Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel association between TGFA, TGFB1, IRF1, PTGS2 and IKBKB single-nucleotide polymorphisms and occurrence, severity and treatment response of major depressive disorder

Background Activation of the immune system might affect the severity of depressive episodes as well as response to the antidepressant treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of variant alleles of analyzed SNPs are involved in prevalence and progression of depression. Moreover, selected genes and SNPs have not been investigated in context of the disease severity and treatment. Therefore, six polymorphisms were selected: g.41354391A>G-TGFB1 (rs1800469), g.132484229C>A-IRF (rs2070729), g.186643058A>G-PTGS2 (rs5275), g.186640617C>T-PTGS2 (rs4648308), g.70677994G>A-TGFA (rs2166975) and g.42140549G>T–IKBKB (rs5029748). Methods A total of 360 (180 patients and 180 controls) DNA samples were genotyped using TaqMan probes. Results We observed that A/G of the rs2166975 TGFA, A/C of rs2070729 IRF1 and G/T of rs5029748 IKBKB were associated with an increased risk of depression development while the T/T of rs5029748 IKBKB, T/T of rs4648308 PTGS2 and G/G of rs2166975 TGFA reduced this risk. We also stratified the study group according to gender and found that genotype A/G and allele G of the rs2166975 TGFA, G/T of rs5029748 IKBKB as well as C allele of rs4648308 PTGS2, homozygote A/A and allele A of rs5275 PTGS2 were associated with increased risk of depression development in men while homozygote G/G of rs5275 PTGS2 decreased this risk. Moreover, C/T of rs4648308 PTGS2 and A/G of rs5275 PTGS2 was positively correlated with the risk of the disease occurrence in women. Furthermore, a gene–gene analysis revealed a link between studied polymorphisms and depression. In addition, A/A of rs1800469 TGFB1 was associated with earlier age of onset of the disease while G/G of this SNP increased severity of the depressive episode. Interestingly, A/C of rs2070729 IRF1 and T/T of rs5029748 IKBKB may modulate the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors therapy. In conclusion, studied SNPs may modulate the risk of occurrence, age of onset, severity of the disease and response to the antidepressant treatment.
BIOPROSPECTING OF MARINE SPONGE (CALLYSPONGIA DIFFUSA) FOR ANTIBACTERIAL COMPOUND

Objective: Marine sponges are a rich source of new antimicrobial drugs. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the marine sponge (Callyspongia diffusa) against human pathogenic bacteria and to analyze the presence of bioactive compounds in the sponge. Methods: Antibacterial activity of the marine sponge C. diffuser was examined using petroleum ether, chloroform, n-butanol, methanol, ethanol, and water as solvents and tested against human pathogenic bacteria such as Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus by agar well diffusion method. Zoochemical analysis was performed to screen for the presence of secondary metabolites. Bioactive compounds were purified by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Results: The results obtained show that the sponge extracts had significant antibacterial activity against the tested strains. The methanol extract was found to be the most effective and exhibited the highest potency against all pathogens tested. Zoochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, and sterols. In TLC, spots corresponding to a Rf value of 0.67 were found to possess antibacterial activity against the test bacteria. GC-MS chromatogram showed seven major peaks at retention time of 12.69, 13.81, 24.21, 24.65, 28.01, 28.93, 30.87 minutes. The mass of the compounds and fragments were matched with the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) database for identification of probable compounds present in the sample. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of bioactive compounds in the sponge. Conclusion: This study confirms the marine natural species provides an excellent source of bioactive metabolites that can exploit to develop novel and potential therapeutic agents.
Probabilistic Neural Network Assisted Cell Tracking and Classification

— Being the fundamental units of life, cells are the key actors in many biological processes. Even today, some of the cell tracking problems are dense populations of cells, presence of complex behavior or poor image quality. The existing cell tracking methods are usually very simple and use only a small number of features to allow for manual parameter tweaking or grid search. In this paper, we propose a PNN classifier for robust cell classification. The objective of this paper is to predict and classify by means of analysis of microarray data. We then use neural network to classify the selected features and compare their precision and recall. The proposed PNN classification technique is robust and achieves higher tracking accuracy. Experimental results verifies the ability of PNN in achieving good classification in compared with traditional PNN or Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and KNN.
The Development of a Manipulative Spectrophotometric Technique for the Determination of Aminexil in a New Hair Tonic Preparation

A simple and economic ratio difference spectrophotometric method was developed and validated for the determination of Aminexil (AX), which is a new compound patented by L'Oreal, in the presence of niacinamide (NA) and pyridoxine (PD) in a newly introduced cosmetic preparation. The proposed method was found to be suitable for the determination of Aminexil in its laboratory prepared mixture in presence of the two other components; and in the commercial cosmetic preparation where the three components were coformulated. The calibration curve was constructed with a concentration range from 2-10 μgmL -1 showing 100.22± 0.53 accuracy. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 0.53 and 1.6 μgmL -1 respectively. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The standard addition methods showed satisfactory mean recovery of 99.68±0.56. The obtained results were satisfactory enough for further statistical analysis, in comparison to the reported method. The proposed method had the advantage of being simple since no manipulation or complicated handling of the samples were needed, as well as economic, since there was no use of sophisticated instruments or expensive chemicals.
Human Aspect in security of M-Commerce services in ICTD: A Siyakhula Living Lab Case Study

This paper is a build up to a bigger work in progress which essentially looks at undertaking an extensive evaluation of security threats on M-Commerce platform usage in Information Communication technology for development (ICTD) contexts. This initiative will subsequently draw up a framework to inform deployment of such services and platforms in rural marginalized communities. As is commonly acknowledged that security requirements cannot be addressed by technical means alone, a significant aspect of protection comes down to the attitudes, awareness, behaviour and capabilities of the people involved. Likewise the aim of this work was to evaluate rural user’s social habits and day-to-day interaction with mobile devices, in order to ascertain the human aspect as a source of threat in mobile device use. M-Commerce information and systems security seeks to provide: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Non repudiation Authentication. We propose to use these security properties as metrics to investigate how security vulnerabilities were introduced by human to device interaction in our field of study. An ethnographic field study was performed under a Living Lab experience in order to understand the related problems and security issues on mobile phone and ICT usage in a marginalized community. Qualitative measures such as contextual inquiry, participant observation, focus and individual interviews were used during the field data collection. However, only preliminary results from field studies are described in this paper. This work however does not provide a concrete solution on how to secure M-Commerce systems but highlights some socio-technical suggestions that can be used in order to attain that goal. Product designers, service providers and all value chain providers must consider the discoveries noted in this paper in order to deliver successful ICT and mobile-based services to users in these areas.
Are conventional treatments effective for patients with chronic plantar fasciopathy? – A review of the literature

Currently, it is not clear which intervention, physiotherapy, podiatry, pharmacological treatment, or surgery best stimulate a healing response. While there is no consensus among orthopaedic clinicians regarding the best treatment for PF, many authors recommend exhausting conventional treatment options typical of Physiotherapy and Podiatry (exercise, orthotics, manual therapy, tape, acupuncture, night splints) before proceeding to extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), injection therapy or surgery [5]. The advantages of a conventional approach include lower associated costs and less risk of complications such as infection, rupture, fat pad atrophy, osteomyelitis or nerve damage when compared to injection or surgery [6,7].
Hybrid Temporal Sequential Pattern Mining Scheme for Mobile Services

: Researches on Location-Based Service (LBS) have been emerging in recent years due to a wide range of potential applications. One of the active topics is the mining and prediction of mobile movements and associated transactions. Most of existing studies focus on discovering mobile patterns from the whole logs. However, this kind of patterns may not be precise enough for predictions since the differentiated mobile behaviors among users and temporal periods are not considered. In this work, we propose a novel algorithm, namely, Cluster-based Temporal Mobile Sequential Pattern Mine (CTMSP-Mine), to discover the Cluster-based Temporal Mobile Sequential Patterns (CTMSPs). Moreover, a prediction strategy is proposed to predict the subsequent mobile behaviors. In CTMSP-Mine, user clusters are constructed by a novel algorithm named Cluster-Object-based Smart Cluster Affinity Search Technique (CO-Smart-CAST) and similarities between users are evaluated by the proposed measure, Location-Based Service Alignment (LBS-Alignment). Meanwhile, a time segmentation approach is presented to find segmenting time intervals where similar mobile characteristics exist. To our best knowledge, this is the first work on mining and prediction of mobile behaviors with considerations of user relations and temporal property simultaneously. Through experimental evaluation under various simulated conditions, the proposed methods are shown to deliver excellent performance.
The Relationship between Elementary Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students’ Writing Performance and Writing Motivation

This study is in response to the lack of research that exists related to the role of motivation in the writing development and achievement of deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) students. We investigated whether demographic and language variables were associated with writing motivation among 76 third through fifth grade d/hh elementary students, and whether motivation for personal narrative, information report and persuasive writing was related to writing performance in the same genres. Demographic variables such as gender, age, and hearing level, and the language variable of American Sign Language receptive skills, did not show an association with writing motivation measured by the Situated Writing Activity and Motivation Scale. Knowledge of English, however, showed a weak to moderate positive correlation with motivation. In a simple linear regression model, English was a statistically significant predictor of motivation across all genres. There was also a statistically significant relationship between motivation for writing personal narratives and one’s performance in the genre, yet an association was not found between motivation for information report and persuasive writing and performance in the same genres.
Energy expenditure estimation based on artificial intelligence and microservice architecture

Nutritional status plays an important role in not only pregnancy outcomes but also neonatal health. One of efficient techniques to control the nutritional status is to estimate the energy expenditure. There are some approaches for estimating energy expenditure. However, they have limitations including high cost, relative complexity, trained personnel requirements, or locality. This study investigates in a system for data collection and analysis (IoH-Internet of Health) developing based on microservice architecture, and its application for energy expenditure estimation. The proposed system has a good ability to scale and integrate with other systems; the energy expenditure estimation is performed by using artificial intelligence. The experimental results have shown the promising results of the proposed system.
Gene expression patterns of novel visual and non-visual opsin families in immature and mature Japanese eel males

This study was carried out to identify and estimate physiological function of a new type of opsin subfamily present in the retina and whole brain tissues of Japanese eel using RNA–Seq transcriptome method. A total of 18 opsin subfamilies were identified through RNA–seq. The visual opsin family included Rh2, SWS2, FWO, DSO, and Exo-Rhod. The non-visual opsin family included four types of melanopsin subfamily (Opn4x1, Opn4x2, Opn4m1, and Opn4m2), peropsin, two types of neuropsin subfamily (Opn5-like, Opn5), Opn3, three types of TMT opsin subfamily (TMT1, 2, 3), VA-opsin, and parapinopsin. In terms of changes in photoreceptor gene expression in the retina of sexually mature and immature male eels, DSO mRNA increased in the maturation group. Analysis of expression of opsin family gene in male eel brain before and after maturation revealed that DSO and SWS2 expression in terms of visual opsin mRNA increased in the sexually mature group. In terms of non-visual opsin mRNA, parapinopsin mRNA increased whereas that of TMT2 decreased in the fore-brain of the sexually mature group. The mRNA for parapinopsin increased in the mid-brain of the sexually mature group, whereas those of TMT1 and TMT3 increased in the hind-brain of the sexually mature group. DSO mRNA also increased in the retina after sexual maturation, and DSO and SWS2 mRNA increased in whole brain part, suggesting that DSO and SWS2 are closely related to sexual maturation.
Identification of a Pivotal Residue for Determining the Block Structure-Forming Properties of Alginate C-5 Epimerases

Alginate is a linear copolymer composed of 1→4 linked β-d-mannuronic acid (M) and its epimer α-l-guluronic acid (G). The polysaccharide is first produced as homopolymeric mannuronan and subsequently, at the polymer level, C-5 epimerases convert M residues to G residues. The bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii encodes a family of seven secreted and calcium ion-dependent mannuronan C-5 epimerases (AlgE1–AlgE7). These epimerases consist of two types of structural modules: the A-modules, which contain the catalytic site, and the R-modules, which influence activity through substrate and calcium binding. In this study, we rationally designed new hybrid mannuronan C-5 epimerases constituting the A-module from AlgE6 and the R-module from AlgE4. This led to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism determining differences in MG- and GG-block-forming properties of the enzymes. A long loop with either tyrosine or phenylalanine extruding from the β-helix of the enzyme proved essential in defining the final alginate block structure, probably by affecting substrate binding. Normal mode analysis of the A-module from AlgE6 supports the results.
Antidiabetic Activity of Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum L) Leaves’ Ethanolic Extract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the metabolic disorder marked by hyperglycemia caused by carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism abnormality. There is a significant increase in diabetes case every year in Indonesia and the long-term use of antidiabetic drugs can cause various side effects. This necessitates the development of a better drug. Coriander has been used as an herbal medicine for diabetes mellitus, particularly the seed. The aim of this research was to evaluate the activity of coriander leaves as an antidiabetic agent, utilizing both in vivo and in vitro method. In in vivo method, the extract was orally administered to the insulin deficiency mice model (aloxan induced at dose of 65 mg/kg bw iv) with dose of 200, 400, and 800 mg/ kg bw for 14 days. At the end of the in vivo study, the pancreas was isolated. While in in vitro method, the α-glucosidase inhibition activity study was performed. The results showed that after 3 days of administrations, the extract at each dose and glibenclamide 0.65 mg/kg bw could lower the glucose blood level significantly, compared to the positive control group (p<0.05). The pancreas histology also showed an elevation in pancreatic β cell in the extract and standard drug group. The in vitro study showed that the IC50 of the extract was 32.376 ppm, and 82.272 ppm for acarbose as a standard drug. The conclusion of this study was that the coriander leaves’ ethanolic extract has the antidiabetic activity at the dose of 400 mg/kg bw by improving and regenerating the pancreatic β cell and inhibiting the α-glucosidase enzyme activity.
Metacognition and Peer Learning Strategies as Predictors in Problem-Solving Performance in Microbiology †

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between learning strategies (LS) and problem solving (PS) in microbiology. Microbiology problems utilized for the study were from educational software known as “Interactive Multimedia Exercises” (IMMEX). Problem-solving performances measured included: the ability to solve, scores obtained and elapsed time. It was hypothesized that there would be a good correlation between students’ LS and PS. Since many factors besides learning strategies predict performance, alpha was set at 0.10. Participants (N = 65) solved two sets of microbiology problems “Microquest” (Mq), which focuses on microbial cellular processes and mode of action of antibiotics, and “Creeping crud” (Cc), which focuses on the cause, origin, and transmission of diseases. Participants also responded to the adapted Motivated Strategy Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) using a five-point Likert scale. Scores for LS were determined by averaging the item responses of participants. Regression analysis was used to determine significance, with Grade Point Average (GPA) as a control. Of the 65 participants 48 (73.8%) successfully solved Mq while 52 (80%) solved Cc. Metacognitive self-regulated strategy was significantly (p < 0.10) related to ability to solve Cc. Peer learning strategy showed a significant (p < 0.10) relationship with Cc scores. Time spent solving Cc was significantly more than time spent on Mq (p < 0.001). These findings emphasize the fact that metacognition and peer learning are positive predictors for problem solving and could potentially improve learning outcomes in microbiology. The implications for curriculum development are discussed.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK FIBROIN AND CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS BLENDED FILMS: THERMAL, MECHANICAL, AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Silk fibroin (SF)-cellulose nanocrystals (C) thin films with various compositions were prepared by a new shearing method utilizing aqueous solutions of both components. The nanocrystals used were supplied by a pilot scale facility located in Edmonton, Alberta. These particles were prepared by sulphuric acid hydrolysis of dissolving pulp. Relatively good homogeneity was obtained with each mixing ratio. Films with higher concentration of silk were characterized with reduced initial thermal stability when compared to the cellulosic control. On the other hand, there was a corresponding improvement in percentage thermal degradation when small quantities of silk were added to the cellulose nanocrystals. The main x-ray diffraction peaks were present in most composites. However, for systems where silk was added to cellulose nanocrystals (10C:S and 5C:S), there was a distinct improvement in the crystallinity index. Finally, the addition of silk (high quantities) to the cellulosic material resulted in a sharp decrease in mechanical properties.
Microaneurysms, Haemorrhages and Exudates based Diabetic Retinopathy: Automatic Early Detection Systems and the State of the Art

One of the comorbidities of Diabetes Mellitus is Diabetic Retinopathy. This ailment is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The presence of microaneurysms, haemorrhages and exudates is one of the early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Research has shown that detection at an earlier stage and proper treatment can control the disease and, hence, prevents from blindness. Fundus images of retina inside the eye are utilized for screening purposes. These screenings can be done manually by a human expert or automated using advanced detection and classification algorithms. Due to scarcity of ophthalmologists worldwide, a need of advanced automated systems is sensed like never before. This paper presents a brief review of diabetic retinopathy and its associated knowledge. It then provides a comparison of recent state of the art approaches for the computer aided detection of microaneurysms, haemorrhages and exudates. The discussion and comparison of different latest algorithms is presented at the end.
OPTIMIZATION OF ADAPTIVE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS IN UNMANNED LOCATIONS

In Wireless communication it is very difficult to design an efficient channel access without knowledge about the nature of environment. The resources in channel state distribution sometimes partially distributed at different locations. In this paper, we propose an online learning algorithm for proper channel access of wireless communications in different unmanned environments based on theory of Multiarmed Bandits(MAB). By tuning two control parameters that is, learning rate and exploration probability our algorithm would find channel access directly. The performance in accessing the channel gets better than the previous solutions. Keeping the algorithm in practice adaptive Jamming attacks and attacking strength ranges from no-attack to the full attack of all spectrum resources. In this proposed optimized framework we introduce the efficient handling of unmanned locations to provide the better communications.
Impact of Market Orientation on SMEs Business Performance An Empirical Study of Select SMEs in Bangalore

There has been a wide range of debate over the kind of relationship exists between market orientation and SMEs business performance. It is found that researchers generally agreeing on its positive outcome. Previous studies gave emphasis much on big business organizations. Of late, researchers showing interests on the patterns of market orientation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This amply demonstrates that researchers are yet to reach a common consensus on the appropriateness of this management policies and practices applicable to SMEs. The present study interalia observes that SMEs need to be more customer focus, monitor competitive trends, and respond appropriately to market signals / intelligence for their survival given their financial, technical and marketing constraints. The study investigated the market orientation-performance link among selected SMEs (61 SMEs) in Bangalore urban district. Results show that the development of market orientation in the SMEs sector rests more on the positive attitude of owners/ managers. And other stake holders, more particularly, well coiled market orientation leads to better performance under highly competitive conditions. The present study thus validates and supports the findings of majority of previous studies‟ over direct and positive relationship between market orientation and SMEs overall business performance.