Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alkaloidal Extracts from Avicennia africana P. Beauv. (Avicenniaceae) Leaf: An Antiplasmodial, Antioxidant, and Erythrocyte Viable

Background The emergence of drug-resistant parasites impedes disease management and eradication efforts. Hence, a reinvigorated attempt to search for potent lead compounds in the mangroves is imperative. Aim This study evaluates in vitro antiplasmodial activity, antioxidant properties, and cytotoxicity of A. africana leaf alkaloidal extracts. Methods The A. africana leaves were macerated with 70% ethanol to obtain a total crude extract. Dichloromethane and chloroform-isopropanol (3 : 1, v/v) were used to extract the crude alkaloids and quaternary alkaloids from the total crude. The antiplasmodial activities of the alkaloidal extracts were performed against 3D7 P. falciparum chloroquine-sensitive clone via the SYBR Green I fluorescence assay with artesunate serving as the reference drug. The alkaloidal extracts were further evaluated for antioxidant properties via the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), the total glutathione concentration (GSH), the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay, and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The cytotoxic activity of the alkaloidal extracts was tested on erythrocytes using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-MTT assay with little modification. The phytocompounds in the alkaloidal extracts were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Results The total crude extract showed good antiplasmodial activity (IC50 = 11.890 µg/mL). The crude and quaternary alkaloidal extracts demonstrated promising antiplasmodial effects with IC50 values of 6.217 and 6.285 µg/mL, respectively. The total crude and alkaloidal extracts showed good antioxidant properties with negligible cytotoxicity on erythrocytes with good selectivity indices. The GC-MS spectral analysis of crude alkaloidal extracts gave indole and isoquinoline alkaloids and several other compounds. Dexrazoxane was found to be the main compound predicted, with an 86% peak area in the quaternary alkaloidal extract. Conclusion The crude and quaternary alkaloidal extracts exhibited antiplasmodial activities and ability to inhibit oxidative stress with negligible toxicity on erythrocytes. This may be good characteristics to avoid oxidative stress related to Plasmodium infection in the treatment of malaria.
Validation of the Amharic version of Internet Addiction Test-20: a cross-sectional study

Background Internet Addiction is defined as excessive internet use or poorly controlled preoccupations, impulses, or behaviors related to computer use and internet access that cause impairment or suffering. It had devastating effect on people lives, families, productivity, academic performance and rarely engaging in criminal acts like alcohol use, drug addiction, or compulsive gambling. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Amharic version of Internet Addiction Test-20 among Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences medical students, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A cross sectional study was carried out among 410 medical students using a convenience sampling method after stratifying them based on their year level. SPSS Version 23 was used to do Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine the convergent validity of Amharic version of IAT. We computed correlation coefficient between the aggregate scores of IAT-20 and the scores for depressive symptoms, problematic substance use, and other characteristics of participants which was assessed using Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and questionnaire developed to assess demographic and internet use related characteristics, respectively. AMOS 23 software was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the construct validity of Amharic version of IAT. Test–retest reliability was also determined with 2 weeks interval (n = 51). Results The data confirmed a two-factor structure. Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.89, Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.91 and Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.92, Root Mean Square Error Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07, and Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR) =0.05 indicated a good fit model structure. There was moderate positive correlation between the aggregate scores of IAT-20 and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.55, p < 0.00), but weak positive correlation between IAT-20 and ASSIST scores (r = 0.14, p < 0.00). IAT-20 was also found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89 for each factor). The test–retest reliability was also good for all items (Intra Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) > 0.30) except item 16. Conclusion We found that the IAT-20 is psychometrically sound and a simple screening test for Internet Addiction. However, it is important to acknowledge that further studies are necessary to replicate these findings on diverse population.
Does Institutional Ownership Moderating Tax Avoidance? An Empirical Analysis In Indonesian List Company

This study aims to determine the effect of Thin Capitalization, Transfer Prices, and Profitability on Tax Avoidance and the role of institutional ownership in moderating it. The population used in this study is LQ45 companies listed on the IDX, using a purposive sampling technique. The number of samples is 11 companies with financial statement data collection for the 2016-2020 period. This study uses a quantitative method, with SPSS version 23.0, to test the analysis. The results show that Thin Capitalization has a positive and significant effect on Tax Avoidance, with the value of t count > t table (2.246>2.00665). Transfer prices have a positive and significant effect on Tax Avoidance with a value of t count > t table (3.121>2.00665). Profitability partially has a positive and significant effect on Tax Avoidance with a value of t count > t table (6.211>2.00665). Thin Capitalization, Transfer Prices, and Profitability simultaneously positively and significantly affect Tax Avoidance with the calculated F value> F table (74.719>2.55). However, Institutional Ownership does not moderate the relationship between Thin Capitalization, Transfer Prices, and Profitability on Tax Avoidance
The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Adolescent Iraqi Children Infected with Toxoplasmasis

Toxoplasmosis affects various biochemical markers, which has garnered attention recently. Toxoplasmosis biochemical marker values were the focus of this study. To evaluate the infection-related marker TNF alpha, TNF-α regulates inflammation, anti-tumor responses, and homeostasis via interacting with TNF-R1 and TNF-R2. TNF-α has a vital function in treating T. gondii by regulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell development. Despite therapeutic usage of anti-TNF-α medications, adverse effects such lymph proliferative disorders have been known to occur. This also suggests that one major mechanism by which cytokines operate is by inhibiting parasite invasion. TNF-α has the ability to directly influence the proliferation of intracellular parasites to different extents. The study included one hundred patients with toxoplasmosis, aged between eighteen and thirty years old. Among them, seventy had confirmed cases of infection, with forty samples from both male and female patients, while the remaining thirty samples were taken from healthy individuals serving as a control group. Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, and many outpatient clinics will treat patients from different Iraqi governorates from November 2022 and October 2023. Additionally, we utilized the ELISA technique to determine the quantity of TNF-alpha present. With this study, there were no significant changes in blood levels of TNF-α between the control group and teens of different ages and genders, according to the results. The mean ±SE values of the level in healthy teens (80.57 ±5.27) and T. gondii patients (123.59 ±4.35, 158.85 ±10.26) were not statistically different. The findings indicated that the mean values for healthy teenagers were 66.02 ±5.89 and 87.84 ±3.24, respectively. There was no significant gender difference, with mean values of 149.65 ±11.98 and 133.25 ±3.96, respectively. Patients with toxoplasmosis exhibited substantially higher TNF-α levels than the control group (P ≤0.01). The average ± SE TNF-alpha levels in teenagers infected with T. gondii were 136.86 ±5.96, whereas the control group had 87.84 ±3.24. Our research suggests that Toxoplasma gondii have the capability to exert effect on certain indicators, such as TNF-alpha. The findings indicate that adolescents are prone to a significant prevalence of toxoplasmosis diagnoses. Consequently, prioritizing health education for those with a heightened susceptibility to developing the disease is imperative.
Is It Possible to Make Thin p-GaN Layer for AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Micro Light Emitting Diodes?

In this work, AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet micro-light-emitting diode (DUV <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>LED) with a thin p-GaN layer is proposed to improve the electrical and optical performances. The experimental and calculated results prove that, besides the significantly enhanced light extraction efficiency (LEE) caused by the reduced absorption for DUV light, the thin p-GaN layer design can also slightly suppress the current spreading effect for the proposed <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>LED, which will keep the holes away from the defected region of mesa sidewalls. Then, the surface nonradiative recombination at the mesa edge can be mildly suppressed and thus the hole injection is also enhanced though not remarkably, which favors the radiative recombination in active region. As a result, the proposed <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>LED with thin p-GaN layer has the enhanced external quantum efficiency (EQE) and the improved optical power when compared to the DUV <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula>LED with thick p-GaN layer. The on/off current ratio is increased to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{{7}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{{6}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, which infers that defect-caused leakage current is reduced on the mesa sidewalls.
Detection of genes encoding ompW and ctxA of Vibrio cholerae isolated from shrimp and shellfish at Kedonganan fish market, Bali-Indonesia

<p>Contamination of pathogenic bacteria in food can lead to the emergence of foodborne disease. One of foodborne disease which often occurs in some developing countries such as Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America is cholera which is caused by <em>Vibrio cholerae</em>. The disease is transmitted through beverages and food, especially contaminated seafood. <em>V. cholerae</em> has several virulence factors including the outer membrane protein W <em>(ompW)</em> and cholerae toxin <em>(ctx). </em>The<em> ompW</em> acts as a protective barrier and can also be used as a marker specific species of <em>V. cholerae</em> and cholerae toxin is an enterotoxin responsible for the incidence of diarrhea in a cholera outbreak produced by pathogenic <em>V. cholerae</em>. This study was an observational study to determine the level of contamination of <em>V. cholerae</em> by detecting the outer membrane protein W <em>(ompW)</em> and cholerae toxin subunit A <em>(ctxA)</em> gene of <em>V. cholerae</em> in shrimp and shellfish sold at Kedonganan fish market. Samples were taken using total sampling technique and obtained 24 samples consisting of 14 shrimp samples and 10 shellfish samples. Samples were examined using culture methods and biochemical tests, and then further tested using Duplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (dPCR) to detect <em>ompW</em> and <em>ctxA</em> gene. The dPCR assay results showed 8 out of 14 (57.1%) samples from shrimp and 1 out of 10 (10%) samples from the shellfish positive carried <em>ompW</em> gene, and found no positive samples carrying the <em>ctxA</em> gene in samples derived from shrimp and shellfish. Chi square test analysis results indicated contamination of <em>V. cholerae</em> in shrimp was higher than shellfish based on <em>ompW</em> gene (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the shrimp and shellfish at Kedonganan fish market are contaminated by <em>V. cholerae</em>. Further research is needed to detect the virulence factors besides <em>ompW</em> and <em>ctxA </em>of<em> V. cholerae</em> in seafood. </p><pre><strong> </strong></pre>Keywords: Foodborne disease, <em>Vibrio cholerae</em>, <em>ompW</em> gene<em>,</em> <em>ctxA</em> gene, and Duplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (dPCR).
Associations between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Meditational Analysis

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Morphological, molecular, and functional characterization of mouse glutamatergic myenteric neurons

The enteric nervous system (ENS) functions largely independently of the central nervous system (CNS). Correspondingly, glutamate, the dominant neurotransmitter in the CNS and sensory afferents, is not a primary neurotransmitter in the ENS. Only a fraction (approximately 2%) of myenteric neurons in the mouse distal colon and rectum (colorectum) are positive for vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 (VGLUT2), the structure and function of which remain undetermined. Here, we systematically characterized VGLUT2-positive enteric neurons (VGLUT2-ENs) through sparse labeling with adeno-associated virus, single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and GCaMP6f calcium imaging. Our results reveal that the majority of VGLUT2-ENs (29 out of 31, 93.5%) exhibited Dogiel type I morphology with a single aborally projecting axon; most axons (26 out of 29, 89.7%) are between 4 and 10 mm long, each traversing 19 to 34 myenteric ganglia. These anatomical features exclude the VGLUT2-ENs from being intrinsic primary afferent or motor neurons. The scRNA-seq conducted on 52 VGLUT2-ENs suggests different expression profiles from conventional descending interneurons. Ex vivo GCaMP6f recordings from flattened colorectum indicate that almost all VGLUT2-EN (181 out of 215, 84.2%) are indirectly activated by colorectal stretch via nicotinic cholinergic neural transmission. In conclusion, VGLUT2-ENs are a functionally unique group of enteric neurons with single aborally projecting long axons that traverse multiple myenteric ganglia and are activated indirectly by colorectal mechanical stretch. This knowledge will provide a solid foundation for subsequent studies on the potential interactions of VGLUT2-EN with extrinsic colorectal afferents via glutamatergic neurotransmission. New & Noteworthy We reveal that VGLUT2-positive enteric neurons (EN), although constituting a small fraction of total EN, are homogeneously expressed in the myenteric ganglia, with a slight concentration at the intermediate region between the colon and rectum. This concentration coincides with the entry zone of extrinsic afferents into the colorectum. Given that VGLUT2-ENs are indirectly activated by colorectal mechanical stretch, they are likely to participate in visceral nociception through glutamatergic neural transmission with extrinsic afferents.
Blind and Spatially-Regularized Online Joint Optimization of Source Separation, Dereverberation, and Noise Reduction

This paper proposes a computationally efficient joint optimization algorithm that performs online source separation, dereverberation, and noise reduction based on blind and spatially-regularized processing. When applying such online Blind Source Separation (BSS) as online Independent Vector Extraction (IVE) to a speech application, we must focus on the trade-off between the algorithmic delay and separation accuracy, both of which depend on the analysis frame length. In addition, to separate the sources with specified source permutation, researchers introduced spatial regularization based on the Directions-of-Arrival (DOAs) of the sources into IVE. However, the scale ambiguity of IVE often makes the spatial regularization work inappropriately. To solve these problems, we first propose a blind online joint optimization algorithm of IVE and weighted prediction error dereverberation (WPE). This online algorithm can achieve accurate separation even using short analysis frames because reverberation can be reduced using WPE. We then extend the online joint optimization with robust spatial regularization. We reveal that regularizing the scale of the separated signals is very effective in making the DOA-based spatial regularization work reliably. Our experiments confirm that our blind online joint optimization algorithm can significantly improve the separation accuracy with an algorithmic delay of 8 ms. In addition, we confirm that the proposed spatially-regularized online joint optimization algorithm reduces the rate of the source permutation error to zero percent.
Perceptions of Schoolteachers About Teledentistry Use in Makkah City

Objectives: Teledentistry is a combination of communication technology and dentistry. Teledentistry is an alternative and useful way to remotely provide advisory, preventive, and emergency services in places with poor access to dental care. Few studies in Saudi have investigated the implementation of teledentistry at schools or assessed the perceptions of school personnel. This research aimed to evaluate teachers' perceptions about the use of teledentistry to examine schoolchildren in Makkah city. Methods: The study was conducted on 20 intermediate schools randomly selected from different regions of Makkah city using a multistage cluster sampling method. Two data collectors visited the schools to administer the study questionnaire, exploring teachers' perceptions of teledentistry. The questionnaire was adapted from a validated survey based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to compare the mean differences in participants' perceptions of teledentistry based on their demographics. Results: A total of 241 teachers completed the survey, 131 of whom were females (54.4%), and the mean age of participants was 42.5±7 years. Over 80% of participants taught ≥16 classes a week, and their experience ranged from less than a year to more than 31 years. Sixty participants (25%) knew teledentistry before watching the study video. The results revealed a significant difference between male and female teachers regarding perceptions of teledentistry. Female participants had higher scores in TAM dimensions than males. Conclusion: This survey revealed a generally favorable attitude toward teledentistry utilization in schools. Including non-dental employees, such as teachers to provide such a service will assist in alleviating the shortage or unavailability of dentists at schools. This goes in line with the government's plans to promote telehealth as part of the Saudi Vision 2030.
Static and Impact Properties of Flax-Reinforced Polymers Prepared with Conventional Epoxy and Sustainable Resins

The study assessed the tensile, flexural, and impact properties of composite materials reinforced with flax fibers, employing three distinct resin types. The composite laminates were fabricated using three commercial resins: a conventional epoxy resin, an epoxy resin with a 31% weight concentration of bio-renewable content, and a recyclable methyl methacrylate infusion resin. This aims to assess if there exists a commercially available alternative to the traditional epoxy resin that can reduce the overall carbon footprint of composite materials. To investigate the influence of humidity on the mechanical behavior of the flax layers, a drying treatment was applied to the fibers before the infusion process. Micro-computed tomography analysis revealed that heat treatment resulted in a reduction of porosity, although it did not affect the mechanical response of the composite laminates. Moreover, laminates produced with non-recyclable and sustainable resins exhibited no significant change in tensile and flexural modulus. In contrast, those produced with recyclable resin demonstrated a slight reduction in the strengths of the composite laminates. Conversely, out-of-plane impact tests and repeated impact tests indicated that composites prepared with recyclable and bio-epoxy resin formulations present superior damage resistance to repeated impact compared to traditional epoxy resin.
Human resource planning on employee performance at a public broadcasting institution in South Sulawesi

This research is a quantitative research in nature with the aim of knowing the effect of human resource planning on employee performance at the TVRI South Sulawesi Public Broadcasting Institution (LPP). The data collection method used in this study was to distribute questionnaires to 62 respondents as the research sample. The data analysis technique used is descriptive statistical analysis, simple linear regression test, R test and t test using statistics through the application version of the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). 23.The results of this study indicate that Human Resource Planning has a positive and significant effect on Employee Performance at the TVRI South Sulawesi Public Broadcasting Institution (LPP).
Risk factors for diabetes mellitus after acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Within 5 years of having acute pancreatitis (AP), approximately 20% of patients develop diabetes mellitus (DM), which later increases to approximately 40%. Some studies suggest that the prevalence of prediabetes (PD) and/or DM can grow as high as 59% over time. However, information on risk factors is limited. We aimed to identify risk factors for developing PD or DM following AP. Methods We systematically searched three databases up to 4 September 2023 extracting direct, within-study comparisons of risk factors on the rate of new-onset PD and DM in AP patients. When PD and DM event rates could not be separated, we reported results for this composite outcome as PD/DM. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Of the 61 studies identified, 50 were included in the meta-analysis, covering 76,797 participants. The studies reported on 79 risk factors, and meta-analysis was feasible for 34 risk factor and outcome pairs. The odds of developing PD/DM was significantly higher after severe and moderately severe AP (OR: 4.32; CI: 1.76–10.60) than mild AP. Hypertriglyceridemic AP etiology (OR: 3.27; CI: 0.17–63.91) and pancreatic necrosis (OR: 5.53; CI: 1.59–19.21) were associated with a higher risk of developing PD/DM. Alcoholic AP etiology (OR: 1.82; CI: 1.09–3.04), organ failure (OR: 3.19; CI: 0.55–18.64), recurrent AP (OR: 1.89; CI: 0.95–3.77), obesity (OR: 1.85; CI: 1.43–2.38), chronic kidney disease (OR: 2.10; CI: 1.85–2.38), liver cirrhosis (OR: 2.48; CI: 0.18–34.25), and dyslipidemia (OR: 1.82; CI: 0.68–4.84) were associated with a higher risk of developing DM. Discussion Severe and moderately severe AP, alcoholic and hypertriglyceridemic etiologies, pancreatic necrosis, organ failure, recurrent acute pancreatitis and comorbidities of obesity, chronic kidney disease liver disease, and dyslipidemia are associated with a higher risk of developing PD or DM. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021281983.