Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ALDH2 Overexpression Alleviates High Glucose-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

Although the underlying mechanisms of diabetes-induced myocardial injury have not been fully illuminated, the inflammation reaction has been reported intently linked with diabetes. The nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, the key component of pyroptosis, is involved in inflammation reaction, which may be one of the important mechanisms in diabetes-induced myocardial injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis in high glucose-induced H9C2 cardiac cell injury and investigate whether overexpression of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) can reduce the occurrence of pyroptosis. The H9C2 cardiac cells were exposed to 35 mM glucose for 24 h to induce cytotoxicity. Mitochondrial ALDH2 overexpression cardiac cell line was constructed. The results showed in high glucose condition that ALDH2 overexpression significantly increased H9C2 cardiac cell viability, increased mitochondrial ALDH2 activity and protein expression, and reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels; meanwhile, the pyroptosis key components—NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), cysteine-containing aspartate specific protease 1 (Caspase-1), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) protein expressions—were significantly decreased, and IL-18 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels were also decreased. In high glucose-induced cardiac cell injury, ALDH2 overexpression may reduce ROS production, thereby inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammation and cell pyroptosis. ALDH2 gene might play the potential role in the treatment of high glucose-induced H9C2 cardiac cell injury.
Knowledge and attitude towards plagiarism: a comparative study of students from medical and non-medical fields

Research has become a crucial part of restorative sciences. Yet, research ethics are sometimes bypassed. One of the research ethical misconducts, plagiarism has always been prevalent. Studies published on plagiarism have seen an increase recently but mostly they are from the developed part of the world and output from developing countries like Pakistan is low. This study, therefore, aims to compare the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of students from medical and non-medical fields towards plagiarism from different institutions in Karachi, Pakistan.
6.2 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PREFERENCES IN THE LITERATURE

The innate and learned characteristics of women and men may profoundly determine their educational and labour market choices. This chapter focuses on gender differences in a group of non-cognitive skills:1 risk preferences, competitive preferences, and social preferences.2 These preferences may have an impact on labour market performance. For example, risk-averse individuals are more likely to choose professions with secure pay, while more competitive individuals tend to perform better in professions where they are under daily pressure. The chapter strongly relies on relevant summary papers of Bertrand (2011), Croson–Gneezy (2009), and Niederle (2015).
Intermolecular potential and second virial coefficient of the water–helium complex

A potential-energy surface for the water–helium complex is constructed from scaled perturbation theory calculations, and calibrated using accurate supermolecule methods. At the global minimum, the helium atom lies in the plane of the water molecule with an interaction energy corresponding to about 35 cm (2160 microhartree ! The potential is used to calculate second virial coefficients, including first-order quantum corrections, from 100 to 2000 K. The estimated uncertainties in the calculated values are much smaller than the uncertainties in the available experimental data; the calculated values also cover a much wider range of temperature. The quantum corrections are found to be smaller in magnitude than the uncertainty in the calculated second virial coefficient. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. @DOI: 10.1063/1.1421065 #
FACULTY OF FISHERIES AND PROTECTION OF WATERS

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone in Cyprinidae as in other Vertebrates functions as a brain signal which stimulates the secretion of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary gland. Two forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone have been identified in cyprinids, chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone II and salmon gonadotropinreleasing hormone. Hypohysiotropic functions are fulfilled mainly by salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The only known factor having an inhibitory effect on LH secretion in the family Cyprinidae is dopamine. Most cyprinids reared under controlled conditions exhibit signs of reproductive dysfunction, which is manifested in the failure to undergo final oocyte maturation and ovulation. In captivity a disruption of endogenous gonadotropinreleasing hormone stimulation occurs and sequentially that of luteinizing hormone, which is indispensible for the final phases of gametogenesis. In addition to methods based on the application of exogenous gonadotropins, the usage of a method functioning on the basis of hypothalamic control of final oocyte maturation and ovulation has become popular recently. The replacement of natural gonadotropin-releasing hormones with chemically synthesized gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues characterized by amino acid substitutions at positions sensitive to enzymatic degradation has resulted in a centuple increase in the effectiveness of luteinizing hormone secretion induction. Combining gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues with Dopamine inhibitory factors have made it possible to develop an extremely effective agent, which is necessary for the successful artificial reproduction of cyprinids.
Logical theories and abstract argumentation: A survey of existing works

In 1995, in his seminal paper introducing the abstract argumentation framework, Dung has also established the first relationship between this framework and a logical framework (in this case: logic programming). Since that time, a lot of work have pursued this path, proposing different definitions, uses and exhibiting distinct relationships between argumentation and logic. In this paper, we present a survey of existing works about this topic and more especially those that address the following question: “How logic has been used for capturing various aspects or parts of Dung’s argumentation”. This survey covers many different approaches but is not intended to be totally exhaustive due to the huge quantity of papers in this scope. Moreover, due to the fact that each approach has its own specificities, sometimes antagonistic with the other approaches, and is also justified by its own context of definition or use, the aim of this survey is not to identify one approach as being better than another.
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

This paper examines venture-capital certification in European initial public offerings (IPO) between 2002 and 2015. More specifically, we investigate how venture-capital backing impacts measures of the indirect issuance costs of an IPO, such as IPO underpricing and the opportunity cost of issuance, as well as the quality of the issuing firm’s lead underwriter. We find no evidence of venture-capital certification in the form of lower IPO underpricing, but we do find that VC-backing is associated with a lower opportunity cost of issuance. We also find that VC-backed firms manage to engage the services of higher quality underwriters. This VC certification effect appears to be primarily due to certification of penny stock IPOs. We thank Jorden Boone for the confidence that he placed in us at the beginning of our assignment, Jeroen Van den Bosch for his advice when asked for, and Nathalie Ghorayeb of Thomson Reuters for her help in extracting our data from the Eikon database. Much gratitude goes out to our promoter, Prof. Nancy Huyghebaert of the AFI-Finance research group of the KU Leuven, who took it upon herself to provide us with feedback throughout the research process. Lastly, we also express our appreciation to those who read through our work a final time before we handed it in, Jan Vermeersch and Dirk De Dobbeleer.
ADBI Working Paper Series TRADE OPENNESS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE: EVIDENCE FROM CITIES IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

This paper examines the impact on the environment of economic growth and trade openness in 261 cities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the period 2004–2013, using a recently developed, continuously updated, fully modified method that allows for cross-sectional dependence and endogeneity. The study investigates two types of pollutant, industrial wastewater and sulfur dioxide, and employs three measures of openness in the regression. The results show that the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis holds not only for the whole of the PRC but also for different regions. The paper estimates that wastewater pollution increases with economic development until the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaches the turning point of CNY31,849–CNY49,446 (in constant 2002 prices), which varies depending on the specific measure of trade openness. It finds that the turning point for sulfur dioxide occurs at a much lower income level, around CNY9,274–CNY10,103 per capita GDP. Furthermore, the results indicate that cities featuring greater openness tend to have lower industrial wastewater emissions but higher sulfur dioxide emissions.
ADDITIVE FABRICATION OF POLYMER-CERAMIC COMPOSITE FOR BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING

The objective of this study is to manufacture chitosan-based biocomposite 3-D scaffolds through additive fabrication for promoting the regeneration of bone defects. Additive manufacturing has enabled the production of effective scaffolds by overcoming traditional limitations such as suboptimal distribution of cells, and poor control over scaffold architecture. In this study, cryomilled biocomposites comprising of poly (lactic) acid (PLA), chitosan (CS) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) provided the basis for the generation of hydrogels, which were then utilized for the fabrication of scaffolds with orthogonal (0, 90) geometry. Rheological studies were conducted using a rotational rheometer to identify the ideal hydrogel concentration for the continuous production of scaffolds. The scaffolds were fabricated using a 3-axis computerized numerical control (CNC) which was modified to function as a customized bioplotter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of the bioplotted scaffolds. Finally, a short-term stability (14 days) study was conducted to analyze the in vitro degradation behavior of the scaffolds in phosphate buffer saline (PBS).
Knowledge and attitude on child abuse among school teachers, in selected urban English medium schools of Udupi District

Introduction: Child abuse continues to be one of the primary threats to the child’s emotional and social well-being globally. As students spend maximum time in school, teachers need to be trained to recognize physical and behavioural changes associated with abuse in order to confidently determine the cause and plan interventions appropriately. The inadequate knowledge and information lead to gap in the crucial role of teachers in identification and early assistance of an abused child. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge of the school teachers on child abuse, to determine the attitude of school teachers on identification and reporting of child abuse and to find the association between the knowledge and attitude with the selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive survey design was used to conduct the study. Study was conducted among 100 school teachers from selected urban English medium schools, in Udupi district. The instruments used for data collection were a structured knowledge questionnaire on child abuse and the attitude scale on identification and reporting of child abuse. Results: Majority of the school teachers (84%) had average knowledge on child abuse whereas, all the teachers had favourable attitude towards identification and reporting of child abuse. With regard to association between knowledge and selected demographic variables, there was no significant association found except for previous knowledge on child abuse (p < .05). Conclusion: Child abuse is a global issue and children face abuse in many forms and more awareness will help in combating the issues and problems with abuse. The knowledge of the school teachers needs to be enhanced by conducting awareness program on child abuse.
Biodiversity of Family Chironomidae (Diptera) in Srebarna Lake (North-East Bulgaria) and Genome Instability of Some Species from Genus Chironomus Meigen, 1803

The biodiversity of the family Chironomidae, Diptera in Lake Srebarna a lake of natural origin, a Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Site of International Importance was studied. The conducted study revealed high concentrations of phosphates and some heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe) in the water. High concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn) in the sediment were also found. Through the detailed analysis of the external morphology of the larvae and the speciesspecific cytogenetic markers of the polytene chromosomes of the larvae, we established a total of 16 genera and 11 species. Ten genera and eight species were new to the fauna of the lake. For the first time, we reported malformations in the larvae of some genera Endochironomus, Chironomus and Glyptotendipes (0.84÷2.04%) and species (Endochironomus tendens 0. 29%). Genomic instability realized through somatic structural chromosomal aberrations in the polytene chromosomes of the four species of the genus Chironomus was found. Based on these aberrations, the Somatic index (S) was calculated (C. nuditasis, S-3.25; C. annularius, S-5.75; C. balatonicus, S-7.5 C. pallidivittatus, S-4.50). In addition, inherited chromosome aberrations have been observed, which were important for the adaptation of species to specific living conditions. The reasons of genomic instability and the importance of Chironomus species for determining the degree of pollution of aquatic ecosystems
THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON NEURON FIRING

Neurons are responsible for transmitting messages throughout the body via long-distance electrical signals known as action potentials. These depend on the active transport of sodium and potassium ions across the neuron cell membrane. The effect of various drugs on the process of neuron firing is a current research interest. The Hodgkin–Huxley equations, a system of four nonlinear ordinary differential equations, mathematically model the influx and efflux of these ions across the cell membrane. In the presence of alcohol, the release of potassium ions is accelerated. We propose a modified version of these equations, which incorporates the effect of alcohol, and examine its implications through mathematical analysis in dynamical systems. We investigate the qualitative behavior and interpret the results of the steady-state solutions in the fast and fast–slow phase planes.
“She doesn't want to go to hospital. That's one thing she hates”: Collective performativity in avoidable nursing home to hospital transfers

Older people who live with a combination of conditions experience fluctuations over time, which others may interpret as a need for medical attention. For some nursing home residents, this results in transitions in and out of hospital. Such transfers may be arranged without expectation of improved quality of life, can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and may preclude end-of-life preferences. Factors affecting avoidable hospitalization for nursing home residents are not well understood. I aim to explore potential drivers, moving beyond deficit explanations relating to funding, training, and resources. I use a framework of analysis that firstly considers medicalization of frailty, as a state of vulnerability that provides focus for others' action. I then draw on Judith Butler's theory of performativity, to explore nursing homes as sites of identity work for staff, residents and families. I consider ways subjectivities can be effected through reiterative practice that is compelled by normative conventions. Trouble may arise when citational practice of health care staff, and performative acquiescence of residents and families, culminates in an inevitability of hospitalization when navigating grey areas of assumed clinical risk. Principles of coproduction could present a disruptive opening, to rework power asymmetries, and move toward aspirations for residents and their relatives to be at the centre of decisions about care.
BOARD QUALITY AND THE COST OF DEBT CAPITAL – THE CASE OF BANK LOANS

Contact: academic@unpri.org The RI Quarterly is produced by the PRI Academic Network and aims to be the go-to publication for investment professionals and anyone needing the latest research on responsible investment, but without the time to read through the original papers. Every issue will focus on a number of academic papers around a theme selected by the PRI’s Academic Fellow, extracting the essentials of the argument and giving key findings in a clear and concise manner. Editor: Rachel Whittaker, CFA. Rachel is a sustainable investment specialist with experience in investment research, analysis and communications. Most recently she held positions in Mercer’s Responsible Investment team in London, and at Vontobel Asset Management in Zürich. IN THIS ISSUE
Journal of Biotechnology Research Center Vol.6 No.1

ptimum condition of biodegradation and biosurfactant production from spilled weathered base oil by Agrobacterium tumefaciens was studied in batch culture. Results showed that the optimum conditions for biosurfactant production was at pH7, temperature 30°C, incubation period 72h, and addition of weathered oil in a concentration of 3%, which yielded high biosurfactant production reached 6.6 g/l. The results also showed capability of isolate to degrade 70% of initial concentration of weathered oil 3%. Some characteristics and nature of produced biosurfactant was studied, the results showed that the biosurfactant is white to yellow in color, and viscous at room temperature, and needs little heating to be prepared in aqueous solution, insoluble in water and some organic solvents. The results also indicated higher stability of produced biosurfactant at neutral pH, and the stability decreased at pH less than 5 and up to 9, while the best stability of produced biosurfactant was at 30 and 40 ̊C. The addition of crude biosurfactant in concentration 20mg/l to the production medium lead to stimulate the isolate for uptake of weathered oil and increase biosurfactant production, while the biomass production did not affected significantly. صيخخغَىا اَشخنب ٍِ ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَىا جاخّاو ٌىُحىا لُنفخيى ًيثَىا فوشظىا تعاسد جَح Agrobacterium tumefaciens ةذحاىىا تعفذىا تعسضٍ ٍف قوشحَىا طاعلاا جَضى تنيهخغَىا . فوشظىا ُأب حئاخْىا جُْب ٍُْخوسذُهىا ٌقشىا ذْع جّام جاخّلاى ًيثَىا 7 ةساشح تخسذبو 30 تّاضح ةشخفبو ً 72 ضُمشخىا ذْعو تعاع قوشحَىا جَضيى وثٍلاا 3 . % جغيب ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَيى جاخّا ًيعا ًيع هىصحىا ٌح ثُح 6,6 ( ٌغ / شخى . ) اَم لُنفح ًيع تىضعىا ةسذق حئاخْىا جُْب 70 % قوشحَىا طاعلاا جَضى ٍىولاا ضُمشخىا ٍِ 3 % . ضعب جعسد حخَْىا ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَىا تعُبطو صئاصخ ، سافصىا ًىا وئاٍ ضُبا ُىى ور بيحخغَىا ُاب ذخىف ، جضى تفشغىا ةساشح تخسد ذْع ، ًذْع لاُيق ُِخغخىا ًىا جاخحَ ءاَىا ٍف ٓشُضحح داشَ ا ، ءاَىا ٍف ُابوزيى وباق شُغ تَىضعىا ثابَزَىا ضعبو . ٍُْخوسذُهىا ٌقشىا ذْع حخَْىا ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَيى تُىاع تُحابث حئاخْىا ثذما اَم هداعخَىا 7 ، ٍِ وقلاا تُُْخوسذُهىا ًاقسلاا ذْع شُبم ونشب تُحابثىا وقحو 5 ٍِ شثملااو 9 . ظحىى ُِح ٍف ُِب ةساشح تخسد ذْع حخَْىا ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَيى تُحابث وضفا ( 30 ، 40 ) ً . ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَىا تفاضا ( ًاخىا ) ضُمشخب ( 20 ) ٌغيٍ / جاخّا ةداَصو قوشحَىا جَضىا كلاهخعا ًيع تىضعىا ضُفحح ًىا يدا ٍخاخّلاا ظعىىا ًىا شخى ٍحاُحىا بيحخغَىا ، حىا تيخنىا ةداَص ًىا ٌدؤح ٌى اهْنىو شُبم ونشب تَىَ .
The Effects of Sex, Physical Traits, and Parasites on Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) Behaviour By: Catherine Čapkun-Huot 8587255

While the study of animal personality is gaining in popularity, no adequate tests had been proposed to investigate it in turtles prior to my field work. In this study, I designed two new tests to assess turtle aggressive and boldness behaviours. Additionally, I tested the hypotheses that the sex and physical traits of an individual are linked to specific behaviours, and that personality traits created variation in parasite load in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta). I predicted that males and females would differ in terms of personality traits, as well as bigger and smaller individuals. I also predicted that bolder individuals would have more leeches than shyer individuals, as bolder individuals might use bigger areas and be more exposed to parasites. The results of my behavioural tests showed that less aggressive individuals seemed to be shyer. However, I found no other significant correlations between the sex, physical traits, number of leeches, and behavioural measurements. My findings are a good starting point for future studies to extend knowledge on turtle personality.
Management Committee

As a pioneer tropical pasture legume, stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) is well adapted to growth-limiting factors in acid soils. Considering the importance of stylo, there is a need to improve Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation to enable development of elite cultivars. In this study, S. guianensis cv. RY5 was used to systematically optimize Agrobacteriummediated transformation based on its plant regeneration. Results showed that Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.2 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) was the optimal callus induction medium. MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 6-BA was suitable for shoot regeneration from cotyledonderived calluses, and 0.5 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) applications were beneficial for rooting. The highest transformation efficiency (67%) was obtained at an Agrobacterium concentration of optical density = 0.6 combined with an infection time of 15 min and 3 days of co-cultivation. Furthermore, 200 mg/mL carbenicillin (Carb) and 0.6 mg/L Basta supplements were effective in eliminating excess bacterial growth and selecting transgenic plants, respectively. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis confirmed that the β-glucuronidase (GUS) and BAR genes were successfully integrated into the stylo genome. Wider testing of this improved protocol as a means of enhancing genetic improvement and gene function analysis of stylo seems warranted.