Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computational investigation on Andrographis paniculata phytochemicals to evaluate their potency against SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to known antiviral compounds in drug trials

Abstract The outbreak due to SARS-CoV-2 (or Covid-19) is spreading alarmingly and number of deaths due to infection is aggressively increasing every day. Due to the rapid human to human transmission of Covid-19, we are in need to find a potent drug at the earliest by ruling-out the traditional time-consuming approach of drug development. This is only possible if we use reliable computational approaches for screening compounds from chemical space or by drug repurposing or by finding the phytochemicals and nutraceuticals from plants as they can be immediately used without the need for carrying out drug-trials to test safety and efficacy. A number of plant products were routinely suggested as drugs in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. Here using molecular docking approach, and combined molecular dynamics and MM-GBSA based free energy calculations approach, we study the potency of the four selected phytochemicals namely andrographolide (AGP1), 14-deoxy 11,12-didehydro andrographolide (AGP2), neoandrographolide (AGP3) and 14-deoxy andrographolide (AGP4) from A. paniculata plant against the four key targets including three non-structural proteins (3 L main protease (3CLpro), Papain-like proteinase (PLpro) and RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRp)) and a structural protein (spike protein (S)) of the virus which are responsible for replication, transcription and host cell recognition. The therapeutic potential of the selected phytochemicals against Covid-19 were also evaluated in comparison with a few commercially available drugs. The binding free energy data suggest that AGP3 could be used as a cost-effective drug-analog for treating covid-19 infection in developing countries. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Bilateral Fundus Excyclotorsion in Unilateral Superior Oblique Palsy Confirmed by MR Imaging

Purpose: To determine whether bilateral fundus excyclotorsion is helpful in distinguishing bilateral superior oblique palsy (SOP) from unilateral SOP by investigating bilateral fundus excyclotorsion in unilateral SOP and comparing the features with bilateral SOP using fundus photographs. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a total of 212 subjects who were diagnosed with unilateral SOP with hypoplasia of a single superior oblique (SO) muscle and 7 subjects with clinically diagnosed bilateral SOP. Fundus excyclotorsion measured by modified fovea–disc angles and inter-eye differences in cyclotorsion angles (the difference in fundus excyclotorsion angles: paretic eye or hypertropic eye in primary gaze–fellow eye), and subjective cyclotorsion were compared between groups of unilateral SOP with bilateral fundus excyclotorsion (SOPBE) and bilateral SOP. Results: Bilateral fundus excyclotorsion was found in 18 out of 212 patients (8.5%) in the unilateral SOP group, and 7 out of 7 patients (100%) in the bilateral SOP group. Among the 25 patients with bilateral fundus excyclotorsion, the mean angle of excyclotorsion (5.7° ± 4.7° vs. 7.6° ± 4.3°, p = 0.125) and the inter-eye differences (0.7° ± 3.6° vs. 0.5° ± 5.8°, p = 0.615) were not significantly different between the unilateral SOPBE and bilateral SOP groups. The degree of subjective excyclotorsion was significantly larger in the bilateral SOP group compared with the unilateral SOPBE group (16.0 ± 5.5 vs. 4.6 ± 4.3, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Bilateral fundus excyclotorsion was demonstrated not only in bilateral SOP, but also in unilateral SOP at a rate of 8.5%. Bilateral fundus excyclotorsion alone did not prove to be a specific sign in distinguishing bilateral SOP from unilateral SOP.
Measuring Income-Related Inequalities in Risky Health Prospects

The measurement of health disparities is a key component for the assessment of health systems. One aspect of these disparities – which hitherto has received limited attention – is the risk people face about their future health. This paper integrates risk into the standard inequality measurement which measures the extent to which disparities in realized health are systematically associated with income. It develops a rank dependent inequality index that considers not only inequalities in expected future health but also the dispersion of individuals’ future health prospects. It is useful when a social planner wants to account for risk averse preferences in the assessment of income-related health inequalities. The empirical application using Australian longitudinal data highlights that neglecting risk underestimates income-related health inequalities since the poor were not only expected to be in worse health in the future, but also faced greater dispersion in their future health prospects compared to the rich.
COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance: Parallel and Interacting Health Emergencies

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance are parallel and interacting health emergencies with opportunity for mutual learning. As their measures and consequences are comparable, the COVID-19 pandemic helps to illustrate the potential long-term impact of AMR, which is less acute but not less crucial. They may also impact each other as there is a push to resort to existing antimicrobials in critically ill COVID-19 patients in the absence of specific treatments, while attempts to manage the spread of COVID-19 may also lead to a slow down AMR. Understanding how COVID-19 affects AMR trends and what we can expect if these remain the same or worsen, will help us plan next steps to tackle AMR. Researchers should now start collecting data to measure the impact of current COVID-19 policies and programs on AMR.
The Role of Dactylis Glomerata and Diesel Oil in the Formation of Microbiome and Soil Enzyme Activity

The global demand for petroleum contributes to a significant increase in soil pollution with petroleum-based products that pose a severe risk not only to humans but also to plants and the soil microbiome. The increasing pollution of the natural environment urges the search for effective remediation methods. Considering the above, the objective of this study was to determine the usability of Dactylis glomerata for the degradation of hydrocarbons contained in diesel oil (DO), as well as the effects of both the plant tested and DO on the biochemical functionality and changes in the soil microbiome. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with non-polluted soil as well as soil polluted with DO and phytoremediated with Dactylis glomerata. Soil pollution with DO increased the numbers of microorganisms and soil enzymes and decreased the value of the ecophysiological diversity index of microorganisms. Besides, it contributed to changes in the bacterial structure at all taxonomic levels. DO was found to increase the abundance of Proteobacteria and to decrease that of Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes and Firmicutes. In the non-polluted soil, the core microbiome was represented by Kaistobacter and Rhodoplanes, whereas in the DO-polluted soil, it was represented by Parvibaculum and Rhodococcus. In soil sown with Dactylis glomerata, gasoline fraction (C6–C12) degradation was higher by 17%; mineral oil (C12–C35), by 9%; benzene, by 31%; anthracene, by 12%; chrysene, by 38%; benzo(a)anthracene, by 19%; benzo(a)pyrene, by 17%; benzo(b)fluoranthene, by 15%; and benzo(k)fluoranthene, by 18% than in non-sowed soil. To conclude, Dactylis glomerata proved useful in degrading DO hydrocarbons and, therefore, may be recommended for the phytoremediation of soils polluted with petroleum-based products. It has been shown that the microbiological, biochemical and chemical tests are fast and sensitive in the diagnosis of soil contamination with petroleum products, and a combination of all these tests gives a reliable assessment of the state of soils.
Effectiveness of a Mind Training and Positive Psychology Program onCoping Skills in School Children in Taiwan

Lack of effective coping skills for managing stress can increase the risk of negative psychological outcomes. However, to date little research has explored the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving children’s coping skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a mind training and positive psychology program on coping skills for dealing with stress in elementary school students. Participants were 4th and 5th grade students from two primary schools in Taichung, Taiwan, with a total of 97 students in the intervention group and 90 in the control group with complete data. Ss Children in the intervention group attended a four week mind training and positive psychology program while those in the control group maintained their routine class schedule. However, following completion of data collection, the control group was invited to attend the same intervention program due to ethical considerations. We used repeated measures ANOVA to assess the short-term and long-term effects of the intervention. The results showed that: (1) The program enhanced children’s ability to use positive thinking to deal with stress, particularly in 5th graders (both short-term and long-term effects); (2) The program enhanced children’s ability to use positive thinking and their overall coping skills, particularly in boys (long-term effect). (3) In terms of program evaluation, 73.19% of participants in the intervention group felt that the program had improved their ability to cope with stress. An effective mind training and positive psychology program may help children learn useful coping skills, improve their ability to cope with stress and increase their confidence in facing challenges.
Elicitins as molecular weapons against pathogens: consolidated biotechnological strategy for enhancing plant growth

Abstract To fight against pathogens, defense systems in plants mainly depend upon preformed as well as induced responses. Pathogen detection activates induced responses and signals are transmitted for coordinated cellular events in order to restrict infection and spread. In spite of significant developments in manipulating genes, transcription factors and proteins for their involvement in immunity, absolute tolerance/resistance to pathogens has not been seen in plants/crops. Defense responses, among diverse plant types, to different pathogens involve modifications at the physio-biochemical and molecular levels. Secreted by oomycetes, elicitins are small, highly conserved and sterol-binding extracellular proteins with PAMP (pathogen associated molecular patterns) functions and are capable of eliciting plant defense reactions. Belonging to multigene families in oomycetes, elicitins are different from other plant proteins and show a different affinity for binding sterols and other lipids. These function for sterols binding to catalyze their inter-membrane and intra- as well as inter-micelle transport. Importantly, elicitins protect plants by inducing HR (hypersensitive response) and systemic acquired resistance. Despite immense metabolic significance and the involvement in defense activities, elicitins have not yet been fully studied and many questions regarding their functional activities remain to be explained. In order to address multiple questions associated with the role of elicitins, we have reviewed the understanding and topical advancements in plant defense mechanisms with a particular interest in elicitin-based defense actions and metabolic activities. This article offers potential attributes of elicitins as the biological control of plant diseases and can be considered as a baseline toward a more profound understanding of elicitins.
Government Quality and the Economic Returns of Transport Infrastructure Investment in European Regions

Transport infrastructure investment is a cornerstone of growth-promoting strategies. However, in the case of Europe the relevant literature is increasingly failing to find a clear link between infrastructure investment and economic performance. This may be a consequence of overlooking the role of government institutions. This paper assesses the connection between regional quality of government and the returns of different types of road infrastructure in EU regions during the period between 1995 and 2009. The results unveil a strong influence of regional quality of government on the economic returns of transport infrastructure. In weak institutional contexts, investments in motorways – the preferred option by local governments – yield significantly lower returns than the more humble but possibly more efficient secondary road. Government institutions also affect the returns of transport maintenance investment.
Angular Composite Facet Model with Shadowing Treatment for Backscattering from Two-Dimensional Rough Sea Surface

Recent diverse applications on ocean wave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images have a potential demand for individual facet scattering contribution rather than the total average radar cross-section (RCS) by statistical scattering models. However, only a few facet methods have been proposed and fewer have considered shadowing effects, which are thought to be non-negligible at large incident angle. In view of this, we proposed an angular composite facet model (ACFM) with shadowing treatment to investigate the backscattering from two-dimensional rough sea surface. First, a region division formula for ACFM without shadowing treatment is proposed to classified sea surface facets into specular facets and diffusion facets based on which kind of scattering is dominate from each facet, and the corresponding scattering contribution is calculated either by Kirchhoff approximation (KA) or by a small perturbation method (SPM) with a tilting process. Second, an electromagnetic shadowing algorithm based on facets grouping is adopted to handle the shadowing effects in a geometric manner with moderate computation complexity gained. Finally, comparisons between numerical backscattering evaluations and experimental data demonstrate that this new ACFM can attain accurate numerical results and the geometric facets grouping method is a practical way to tackle shadowing effects despite a certain acceptable gap. Therefore, the whole ACFM can simulate ocean wave SAR imaging, especially for those electrically large surfaces and to evaluate the scattering from sea surface with different local nature, such as sea spikes, foams, spilled oil, swells, and ship wake.
A comparison of stellar populations in galaxy spheroids across a wide range of Hubble types

We present line-strengths and kinematics from the central regions of 32 galaxies with Hubble types ranging from E to Sbc. Spectral indices, based on the Lick system, are measured in the optical and near-infrared (NIR). The 24 indices measured, in conjunction with models of the effects of varying abundance ratios, permit the breaking of age/metallicity degeneracy, and allow estimation of enhancements in specific light elements (particularly C and Mg). The large range of Hubble types observed allows direct comparison of line-strengths in the centres of early-type galaxies (E and S0) with those in spiral bulges, free from systematic differences that have plagued comparisons of results from different studies. Our sample includes field and Virgo cluster galaxies. For early-type galaxies our data are consistent with previously reported trends of Mg2 and Mgb with velocity dispersion. In spiral bulges we find trends in all indices with velocity dispersion. We estimate luminosity-weighted ages, metallicities and heavy-element abundance ratios (enhancements) from optical indices. These show that bulges are less enhanced in light (α-capture) elements and have lower average age than early-type galaxies. Trends involving age and metallicity also differ sharply between early and late types. An anticorrelation exists between age and metallicity in early types, while, in bulges, metallicity is correlated with velocity dispersion. We consider the implications of these findings for models of the formation of these galaxies. We find that primordial collapse models of galaxy formation are ruled out by our observations, while several predictions of hierarchical clustering (merger) models are confirmed.
The Macroeconomics of Specificity

Specific quasi rents arise in a variety of economic relationships and are exposed to opportunism unless fully protected by contract. Rent appropriation has important macroeconomic consequences. Resources are underutilized, factor markets are segmented, production suffers from technological “sclerosis,” job creation and destruction are unbalanced, recessions are excessively sharp, and expansions run into bottlenecks. While, depending on the shock, expansions may require reinforcement or stabilization, recessions should typically be softened. In the long run, institutions may evolve to alleviate the problem by balancing appropriation. Technology choice will also be affected, with the appropriated factor partially “excluding” the other from production to reduce appropriation.
Dipeptidyl peptidase 3 modulates the renin–angiotensin system in mice

Dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP3) is a zinc-dependent hydrolase involved in degrading oligopeptides with 4–12 amino acid residues. It has been associated with several pathophysiological processes, including blood pressure regulation, pain signaling, and cancer cell defense against oxidative stress. However, the physiological substrates and the cellular pathways that are potentially targeted by DPP3 to mediate these effects remain unknown. Here, we show that global DPP3 deficiency in mice (DPP3−/−) affects the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). LC–MS–based profiling of circulating angiotensin peptides revealed elevated levels of angiotensin II, III, IV, and 1–5 in DPP3−/− mice, whereas blood pressure, renin activity, and aldosterone levels remained unchanged. Activity assays using the purified enzyme confirmed that angiotensin peptides are substrates for DPP3. Aberrant angiotensin signaling was associated with substantially higher water intake and increased renal reactive oxygen species formation in the kidneys of DPP3−/− mice. The metabolic changes and altered angiotensin levels observed in male DPP3−/− mice were either absent or attenuated in female DPP3−/− mice, indicating sex-specific differences. Taken together, our observations suggest that DPP3 regulates the RAS pathway and water homeostasis by degrading circulating angiotensin peptides.
Biochemistry course‐based undergraduate research experience: Purification, characterization, and identification of an unknown lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme

Enzyme purification, characterization, and identification are some of the best ways to introduce undergraduate students to many aspects of biochemistry, particularly as part of project‐based learning (PBL). These kinds of multi‐step laboratory experiments not only help students to better understand basic biochemistry concepts but also serve to introduce them to the scaffolded nature of the research environment. A 13‐week enzyme‐based laboratory project was designed as one of three components associated with the course titled Capstone Laboratory, which is delivered to second‐year undergraduate students at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar (WCM‐Q). The project incorporated several fundamental biochemical laboratory techniques, such as chromatography, centrifugation, spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, and kinetic assays, as well as enzyme inhibition and bioinformatic exercises. The aims of the project were to first purify, then to quantify, and finally to study a particular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme extracted from different chicken organs. LDH was selected for investigation because its inhibition has potential as a therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Students enrolled in the Capstone Laboratory course were divided into three groups. Each group conducted experiments associated with one of the project's three aims over consecutive 3‐week periods. Relevant data and materials were passed from one group to the next, with individual students writing reports describing the results from their respective collection of experiments. Students in the third and final group gave presentations summarizing the results of the overall project. In the associated bioinformatic exercises, students assessed the similarities and differences between chicken‐sourced and human‐sourced LDH as well as the interaction between the LDH enzyme and the inhibitors. This PBL in biochemistry is a successful addition to the WCM‐Q premedical curriculum because (a) it affords the second‐year premedical students opportunities to improve and develop content knowledge and technical and communication skills, and also (b) it provides an opportunity to engage many of the undergraduate students in research.
Anticipatory prescribing in community end-of-life care in the UK and Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic: online survey

Background Anticipatory prescribing (AP) of injectable medications in advance of clinical need is established practice in community end-of-life care. Changes to prescribing guidelines and practice have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims and objectives To investigate UK and Ireland clinicians’ experiences concerning changes in AP during the COVID-19 pandemic and their recommendations for change. Methods Online survey of participants at previous AP national workshops, members of the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland and other professional organisations, with snowball sampling. Results Two hundred and sixty-one replies were received between 9 and 19 April 2020 from clinicians in community, hospice and hospital settings across all areas of the UK and Ireland. Changes to AP local guidance and practice were reported: route of administration (47%), drugs prescribed (38%), total quantities prescribed (35%), doses and ranges (29%). Concerns over shortages of nurses and doctors to administer subcutaneous injections led 37% to consider drug administration by family or social caregivers, often by buccal, sublingual and transdermal routes. Clinical contact and patient assessment were more often remote via telephone or video (63%). Recommendations for regulatory changes to permit drug repurposing and easier community access were made. Conclusions The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic for UK community palliative care has stimulated rapid innovation in AP. The extent to which these are implemented and their clinical efficacy need further examination.
Bright Fluorescent Vacuolar Marker Lines Allow Vacuolar Tracing Across Multiple Tissues and Stress Conditions in Rice

The vacuole is indispensable for cells to maintain their water potential and to respond to environmental changes. Nevertheless, investigations of vacuole morphology and its functions have been limited to Arabidopsis thaliana with few studies in the model crop rice (Oryza sativa). Here, we report the establishment of bright rice vacuole fluorescent reporter systems using OsTIP1;1, a tonoplast water channel protein, fused to either an enhanced green fluorescent protein or an mCherry red fluorescent protein. We used the corresponding transgenic rice lines to trace the vacuole morphology in roots, leaves, anthers, and pollen grains. Notably, we observed dynamic changes in vacuole morphologies in pollen and root epidermis that corresponded to their developmental states as well as vacuole shape alterations in response to abiotic stresses. Our results indicate that the application of our vacuole markers may aid in understanding rice vacuole function and structure across different tissues and environmental conditions in rice.