Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Annona muricata Linn Stem Bark Protects against Uterine Proliferative Disorder Induced by Estradiol Benzoate in Female Rat

Aim: The opening of mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) pore is an important event in the execution of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Some bioactive compounds elicit their chemotherapeutic effects against tumor/cancer cells via the induction of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Annona muricata, a medicinal plant, is folklorically used in the treatment of tumors and cancers. This study therefore aimed at investigating the effect of methanol stem bark extract of Annona muricata (MEAM) on apoptosis via mPT pore and estradiol benzoate (EB)-induced proliferative disorder using female Wistar rats. Methodology: Mitochondria were isolated using differential centrifugation. The mPT pore opening, cytochrome c release and mitochondrial ATPase activity were determined spectrophotometrically. The levels of estrogen (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH), were determined using ELISA technique. Histological and histochemical assessments of the uterine sections were carried out using standard methods. Phytochemical constituents of MEAM were determined using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Results: The in vitro results showed a significant induction of mPT pore opening, release of cytochrome c and enhancement of mitochondrial ATPase (mATPase) activity in a concentration-dependent manner. However, oral administration of MEAM did not induce rat uterine mPT pore opening, neither any significant release of cytochrome c nor enhancement of mATPase activity at the dosages used. Interestingly, MEAM reversed the EB-induced increase in E2, LH and FSH. The MEAM also improved the antioxidant milleu by reducing MDA level and increasing the SOD and GSH-Px activities in the treatment groups. Administration of EB induced endometrial hyperplasia in the model group which was mitigated by MEAM in the treatment group. The GC-MS analysis of MEAM revealed the presence of some important phytochemicals that are pharmacological relevant in cancer treatment. Conclusions: This study suggests that the methanol stem bark extract of Annona muricata contains bioactive compounds that protect against EB-induced uterine proliferative disorder in female Wistar rats.
Unperceived motor actions of the balance system interfere with the causal attribution of self-motion

Abstract The instability of human bipedalism demands that the brain accurately senses balancing self-motion and determines whether movements originate from self-generated actions or external disturbances. Here, we challenge the longstanding notion that this process relies on a single representation of the body and world to accurately perceive postural orientation and organize motor responses to control balance self-motion. Instead, we find that the conscious sense of balance can be distorted by the corrective control of upright standing. Using psychophysics, we quantified thresholds to imposed perturbations and balance responses evoking cues of self-motion that are (in)distinguishable from corrective balance actions. When standing immobile, participants clearly perceived imposed perturbations. Conversely, when freely balancing, participants often misattributed their own corrective responses as imposed motion because their balance system had detected, integrated, and responded to the perturbation in the absence of conscious perception. Importantly, this only occurred for perturbations encoded ambiguously with balance-correcting responses and that remained below the natural variability of ongoing balancing oscillations. These findings reveal that our balance system operates on its own sensorimotor principles that can interfere with causal attribution of our actions, and that our conscious sense of balance depends critically on the source and statistics of induced and self-generated motion cues.
Financing Efficiency Calculation of Energy Enterprises Based on Internet of Things

In order to conduct a special study on the financing efficiency of a certain industry, the authors propose a method for calculating the financing efficiency of energy enterprises based on the Internet of Things. Combining the DEA method with the Bootstrap method, taking the IoT data of 30 SME boards and 30 energy companies listed on the ChiNext listed in 2010 as a research sample, and using R language and Deap2.1 software, the financing efficiency from 2011 to 2015 is calculated. Experimental results show that from 2011 to 2015, only 28.3% of the enterprises reached the effective state of technical efficiency on average, and the financing efficiency of energy enterprises was generally inefficient. The pure technical efficiency value of the whole enterprise decreases year by year, and its technical efficiency value lower than its scale efficiency is the main reason that its technical efficiency is generally not high.
Power Dynamics within Icelandic Nursing: Walking the Fine Line

Like other Nordic nations, Iceland has a reputation of gender-equality, despite 98% of the country’s nursing profession being women. This paper examines power dynamics within the profession. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with nurses were analyzed with a thematic analysis. Our theoretical framework draws on an ecological perspective highlighting nurses’ vulnerability to power dynamics, and Allen’s work on organizational labor and the invisibility of nurses’ ‘glue work’. The findings reveal that the nurses experience power imbalances when their autonomy is restricted in cooperation with other professionals, demanding their time and disrespecting their professional workspace, and they miss support from their supervisors. They feel their professionalism is belittled, and that the gender imbalance hinders equality. For coping and meeting norms and expectations, the nurses use silencing, which with time pressure and unclear boundaries preserve and enhance stereotypical images. Attracting more male nurses could enhance equality, but additional effort at multiple levels is needed.
The effects of a sleep‐focused smartphone application on insomnia and depressive symptoms: a randomised controlled trial and mediation analysis

Background Rates of depression are increasing among adolescents. A novel way to reduce depression is by improving sleep. We evaluated whether an app‐based intervention for insomnia improved sleep and depression, and whether changes in insomnia mediated changes in depression. Methods We conducted a 2‐arm single‐blind randomised controlled trial at the Black Dog Institute in Australia. Adolescents 12–16 years experiencing insomnia symptoms were randomly allocated to receive Sleep Ninja, an app‐delivered cognitive behavioural therapy program for insomnia, or to an active control group involving weekly text message sleep tips. Assessments took place at baseline, 6 weeks (post‐intervention) and 14 weeks (post‐baseline). Co‐primary outcomes were symptoms of insomnia and depression at post‐intervention (primary endpoint). Intent‐to‐treat analyses were conducted. The trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12619001462178. Results Between October 25, 2019, and September 6, 2020, 264 participants were randomised to receive Sleep Ninja (n = 131) or to the control group (n = 133). Relative to the control group, those allocated to the intervention reported a greater reduction in insomnia symptoms at 6 weeks (95% CI: −2.96 to −0.41, d = .41) and 14 weeks (95% CI: −3.34 to −0.19, d = .39), and a greater reduction in depression symptoms at 6 weeks (95% CI: −3.46 to −0.56, d = .28) but not 14 weeks (p < 1). Change in insomnia mediated change in depression. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions An app‐delivered program for insomnia could be a practical, non‐stigmatising and scalable way to reduce symptoms of insomnia and depression among adolescents experiencing difficulties getting enough good quality sleep.
User Comments in Social Media Firestorms: A Mixed-Method Study of Purpose, Tone, and Motivation

ABSTRACT Social media firestorms (SMF) are commonly seen as destructive forces of toxic comments hurled at a target for perceived wrongdoing. Yet some research suggests that SMF can provide beneficial outcomes for the target. In two studies, we qualitatively examine SMF comments (in terms of purpose and tone) and quantitatively examine users’ motivations for making different types of comments. Results show that SMF comments are diverse, either supporting or condemning the target and being either aggressive or cordial in tone. Further, the results show that users’ understanding of the triggering event in the real world influences the purpose of their comment (support or condemn) while disinhibition and others’ online comments (i.e., herd influence) shape how they comment (tone). We conclude with an expanded SMF definition as “A digital artifact created by large numbers of user comments of multiple purposes (condemnation and support) and tones (aggressive and cordial) that appear rapidly and recede shortly after”. Some SMF persist as destructive and harmful firestorms; some exist to condemn the target but without aggressive language; and some support the target’s behavior. Thus, SMF are not always abusive and toxic. The implications of our research are that SMF can be positive, enable collective actions, and require a detailed examination of their elements (purpose and tone) to understand their effects in the digital and real world.
Organizational training in agile settings under the lens of CMMI V2.0

The software industry is a dynamic and ever‐changing environment where knowledge dissemination and ongoing learning is an open challenge, especially in agile organizations where continuous learning is essential. Organizational training covers the set of activities that drive this learning process and is one of the process areas of process improvement models like CMMI. In this paper, we discuss how the organizational training activity has been carried out at agile organizations under the lens of CMMI V2.0. In other words, we use the CMMI‐DEV V2.0 Organizational Training practices to provide an overview of how agile organizations plan, perform, and assess their training activities as part of their continuous learning process. Existing literature primarily discusses the techniques used to train and retrain employees. However, there is little evidence on how to plan training, how to assure alignment with the organization's strategic and tactical goals, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of training, which are very important challenges in the organizational training process. The paper concludes by presenting eight valuable insights identified by this research and matching them up with the CMMI‐DEV V2.0 Organizational Training practices.
Interstellar Helium Pickup Ion Flux Variations Observed By SOHO CELIAS

Interstellar pickup ions are formed when neutral atoms freely enter the heliosphere and are subsequently ionized. Once these particles are charged they become a component of the interplanetary plasma and are transported outward with the solar wind (SW). Measurements of these particles give information about the local interstellar gas in which our sun resides. However, fluxes of pickup ions in the solar wind are observed to vary substantially in both magnitude and energy spectrum. Hypothesized is that the main causes of these variations are transport phenomenon in the solar wind, determined by the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field. If so, solar wind conditions can be used to predict pickup ion fluxes, and pickup ion fluxes can be used to indicate solar wind transport conditions. To prove the feasibility of this hypothesis, in situ measurements of helium pickup ions from the CTOF instrument on the SOHO spacecraft are used to characterize transport parameters. Results are presented which show the effect of solar wind structures on pickup ions. Compression regions are shown to strongly affect measured fluxes of pickup ions. Observations show that compression regions can also cause an adiabatic heating or a shift in the pickup ion velocity distribution. Also investigated is the effect of interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations and waves on pickup ions. These fluctuations can scatter pickup ions, in both pitch angle and energy. Comparison with WIND/MFI magnetic field measurements show that the pitch angle scattering rate is correlated with the wave-power. A hemispheric model for the pickup ion distribution is used to determine pitch angle diffusion coefficients from observed spectra. We find that the observed scattering rate differs from the predictions of simple diffusion models, especially in low wave-powers. Energy diffusion or particle acceleration is also observed in the pickup ion velocity distribution, most notably in the passage of solar wind disturbances such as shocks but also during quiet times. However, suprathermal pickup ions are not found to be well correlated with resonant wave-power. Finally, measurements of SW parameters are used to de-trend the pickup ion data, reducing the variability of the dataset.
Antimicrobial Activities of the Leaf Extracts of Ficus sycomorus Linn. on Helicobacter pylori and Citrobacter freundii

Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial activities of Ficus sycomorus leave extract on selected bacteria. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of tannins, saponins, alkaloids and flavonoids, it also revealed the absence of glycoside. Place and Duration of Study: Microbiology laboratory, Biological Sciences Department, Bingham University Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Methodology: Plant extracts were prepared by boiling, soaking and methanol extraction. 96-well plates dilution method for determination of Minimum Inhibition Concentraction (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were carried out. Results: The MBC for Helicobacter pylori and Citrobacter freundii showed antimicrobial activities at 400 µl each. The plant has exhibited strong antimicrobial activity on Helicobacter pylori and Citrobacter freundii. Conclusion: The antimicrobial compounds produced by plant extracts are active against bacteria. It is expected that plant extracts showing target sites other than those used by antibiotics will be active against drug-resistant microorganisms.
Dehazing method through polarimetric imaging and multi-scale analysis

An approach for haze removal utilizing polarimetric imaging and multi-scale analysis has been developed to solve one problem that haze weather weakens the interpretation of remote sensing because of the poor visibility and short detection distance of haze images. On the one hand, the polarization effects of the airlight and the object radiance in the imaging procedure has been considered. On the other hand, one fact that objects and haze possess different frequency distribution properties has been emphasized. So multi-scale analysis through wavelet transform has been employed to make it possible for low frequency components that haze presents and high frequency coefficients that image details or edges occupy are processed separately. According to the measure of the polarization feather by Stokes parameters, three linear polarized images (0°, 45°, and 90°) have been taken on haze weather, then the best polarized image min I and the worst one max I can be synthesized. Afterwards, those two polarized images contaminated by haze have been decomposed into different spatial layers with wavelet analysis, and the low frequency images have been processed via a polarization dehazing algorithm while high frequency components manipulated with a nonlinear transform. Then the ultimate haze-free image can be reconstructed by inverse wavelet reconstruction. Experimental results verify that the dehazing method proposed in this study can strongly promote image visibility and increase detection distance through haze for imaging warning and remote sensing systems.
Module Design Principles and Practices for First Year Assessment

A review and reform of the structure, outcomes, assessment and remediation strategies for first year, and in particular the first semester, to support the transition from second-to third-level and to adapt to the different needs of diff erent students; The further development of approaches to engage and support students, especially in their first year, including small group learning, peer-mentoring, academic advice and mentoring, specific supports for the development of transferable skills and information literacy, and general welfare supports
Pharmacological Mechanism of Zuojin Pill for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Network Pharmacology Study

Background. Although Zuojin Pill (ZJP) is widely used in China as a traditional prescription to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), its exact mechanism of action is still unknown. Therefore, we employed network pharmacology (NP), molecular docking (MD), and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of ZJP against GERD. Methods. Active compounds and target genes corresponding to ZJP and target genes related to GERD were identified through analysis of publicly available datasets. Subsequently, the obtained data were subjected to further network pharmacological analysis to explore the potential key active compounds, core target genes, and biological processes (BPs) associated with the effect of ZJP against GERD. Finally, the prediction results of NP were validated by MD, and MDS of the optimal core protein-ligand for each component obtained by MD were performed using Gromacs 2020 software. Results. Twelve active components of ZJP were identified to act on 82 target genes associated with GERD, and ZJP might exert an anti-GERD effect through the regulation of BPs such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, response to oxidative stress (OS), and ROS, as well as the activation of signaling pathways such as apoptosis, p53 signaling, chemical carcinogenesis-ROS, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Furthermore, quercetin, kaempferol, and coptisine, the three key components of ZJP were shown to stably bond with the 14 core target genes, including AKT1, MMP2, TP53, EGFR, JUN, CASP3, CXCL8, HIF1α, IL-1β, MYC, PPARG, MMP9, PTGS2, and FOS. Results from MDS showed that PPARG-quercetin and MMP2-quercetin bound more stably. Conclusions. The findings suggest that ZJP alleviates the symptoms of GERD and improves the prognosis by regulating ROS metabolism, thereby reducing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-1β, COX-2, CXCL8, and MMPs, regulating the expression of oncogenes such as JUN and FOS, and maintaining the normal expression of tumor suppressor genes such as TP53 and MYC. However, whether the effect of this modulation of ROS metabolism is positive or negative needs to be further verified by pharmacological experiments.
RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY FOR THE OPTIMIZATION OF INULINASE PRODUCTION BY K. MARXIANUS VAR. MARXIANUS

Plackett-Burman design was employed for screening 18 nutrient components for the production of inulinase using garlic as substrate by Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus in solid+state fermentation (SSF). From the experiments, 4 nutrients viz. Yeast extract, MnSO 4. 7H 2O, K 2HPO 4 and Corn steep liquor were found to be most significant nutrient components. Hence these 4 components are selected. The selected components were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions are: Yeast extract -0.00289 g(gds) +1 , MnSO 4. 7H 2O -0.03343 g(gds) +1 , K2HPO 4 -0.00427 g(gds) +1 and Corn steep liquor +0.05752 g(gds) +1 . Under these conditions the production of inulinase was found to be of 463 U(gds) +1 .
CubeSpec: optical payload design

CubeSpec is an ESA in-orbit-demonstration mission, based on a 6U CubeSat, targeting high-resolution astronomical spectroscopy. It is developed and funded in Belgium and scheduled for launch at the end of 2024. The CubeSpec payload consists of an off-axis Cassegrain telescope with a rectangular aperture (186x82mm2 ) and a prism cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph. The telescope aperture almost completely covers the surface area of 2 CubeSat units and the entire optical system fits in 4 units (10x20x20cm) of the spacecraft. CubeSpec delivers a spectral resolution of R=55000 and covers the wavelength range from 420 to 620 nm. Furthermore, it is equipped with a fine-guidance system based on a fast beam-steering mirror and a fine-guidance sensor that provide accurate centering of the source image on the spectrograph slit to compensate for spacecraft pointing jitter. In this contribution, we present the optical design of the CubeSpec payload.
Edinburgh Research Explorer AhR controls redox homeostasis and shapes the tumour microenvironment in BRCA1-associated breast cancer

Cancer cells have higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) than normal cells due to genetic and metabolic alterations. An emerging sce-nario is that cancer cells increase ROS to activate pro-tumorigenic signaling while activating antioxidant pathways to maintain redox homeostasis. Here we show that, in Basal-like and BRCA1-related breast cancer (BC), ROS levels correlate with the expression and activity of the transcription factor, Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR). Mechanistically, ROS triggers AhR nuclear accumulation and activation to promote the transcription of both antioxidant enzymes and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). In a mouse model of BRCA1-related BC, cancer- associated AhR and AREG control tumor growth and production of chemokines to attract monocytes and activate pro-angiogenic function of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Inter-estingly, the expression of these chemokines as well as inﬁltration of monocyte-lineage cells (monocyte and macrophages) positively correlated with ROS levels in Basal-like BC. These data support the existence of a coordinated link between cancer-intrinsic ROS regulation and the features of tumor microenvironment. Thera- peutically, chemical inhibition of AhR activity sensitizes human BC models to Erlotinib, a selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sug- gesting a promising combinatorial anti-cancer effect of AhR and EGFR pathway inhibition. Thus, AhR represents an attractive target to inhibit redox homeostasis and modulate the tumor promoting microenvironment of Basal-like and BRCA1-associated BC.
ICAM-1 and Fibronectin Cytoplasmic Domain on Leukocyte Adhesion to (CD18) b Function-Associated Antigen-1 Dominant-Negative Effect of the Lymphocyte

The cytoplasmic domains of LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) are thought to play an important role in the regulation of LFA-1 function. To further elucidate the role of the LFA-1 cytoplasmic domains, we transfected chimeric proteins consisting of the extracellular domain of CD4 fused with the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of LFA-1 into T and B cell lines, EL-4 and A20, respectively, and examined their effects on LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion. The CD4/18, but not CD4/11a, chimera profoundly inhibited LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion to ICAM-1, as well as cell spreading following cell adhesion. Unexpectedly, cell adhesion to ﬁbronectin was also inhibited by the CD4/18 chimera. The CD4/18 chimera did not affect the expression of endogenous LFA-1 or the association of CD11a and CD18. Truncation of the carboxyl-terminal 13 amino acid residues of the CD18 cytoplasmic domain of the chimera completely abrogated the inhibitory effect on LFA-1. Among these amino acid residues, the carboxyl-terminal six residues were dispensable for the inhibitory effect in EL-4 cells, whereas it signiﬁcantly reduced the inhibitory activity of CD4/18 in A20 cells. A larger truncation of the CD18 cytoplasmic domain was needed to fully abrogate the inhibitory effects of CD4/18 on the adhesion to ﬁbronectin. These results show that 1) the CD4/18 chimera has dominant-negative effects on cell adhesion mediated by LFA-1 as well as ﬁbronectin receptors, and 2) amino acid residues of the CD18 cytoplasmic domain involved in the inhibition of LFA-1 seem to be