Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular docking and prediction of ADME/drug-likeness properties of potentially active antidiabetic compounds isolated from aqueous-methanol extracts of Gymnema sylvestre and Combretum micranthum

Gymnema sylvestre and Combretum micranthum are well known for their ethno-medicinal uses in the northwest of Nigeria. In our recent study, we demonstrated the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of the aqueous-methanol extracts of the two plants and identified some potentially active compounds. The present study aimed to conduct molecular docking and ADME/drug-likeness screening of the identified potentially active candidate compounds from aqueous-methanol extracts of G. sylvestre and C. micranthum leaves by using in silico techniques. Molecular docking of compounds on target proteins (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and phosphorylated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase) was performed using Molsoft ICM-pro 3.8-3. The physicochemical, ADME, and drug-likeness parameters were computed using the SwissADME online program. The result corroborated the antidiabetic activities of the plants with significant binding interactions between compounds A (2,2-dimethyl-3-[4-(acetyloxy)phenyl]-4-ethy-l2H-1-benzopyran-7-ol acetate), D (9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid), E (4-hydroxycinnamic acid), F ((-)-11-hydroxy-9,10-dihydrojasmonic acid), G (colnelenic acid), H (glyinflanin A), I (6,8a-seco-6,8a-deoxy-5-oxoavermectin “2a” aglycone), and J (3-deshydroxysappanol trimethyl ether) and at least one of the three target proteins. Four compounds, namely A (2,2-dimethyl-3-[4-(acetyloxy)phenyl]-4-ethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-7-ol acetate), E (4-hydroxycinnamic acid), H (glyinflanin A), and J (3-deshydroxysappanol trimethyl ether), yielded the best docking scores with respect to the target proteins, of which three (E (4-hydroxycinnamic acid), H (glyinflanin A), and J (3-deshydroxysappanol trimethyl ether)) were identified to have relatively optimal drug-likeness and medicinal chemistry characteristics. Thus, the present study concluded that these compounds may have contributed to the observed antidiabetic properties of these plants and can be investigated further as drugs or drug-like compound candidates.
Mineral status , metabolism and performance of dairy heifers receiving a combined trace element bolus and out-wintered on perennial ryegrass , kale or fodder beet

Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: This is the author accepted manuscript. The final published version (version of record) is available online via Elsevier. This version is made available under the CC-BY-ND-NC licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci. 2019.103865
Development of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of ultraviolet filters in beach sand samples

An analytical method for the determination of eight fat-soluble ultraviolet (UV) filters in beach sand samples is presented for the first time. The method is based on a leaching process of the target compounds from sand samples using vortex mixer agitation and further centrifugation, followed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) of the supernatant and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the DLLME extract. The variables involved in the leaching and in the DLLME processes were studied to provide the best enrichment factors. In the first case, the leaching solvent type and volume, and the vortex mixer agitation time were studied. In the case of the DLLME, the type and volume of both disperser and extraction solvent and the influence of the pH and the ionic strength of the supporting aqueous solution were studied. Under the selected conditions, the method was successfully validated showing good linearity (R2 > 0.995), method limits of detection at the pg g−1 level, enrichment factors in the range of 8 to 50 (depending on the analyte) and good intra- and inter-day precision. No significant matrix effects were found, thus external calibration can be used. However, internal calibration was recommended to improve the repeatability in both the DLLME and the GC-injection. Moreover, in order to correct losses during the leaching process, the surrogate was added to the samples before the leaching step. The validated method was successfully applied to the analysis of several beach sand samples of different origin.
Value Driven Representations for Reinforcement Learning

In reinforcement learning we typically assume the environment is a Markov decision process. While in theory one can formulate real-world decision processes in a Markovian way, this often requires using observation spaces that are very high-dimensional, and we often do not know what the observation space should be ahead of time. Additionally, in many cases the optimal policy might be representable in a small, non-Markovian observation space. We consider how to automatically learn a small observation space that is sufﬁcient to capture a (near) optimal policy. To do so we introduce a new method to optimistically estimate the value of a policy using ofﬂine simulated Monte Carlo rollouts. Our approach avoids modeling the existing observation space as Markov, which allows us to learn the optimal policy for non-Markovian setting. This combined with our adaptive observation space augmentation enables our al-gorithm to learn a (near) optimal policy signiﬁcantly faster when the optimal policy can be represented using a small non-Markovian observation space.
DISPERSION OF THE SEISMIC RAYLEIGH WAVES IN ELASTIC CRUSTAL LAYER ON VISCOELASTIC MANTLE

Dispersion of the seismic Rayleigh waves propagating in an elastic crustal layer of the Earth laying on linear viscoelastic mantle, is investigated. The investigations are made by applying the exact field equations of viscoelasto-dynamics utilizing the piecewise homogeneous body model. The dispersion equation is obtained for an arbitrary type of hereditary operator of the materials of the mantle and a solution algorithm is developed for obtaining numerical results on the dispersion of the waves under consideration. Dispersion curves are presented for certain attenuation cases and the influence of the viscosity of the mantle is studied through the rheological parameters which characterize the characteristic creep time, long-term values of the elastic constants and through the parameter which characterizes the form of the initial part of the creep curves. Numerical results are presented and discussed for the case where the viscoelasticity of the mantle’s material is described through the fractionalexponential operators by Rabotnov. In particular, how the rheological parameters influence the dispersion of the generalized Rayleigh waves propagating in the covered half-space under consideration is established. We conclude that in the considered dispersive attenuation cases the viscoelasticity of the materials causes a decrease in the generalized Rayleigh wave propagation velocity. It is also established that the dispersion curves obtained for the viscoelastic mantle case are limited by those obtained for the purely elastic mantle with instantaneous and with the long-term values of the elastic constants.
Effects of crude methanol extract of fruits (Cucurbitaceae) on Cucumis metuliferus White Blood Cells in Cockerels

The use of plant resources mainly for herbal medicine, food, forage etc in Nigeria represents a long history of human interaction with the environment. These herbs have many potential clinical and therapeutic applications in the modern medical setting, as numerous studies have revealed that they contain bioactive components (Usman et al., 2014a; Gotep, 2011; Jimam et al., 2011), which have resulted in a better understanding of their physiological, therapeutic and clinical actions (Merken et al., 2001; Zheng and Wang, 2001). Plant extracts possess antioxidant (Bellucio et al., 2008), antibacterial (Usman et al., 2014b) and perhaps immunoregulatory (Feizi and Dadian 2012; Kumari et al., 2012) effects. The plant contains beta C. metuliferus carotene and vitamin E, which are of health benefit and are of importance by helping to strengthen the immune system Effects of crude methanol extract of fruits (Cucurbitaceae) on Cucumis metuliferus White Blood Cells in Cockerels Joy Gararawa Usman , Olufunke Adebola Sodipo , Ayi Vandi Kwaghe ,Bitrus Wampana , a, d* b c d
The Role of Self-Brand Connection and Brand Equity Mediate Endorser Credibility with Intention to Purchase on Maybelline’s Product

The world of intense competition in the cosmetics field requires entrepreneurs to always develop and enhance creativity in seizing market share. This research was conducted to explain the role of self-brand connection and brand equity in mediating endorser credibility towards purchase intention. This research was conducted in Denpasar City with a sample size of 126 respondents with purposive sampling and accidental sampling methods. Data collection was obtained from the results of the distribution of questionnaires using a fivepoint Likert scale that was used to measure 14 indicators using the SEM PLS analysis method. The results showed that self-brand connection was able to mediate the effect of endorser credibility on purchase intention but the role of brand equity was not able to mediate the effect of endorser credibility on purchase intention.
Development of Metronidazole-loaded In situ Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Periodontitis Treatment

Objectives Periodontal treatment focuses on the thorough removal of specific periodontal pathogens, mainly anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, by mechanical scaling and root planning. In case the periodontal abscess is detected after treatment, a high dose of antimicrobial agents is commonly applied via oral administration. However, this approach increases the risk of antibiotic resistance and systemic side effects and decreases efficacy. To overcome the aforementioned issues, this study focused on the development of thermosensitive hydrogel to deliver the antibiotic drug metronidazole (MTZ) directly and locally to the oral infection site. Materials and Methods The thermosensitive hydrogels were prepared by blending 28% w/v Pluronic F127 with various concentrations of methylcellulose (MC) and silk fibroin (SF). The gel properties, such as sol-gel transition time, viscosity, and gel strength, were investigated. The drug dissolution profiles, together with their theoretical models and gel dissolution characteristics, were also determined. Results All hydrogel formulations exhibited sol-gel transitions at 37°C within 1 min. An increase in MC content proportionally increased the viscosity but decreased the gel strength of the hydrogel. By contrast, the SF content did not significantly affect the viscosity but increased the gel strength of the hydrogel. The thermosensitive hydrogels also showed prolonged MTZ release characteristics for 10 days in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 6.6, which followed the Higuchi diffusion model. Moreover, MTZ-thermosensitive hydrogel exhibited delayed dissolution in PBS at 37°C for more than 9 days. Conclusion MTZ-thermosensitive hydrogels could be considered a prospective local oral drug delivery system to achieve efficient sustained release and improve the drug pharmacological properties in periodontitis treatment.
Communication Infrastructure, Social Media, and Civic Participation across Geographically Diverse Communities in the United States

ABSTRACT Despite a growing body of scholarship on Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT), the applicability of CIT as an ecological approach in rural and suburban areas remains largely unexplored in comparison with its urban counterpart. The current study advances CIT across the geographically dispersed communities (i.e., urban, suburban, and rural) and explores how community storytelling networks, through social media and interpersonal discussion, interact with the diverse communities on civic participation. A nationwide online panel survey reveals that community-oriented social media (CSM) use was positively associated with civic participation. The results also indicate that the relationship between CSM and civic participation was stronger for those who reside in rural communities. Interpersonal discussion in this study played a similar role for residents living in suburban communities. This study’s theoretical contribution, policy implications, and practical applications are further discussed in the contexts of communication infrastructure, social media, and civic participation.
Self-Compassion and Well-being among Vietnamese Adolescents

There has been significant progress in research aimed at understanding the role of self-compassion in improving the well-being of adults. However, to the best of our knowledge, few empirical studies have examined the relationship between self-compassion and multiple aspects of well-being in adolescents, especially among those from the South-East Asian region. This research, therefore, has two main goals: 1) to examine the psychological outcomes associated with self-warmth and self-coldness in Vietnamese adolescents; 2) to explore the interaction between self-warmth and self-coldness in predicting Vietnamese adolescents’ well-being. The results of a multiple regression analysis provide the evidence that both self-warmth and self-coldness showed significant predictive power in Vietnamese adolescents’ well-being. Moderation analysis carried out using the PROCESS macro for SPSS indicated that self-warmth significantly moderated the link between self-coldness and perceived stress. These findings have significant implications for the promotion of school-based well-being interventions in Vietnam in particular, and the South-East Asian region in general.
A DEEP LEARNING APPROACH FOR PNEUMONIA DETECTION ON CHEST X-RAY

In this master’s thesis we have implemented a deep learning architecture to diagnose cases of pneumonia in chest x-ray. The newly created dataset "RSNA pneumonia detection challenge dataset" created by the Radiological Society of North America has been used throughout the project. This dataset is the first and so far only dataset specialized in the detection of constitutive zones of pneumonia in chest x-ray and that will allow us to train neural networks specialized in tasks of classification and detection of objects. The implementation developed combines multiple convolutional neural networks of last generation. On the one hand, performing classification tasks we had integrated the convolutional neuronal networks Densenet, Inception-v3, Inception-Resnet-v2 and a FeedForward neural network built from scratch. On the other hand, focusing on the object detection task we had implemented the state-of-art Retinanet detector. At the same time, we have implemented combination and regularization techniques in order to maximize the performance of our implementation in both classification and detection tasks. The results obtained in the classification section reflect a significant improvement compared to reference work in the classification of cases of pneumonia such as CheXNet which obtained AUROC of 0.833, while our implementation provides AUROC score of 0.892. In the object detection section we get an AP@[. 4:. 75] score of 0.2496 which places our implementation in the top-2 into the leaderboard of the "RSNA pneumonia detection challenge".
Intake, digestibility, methane and heat production in bison, wapiti and white-tailed deer

A 3 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted in which the digestibility of alfalfa pellets and methane and heat productions were measured in bison, wapiti and white-tailed deer in February/March 1995 and in April/May 1995. Voluntary dry matter intake (DMI) while animals were individually fed averaged 70, 87 and 68 g kg−0.75 d−1, respectively (P = 0.05), and was generally higher in April/May than in February/March. Corresponding organic digestibilities were 52.9, 54.1 and 49.1% (P = 0.10). There was also a trend (P < 0.1) for fiber digestibilities to be lowest for deer. Methane production (L kg−1 DMI), was 30.1, 23.5, and 15.0 L kg−1 for bison, wapiti and deer, respectively (P = 0.01), with more (P < 0.01) methane being produced in February/March than in April/May (28 vs. 18 L kg−1 DMI). No differences in heat production (kJ kg−0.75) or estimated energy requirements for maintenance could be detected between species, although animals numerically produced 40% more heat (881 vs. 632 kJ kg−0.75, P = 0.13) in Apr.
Half-Year Longitudinal Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-Antibodies and Rule Compliance in German Hospital Employees

Introduction COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is an occupational health risk especially for healthcare employees. This study was designed to determine the longitudinal seroprevalence of specific immunglobolin-G (IgG)-antibodies in employees in a hospital setting. Methods All employees including healthcare and non-healthcare workers in a secondary care hospital were invited to participate in this single-center study. After an initial screening, a 6 months follow-up was done which included serological examination for SARS-CoV-2-IgG-antibodies and a questionnaire for self-reported symptoms, self-perception and thoughts about the local and national hygiene and pandemic plans. Results The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-IgG-antibodies was 0.74% among 406 hospital employees (95% confidence interval) (0.75% in healthcare workers, 0.72% in non-healthcare workers), initially recruited in April 2020, in their follow-up blood specimen in October 2020. In this study, 30.54% of the participants reported using the official German corona mobile application and the majority were content with the local and national rules in relation to Coronavirus restrictions. Discussion At the 6 months follow-up, the 0.74% seroprevalence was below the reported seroprevalence of 1.35% in the general German population. The prevalence in healthcare workers in direct patient care compared with those without direct patient contact did not differ significantly.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in European White children - study of 274 cases

Despite the growing literature on multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), the data in European White population is limited. Our aim was to capture MIS-C emergence in Poland (central Europe) and to describe its characteristics with a focus on severity determinants. Patients who met the MIS-C definition (fever, multiorgan failure, inflammation, and proven SARS-CoV-2 infection or contact) were reported retrospectively and prospectively in an online survey. Study definitions fulfilment was automatically evaluated by a dedicated software. For the assessment of univariate relationships, either directed or divided by sex, age, or disease severity, we used the test for two categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for categorical-continuous variable pairs. The analysis involved 274 children, 62.8% boys, median age 8.8 years. Besides one Asian, all were European White. Merely 23 (8.4%) required paediatric intensive care treatment (PICU). They were older (11.2 vs. 8.4 years), and at hospital admission had higher respiratory rate (30 v. 20/minute), lower systolic blood pressure (89 vs. 100 mmHg), prolonged capillary refill time (40% vs. 11%), and decreased consciousness (22% vs. 5%). Teenage boys had more common cardiac involvement (fraction 25.9% vs. 14.7% ) and macrophage activation syndrome (31.0% vs. 15.2%) than others. Boys were also more often hospitalised in PICU with age (from median 11.2 years to 9.1). The severity of MIS-C is not as uniform as it seemed, ethnicity and sex may affect MIS-C phenotype. Management might not be universally applicable and should rather be adjusted to the specific population.
Longitudinal experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among people with past or current eating disorders in Sweden

ABSTRACT The study aimed to document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of individuals with past and current eating disorders (ED) in Sweden. We re-contacted participants with a known lifetime history of ED from two previous Swedish studies. Participants completed an online survey about health and functioning at baseline early in the pandemic (Wave 1 ca May/June 2020; N= 982) and six months later (Wave 2 Dec/Jan 2020/21; N= 646). Three important patterns emerged: 1) higher current ED symptoms were associated with greater anxiety, worry, and pandemic-related ED symptom increase; 2) patterns were fairly stable across time, although a concerning percentage (23%) who were symptom-free at Wave 1 reported the re-emergence of symptoms at Wave 2; and 3) only a minority of participants (<50%) with a current ED were in treatment, and of those in treatment, many reported fewer treatment sessions and decreased quality of care. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to pose serious health challenges for individuals with an ED, whether currently symptomatic or in remission. We encourage health service providers and patient advocates to be alert to the needs of individuals with ED and to take active measures to ensure access to appropriate evidence-based care both during and following the pandemic.
Why did the children stop coming? Reasons for paediatric emergency department attendance decrease during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: A qualitative study

Objective: To explore parents' experiences and views relating to their use of children's emergency healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative telephone interview study using in-depth interviews, based on the principles of grounded theory. Recorded, transcribed verbatim, managed in NVivo version 12, analysed by thematic analysis. Setting: North East England, United Kingdom. Participants: Parents of children aged 0-8 years. Findings: Three major themes emerged from the interview data: Risk to children and families, Sources of Information, and Making Healthcare-seeking Decisions. These themes encompassed a range of intellectual and emotional responses in the way that parents interpreted information related to Covid-19, and their sense of responsibility towards family and wider society. Conclusions: Together these themes aid understanding of the changes in paediatric emergency department attendances reported in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The analysis suggests that public health messaging directed at those seeking urgent care for children may be inadequate and lead to adverse consequences, the impacts of which require further study and refinement.
Prevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Poznań, Poland, after the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

A serosurvey of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed between July and September 2020. Within this study, we found that 0.93% of the Poznan metropolitan area population had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 after the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).