Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Diurnal Intermittent Fasting On Proinflammatory Cytokine, Oxidative Stress and Heat Shock Protein 70 Levels

Aim: In this study, it is aimed to assess the effect of intermittent diurnal fasting (DIF) at the beginning (2nd day of Ramadan fasting) and the end of the Ramadan (28th day of Ramadan fasting) on plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 8 (IL-8)], heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and oxidative stress markers [total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS)]. Methods: Fifty healthy male volunteers aged between 25-45 years were included in the study. All subjects followed the same dietary regimen before and during Ramadan and were encouraged to continue their usual lifestyle and activities. All biochemical tests were made both at the beginning (2nd day of fasting) and the end of the Ramadan (28th day of fasting). Plasma levels of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-8) Hsp70 were assessed using enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA), and oxidative markers (TAS and TOS) were measured spectrophotometric methods. Results: There was a significant decrease in the levels of TNF- α, compared to the beginning of fasting (p 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant increase in the Hsp70 levels compared to the beginning of fasting (p 0.05). Conclusion: DIF decreased proinflammatory cytokine level and oxidative stress parameter while increasing the levels of Hsp70. Keywords: Diurnal Intermittent Fasting, Ramadan, Proinflammatory Cytokines, Heat Shock Protein 70, Oxidative Stress Special Issue of Health Sciences DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-03-41
Total Number of Alterations in Liquid Biopsies Is an Independent Predictor of Survival in Patients With Advanced Cancers

PURPOSE Studies have demonstrated an association between quantity of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and poorer survival. We investigated the relationship between percent ctDNA (%ctDNA), total number of ctDNA alterations, and overall survival (OS) in liquid biopsies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Overall, 418 patients with blood-based next-generation sequencing (54 to 73 genes) were analyzed. Eligible patients included those who had advanced/metastatic solid tumor malignancies and never received immunotherapy treatment, which may alter the survival curve in patients with high mutational burden. RESULTS Patients with a high (≥ 5%) %ctDNA had significantly shorter OS versus those with intermediate (≥ 0.4% to < 5%) or low (< 0.4%) values (median OS, 7.0 v 14.1 v not reached [NR] months, respectively; P < .0001). Patients with a high (≥ 5) total number of alterations had significantly shorter OS versus those with intermediate (≥ 1.46 to < 5), low (< 1.46), or no alterations (median OS, 4.6 v 11.7 v 21.3 v NR months, respectively; P < .0001). The total number of alterations correlated with %ctDNA (r = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.87; P < .0001). However, only an intermediate to high total number of alterations (≥ 1.46) was an independent predictor of worse OS (hazard ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.30 to 2.96; P = .0014; multivariate analysis). CONCLUSION We demonstrate that the total number of alterations and %ctDNA have prognostic value and correlate with one another, but only the total number of alterations was independently associated with survival outcomes. Our findings suggest that the total number of alterations in plasma may be an indicator of more aggressive tumor biology and therefore poorer survival.
Physiological ranges and variability in organ blood flow in laboratory animals

BACKGROUND: Organ blood flow rates are useful in allometric scaling and for the application of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling (PBPK). These models are typically used for extrapolating pharmacokinetic data across different species, which has important applications in drug discovery and safety assessment. Therefore, it is also essential to consider the natural variability in the physiological parameters of animals. The objective of this literature survey is to provide such data on how organ blood flow rates can vary in our most common laboratory animals. METHOD: A literature survey was done in scientific databases. Data on organ blood flow rates were compiled from review articles and clinical studies. Primarily blood flow rates from healthy, unaffected animals were included. Since there is a great variation in measuring techniques, only the most commonly used methods were included to ensure comparability of data across different studies. Blood flow rates are presented in units of ml∙min-1. Recalculations were done whenever necessary. There is an inconsistency in nomenclature of organ blood flow rates, particularly of hepatic and gastrointestinal blood flow rates. RESULTS: Blood flow rates from articles are compiled in the result section. Blood flow rates from major organs and tissues from mouse, gerbil, hamster, rat, marmoset, guinea pig, rabbit, Rhesus monkey, dog, pig, sheep and man are presented in Tables 1-12. Ranges of blood flow rates are presented in Table 13. DISCUSSION: Since very few studies could be obtained on marmoset, gerbil and guinea pig organ blood flow rates, more studies on these animals are needed. A greater variation of study methods in other species is also desired. Studies on blood flow rates in both conscious and anesthetized animals are needed because anesthetics are commonly used in many pharmacological experiments. A stringent evaluation of measuring technique is essential for assessment of the validity of data. All studies have taken precautions to eliminate various sources of experimental error. The microsphere technique is the most common method for measuring organ blood flow. The technique may give misleading blood flow rates in smaller laboratory animals (mouse, hamster) because of its invasiveness. Cannulation of two arteries and catheterization of the heart may affect circulation in animals with smaller arteries. Variability in organ blood flow rates originate from both biological variations within and between individuals as well as from extrinsic variation due to protocol design, measuring technique and data assessment.
Calreticulins-Calcium-binding proteins with functional diversity and evolutionary duality

Calreticulin is a multifunctional protein mainly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum in eukaryotic organisms, except yeasts. The protein comprises three distinct regions: the N-terminal N domain, the C-terminal C domain, and the central P domain, reflecting the functional diversity of calreticulin. The protein has been implicated in over 40 intra- and extracellular processes in mammalian cells, but the main research focus has been on its role in protein folding and as a regulator of cellular calcium homeostasis. The protein can bind approximately 25 mol Ca2+ per mol protein, largely mediated by the negatively charged C domain. Although a similar Ca2+ binding capacity is evident for plant calreticulins, the physiological relevance of the protein in endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ regulation has been elusive. Nicotiana tabacum suspension cells were therefore transformed with a Zea mays crt1a cDNA, under the control of a heat-shock promoter. Induction of the calreticulin transgene enhanced the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content in vitro. Furthermore, heat shock-induced Arabidopsis plants, transformed with the same construct, grew better on medium containing low levels of Ca2+ compared with control plants. The multifunctional properties assigned to calreticulins have triggered a search for additional isoforms and for two or more copies of calreticulin genes in mammals. By performing BLASTP searches we found a calreticulin isoform (Crt2) in human, which differed significantly from the previously established isoform. In addition, a homolog to the Crt2 protein was obtained from mouse, and crt2-related ESTs were found in rat and pig. The data thus supported an orthologous calreticulin isoform present in several mammalian species. Similar to the calnexin homolog calmegin, the crt2 gene was exclusively expressed in testis of the tissues investigated. Arabidopsis contains three calreticulin isoforms. Phylogenetic analyses and expression profiling revealed that both monocotyledons and eudicotyledons contain two distinct calreticulin isoform groups: a Crt1/Crt2 and a Crt3 group. Whereas the crt1/crt2 genes were active in all tissue types investigated, peaking in flowers, the crt3 gene was mainly expressed in root and leaf tissues. Furthermore, members from the different isoform groups were induced differently in response to tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation of newly synthesized proteins. To provide a common research basis for plant calreticulins, a new nomenclature for the proteins was suggested. The discovery of two orthologous calreticulin isoform groups in both animals and plants support an evolutionary duality, and suggests functional diversity for calreticulins. (Less)
Privileges of Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia: Drug Monitoring and Providing Education to Healthcare Professionals

Faisal Al-Otaibi, Ph. D, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Patrice Department, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Mohamed Soliman Imam, Ph. D, Assistant Professor, Dean, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Randa Mansour Abdel-Sattar Ahmed, Ph.D, Biomedical Science Department, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Amsha Alotaibi, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacist, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Patrice Department, Shaqra University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Asma Alotaibi, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacist, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Practice Department, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Amal Alotaibi, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacist, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Wesam Alsuwaid, Pharm D, Clinical Pharmacist, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Practice Department, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Yousef Ahmed Alomi*, BSc. Pharm, MSc. Clin Pharm, BCPS, BCNSP, DiBA, CDE, Critical Care Clinical Pharmacists, TPN Clinical Pharmacist, Freelancer Business Planner, Content Editor and Data Analyst, P.O. BOX 100, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Social support and quality of life in Greek women with breast cancer during chemotherapy and two years later

background Social support in women with breast cancer is associated with quality of life (QoL) and it appears to be vital for treating breast cancer and adaptation to disease. Social support seems to decrease quantitatively and over time while significant improvement in the patients’ long-term emotional and physical function is observed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the differences in levels of social support and QoL in two independent groups of patients: women with breast cancer (i) during chemotherapy and (ii) two years after the chemotherapy.
Long-term change in river invertebrate communities

Finding rules that govern species distribution and coexistence is a fundamental aim of ecological research. The rapidly expanding and increasingly mobile human race is challenging our understanding of some these rules. Using long-term macroinvertebrate data collected from two river systems with contrasting legacies from human activity, this thesis investigates drivers of change in community structure and function, mechanisms underpinning these changes and how these changes affect the accurate assessment of the ecological condition of river systems. The reformation of the river invertebrate communities within the River Clyde system was not predicted by the simple improving measures of water physico-chemistry or life history characteristics of the re-colonising community. This has serious implications for the accurate assessment of river health which is at present largely reliant on the physio-chemical tolerance of macroinvertebrates to indicate prevailing environmental conditions. It is argued that reference condition predictions, like those obtained from the RIVPACS programme, may not be suitable when assessing the ecological health of a river subjected to long-term modification from human activity, like the River Clyde. Significant differences in the stable isotope signatures of resident and colonising populations of Rhyacophila dorsalis (a predatory Trichopteran) provided insight into some mechanisms underlying differences between reforming communities. Trophic position estimates for some colonising populations of R. dorsalis were shown to be lower than expected considering their predatory status and, colonisation patterns were significant in predicting changes in occupied trophic position. The River Endrick is recognised internationally in terms of biodiversity. Over the last 50 years, the diversity of macroinvertebrate fauna of the river has significantly reduced, five species have become locally extinct and there has been a significant change in the distribution of 29 other species. The macroinvertebrate community in the headwater of the river has undergone a dramatic change in structure and function. The contrasting changes to the headwater community and changes in the structure and function of the macroinvertebrate community in the river system require further investigation. This thesis demonstrates the importance of investigating long-term change.
Efecto de gluteninas de alto peso molecular de los genomas A y B sobre propiedades reológicas y volumen de pan en trigos harineros

Con el proposito de determinar la influencia de subunidades especificas de los genomas A y B de gluteninas de alto peso molecular (G-APM) sobre la fuerza y extensibilidad del gluten de la masa y volumen de pan de trigo harinero (Triticum aestivum L.), se probo un grupo de 98 lineas obtenidas de la cruza Rebeca F2000? ~Baviacora M92 derivadas por la descendencia de una sola semilla de F2 a F6. Los genotipos y los progenitores se sembraron en dos localidades del Campo experimental Valle de Mexico del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) en el ciclo primavera-verano 2004. Se estudiaron los alelos 1 y 2* del genoma A, 7+9 y 17+18 del genoma B. El analisis de variables de calidad y la identificacion electroforetica de las gluteninas de alto peso molecular se efectuo en el laboratorio de calidad de trigo del Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT). La calidad del gluten se evaluo con base en volumen de sedimentacion, tiempo de desarrollo de masa, estabilidad al amasado, tolerancia al sobreamasado, alveograma-W y P/L, y volumen de pan. La combinacion 2*, 17+18, 5+10 de G-APM, mostro los mejores valores de fuerza y extensibilidad del gluten (p.0.05) seguida por las combinaciones 1, 17+18, 5+10, 1, 7+9, 5+10 y 2*, 7+9, 5+10. Al sustituir el alelo 7+9 por el 17+18 del genoma B, se observo incremento en extensibilidad y volumen de pan (p.0.05), lo cual indica que el alelo 17+18 tiene una mejor contribucion panadera que 7+9. No se observaron diferencias significativas entre los alelos 1 y 2* del genoma A (p.0.05).
PENGARUH FINANCIAL LITERACY, RISK TOLERANCE DAN OVERCONFIDENCE TERHADAP PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN INVESTASI PADA USIA PRODUKTIF DI KOTA BANDUNG

Indeks Literasi Keuangan Indonesia masih rendah, karena itu pemerintah melalui Otoritas Jasa Keuangan berfokus pada peningkatan literasi keuangan khususnya penduduk yang berusia produktif. Pemilihan jenis investasi akan dipengaruhi oleh toleransi seorang investor terhadap risiko. Tingkat kepercayaan diri seseorang juga akan mempengaruhi dalam keputusan investasinya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh financial literacy, risk tolerance, dan overconfidence terhadap pengambilan keputusan investasi pada usia produktif di kota Bandung. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan metode kuantitatif, data yang digunakan ialah dengan menyebarkan kuisioner kepada masyarakat usia produktif di Kota Bandung dengan total 400 responden. Analisis data menggunakan teknik analisis deskriptif, analisis regresi berganda untuk menjawab hipotesis yang diajukan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa secara parsial variabel Financial Literacy, Risk Tolerance, dan Overconfidence berpengaruh signifikan terhadap pengambilan Keputusan Investasi pada usia produktif di Kota Bandung, dan Financial Literacy, Risk Tolerance, dan Overconfidence berpengaruh signifikan secara simultan terhadap pengambilan keputusan investasi pada usia produktif di Kota Bandung.
Audit Report Lag: Specialized Auditor and Corporate Governance

Objective - This paper aims to obtain empirical evidence about the influence of specialized auditors, audit tenure, audit committee, board independence, ownership concentration, and auditor quality on audit report lag in Indonesian manufacturing firms. Methodology/Technique – The population is all manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2010 and 2016. Multiple linear regressions was used as the data analysis method. Finding - The results of this research show that specialized auditors, board independence, ownership concentration and auditor quality all have an influence on audit report lag. Meanwhile, audit tenure and audit committee do not have an influence on audit report lag. Novelty - Specialized auditors will provide better performance than non-specialized auditors. Specialized auditors will apply more appropriate planning and monitoring on the audit procedure. Specialized auditors need longer time to audit financial statements, which effects audit report lag. The presence of an independent board requires higher quality financial statements. Thus, the auditor needs to put more effort into the verification process of financial statements. The largest shareholders tend to be committed and responsible to the company’s reputation. Managers will demand the audit report lag in a timely manner, in order to maintain the trust and satisfaction of the company’s largest shareholders. Type of Paper: Empirical. Keywords: Audit Report Lag; Specialized Auditor; Board Independence; Ownership Concentration; Auditor Quality. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Pradipta, A; Zalukhu, A.G. 2020. Audit Report Lag: Specialized Auditor and Corporate Governance, Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review 8(1): 41 – 48. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2020. 8.1(5) JEL Classification: G30, M42.
Gene expression, DNA and kidney damage induced by pirimiphos-methyl in male mice: Chemical composition and ameliorative role of Origanum majorana leaves extract

The mechanism of renal toxicity after exposure to pesticides is not completed known until now. Some scientists suggested that the accumulation of pesticide residues in kidney tissue is one theory for explaining how pesticides alter kidney function and cause cell injury. This study is, therefore, the first one to explain the mechanism of pirimiphos-methyl (PM) induce kidney dysfunction and damage in mice. The ameliorative effect of Origanum majorana leaves extract against renal dysfunction and damage. The effect of pirimiphos-methyl (PM) on gene expression, DNA damage, oxidant/antioxidant status and renal toxicity of male mice were studied. Chemical fingerprint by HPLC and GC/MS of O. majorana leave extract and their ameliorative role was investigated. Mice received PM orally at dose 12.0 mg/kg b. wt. (1/10 LD50) for four weeks with or without plant extracts at dose 150 and 300 mg/kg. b. wt. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds e.g., gallic acid, protocatechuic and cateachin while beta-terpineol (25.71%), gamma-terpineol (15.03%), (-)-spathulenol (10.79%), terpinen-4-ol (10.59%), terpineol (10.08%) and trans-caryophyllene by GC-MS analysis. Pirimiphos methyl increased molecule-1 gene (KIM-1) relative expression and increased percentage of the cell with DNA damage in kidney tissue of mice. It changed antioxidant biomarkers such as glutathione-s-transferees (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the kidney. They enhanced the concentration of uric acid and creatinine in serum and caused histopathological alterations in the kidney tissue. Co-administration of plant extract restored serum kidney function and oxidative stress biomarkers within the normal range especially at a high dose of plant extracts. It can be concluded that the mechanism of renal damage induced by PM could be due to the effect on molecule-1 gene (KIM-1) expression and damage DNA in the renal cells. The mechanism of change in kidney function and injure could be due to the imbalance between oxidant/antioxidant status because of producing reactive oxygen species. Administration of O. majorana extract ameliorates KIM-1 gene expiration, reduced DNA damage, and improved kidney function and protect renal cells via their scavenger ability to free radicals. These findings indicated that leave extract of O. majorana could be used as a tea to protect agricultural workers and pesticide sprayers against oxidative damage and kidney injury induced by pesticides. Key words: Gene expression, DNA, Comet assay, pirimiphos-methyl, oxidative stress, HPLC, GC-MS, Origanum majorana, kidney, mice.
A Layout Strategy for Distributed Barrage Jamming against Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) can effectively detect and track targets and therefore play an important role in underwater detection technology. To protect a target from being detected by UASNs, a distributed barrage jamming layout strategy is proposed, which considers the detection performance of UASNs as an indicator of the jamming performance. Since common indices of detection performance often involve specific signal processing methods, the Cramer–Rao bound (CRB) of multiple targets estimated by an UASN for distributed jammers is deduced in this paper, which is universal for all signal processing methods. The optimization model of the distributed jamming layout strategy is designed by maximizing the CRB to achieve the best jamming effect with limited jammers. A heuristic algorithm is used to solve this optimization model, and a numerical simulation shows that the optimal layout strategy for distributed jammers proposed in this paper achieves better performance than traditional jamming layout strategies. Considering the deviation of the position of the jammers from the ideal value due to the movement of water in a real marine environment, this paper also analyzes the jamming effects of strategies when there is error in the position of the jammers. The result proves the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed optimal layout strategy in an actual environment.