Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of gestational low-protein intake on embryonic kidney microRNA expression and in the nephron progenitor cells of the male offspring fetus

Authors have demonstrated that gestational low-protein (LP) intake offspring showed a lower birth weight, reduced nephrons numbers and renal salt excretion, chronic renal failure, and arterial hypertension development when compared to normal (NP) protein intake group in adult life. The current study was aimed to evaluate the miRNAs and predicted gene expression patterns in the fetal kidney at 17 days of gestational (17-DG) protein-restricted male offspring (LP) in an attempt to elucidate the possible molecular pathways and disorders involved in renal cell proliferation and differentiation during kidney development. By NGS and RT-qPCR were identified, 44 differentially expressed miRNAs, which 19 miRNA were up- and 25 downregulated in LP compared to NP offspring metanephros. Among the top 10 deregulated miRNAs, the study selected 7 miRNAs which its biological targets were related to proliferation, differentiation, and cellular apoptosis processes. As could be seen below, both miRNA-Seq and TaqMan data analysis have shown a consistent change of miRNA expression in LP animals relative to control NP age-matched animals. By immunofluorescence, the LP fetus showed a significant 28% reduction of Six-2 labeled cells when compared to NP offspring associated with a reduced percentage of cell number and c-Myc metanephogenic cap and ureter bud immunostained cells in LP relative to NP offspring. Additionally, the Ki-67 labeled area in CM was 48% lesser in LP compared to NP age-matched fetus. On the other hand, in LP, the CM and UB β-catenin marked area were 154 and 85% raised, respectively. Mtor immunoreactivity was also significantly higher in LP CM (139%) and UB (104%) compared to the NP fetus. In the LP offspring, the TGFβ-1 in UBs cells staining increased (about 30%). In contrast, Zeb1 metanephros-stained, located in the CM nuclei cells, enhanced 30% in LP and Zeb2 immunofluorescence, although present in whole metanephros structures, was similar in both experimental groups. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that the miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins are modified in LP animals with 17 DGs leading to the reduction of the reciprocal induction between CM and UB, and hence the number of nephrons. These findings will facilitate new functional approaches and further studies to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms involved in the processes of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis that occurs during renal development.
Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of parabens from pharmaceuticals andpersonal care products prior to their determination using HPLC-DAD

Dispersive liquid--liquid microextraction followed by a back-extraction step was combined with HPLC-DAD for the determination of four parabens (i.e. methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben). Optimum extraction conditions were found as follows: 225 $\mu $L of chloroform, 0.75 mL of ethanol, 7.5 mL of aqueous solution and within an extraction time of 15 s. Back-extraction into 100 $\mu $L of 50 mM sodium hydroxide solution within 20 s resulted in a reversed-phase HPLC-compatible extract. The analytes were separated at 20 $^{\circ}$C using methanol (A) and water (B), 40:60 (A:B, v/v) as the mobile phase, a flow rate of 1.0 mL min$^{-1}$ and an injection volume of 20 $\mu $L. DAD was set at 258 nm to monitor the analytes. Limits of detection and quantitation were as low as 0.1 and 0.3 $\mu $g mL$^{-1}$, respectively. Coefficients of determination (R$^{2})$ were higher than 0.9950 and percentage relative recoveries were found in the range of 86.5-114.5% for the four parabens from pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
Exploring Predictors of Highly Effective Teachers Through Multilevel Model

This paper explored significant teacher and school level predictors of the status of highly effective teachers based on Florida teacher evaluation system employing a two-level multilevel analysis approach known as hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM). The analysis used 3,895 teachers who taught students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 and 210 schools from one of the largest urban school districts in United States of America. In this study, teacher and school level data are used at level-1 and level-2 models, respectively. At teacher level, the results showed significant effects of percentage of student level demographic, academic, and disciplinary variables aggregated at teacher level as well as teacher’s experience and educational degree level. At school level, percentages of Black and percentage of Hispanic students showed significant effects on the status of highly effective teachers. The percentage of variance explained at school level is found 19.5% with an effect size of 0.44 which is determined as a “medium” size of school effect.
THE EFFECT OF PREDICT OBSERVE EXPLAIN LEARNING MODEL AGAINST SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study was aimed to determine the effect of POE learning model on science process skills of high school students in the material of Newton’s Law motion. The study might benefit to a provide different learning experience that makes students become more active in learning and to improve students' science process skills towards the material being taught. The populations in this study were all students of class IPA X of SMA 5 Bandar Lampung in the even semester of the Academic Year 2018/2019, consisting of 6 classes with a total of 203 students, with samples of class X IPA 1 as the experimental class and X IPA 2 as the control class. Research method of the study was quasi-experimental. The research used a pretest-posttest control group design. The result of the study revealed that the control class using the conventional learning model had an average N-gain of 0.42, while the experimental class using the POE learning model had an average N-gain of 0.72. The effect size in this study, which was 0.71, indicated that the POE learning model has a high effect in this study. Based on the hypothesis test, it can be concluded that there was an effect of applying the POE learning model to students' science process skills in the material of Newton's Law. The magnitude of the influence of the POE learning model was classified into the high category with the Cohen’s d value of 3.40 and the effect size r of 0.71.
Challenges Hampering the Growth of Dress Fashion Design in the Ghana Fashion Industry

Ghana‘s fashion culture is predominately bespoke. People approach their designers for custom-made dresses and other fashion accessories. This fashion system has its own merits and demerits. This study has the primary objective of ascertaining the major challenges hampering the growth of dress fashion design in the Ghana fashion industry in the perspective of both beneficiary and non-beneficiary fashion designers of the direct social intervention trade policies aimed at promoting fashion development. Narrative inquiry constituted the research design. Twelve (12) fashion designer-respondents, consisting of seven (7) beneficiaries of AGOA and five (5) non-beneficiaries constituted the study sample. Semi-structured interviews enabled the respondents to share their lived experiences in their fashion design careers. It is evident from the study that major challenges hampering the growth of dress fashion design industry in Ghana include influx of smuggled cheap imported dress fashion products from the Asiatic countries, Europe and America; and retailing of dress fashion products by foreigners. Government must, ensure rigorous enforcement of the laws on smuggled goods to protect Ghanaian dress fashion businesses, while the law that proscribes foreigners in engaging in petty trading be observed strictly.
Clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer as the second primary cancer: a large population-based analysis using the SEER program [2000–2015]

Background This study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of patients with esophageal cancer as a second primary cancer from 2000 to 2015. Methods Esophageal cancer as the second primary cancer (SEPC) patient information collected from the SEER database were extracted, evaluated, and compared with only primary esophageal cancer (OPEC) patient data. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) by the Cox proportional hazards regression identified risk factors that predicted OS and the results were used to construct a nomogram to predict OS in SEPC patients. Results A total of 7,161 esophageal cancer patients were identified from the SEER registry, which included 813 patients (11.4%) with SEPC in the patient history. The most common cancer for the first primary cancer prior to esophageal cancer (FPC) was genital system cancer (43.5%). The median OS was 7 (95% CI: 6.69–11.31) months and was not significantly different from that of patients with OPEC. The patients with SEPC appeared with unique clinical pathological features compared with OPEC, including older age, more squamous cell carcinoma, and early stage esophageal cancer, and less lower third of esophageal cancer (P<0.001). UVA and MVA identified M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy as independent risk factors. The nomogram had a calibration index of 0.682. Conclusions SEPC had unique clinicopathological characteristics. M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were independently associated with OS. The nomogram accurately predicted OS.
Bilingual education under debate. Practice, research and teacher education

This paper focuses on identifying what genres or different types of texts are more frequently used in a CLIL subject such as Social Science in the fourth year of Primary Education. It first reviews these types of academic texts and provides a classification of the different genres found in this subject at this level. Secondly, it reports on the analysis of the most relevant types of texts found in a Social Science textbook published by a publishing house widely used in the Spanish mainstream educational system. And finally, it explores some useful guidelines for teachers to exploit these genres from a grammatical and lexical point of view in order to facilitate the learning process to students at this educational level.
Evaluation of Probiotic Potentials of the Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Isolated from Raw Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Milk

Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: November 28, 2018 December 20, 2018 December 22, 2018 January 24, 2019 Lactic acid bacteria are widely used as probiotics to produce and preserve foods. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate probiotic potentials of lactic acid bacteria from raw buffalo milk. The bacterial colonies (n=130) were isolated from 30 randomly collected raw buffalo milk samples. Based on morphology and biochemical tests, twenty isolates were identified as lactobacilli and evaluated for tolerance to pH (2, 3, 4.5, 6.5), bile (0.5, 1% w/v) and lysozyme (50 and 100 μg/mL). Five out of twenty lactobacilli isolates showing highest resistance towards acid, bile and lysozyme were selected for further probiotic characterization. Tests for tolerance to gastrointestinal fluids, adhesion characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic activity, antibacterial activity, β-galactosidase activity, exopolysaccharide production and heat resistance were performed. The survival of the isolates in simulated gastric fluid and simulated intestinal fluid ranged from 6.60-7.03 Log CFU/mL and 8.36-8.74 Log CFU/mL respectively. The isolates showed autoaggregation (14-62%), hydrophobicity (11-55%) and adhesion to Caco2 cell lines (21-60%). The lactobacilli isolates were positive for β galactosidase activity, exopolysaccharide production, heat resistant and negative for hemolysis. Isolates were susceptible to most of the tested antimicrobial agents and showed antimicrobial activity against all tested food borne pathogens. The isolates were identified through 16S rDNA sequencing as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus reuteri. All isolates produced probiotic based yogurt and survived in cold storage (4°C) after 28 days. The results suggest that isolated probiotics have potential use for the development of fermented food products. ©2018 PVJ. All rights reserved
Joint Beamforming Design and Receive Antenna Selection for Large-Scale MIMO Wiretap Channels

This paper investigates joint secure beamforming design and receive antenna selection problem for large-scale multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channels. A Branch-And-Bound (BAB) based algorithm is utilized to search the optimal receive antenna subset under both perfect and imperfect channel state information (CSI) scenarios. First, for the perfect CSI scenario, we formulate the secrecy rate optimization problem, and an equivalent monotonically decreasing objective function is established to make the problem suitable for efficient BAB search. In each search, we propose using the weighted mean squared error minimization (WMMSE) method to tackle the optimization problem. Then, we generalize the framework to the imperfect CSI case, and the robust problem is designed to maximize the worst-case secrecy rate, the problem is challenging to solve due to the channel uncertainties. A cutting-set method is devised to solve this non-convex problem by updating the worst-case secrecy rate and channel uncertainties alternately. To reduce the design complexity, we also present an antenna selection based on the alternating optimization (AO) method. The validity of the proposed antenna selection algorithms is evaluated through numerical simulations.
Is there any association between maternal risk factors and early neonatal sepsis

This study was done to investigate the association between maternal factors and early neonatal sepsis. 250 babies with alleged risk factors for sepsis were followed up prospectively to determine the development of early neonatal sepsis. The factors analysed were prelabour rupture of membranes, intrapartum fever, foul smelling liquor, more than three vaginal examinations after rupture of membranes and untreated urinary tract infection. Neonatal sepsis was diagnosed if there was positive blood culture or if there were signs of sepsis along with positive laboratory parameters. Newborns who did not fulfill the criteria for culture proven or probable neonatal sepsis were considered negative for sepsis. Comparison of the different variables was done by Student's t-test, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. This study failed to show any statistically significant association between maternal factors conventionally associated with risk of sepsis and early neonatal sepsis. However three or more vaginal examinations after rupture of membranes come nearer to significance in its association with early neonatal sepsis.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Styrax duclouxii Perkins (Styracaceae)

Abstract The object of this work was to measure the complete chloroplast genome of Styrax duclouxii Perkins for the sake of offering valuable genomic information to promote its conservation. The circular genome of S. duclouxii was measured as 157,913 bp in size and contained two inverted repeat (IRa and IRb) regions of 26,040 bp, which were separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,604 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,229 bp. A total of 134 genes are encoded, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of Schizosaccharomyces japonicus genome is 36.97%. A phylogenetic tree reconstructed using 36 chloroplast genomes reveals that S. duclouxii is most closely related with Styrax zhejiangensis and Styrax faberi.
Transcription factors involved in stem cell maintenance are downstream of Slug/Snail2 and repressed by TGF-β in bronchial basal stem/progenitor cells from COPD

Patients with COPD have many anomalies in their airway epithelium, and their basal stem/progenitor cells show a decrease in self-renewal and differentiation potential. The objective of this study was to identify deregulations in the genetic program of COPD bronchial basal stem/progenitor cells that could account for their exhaustion. TGF-β is found at higher levels in the lungs of COPD subjects. It has been shown to play a role in stem/progenitor cell fate and also to regulate the expression of the EMT-inducing transcription factor Slug/Snail2. In contrast to other transcription factors of the Snail family, Slug is highly expressed in basal progenitor cells, the adult stem/progenitors of human airway epithelium. We aimed at identifying genes downstream of Slug that respond to TGF-β, and whose expression is deregulated in COPD airway basal stem/progenitor cells, and could account for the decrease in count and functional ability of these cells observed in COPD. For this, we knocked down Slug in primary bronchial basal progenitor cells from COPD and normal subjects and, among the genes downstream of Slug, we selected those responding to TGF-β and differentiation. We identified 5 genes coding for transcription factors involved in stem cell maintenance that are repressed downstream of Slug and by TGF-β in COPD but not normal basal progenitor cells. Our results bring a molecular perspective to the exhaustion of airway basal stem/progenitor cells observed in COPD by revealing that stem cell maintenance genes are repressed in these cells, with TGF-β and Slug being involved in this deregulation.
The Diagnostic Path to Pompe Disease

Pompe disease (PD) is a lysosomal disease that primarily affects skeletal and smooth muscles due to a deficiency of acid alpha glucosidase. The resulting clinical phenotype reflects a continuum ranging from severe infantile to later onset forms of PD. Early diagnosis is essential to prevent long-term complications and/or disease progression through initiation of enzyme-replacement therapy. The diagnostic path to PD starts with the ascertainment of medical and family history as well as an in-depth clinical and neurological evaluation. The involvement of proximal muscle groups including hip and thigh muscles as well as the diaphragm is characteristic for later onset PD. Once PD is considered creatine kinase (CK) should be measured, realising that levels may be within normal limits in end stage disease. Ultimately, diagnostic confirmation is readily achieved by enzyme analysis in dried blood spots and/or leukocytes followed by molecular analysis. Muscle biopsy is not sensitive enough for diagnostic testing of PD but may be an important diagnostic test for the differential diagnosis of myopathies. Future diagnostic approaches include whole exome and genome sequencing, which may contribute to our understanding of genotype–phenotype correlation and phenotype prediction.
Bagasse Fiber Reinforced Functionalized Ethylene Propylene Rubber Composites by Palsule Process

ABSTRACT This study reports bagasse fiber (BGSF) reinforced chemically functionalized ethylene propylene rubber (CF-EPR) composites (BGSF/CF-EPR) by Palsule process. Esterification and hydrogen bonding between CF-EPR and BGSF imparting fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion in the composite is established by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composites show higher mechanical properties than CF-EPR matrix that increase with increasing bagasse fiber contents in their compositions. Water absorbed wet composites show thickness swelling and lower tensile mechanical properties than respective dry composites but higher tensile mechanical properties than the dry CF-EPR. Thermal stability and degradation of the composites have been evaluated.
INFLUÊNCIA DOS MECANISMOS DE GOVERNANÇA CORPORATIVA NO CUSTO DE CAPITAL PRÓPRIO NAS EMPRESAS LISTADAS NA BM&FBONESPA

Este estudo objetivou investigar a influencia dos mecanismos de governanca corporativa no custo de capital proprio, avaliados pelo modelo Precificacao de Ativos Financeiros (CAPM) das empresas brasileiras listadas na BM&FBovespa. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa descritiva, documental e quantitativa com uma amostra de 43 empresas, totalizando 129 observacoes. O periodo de analise compreendeu os anos de 2012 a 2014. Para a analise dos dados utilizou-se a correlacao de Pearson e a regressao linear multipla. Como teste de robustez utilizou-se Dados em Painel. Obteve-se como resultados, a variaveis determinantes do grupo de mecanismos de governanca corporativa significantes, Comite de auditoria, sugerindo que a empresa que nao possui comite de auditoria implica no baixo Custo de capital proprio, e a variavel, Tamanho do conselho de administracao, indicando que ha uma relacao direta com o Custo de capital proprio, em que, quanto maior for o numero de membros no conselho de administracao da empresa, maior sera seu custo de capital proprio do grupo de empresas e periodos analisados nesta pesquisa.
Fungal diversity of deep-sea sediments in Mid-Oceanic Ridge area of the East Pacific and the South Indian Oceans

Abstract In this study, we investigated fungal diversity of six Mid-Oceanic Ridge sediment samples collected in the East Pacific and the South Indian Oceans by culture-dependent as well as culture-independent approaches. A total of 97 fungal isolates were cultured, belonging to 7 genera and 10 species, including Penicillium (2 species), Rhodotorula, Meyerozyma, Ophiocordyceps, Vishniacozyma, Aspergillus (3 species) and Phoma. Forty-six operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from 933 clones selected from 12 clone libraries based on the internal transcribed spacers including 5.8S (ITS) and 18S rDNA. Two cultured fungi and 9 OTUs from the clone libraries showed similarities less than 97% with the existing sequences in GenBank, suggesting possible new fungal taxa. Most of the fungi belonged to the Ascomycota, to a lesser extent the Basidiomycota. Five fungal genera including Aspergillus, Rhodotorula, Ophiocordyceps, Phoma and Penicillium were recovered by both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. In addition to some common genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Ophiocordyceps, Purpureocillium, Tolypocladium, Rhodotorula and Fusarium, some unique species were each found in the East Pacific and the South Indian Oceans. It is worth mentioning that Ophiocordyceps heteropoda was found at both oceans by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches, although it was only previously reported from terrestrial habitats.
Object Identification in Radar Imaging via the Reciprocity Gap Method

In this paper, we present an experimental method for locating and identifying objects in radar imaging, specifically problems that could arise in physical situations. The data for the forward problem are generated using a discretization of the Lippmann‐Schwinger equation, and the inverse problem of object location is solved using the reciprocity gap approach to the linear sampling method. The main new development in this paper is an exploration of determining the permittivity of the object from the back‐scattered data, utilizing another discretization of the Lippmann‐Schwinger equation.