Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Grain yield, nutritional, polyphenols and antioxidant capacity in accessions of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

Sorghum is an economically important crop in developing countries. The objective of this study was to compare the agronomic performance, and the chromatic, nutritional and nutraceutical properties of nineteen sorghum accessions cultivated in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Results showed that the grain yield (15.22 to 70.18 g per plant), days to flowering (73 to 92 days), panicle length (16.63 to 27.67 cm), luminosity (27.14 to 57.75), chromaticity (5.65 to 15.33) and hue angle (38.49 to 82.66) varied. The percentage of protein (7.33 to 3.43%), fiber (0.60 to 3.03%) and carbohydrates (70.17 to 78.39%) also varied. Grains had a high concentration of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium; the content of total phenols and total flavonoids (free + bound) was found in a range of 117.61 to 2367.01 mg GAE/100 g and 22.52 to 613.92 mg CE/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant capacities (free + bound) showed ranges from 65.09 to 2,017.58 μmol TE/100 g, 43.13 to 1,907.99 μmol TE/100 g and 107.20 to 3,523.20 μmol TE/100 g using the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods, respectively. A negative correlation (-0.36) was observed between grain yield and days to flowering. In addition, a positive correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. These results confirm an important genetic diversity among the studied accessions of sorghum.
The Dangerous Liaisons in the Oxidative Stress Response to Leishmania Infection

Leishmania parasites preferentially invade macrophages, the professional phagocytic cells, at the site of infection. Macrophages play conflicting roles in Leishmania infection either by the destruction of internalized parasites or by providing a safe shelter for parasite replication. In response to invading pathogens, however, macrophages induce an oxidative burst as a mechanism of defense to promote pathogen removal and contribute to signaling pathways involving inflammation and the immune response. Thus, oxidative stress plays a dual role in infection whereby free radicals protect against invading pathogens but can also cause inflammation resulting in tissue damage. The induced oxidative stress in parasitic infections triggers the activation in the host of the antioxidant response to counteract the damaging oxidative burst. Consequently, macrophages are crucial for disease progression or control. The ultimate outcome depends on dangerous liaisons between the infecting Leishmania spp. and the type and strength of the host immune response.
First population study of Caribitroides (Caribitroides) tuxtlensis (Amphipoda: Talitridae) from a rainforest in Veracruz state, eastern Mexico

ABSTRACT The present study represents the first effort to analyse the growth, abundance, sex ratio, fecundity and population structure of the terrestrial amphipod Caribitroides (Caribitroides) tuxtlensis from the Santa Martha rainforest, Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, eastern Mexico. The amphipods were collected using several necro traps during 2001 and were subsequently classified into juveniles, males, females and ovigerous females. The total length of each specimen was measured and each ovigerous female’s eggs were counted. Each individual’s growth and number of modal classes were obtained using Bhattacharya’s method and their growth parameters using the von Bertalanffy equation. A total of 777 specimens were counted, of which 58% were juveniles, 35% were females and 7% were males. A sex ratio of 4.89 females per male was estimated. Four modal classes were estimated based on analysing the length frequencies. The maximum lengths were 13.67 and 13.15 mm and the growth rates were 0.45 and 0.39 for females and males, respectively. The average fecundity was 3.32 ± 1.89 eggs, ranging from one egg in 6-mm females to nine eggs in 12-mm females. The survival rate was 53.69% for females and 38.33% for males. The high percentage of juveniles, the four age classes identified and the sizes obtained are consistent with other terrestrial amphipod species. Based on the number of eggs of reproductive females, this species can be classified within the low-fertility group of amphipods.
Experimental Investigation of Added Resistance of a Ship using a Hydroelastic Body in Waves

Ship resistance is an important characteristic to predict in the preliminary design stage. Proper prediction of ship resistance implies the fulfillment of the required speed and power of a ship. The assumed body characteristics of a ship model should also be properly considered when investigating ship resistance. In the present study, the assumption of a hydroelastic body for a ship model was used in an experiment on total ship resistance and added resistance in calm water and waves. Two hydroelastic models were used: a hydroelastic body with a bulbous bow (HB) and a hydroelastic body without a bulbous bow (HWB). The wavelength considered ranged from 0.5 L to 1.3 L, and the Froude number (Fn) considered ranged from 0.058 to 0.232. In the presented results, the total resistance coefficient of the HWB was higher than that of a rigid body without a bulbous bow (RWB). The average difference of magnitude between the HWB and RWB was 30.49% for calm water conditions and 30.37% for overall wave conditions. The total resistance of the HB was higher than that of the rigid body with a bulbous bow (RB), and the difference of magnitude was approximately 31.47% for calm water conditions and 31.68% for overall wave conditions. The added resistance coefficient of the HWB tended to increase with an increase in the wavelength, from 0.5 L to 1.1 L, and then decrease until 1.5 L. The overall tendency of the added resistance coefficient of the HB was significantly different from the other numerical results. Although the tendencies were different, most of the presented results were in the same range as the other numerical results.
Relationship Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity in the Urban Slums of Lahore

Introduction There are several factors such as physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, and diet that can be responsible for weight gain or obesity. Regular physical activity is important for better physical and emotional well-being. The objective of the study is to observe the prevalence of obesity or over-weight and how lack of physical activity contributes to weight gain and other health issues. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shalamar Town, Lahore on 646 participants. Data was collected using the WHO STEPS instrument. The inclusion criteria were a minimum age of 30 years and residents of Shalimar Town, Lahore for more than five years. The exclusion criteria were participants with comorbid conditions like HIV, TB, and terminal stage of cancer. Test of association and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to observe a significant association between demographic variables and non-communicable diseases among the participants involved in performing physical exercise. Results About 22.1% of the participants had normal BMI, 5.3% were underweight whereas 34.2% of the participants were overweight and 32.4% obese. Male participants were found to be more physically active compared to females. Hypertension and diabetes were statistically significantly associated with physical activity. BMI and waist-hip ratio were found to be associated with moderate physical exercise. Conclusion Most of the participants were not involved in moderate physical activity. Overall, an alarming 66.6% of the participants were either overweight or obese. In general, males were found to participate more in intense physical activity.
Robust Linear Precoder Design for 3D Massive MIMO Downlink With A Posteriori Channel Model

In this paper, we investigate the linear precoder design for three dimensional (3D) massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) downlink with uniform planar array (UPA) and imperfect channel state information (CSI). We introduce a beam based statistical channel model (BSCM) by using sampled steering vectors, and then an a posteriori channel model which includes the channel aging is established. On the basis of the a posteriori channel model, we consider the robust precoder design by maximizing an upper bound of the expected weighted sum-rate under a total power constraint. We derive two concave minorizing functions of the objective function. With these minorizing functions and the minorize-maximization (MM) methodology, we derive two iterative algorithms that converge to stationary points of the optimization problem. Simulation results show that the proposed precoders can achieve a significant performance gain than the widely used regularized zero forcing (RZF) precoder and the signal to leakage noise ratio (SLNR) precoder in median to high mobility scenarios.
Synthesis and Characterization of Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Reinforced to Recycled Industrial Aluminium Scrap & Waste Aluminium Beverage Cans for Preparing Metal Matrix Nanocomposites

Increased material demand in all sectors is primarily due to exponential growth in population to fulfill human needs and comforts. Recycling of collected aluminium beverage cans and Al 6061 alloy scraps from industries ensures energy savings with reduced environmental problems in fabricating composite parts economically. The iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation method using ferric chloride and ammonia as a precursor. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Stir cast processing route ensures uniform mix of reinforcement nanoparticles in matrix material. The prepared nanocomposites (matrix: Al Scrap (90% Scrap Al 6061 alloy + 10% Waste Al can); reinforcement: 2%, 4% and 6% wt. of Al matrix) were mechanically characterized for hardness and tensile strengths. It was observed that, increased percent of Fe2O3 nanoparticles in the metal matrix nanocomposite (MMCs) resulted in significant increase in hardness and tensile strength values. Fractography analysis examined viz. scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed a ductile failure for as-cast Al scrap followed by brittle failure in Al MMC's.
Habitual- and Meal-Specific Carbohydrate Quality Index and Their Relation to Metabolic Syndrome in a Sample of Iranian Adults

Aim Most studies on diet quality have focused on the habitual and overall intake of foods without considering intakes at specific eating occasions. This study aimed to assess the association between habitual- and meal-specific carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Iranian adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data from 850 participants were analyzed. Dietary information was obtained from a 3-day nonconsecutive 24 h recall. CQI was calculated from three criteria: dietary fiber, glycemic index, and solid carbohydrate/total carbohydrate ratio. The association between CQI and MetS was assessed by logistic regression. Results The prevalences of MetS in the lowest and highest tertile of CQI were 30.1 and 33.7, respectively (P = 0.6). In habitual diet and all the three meals, we failed to find any significant association between tertiles of CQI and MetS either before or after adjustment for covariates. However, in the habitual meals [odds ratio (OR): 0.69, 95% CI: 0.47–0.96] and lunch meals (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.47–0.94), the highest CQI in comparison to the lowest one, significantly decreased the low high-density lipoprotein (HDL). In addition, the trend of low-HDL with CQI in habitual meal and lunch meal was statistically significant. Conclusion The results of this study showed that CQI was not associated with MetS and its components. Further investigations into the mechanisms underlying the role of carbohydrate quality in developing metabolic disorders are warranted.
NATURAL REGENERATION OF LONGLEAF PINE

Natural regeneration is now a reliable alternative for existing longleaf pine forests. The shelterwood system, or modifications of it, has been used experimentally to regenerate longleaf pine for over 20 years, and regional tests have confirmed its value for a wide range of site conditions. Natural regenera- tion,because of its low cost when compared to other alternatives, should be particularly suited to the needs of the small forest landowner. Tough regeneration problems have given longleaf pine a bad reputation among foresters, and as a result longleaf is commonly replaced, upon harvest, by other species. Major problems associated with longleaf natural regeneration include:
Dual PI3K/Akt Inhibitors Bearing Coumarin-Thiazolidine Pharmacophores as Potential Apoptosis Inducers in MCF-7 Cells

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide; therefore, the development of new anticancer agents is essential for improved tumor control. By adopting the pharmacophore hybridization approach, two series of 7-hydroxyl-4-methylcoumarin hybridized with thiosemicarbazone (V–VI) and thiazolidin-4-one moieties (VII–VIII) were prepared. The in vitro anticancer activity was assessed against MCF-7 cells adopting the MTT assay. Nine compounds showed significant cytotoxicity. The most promising compound, VIIb, induced remarkable cytotoxicity (IC50 of 1.03 + 0.05 µM). Further investigations were conducted to explore its pro-apoptotic activity demonstrating S-phase cell cycle arrest. Apoptosis rates following VIIb treatment revealed a 5-fold and 100-fold increase in early and late apoptotic cells, correspondingly. Moreover, our results showed caspase-9 dependent apoptosis induction as manifested by an 8-fold increase in caspase-9 level following VIIb treatment. Mechanistically, VIIb was found to target the PI3K-α/Akt-1 axis, as evidenced by enzyme inhibition assay results reporting significant inhibition of examined enzymes. These findings were confirmed by Western blot results indicating the ability of VIIb to repress levels of Cyclin D1, p-PI3K, and p-Akt. Furthermore, docking studies showed that VIIb has a binding affinity with the PI3K binding site higher than the original ligands X6K. Our results suggest that VIIb has pharmacological potential as a promising anti-cancer compound by the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt axis.
Effect of Skin Cow Immersion Time in Pineapples Peel Extract Solution on Yield, Viscosity, and Gelatin Color

This research aims to study the effect of immersion time on yield, viscosity, and color of skin cow gelatines. Twenty-four thousand grams of skin cow, twelve thousand grams pineapples peel, and ten thousand two hundred millilitre an aquadest were used in this research. The Experiment method that used in this research was the completely randomized design, as the treatment is immersion time of skin cow in 15% pineapple peel extract (T 1 = 2 hours, T 2 = 4 hours, T 3 = 6 hours). Each treatment was eight replicated. Rendemen (yield), viscosity, and color of gelatine were measured as variables. Data were analysed by variance analysis. The result of the analysis showed that immersion time significant effect on yield and viscosity but no significant effect on the color of gelatine. The average of yield, viscosity, and color of gelatine with 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours immersion time respectively were 2.51 ± 0.07 percent; 2.62 ± 0.10 percent; 2.98 ± 0.04 percent, 2.50 ± 0.19 cP; 2.73 ± 0.15 cP; 3.38 ± 0.17 cP and 66.71 ± 5.15; 68.41 ± 3.73; 70.18 ± 5.83. The conclusion is with 6 hour immersion time would produce gelatines with the best yield and viscosity.
Environmental Impact of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

Hybrid and electric vehicles play a critical role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, with transport estimated to contribute to 14% of the 49 GtCO2eq produced annually. Analysis of only the conversion efficiency of powertrain technologies can be misleading, with pure battery electric and hybrid vehicles reporting average efficiencies of 92% and 35% in comparison with 21% for internal combustion engine vehicles. A fairer comparison would be to consider the well-to-wheel efficiency, which reduces the numbers to 21–67%, 25% and 12%, respectively. The large variation in well-to-wheel efficiency of pure battery electric vehicles highlights the importance of renewable energy generation in order to achieve true environmental benefits. When calculating the energy return on investment of the various technologies based on the current energy generation mix, hybrid vehicles show the greatest environmental benefits, although this would change if electricity was made with high amounts of renewables. In an extreme scenario with heavy coal generation, the CO2eq return on investment can actually be negative for pure electric vehicles, highlighting the importance of renewable energy generation further. The energy impact of production is generally small (∼6% of lifetime energy) and, similarly, recycling is of a comparable magnitude, but it is less well studied.
Evolutionary trends in the Mediterranean Nephrolepidina: new chronosubspecies and biostratigraphic constraints

ABSTRACT The mean values of the grade of enclosure of the protoconch by the deuteroconch (Ai), the number of adauxiliary chamberlets (C), the number of annuli within 0.5 mm from the embryonic apparatus (N05) and the degree of stolonic distalization (FD5) were evaluated for several Nephrolepidina populations from the western Mediterranean. Data from two new populations were added to the various populations biometrically investigated in the last decades. The routinely employed Ai and C indexes alone seem to be not sufficient to provide biostratigraphic constraints for each Nephrolepidina chronospecies, whereas N05 appears to be dependent to the embryonic size. By including the index FD5, and thus the concept of neanic acceleration, it becomes possible to clearly separate the different chronosubspecies of Nephrolepidina from the Mediterranean bioprovince. Nephrolepidina praemarginata praemarginata is restricted to the late Rupelian SBZ22A. N. pramarginata elenamoroi n. ssp. is erected for those early Chattian (SBZ22B) populations with 32%<FD5mean <42%. N. morgani, characterised by 42%<FD5mean <50%, stands as a long-ranged species, spanning from the whole Chattian to the lowermost Aquitanian. N. tournoueri antonioi n. ssp. marks the Aquitanian (SBZ24) and is characterised by Aimean >45% and 50%<FD5mean <55%. N. tournoueri tournoueri characterises the Burdigalian (SBZ25), with Aimean >45% and FD5mean >55%.
Cannabis sativa L. Bioactive Compounds and Their Protective Role in Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) plants from the family Cannabidaceae have been used since ancient times, to produce fibers, oil, and for medicinal purposes. Psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and nonpsychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) are the main pharmacologically active compounds of Cannabis sativa. These compounds have, for a long time, been under extensive investigation, and their potent antioxidant and inflammatory properties have been reported, although the detailed mechanisms of their actions have not been fully clarified. CB1 receptors are suggested to be responsible for the analgesic effect of THC, while CB2 receptors may account for its immunomodulatory properties. Unlike THC, CBD has a very low affinity for both CB1 and CB2 receptors, and behaves as their negative allosteric modulator. CBD activity, as a CB2 receptor inverse agonist, could be important for CBD anti-inflammatory properties. In this review, we discuss the chemical properties and bioavailability of THC and CBD, their main mechanisms of action, and their role in oxidative stress and inflammation.
EVALUATION OF INTRACRANIAL SPACE OCCUPYING LESIONS BY CT PERFUSION STUDY

Introduction: CT perfusion plays an invaluable role here as it detects microscopic differences in the internal vascularity of lesions and aids in their characterisation and significantly raises the diagnostic accuracy. In this Retrospective study, we performed CT Perfusion in various intracranial focal lesions and studied their perfusion characters and tried to evaluate & differentiate between them. Methods: This Retrospective Analytical study involved data of 100 of the randomly selected patients ( candidates / study subjects .CTP was performed with dual? slice dynamic multi? detector CT scanner in 100 patients prior to surgery or stereotactic biopsy with age ranging from 15 to 70 years. Patients below 15 years, pregnant women, and very old patients with compromised renal functions were not included in this study. It was noted that Informed consent was taken from all patients . Results: Perfusion parameters like rCBF and rCBV were calculated with ROI including the whole of the lesion and 1? 2 cm in the periphery of the lesion. The rCBF and rCBV of neoplastic lesions with statistically significant difference in rCBF and rCBV of low? grade gliomas from high? grade gliomas, lymphomas, and metastases.There was statistically significant difference in rCBF (P < 0.002) and rCBV (P < 0.001) of TWT, TOT, and abscesses. Keyword: ICSOL , CT Perfusion , Cerebral blood flow , Cerebral blood volume.
Behavioral Phenotype in Heterozygous DAT Rats: Transgenerational Transmission of Maternal Impact and the Role of Genetic Asset

Dopamine transporter (DAT) is involved in dopamine (DA) reuptake in presynaptic terminals. Deletion of DAT results in a hyperdopaminergic KO-rat phenotype. To conduct our studies in heterozygous DAT rats, several pedigree lines were created, with known derivation of the allele (i.e., maternal or paternal). Our purpose was to elucidate the role of parental origin rather than maternal care, assessing if maternal maltreatments generated sequelae in female offspring. In the first experiment, female rats and their pups were observed during postnatal lactation. Control dams were WT and heterozygous ones were MAT (but K-MAT, with previous experience of early maltreatment by their KO adoptive dams). WT dams were highly attracted to their offspring (predictably, they spent a lot of time licking their pups); in contrast, K-MAT dams showed strangely comparable levels of caring for their pups and exploring the environment. Subsequently, peculiar features of the circadian cycle were found in adolescent rats with different epigenotypes (WT, MUX = offspring of MAT father, MIK = offspring of K-MAT dam). The MIK epigenotype produced locomotor hyperactivity also during resting hours, well above typical values. The MUX epigenotype, on the other hand, was less active and presented a depression-like profile. This study is unique: maltreatment was generated in a spontaneous way from a DAT-KO mother to offspring. We highlight how future studies will address separate contributions by genotype and upbringing. In conclusion, paternal-allele asset generates sequelae diametrically opposed to the inheritance of early maternal trauma.
Perception of Teachers and Students towards Shadow Education

This paper explored perception of teachers and students on the practices and trends of shadow education. It is a qualitative study adopting narrative inquiry. Eight students studying Bachelor in Education (B. Ed.) and Bachelor in Business Studies (BBS) and five teachers teaching in different schools were purposively selected as informants. Semi-structured interviews were made to gather perception of the participants. The findings were illustrated in narrative and descriptive ways. The findings indicated that students and teachers perceived shadow education as the part of schooling that has prevailed in schools and colleges. The learners preferred private tutoring to formal regular classes as they found private tutoring more interactive and student centric than the formal classes. Additionally, this study indicated that the learners, teachers and authorities readily involve in shadow education. The implication of the present study is important for administrators, teachers, and students to make formal schooling more effective.