Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Garlic and Curcumin on the Hepatic Histology and Cytochrome P450 Gene Expression of Aflatoxicosis Oreochromis niloticus Using RT-PCR

Aflatoxin B1 is one of the most important mycotoxins due to its hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects on some fishes. This study was conducted to investigate the defensive role of curcumin and garlic on phase I of the biotransformation system in the liver of aflatoxicosis in Oreochromis niloticus in relation to the therapeutic properties by studying hepatic histopathology and cytochrome P450-CYP1A gene expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Although varieties of methods have been used for gene expression quantification and are still used today, real-time RT-PCR method has achieved prominence in recent years. One hundred and eighty (180) fish were equally divided into 10 groups. T1 was the negative control; fish in T2 were injected intraperitonealy (IP) with AFB1 at a rate of 6 mg kg B.W. and fed on a basal diet. Groups T3-T6 were fed with garlic (T3 & T4) and curcumin (T5 & T6) at 10 & 20 g kg diet, respectively. Groups T7-T10 injected IP with AFB1 and fed on both garlic and curcumin at the different concentrations (10 & 20 g kg diet). AFB1 reduced the HSI values in aflatoxicosis fish. Feeding a low dose of garlic led to significant improvement in the HSI values. Histologically, hepatic lesions were observed in the AFB1 injected groups; damage was reduced when fish were fed on garlic and curcumin diets at a concentration 10 g kg. The highest induction of CYP1A expression was observed in the curcumin groups followed by AFB1. The over expression of CYP1A in T2 was alleviated by the garlic. Therefore, it was found that garlic enhances the detoxification of AFB1 through the suppression of CYP1A in the liver.
The Potential of Non-Invasive Biochemical Testing Late Post-transplant in Prediction of Declining Kidney Allograft Function

Identification of kidney transplant recipients at risk for allograft failure late posttransplant is an unmet demand. Our aim was to determine the capacity of serum beta-2- microglobulin (2MG), serum and urinary interleukins (IL-2, IL-10 and IL-8) and enzymes (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and N-acetyl-β-Dhexosaminidase [NAG]) in the late posttransplant period to predict a deterioration of kidney allograft function. Several non-invasive biomarkers predicted certain (serum 2MG, urinary IL-2 and AST), and rapid (urinary IL-2 and AST) drop of glomerular filtration rate over two years. We are standing on underestimated potential of non-invasive biochemical testing in kidney transplant setting.
BALANCE POSTURAL ASSESSMENTS AND FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY IN SUBJECTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

INTRODUCTION: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) affects joint cartilage causing pain, musculoskeletal and proprioceptive disorder that may favor the occurrence of postural balance disorders during activities of daily living. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical variables, the balance profile and the functional mobility of subjects with KOA with and without a history of falls. METHODS: Sixty-four women, 50 to 75 years of age, were separated into three different groups: KOAF group (18 subjects with KOA and previous history of falls); KOANF (24 subjects with KOA and no previous history of falls) and control group CG (22 healthy subjects). The Womac questionnaire was used to analyze functional disability. For the functional evaluation of the balance, two instruments were used, the Berg’s Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). For static balance evaluation, was used the stabilization diffusion analysis method (SDA) and analysis of the balance stabilizer of center of pressure (COP). RESULTS: It was evidenced that the BBS and WOMAC scores were significantly lower for the KOA group. The functional evaluation of the balance showed that the TUG test time and BBS score were significantly lower in subjects with KOA than in CG. The KOA groups (KOAF and KOANF) presented a greater displacement of the COP, anterior-posterior (AP) direction, and ellipse area than CG, in the closed-eyes condition. The KOAF group showed higher average speed of COP than CG. In the analysis of stabilogram diffusion, for both visual conditions, the KOA groups presented higher values in the short-term interval, long-term interval and critical point position than CG in the AP direction. CONCLUSION: The results imply that subjects with KOA, regardless of the previous history of falls, show a deficit of balance, increasing the risk of falls in this population.
Hearing Aid Noise Reduction Algorithms and the Acquisition of Novel Speech Contrasts by Young Children Algorithmes de réduction du bruit dans les appareils auditifs et acquisition de contrastes nouveaux de la parole chez les jeunes enfants

A previous study by the authors concluded that digital noise reduction (DNR) does not have an infl uence on the acquisition of a second language in adults. On the basis of results from adult subjects, it was inferred that DNR is not likely to infl uence language acquisition in pre-verbal infants. The present study serves as an update to determine whether the tasks being modeled could be conducted with younger participants of 4- and 5-years of age, and whether similar results would be found. Two groups of normal-hearing, monolingual English-speaking children were presented with noise-embedded Hindi speech contrasts that were diffi cult to discriminate. One group listened to both speech items and noise processed with DNR while the other group listened to unprocessed speech in noise. To ensure task appropriateness, these results were also compared to measures from a third group composed of Hindi-speaking children of the same age. Results indicated that Hindi-speaking children performed better than English-speaking children, confi rming age-appropriateness of the cross-language task, but that DNR did not enhance nor impair the acquisition of novel speech contrasts by young listeners. Abrege
In silico and in vitro cytotoxic effect of prodigiosin-conjugated silver nanoparticles on liver cancer cells ( HepG 2 )

This study demonstrates a novel approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) using prodigiosin pigment isolated from Serratia marcescens. It further investigates the influence of various parameters such as initial pH, temperature, silver nitrate (AgNO3) concentration, and prodigiosin concentration on stability and optical properties of synthesized prodigiosin AgNPs. Highly stable, spherical prodigiosin-conjugated AgNPs were synthesized with a mean diameter of 9.98 nm using a rapid one-step method. The cytotoxic activity investigated in the present study indicated that prodigiosin and prodigiosin-conjugated AgNPs possessed a strong cytotoxic potency against human liver cancer. The in silico molecular docking results of prodigiosin and prodigiosin-conjugated AgNPs are congruent with the in vitro studies and these AgNPs can be considered as good inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MEK kinases). The study opened the possibility of using prodigiosin-conjugated AgNPs to increase the efficiency of liver cancer treatment.
Capital Structure and Regulation: Do Ownership and Regulatory Independence Matter?

We construct a comprehensive panel data of 92 publicly traded European utilities over the period 1994-2005 in order to study the relationship between capital structure, regulated prices, and firm value, and examine if and how this interaction is affected by ownership structure and regulatory independence. We show that regulated firms in our sample tend to have a higher leverage if they are privately-controlled and if they are regulated by an independent regulatory agency. Moreover, we find that the leverage of these firms has a positive and significant effect on their regulated prices, but not vice versa, and it also has a positive and significant effect on their market values. Our results are consistent with the theory that privately-controlled firms use leverage strategically to shield themselves against regulatory opportunism.
Minimum length uncertainty relations for a dark energy Universe

We introduce a dark energy-modified minimum length uncertainty relation (DE-MLUR) or dark energy uncertainty principle (DE-UP) for short. The new relation is structurally similar to the MLUR introduced by K{\' a}rolyh{\' a}zy (1968), and reproduced by Ng and van Dam (1994) using alternative arguments, but with a number of important differences. These include a dependence on the de Sitter horizon, which may be expressed in terms of the cosmological constant as $l_{\rm dS} \sim 1/\sqrt{\Lambda}$. Applying the DE-UP to both charged and neutral particles, we obtain estimates of two limiting mass scales, expressed in terms of the fundamental constants $\left\{G,c,\hbar,\Lambda, e\right\}$. Evaluated numerically, the charged particle limit corresponds to the order of magnitude value of the electron mass ($m_e$), while the neutral particle limit is consistent with current experimental bounds on the mass of the electron neutrino ($m_{\nu_e}$). Possible cosmological consequences of the DE-UP are briefly discussed and we note that these lead naturally to a holographic relation between the bulk and the boundary of the Universe, which strongly implies {\it time-variation} of the ratio $e^2/m_e$. Low and high energy regimes in which dark energy effects may dominate canonical quantum behaviour at the present epoch are identified and the possibility of testing the model using table-top measurements of partial decoherence is briefly discussed.
La relación profesor-alumno y la comunicación en Facebook: percepciones de los alumnos

La relacion profesoralumno es crucial para un aprendizaje y una ensenanza exitosos. Actualmente, la comunicacion entre alumnos y profesores –factor esencial que facilita estas relaciones– sucede a traves de las redes sociales. En la presente investigacion examinamos las asociaciones entre la relacion alumnoprofesor y la comunicacion alumnoprofesor mediatizada por las redes sociales. La muestra incluyo a alumnos israelies de educacion media y secundaria de 1219 anos de edad (n=667). Se comparo la relacion alumnoprofesor entre subgrupos de alumnos de acuerdo al tipo de conexion con sus profesores en Facebook (o la falta de conexion), sus actitudes hacia la prohibicion de conexion por Facebook con los profesores, y sus percepciones acerca del uso de Facebook para el aprendizaje. Con respecto a las actitudes de los alumnos en relacion a la prohibicion de comunicacion alumnoprofesor via redes sociales, asi como el uso del Facebook para estudiar, encontramos diferencias significativas en tres grupos de alumnos: aquellos que no se interesan por conectarse con sus profesores en Facebook, aquellos que se conectan con sus profesores en Facebook, y aquellos que no estan conectados con sus profesores, pero que desean hacerlo. Encontramos asociaciones significativas en la relacion alumnoprofesor y la comunicacion alumnoprofesor mediatizada por Facebook. En esta ultima existe una brecha entre las expectativas del alumno y la experiencia practica. La clave para cerrar esa brecha se basa en las normas y la implementacion efectiva.
Projecting World Food Demand - a Comparison of Alternative Demand Systems /доклад на 10 конгрессе ЕААЕ, Exploring Diversity in the European Agri-Food System, Zaragoza, Spain, 28-31 August 2002

Projections of world food demands hinge critically on the underlying functional form used to predict future demands. Simple functional forms can lead to unrealistic projections by failing to capture changes in income elasticities of demand as consumer becomes wealthier. This paper compares several demand systems in the projection of disaggregated food demand across a wide range of countries with different income levels using a global general equilibrium model. We find that the recently introduced AIDADS system represents a substantial improvement over existing demand systems currently in use in CGE modeling. In particular, our projection results show that for relatively poor regions experiencing rapid income growth, the widely used LES and CDE demand systems tend to over-predict growth in consumer demand, and hence import and output requirements for food products and under-predict that for non-food products, compared to the AIDADS system. On the other hand, for high-income regions with modest income growth, the choice of functional form is less critical.
On a radius problem concerning a class of close-to-convex functions

The problem of estimating the radius of starlikeness of various classes of closeto-convex functions has attracted a certain number of mathematicians involved in geometric function theory ([7], volume 2, chapter 13). Lewandowski [11] has shown that normalized closeto-convex functions are starlike in the disc |z| < 4 √ 2 − 5. Krzyz [10] gave an example of a function f(z) = z + ∑∞ n=2 anz , non-starlike in the unit disc D, and belonging to the class H = {f | f ′(D) lies in the right half-plane. } More generally let H∗ = {f | f ′(D) lies in some half-plane not containing 0. } To the best of our knowledge, the radii of starlikeness of both H and H∗ are still unknown, in spite of the fact that corresponding extremal functions can be described in a relatively simple way (by using, for example, Ruscheweyh’s duality theory [15]). This paper is a survey of recent results concerning the radius of starlikeness of K = {f ∈ H | |f ′(z)− 1| < 1, z ∈ D}.
Disclosures and Judgment in Financial Reporting - Essays on accounting quality under International Financial Reporting Standards

As capital markets become more integrated and globalized, standard setting in financial accounting faces multiple challenges. Financial accounting standards must adapt and change in ways that make them usable to firms in varying institutional and economic settings, and by extension, make the financial state- ments produced under those standards useful to capital market participants worldwide. A question that arises is how to ensure corporate transparency and faithfully represented financial reports, and whether principles-based|rather than rules-based|standards are superior in this context. Two areas of particu- lar interest to standard setters are mandatory disclosures made within the scope of the standards, and judgments and estimates required by financial statement preparers when standards are predominantly principles-based. This thesis investigates quality implications of features pertaining to three dif- ferent accounting standards: IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements , IAS 19 Employee Benefits and IFRS 9 Financial Instruments . The underlying aim is to draw conclusions about effects on accounting usefulness of the various ac- counting methods and disclosure and recognition rules prescribed by these stan- dards. The rationale for this type of research can be derived from the IASB's own requirements that a post-implementation review (PIR) be executed when- ever significant financial reporting changes are introduced by a new or revised standard. The studies carried out within the scope of this thesis show that in accounting for certain discretionary items related to employee benefits, there appears to be improvements in transparency as firms are required by the amended IAS 19 to move previously off-balance-sheet items onto the balance sheet, thus for- mally recognizing them rather than merely disclosing them in the supplementary notes. Further, evidence on disclosures made in accordance with IAS 1 points to comparability issues and to the disclosures being of varying quality, with ac- counting outcomes being contingent on the individual firm's contextual factors. This indicates that the principles-based disclosure standards that are currently favored by standard setters do not work as well as expected. Meanwhile, as regards estimation of credit losses in banks, there is evidence to support the current move towards a more principles-based standard (IFRS 9), provided that there is enforcement of adequate quality.
Privatization, Foreign Acquisition, and Firm Performance: A New Empirical Methodology and Its Application to Hungary

This study examines the effects of ownership transformation from the state to the private sector on firm performance in the post-privatization period using annual census-type data of Hungarian enterprises for the early 2000s. The empirical methodology designed to overcome the data limitations arising from an insufficient observation period effectively captured restructuring efforts by new owners and company managers and provided strong empirical evidence of the close relationship between ownership transformation and firm performance
MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF GREATER COMPETITION IN THE SERVICE SECTOR: THE CASE OF ITALY

In this paper we assess the effects of increasing competition in the service sector in one country of the euro area. We focus on Italy, which, based on cross-country comparisons, stands out as the country with the highest markups in nonmanufacturing industries among the OECD countries. We propose a two-region (Italy and the rest of the euro area) dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model where we introduce nontradable goods as a proxy for services and we allow for monopolistic competition in labor, manufacturing, and services markets. We then use the model to simulate the macroeconomic and spillover effects of increasing the degree of competition in the Italian services sector. According to the results, reducing the markups in services to the levels prevailing in the rest of the euro area induces in the long run an increase in Italian GDP equal to 11% and an increase in welfare (measured in terms of steady state consumption equivalents) of about 3.5%. Half of the GDP increase would be realized in the first three years. The spillover effects to the rest of the euro area are limited: consumption, investment, and GDP increases are relatively small.
Production of Motorcycle Anti-crash Helmet Shell from Composite Reinforced with Male Flower Bunch Stalk Fibre of Elaeis Guineensis

The use of natural fibres in polymer reinforcement has gained serious attention due the fact that they are biodegradable and possess qualities similar to synthetic fibres. Chemical treatments have been successfully used to improve the qualities and performance of natural fibres. This has made natural fibre reinforced polymer gain wide applications in the production of structural componentd. In this work anti-crash helmet was fabricated using the male flower bunch stalk fibre of elaeis guineensis treated with 5% concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and unsaturated polyester as binder. Hand lay-up method of casting composites was used for helmet fabrication process. Standard test samples were fabricated using same formulation and analysed for water absorption, physical and mechanical properties that included tensile strength, hardness, impact strength and modulus. The mechanical performance of treated reinforcement fibres and composite were determined and the results obtained were compared with past literature. The result showed that chemical treatment greatly improved the mechanical properties, hydrophobic and chemical stabilities of the natural fibres and made them more suitable for the application. Composites reinforced with 20% male flower bunch stalk fibre of oil palm (elaeis guineensis) gave the optimum performance in terms of tested properties of helmet. The composite formulation was also observed to have high potentials for production of related engineering components like car bumper, dash board, military and industrial safety helmets.
Bioethanol Production by Immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae using Different Lignocellulosic Materials

Ethanol from biomass is an attractive and sustainable energy source for transportation fuel to substitute gasoline. Second generation ethanol production utilizes cheaper and non-food feed stocks like lignocelluloses or municipal solid waste. This, could make ethanol more competitive to fossil fuels. The aim of the present study is the production of low cost ethanol using the agro wastes like tomato waste and wheat straw and make a comparison between the efficiency of free and immobilized yeast cells in calcium alginate beads with microwave-assisted acidic pretreatment of the lignocellulosic materials. We have investigated the efficiency of immobilization technique for bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolate which isolated from yogurt. This isolate was identified according to morphological and biochemical characterization tests. Microwave-assisted acidic pretreatment was performed for both wheat straw and tomato waste and show high improvement (45%) in glucose sugar amount compared with conventional mode of heating of dilute 7% HCl or 5% H2SO4 hydrolysis. Calcium alginate was used as immobilization matrix for S. cerevisiae. The best calcium alginate concentration was 3% and 4 % for reference and isolated yeast respectively. The immobilization technique gave higher ethanol yield compared with free system for tomato waste but lower yield with wheat straw. The maximum amount of ethanol (641mg/g) produced by free cells when used pretreated straw with microwave-assisted 5%H2SO4 hydrolysis and (543.5 mg/g) for tomato waste using immobilized cells with microwave-assisted 7%HCl hydrolysis.
ON-LINE IDENTIFICATION OF CONGENITAL AMUSIA

RECENTLY, WE POINTED OUT THAT A SMALL number of individuals fail to acquire basic musical abilities, and that these deficiencies might have neuronal and genetic underpinnings. Such a musical disorder is now termed "congenital amusia," an umbrella term for lifelong musical disabilities that cannot be attributed to mental retardation, deafness, or lack of exposure. Congenital amusia is a condition that is estimated to affect 4% of the general population. Despite this relatively high prevalence, cases of congenital amusia have been difficult to identify.We present here a novel on-line test that can be used to identify such cases in 15 minutes, provided that the cohort of the participant is taken into account. The results also confirm that congenital amusia is typically expressed by a deficit in perceiving musical pitch but not musical time.