Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active-Learning Processes Used in US Pharmacy Education

Objective. To document the type and extent of active-learning techniques used in US colleges and schools of pharmacy as well as factors associated with use of these techniques. Methods. A survey instrument was developed to assess whether and to what extent active learning was used by faculty members of US colleges and schools of pharmacy. This survey instrument was distributed via the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mailing list. Results. Ninety-five percent (114) of all US colleges and schools of pharmacy were represented with at least 1 survey among the 1179 responses received. Eighty-seven percent of respondents used active-learning techniques in their classroom activities. The heavier the teaching workload the more active-learning strategies were used. Other factors correlated with higher use of active-learning strategies included younger faculty member age (inverse relationship), lower faculty member rank (inverse relationship), and departments that focused on practice, clinical and social, behavioral, and/or administrative sciences. Conclusions. Active learning has been embraced by pharmacy educators and is used to some extent by the majority of US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Future research should focus on how active-learning methods can be used most effectively within pharmacy education, how it can gain even broader acceptance throughout the academy, and how the effect of active learning on programmatic outcomes can be better documented.
Influence of Postharvest Application with Chitosan and some Natural Plant Extracts on Storage Life and Quality Attributes of Navel Orange Fruits during Cold Storage

Chitosan and some natural plant extracts were tested to maintain post harvest quality of Navel orange. The treatments included control (distilled water), chitosan at 2% and three aqueous plants extracts namely; olive water at 4%, rosemary at 4% and lemongrass at 3%. The fruits were stored for 12 weeks at 5±1°C and 90% RH during two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016. Fruits evaluated every 3 weeks to determine the changes in fruit quality characteristics during cold storage. Results indicated that all treatments helped to minimize the deterioration of quality Navel orange in all stored periods of cold storage. All treatments decreased weight loss, decay and delayed the changes in percentage of juice, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, carotene content and vitamin C compared with untreated fruits especially rosemary extract at 4% exhibited the best results in preserving fruit quality during the storage, thus prolongs postharvest shelf life during shipping and marketing also safe on human health and environmental.
The stateof the art ofmembraneprotein structure prediction : from sequence to 3 D structure

Membrane proteins constitute a very large set of yet-to-be characterized proteins mediating all the relevant life-related functions both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Estimates are suggesting that in whole genomes the content of this protein type may vary from 10 to 40% of the whole proteome, depending on the organism. As to present (and this may change on time) wemay browse data bases and find out that the number of protein sequences is 6,000,000 (in the Non Redundant data base [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/]); that sequences annotated as “membrane protein” are 45,281 in Swiss-Prot (http://expasy.org/sprot/ where the annotation is manually curated), and that atomic structures of membrane proteins are 281 in the Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/, PDB). And then the question is how many membrane proteins are out there, to be still annotated and characterized among the many millions of putative protein sequences in the genomes that are in the process of being/will be sequenced? Indeed we do not yet know how many species are presently present in our planet. We may consider a rough average of 30% of membrane proteins per genome (as derived from sequence similarity search) and end up with an approximate number of about 2,000,000 membrane proteins in the data bases. We can then easily evaluate that less that 0.6% of membrane proteins are annotated and that 0.001% of all the membrane protein sequences are known with atomic resolution. Why is this the case, when so many globular proteins are known with atomic resolution? Membrane proteins are difficult to study. They are inserted into lipid bilayers surrounding the cell and its sub-compartments, and expose to the polar outer
Analysis of Power Spectral Density of Digitally-Modulated Combined Pulse Trains

OFDM, a mutlicarrier modulation technique, is widely adopted because of its many advantages. Most of the time, in-band spectrum of the multicarrier signal is assumed to be flat. A recent literature analyzes the PSD and concludes that the assumption of flat spectrum is not completely correct. This paper analyzes the PSD with different approach. The modulated carriers are cropped in an interval of symbol length and viewed as a modulated pulse. An expression for the PSD with the necessary and sufficient conditions is revealed. The validity of the flat PSD assumption of multicarrier signals is also suggested.
Estimation of Mucosal Inflammatory Mediators in Rat DSS-Induced Colitis

In order to investigate the mucosal injury mechanism in UC, we made dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rat and examined pathological findings, MPO activity, PGE2 level, and local mRNA expression and secretion of IL-1β, TNF-α, GRO/CINC-1 and IL-10 in DSS colitis mucosa. Moreover, we estimated the correlation between the severity of mucosal damage and changes of these local inflammatory mediators’ values. Neutrophil infiltration was marked and MPO activity was locally increased in proportion to the severity of mucosal damage. The mRNA expression and secretion of IL-1β, GRO/CINC-1 and IL-10 were increased. Especially, the secretions of IL-1β and GRO/CINC-1 were increased in proportion to the severity of mucosal damage. However, those of TNF-α were not increased in the colitis mucosa. An abnormal macrophage function and the presence of macrophage subtypes producing different cytokines would be predicted from our TNF-α data. The lesion was less severe in the colonic mucosa with higher levels of endogenous PGE2, while it was more severe in the colonic mucosa with lower levels of endogenous PGE2, implicating this compound as an inhibitory factor against the development of inflammation in the affected mucosa. Our results suggest that PGE2 might have therapeutic applicability to UC.
Remember the small giants - Occupational exposure and characterization of aerosol particles

BACKGROUND: Exposure to airborne particles in occupational environments can lead to both acute and long-term health effects in humans. To date, particle exposure limits in the air are typically given in terms of mass concentrations. But by only using mass concentration to characterize particles means there is a risk that other relevant characteristics, such as particle size and composition are concealed. This is argued to be the case for exposure to engineered nanoparticles (ENP), which are particles tailored to possess unique properties. The aim of this thesis is to provide knowledge to improve the characterization and risk assessments of particle emissions in selected occupational environments. METHODS: 1) In a diesel exhaust exposure chamber study, several techniques were combined to determine a wide range of particle characteristics, including particle number, surface, mass, chemistry and morphology. 2) In a hairdresser exposure chamber study, the emissions of particles and persulfate salts during hair bleaching were characterized. 3) In two field studies, the emissions of ENPs in two different production facilities were characterized by filter sampling and by direct reading instruments. A laser vaporization aerosol mass spectrometer (LV-AMS) was used for both selective sampling of emitted particles based on their composition, and for in-situ analysis of ENPs inside the production line. RESULTS: 1) If diesel exhaust particles are assumed to be spherical, the estimated particle mass concentration from number concentration was overestimated by 261% compared to if their aggregated structures were considered. 2) During the application of hair bleaching, large particles (> 10 µm) were emitted from both bleach powder that was classified as dust-free and powder that was not. 3) Particles emitted during the maintenance of ENP production equipment were predominantly highly agglomerated with nanostructured surfaces, consisting of nanoparticles grown together to larger scales (> 1 µm). With the LV-AMS, emissions were correlated to specific particle types and interferences from background particles could be avoided. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to compare different diesel exhaust exposure studies will increase if methods are utilized that allow the characterization of particle size, shape, morphology and chemistry and that include different concentration metrics. Exposure assessments of ENP production facilities and hairdresser salons should include methods for coarse particle sampling. LV-AMS is a promising method for selective sampling of emitted particles in occupational environments, and for in-situ analysis of particle production. But the LV-AMS’s cost efficiency, practicality, and capability to sample coarse particles need to be extended. Accurate exposure assessments should cover a wide particle size range in order to find the nanoparticles that hide in the form of bigger particles.
Interactıons of Osteocalcin , Adiponectin , Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Insulin Resistance in Polycystic Ovary 20 Syndrome

Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) seems to be main pathogenic factor in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) are important in IR. 55 The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations of osteocalcin, adiponectin, and TNF-α with IR in PCOS. Materials and methods: A total of 60 women were divided into two groups. First group was constituted from 44 PCOS patients and control group was constituted from 16 healthy women. Osteocalcine, adiponectin, TNF-α levels, body mass index (BMI), and IR in the fasting state 60 were assessed and correlations of these parameters were evaluated. Results: Homestasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR, adiponectin, osteocalcin and androstenedione levels were significantly increased in PCOS group. Moderate positive correlation between BMI and HOMA-IR, moderate negative correlation between TNF-α and osteocalcin and mild negative correlation between adiponectin and BMI were detected in PCOS. 65 Conclusion: Osteocalcin may have impact on adiponectin, TNF-α and IR levels in PCOS. Different osteocalcin levels in PCOS patients may be responsible for explaining PCOS heterogeneity.
The Effects of Salinity and Methyl Jasmonate on Some Morphological Traits of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Salinity stress is among the major barriers to plant production in many parts of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Jasmonates are one of the newest plant growth regulators that reduce the damages caused by environmental stresses. In this study, the effects of salinity and methyl jasmonate on some morphological traits of chamomile including root and shoot lengths, fresh weights and dry weights were evaluated. Seeds were planted in green house in pots as a completely randomized design with three pots as replications for each treatment. Plants were treated with 100 and 200 mM concentrations of salt at the four-leaf phase for six days alternately. Methyl jasmonate was sprayed on plants at concentrations of 0.01-0.1 μm/l along with salinity treatments which was continued for 6 hours. Salinity and methyl jasmonate reduced stem length. Salinity reduced dry and fresh weights in proportion to control group. But methyl jasmonate improved the effects of salinity. Growth study of root and shoot in seedlings showed salinity effects and reduction in weights. Increased dry and fresh weights of treated plants in proportion to control group showed the protective effect of methyl
Understanding the limitations of the Swedish method of slices from the stress perspective

Swedish method of slices is widely taught in many soil mechanics courses to analyze the slope stability. From the literatures, two different equations are used to define the factor of safety by the Swedish method in the effective stress analysis. The difference lies in the effective normal stress at the base of the slices, which is derived by decomposing either the total weight or the effective weight of the slices. However, the physical assumptions underlying the two equations are not clearly explained in many soil mechanics textbooks. This paper revisits the Swedish method by conducting a stress analysis at the base of a slice, from which the assumptions and limitations of the two equations are discussed. The results show that Swedish method is only suitable to analyze the infinite slope. One of equations is valid for the uniform seepage condition and the other one is suitable for the hydrostatic condition. Besides, the computed factors of safety by both equations have greater discrepancies than those predicted by the simplified Bishop method. RÉSUMÉ On enseigne la méthode suédoise de tranches dans beaucoup de cours de mécanique de sol à analyser la stabilité de pente. Des literatures, deux équations différentes sont employées pour définir le facteur de la sûreté par la méthode suédoise dans l'analyse de contrainte effective. La différence se situe dans la contrainte effective normale à la base des tranches, qui est dérivée en décomposant le poids ou le poids effectif des tranches. Cependant, les prétentions physiques étant à la base des deux équations ne sont pas clairement expliquées dans les nombreux manuels de mécanique de sol. Ce article revisite la méthode suédoise en réalisant une analyse de contrainte à la base d'une tranche, de laquelle les prétentions et les limitations des deux équations sont discutées. Les résultats prouvent que la méthode suédoise est seulement appropriée pour analyser la pente infinie. Une des équations est valide pour l'état uniforme de fuite et l'autre convient à l'état hydrostatique. En outre, les facteurs de la sûreté calculés par les deux équations ont de plus grandes anomalies que ceux prévues par la méthode simplifiée de Bishop.
Pay Me Later: A Simple Employer-based Saving Scheme

Workers in developing countries often lack good savings options. We study a no-frills employer-based savings technology that piggybacks on existing payroll infrastructure to provide a safe and convenient savings method. Partnering with an agricultural employer in Malawi, we randomize offers to defer part of worker wages for three months, at zero interest, and receive a lump sum payout at the end of the main season. We find that this savings product has high initial take-up, high usage, and high repeat take-up. Take-up of the product changes behavior and outcomes: total savings increase over the deferral period, as does labor supply. Large purchases increase immediately after the payout, and asset holdings are higher three months later. We show that the seasonal timing is not crucial for take-up. Similarly, restrictions on access to savings has limited impact on take-up at the margin. In contrast, disbursing savings in a lump sum and automatic regular deductions are key ingredients for the product’s success.
Motivating Supplier Social Responsibility under Incomplete Visibility

Problem definition: We examine how a profit-driven firm (she) can motivate better social responsibility (SR) practices by a supplier (he) when these practices cannot be perfectly observed by the firm. We focus on the firm’s investment in the supplier’s SR capabilities. To capture the influence of consumer demands, we incorporate the potential for SR information to be disclosed by the firm or revealed by a third party. Academic/practical relevance: Most firms have limited visibility into the SR practices of their suppliers. However, there is little research on how a firm under incomplete visibility should (i) invest to improve a supplier’s SR practices and (ii) disclose SR information to consumers. We address this gap. Methodology: We develop a game-theoretic model with asymmetric information to study a supply chain with one supplier and one firm. The firm makes her investment decision given incomplete information about the supplier’s current SR practices. We analyze and compare two settings: the firm does not disclose versus she discloses SR information to the consumers. Results: The firm should invest a high (low) amount in the supplier’s capabilities if the information she observes suggests the supplier’s current SR practices are poor (good). She should always be more aggressive with her investment when disclosing (versus not disclosing). This more aggressive strategy ensures better supplier SR practices under disclosure. When choosing between disclosing and not disclosing, the firm most likely prefers not to disclose when the supplier’s current SR practices seem to be average. Managerial implications: (i) Greater visibility helps the firm to better tailor her investment to the level of support needed. (ii) Better visibility also makes the firm more “truthful” in her disclosure, whereas increased third-party scrutiny makes her more “cautious. ” (iii) Mandating disclosure is most beneficial for SR when the suppliers’ current practices seem to be average.
Agricultural Productivity Shocks and Poverty in India: The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Monsoon Rainfall

This paper examines the dynamic effects of monsoon rainfall shocks on yield, wages, and prices in the Indian agricultural sector. We distinguish between positive and negative rainfall shocks and explicitly consider their spatial dimension (local/regional). We find that particularly negative regional shocks exert adverse effects. The enormous drop in agricultural yield is short-lived, but elicits a persistent decline (increase) in wages (food prices). Negative local shocks affect only wages, but not prices. This indicates that, in the food market, intra-regional trading mitigates the impact of local shocks. However, in the labour market, the arbitrage mechanism through migration appears substantially weaker.
Influence of dose calculation algorithms on the predicted dose distribution and NTCP values for NSCLC patients.

PURPOSE To investigate differences in calculated doses and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values between different dose algorithms. METHODS Six dose algorithms from four different treatment planning systems were investigated: Eclipse AAA, Oncentra MasterPlan Collapsed Cone and Pencil Beam, Pinnacle Collapsed Cone and XiO Multigrid Superposition, and Fast Fourier Transform Convolution. Twenty NSCLC patients treated in the period 2001-2006 at the same accelerator were included and the accelerator used for treatments were modeled in the different systems. The treatment plans were recalculated with the same number of monitor units and beam arrangements across the dose algorithms. Dose volume histograms of the GTV, PTV, combined lungs (excluding the GTV), and heart were exported and evaluated. NTCP values for heart and lungs were calculated using the relative seriality model and the LKB model, respectively. Furthermore, NTCP for the lungs were calculated from two different model parameter sets. Calculations and evaluations were performed both including and excluding density corrections. RESULTS There are found statistical significant differences between the calculated dose to heart, lung, and targets across the algorithms. Mean lung dose and V20 are not very sensitive to change between the investigated dose calculation algorithms. However, the different dose levels for the PTV averaged over the patient population are varying up to 11%. The predicted NTCP values for pneumonitis vary between 0.20 and 0.24 or 0.35 and 0.48 across the investigated dose algorithms depending on the chosen model parameter set. The influence of the use of density correction in the dose calculation on the predicted NTCP values depends on the specific dose calculation algorithm and the model parameter set. For fixed values of these, the changes in NTCP can be up to 45%. CONCLUSIONS Calculated NTCP values for pneumonitis are more sensitive to the choice of algorithm than mean lung dose and V20 which are also commonly used for plan evaluation. The NTCP values for heart complication are, in this study, not very sensitive to the choice of algorithm. Dose calculations based on density corrections result in quite different NTCP values than calculations without density corrections. It is therefore important when working with NTCP planning to use NTCP parameter values based on calculations and treatments similar to those for which the NTCP is of interest.
[1‐13C]Glucose Metabolism in the Tumoral and Nontumoral Cerebral Tissue of a Glioma‐Bearing Rat

Abstract: C6 cells were used to establish a glioma‐bearing rat model by stereotaxic injection in the left caudate nucleus. The tumor status was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging and conventional histology. The glioma‐bearing rats were infused for 1 h with a [1‐13C]glucose solution. Perchloric acid extracts of the tumor and the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres were analyzed by 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. The 13C‐labeling patterns in compounds, mainly amino acids, indicated no drastic modification of carbon metabolism in both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, as compared with control rats, whereas profound metabolic differences between brain tissue and tumor were observed. Glutamine C4 enrichment was lower in the glioma than in the brain [mean ± SD values, 5.4 ± 2.3 (n = 5) and 15.0 ± 0.8% (n = 10), respectively] and also lower than the glutamate C4 enrichment in the glioma (mean ± SD value, 22.6 ± 4.2%; n = 5), indicating that tumor glutamine was neither synthesized inside the glioma nor taken up from the surrounding brain. The glutamine C4 enrichment in the serum (6.7 ± 0.5%; n = 10) suggested that the glioma imported glutamine from the blood, a process probably connected with angiogenesis.
Anxiety- and depression-like behavior are correlated with leptin and leptin receptor expression in prefrontal cortex of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract Anxiety and depression are common in diabetics. Diabetes also may cause reduced leptin levels in the blood. We investigated the relation between diabetes induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior, and leptin and leptin receptor expression levels in diabetic rats. The anxiety- and depression-like behaviors of rats were assessed 4 weeks after intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats exhibited greater anxiety-like behavior; they spent more time in closed branches of the elevated plus maze test and less time in the center cells of the open field arena. Increased depression-like behavior was observed in diabetic rats using the Porsolt swim test. Prefrontal cortex (PFC), blood leptin levels and PFC neuron numbers were decreased, and leptin receptor expression and apoptosis were increased in diabetic rats. Blood corticosterone levels also were increased in diabetic rats. These results indicate that reduction of leptin up-regulates leptin receptor expression and may affect PFC neurons, which eventually triggers anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in diabetic rats.