Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sodium benzoate mediated hepatorenal toxicity in wistar rat: modulatory effects of Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf.

Aims: Morbidity and mortality from kidney and liver diseases is rapidly increasing worldwide due to exposure of these organs to many kinds of xenobiotics. Medicinal herbs have been used widely to treat these disorders as there is no specific treatment in modern medicine to counter the menace. The study was carried out to investigate the protective role of Azadirachita indica (neem) leaf on kidney and liver damage caused by subchronic administration of sodium benzoate in rat. Study design: Experimental animal study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria between January and June 2011. Methodology: 200mg/kg bw of sodium benzoate was administered to rats in test groups (B, C and D) every 4 days while control group (A) received distilled water. Group C and D were treated with daily administration of 200mg/kg bw and 500mg/kg bw methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica respectively for 14 days while group B were not treated. Results: Sodium benzoate caused growth depression in rats as well as alteration in hepatic and renal functions revealed by significant elevation in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, uric acid and creatinine. Administration of Azadirachta indica leaf extract tend to ameliorate the adverse effect of sodium benzoate toxicity in rat tissue as it bring the affected biochemical parameters close to normal in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggest that Azadirachta indica leaf has modulatory effect on sodium benzoate induced toxicity in rats. Research Article European Journal of Medicinal Plants, 2(1): 11-18, 2012 12
Dietary effects of the inclusion of white lupine seeds and different types of binders on the blood indicators of young Dwarf Lop rabbits

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of whole seeds of white lupine and different binder types in complete pelleted diets on selected haematological and plasma biochemical indicators of growing dwarf rabbits. The individual litters of Dwarf Lop rabbit kits were randomised after birth into control (n = 12) and experimental (E) groups. The young rabbits of the E group (n = 24) received an experimental pre-weaning diet containing a 25% share of white lupine seeds. At the time of weaning, the live weights of eight-week-old rabbits in the control group and E group were 727 g and 743 g, respectively. The weaned rabbits of the E group were further equally divided into two post-weaning experimental dietary groups (M = 12; G = 12); these diets contained a 20% share of white lupine seeds each and their composition only differed in the type of the binder (molasses or glycerol component). The rabbits of the control group received a commercial pet rabbit diet with no white lupine seeds during the entire experimental period. At the age of eight weeks, the diet showed a significant effect on the level of albumin (P < 0.05), A/G ratio (P < 0.05) and ALP activity (P < 0.01) in plasma of dwarf rabbit kits. Significant effects of diet were found in 15-week old rabbits in relation to the plasma level of albumin (P < 0.05), Ca (P < 0.05), A/G ratio (P < 0.05) and ALT activity (P < 0.01). The dietary inclusion of white lupine seeds resulted in beneficial health effects on certain blood indicators of rabbits, and their use in the proportion of 25% in the pre-weaning diet and 20% in the post-weaning diet can be recommended as a suitable feed additive for dwarf rabbits. The use of crude glycerol as binder in the experimental diet had no adverse effect on the blood indicators of the growing rabbits and thus it can be recommended for the manufacture of feed pellets intended for dwarf rabbits.
Assessment of Liver Enzymes , Creatine Phosphokinase and Electrolytes in Hypothyroid Patients Visiting Tertiary Centre

Various biochemical alteration in hypothyroidism has already been established. Since majority of metabolic activities occur in liver; kidney and muscle in body, so biochemical markers reflecting function of these organs are altered in hypothyroid state. The present study is designed to compare the level of enzymes like Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transferase (SGPT), Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transferase (SGOT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and Creatine Phosphokinase(CPK) along with electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium) in clinically hypothyroid patients with age and sex matched control subjects. The Study was conducted in patients visiting to Endocrinology OPD in Institute of Medicine, Nepal. Total of 49 patients diagnosed as hypothyroidism in age group 20-70 were included in the study. Patients with TSH values above 10 mIU/L were taken as cases. Total 49 individuals were taken as control in whom age and sex was matched. The mean SGOT, ALP and CPK in Hypothyroid patients was 31.65 ± 8.53IU/L, 215.96 ± 53.23U/L and 104.77 ± 47.55IU/L respectively which were significantly increased in comparison with mean value from control subjects. The mean value of SPGT was 25.73 ± 10.12IU/L which was statistically not significant as compared to normal. Likewise, the mean value of Sodium and Potassium was 138.54 ± 4.41 and 4.19 ± 0.37 which was within the normal range and statistically not significant with the control. Enzymes like SGOT, ALP & CPK level are significantly increased in hypothyroid patient and this increase is more likely due to muscle involvement in hypothyroidism.
Ecological Functions of Shallow, Unvegetated Esturaine Habitats and Potential Dredging Impacts (With Emphasis on Chesapeake Bay)

Abstract : The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is faced with increasing numbers of requests to dredge shallow, unvegetated estuarine waters. Most of those proposals involve tidal waters ranging in depth from man low water (MLW) to 1.2 m (4 ft) below MLW, with projected post-dredging depths if 1.8 m (6 ft) below MLW. This technical note summarizes what is known about the ecological functions of these habitats and the potential impacts of dredging.
Non-Invasive and Non-Destructive Determination of Corneal and Scleral Biomechanics Using Vibrational Optical Coherence Tomography: Preliminary Observations

Experimental measurements made in this study on human and porcine eyes suggest that the resonant frequency for both cornea and sclera varies from 130 to 150 Hz and increases slightly with increasing intraocular pressure. The values of the moduli calculated using the experimental values of the thickness are close to 2 MPa. Similar values of the modulus for cornea and sclera suggest that there is very little stress concentration at the cornea-scleral junction and that any stress concentration that occurs probably resides at the scleral attachment laterally and posteriorly. These moduli are close to those measured in vivo on human skin suggesting that the mechanism of tensile deformation of skin, cornea and sclera are similar. Our results suggest that the modulus of cornea and sclera can be measured non-invasively and non-destructively using vibrational OCT. Results of these studies will assist clinicians to better understand the influence of biomechanics on the outcome of corneal refractive surgery as well as the pathogenesis of eye disorders such as glaucoma, myopia and keratoconus.
Emergence and Transformation of Territorially Based Cleavages and Constitutional Responses in Ethiopia

This chapter examines the role played by territorially based, ethnonationalist forces in Ethiopia’s remarkable political transformation. It shows how the collapse of the socialist dictatorship and the victory of a coalition of ethnonationalist insurgent forces resulted in constitutional transition, culminating in a federal system designed to empower ethnonationalist groups at regional state level. This institutional design allowed such groups to exercise some self-rule at a regional level and ensure representation at the federal level, while also promoting relative peace and political stability across the country. The chapter first considers the context that led to the emergence and transformation of territorial cleavages in Ethiopia before discussing the period of constitutional engagement (1991–94) and its outcomes. It also considers the lessons that can be drawn from Ethiopia’s adoption of a federal system of government that places strong emphasis on ethnonationalism, along with challenges arising from decentralization, “ethnic federalism,” and political pluralism.
Minimising wave drag for free surface flow past a two-dimensional stern

Free surface flow past a two-dimensional semi-infinite curved plate is considered, with emphasis given to solving the shape of the resulting wave train that appears downstream on the surface of the fluid. This flow configuration can be interpreted as applying near the stern of a wide blunt ship. For steady flow in a fluid of finite depth, we apply the Wiener-Hopf technique to solve a linearised problem, valid for small perturbations of the uniform stream. Weakly nonlinear results obtained by a forced KdV equation are also presented, as are numerical solutions of the fully nonlinear problem, computed using a conformal mapping and a boundary integral technique. By considering different families of shapes for the semi-infinite plate, it is shown how the amplitude of the waves can be minimised. For plates that increase in height as a function of the direction of flow, reach a local maximum, and then point slightly downwards at the point at which the free surface detaches, it appears the downstream wavetrain c.
Co-regulation of miR-143 , miR-218 and miR-338-3 pin inhibits gastric cancer migration and invasion by targeting collagen type I

Gastric cancer remains to be the fourth malignant and has the second mortality worldwide. This study was aimed to investigate the co-regulation roles of three miRNAs in the metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer and to illustrate its potential mechanism. A total of 30 gastric cancer patients and human gastric cancer AGS cell line were enrolled in this study. Expression of targets in the tumor tissue and cells were detected using the RT-PCR and western blotting analysis. Correlation between miRNA expression and target gene expression was analyzed using the Pierson correlation. Effects of miRNAs on cell migration and invasion were analyzed using Transwell assay. The results showed that the three miRNAs including miR-143, miR-218 and miR-338-3p were all down-regulated while collagen type I (COL1A1) was up-regulated in the tumor tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue. Expression of three miRNAs was negatively correlated COL1A1 expression. COL1A1 expression was negatively regulated by the three miRNAs, and this correlation was more apparent between the co-regulation of the three miRNAs and COL1A1. The migrated and invaded cells were both decreased by the up-regulated miRNAs, whereas this effect was more apparent by the co-regulation of the three miRNAs. Taken together, our study revealed that co-regulation of miR143, miR-218 and miR-338-3p played curial roles in suppressing the metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer by targeting COL1A1.
Robberies in Chicago: A Block-Level Analysis of the Influence of Crime Generators, Crime Attractors, and Offender Anchor Points

The effects of crime generators, crime attractors, and offender anchor points on the distribution of street robberies across the nearly 25,000 census blocks of Chicago are examined. The analysis includes a wide array of activities and facilities that are expected to attract criminals and generate crime. These include a variety of legal and illegal businesses and infrastructural accessibility facilitators. In addition to these crime attractors and generators, the role of the presence of motivated offenders’ anchor points, as measured by offenders’ residence and gang activity, is assessed. The analysis also includes crime attractors, crime generators, and offender anchor points in adjacent census blocks. The findings demonstrate the strength of the effects of crime generators and attractors and offender anchor points on the frequency of street robbery at the census block level.
Multivariate analysis of mineral content associated with flesh browning disorder in ‘Fuji’ apples produced in Southern Brazil

Flesh browning is a physiological disorder that occurs in ‘Fuji’ apples during storage, which causes considerable postharvest losses of fruit produced in Southern Brazil. This work aimed to assess the mineral attributes [Ca; Mg and K contents and the Mg/Ca; K/Ca and (K + Mg)/Ca ratios] associated with the flesh browning disorder incidence, as well as to identify which of these mineral attributes better discriminate the differences in the degree of susceptibility to flesh browning disorder in ‘Fuji’ apples stored under controlled atmosphere (CA; 1.2 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2 and 1.2 kPa O2 + < 0.5 kPa CO2; 0.5 ± 0.1 °C and 96 ± 2% RH, during an 8-month period). Apples from 2 orchards in Fraiburgo, Santa Catarina, 3 orchards in Sao Joaquim, Santa Catarina, and 3 orchards in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul were used. The fruit with flesh browning disorder has lower levels of Ca and a higher Mg/Ca ratio when compared to the fruit without flesh browning. The Mg and K contents were not related to the physiological disorder. The canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) showed that the isolated Ca content better discriminated the fruit with and without flesh browning disorder. ‘Fuji’ apples with Ca contents < 80 mg∙kg−1 in the flesh present a greater risk of developing this disorder in the Southern Brazil production region.
Dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon release by a marine unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium

Dinitrogen (N-2) fixation rates may be underestimated when recently fixed N2 is released as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). DON release (DONr) is substantial in the filamentous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium but has never been reported in unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria. We used axenic cultures of the marine unicellular diazotroph Cyanothece sp. Miami BG 043511 to measure dissolved organic matter release under N-2-fixing conditions. DONr was measured as the transfer of N-15(2) from the culture medium to the extracellular DON pool. On average, the DON released represented similar to 1% of the total N-2 fixed. The average release of dissolved organic carbon, as determined by C-14, represented similar to 2% of the total carbon fixed. These results suggest that cultured populations of unicellular diazotrophs do not release much dissolved organic matter, but it cannot be excluded that DONr is important in the field when grazers and bacteria are present, or when the organism is exposed to environmental stresses such as turbulence, excess light, temperature changes, or nutrient limitation.
Adaptation of cancer cell networks

This chapter will describe network-based adaptive mechanisms, which mobilize the 'creativity' of cancer cells to survive and expand in an unpredictable environment. First, the dominance-shift from 'business-as-usual' processes driven by the core of cellular networks to changes in the network periphery leading to 'creative' shortcuts between distant network regions and answering novel challenges (1,2) will be described. This forms a general adaptation/learning mechanism and characterizes the initial stages of cancer development (2). Such adaptive changes may change the topology of cellular networks from a rigid to a plastic state. Rigid networks have a dense core, disjunct modules, hierarchy, small network entropy and sink-dominance leading to a few attractors. Plastic networks have a fuzzy core, overlapping modules, less hierarchy/more loops, large network entropy and source-dominance leading to many attractors. Alternating changes of network plasticity and rigidity help to encode novel information to the network structure remodeling the network core and developing novel system attractors (2,3). Cancer stem cells are characterized with exceptionally large evolvability involving rapid alternations in their plasticity and rigidity (4). Plastic and rigid networks (characterizing earlyand late-stage tumors) require conceptually different drug design strategies. Plastic networks (which dissipate stimuli very well) should only be attacked by a "central hit" targeting their hubs, bridges and bottlenecks, since if they are attacked at their network periphery, the effect of the drug will never reach the center of the network due their efficient dissipation. On the contrary, rigid networks (which transmit stimuli without a large dissipation) may be 'over-excited' by "central hit" attacks, leading to side-effects. Rigid networks require the "network influence drug design strategy" targeting the neighbors of their hubs and central nodes (5-8). "Network influence targeting" of neighbors of key network nodes increases the precision of intervention targeting only certain functions of the key, neighboring network node. The chapter will conclude with the outline of network dynamics-based, personalized multitarget drug design strategies as a promising perspective of future therapies.
Incorporation of municipalities and population growth: A propensity score matching approach†

During the 1960s and 1970s, the German state governments reduced the number of municipalities. Many independent municipalities in the outskirts of a city became a district of the respective city. Using propensity score matching, I examine how the reforms influenced population growth in these incorporated units. The results show that the population of small incorporated municipalities grew by about 47 percentage points faster than the population of small municipalities that remained independent. The results do not show that large incorporated municipalities grew faster than large municipalities that remained independent. Population growth was stronger in municipalities that were incorporated later.
Developing a Measure of Inclusiveness: Factors, Reliability, and Relationship to Job Satisfaction and Intention to Quit

This project was designed to develop the Inclusiveness Inventory, a measure of inclusiveness that was based on the integration of prior research and theory. Test construction consisted of conceptual item development, expert review, and editing by members of the participating organization to improve clarity. Survey items were administered to employees at a large, mid-western transit agency as part of a larger study on workplace climate. This paper explored the structure of the Inclusiveness Inventory by factor analysis. The hypothesized factors of the Inclusiveness Inventory included the dimensions of diversity climate, fairness, belongingness, uniqueness, and discrimination. Secondly, this study evaluated the reliability and relationship of the Inclusiveness Inventory to employee job satisfaction and intention to quit. Lastly, differences between men and women, as well as racial minorities and Whites, were explored. The results suggested a three-factor model and higher scores were related to greater job satisfaction and lower intention to quit. There were some differences between groups with small to moderate effect sizes. The results were considered in relationship to the implications and suggested directions for future research.
Prediction of body and carcass chemical composition of purebred and crossbred Nellore cattle.

The first step to determine the nutritional requirements of cattle is to measure their body composition. The methods used to predict body (or carcass) composition can be classified as direct or indirect. Indirect methods involve predicting the composition of the body (or carcass) based on easily obtained parameters. Direct methods involve separating and dissecting all of the animal's body parts and determining their physical and chemical constituents. Thus, experiments involving the use of direct methods are extremely laborious, time-consuming and expensive due to loss of at least half of the carcass and the large number of people and laboratory analyses involved. Several indirect methods have been developed and used to different extents around the world. Kraybill et al. (1952) developed a method of estimating water and body ether extract by specific gravity. This tool has seen some use in Brazil (Alleoni et al. 1997; Lanna et al. 1995; Peron et al. 1993, Gill et al. 1991), but it generally has not produced good results for Zebu cattle (Lanna et al. 1995; Alleonni et al. 1997). Other methods, such as antipyrine, tritiated water, N-acetyl-amino-antipyrine (Panareto and Till, 1963), urea dilution (Preston and Kock, 1973) and K (Clark et al., 1976) have not been used in Brazil due to difficulty of the techniques, cost and/or lack of equipment and adequate instruction. The most commonly used method in Brazil was proposed by Hankins and Howe (1946), who developed equations for estimating the body composition of cattle based on a 9-10-11 rib cut (Rib9-11). This technique has been widely used because it is easy, fast and inexpensive, and it has produced good results in some studies (Paulino et al. 2005a; Henry et al., 2003; Silva, 2001).
MLS measurements of stratospheric hydrogen cyanide during the 2015–2016 El Niño event

Abstract. It is known from ground-based measurements made during the 1982–1983 and 1997–1998 El Nino events that atmospheric hydrogen cyanide (HCN) tends to be higher during such years than at other times. The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Aura satellite has been measuring HCN mixing ratios since launch in 2004; the measurements are ongoing at the time of writing. The winter of 2015–2016 saw the largest El Nino event since 1997–1998. We present MLS measurements of HCN in the lower stratosphere for the Aura mission to date, comparing the 2015–2016 El Nino period to the rest of the mission. HCN in 2015–2016 is higher than at any other time during the mission, but ground-based measurements suggest that it may have been even more elevated in 1997–1998. As the MLS HCN data are essentially unvalidated, we show them alongside data from the MIPAS and ACE-FTS instruments; the three instruments agree reasonably well in the tropical lower stratosphere. Global HCN emissions calculated from the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED v4.1) database are much greater during large El Nino events and are greater in 1997–1998 than in 2015–2016, thereby showing good qualitative agreement with the measurements. Correlation between El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices, measured HCN, and GFED HCN emissions is less clear if the 2015–2016 event is excluded. In particular, the 2009–2010 winter had fairly strong El Nino conditions and fairly large GFED HCN emissions, but very little effect is observed in the MLS HCN.
Antimicrobial resistance pattern of Klebsiella spp isolated from patients in Tehran, Iran

Amac: Klinik orneklerin cogu Klebsiella turleri ile enfekte olabilmektedir. Ayrica ilaca direncli Klebsiella insidansi artmaktadir, bu nedenle antibiyotik recete edilmeden once ilac direnci duyarlilik testi gerekli gorunmektedir. Bu arastirmanin amaci Klebsiella turlerinin antimikrobiyal direncini klinik olarak belirlemektir. Yontemler: Bu arastirma, 2016 ve 2017 yillari arasinda hastanede yatan hastalardan toplanan 300 Klebsiella ornegi uzerinde gerceklestirilmistir. Tanimlama standart yonteme gore gerceklestirilmis ve ilac duyarlilik testi Kirby-Bauer yontemi ile belirlenmistir. Bulgular: Izole Klebsiella turlerinin siklik oranlari: pnomoni (% 94), oksitoka (% 4), ozaenae (% 1) ve rinososikromatis (% 1). Siklik sirasina gore toplanan ornekler: idrar, balgam, vajina, skar, diski ve kan idi. Rezistans yuzdesi soyledir: Ampisilin (%97), amoksilin (%97), cefalotin (%39), gentamisin (%30), kolistin (%55), nalidiksik asit (%2), kloramfenikol (%26), kanamisin (%17), tetrasiklin (%28), nitrofurantoin (%44), seftazidim (%2) ve amikasin (%0). Sonuc: Test edilen Klebsiella turlerinde en dusuk direnc orani Amikasin ile elde edilmistir ve en etkili antibiyotik olarak onerilebilir.