelling analyses showed that hybrid coastal reclamation generally had significant negative impacts on species diversity and biomass of macrozoobenthos. These relationships varied among different taxonomic groups and included both linear and nonlinear relationships. The results indicated that a high-intensity of coastal reclamation contributed to a pronounced decline in species diversity and biomass, while lower-intensity reclamation, or reclamation within certain thresholds, resulted in a small increase in species diversity and biomass. These results have important implications for biodiversity conservation and the ecological restoration of coastal wetlands in face of the intensive reclamation activities.
‘Remittances are Beautiful’?1 Gender implications of the new global remittances trend

Abstract This article traces the emergence of a new trend within the international community—the global remittance trend (GRT)—and undertakes a critical gender analysis of the mainstream framing within it. The GRT refers to the heightened interest of different actors—such as governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and private sector actors—in the development potential of international migration and remittances, and in the strategies designed to harness this potential. The main argument advanced is that in the debate about the framing of the GRT gender dimensions have been largely absent and the mainstream framing is generally gender-blind. At the same time, however, it is infused with gendered representations and stereotypes, which have concrete gender-specific implications in terms of policy making. Illustrated with an example from rural Mexico, the paper demonstrates how policies based on such representations lead to complex and seemingly contradictory processes of gender exclusion and inclusion within the GRT, and may have adverse gender implications.
If at First You Don’t Succeed: The Effect of the Option to Resolicit on Corporate Takeovers

This article models, and experimentally simulates, the free-rider problem in a takeover when the raider has the option to "resolicit," that is, to make a new offer after an offer has been rejected. In theory, the option to resolicit, by lowering offer credibility, increases the dissipative losses associated with free riding. The outcomes of our experiment support this prediction and produce losses from free riding even higher than theoretically predicted. These dissipation losses reduce raider gains to less than 3% of synergy value of the acquisition Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Teachers in Charter Schools and Traditional Schools: A Comparative Study

Teachers from charter and traditional schools in Colorado were queried about their perceptions of their level of empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Using a cluster sampling design, approximately 100 teachers from 16 charter schools and 100 teachers from seven traditional schools were surveyed by combining several well-established instruments to measure empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Factor analyses yielded three composite variables each for the three constructs. One-way analyses of variance were used to explore these teachers' differences in perceptions. Results yielded consistent and practically significant differences in these charter and traditional school perceptions of empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Not all of these differences, however, were consistent with expectations given the educational and legislative contexts driving Colorado's charter school movement. Implications and recommendations for future research are given.
Is hepatitis C virus co-infection associated with survival in HIV-infected patients treated by combination antiretroviral therapy?

ObjectiveTo study whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection or the severe elevation of transaminases is associated with survival after the initiation of antiretroviral combination therapy. DesignProspective hospital-based cohort (Aquitaine Cohort). MethodsHIV-infected adults started on an antiretroviral combination before 30 June 1999. HCV infection was defined as antibody detection or positive HCV RNA. Severe elevation of transaminases was defined as a value of aspartate or alanine aminotransferase (AST, ALT) above five times the upper limit of normal values. Survival was studied using a Cox model, including at least baseline HCV status and transaminases as a time-dependent covariate. ResultsOverall, 995 patients were analysed, including 576 HCV-positive individuals (58%). At baseline, HCV-positive patients were younger, more often injecting drug users and women, and had more frequently elevated transaminases. A shorter survival was associated with AIDS stage [hazard ratio (HR) versus non-AIDS 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03; 2.68], lower CD4 cell count (HR for 50 cells/mm3 lower 1.33; CI 1.17; 1.51), lower haemoglobin (HR for 1 g/dl lower 1.20; CI 1.07; 1.35), lower platelet count (HR for 10 000 cells/mm3 lower 1.04; CI 1.01; 1.07), and AST during follow-up (HR for ⩾ 200 IU/l 2.30; CI 1.32; 4.03). HCV co-infection (HR 1.20; CI 0.75; 1.92) was not statistically associated with survival. ConclusionThe occurrence of a severe elevation of transaminases was associated with poorer survival, although HCV was not. If liver toxicity may be treatment induced, plasma drug concentrations could guide dosage adjustments of antiretroviral treatments currently prescribed to optimize their use.
Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Righting Reflex in the Rat Is Partially Reversed by Administration of Adenosine A 1 and A 2 Receptor Antagonists

Background: Similarities between naturally occurring sleep and general anesthesia suggest that the two states may interact physiologically. The authors have previously demonstrated that sleep deprivation potentiates anesthetic-induced loss of righting reflex (LORR) in rats. One possible mediator for this effect is adenosine, which accumulates in the brains of sleep-deprived animals and reduces anesthetic requirements. The authors tested in rats the hypothesis that potentiating effects of sleep deprivation on LORR can be altered by adenosine A1 and A2a receptor antagonists. Methods: Five experiments were conducted. In each, rats underwent four trials, consisting of a 24-h period of either sleep deprivation or ad libitum activity followed by administration of a fixed dose of an adenosine antagonist or vehicle. Rats were then given isoflurane, and the time to LORR and recovery were measured. Each experiment tested a specific dose of an A1 receptor antagonist (8-cyclopentyltheophylline given via microinjection into the basal forebrain), an A2a receptor antagonist (ZM241385 via intraperitoneal administration), or both. In each experiment, all rats received all combinations of activity and drug/vehicle, separated by 5–7 days. Results: In rested rats, neither antagonist altered the time to LORR. In sleep-deprived rats, both ZM241385 and 8-cyclopentyltheophylline prolonged the time to LORR and shortened recovery in a dose-dependent manner. Prolongation also occurred when subtherapeutic doses of both agents were coadministered. Conclusion: Both antagonists partially reversed the effect of sleep deprivation on anesthetic action. This result implies that deprivation-induced changes in adenosine receptor activity can alter LORR. Neither antagonist completely reversed this effect, suggesting possible non–adenosine-mediated effects of sleep deprivation.
High-Tech Entrepreneurship

Whereas most start-ups are in low-tech industries, we apply a novel strategy to a data set of scientists and engineers to focus predominantly on high-tech entrepreneurs. We develop a simple model in which the rewards from entrepreneurship are determined by the interaction of ability, the quality of the entrepreneurial idea, and experience in employment. As is consistent with the model, we find that the average return to entrepreneurship is positive, higher paid workers are more likely to become entrepreneurs, especially at younger ages, and greater pre-entry labor market experience is associated with longer tenure but lower earnings in entrepreneurship.
Keynesian Dynamics and the Wage-Price Spiral. Estimating and Analyzing a Baseline Disequilibrium Approach

In this paper, we reformulate the theoretical baseline DAS-AD model of Asada, Chen, Chiarella and Flaschel (2004) to allow for its somewhat simplified empirical estimation. The model now exhibits a Taylor interest rate rule in the place of an LM curve and a dynamic IS curve and dynamic employment adjustment. It is based on sticky wages and prices, perfect foresight of current inflation rates and adaptive expectations concerning the inflation climate in which the economy is operating. The implied nonlinear 6D model of real markets disequilibrium dynamics avoids striking anomalies of the old Neoclassical synthesis and can be usefully compared with the model of the new Neoclassical Synthesis when the latter is based on both staggered prices and wages. It exhibits typical Keynesian feedback structures with asymptotic stability of its steady state for low adjustment speeds and with cyclical loss of stability -- by way of Hopf bifurcations -- when certain adjustment speeds are made sufficiently large. In the second part we provide system estimates of the equations of the model in order to study its stability features based on empirical parameter estimates with respect to its various feedback channels. Based on these estimates we find that the dynamics is strongly convergent around the steady state, but will loose this feature if the inflationary climate variable adjusts sufficiently fast. We also study to which extent more active interest rate feedback rules or downward wage rigidity can stabilize the dynamics in the large when the steady state is made locally repelling by a faster adjustment of inflationary expectations. We find support for the orthodox view that (somewhat restricted) money wage flexibility is the most important stabilizer in this framework, while monetary policy should allow for sufficient steady state inflation in order to avoid stability problems in areas of the phase space where wages are still not very flexible in a downward direction
Regional Integration and Intra-Industry Trade in Manufactures between Thailand and Other APEC Countries

This article investigates the impact of regional integration on intra-industry trade in manufactures between Thailand and other APEC countries. The study uses pooled cross-sectional and time-series data spanning the period 1980–1999 at a 3-digit Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) level. After accounting for trade imbalance and following Thailand's entry into APEC, intra-industry trade in manufactures between Thailand and countries in Oceania and America decreased, while trade with other Asian countries grew marginally. Results indicate that, in the post APEC era, trade openness stimulated increased intra-industry trade levels with countries in Northeast and Southeast Asia, but decreased trade with countries in America.