Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selenium Organic Content Prediction in Jengkol (Archidendron pauciflorum) and Its Molecular Interaction with Cardioprotection Receptors PPAR-γ, NF-κB, and PI3K

Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral found in plants with a distinct sulfuric odor that is cardioprotective and reported to have low toxicity. West Java, Indonesia, has a variety of plants with a distinct odor that are consumed raw, such as jengkol (Archidendron pauciflorum). This study is conducted to determine the Se content of jengkol using the fluorometric method, where the jengkol extract is separated, and the Se content is detected using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), combined with fluorometry. Two fractions with the highest Se concentration (A and B) are found and characterized using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to predict the organic Se content by comparing the results with those in the external literature. The Se content of fraction (A) is found to be selenomethionine (m/z 198), gamma glutamyl-methyl-selenocysteine-(GluMetSeCys; m/z 313), and the Se-sulfur (S) conjugate of cysteine-selenoglutathione (m/z 475). Furthermore, these compounds are docked on receptors involved in cardioprotection. The receptors are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT). The interaction of receptor and ligan that has the lowest binding energy of the docking simulation is measured with molecular dynamic simulation. MD is performed to observe bond stability and conformation based on root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius gyration, and MM-PBSA parameters. The results of the MD simulation show that the stability of the complex organic Se compounds tested with the receptors is lower than that of the native ligand, while the binding energy is lower than that of the native ligand based on the MM-PSBA parameter. This indicates that the predicted organic Se in jengkol, i.e., gamma-GluMetSeCys to PPAR-γ, gamma-GluMetSeCys AKT/PI3K, and Se-S conjugate of cysteine-selenoglutathione to NF-κB, has the best interaction results and provides a cardioprotection effect, compared to the molecular interaction of the test ligands with the receptors.
Effects of Consuming Heat-Treated Dodamssal Brown Rice Containing Resistant Starch on Glucose Metabolism in Humans

Rice is a major source of carbohydrates. Resistant starch (RS) is digested in the human small intestine but fermented in the large intestine. This study investigated the effect of consuming heat-treated and powdered brown rice cultivars ‘Dodamssal’ (HBD) and ‘Ilmi’ (HBI), with relatively high and less than 1% RS content, respectively, on the regulation of glucose metabolism in humans. Clinical trial meals were prepared by adding ~80% HBI or HBD powder to HBI and HBD meals, respectively. There was no statistical difference for protein, dietary fiber, and carbohydrate content, but the median particle diameter was significantly lower in HBI meals than in HBD meals. The RS content of HBD meals was 11.4 ± 0.1%, and the HBD meals also exhibited a low expected glycemic index. In a human clinical trial enrolling 36 obese participants, the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance decreased by 0.05 ± 0.14% and 1.5 ± 1.40% after 2 weeks (p = 0.021) in participants in the HBI and HBD groups, respectively. The advanced glycation end-product increased by 0.14 ± 0.18% in the HBI group and decreased by 0.06 ± 0.14% in the HBD group (p = 0.003). In conclusion, RS supplementation for 2 weeks appears to have a beneficial effect on glycemic control in obese participants.
The AGE-RAGE Axis and the Pathophysiology of Multimorbidity in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease of the airways and lungs due to an enhanced inflammatory response, commonly caused by cigarette smoking. Patients with COPD are often multimorbid, as they commonly suffer from multiple chronic (inflammatory) conditions. This intensifies the burden of individual diseases, negatively affects quality of life, and complicates disease management. COPD and comorbidities share genetic and lifestyle-related risk factors and pathobiological mechanisms, including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is an important driver of chronic inflammation. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are RAGE ligands that accumulate due to aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, and carbohydrate metabolism. AGEs cause further inflammation and oxidative stress through RAGE, but also through RAGE-independent mechanisms. This review describes the complexity of RAGE signaling and the causes of AGE accumulation, followed by a comprehensive overview of alterations reported on AGEs and RAGE in COPD and in important co-morbidities. Furthermore, it describes the mechanisms by which AGEs and RAGE contribute to the pathophysiology of individual disease conditions and how they execute crosstalk between organ systems. A section on therapeutic strategies that target AGEs and RAGE and could alleviate patients from multimorbid conditions using single therapeutics concludes this review.
Seroprevalence of Toxocariasis and Its Associated Risk Factors among Adult Population in Kavar District, Fars Province, South of Iran: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Seroepidemiological Survey

Toxocariasis as a common neglected disease is the culprit of infecting all age groups. The current cross-sectional study was designed to assess the seroprevalence of toxocariasis and risk factors associated with seropositivity of Toxocara infection among the general population of adults in the Kavar district, south of Iran. A total of 1060 participants with an age range of 35 to 70 years from the Kavar region entered the study. Manual ELISA was utilized to detect anti-Toxocara-specific antibodies in their serum samples. In addition, demographic information as well as risk factors related to toxocariasis was collected from individuals who participated in the survey. The mean age of the participants was 48.9 (±7.9) years old. Out of 1060 subjects, 532 (50.2%) were men, and 528 (49.8%) were women. The overall Toxocara seroprevalence was 5.8% (61/1060). The prevalence of Toxocara seropositive cases was significantly different between males and females (p = 0.023). The seropositive rate for Toxocara infection was also significantly higher in housewives (p = 0.003) and subjects with learning disabilities (p = 0.008). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that housewives (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.18–3.51, p = 0.010) and subjects with learning disability (OR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.29–8.52, p = 0.013) were at increased risk of Toxocara infection. The findings of the current study depicted a noticeable seroprevalence of Toxocara infection in the general population in the Kavar district, southern Iran. An increased risk of toxocariasis has been associated with learning disabilities and being a housewife. All of the toxocariasis-positive cases had contact with animals, at some point in their life. In perspective, it is necessary to raise awareness of this infection among the population while surveilling Toxocara infection in high-risk groups.
Role of Senescent Astrocytes in Health and Disease

For many decades after their discovery, astrocytes, the abundant glial cells of the brain, were believed to work as a glue, supporting the structure and metabolic functions of neurons. A revolution that started over 30 years ago revealed many additional functions of these cells, including neurogenesis, gliosecretion, glutamate homeostasis, assembly and function of synapses, neuronal metabolism with energy production, and others. These properties have been confirmed, limited however, to proliferating astrocytes. During their aging or following severe brain stress lesions, proliferating astrocytes are converted into their no-longer-proliferating, senescent forms, similar in their morphology but profoundly modified in their functions. The changed specificity of senescent astrocytes is largely due to their altered gene expression. The ensuing effects include downregulation of many properties typical of proliferating astrocytes, and upregulation of many others, concerned with neuroinflammation, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, dysfunction of synapses, etc., specific to their senescence program. The ensuing decrease in neuronal support and protection by astrocytes induces the development, in vulnerable brain regions, of neuronal toxicity together with cognitive decline. Similar changes, ultimately reinforced by astrocyte aging, are also induced by traumatic events and molecules involved in dynamic processes. Senescent astrocytes play critical roles in the development of many severe brain diseases. The first demonstration, obtained for Alzheimer’s disease less than 10 years ago, contributed to the elimination of the previously predominant neuro-centric amyloid hypothesis. The initial astrocyte effects, operating a considerable time before the appearance of known Alzheimer’s symptoms evolve with the severity of the disease up to their proliferation during the final outcome. Involvement of astrocytes in other neurodegenerative diseases and cancer is now intensely investigated.
Spin effects on the relativistic strong EM wave modes in magnetized plasma

Based on the relativistic hydrodynamic model of EM wave–spin plasmas interaction, the spin effects on the relativistic strong EM modes in magnetized plasma are investigated. The dispersion relations of the EM wave propagating parallel and perpendicular to the external magnetic field are obtained. Results show that the strong EM wave modes are affected by the time component of four-spin as well as the increase of electron effective mass. Especially in the case of EM wave propagating parallel to the external magnetic field, the time component of four-spin amplifies the influence of spin effects on the low-frequency modes obviously.
On a Theorem of Sullivan

The purpose of this note is to give an elementary geometric proof of the following result stated by Sullivan (see (4)). Theorem 1 (Sullivan). Let K be a finite simplicial complex with vertices v1, …, vN and corresponding barycentric coordinates b1, …, bN. Then the algebra of rational PL forms on K
The Role of Religious Coping in Moderating the Relationship between Stress and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)

The cross-sectional research aimed to examine the relationship between stress, positive and negative religious coping, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) severity. It was a global health issue with a high and increasing prevalence among emerging adults. Various factors’ roles in influencing the severity of NSSI had been explored, including stress and religious coping. Data were gathered from 311 emerging adult (age 18-29 years old) participants in Indonesia using an online questionnaire, which included measures of stress (the Perceived Stress Scale-10), positive and negative religious coping (the Brief RCOPE), and NSSI severity (the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Function Scale). The research reveals that 40,2% of participants have engaged in NSSI. Analysis using simple regression indicates that an increase in stress predicted with statistical significance an increase in NSSI severity. Meanwhile, analysis using moderation demonstrates that negative religious coping has a statistically significant moderation effect on the relationship between stress and NSSI severity. However, moderation analysis indicates that positive religious coping does not have a statistically significant moderation effect on the relationship between stress and NSSI severity. Thus, stress and negative religious coping play important roles in exacerbating NSSI. The research illustrates the importance of prevention and intervention programs for NSSI targeting stress and negative religious coping.
Attitudes and Factors Determining the Practice of Routine Medical Checkups in the People of Rawalpindi, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Routine medical checkup (RMC) is a screening and preventive technique that is implied to detect non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aims to assess the awareness in public regarding RMC, the association between education level and level of familiarity regarding RMC, and factors that prevent and encourage the practice of RMC by the public. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Health professionals and individuals who refused to consent were excluded from the study. Data was collected using a mixed-mode questionnaire, and convenient sampling was used. The sample size was calculated to be 355 according to the WHO sample size calculator. A total of 356 individuals participated in this study after giving informed consent. Both male and female adults aged 18 or older and residents of Rawalpindi were included in the study. Individuals younger than 18 were excluded. Results: Among the 356 study participants, 160 (45%) were males, and 196 (55%) were females. The mean age was 27.57±10.027. Among the total participants, 33 (9.3%) individuals had primary-level education, 100 (28.1%) individuals had secondary-level education, and 233 (62.6%) had graduate-level education. A total of 329 (92.9%) participants knew that RMCs could help in early diagnosis and treatment. On the contrary, only 154 (43.3%) people knew that RMCs involve screening all body tissues. Only 329 (92.4%) participants said that they were aware that timely diagnosis through RMC can lead to early treatment. Graduates were generally more aware of different aspects of RMCs, especially in the domains of awareness regarding what an RMC is and that RMC can help in timely diagnosis compared to participants who had primary or secondary level of education (p<0.001). Females had a greater overall awareness of RMCs than males (p<0.001). Graduates were more likely to undergo RMCs than people educated till the primary or secondary level (p<0.001). The most common reason for undergoing RMC was “just concerned about health,” which was selected by 130 (36.5%) participants. The most common reason mentioned by participants for not having an RMC was ''heavy cost,'' mentioned by 104 (29.2%) participants. Conclusion: Most of the participants of this study were well educated and were students in terms of profession. The majority of the study population knew that RMCs could help in early diagnosis and treatment. Awareness regarding RMCs was linked to educational level. Females had overall better knowledge regarding RMCs than men. The most common reported reason to have an RMC was a health concern, and the most common reported reason for not having an RMC was its high cost.
Indices of singularities of robustly transitive sets

It was proved recently in [4] that any robustly transitive singular set that is strongly homogenous must be partially hyperbolic, as long as the indices of singularities and periodic orbits satisfy certain condition. We prove in this paper that this index-condition is automatically satisfied under the strongly homogenous condition, hence can be removed from the assumptions. Moreover, we prove that a robustly transitive singular set that is strongly homogenous is in fact singular hyperbolic.
Numerical Evaluation of Heat Transfer Enhancement in Rocket Thrust Chambers by Wall Ribs

Heat transfer enhancement due to longitudinal wall ribs inserted in a rocket engine thrust chamber is analyzed by means of a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations solver. A ribbed wall experiment is numerically reproduced to assess the capability of the simplified approach to properly capture the heat transfer enhancement. Then, a parametric analysis on the role of the longitudinal rib height on heat transfer enhancement is made on a sample thrust chamber. Results show the expected heat increase related to the surface increase, and highlight the reduction of efficiency for increasing rib height due to the thermal stratification between ribs.
The Sweet Side of HIPK2

Simple Summary Hyperglycemia is a hallmark of diabetes mellitus and contributes to several complications of this disease, such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic foot ulcer. Epidemiological evidence showed that patients suffering from diabetes are at a significantly higher risk for the development of cancer; in addition, the high glucose condition can reduce the efficacy of anticancer therapies. Therefore, uncovering novel molecular mechanisms deregulated by high glucose could give insights into the progression of high glucose-related pathologies other than the development of more efficient anticancer therapies. In this regard, homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) has recently been disclosed in both high glucose-induced cancer resistance to chemotherapies and in diabetic complications, which will be summarized in the present review. Abstract HIPK2 is an evolutionary conserved protein kinase which modulates many molecular pathways involved in cellular functions such as apoptosis, DNA damage response, protein stability, and protein transcription. HIPK2 plays a key role in the cancer cell response to cytotoxic drugs as its deregulation impairs drug-induced cancer cell death. HIPK2 has also been involved in regulating fibrosis, angiogenesis, and neurological diseases. Recently, hyperglycemia was found to positively and/or negatively regulate HIPK2 activity, affecting not only cancer cell response to chemotherapy but also the progression of some diabetes complications. The present review will discuss how HIPK2 may be influenced by the high glucose (HG) metabolic condition and the consequences of such regulation in medical conditions.
Some Characteristics of Model-Predicted Precipitation during the Summer Monsoon over India

Abstract For the summer monsoon seasons of 1995, 1996, and 1997 the day-1 to day-4 forecasts of precipitation from both the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts (ECMWF) models reproduce the main features of the observed precipitation pattern when averaged over the whole season. On average, less than 30% of all rain gauge stations in India report rain on a given day during the monsoon season. The number of observed rainy days increases to 41% after spatial averaging over ECMWF model grid boxes and to 50% after spatial averaging over NCMRWF model grid boxes. The NCMRWF model forecasts have 10%–15% more rainy days, mostly in the light or moderate precipitation categories, when compared with the spatial average of observed values. Seasonal accumulated values of all of India’s average precipitation show a slight increase with the forecast lead time for the NCMRWF model and a small decrease for the ECMWF model. The weekly accumulated va.
Approximation of The Neutron Diffusion Equation on Hexagonal Geometries Using a h-p finite element method

Adaptive Mesh Refinement is now an established technique for obtaining numerical solutions with higher accuracy and resolution, while requiring less memory and shorter CPU times.  To discretize the neutron diffusion equation a FEM with h-p adaptivity will be used . This method allows to use heterogeneous meshes, and leads to different refinements such as H-refinement : subdivide cells in order to reduce the cell size. P-refinement : increase the polynomial degree .
Nutritional, sensory, and antioxidant characteristics of composite multigrain flour biscuits blended with sweet potato flour

Biscuits prepared using composite flour (CF) blends made from multigrain flour (MGF) and sweet potato flour (SPF) were compared with biscuits prepared using wheat flour (WF; control). Three proportions of MGF:SPF were used to prepare CF biscuits: T1 (80:10), T2 (75:15), and T3 (70:20), while 100% WF biscuits served as control. MGF enriched the biscuits with antioxidants, dietary fibre, and protein. The addition of SPF produced softer biscuits. When 5% each of pumpkin flour (PF) and extruded soy chunk flour (ESF) were added to CF biscuits, it helped in improving their colour, texture, and taste scores. The physicochemical, antioxidant, textural, and sensory analyses were performed on both CF and control biscuits, and results showed a significant difference in nutritional contents between them. Substitution of wheat flour with MGF in experimental biscuits led to a significant increase in protein contents of T1 and T2 samples. Fibre and ash contents were the highest for T3 sample at 1.52 and 1.71%, respectively. T3 sample was also found to have higher levels of antioxidant activity (22%) and total phenolic content (234 mg GAE/100 g). The CF biscuits had a higher β-carotene content (390 to 823 µg/100 g). CF biscuits were darker in colour and less hard. T3 sample gave a sensory performance comparable to that of the control. Therefore, the present work suggested that composite multigrain flour with sweet potato flour can be used to produce biscuits with superior nutritional, antioxidant, and sensory qualities as compared to ordinary wheat biscuits.
The Experience of Testing for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) at a Single Diagnostic Center in Paraguay before the Introduction of Vaccination

Soon after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute for Health Sciences Research (IICS) of the National University of Asunción, Paraguay became a testing laboratory (COVID-Lab) for SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-Lab testing performance was assessed from 1 April 2020 to 12 May 2021. The effect of the pandemic on the IICS and how the COVID-Lab contributed to the academic and research activities of the institute were also assessed. IICS researchers and staff adjusted their work schedules to support the COVID-Lab. Of the 13,082 nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs processed, 2704 (20.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Of the individuals testing positive, 55.4% were female and 48.3% were aged 21–40 years. Challenges faced by the COVID-Lab were unstable reagent access and insufficient staff; shifting obligations regarding research, academic instruction, and grantsmanship; and the continuous demands from the public for information on COVID-19. The IICS provided essential testing and reported on the progress of the pandemic. IICS researchers gained better laboratory equipment and expertise in molecular SARS-CoV-2 testing but struggled to manage their conflicting educational and additional research obligations during the pandemic, which affected their productivity. Therefore, policies protecting the time and resources of the faculty and staff engaged in pandemic-related work or research are necessary components of healthcare emergency preparedness.
Agreement between Two Devices for Measuring Pupil Diameter in Patients Implanted with Multifocal Intraocular Lenses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the agreement between three methods for measuring pupil size in patients implanted with multifocal intraocular lenses (MIOLs): Keratograph 5M (K5M), Pentacam AXL Wave (PW), and a simple hand ruler. Sixty-nine subjects implanted with MIOLs and measured at the three-month follow-up visit were included in this retrospective analysis. K5M and PW were used to measure the photopic (PP) and mesopic (MP) pupil sizes, and a hand ruler was used to measure the pupil under environmental light conditions (135 lux). The Bland–Altman method with its limits (LoAs) was used to assess the agreement. The median PP was 2.8, 2.95, and 3 mm for K5M, PW, and the ruler, respectively (p < 0.05). Differences in PP were statistically significant for all paired comparisons (p < 0.0005) except between PW and the ruler (p = 0.44). The LoAs for the difference in PP between K5M and PW was 0.63 mm. The mean difference for MP between K5M and PW was 0.04 mm (p = 0.34) with LoAs of 0.72 mm. MP measured with K5M and PW could be considered interchangeable, although a correction of −0.3 mm (IC95%: −0.23 to −0.39) should be applied to PP measured with PW to attain the K5M mean.