Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elettaria cardamomum Essential Oil Rescues Paracetamol-Induced Hepatorenal Damage via Modulating Oxidative Stress in Rats

| Hepatoprotective efficacy of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) seeds crude essential oil was evaluated in experimentally paracetamol (PCM) hepatotoxic rats. Sixty-five male Sprague Dawley rats divided into six groups. First group was kept as control negative, while the 2nd group was given PCM (500 mg/kg bw). The 3rd and 4th groups were orally administered silymarin + PCM (500mg/kg bw + 500 mg/kg bw), and cardamom oil + PCM (100 mg/kg bw + 500 mg/kg bw), respectively. The 5th and 6th groups were treated with silymarin (500 mg/kg bw) and cardamom oil (100 mg/kg bw), respectively in normal rats. All the previous dosages lasted for two weeks. Blood samples collected weekly from all tested groups. Assessment of hemogram, some serum biochemical parameters and histopathology of liver and kidney were carried out. Chemical compositions of cardamom oil was established by gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealed that the oil was rich in monoterpenoids, while the monoterpene hydrocarbon, was existing with comparatively small percent. Results of PCM-intoxicated rats revealed significant decrease in total protein and albumin with significant hyperglycemia and elevation in serum transaminases, urea and creatinine which were significantly ameliorated in groups receiving cardamom oil or silymarin. Administration of cardamom essential oil significantly ameliorates the hepato-renal profiles and elevates total antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the oil protects the liver and kidneys from histopathological alterations in PCM-intoxicated rats. Neither cardamom oil nor silymarin induce any alterations in serum biochemistry and total antioxidant activity in normal rats. The present results proved the ameliorative effect of cardamom essential oil against hepato-renal changes in PCM-intoxicated rats reasonably due to its potent antioxidant effect.
Assessment of Volatile Compounds Evolution, Antioxidant Activity, and Total Phenolics Content during Cold Storage of Pomegranate Beverage Fermented by Lactobacillus paracasei K5

A recently isolate from feta type cheese, potential probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei K5, was applied for pomegranate juice (Punica granutum L.) fermentation. Fermentations were carried out for 24 h followed by the storage of pomegranate juices at 4 °C for 4 weeks. The parameters examined were a composition of volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and consumers’ acceptance. The results were encouraging showing that lactic acid fermentation enhanced the composition of volatile compounds even at the fourth week of storage. Increased antioxidant activity (151.44 mg TE/100 mL at the second week) and total phenolics content (285 mg GAE/100 mL at the third week) were observed for all the storage times compared to the initial pomegranate beverage. The fermented pomegranate beverage received better scores for the last 3 weeks of cold storage compared to the non-fermented one. Likewise, L. paracasei K5 was proved to be suitable for the production of functional pomegranate beverages with enhanced aromatic characteristics and high nutritional value.
Knockdown of lncRNA MNX1‐AS1 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cancer

Altered expression of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been reported in many malignancies, including prostate cancer. However, the role of lncRNA MNX1‐AS1 in prostate cancer has not been reported. Here, we report that MNX1‐AS1 is expressed in prostate cancer tissues and cells and that siRNA‐mediated knockdown of MNX1‐AS1 inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer DU145 and PC3 cells. In addition, down‐regulation of MNX1‐AS1 decreased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PH‐3, N‐cadherin, and vimentin, but enhanced expression of E‐cadherin. In conclusion, this is the first report that knockdown of MNX1‐AS1 suppresses prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We believe that MNX1‐AS1 may be a potential new therapeutic target for prostate cancer patients.
Methods Matter: p-Hacking and Publication Bias in Causal Analysis in Economics

The credibility revolution in economics has promoted causal identification using randomized control trials (RCT), difference-in-differences (DID), instrumental variables (IV) and regression discontinuity design (RDD). Applying multiple approaches to over 21,000 hypothesis tests published in 25 leading economics journals, we find that the extent of p-hacking and publication bias varies greatly by method. IV (and to a lesser extent DID) are particularly problematic. We find no evidence that (i) papers published in the Top 5 journals are different to others; (ii) the journal “revise and resubmit” process mitigates the problem; (iii) things are improving through time. (JEL A14, C12, C52)
Relief from nitrogen starvation entails quick unexpected down-regulation of glycolytic/lipid metabolism genes in enological Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nitrogen composition of the grape must has an impact on yeast growth and fermentation kinetics as well as on the organoleptic properties of the final product. In some technological processes, such as white wine/rosé winemaking, the yeast-assimilable nitrogen content is sometimes insufficient to cover yeast requirements, which can lead to slow or sluggish fermentations. Growth is nevertheless quickly restored upon relief from nutrient starvation, e.g. through the addition of ammonium nitrogen, allowing fermentation completion. The aim of this study was to determine how nitrogen repletion affected the transcriptional response of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast strain, in particular within the first hour after nitrogen addition. We found almost 4800 genes induced or repressed, sometimes within minutes after nutrient changes. Some of these responses to nitrogen depended on the TOR pathway, which controls positively ribosomal protein genes, amino acid and purine biosynthesis or amino acid permease genes and negatively stress-response genes, and genes related to the retrograde response (RTG) specific to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR). Some unexpected transcriptional responses concerned all the glycolytic genes, the starch and glucose metabolism and citrate cycle-related genes that were down-regulated, as well as genes from the lipid metabolism.
Knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene among physically disabled women in Kathmandu, Nepal

Background and Objectives: Disability is the condition of difficulty in carrying out daily activities normally and in taking part in social life due to problems in parts of the body and the physical system. Disability also carries stigma, so disabled people may face layers of discrimination when they are menstruating. The objective of the review is to assess the menstrual hygiene practice of disabled women, the barriers they face, and the available interventions to help them manage their menstruation hygienically and with dignity. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted among 151 physically disabled peoples.Self-structured questionnaire and face-to-face interview was used as data collection tools and techniques. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS 16.0. The results of the study were presented with the help of tabular description using the same software along with Microsoft word and excel 2007. Results: Most of respondents knew the 26-30 days as normal cycle duration (80.13%). Majority of respondents had reported that they do not go to holy places (91.39%) and should not cook food (94.03%) during menstruation. Most of respondents had stayed (96.68%) and eat (98.01%) at same place and 31.38% of respondents had bath daily during menstruation. 83.44% of respondents used sanitary while 69.53 % of respondents changed pad twice a day. Maximum number of the respondents 91.39% disposed sanitary pad in dustbin. 87.41% of respondents learned about menstrual hygiene from parents. Conclusion: Good and satisfactory knowledge about menstrual hygiene was found among girls of age group 15-24years.
Impact of weather conditions and blood groups on primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Background: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a clinical condition with an unclear etiology that occurs because of the rupture of pleural bulla or blebs. Several studies indicating the impact of weather conditions on PSP are present. However, the results are varying. The correlation between blood groups and PSP is yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of altering weather conditions atmospheric pressure (AP), temperature, moisture, and wind velocity (WV) and blood groups on PSP. Materials and Methods: Eighty-six patients PSP diagnoses who were under follow-up and treated in our clinic between 2007 and 2015 were included in our study. Patients’ data were retrospectively collected from hospital database patient files. The Regional Directorate of Meteorology provided data on weather conditions. Results: The collected data was examined. According to the results, AP and WV had no significant impact on PSP. Regarding the air temperature, values were statistically significantly high (p = 0.019). When comparing with other blood groups, the blood group with the highest resistance to temperature was type-0. This result was statistically significant (p = 0.029). Conclusions: In this study, we determined that temperatures above 15°C had an unexpected effect on the site of the PSP. Surprisingly, PSP risk was lower in patients with blood type-0 at high temperatures. We suggest that multicenter studies with a more extensive sample size should be conducted to fully understand the impact of air condition and blood type on PSP.
Spatial and Social Mobility in England and Wales: Moving Out to Move on?

Social mobility—the extent to which social and economic position in adulthood is facilitated or constrained by family origins—has taken an increasingly prominent role in public and policy discourse. Recent studies have documented that not only who your parents are, but also where you grow up, influences subsequent life chances. We bring these two concepts together to study trends in social mobility in England and Wales, in three post-war generations, using linked Decennial Census data. We estimate rates of occupational social class mobility by sex and region of origin. Our findings show considerable spatial variation in rates of absolute and relative mobility as well as how these have changed over time. While rates of upward mobility increased in every region between the mid-1950s and the early 1980s, this upward shift varied across different parts of the country, and tailed off for more recent cohorts. We also explore the role of domestic migration in understanding these temporal and spatial patterns, finding that those who stayed in their region of origin had lower rates of upward mobility compared to those who moved out, although this difference also narrowed over time. While policy discussion has focused almost entirely on national-level trends in social mobility, our results emphasise the need to also consider persistent spatial inequalities.
Comparative evaluation of the physicochemical and pasting properties of flour from three varieties of Brachystegia spp.

The chemical compositions, functional and pasting properties of flour from three varieties of Brachystegia spp. (Brachystegia eurycoma, Brachystegia nigerica and Brachystegia kennedy) were studied. Results show that the chemical compositions of flour samples ranged from12.31 to 12.67% (protein), 1.66 to 1.72% (crude fiber), 2.06 to 2.39% (ash), 7.18 to 8.45% (fat), 3.85 to 4.75% (sugar) and 58.45 to 59.62% (starch). Functional properties such as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility index, pH and amylose content were in the ranges of 80.14 to 80.77, 84.21 to 84.52, 15.64 to 15.78, 15.44 to 15.98, 5.48 to 6.74 and 20.42 to 20.69%, respectively. In addition, pasting properties values were 85.58 to 89.05°C (peak temperature), 128.54 to 133.45 (peak viscosity), 23.75 to 26.53 (trough viscosity), 419.6 to 449.5 (final viscosity) 53.5 to 59.0 (break down viscosity) and 402.6 to 413.4 Relative value units (RVU) (setback viscosity). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the functional properties of the flours. The pasting profile showed that peak and hot paste viscosities are the key pasting parameters in characterizing flours from the three Brachystegia varieties. The variation in peak viscosity of the Brachystegia flours might be due to varietals and geographical influence. The study shows that B. eurycoma flour had the best functional and pasting properties results that could be exploited in food formulations such as soup, and sauces. Key word: Brachystegia flour, variety, chemical composition, functional, pasting properties.
Accumulation of butyltin compounds and total tin in marine mammals

Concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs), including tributyltin (TBT) and its metabolites, di-(DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), and total tin (ΣSn=organic+inorganic tin) were determined in various tissues and organs of marine mammals collected from Japanese coastal waters. Some marine mammal species from Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Black Sea and North Pacific Ocean were analyzed for comparison. Among the organs and tissues analyzed, concentrations of ΣBTs (TBT+DBT+MBT) and ΣSn were the highest in the liver. Concentrations of ΣBTs and ΣSn in most coastal species were higher than those in offshore species, indicating a greater input of tin compounds in coastal waters. Lower hepatic concentrations of ΣBTs and ratio of ΣBTs to ΣSn observed in pinnipeds may be attributed to higher metabolic capacity to degrade BTs and to their excretion through hair shedding. Age trends in accumulation of both ΣBTs and ΣSn showed increasing concentrations in immature growth stage and stable levels in mature animals.A significant correlation was observed between the hepatic concentrations of ΣBTs and ΣSn in marine mammals. These findings suggest a significant input and/or bioaccumulation of anthropogenic tin. A significant correlation was found between concentrations of ΣBTs (as well as ΣSn) in hair and liver of pinnipeds, suggesting that hair can be used as an indicator for monitoring butyltin contamination in the body of pinnipeds under non-killing condition.
Chronic Diabetic Complications and Associated Factors among People with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Debretabor Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the proportion of chronic diabetic complications and factors with type-2 diabetes mellitus at Debretabor Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 systematically selected type-2 diabetes mellitus patients from March 1-April 5/2018. The collected data were entered into EPI INFO 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Variables with P value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 424 study subjects participated in the study. Overall, 222 (52.4%) (95%CI: 48-57%) of patients were diagnosed with at least one chronic complications. Patients who were >50 years of age [AOR=4.23 (95%CI: 1.80-9.89)], those taking both oral and insulin anti-diabetes mellitus medication [AOR=2.42 (95% CI: 1.18-4.94)] and patients >5 years with duration of diabetes [AOR=17.72 (95%CI: 8.25-38.07)] were positively associated, whereas patients with preventive care services [AOR=0.40 (95%CI: 0.24-0.69)] were negatively associated variables. Conclusion: Older age, taking both oral and insulin anti-diabetes mellitus medication, patients with duration of diabetes >5 years, patients with preventive care services were significantly associated with chronic diabetic complications. Providing the necessary information on the preventive care services by health professionals is needed.
In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts of some plant species used in the management of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania

Six plants species (Harungana madagascariensis, Sapium ellipticum, Teclea nobilis, Pseudospondias microcarpa, Rauvolfia vomitoria and Psorospermum febrifugum) which are used in managing HIV/AIDS in Bukoba, Tanzania were screened for their antimicrobial effect on the selected representatives of infectious bacterial and fungal species. Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus lactis, Gram-negative bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and a fungus Candida albicans were tested for their sensitivity to the treatment with selected plants extracts using disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. Extracts of S. ellipticum, P. febrifegum and P. microcarpa demonstrated growth inhibition of S. lactis with the MIC ranging from 3.2 to 100 mg/ml. The extracts of S. ellipticum, P. febrifegum and T. nobilis demonstrated growth inhibition of K. pneumonia with the MIC ranging from 6.3 to 25 mg/ml. On the other hand, extracts of H. madagascariensis, P. microcarpa and R. vomitoria inhibited growth of C. albicans with the MIC ranging from 12.5 to 50 mg/ml. These results are very promising towards discovery of new antimicrobial drugs especially against neglected S. lactis, K. pneumoniae and invasive Candida infections and could explain the routine use of the plants’ infusions in traditional medicines in Bukoba against HIV/AIDS related illnesses. Key words: Bukoba Tanzania, HIV/AIDS, opportunistic infections, plant extracts, traditional medicine
Distinct mesoderm migration phenotypes in extra-embryonic and embryonic regions of the early mouse embryo

In the gastrulating mouse embryo, epiblast cells delaminate at the primitive streak to form mesoderm and definitive endoderm, through an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mosaic expression of a membrane reporter in nascent mesoderm enabled recording cell shape and trajectory through live imaging. Upon leaving the streak, cells changed shape and extended protrusions of distinct size and abundance depending on the neighboring germ layer, as well as the region of the embryo. Embryonic trajectories were meandrous but directional, while extra-embryonic mesoderm cells showed little net displacement. Embryonic and extra-embryonic mesoderm transcriptomes highlighted distinct guidance, cytoskeleton, adhesion, and extracellular matrix signatures. Specifically, intermediate filaments were highly expressed in extra-embryonic mesoderm, while live imaging for F-actin showed abundance of actin filaments in embryonic mesoderm only. Accordingly, RhoA or Rac1 conditional deletion in mesoderm inhibited embryonic, but not extra-embryonic mesoderm migration. Overall, this indicates separate cytoskeleton regulation coordinating the morphology and migration of mesoderm subpopulations.
An Ultra-Low Power Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Positioning System

An ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB) remote-powered positioning system for potential use in tracking floating objects inside space stations is presented. It makes use of battery-less tags that are powered-up and addressed through wireless power transfer in the UHF band and embeds an energy efficient pulse generator in the 3-5 GHz UWB band. The system has been mounted on the ESA Mars Rover prototype to demonstrate its functionality and performance. Experimental results show the feasibility of centimeter-level localization accuracy at distances larger than 10 meters, with the capability of determining the position of multiple tags using a 2W-ERP (Effective Radiated Power) power source in the UHF RFID frequency band.
Antibacterial Activity of Honey Against Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Infected Wound

Wound infections have been recognized as the most critical problem especially in the presence of foreign materials that increase the risk of serious infection even with relatively small bacterial infection. This study was carried out to determine the antibacterial activity of honey against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa obtained from infected wounds. Different concentrations of honey extract (25, 50, 75 and 100 v/v) were tested using agar well diffusion method to determine their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from infected wounds of patients attending Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Kano. The antibacterial activity of the honey showed that the honey demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the test isolates with higher activity in Staphylococcus aureus (with average zone of inhibition of 15.90mm) than Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.63mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract from this study ranges from 6.25 – 50mg/ml while the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts ranges from 25 – 50mg/ml. Statistical analysis of the results showed that there is no significant different in the activity of honey against the isolates at p<0.05. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that honey is active against wound bacterial isolates and can be used as a therapy for wound infection.
Soil properties and storage of organic carbon in the land use pasture and forest

El suelo es probablemente uno de los recursos naturales más vulnerables al cambio climático. Compone la mayor parte de las reservas de carbono en los ecosistemas terrestres. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: caracterizar el uso de los pastizales y el bosque nativo en dos sitios de la provincia de El Oro (Ecuador), basándose en sus propiedades físicas, químicas y biológicas, y comparar la reserva de carbono orgánico del suelo (SOC) a tres profundidades. Para ello se establecieron parcelas en pastizales y bosques nativos de Brachiaria sp. en la zona costera de Machala, sitio de Santa Inés (SI), y en las montañas de Chilla, sitio de Cune (CN). El muestreo del suelo se realizó a tres profundidades (C1=0-10cm; C2=10-20cm; C3= 20-3 cm). Los suelos del SI mostraron significación (valor p<0,05) entre las capas SOC almacenadas. El mayor valor SOC almacenado fue para el bosque SI (C1, 36,30megagramos-Mg C ha-1), en un pH alcalino y textura franco-arcillosa. En los suelos CN, el COS almacenado no reveló ninguna significación entre las capas y los valores oscilaron entre 27,64Mg ha-1(C1, CNforest) y 35,01 Mg C ha-1 (C3, CNpasture), en un pH ácido, Soil is probably one of the natural resources most vulnerable to climate change. Composes most of the carbon stock in terrestrial ecosystems. The aims of this study were: to characterize the use of pastureland and native forest in two sites in El Oro province (Ecuador), based on their physical, chemical, and biological properties, and to compare the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock at three depths. For this purpose, plots were established in Brachiaria sp pastures and native forests in the coastal area of Machala, Santa Inés site (SI), and the mountains of Chilla, Cune site (CN). Soil sampling was done at three depths (C1=0-10cm; C2=10-20cm; C3= 20-3 cm). The SI soils showed significance (p-value<0,05) among the stored SOC layers. The highest stored SOC value was for SI forest (C1, 36,30megagrams-Mg C ha-1), in an alkaline pH and clay loam texture. In CN soils, stored COS revealed no significance between layers, and values ranged from 27,64Mg ha-1(C1, CNforest) to 35,01 Mg C ha-1 (C3, CNpasture), in an acidic pH, sandy loam texture and high levels of Fe (761,71-938,34 mg kg-1). Soil properties play an important role in stored SOC levels; therefore, sequestration of SOC must be considered to develop optimal pasture management.