Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of yoga on salivary cortisol in medical student

Background: Yoga is a spiritual discipline for the development of a state of mental and physical health, well-being, it has also been used clinically as a therapeutic intervention. This study observes the effects of yoga poses on salivary cortisol. Salivary cortisol is potential biomarker of psychological stress. Nonetheless, psychobiological mechanisms stimulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) can only indirectly be assessed by salivary cortisol measures. The unlike instances that control HPAA sensitivity (e.g.- hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenals) and their respective modulators, receptors, or binding proteins possibly will all have an effect on salivary cortisol measures. Possible fundamental mechanisms proposed leading to enhanced vagal activity and decrease cortisol. The drop in cortisol, sequentially, may give positive outcome. Methods: Healthy medical student volunteers (N=40), males and females, ranged in age from 18 to 25 years (mean age: 23.3years), participated in the present study. They are divided in two groups one is Yoga Group and second is Control Group. Each group consist 20 subjects. Morning saliva samples were collected of both groups. Levels of cortisol in the saliva samples were determined and compared with levels in comparison samples of saliva obtained after three-month of yoga practice. Results: In all subjects who received yoga (n=20), the change in salivary cortisol level was significant (10.27±2.54 ng/ml; 4.023±1.82ng/ml; P= 0.00); it was not so in those who were not practicing yoga (11.43±3.77ng/ml; 10.27±2.54 ng/ml; P=0.06). Salivary cortisol level significantly decreased and reacted positively to yoga practicing subjects. Conclusions: The effort of comparing the effects of yoga on salivary cortisol seems to indicate that it is a promising modality for stress management. Everyone should practice yoga for stress management to improve their day today life because yoga as one of the approaches of stress reduction.
Learning to Rank for Information Retrieval - ReadingSample

In this chapter, we give a brief introduction to learning to rank for information retrieval. Specifically, we first introduce the ranking problem by taking document retrieval as an example. Second, conventional ranking models proposed in the literature of information retrieval are reviewed, and widely used evaluation measures for ranking are mentioned. Third, the motivation of using machine learning technology to solve the problem of ranking is given, and existing learning-to-rank algorithms are categorized and briefly depicted.
MOLECULAR AND SEROLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE VIRUS SEROTYPES IN CATTLE OF BASRAH PROVINCE

This study was conducted on serum from 6 different regions covering all parts of the Basrah province during the period from October 2012 to June 2013 in order to determine the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in bovine species. From the serology results, the overall prevalence of this disease was(72.7%.) . Of the 165 samples subjected to Nonstructural protein (NSP) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening test, 120 were interpreted as positive representing (72.7%.) while the other 45 samples were negative representing 27.3%. The seropositivity significantly associated with age groups (p 0.05) while the difference among age groups was significant (P < 0.05)
Parabiosis Incompletely Reverses Aging-Induced Metabolic Changes and Oxidant Stress in Mouse Red Blood Cells

Mature red blood cells (RBCs) not only account for ~83% of the total host cells in the human body, but they are also exposed to all body tissues during their circulation in the bloodstream. In addition, RBCs are devoid of de novo protein synthesis capacity and, as such, they represent a perfect model to investigate system-wide alterations of cellular metabolism in the context of aging and age-related oxidant stress without the confounding factor of gene expression. In the present study, we employed ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS)-based metabolomics and proteomics to investigate RBC metabolism across age in male mice (6, 15, and 25 months old). We report that RBCs from aging mice face a progressive decline in the capacity to cope with oxidant stress through the glutathione/NADPH-dependent antioxidant systems. Oxidant stress to tryptophan and purines was accompanied by declines in late glycolysis and methyl-group donors, a potential compensatory mechanism to repair oxidatively damaged proteins. Moreover, heterochronic parabiosis experiments demonstrated that the young environment only partially rescued the alterations in one-carbon metabolism in old mice, although it had minimal to no impact on glutathione homeostasis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and oxidation of purines and tryptophan, which were instead aggravated in old heterochronic parabionts.
Vertical variation of Z-R relationship at hallasan mountain during typhoon nakri in 2014

Hallasan Mountain is located at the center of Jeju Island, Korea. Even though the height of the mountain is just 1,950 m, the orographic effect is strong enough to cause heavy rainfall. In this study, a rainfall event, due to Typhoon Nakri in 2014, observed in Jeju Island was analyzed fully using the radar and rain gauge data. First, the relationship was derived for every 250 m interval from the sea level to the mountain top. The resulting relationships showed that the exponent could be assumed as constant but that the parameter showed a significant decreasing trend up to an altitude around 1,000 m before it increased again. The orographic effect was found to be most significant at this altitude of 1,000 m. Second, the derived relationships were applied to the corresponding altitude radar reflectivity data to generate the rain rate field over Jeju Island. This rain rate field was then used to derive the areal-average rain rate data. These data were found to be very similar to the rain gauge estimates but were significantly different from those derived from the application of the Marshall-Palmer equation to the 1.5 km CAPPI data, which is the data type that is generally used by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
The effect of metal deposition on antioxidant enzymes of lens in smokers of Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Blindness due to cataract is a major and important problem in Pakistan. The problem is expected to increase in future due to increase in tobacco smoking. The aim of study was to look for the mechanism associated with metal deposition and its effect on antioxidant enzymes in lens of smokers in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: 20 cataract patients were randomly selected from Out Patient Department (OPD) of Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust Hospital LRBT Hospital, Karachi in accordance to inclusion and exclusion criteria. 10 were chronic smokers and 10 were non-smokers. After extra capsular cataract extraction, lenses were cut into two equal halves. In one half, concentration of lead, cadmium and copper were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry; in the other half, Glutathione Peroxidase and Superoxide Dismutase were estimated by kit method using Plate Reader. Results: The activity of Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase were significantly decreased in lenses of cigarette smokers as compared to non-smokers. Concentration of copper, lead and cadmium were significantly higher in lenses of smokers than those of non-smokers. A highly negative correlation of both enzyme concentrations was found with concentration of copper, lead and cadmium. Conclusion: Decreased level of anti-oxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase with increased level of metals in smoker’s lenses suggest that metals produce an oxidative stress affecting the enzyme level and its activity. These changes lead to lenticular protein changes leading to cataract.
Developing and validating questionnaires to assess knowledge, attitude, and performance toward obesity among Iranian adults and adolescents: TABASSOM study

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the methods of developing and validating two questionnaires that will be used to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of adults, children and adolescents regarding obesity. METHODS: To design the questionnaires, we used the components of the Health Belief Model. The questionnaire for adults consisted of 6 sections with 50 questions. The questionnaire for children and adolescents included 7 sections and 52 questions. The questionnaires were assessed for face validity, content validity, and clarity of the items. To determine the internal consistency reliability of the questionnaires, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was measured for 100 questionnaires. Using the correlation coefficient, we determined the equivalent reliability of the study tools. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged between 0.60 and 0.80 for the whole questionnaires. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaires for adults, children and adolescents were respectively 0.72 and 0.60 for awareness. The corresponding values for attitude were 0.70 and 0.75. Using Pearson's correlation coefficient, the interobserver reliability was determined to be significant (r ≥ 0.80; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study tools had adequate reliability and validity. They are thus suitable for assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practices of Iranian adults, and children and adolescents in toward obesity.
Mid-Holocene Social Interaction in Melanesia: New Evidence from Hammer-Dressed Obsidian Stemmed Tools

The widespread distribution in Papua New Guinea of obsidian stemmed tools dated to the mid-Holocene has led scholars to postulate the existence of large interaction spheres. A newly reported artifact from Biak Island, West Papua provides the stimulus for reconsidering the role of this tool type in regional social interaction. The tool was hammer-dressed, a technique unknown for obsidian flaked tools elsewhere in the world and only rarely applied to obsidian artifacts in Melanesia. This new find closely resembles hammer-dressed obsidian stemmed tools from Garua Island, Papua New Guinea, but these are characterized by LA/ICPMS, PIXE-PGME, and INAA to the local Baki and Kutau-Bao obsidian sources in New Britain, Papua New Guinea, whereas the Biak tool is sourced to outcrops on Lou Island in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. Hypotheses for functional, symbolic, and social roles of hammer-dressing are explored and evaluated on the basis of replication experiments and use-wear analyses. We argue that the complex and exceptionally rare technologies used for manufacturing hammer-dressed stemmed tools and applied to obsidian acquired from two widely separated obsidian sources substantially add to previous evidence for wide-scale social interaction during the mid-Holocene. The existence of these social networks might also have provided a mechanism for the rapid, extensive spread of innovations like Austronesian languages or Lapita pottery.
Evacuation in the Social Force Model is not stationary

An evacuation process is simulated within the Social Force Model. Thousand pedestrians are leaving a room by one exit. We investigate the stationarity of the distribution of time lags between instants when two successive pedestrians cross the exit. The exponential tail of the distribution is shown to gradually vanish. Taking fluctuations apart, the time lags decrease in time till there are only about 50 pedestrians in the room, then they start to increase. This suggests that at the last stage the flow is laminar. In the first stage, clogging events slow the evacuation down. As they are more likely for larger crowds, the flow is not stationary. The data are investigated with detrended fluctuation analysis.
Effects of Deltoid Inhibition Taping on the Surface Electromyographic Activity of Shoulder Girdle Muscles During Upper Limb Elevation in Healthy Shoulders

This study aimed to examine whether McConnell taping for deltoid inhibition affects the Electromyographic (EMG) activity of shoulder girdle muscles during arm elevation. Ten young healthy men were randomly assigned to an experimental and control groups of five men each. For the experimental group, we performed taping for deltoid inhibition on the skin over anterior and posterior deltoids with non-elastic specific tape, and sham-taping with non-elastic under-tape for the control group. Surface EMG measurements were performed three times (before, during and after the tapings) at upper and lower trapezius, mid-deltoid, and serratus anterior muscles while elevating dominant aim with loading and unloading conditions. In deltoid inhibition taping group, there were significant differences in EMG activity of mid-deltoid (p
Impaired processing of response conflicts in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Increasing evidence from neuroimaging studies points towards a hippocampal role in resolving approach-avoidance goal conflicts. Furthermore, previous neuroimaging findings suggest that the hippocampus (HC) contributes to successful conflict resolution as it is measured, for example, in a Stroop paradigm. However, it is still an open question whether the hippocampus is indeed causally relevant for resolving cognitive conflicts. Here, we investigated whether conflict resolution performance is affected by hippocampal pathology. N = 30 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), almost exclusively showing MRI signs of hippocampal sclerosis, and an equal number of age-matched healthy controls performed an auditory Stroop paradigm. Participants listened to the words 'high' and 'low', spoken in either a high or a low pitch. Subjects' response time and accuracy to the phonetic information in the presence of incongruent (conflict trials) or congruent (non-conflict trials) semantic information were assessed. In addition, patients' regional grey matter (GM) brain volumes were analysed. We observed an increased effect of conflict on accuracy in patients with MTLE compared to healthy controls. This effect was negatively correlated with right HC volume. The results suggest that the impairment in the resolution of a response conflict is related to hippocampal structural integrity and thus add further support to the notion that the HC is not only involved but even causally relevant for successful cognitive conflict processing.
Dispositional beliefs regarding “affect as information” determine the perception of persuasive self-efficacy

In this paper, we approach the relationship between believing that affect informs about the validity of a claim and believing that one persuasive strategy will be more or less efficient in changing one’s own attitude. In one study, participants were asked to select from a set of features of a persuasive context those they perceived to have more persuasive power. Results showed that these selections were clearly clustered in two groups, suggesting that individuals tend to select either more cognitive features or more experiential affective features. Individual measures regarding participants’ need for cognition and faith in intuition did not explain the tendency to select more one type of cluster or another, but this selection was determined by how much people generally believe that affect informs about the validity or goodness of a claim.
Listening Strategy Use for Different Text Types

This study sought to discover the listening strategies used by an advanced learner when comprehending different listening texts. A grounded theory design was employed, and using the immediate retrospection research method, specific listening strategies used by the advanced learner were categorized as those assisting comprehension, monitoring comprehension, and enhancing comprehension. Among the identified strategies, some were used for different text types. The patterns of strategies used by the advanced learner were also identified and are discussed.
Cybercrime and Poverty in Nigeria

Advances in global telecommunication infrastructure, including computers, mobile phones, and the Internet, have brought about major transformation in world communication. In Nigeria, the young and the old now have access to the world from their homes, offices, cyber cafes and so on. Lately, internet or web-enabled phones and other devices like iPods, and Blackberry, have made internet access easier and faster. However, one of the fall outs of this unlimited access is the issue of cybercrime. Consequently, cybercrime, known as “Yahoo Yahoo” or “Yahoo Plus”, is a source of major concern to the country. Nigeria’s rising cybercrime profile may not come as a surprise, considering the high level of poverty and high unemployment rate in the country. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Nigerians are wallowing in poverty despite the huge human and material resources available in the country. With the aid of the human security approach, this paper aims to (i) establish a nexus between poverty and cybercrime in Nigeria; (ii) examine the efforts of the Nigerian government in forestalling cybercrime; and (iii) suggest measures that could be put in place to help in curbing cybercrime as well as bringing about poverty alleviation. The paper suggests that the government must put viable policies and programmes on poverty reduction and eradication in place. However, these policies and programmes need to be judiciously backed by actions.
DNA repair and cancer in colon and rectum: Novel players in genetic susceptibility

Interindividual differences in DNA repair systems may play a role in modulating the individual risk of developing colorectal cancer. To better ascertain the role of DNA repair gene polymorphisms on colon and rectal cancer risk individually, we evaluated 15,419 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 185 DNA repair genes using GWAS data from the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR) and the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO), which included 8,178 colon cancer, 2,936 rectum cancer cases and 14,659 controls. Rs1800734 (in MLH1 gene) was associated with colon cancer risk (p‐value = 3.5 × 10−6) and rs2189517 (in RAD51B) with rectal cancer risk (p‐value = 5.7 × 10−6). The results had statistical significance close to the Bonferroni corrected p‐value of 5.8 × 10−6. Ninety‐four SNPs were significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk after Binomial Sequential Goodness of Fit (BSGoF) procedure and confirmed the relevance of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) and homologous recombination pathways for colon and rectum cancer, respectively. Defects in MMR genes are known to be crucial for familial form of colorectal cancer but our findings suggest that specific genetic variations in MLH1 are important also in the individual predisposition to sporadic colon cancer. Other SNPs associated with the risk of colon cancer (e.g., rs16906252 in MGMT) were found to affect mRNA expression levels in colon transverse and therefore working as possible cis‐eQTL suggesting possible mechanisms of carcinogenesis.
Duration of earthquake ground motion anticipated at sites in New Zealand

Source-specific conditional distributions of the duration of ground motion anticipated at a set of representative sites in New Zealand are computed using a procedure based on the generalised conditional intensity measure (GCIM) framework. Sites in the eastern part of the North Island and the northern part of the South Island are shown to be susceptible to long duration ground motions produced by large magnitude interface earthquakes in the Hikurangi subduction zone. Nevertheless, relatively short duration ground motions produced by lower magnitude earthquakes on adjacent crustal faults are still the primary contributors to their seismic hazard. Hence, an appropriate mix of short and long duration ground motions should be selected when assessing the performance assessment of structures located at these sites. Failure to consider hazard-consistent duration targets in addition to conditional spectra during record selection is likely to result in biased structural response estimates.
Dust tori in radio galaxies

Aims. We investigate the quasar – radio galaxy unification scenario and detect dust tori within radio galaxies of various types. Methods. Using VISIR on the VLT, we acquired sub-arcsecond (∼0.40 �� ) resolution N-band images, at a wavelength of 11.85 μm, of the nuclei of a sample of 27 radio galaxies of four types in the redshift range z = 0.006−0.156. The sample consists of 8 edge-darkened, low-power Fanaroff-Riley class I (FR-I) radio galaxies, 6 edge-brightened, class II (FR-II) radio galaxies displaying low-excitation optical emission, 7 FR-IIs displaying high-excitation optical emission, and 6 FR-II broad emission line radio galaxies. Out of the sample of 27 objects, 10 nuclei are detected and several have constraining non-detections at sensitivities of 7 mJy, the limiting flux a point source has when detected with a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 in one hour of source integration. Results. On the basis of the core spectral energy distributions of this sample we find clear indications that many FR-I and several low-excitation FR-II radio galaxies do not contain warm dust tori. At least 57 ± 19 percent of the high-excitation FR-IIs and almost all of the broad line radio galaxies exhibit excess infrared emission, which must be attributed to warm dust reradiating accretion activity. The FR-I and low-excitation FR-II galaxies are all of low efficiency, which is calculated as the ratio of bolometric to Eddington luminosity Lbol/LEdd < 10 −3 . This suggests that thick tori are absent at low accretion rates and/or low efficiencies. The high-excitation FR-II galaxies are a mixed population with three types of nuclei: 1) low efficiency with dust torus; 2) low efficiency with weakly emitting dust torus; and 3) high efficiency with weak dust torus. We argue that the unification viewing angle range 0–45 degrees of quasars should be increased to ∼60 degrees, at least at lower luminosities.
SIRPα/CD47 axis controls the maintenance of transplant tolerance sustained by myeloid‐derived suppressor cells

Myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of immature hematopoietic precursors known to suppress immune responses. Interaction of SIRP alpha (SIRPα), expressed by myeloid cells, with the ubiquitous receptor CD47 is an important immune checkpoint of the innate response regulating macrophages and dendritic cells functions. We previously described that MDSC expressing SIRPα accumulated after transplantation and maintained kidney allograft tolerance. However, the role of the SIRPα/CD47 axis on MDSC function remained unknown. Here, we found that blocking SIRPα or CD47 with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) induced differentiation of MDSC into myeloid cells overexpressing MHC class II, CD86 costimulatory molecule and increased secretion of macrophage‐recruiting chemokines (eg, MCP‐1). Using a model of long‐term kidney allograft tolerance sustained by MDSC, we observed that administration of blocking anti‐SIRPα or CD47 mAbs induced graft dysfunction and rejection. Loss of tolerance came along with significant decrease of MDSC and increase in MCP‐1 concentration in the periphery. Graft histological and transcriptomic analyses revealed an inflammatory (M1) macrophagic signature at rejection associated with overexpression of MCP‐1 mRNA and protein in the graft. These findings indicate that the SIRPα‐CD47 axis regulates the immature phenotype and chemokine secretion of MDSC and contributes to the induction and the active maintenance of peripheral acquired immune tolerance.