Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Momordica charantia (Indian and Chinese Bitter Melon) Extracts Inducing Apoptosis in Human Lung Cancer Cell Line A549 via ROS-Mediated Mitochodria Injury

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide with about 40% occurring in developing countries. The two varieties of Momordica charantia, which are Chinese and Indian bitter melon, have been subjected to antiproliferative activity in human non-small cell lung cells A549. The A549 cells were treated with hot and cold aqueous extraction for both the bitter melon varieties, and the antiproliferative activity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The apoptotic mechanism of action on A549 human lung cancer cells was evaluated first morphologically using Hoechst 33358, and cytoskeleton staining using Filamentous-actin (F-actin) cytoskeleton FICT and DAPI followed by caspase-3/7, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and p53 activity. Chinese hot aqueous extraction (CHA) exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against A549 human lung cancer cells. The morphological analysis of mitochondria destruction and the derangement of cytoskeleton showed apoptosis-inducing activity. CHA increased the caspase-3/7 activity by 1.6-fold and the ROS activity by 5-fold. Flow cytometric analysis revealed 34.5% of apoptotic cells significantly (p<0.05) compared to cisplatin-treated A549 human cancer cells. CHA is suggested to induce apoptosis due to their rich bioactive chemical constituents. These findings suggest that the antiproliferative effect of CHA was due to apoptosis via ROS-mediated mitochondria injury.
A Small Business is not a Little Big Business Harvard Business Review, Vol. 59, No. 4, July/August, 1981, pp.18 (9 pages

Harvard Business Review, Vol. 59, No. 4, July/August, 1981, pp.18 (9 pages) The authors, both of the Caruth Institute of Owner-Managed Business at Southern Methodist University, write from personal experience and use carefully constructed but realistic examples to demonstrate how, in the area of financial management, small businesses differ from large ones. Their contention is that small businesses tend to suffer from a condition termed ’resource poverty’, and thus cannot easily survive mistakes or misjudgements. The large firm has plenty of resources, to withstand or support variations in performance. Such variations are usually small (in proportion to overall activity) and take place over extended time periods (such as a year). In contrast, variations in small firm performance (particularly in growing firms) are usually substantial, and therefore require closer monitoring over a much shorter time scale. These differences are reflected in several areas of financial management, as demonstrated by the authors’ examples. Firstly, the term ’cash flow’ is, for a large company, an accounting concept which can be computed by adding non-cash expenses to net profit. In a small company facing a new project it refers to the difference between totals of cheques being received and those being written out. It is not enough that the cash flows should eventually be positive; their timing is critical. Secondly, conventional break-even analysis is also a large company tool. Since any expected variations will be proportionately small, it is reasonable to draw straight lines to reach a break-even point. In the example given, the small company reality, the presence of volume discounts produces a convex sales curve, while the addition of capacity produces a saw-tooth cost curve. The result is several break-even points. The authors then proceed to point out that paying attention to ROI, which is essentially about improving the efficiency of production, is a luxury which small firms cannot afford. They are, or should be, too busy controlling liquidity. Finally, there is a discussion of ’the debt-equity impasse’ which introduces the importance of margins in the consideration of financing growth.
Introduction to speckle tracking in cardiac ultrasound imaging

In this chapter, we will first recall some basic principles of speckle tracking. The fundamentals of speckle tracking in a wider context are essentially described in Chapter 13. We will then treat speckle-tracking echocardiography and echocardiographic particle image velocimetry (echo-PIV) and indicate a number of clinical applications in the context of evaluation of cardiac function. We will then briefly introduce color Doppler approaches complementary to speckle tracking. We will finally present how speckle-tracking techniques could benefit from highframe-rate echocardiography (also called “ultrafast echocardiography”). We will conclude with the expected contribution of high-frame-rate ultrasound for speckle tracking in three-dimensional (3-D) echocardiography.
Evaluating the quality of services provided by the financial controller in governmental organizations: Using the SERVPERF model

How to cite this paper: Alnodel, A. A. , Khlaifah, N. , & Elnafabi, H. M. (2020). Evaluating the quality of services provided by the financial controller in governmental organizations: Using the SERVPERF model. Journal of Governance & Regulation, 9(2),
Sexual size dimorphism and selection in the wild in the waterstrider Aquarius remigis: Body size, components of body size and male mating success

Sexual size dimorphism is assumed to be adaptive and is expected to evolve in response to a difference in the net selection pressures on the sexes. Although a demonstration of sexual selection is neither necessary nor sufficient to explain the evolution of sexual size dimorphism, sexual selection is generally assumed to be a major evolutionary force. If contemporary sexual selection is important in the evolution and maintenance of sexual size dimorphism then we expect to see concordance between patterns of sexual selection and patterns of sexual dimorphism. We examined sexual selection in the wild, acting on male body size, and components of body size, in the waterstrider Aquarius remigis, as part of a long term study examining net selection pressures on the two sexes in this species. Selection was estimated on both a daily and annual basis. Since our measure of fitness (mating success) was behavioral, we estimated reliabilities to determine if males perform consistently. Reliabilities were measured as ϰ statistics and range from fair to perfect agreement with substantial agreement overall. We found significant univariate sexual selection favoring larger total length in the first year of our study but not in the second. Multivariate analysis of components of body size revealed that sexual selection for larger males was not acting directly on total length but on genital length. Sexual selection for larger male body size was opposed by direct selection favoring smaller midfemoral lengths. While males of this species are smaller than females, they have longer genital segments and wider forefemora. Patterns of contemporary sexual selection and sexual size dimorphism agree only for genital length. For total length, and all other components of body size examined, contemporary sexual selection was either nonsignificant or opposed the pattern of size dimporhism. Thus, while the net pressures of contemporary selection for the species may still act to maintain sexual size dimorphism, sexual selection alone does not.
Dependent Development*

The paper is a critique of the development philosophy underlying the United Nations Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order. The author examines its postulates, including the proposed goal and the strategy, and comes to the conclusion, on general grounds as well as on the basis of experience, that ‘underdeveloped’ (or ‘developing’, to use the current euphemism) countries would be accepting them at the cost of their autonomy and the real welfare of their peoples; they would be deflected from pursuing goals which, even if modest in comparison, are both realizable and in their best interests. Developing countries, the author argues, would be ill-advised to be lured into a race with the West (in the name of ‘eliminating the gap’) which, even if worthwhile, they will inevitably lose. He advocates the strategy of self-reliance, and the concomitant temporary detachment from the international economic system, so that the developing countries may freely decide their destiny and work it out with their own efforts.
AFLP comparison of distant Melampsora epitea (willow rust) populations

To compare genetic variation among four geographically distant populations of the fungus species Melampsora epitea causing willow rust, a two-primer combination was used for ALFP fingerprinting of 24 isolates from Sweden, along with 10 from France, 24 from Northern Ireland, and 35 from Chile. The banding patterns of all 93 isolates were easily distinguished and revealed polymorphism among individuals within and between the four M. epitea populations. No clustering on the dendrogram could be attributed to country of origin, or almost equivalently, country of origin correlated poorly with genetic distance, suggesting that the geographically distant populations developed collectively as a metapopulation, instead of separately.
Molecular and morphological evidences reveal a cryptic species in the Vinaceous Rosefinch Carpodacus vinaceus (Fringillidae; Aves)

Wu, H. ‐C. , Lin, R. ‐C. , Hung, H. ‐Y. , Yeh, C. ‐F. , Chu, J.‐H. , Yang, X. ‐J., Yao, C. ‐J., Zou, F. ‐S. , Yao, C. ‐T. , Li, S. ‐H. & Lei, F. ‐M. (2011). Molecular and morphological evidences reveal a cryptic species in the Vinaceous Rosefinch Carpodacus vinaceus (Fringillidae; Aves). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 468–478.
Practical method for superresolution imaging of primary cilia and centrioles by expansion microscopy using an amplibody for fluorescence signal amplification

Primary cilia are microtubule-based protrusions from the cell surface that are approximately 0.3 µm in diameter and 3 µm in length. Because size approximates the optical diffraction limit, ciliary structures at the subdiffraction level can be observed only by using a superresolution microscope or electron microscope. Expansion microscopy (ExM) is an alternative superresolution imaging technique that uses a swellable hydrogel that enables the physical expansion of specimens. However, the efficacy of ExM has not been fully verified, and further improvements in the method are anticipated. In this study, we applied ExM to the observation of primary cilia and centrioles and compared the acquired images with those obtained using conventional superresolution microscopy. Furthermore, we developed a new tool, called the amplibody, for fluorescence signal amplification, to compensate for the substantial decrease in fluorescence signal per unit volume inherent to physical expansion and for the partial proteolytic digestion of cellular proteins before expansion. We also demonstrate that the combinatorial use of the ExM protocol optimized for amplibodies and Airyscan superresolution microscopy enables the practical observation of cilia and centrioles with high brightness and resolution.
Properties of Potato Starch Roasted with Apple Distillery Wastewater †

This study aimed to produce starch esters by roasting potato starch with apple distillery wastewater at various temperatures and aimed to determine the effects of esterification conditions on selected properties of the modified preparations. Apple distillery wastewater was concentrated, mixed with starch (30 g of dry matter per 100 g of starch), dried, and roasted at temperatures of 110, 130 or 150 °C for 3 h. The resulting preparations were rinsed 30 times with a 60% ethanol solution, dried, and disintegrated. After that, the following analyses were performed: content of substituted acids (after alkaline de-esterification) with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); thermal characteristics with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); swelling power and solubility in water at 80 °C; color changes with a colorimeter; rheology of the pastes based on the plotted flow curves; and the pastes’ resistance to amyloglucosidase. Starch treatments with apple distillery wastewater at 130 and 150 °C caused significant changes to its properties when compared to the control samples of native starch and starch roasted without wastewater, including: a lower temperature and heat of pasting, lower swelling power and solubility in water, darker color, higher resistance to amyloglucosidase, and the formation of pastes with a lower viscosity.
Apratylenchus vietnamensis gen. n., sp. n. and A. binhi gen. n., sp. n., sedentary Pratylenchidae (Nematoda: Tylenchida) from coffee in Vietnam, with proposal of Apratylenchinae subfam. n.

Apratylenchinae subfam. n. is proposed within the Pratylenchidae to include Apratylenchus gen. n. and two new species, A. vietnamensis gen. n. , sp. n. and A. binhi gen. n. , sp. n. , from coffee plantations in Vietnam. Apratylenchus gen. n. is distinguished by the presence of transverse rows of cuticular tubercles on the annuli and by sexual dimorphism in which the males are stout and cylindrical, but mature sedentary females are club-shaped. The sedentary females are broadest in the posterior third although narrowing posterior to the vulva (V >= 85%). The female cephalic region is low and dome-shaped with all labial sectors fused to one another and the oral disc and the pharyngeal glands overlap the intestine ventrally. Males have a weak stylet with reduced knobs and a conical tail with a blunt terminus, arcuate spicules and a non-protrusible gubernaculum. Apratylenchus vietnamensis gen. n. , sp. n. is characterised by a sedentary mature female with a 368-515 mu m long club-shaped body, cephalic region low, dome shaped with three annuli, body annuli bearing a single or double row of refractive tubercles, stylet 17.0-19.9 mu m long, V = ca 88-92, spermatheca filled with sperm and males known, if rarely found, in the type population. Males have a weak, 15 mu m long stylet with reduced knobs, 16 mu m spicules, a non-protrusible gubernaculum and low bursa. It differs from A. binhi gen. n. , sp. n. , the only other nominal species of the new genus, by longer female body (368-515 vs 326-364 mu m), longer distance from anterior end to anus (353-512 vs 310-348 mu m) and longer stylet (17.0-19.9 vs 14.7-16.9 mu m). In addition, the spermatheca is filled with round sperm vs empty in A. binhi gen. n. , sp. n. and the cuticle has less densely spaced and less pronounced tubercles. D2/D3 sequences of the 28 rDNA gene clearly support the separation of Apratylenchus gen. n. from other Pratylenchidae and further distinguish the two new species from each other.
Protective effect of betaine against skeleton muscle apoptosis in rats induced by chronic alcohol and statin consumption.

AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of apoptosis on rat skeletal muscle caused by chronic alcohol and statin consumption with modified liquid diet and to elucidate protective effects of betaine supplementation. METHODS TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor), NF-kB (Nuclear Factor kappa B), cytochrome c and caspase-3 levels with or without betaine treatment in alcohol and/or statin-induced skeleton muscle apoptosis rats as well as in controls were measured in serum and tissue. Histologic examinations of the muscle tissues were also performed. RESULTS In our study, betaine treated treatment groups we found that calpain and caspase activities and cytokine c release were decreased caused by alcohol, statin and more importantly alcohol+statin group and TNF and NF-kB levels were also close to the levels of control group. Similarly, significant improvements have been observed in our morphological and histological examination results also supporting our biochemical data. CONCLUSION We found that combined consumption of ethanol and statin is capable of triggering apoptotic cell death in rat muscles more than the consumption of only alcohol or only statin. Betaine was able to reduced this muscle cell death induced by alcohol and/or statin consumption (Tab. 4, Fig. 4, Ref. 43).
Cannabis and Inflammatory Mediators

Introduction: Although the recreational cannabis use is expressive worldwide, the literature about medical potential of cannabis extracts, including its anti-inflammatory properties, remains inconclusive. Methods: We screened all articles, published on the PubMed database, on inflammatory mediators and any information about cannabis use from 1980 to March 2019. Results: Six studies were included, and the main findings were as follows: (i) among healthy volunteers and cannabis users, cannabinoids seemed to decrease the inflammatory response, thus decreasing the immune response, which led to a higher risk of infections; (ii) among patients with multiple sclerosis, cannabinoids seemed to have little impact on the inflammatory markers’ levels. Discussion: Although cannabis use can produce immune inflammatory suppression in healthy people, this effect is not robust enough to change inflammatory mediators’ levels in situations of highly dysfunctional inflammatory activation. Nevertheless, the impact of cannabinoids in clinical outcomes of these conditions remains to be determined.
Effects of Previous High N Addition on Nutrient Conditions in Above-ground Biomass of a Picea abies Stand in Sweden

Deposition of air pollutants, together with intensified harvesting practices, has led to concern about the declining base cation status and the acidifying effects in the soil, with possible implications for silviculture. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of a previous high N addition on the nutritional status in the above - ground part of a tree stand. We sampled various biomass fractions in a highly productive Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) stand in the province of Värmland, western Sweden. The experimental plots had been fertilized with urea four times at intervals of 5 yrs, the last time being 13 yrs before our study. The total amount of N added was in the range 480 - 2400 kg ha? 1. Despite the high N addition and an insignificant growth increase following N input, there were no obvious residual changes of nutrient concentrations in the above - ground parts of trees.
A novel apoA‐I mimetic peptide suppresses atherosclerosis by promoting physiological HDL function in apoE−/− mice

Apolipoprotein A‐I (apoA‐I) mimetic peptides (AAMPs) are short peptides that can mimic the physiological effects of apoA‐I, including the suppression of atherosclerosis by reversely transporting peripheral cholesterol to the liver. As the hydrophobicity of apoA‐I is considered important for its lipid transport, novel AAMPs were designed and synthesized in this study by gradually increasing the hydrophobicity of the parent peptide, and their anti‐atherosclerotic effects were tested.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study to Determine the Available Energy from Soluble Fiber

Abstract Objective Determining the available energy (caloric value) of dietary non-digestible fibers that are fermented to varying degrees by intestinal microbes and metabolized to short chain fatty acids is important for provision of accurate information to food and beverage manufacturers for reformulation and labeling purposes. The objective of this human study was to determine the available energy of soluble fiber products by measuring post consumption breath hydrogen, with inulin as a control. Methods PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber 70 (SCF70) and PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber 85B (SCF85B) are Tate & Lyle dietary fiber products with 70% and 85% fiber, respectively. The fiber portion of these products is structurally representative of the fiber portion of all PROMITOR® SCF products. The study conducted was a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Breath hydrogen was quantified following consumption of beverages consisting of 8 oz. of water and: inulin (control), SCF70, or SCF85B at 5, 10, or 15 g (total ingredient weight, “as is”). Subjects were generally healthy men and women (N = 19), age 18 to 34 years, with body mass index (BMI) 19.3 to 24.8 kg/m2. The primary outcome was incremental area under the curve over 10 h (iAUC0–10 h) for inulin, SCF70, and SCF85B at each dose. The available energy (kcal/g ingredient and kcal/g fiber) from SCF70 and SCF85B at each dose was then calculated using inulin as the reference. Results Results demonstrated that breath hydrogen production was significantly lower following consumption of SCF70 and SCF85B compared to inulin at all consumption amounts. There were no significant differences in breath hydrogen production following consumption of SCF70 compared to SCF85B. Conclusion The available energy per gram of fiber was not significantly different between the SCF70 and SCF85B PROMITOR® products. The available energy of the fiber portion of PROMITOR® SCF products was determined to be 0.2 kcal/gram.
Single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed long-lasting adverse effects of tamoxifen on neurogenesis in prenatal and adult brains

Significance The tamoxifen (TAM)-inducible CreER/LoxP system is one of the most widely used genetic tools that have enabled precise gene manipulation in distinct cell subpopulations at any specific time point and labeling of any cell types for genetic fate mapping. We report that administration of TAM during early stages of cortical neurogenesis inhibits neural progenitor cell proliferation and impaired cortical neurogenesis, dendritic morphogenesis, synaptic density, and gliogenesis in postnatal offspring. By employing single-cell RNA sequencing analysis combined with in vivo and in vitro assays, we found TAM could exert these drastic effects through dysregulating the Wnt-Dmrta2 signaling pathway. This study shows that care must be taken when using the TAM-induced CreER/LoxP system for neural lineage tracing and genetic manipulation studies. The CreER/LoxP system is widely accepted to track neural lineages and study gene functions upon tamoxifen (TAM) administration. We have observed that prenatal TAM treatment caused high rates of delayed delivery and fetal mortality. This substance could produce undesired results, leading to data misinterpretation. Here, we report that administration of TAM during early stages of cortical neurogenesis promoted precocious neural differentiation, while it inhibited neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation. The TAM-induced inhibition of NPC proliferation led to deficits in cortical neurogenesis, dendritic morphogenesis, synaptic formation, and cortical patterning in neonatal and postnatal offspring. Mechanistically, by employing single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis combined with in vivo and in vitro assays, we show TAM could exert these drastic effects mainly through dysregulating the Wnt-Dmrta2 signaling pathway. In adult mice, administration of TAM significantly attenuated NPC proliferation in both the subventricular zone and the dentate gyrus. This study revealed the cellular and molecular mechanisms for the adverse effects of TAM on corticogenesis, suggesting that care must be taken when using the TAM-induced CreER/LoxP system for neural lineage tracing and genetic manipulation studies in both embryonic and adult brains.