Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation of Flavonoid Glycosides with Cholinesterase Inhibition Activity and Quantification from Stachys japonica

− The three flavone glycosides, 4'-O-methylisoscutellarein 7-O-(6'''-O-acetyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl(1→2)β-D-glucopyranoside (1), isoscutellarein 7-O-(6'''-O-acetyl)-β-D-allopyranosyl(1→ 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), and isoscutellarein 7-O-β-D-allopyranosyl(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) in addition to a flavonol glycoside, kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (astragalin, 2), were isolated from Stachys japonica (Lamiaceae). In cholinesterase inhibition assay, compound 1 significantly inhibited aceylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities (IC50s, 39.94 μg/ml for AChE and 86.98 μg/ml for BChE). The content of isolated compounds were evaluated in this plant extract by HPLC analysis. Our experimental results suggest that the flavonoid glycosides of S. japonica could prevent the memory impairment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Determination of the Expression Rate of Ethyl Acetate Hydrolysis Reaction Depending on the Temperature

Bu bilimsel calismada, etilasetatin hidroliz reaksiyonu tepkime mertebesinin ne oldugunu, farkli sicakliklarda hiz sabitini ve ayni zamanda aktivasyon enerjisini ve frekans faktorunu kesikli bir reaktorde test etmek icin gerceklestirildi. Bu amacla, bu hidroliz reaksiyonu, kesikli bir reaktorde farkli sicaklik araliginda (283-313 K) zamana bagli NaOH tuketimi ile deneysel olarak gerceklestirildi. Sonuclar etil asetatin hidrolizinin tersinmez ikinci dereceden bir reaksiyon oldugunu gostermektedir. Deneysel verilerin analizi, aktivasyon enerjisinin 29.775 kJ mol -1 ve frekans faktorunun 27038 oldugunu gosterdi.
Carbon Monoxide modulation of neuronal differentiation

Cerebral ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases lead to impairment or death of neurons in the central nervous system. Stem cell based therapies are promising strategies currently under investigation. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous product of heme degradation by heme oxygenase (HO) activity. Administration of CO at low concentrations produces several beneficial effects in distinct tissues, namely anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory. Herein the CO role on modulation of neuronal differentiation was assessed. Three different models with increasing complexity were used: human neuroblastoma SH-S5Y5 cell line, human teratocarcinoma NT2 cell line and organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC). Cell lines were differentiated into post-mitotic neurons by treatment with retinoic acid (RA) supplemented with CO-releasing molecule A1 (CORM-A1). CORM-A1 positively modulated neuronal differentiation, since it increased final neuronal production and enhanced the expression of specific neuronal genes: Nestin, Tuj1 and MAP2. Furthermore, during neuronal differentiation process, there was an increase in proliferative cell number (ki67 mRNA expressing cells) and a decrease in cell death (lower propidium iodide (PI) uptake, limitation of caspase-3 activation and higher Bcl-2 expressing cells). CO supplementation did not increase the expression of RA receptors. In the case of SH-S5Y5 model, small amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation emerges as important signaling molecules CO PREVENTS CELL DEATH DURING NEUROGENESIS 47 C h a p t e r I I during CO-promoted neuronal differentiation. CO’s improvement of neuronal differentiation yield was validated using OHSC as ex vivo model. CORM-A1 treatment of OHSC promoted higher levels of cells expressing the neuronal marker Tuj1. Still, CORM-A1 increased cell proliferation assessed by ki67 expression and also prevented cell death, which was followed by increased Bcl-2 expression, decreased levels of active caspase-3 and PI uptake. Likewise, ROS signaling emerged as key factors in CO’s increasing number of differentiated neurons in OHSC.In conclusion, CO’s increasing number of differentiated neurons is a novel biological role disclosed herein. CO improves neuronal yield due to its capacity to reduce cell death, promoting an increase in proliferative population. However, one cannot disregard a direct CO’s effect on specific cellular processes of neuronal differentiation. Further studies are needed to evaluate how CO can potentially modulate cell mechanisms involved in neuronal differentiation. In summary, CO appears as a promising therapeutic molecule to stimulate endogenous neurogenesis or to improve in vitro neuronal production for cell therapy strategies.
One-step synthesis of bifunctional iron-doped manganese oxide nanorods for rechargeable zinc–air batteries

Iron doped MnO2 nanorods are successfully synthesized via one step hydrothermal method. The nanorods shows remarkable high bifunctional electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction as well as oxygen evolution reaction. For practical applications, a solid-state zinc–air battery was made for powering a light emitting diode.
NEW IRON CONTAINING HYBRID SILICATES FOR THE SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF ARSENIC OXYANIONS FROM CONTAMINATED WATER

A series of hybrid silicates containing iron oxides was synthesized via loading with hydrated iron oxide species (HFO) using a post precipitation mechanism from aqueous solution using different amounts of iron into the silica. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR and low temperature nitrogen sorption. XRD analysis confirmed that HFO- Si was amorphous and iron oxide crystals in the silica cannot be detected due to both the lower size of HFO and the probability that occupying interstitial positions inside the silicate matrix. However, TEM image showed the presence of nano-sized HFO located inside the silicate matrix. The adsorption properties and selective efficiency of the synthesized materials were exam�ined in the removal of As (V) and As (III) species from contaminated water under different experimental conditions as well as in the presence of competing anions. The increasing iron loading enhanced the arsenic adsorption capacity of HFO-Si and the maximum arsenic removal was found to be 623 mg Fe/g silica after five successive loading times. The synthesized materials possess a unique adsorption capacity and their adsorption capacity reaches 303 mg As/g HFO-Si. Adsorption isotherm data for As (V) on HFO-Si fitted well the Langmuir equation. In addition, the intraparticle diffusion models fitted the experimental kinetic data, suggesting that the rate limiting step of adsorption is most probably diffusion of arsenic ions into pores. Further�more, the use of HFO-Si in column run and its easy regeneration makes it more sustainable to reuse several times to reduce the volume of arsenic laden waste.
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND ITS INHIBITORY ACTION IN THE P2X7R RECEPTOR OF A SERIES OF 2-HYDROXY-1,4-NAPHTHOQUINONES DERIVATIVES

In this work, a theoretical study of the relationship between the electronic structure and the activity of the P2X7R receptor from 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoqui­none derivatives, using the KPG method, was performed. The electronic structure of the molecules was calculated at level B3LYP / 6-31G (d, p) with full geometry optimization. A statistically significant equation was obtained by relating the variation of biological activity with the variation of a set of indices of local atomic reactivity. Based on the analysis of the results, a two-dimensional pharmacophore was proposed.
SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF BINARY QUERCETIN–MONOSACCHARIDE MIXTURES IN THE RE-ACTION WITH FREE RADICALS

The presence of a synergistic effect of binary mixtures of quercetin–monosaccharide in the model reaction with the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical in deoxygenated ethanol was established. It was shown that the studied carbohydrates related to the tetrose, pentose and hexose groups exhibit a synergistic effect to some extent enhancing the anti-radical effect of quercetin. The synergistic effect of the mixture is determined by the number of hydroxyl substituents and by the presence of aldehyde or ketone groups in carbohydrate molecules. The synergistic compositions of quercetin with glucose and galactose in the ratio of 60:40% showed the highest antiradical activity. The maximum synergistic effect of the mixture is 75%. It is achieved due to the fact that, firstly, when dissolved in water, quercetin transforms into a tautomeric diketo form where hydrogen bonds form between its carbonyl groups and hydroxy groups of the monosaccharide, promoting the formation of molecular complexes, improving solubility of flavonoid in water and the manifestation of a synergistic effect in a mixture with carbohydrate. Secondly, reducing carbohydrates are able to restore oxidized forms of quercetin, which is confirmed by the great synergistic effect of aldose in comparison with ketoses, regardless of the number of hydroxy groups in the molecule. The synergistic effect of the quercetin–monosaccharide compositions, established in a model reaction with a hydrazyl radical, was compared to that in the autoxidation process of cottonseed oil. In the reaction with the peroxy radicals of cottonseed oil, the synergistic effect of the quercetin monosaccharide compositions increases up to 300% only for sugars capable of reducing quercetin radicals and reacting with air oxygen, reducing the steady-state concentration of peroxy radicals in the system.
Diverse Interactions of N-Methyl Glycine in Aqueous Paracetamol Solution with the Manifestation of Solvation Consequences

The apparent molar volume (ϕV) and viscosity B-coefficient of N-methyl glycine of 0.01 M, 0.02 M and 0.03 M aqueous solutions have been estimated in presence of paracetamol at three temperatures namely 298.15 K, 303.15 K and 308.15 K from physicochemical study such as density (ρ) and viscosity (η) and refractive index measurements and 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The volumetric study was employed to evaluate limiting apparent molar volumes (ϕ V 0 ) and experimental slopes (S V *) by using Masson equation for explaining solute–solvent and solute–solute interactions, respectively. The nature of group interactions between the solute, solvent and co-solute have been examined from limiting apparent molar volumes of transfer (Δϕ V 0 ) values. The viscosity data were employed to determine viscosity A and B coefficients from Jones–Dole equation and the resulting parameters were used to examine the solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions in the solutions. Molar refraction values calculated from refractive indices by applying Lorentz–Lorenz equation were used to depict the intermolecular interactions between N-methyl glycine and paracetamol in their aqueous solution. However, the 1 H NMR spectroscopy supports the existence of diverse interactions concretely.
The Functional Starter and its Genomic Insights for Histamine Degradation in Fish Sauce

Histamine is a biogenic amine significantly formed in fish sauce leading to a major concern in consumers. This study aimed to identify a halophilic culture for histamine degradation in fish sauce, and understand its genomic insights to enhance the histamine degradation activity. We discovered the novel halophilic bacterium, Bacillus piscicola FBU1786, degrading histamine and other biogenic amines. Its histamine breakdown was growth-associated in a wide range of NaCl concentrations, pH, and temperature from 4% to 18%, 6.0 to 9.0, and 30 to 45ºC, respectively. Genome sequencing revealed the presence of Cu 2+ -binding oxidase-encoding genes and their heterologous expression with Cu 2+ supplementation triggered histamine degradation in E. coli . The degree of histamine breakdown in B . piscicola FBU1786 could be enhanced by Cu 2+ addition. Histamine degradation of the culture was evaluated in raw fish sauce mixtures to partially mimic the condition during fish sauce fermentation. Histamine degradation was suppressed to the extent of raw fish sauce. However, the degradation activity could be restored by Cu 2+ supplementation. Together, this study disclosed B. piscicola FBU1786 with the potent histamine degradation activity, identified Cu 2+ -binding oxidases responsible for histamine breakdown, and enhanced histamine degradation of the culture using Cu 2+ supplementation.
Inject or Infect: How Do the Default Effect, Anticipated Regret, and Decision Roles Predict Vaccination Willingness

The WHO defines vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten biggest threats to global health nowadays. To contribute to finding a solution for vaccine hesitancy, this study aims at gaining new insights on the influence of the default effect, anticipated regret, and decision roles on vaccination willingness. In an online study, a sample of 187 participants (70.0% female, 87.7% Dutch, 79.7% high-educated) receives information concerning colon cancer and a possible vaccine. The results show that presenting vaccination as a default option (i.e. vaccination is the standard in the form) does not influence the vaccine uptake compared to a control group. The anticipated regret people indicate to experience for getting side-effects and colon cancer, however, does significantly predict vaccination willingness (B = -0.36, p = 0.00; B = 0.16, p = 0.03, respectively). Furthermore, people rather vaccinate themselves than their child (B = -0.61, p= 0.01). This correlation appears to be mediated by anticipated regret: the levels of anticipated regret for getting side-effects and colon cancer are higher for the child than the self-decision (p = 0.00 and p = 0.01, respectively). Finally, gender and willingness to take risks towards faith in others also show a significant and relevant correlation with vaccination willingness. These results suggest that anticipated regret explains why people rather vaccinate themselves than their children and that the default effect cannot change vaccination willingness. Due to academic and societal importance, more research should be done to fill the gaps in knowledge related to vaccine hesitancy.
Common Ownership, Executive Compensation, and Product Market Competition

The negative effects of common ownership on competition have received significant attention, but many proposed mechanisms for institutional investor influence seem implausible. We develop and test an analytical model of optimal compensation in an oligopoly with common ownership, focusing on revenue-based pay as a plausible channel through which institutional investors might influence competition. Our model implies a negative effect of common ownership on firms’ use of revenue-based pay. Using both associative analyses and an event study difference-in-differences design based on plausibly exogenous institutional mergers, we find no evidence of a negative relation between common ownership and the use of revenue-based pay, except in an economically small subsample of extremely concentrated owners. Results involving relative performance incentives are similar. Collectively, our results provide no support for the notion that cross-owning blockholders in general influence compensation contracts in order to soften executives’ incentives to compete aggressively. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: D43; G30; L13; M12; M40; M52.
Online Auction Markets Before and During the Lockdown

We use a novel dataset on more than 35,000 eBay auctions for electronics to analyse Covid19-induced lockdown effects. The dataset covers pre- and lockdown periods and, for each auction, contains both auction settings fixed by the seller and the whole bidding record. The interplay of agents reactions has led to an overall equilibrium price decrease, with some heterogeneity across brands and products. We identify a mechanism that partially explains this decrease. Sellers in eBay choose the ending day of their auctions. The most selected day of the week in the pre-lockdown was less selected that most selected one during the lockdown. That increased the competition among auctions. Our regression analysis delivers statistically significant evidence of a negative impact of that competition on the stop-out prices precisely for products and brands which had a larger price decrease, which presumably coincide with those with a broader set of close substitutes. The effect of other variables on prices, either related to bidding behavior or to eBay specificities is discounted.
The Anti-Poverty, Targeting, and Labor Supply Effects of the Proposed Child Tax Credit Expansion

The proposed change under the American Families Plan (AFP) to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) Child Tax Credit (CTC) would increase maximum benefit amounts to $3,000 or $3,600 per child (up from $2,000 per child) and make the full credit available to all low and middle-income families regardless of earnings or income. We estimate the anti-poverty, targeting, and labor supply effects of the expansion by linking survey data with administrative tax and government program data which form part of the Comprehensive Income Dataset (CID). Initially ignoring any behavioral responses, we estimate that the expansion of the CTC would reduce child poverty by 34% and deep child poverty by 39%. The expansion of the CTC would have a larger anti-poverty effect on children than any existing government program, though at a higher cost per child raised above the poverty line than any other means-tested program. Relatedly, the CTC expansion would allocate a smaller share of its total dollars to families at the bottom of the income distribution—as well as families with the lowest levels of long-term income, education, or health—than any existing means-tested program with the exception of housing assistance. We then simulate anti-poverty effects accounting for labor supply responses. By replacing the TCJA CTC (which contained substantial work incentives akin to the EITC) with a universal basic income-type benefit, the CTC expansion reduces the return to working at all by at least $2,000 per child for most workers with children. Relying on elasticity estimates consistent with mainstream simulation models and the academic literature, we estimate that this change in policy would lead 1.5 million workers (constituting 2.6% of all working parents) to exit the labor force. The decline in employment and the consequent earnings loss would mean that child poverty would only fall by 22% and deep child poverty would not fall at all with the CTC expansion.
Political Uncertainty and Asset Prices: Evidence from Hong Kong Political Crisis

Triggered by the Hong Kong government’s action to amend the extradition law, the political crisis happened in Hong Kong, raising substantial local political uncertainty during the second half year of 2019. Measuring the daily political uncertainty shocks by the violence intensity reported by the local newspapers, we document that Hong Kong stock prices drop more on the days with higher political uncertainty, especially for the firms with higher political risk exposures. By focusing on the AH dual-listed stocks and comparing the differential effect of the political uncertainty on their returns in Hong Kong and Mainland China stock market, we find that stock prices in Hong Kong are much more negatively affected by the political uncertainty than the counterparts in Mainland China, though they have same fundamentals. By further ruling out the expected cash flow effect, our results provide evidence that political uncertainty influence asset prices through the discount rate effect. Utilizing the Stock Connect Programs to proxy for the exposure to investors in the other market, we show that the political uncertainty effect on A shares is more negative for the stocks with higher exposure to foreign investors, while the effect on H shares is less negative for the stocks with higher exposure to mainland investors.
Health Precautions While Traveling after Covid-19

Purpose: The tourism industry needs to identify potential tourists' planned behavior after COVID-19 and prepare accordingly. This study was conducted in Israel during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. This research focused on different types of precautionary measures used by the tourists and how perceived risk of getting sick with COVID-19 while traveling abroad as well as risk perceptions and attitudes about travel abroad might affect tourists’ intentions to adopt precautionary measures when planning future travel abroad. Methods: This research is based on an online survey questionnaire distributed during March 2020 among four hundred and six Israeli participants. Results: The analytical model show that people’s with higher levels of attitudes toward traveling abroad and those that prefer to avoid destinations with higher levels of attitudes toward traveling abroad and those that prefer to avoid travel to destinations with various risks had higher intentions to take precautionary measures while traveling abroad. Implications: The results of the current research can assist the tourism industry understand what precautionary measures are important to potential travellers and what health safety assurances the industry must provide to facilitate its recovery in the near future.
Quality and Product Differentiation: Theory and Evidence from the Mutual Fund Industry

We study product differentiation in the mutual fund industry. We design a model in which funds with heterogeneous perceived quality can choose their level of product differentiation. In equilibrium, high quality funds choose broad market designs (i.e., low differentiation) appealing to many investors, while low quality funds adopt niche designs (i.e., high differentiation) that investors either love or loath. Using as a measure of fund differentiation the degree of textual uniqueness of investment strategy description in fund prospectuses, we confirm empirically that funds with lower expected performance tend to differentiate more. We use the issuance of Morningstar rating to previously unrated funds as an exogenous shock to perceived quality to identify the economic mechanism. We find that funds receiving a low rating increase their product differentiation. The effect is mainly concentrated on funds run by small management companies, a feature associated with lower performance. This increase in product differentiation makes funds more likely to survive. It also has a market-level impact on the menu of funds available to investors.
FAANG Stocks

A portfolio of FAANG stocks does not show remarkable outperformance after the acronym was coined. Monthly returns attenuate by more than half after controlling for common factor exposures using traditional or modern asset-pricing models. Alphas in the post-acronym period are not always statistically significant. Pre-acronym alphas are in contrast strong and robust. FAANG-sector stocks comove more with a FAANG portfolio in the post-acronym period. But sorting stocks on their FAANG beta does not earn a reliable return spread. These results might be consistent with investors over-extrapolating the success of hot investing themes, and abnormal profits become less remarkable after popularization.