Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanol extract of Eupatorium triplinerve

Abstract Context: Eupatorium triplinerve Vahl (Asteraceae), popularly known as Japana, is widely used in folk medicine, due its analgesic, anticoagulant, antianorexic, antiparasitic, anthelmintic, sedative, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Objective: The present study evaluated the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of E. triplinerve extracts from different parts of the plant and identified the extract with the highest antimicrobial potential. Materials and methods: Extracts were obtained by maceration of all parts of plant, and subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extract by partition column chromatography. The major chemical groups, saponins, reducing sugars, alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and others were screened by standard techniques. The antimicrobial activity of the different extracts was performed by microdilution assay and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were reported. Results: Phytochemical screening of hydroalcoholic extract from all parts of E. triplinerve identified mainly steroids, coumarins, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, depsides and absence of polysaccharides and flavonoids. The methanol extract of leaves presented the highest content of coumarins and lower MIC values of 62 and 75 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. In addition, its non-polar fractions showed antimicrobial activity with MIC ranging from 16 to 125 µg/mL against Gram-negative bacteria, mainly Escherichia coli. Discussion and conclusion: Data showed that non-polar fractions of E. triplinerve methanolic extract has better antimicrobial activity and most likely depends on the presence of several compounds, such as depsidones, coumarins, saponins, and triterpenes on crude extract. The results can be exploited largely in research of new antibacterial agents.
An Acute Exposure to Muscle Vibration Decreases Knee Extensors Force Production and Modulates Associated Central Nervous System Excitability

Local vibration (LV) has been recently validated as an efficient training method to improve muscle strength. Understanding the acute effects may help elucidate the mechanism(s). This study aimed to investigate the effects of a single bout of prolonged LV on knee extensor force production and corticospinal responsiveness of vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles in healthy young and old adults. Across two visits, 23 adult subjects (20–75 years old) performed pre- and post-test measurements, separated by 30-min of either rest (control; CON) or LV. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force was assessed and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to evaluate cortical voluntary activation (VATMS) as well as the motor evoked potential (MEP) and silent period (SP). In 11 young adults, thoracic electrical stimulation was used to assess the thoracic motor evoked potential (TMEP). Although MVC decreased after both CON (−6.3 ± 4.4%, p = 0.01) and LV (−12.9 ± 7.7%, p < 0.001), the MVC loss was greater after LV (p = 0.001). Normalized maximal electromyographic (EMG) activity decreased after LV for both VL (−25.1 ± 10.7%) and RF (−20.9 ± 16.5%; p < 0.001), while it was unchanged after CON (p = 0.32). For RF, the TMEP and MEP/TMEP ratio decreased (p = 0.01) and increased (p = 0.01) after LV, respectively. Both measures were unchanged for VL (p = 0.27 and p = 0.15, respectively). No changes were reported for TMS-related parameters. These results confirm our hypothesis that modulations within the central nervous system would accompany the significant reduction of maximal voluntary force. A reduced motoneuron excitability seems to explain the decreased MVC after prolonged LV, as suggested by reductions in maximal EMG (all subjects) and TMEP area (data from 11 young subjects). A concomitant increased cortical excitability seems to compensate for lower excitability at the spinal level.
Increasing Opportunity To Learn via Access to Rigorous Courses and Programs: One Strategy for Closing the Achievement Gap for At-Risk and Ethnic Minority Students.

This report analyzes the under-representation of North Carolina's black, Hispanic American, and Native American students in honors courses, advanced placement (AP) courses, and academically and intellectually gifted (AIG) programs. Data came from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's database on all public schools and from surveys that gathered information on elementary and middle level AIG programs and high school advanced curriculum offerings. Site visits were conducted to interview students, parents, teachers, counselors, and principals. Results found a significant, widespread gap between white and minority students in proportional percentages of students enrolled in such programs. Achievement and learning gaps led to lower subsequent identification for AIG programs in early and middle grades, which in turn led to lower enrollments in high school AP and honors courses. Schools generally used multiple strategies for identifying AIG students. Approximately half of the schools allowed self-selection into honors and AP courses and dual enrollment into community college courses. Some schools had better approaches to proportional enrollment in advanced courses for minority students than others. The report makes 20 recommendations (e.g., ensure that all students take Algebra I before entering ninth grade, and systematically seek out high-performing minority students). (Contains 34 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Increasing Opportunity to Learn via Access to Rigorous Courses and Programs: One Strategy for Closing the Achievement Gap for At-Risk and Ethnic Minority Students Report prepared for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction by: William Darity, Jr. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Domini Castellino Duke University Karolyn Tyson University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolyn Cobb NC Department of Public Instruction Evaluation Section Brad McMillen NC Department of Public Instruction Evaluation Section Submitted to the State Board of Education May 2001 Evaluation Section nivision of Acc,,,,ruAyility Services Instructional and Accountability Services BEST COPY VALABLE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Reliability of T7-Based mRNA Linear Amplification Validated by Gene Expression Analysis of Human Kidney Cells Using cDNA Microarrays

Genome wide gene expression analysis by cDNA microarrays is often limited by minute amounts of starting RNA. We therefore tested an optimized linear RNA amplification protocol using the RiboAmp® amplification kit in the setting of cDNA microarrays. We isolated mRNA from a human kidney cell line (HK-2; ATCC) and from Universal Human Reference RNA (STR; Stratagene). After performing one and two rounds of linear RNA amplification, respectively, the amplified RNAs were co-hybridized to cDNA microarrays. Linearity and reproducibility of the individual experiments were then assessed by calculating the Pearson correlation. The intra-amplification consistency showed a correlation of 0.968 for the first round, 0.907 for the second round and 0.912 for two successive rounds of amplification. If the first round was compared to unamplified material, r was 0.925. The second round amplification yielded a correlation of 0.897 if compared to unamplified mRNA. Two rounds of amplification starting from 200 pg of mRNA compared to unamplified material resulted in a correlation of 0.868. These results indicate that linear amplification using RiboAmp® kit yields amplified RNA with a high degree of linearity and reproducibility.
Fast spin echo sequences with very long echo trains: Design of variable refocusing flip angle schedules and generation of clinical T2 contrast

Reducing and continuously varying the flip angle of the refocusing RF pulses in a rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE; fast/turbo spin echo) sequence is a useful means of addressing high RF power deposition and modulation transfer function (MTF) distortion due to relaxation. This work presents a streamlined technique to generate a sequence of refocusing flip angles on a per‐prescription basis that produces relatively high SNR and limits blurring in a wide range of materials encountered in vivo. Since the “effective TE” (traditionally defined as the time at which the center of k‐space is sampled) no longer corresponds to the expected amount of spin‐echo T2 contrast due to the mixing of stimulated and spin echoes, a “contrast‐equivalent” TE is defined and experimentally demonstrated that allows annotation of a more accurate effective TE that matches the contrast produced by 180° refocusing. Furthermore, contrast is shown to be manipulable by the addition of magnetization preparation pulse sequence segments, such as T2‐prep, to produce clinically desirable contrast for routine head and body imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TRAIL apoptosis is enhanced by quercetin through Akt dephosphorylation

TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising cancer therapy that preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells. However, many neoplasms are resistant to TRAIL by mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we demonstrated that human prostate cancer cells, but not normal prostate cells, are dramatically sensitized to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis and caspase activation by quercetin. Quercetin, a ubiquitous bioactive plant flavonoid, has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. We have shown that quercetin can potentiate TRAIL‐induced apoptotic death. Human prostate adenocarcinoma DU‐145 and LNCaP cells were treated with various concentrations of TRAIL (10–200 ng/ml) and/or quercetin (10–200 µM) for 4 h. Quercetin, which caused no cytotoxicity by itself, promoted TRAIL‐induced apoptosis. The TRAIL‐mediated activation of caspase, and PARP (poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase) cleavage were both enhanced by quercetin. Western blot analysis showed that combined treatment with TRAIL and quercetin did not change the levels of TRAIL receptors (death receptors DR4 and DR5, and DcR2 (decoy receptor 2)) or anti‐apoptotic proteins (FLICE‐inhibitory protein (FLIP), inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), and Bcl‐2). However, quercetin promoted the dephosphorylation of Akt. Quercetin‐induced potent inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, the present studies suggest that quercetin enhances TRAIL‐induced cytotoxicity by activating caspases and inhibiting phosphorylation of Akt. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 998–1009, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of a Folate Transporter in HeLa Cells with a Low pH Optimum and High Affinity for Pemetrexed Distinct from the Reduced Folate Carrier

Studies were undertaken to characterize a low pH transport activity in a reduced folate carrier (RFC)-null HeLa-derived cell line (R5). This transport activity has a 20-fold higher affinity for pemetrexed (PMX; Kt, ∼45 nmol/L) than methotrexate (MTX; Kt, ∼1 μmol/L) with comparable Vmax values. The Ki values for folic acid, ZD9331, and ZD1694 were ∼ 400–600 nmol/L, and the Ki values for PT523, PT632, and trimetrexate were >50 μmol/L. The transporter is stereospecific and has a 7-fold higher affinity for the 6S isomer than the 6R isomer of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate but a 4-fold higher affinity for the 6R isomer than the 6S isomer of dideazatetrahydrofolic acid. Properties of RFC-independent transport were compared with transport mediated by RFC at low pH using HepG2 cells, with minimal constitutive low pH transport activity, transfected to high levels of RFC. MTX influx Kt was comparable at pH 7.4 and pH 5.5 (1.7 versus 3.8 μmol/L), but Vmax was decreased 4.5-fold. There was no difference in the Kt for PMX (∼1.2 μmol/L) or the Ki for folic acid (∼130 μmol/L) or PT523 (∼ 0.2 μmol/L) at pH 7.4 and pH 5.5. MTX influx in R5 and HepG2 transfectants at pH 5.5 was trans-stimulated in cells loaded with 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, inhibited by Cl− (HepG2-B > R5), Na+ independent, and uninhibited by energy depletion. Hence, RFC-independent low pH transport activity in HeLa R5 cells is consistent with a carrier-mediated process with high affinity for PMX. Potential alterations in protonation of RFC or the folate molecule as a function of pH do not result in changes in affinity constants for antifolates. Whereas both activities at low pH have similarities, they can be distinguished by folic acid and PT523, agents for which they have very different structural specificities.
A Reexamination of Thioredoxin Reductase from Thermoplasma acidophilum, a Thermoacidophilic Euryarchaeon, Identifies It as an NADH-Dependent Enzyme

Flavin-containing Trx reductase (TrxR) of Thermoplasma acidophilum (Ta), a thermoacidophilic facultative anaerobic archaeon, lacks the structural features for the binding of 2′-phosphate of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and this feature has justified the observed lack of activity with NADPH; NADH has also been reported to be ineffective. Our recent phylogenetic analysis identified Ta-TrxR as closely related to the NADH-dependent enzymes of Thermotoga maritima and Desulfovibrio vulgaris, both being anaerobic bacteria. This observation instigated a reexamination of the activity of the enzyme, which showed that Ta-TrxR is NADH dependent; the apparent Km for NADH was 3.1 μM, a physiologically relevant value. This finding is consistent with the observation that NADH:TrxR has thus far been found primarily in anaerobic bacteria and archaea.
Simulating Hyperactivity in ADHD using Reinforcement Learning

Hyperactivity is a key symptom in those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In the present work, we model hyperactivity in terms of a twoarmed bandit task from Reinforcement Learning, where initial state-values are set abnormally high. Extinction of these state-values when neither action is very rewarding induces repetitive switching between actions over a series of trials with a frequency that is proportional to the initial state-value. Here we propose that although setting initial values may be a useful exploration strategy, switching can become overly frequent or “hyperactive” when they are set too high. Keywords— ADHD, Hyperactivity, Reinforcement Learning, Exploration Strategy
Automatic detection of flashing video content

Epilepsy is a disease that affects around 50 million people worldwide, 3-5% of which had seizures triggered by pulsating lights, or by patterns with light and dark areas, a condition known by photosensitive epilepsy (PSE). Video content with fast luminance variations, or with spatial patterns of high contrast - referred to as epileptogenic visual content - may also induce seizures on viewers with PSE, and even cause discomfort on users not affected by this disease. To avoid this type of effects, harmful visual content should be detected before being distributed or displayed. In this paper we propose a method for the automatic detection of flashing video content, compliant with recommendation ITU-R BT. 1702. A key aspect of the proposed method is its computational efficiency, allowing real time implementation at the end-user equipment.
Th1-Biased Tertiary Lymphoid Tissue Supported by CXC Chemokine Ligand 13-Producing Stromal Network in Chronic Lesions of Autoimmune Gastritis 1

Secondary lymphoid tissue is developmentally programmed and characterized by well-ordered compartmentalization of lymphocyte subsets and specialized stromal cells supporting the tissue architecture. By contrast, tertiary lymphoid tissue is defined as that induced in ectopic sites by inflammation, although its immunological role is largely unknown. In this study, we characterize the lymphoid tissue induced in the chronic lesion of murine autoimmune gastritis (AIG). Within the lymphoid cluster in the gastric mucosa, there is a clear segregation of T and B cells. Follicle-like B cell areas are always located on the luminal side of the mucosa, while T cells are located in the basal part. A typical lymphoid reticular network and follicular dendritic cells support the structure. Importantly, complement receptor 1+ follicular dendritic cells within the follicle express a B cell homing chemokine, CXC chemokine ligand 13. The number and size of the clusters correlate with the age of the mice and the serum autoantibody titer, suggesting the functional importance of the clusters in local Ab production, although involvement of the autoantibody in the disease progression is still unclear. AIG gastric lesions are known to constitute a Th1-biased, memory T cell-dependent immunomicroenvironment. The expression pattern of cytokines, including lymphotoxin-β, and chemokines in the AIG stomach is consistent with this observation. Taken together, these facts suggest that, during the chronic phase of autoimmunity, long-lasting lymphocyte infiltration probably induces a unique tertiary lymphoid tissue that has a function distinct from that of regional lymph nodes. These neolymphoid tissues may maintain the local self reactivity supporting the vicious cycle of Th1-type reaction as well as autoantibody production.
Soluble epoxide hydrolase deficiency alters pancreatic islet size and improves glucose homeostasis in a model of insulin resistance

Visceral obesity has been defined as an important element of the metabolic syndrome and contributes to the development of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Increasing endogenous levels of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are known for their analgesic, antihypertensive, and antiinflammatory effects. The availability of EETs is limited primarily by the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH, EPHX2), which metabolizes EETs to their less active diols. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that EETs are involved in glucose regulation and in retarding the development of insulin resistance. To address the role of EETs in regulating glucose homeostasis and insulin signaling, we used mice with targeted gene deletion of sEH (Ephx2-null mice) and a subsequent study with a selective sEH inhibitor. When wild-type mice are fed a high fat diet, insulin resistance develops. However, knockout or inhibition of sEH activity resulted in a significant decrease in plasma glucose. These findings are characterized by enhancement of tyrosyl phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate 1, and their downstream cascade. In addition, pancreatic islets were larger when sEH was disrupted. This effect was associated with an increase in vasculature. These observations were supported by pharmacological inhibition of sEH. These data suggest that an increase in EETs due to sEH-gene knockout leads to an increase in the size of islets and improved insulin signaling and sensitivity.
White Paper : Alert Correlation : Review of the state of the art 1 November 28 , 2003

The purpose of this document is to offer a review of the state of the art concerning the emerging field of so-called «alert correlation». Despite the fact that several recent publications seem to present this domain as a new one, we will show the close connections that exist with another well established one, namely network management and its event correlation approaches. We try to highlight the core notions embedded within the term “correlation” thanks to the definition of several building blocks used to design “correlation engines”. We focus on the techniques used within the intrusion detection domain and present a survey not only of papers published in that field but also of currently available tools. We show the gap that exists, as of today, between sophisticated techniques presented in research papers and actual implementations that are readily available.
Ordinal Logit and Multilevel Ordinal Logit Models: An Application on Wealth Index MICS-Survey Data

Ordinal logistic regression models are used to predict the dependent variable, when dependent variable is of ordinal type in both the situation for single level and multilevel. The most used model for ordinal regression is the Proportional Odd (PO) model which assumes that the effect of the each predictor remains same for each category of the response variable. To estimate the wealth index of household in the province Punjab the proportional odds model is used. The wealth index is an order categorical dependent variable having five categories. The data MICS (2014), a multiple indicator cluster survey conduct by Punjab bureau of statistics was used in this article. The data was recorded at different level such as individual level (household level), district level and division level. The secondary data MICS contains a sample of 41413 household collected from both rural and urban areas of the province Punjab. In the present study analysis were made for single level (household level) and two levels (division level). After fitting the proportional odds model for the single level the proportionality assumption is tested by the brand test whose results suggest that all the predictors fulfill assumption of proportional odds. The significance value suggests that all the predictors have significant effect on the wealth index. The variation due to division level was estimated by two level ordinal logistic regression equal to 5.842, and the Intra Class Correlation ICC is equal to 0.6397 which show that 63.97% of total variation is due to division level.
Antidiarrhetic loperamide hydrochloride.

Single crystals of the anhydrous form of the title compound {systematic name: 1-[3-(dimethylcarbamoyl)-3,3-diphenylpropyl]-4-hydroxy-4-(4-chlorophenyl)piperidin-1-ium chloride}, C(29)H(34)ClN(2)O(2)(+)·Cl(-), were obtained by diffusion of acetone into a solution in 2-propanol. In the structure, N-H.Cl(-) and O-H.Cl(-) hydrogen bonds connect neighbouring molecules and chloride anions to form chains along the c-axis direction. Neighbouring chains along the b-axis direction are connected by intermolecular C-H.Cl(-) contacts, defining layers parallel to the (100) planes. The layers are connected by weak intermolecular C-H.Cl interactions only, which may account for the plate-like shape of the crystals.
Early and late growth and blood pressure in adolescence

Objective: To assess the effect of growth during infancy and childhood on blood pressure in adolescence. Design: Birth cohort study. Setting: Pelotas, southern Brazil. Participants: 749 adolescents with complete information on birth weight and gestational age, as well as on anthropometric data at all three follow up visits (mean age 20 months, 42 months, and 15 years). Main outcome measurements: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at adolescence. Results: After controlling for possible confounding variables, birth weight was negatively associated with systolic blood pressure, one unit increase in standard deviation score of birth weight for gestational age was associated with a decrease of 1.23 mm Hg (95% confidence intervals −2.03 to −0.43) in systolic blood pressure. Weight for age z score at the age of 15 years showed a strong positive association with systolic blood pressure, one unit increase in standard deviation score of birth weight for gestational age was associated with an increase of 4.4 mm Hg (95% confidence intervals 3.50 to 5.3). Diastolic blood pressure was not associated with birth weight. For adequate for gestational age infants, the positive association between weight in adolescence and blood pressure became stronger when previous weights were added to the model. Conclusion: This study showed that early—as well as—late catch up growth is associated with increased systolic blood pressure in adolescence, whereas only late catch up is related with diastolic blood pressure. These findings suggest that catch up growth, irrespective of age, is associated with increased blood pressure in adolescence.