Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical constituents and biological activities of Albizia myriophylla wood

Abstract Context: Albizia myriophylla Benth (Leguminosae) is a medicinal plant widely used in Thailand and other Asian countries as a folk medicine remedy for many ailments. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the chemical compositions, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of A. myriophylla wood. Materials and methods: The structure identification of the isolated compounds was established using spectroscopic methods. In vitro antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus and the cytotoxicity against KB cells of extracts and compounds from A. myriophylla were performed using broth microdilution and resazurin microplate assays, respectively. The lupinifolin content in A. myriophylla extracts was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: A rare flavan-3,4-diol (1) together with eight known compounds (2–9) were isolated from the wood of A. myriophylla. Compounds 4–9 exhibited anti-S. mutans activity, of which lupinifolin (5) was the most potent with an MIC value of 0.98 µg/mL, followed by its dihydroxy derivative 4 with an MIC value of 62.5 µg/mL. Compounds 4 and 5 also displayed marked antibacterial activity against B. cereus and S. aureus (MIC value 15.63–125 µg/mL) and showed strong cytotoxic activity against KB cells (IC50 value 4.95–12.55 µg/mL). The lupinifolin contents in ethanol extracts from two different collections of this plant originating from central and southern Thailand were 93.85 and 0.04 mg/g, respectively. Conclusion: This is the first report of compounds 1–4 from A. myriophylla. Compounds 4 and 5 showed potent antibacterial and cytotoxic activities compared with other isolates. The anti-S. mutans activity of A. myriophylla extracts seems to be related to the lupinifolin content.
Exploring the molecular basis of adaptive evolution in hydrothermal vent crab Austinograea alayseae by transcriptome analysis

Elucidating the genetic mechanisms of adaptation to the hydrothermal vent in organisms at genomic level is significant for understanding the adaptive evolution process in the extreme environment. We performed RNA-seq on four different tissues of a vent crab species, Austinograea alayseae, producing 725,461 unigenes and 134,489 annotated genes. Genes related to sensory, circadian rhythm, hormone, hypoxia stress, metal detoxification and immunity were identified. It was noted that in the degenerated eyestalk, transcription of phototransduction related genes which are important for retinal function was greatly reduced; three crucial neuropeptide hormones, one molt-inhibiting and two crustacean hyperglycemic hormone precursors were characterized with conserved domains; hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and two novel isoforms of metallothioneins in the vent crabs were discovered. An analysis of 6,932 orthologs among three crabs A. alayseae, Portunus trituberculutus and Eriocheir sinensis revealed 19 positive selected genes (PSGs). Most of the PSGs were involved in immune responses, such as crustins and anti-lipopolysaccharide factor, suggesting their function in the adaptation to environment. The characterization of the first vent crab transcriptome provides abundant resources for genetic and evolutionary studies of this species, and paves the way for further investigation of vent adaptation process in crabs.
State of the Art on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture, Country data on energy consumption in different agroproduction sectors in the European countries

Energy efficiency is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. The general term "energy efficiency", when applied to agriculture, reflects changes in technology, governmental and EC policies – including the Common Agricultural Policy, climate change on a broad scale and local weather patterns, and farming management practices. There is not a single measure to describe, ensure, or improve energy efficiency. Instead, in the energy balance for a given production process, a variety of indicators may serve and support energy efficiency analysis. The results of this study are based on the specific input of primary energy per cultivation area (GJ ha-1) and on the specific input of primary energy per ton of agricultural product (GJ t-1). All the measures that are suitable to reduce the specific energy input, will improve energy efficiency (the energy efficiency measures). Improving energy efficiency of agricultural production contributes directly to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly carbon dioxide.
Facial Expressions and Ability to Recognize Emotions From Eyes or Mouth in Children

This research aims to contribute to the literature on the ability to recognize anger, happiness, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust and neutral emotions from facial information. By investigating children’s performance in detecting these emotions from a specific face region, we were interested to know whether children would show differences in recognizing these expressions from the upper or lower face, and if any difference between specific facial regions depended on the emotion in question. For this purpose, a group of 6-7 year-old children was selected. Participants were asked to recognize emotions by using a labeling task with three stimulus types (region of the eyes, of the mouth, and full face). The findings seem to indicate that children correctly recognize basic facial expressions when pictures represent the whole face, except for a neutral expression, which was recognized from the mouth, and sadness, which was recognized from the eyes. Children are also able to identify anger from the eyes as well as from the whole face. With respect to gender differences, there is no female advantage in emotional recognition. The results indicate a significant interaction ‘gender x face region’ only for anger and neutral emotions.
Shared additive genetic variation for alcohol dependence among subjects of African and European ancestry

Alcohol dependence (AD) affects individuals from all racial/ethnic groups, and previous research suggests that there is considerable variation in AD risk between and among various ancestrally defined groups in the United States. Although the reasons for these differences are likely due in part to contributions of complex sociocultural factors, limited research has attempted to examine whether similar genetic variation plays a role across ancestral groups. Using a pooled sample of individuals of African and European ancestry (AA/EA) obtained through data shared within the Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes, we estimated the extent to which additive genetic similarity for AD between AA and EAs using common single nucleotide polymorphisms overlapped across the two populations. AD was represented as a factor score by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual dependence criteria, and genetic data were imputed by using the 1000 Genomes Reference Panel. Analyses revealed a significant single nucleotide polymorphism‐based heritability of 17 percent (SE = 5) in EAs and 24 percent (SE = 15) in AAs. Further, a significant genetic correlation of 0.77 (SE = 0.46) suggests that the allelic architecture influencing the AD factor for EAs and AAs is largely similar across the two populations. Analyses indicated that investigating the genetic underpinnings of alcohol dependence in different ethnic groups may serve to highlight core etiological factors common to both groups and unique etiological factors specific to each ethnic group.
Analysis of the Determinants of Corporate Cash Holdings: Examples from Companies in Serbia

Abstract In this study, we aimed to analyse the empirical determinants of cash holdings on the sample of non-financial companies operating in the Republic of Serbia. For that purpose, dynamic panel data models were estimated by utilising the generalised method of moments for the period from 2008 to 2013. The econometric analysis indicates that companies with higher cash flow hold more cash in their assets. Larger companies as well as companies with more liquid assets and higher turnover coefficients tend to reduce their cash levels. According to the results, companies operating in the Republic of Serbia tend to hold the optimal level of cash and prefer internal sources of financing, which is in line with the principles of trade-off theory and pecking order theory.
Diet and Physical Activity in Restrained Eaters

Food choices, nutrient intakes, activity patterns and restrained eating scores were obtained from 249 normal-weight, young adults using self-reported questionnaires. Restrained eaters reported that they consumed more fat-free dairy products, fewer full-fat dairy products, fewer servings of fats and oils, less red meat and more fruits and vegetables than unrestrained eaters. In contrast to previous research, we found no overall difference in estimated daily energy intakes between restrained and unrestrained eaters, although there was a strong trend for restrained men to consume fewer calories per day. However, restrained eaters consumed less fat and more carbohydrate than unrestrained eaters. Restrained eaters in general were not more physically active than unrestrained eaters, but among the most active women, the restrained eaters were estimated to consume 13.3% less fat then the unrestrained eaters. This relationship was not observed in men. These data suggest that: (1) restrained eating influenced macronutrient composition in our respondents, but these effects were somewhat different in men and women; and (2) exercise played an important role in the dieting practices of restrained women but not restrained men. Examining only the food intakes of restrained women without considering their physical activity patterns may provide an incomplete picture of their dieting strategies.
Application of IATA – A case study in evaluating the global and local performance of a Bayesian network model for skin sensitization

Abstract The information characterizing key events in an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) can be generated from in silico, in chemico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. Integration of this information and interpretation for decision making are known as integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA). One such IATA was published by Jaworska et al., which describes a Bayesian network model known as ITS-2. The current work evaluated the performance of ITS-2 using a stratified cross-validation approach. We also characterized the impact of replacing the most significant component of the network, output from the expert system TIMES-SS, with structural alert information from the OECD Toolbox and Toxtree. Lack of structural alerts or TIMES-SS predictions yielded a sensitization potential prediction of 79%. If the TIMES-SS prediction was replaced by a structural alert indicator, the network predictivity increased up to 87%. The original network’s predictivity was 89%. The local applicability domain of the original ITS-2 network was also evaluated using reaction mechanistic domains to understand what types of chemicals ITS-2 was able to make the best predictions for. We found that the original network was successful at predicting which chemicals would be sensitizers, but not at predicting their potency.
Autophagy in endometrial carcinomas and prognostic relevance of 'stone-like' structures (SLS): What is destined for the atypical endometrial hyperplasia?

Autophagy, as an intracellular adaptation mechanism for oxygen and nutrient deprivation, is associated with tumor cell survival and aggressiveness. This was reaffirmed in a series of 360 endometrial carcinomas, using a standard immunohistochemical technique and the LC3A antibody, capable of recognizing both the soluble (LC3A-I) and the membrane-bound form (LC3A-II) of the protein. LC3A reactivity was recognized in three basic patterns—diffuse cytoplasmic, cytoplasmic/juxta-nuclear, and the so-called “stone-like” structures (SLS). The latter has emerged as the hallmark of autophagic activity, being detected exclusively in endometrial carcinomas and their immediate precursor lesions, namely the atypical hyperplasias, albeit in small numbers. Other forms of hyperplasia without cytological atypia and normal endometrial tissues expressed only cytoplasmic staining patterns. High SLS counts, presumed to reflect excessive levels of autophagic activity, were associated with tumors of extremely poor prognosis. In contrast, a basal level of autophagic activity, as exemplified by the diffuse cytoplasmic and the cytoplasmic/juxta-nuclear patterns, had no impact on prognosis. Survival, according to tumor cell types, showed that serous papillary, clear cell and the high-grade endometrioid carcinomas had the worst prognosis compared to low-grade endometrioid carcinomas, but interestingly, within this tumor group, those having high-SLS counts had a much worse survival rate than those that did not. It is concluded that an assessment of autophagic activity, particularly in the form of SLS, is useful for evaluating tumor aggressiveness and, in the absence or an excess of SLS, it may also prove valid for differentiating grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinomas from their precursor lesions.
Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and British Labour Market: Is the State Contingent Forward Guidance Dancing a Tango Solo?

This study has added a new perspective to the implications of macroeconomic policy coordination for the labour market in the UK. Using quarterly macroeconomic indicators (GDP, fiscal, monetary and unemployment) from 1978 to 2007 (30 years, 120 observations) and VEC model, this study intends to examine how fiscal and monetary policy interaction has an impact on labour market in long-term. The results showed that an expansionary fiscal and accommodating monetary stance can be effective to curb unemployment and the economic growth has a positive association with the outlook of labour market. In addition, the expansionary fiscal policy led monetary policy to adopt a contractionary stance and correspondingly the adoption of the contractionary stance by monetary policy compelled fiscal policy towards expansion. The evidence from this study suggests that a policy conflict can lead to adverse impact on the labour market and therefore State Contingent Forward Guidance provided by the Bank of England would require fiscal policy support.
Quantitative pupillometry: normative data in healthy pediatric volunteers.

OBJECT The authors describe the prospective use of a new hand-held point-and-shoot pupillometer (NeurOptics) to assess pupil function quantitatively. METHODS Repetitive measurements were made in 90 pediatric participants ranging in age from 1 to 18 years, providing a total of 100 measurements under ambient light conditions. The participants consisted of 45 patients without known intracranial or ophthalmological pathological conditions as well as 45 volunteers in the outpatient setting. Quantitative pupil measurements were reliably replicated in the study participants. The mean resting pupil aperture was 4.11 mm and the minimal diameter after stimulation was 2.65 mm, resulting in a 36% change in pupil size. The mean constriction velocity was 2.34 mm/second, with a mean dilation velocity of 2.2 mm/second. CONCLUSION Pupil symmetry was impressive in the entire cohort.
Osteocyte‐Specific Monoclonal Antibody MAb OB7.3 Is Directed Against Phex Protein

Osteocytes are the most abundant cells in bone; however, relatively little is known about their properties and functions. The development of monoclonal antibody MAb OB7.3 directed against chicken osteocytes enabled us to purify osteocytes from enzymatically isolated bone cells. Cultures of purified osteocytes were used to gain better insight into the role of osteocytes in bone metabolism. Until now, the antigen of MAb OB7.3 has not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the antigen to which this osteocyte‐specific antibody is directed. Immunoprecipitation and purification of the protein, followed by amino acid sequence analysis of two isolated peptides, revealed that the antigen has high homology to human and murine PHEX/Phex protein sequences (PHosphate‐regulating gene with homology to Endopeptidases on the X chromosome). The OB7.3 antigen was therefore identified as chicken Phex protein. In addition, using suppression subtractive hybridization, we obtained a complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence of 502 base pairs (bp) with high homology to the human and murine PHEX/Phex genes. This method was applied to identify genes, which are differentially expressed in osteocytes compared with osteoblasts. The results also suggest that Phex is expressed at higher levels in chicken osteocytes compared with osteoblasts. Reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and Northern blot analyses supported these findings. The function of Phex is not completely understood. However, it is known that the gene is preferentially expressed in bone and that mutations in PHEX/Phex lead to X‐linked hypophosphatemia and bone mineralization abnormalities. Our findings suggest that osteocytes play an important role in the Phex‐regulated phosphate handling in the kidney and in bone.
Book Review: Forest Products and Wood Science. An Introduction

that the frequency of androgenesis is still unacceptably low. Spontaneous diploidisation of calluses from pollen grains often occurs and the high percentage of albinos is still a major problem in some laboratories. Despite the opnrrusm of most of the authors for their techniques. and the final very short survey of the application of tissue culture techniques to rice improvement. the way ahead is not outlined very clearly. There is no discrimination between techniques already yielding results. and those whose potential lies well into the future. For example. there is enthusiasm for hybridisation by protoplast fusion of rice with sorghum. but regeneration cannot be attained from the protoplasts of either species individually. In contrast. IRAT (lnstitllt de Recherches Agronomiques Tropicalesi have produced commercial hybrid rice seed in only three years. but there is no exploration of the application of such results. It must be concluded that there is still a need for more basic research whilst acknowledging that much progress. particularly with anther culture, has already been madc. Jennet Blake
Outcome of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Relation to the Score when Treatment was Begun

Summary We examined 395 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) divided into two groups: non-leukemic and leukemic. In 58% of the patients as a whole, treatment of DIC resulted in complete or partial remission, while exacerbation and death occurred in 31%. The efficacy of DIC treatment in the non-leukemic group was less than that in the leukemic group, indicating that the outcome of DIC depended, in part, on the underlying disease. We examined hemostatic indicators in relation to DIC score: prothrombin time (PT) ratio, FDP, platelet count, and fibrinogen levels were found to be important indicators for the diagnosis of DIC, but not for Pre-DIC. Plasma levels of fibrin-D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), and plasmin- plasmin inhibitor complex (PPIC) were significantly increased in pre-DIC. The efficacy of treatment in relation to the DIC score when the treatment was begun showed that greater efficacy was achieved in pre-DIC than in DIC patients. The outcome was poorer with increasing DIC score, suggesting that early diagnosis and early treatment are important. On examining the relationship between outcome and hemostatic indicators, we found that the PT ratio and the levels of antithrombin, plasminogen, PPIC, the PPIC/TAT ratio, and thrombomodulin were related to outcome, suggesting that very high consumption of blood coagulation factors, liver dysfunction, hypofibrinolysis, or organ failure caused a poor outcome. Although the outcome in DIC patients may not depend substantially on plasma levels of TAT and fibrin-D- dimer, we can use these indicators to treat DIC patients at an early stage.
Students and Teachers Perceptions of ICT Use in Classroom: Pakistani Classrooms

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a major driving force in transforming education throughout the world. The usage of ICT in Pakistan has increased many folds in the last 10 years. The latest educational policy of the Government of Pakistan has stressed on using ICT in schools. The curriculum documents have also suggested teachers to integration ICT in their classrooms teaching and learning processes. This study focuses on the use of ICT in schools of Pakistan and it is restricted to four major cities of Pakistan. The study investigates students’ and teachers’ use of ICT in their everyday life. The study also explores students’ views of their teachers using ICT in classroom teaching learning and assessment. The data were collected using survey questionnaire from students studying in secondary schools (classes 7, 8, 9, 10& 11.) and teachers teaching to secondary classes. The schools were invited to participate in this study. The study finds that students and teachers have access to computers in schools and at home and they use computer for different purposes, such as, entertainment, communication, and education. The study also highlights differences amongst teachers and students about what technology to be used in classroom and for what purposes. The study discovers two opposite views. On the one hand teachers believe they use ICT effectively while on the other hand students disagree with their teacher’s idea of ICT integration in classroom.
[Resistin-- a new laboratory marker useful in diagnosis of acute pancreatitis?].

UNLABELLED Acute pancreatitis (AP) is the severe disease with high mortality and morbidity which pathomechanism is still not clearly elucidated yet. Serum pro-inflammatory cytokines like Interleukin-18, TNF alpha, and C-reactive protein (CRP) are elevated in patients with AP, particularly of severe clinical course. Adipocytes hyperplasia is a trigger factor that initiates chronic inflammatory state which release adipocytokines, like TNF alpha or leptin or resistin. The aim of the present study was to assesses the serum resistin concentrations in AP patients and evaluate the correlation between resistin and the well known inflammation marker--CRP. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group comprised 30 patients with acute pancreatitis class B according to Balthazar scale, aged 35-82, in which during first 24h of hospitalization serum resistin and CRP has been assessed. Control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers, aged 33-76. RESULTS The mean serum resistin concentration was significantly higher in AP patients than in controls (8,38 +/- 4.87 ng/ml vs. 3.58 +/- 1.51 ng/ml) (fig. 1). The positive correlation between serum resistin and CRP concentrations has been observed (r = 0.57, p < 0.05) (fig. 2). CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest, that the serum concentration of resistin may represent the useful additionary marker of inflammatory response in AP