Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An investigation on the cytotoxicity and caspase-mediated apoptotic effect of biologically synthesized gold nanoparticles using Cardiospermum halicacabum on AGS gastric carcinoma cells

Background Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Cardiospermum halicacabum is used to treat nerve disorders, stiffness, rheumatism, ear ache, snake bite, and so on. Methods In this study, the reaction parameters were optimized to control the size of the nanoparticle, which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Various characterization techniques such as selected area diffraction pattern, UV-visible spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, dynamic light scattering, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy were employed to analyze the synthesized AuNPs obtained from C. halicacabum (CH-AuNP) against gastric carcinoma cell line. Results The cytotoxic effect of CH-AuNP against AGS, SNU-5, and SNU-16 cell lines was detected by MTT assay. The induction of apoptosis by CH-AuNP in AGS was analyzed by double staining technique using TUNEL and DAPI staining assays. Further to confirm the molecular mechanism exhibited by CH-AuNP to induce apoptosis, the intracellular ROS level was assessed and immunoblotting was performed to assess the apoptotic signaling molecules that often deregulated in cancerous condition. Conclusion The results clearly prove that CH-AuNP increases ROS and induces apoptosis in AGS, suggesting that CH-AuNP may be an effective anticancer drug with no side effects to treat gastric cancer.
Effects of Seasonal Changes and Forage Availability on Milk Yield of Cows among Smallholder Households in Ala-Buka, Kyrgyzstan

This study employs Wood’s Gamma model to estimate the parameters of lactation curve at smallholder level and the effect of changing seasons on these parameters. Data on lactation of 89 indigenous and crossbreed cows in Baltagulov Village Government (BVG), Ala-Buka, Kyrgyzstan were used to estimate the Wood’s Gamma model and to generate the lactation curves. Lactation curve parameters including a scaling factor associated with initial milk yields (β0), the inclining (β1) and declining (β2) slopes before and after peak yields respectively were analyzed by calving season. Results show that initial milk yield is higher among winter and autumn cows than spring and summer calvers. The inclining and the declining slopes are, however, lower in winter and autumn compared to spring and summer. Peak milk yield and lactation persistence can serve as criteria for herders in selecting cows. In this study, peak milk yield is associated with total milk yield and can used as a useful guide in selecting breeders as opposed to lactation persistence. Peak milk yield is higher in winter and autumn vis-a-vis spring and summer. The effect of calving season is largely dependent on the availability of pasture forage. Forage shortage in spring and early summer, and lack of fodder from the end of winter to mid spring are perceived as the major problems by almost 50% of households in BVG. It is imperative to note that seasons of calving affect milk yield through their impact on forage availability. Forage shortage during spring and summer tend to decrease productivity of cows. The sweltering heat in summer and autumn do not also auger well for optimum milk production. The study recommends the manipulation of calving to match periods of forage availability. It also recommends protection of cows from adverse weather conditions to optimise milk production in BVG, Kyrgyzstan.
A Review on the Synthesis of Manganese Oxide Nanomaterials and Their Applications on Lithium-Ion Batteries

Most recently, manganese oxides nanomaterials, including MnO and MnO2, have attracted great interest as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for their high theoretical capacity, environmental benignity, low cost, and special properties. Up to now, manganese oxides nanostructures with excellent properties and various morphologies have been successfully synthesized. Herein, we provide an in-depth discussion of recent development of the synthesis of manganese oxides nanomaterials and their application in the field of LIBs.
Optimization and Characterization of a Galleria mellonella Larval Infection Model for Virulence Studies and the Evaluation of Therapeutics Against Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia. Infection is linked to high morbidity and mortality rates and antibiotic resistance within this pathogen is on the rise. Therefore, there is a need for novel antimicrobial therapies. To lower the time and costs of the drug discovery process, alternative in vivo models should be considered. As such, Galleria mellonella larvae can be of great value. The larval immunity consisting of several types of haemocytes is remarkably similar to the human innate immune system. Furthermore, these larvae don’t require specific housing, are cheap and are easy to handle. In this study, the use of a G. mellonella infection model to study early pneumococcal infections and treatment is proposed. Firstly, the fitness of this model to study pneumococcal virulence factors is confirmed using streptococcal strains TIGR4, ATCC®49619, D39 and its capsule-deficient counterpart R6 at different inoculum sizes. The streptococcal polysaccharide capsule is considered the most important virulence factor without which streptococci are unable to sustain an in vivo infection. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed indeed a higher larval survival after infection with streptococcal strain R6 compared to strain D39. Then, the infection was characterized by determining the number of haemocytes, production of oxygen free radicals and bacterial burden at several time points during the course of infection. Lastly, treatment of infected larvae with the standard antibiotics amoxicillin and moxifloxacin was evaluated. Treatment has proven to have a positive outcome on the course of infection, depending on the administered dosage. These data imply that G. mellonella larvae can be used to evaluate antimicrobial therapies against S. pneumoniae, apart from using the larval model to study streptococcal properties. The in-depth knowledge acquired regarding this model, makes it more suitable for use in future research.
Neuroprotective activity of Santalum album seeds in Sepsis encephalopathy

Septic encephalopathy is a systemic inflammatory disease and is characterized by change in neurotransmitter release, dysregulated production of cytokines, organ dysfunction and long-term cognitive and emotional impairments. In the present study, it was investigated whether administration of ethanolic extract and chloroform fraction of Santalum album can affect the behavioural, oxidative stress parameters and brain oedema in sepsis-surviving mice. Septic encephalopathy was induced in albino mice of either sex (20-30 gm body weight) by cecal ligation and puncture technique. Ethanolic extract of Santalum album was prepared by microwave assisted extraction and various fractions were prepared. Behavioural parameters like neurological examination and exploratory behaviour were studied after 3 hours and 24 hours of sepsis induction. Santalum album extract showed significant (p<0.001) improvement in depression, memory, neurological severity score and exploratory behaviour in surviving animals. Further glutathione level and catalase level was found to be elevated with ethanolic extract and chloroform fraction at 200mg/kg body weight whereas level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was found to decrease in chloroform fraction, at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight. Brain oedema was found to be increased approximately 20% in diseased group, which was reduced after treatment. Thus, based on the results, it may be concluded that Santalum album shows neuroprotective effect against septic encephalopathy via reduction of oxidative stress and improvement in learning and memory, neurological severity score and exploratory behaviour.
Personal wellbeing and intra‐cultural interaction interventions for cross‐border adjustment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on research which addressed two purposes. First, to test the fit between, the theoretical model, and the empirical findings from an earlier reported study. Secondly, to test the extrapolative and interrelated nature of a two sets of cultural adjustment constructs designed to enhance the personal wellbeing and intra‐cultural interaction of cross‐border managers when on foreign assignments.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 244 cross‐border managers working for Australian private sector businesses in South‐East Asia in two broad industry groups: manufacturing/industrial, and financial/services. Respondents were asked to complete a questionnaire based on two separate dimensions associated with an individual's adjustment to cross‐border circumstances vis. , personal wellbeing and intra‐cultural interaction. This paper evaluates the measurement fit between the identified constructs, by first examining any significant relationship though a stru.
Shadowed Fading in Indoor Off-Body Communications Channels: A Statistical Characterization using the κ – μ / Gamma Composite Fading Model

—This paper investigates the characteristics of the shadowed fading observed in off-body communications channels at 5.8 GHz. This is realized with the aid of the κ – μ /gamma composite fading model, which assumes that the transmitted signal undergoes κ – μ fading, which is subject to multiplicative shadowing. Based on this, the total power of the multipath components, including both the dominant and scattered components, is subject to non-negligible variations that follow the gamma distribution. For this model, we present an integral form of the probability density function (PDF) as well as important analytic expressions for the PDF, cumulative distribution function, moments, and moment generating function. In the case of indoor off-body communications, the corresponding measurements were carried out in the context of four explicit individual scenarios, namely: line of sight (LOS), non-LOS walking, rotational, and random movements. The measurements were repeated within three dif- ferent indoor environments and considered three different hypothetical body worn node locations. With the aid of these results, the parameters for the κ – μ /gamma composite fading model were estimated and analyzed extensively. Interestingly, for the majority of the indoor environments and movement scenarios, the parameter estimates suggested that dominant signal components existed even when the direct signal path was obscured by the test subject’s body. In addition, it is shown that the κ – μ /gamma composite fading model provides an adequate ﬁt to the fading effects involved in off-body communications channels. Using the Kullback–Leibler divergence, we have also compared our results
Vibrio Parahaemolyticus: A Review on Distribution, Pathogenesis, Virulence Determinants and Epidemiology

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative, halophilic bacterium isolated from marine environments globally. After the consumption of contaminated seafood, V. parahaemolyticus causes acute gastroenteritis. To initiate infection, a wide range of virulence factors are required. A complex group of genes is known to participate in the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus; however, to understand the full mechanism of infection, extensive research is yet required. V. parahaemolyticus has become the leading cause of seafood-related gastroenteritis in Japan, the United States and several other parts of the world. In addition, outbreaks caused by the pandemic clone of this organism are escalating and spreading universally. To minimize the risk of V. parahaemolyticus infection and warrant the safety of seafood, collaboration between governments and scientists is required. We herein provide an updated review of the pathogenicity determinants and distribution of V. parahaemolyticus to deliver a better understanding of the significance of V. parahaemolyticus and its host–pathogen interactions.
Conviction in Equity Investing

In this article, the authors examine the record of active public equity managers by separating investment products into skilled, unskilled, and no evidence of skill categories. They find that less than 2% of products exhibited evidence of skill over the time period. The authors argue that institutional investors spend far more resources on selecting and monitoring active managers than is warranted by the results, either in terms of portfolio results (contribution to risk) or added value. The authors divide their sample into deciles of active risk (volatility of excess returns relative to the investment manager’s chosen benchmark, and also Fama–French style benchmarks) and find a clear positive relationship between active risk and value added. They argue that a lack of willingness to take large bets, due to career risk fears, accounts for the poor value-added results of active equity managers and that the preference of institutional investors and their advisors for over-diversification and precise control of risk and style has contributed to the industry’s weak record. Investment managers, asset owners, and their advisors, the authors argue, must step up to act with the courage of their convictions in portfolio management.
Development in wind energy technology: an update

This paper presents an overview of the development in wind energy technology. Growth in wind technology and components of wind energy conversion systems are provided. Ratings, and system size are included for various applications in addition to power electronic converters and advantages of use. Attention is paid to offshore wind farms and their transmission systems. High wind power penetration in utility is discussed and role of wind forecasting is considered. The paper covers the required research and technical development in wind energy.
Fluid-Structure Interaction for the Classroom: Speed, Accuracy, Convergence, and Jellyfish!

When is good, good enough? This question lingers in approximation theory and numerical methods as a competition between accuracy and practicality. Numerical Analysis is traditionally where the rubber meets the road: students begin to use numerical algorithms to compute approximate solutions to non-trivial problems. However, it is difficult for students to understand that more accuracy is not always the goal, but rather enough accuracy for practical use and meaningful interpretation. This compromise between accuracy and computational time/resources can be explored through the use of convergence plots. We offer a variety of classroom activities that allow students to discover the usefulness of convergence plots, including a contemporary example involving jellyfish locomotion using fluid-structure interaction modeling. These examples will additionally illustrate subtleties of convergence analysis: the same numerical scheme can exhibit different convergence rates, and the definition of `error' may change the convergence properties. To solve the fluid-structure interaction system, the open source software IB2d is used. All numerical codes, scripts, and movies are provided for streamlined integration into a classroom setting.
Single Cell Based Phosphorylation Profiling Identifies Alterations in Toll-Like Receptor 7 and 9 Signaling in Patients With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is associated with polymorphisms and mRNA expression profiles that are indicative of an exaggerated innate and type I IFN immune response. Excessive activation potential of signaling pathways may play a role in this profile, but the intracellular signaling profile of the disease is not well characterized. To gain insights into potentially dysfunctional intracellular signaling profiles of pSS patients we conducted an exploratory analysis of MAPK/ERK and JAK/STAT signaling networks in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 25 female pSS patients and 25 female age-matched healthy donors using phospho-specific flow cytometry. We analyzed unstimulated samples, as well as samples during a 4 h time period following activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 9. Expression levels of MxA, IFI44, OAS1, GBP1, and GBP2 in PBMC were analyzed by real-time PCR. Cytokine levels in plasma were determined using a 25-plex Luminex-assay. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that basal phosphorylation profiles could be used to differentiate pSS patients from healthy donor samples by stronger intracellular signaling pathway activation in NK and T cells relative to B cells. Stimulation of PBMC with TLR7 and −9 ligands showed significant differences in the phosphorylation profiles between samples from pSS patients and healthy donors. Including clinical parameters such as extraglandular manifestations (EGM), we observed stronger responses of NF-κB and STAT3 S727 in B cells from EGM-negative patients compared to EGM-positive patients and healthy controls. Plasma cytokine levels were correlated to the basal phosphorylation levels in these patients. In addition, 70% of the patients had a positive IFN score. These patients differed from the IFN score negative patients regarding their phosphorylation profiles and their plasma cytokine levels. In conclusion, we here report increased signaling potentials in peripheral B cells of pSS patients in response to TLR7 and −9 stimulation through STAT3 S727 and NF-κB that correlate with a type I IFN signature. Induction of these pathways could contribute to the generation of a type I IFN signature in pSS. Patients displaying elevated potentiation of STAT3 S727 and NF-κB signaling could therefore benefit from therapies targeting these pathways.
Symmetric Magnetic Anomaly Objects' Orientation Recognition Based on Local Binary Pattern and Support Vector Machine

In order to identify the orientation or recognize the attitude of small symmetric magnetic anomaly objects at shallow depth, we propose a method of extracting local binary pattern (LBP) features from denoised magnetic anomaly signals and classifying symmetric magnetic objects that have different orientations based on support vector machine (SVM). First, nine component signals, such as magnetic gradient tensor matrix, total magnetic intensity (TMI), and so forth, are calculated from the original signal detected by the flux gate sensors. The nine component signals are processed by discrete wavelet transform (DWT), which aims to reduce noise and make the signal’s features clear. Then we extract LBP texture features from the denoised nine component signals. From the simulation analysis, we can conclude that the LBP texture features of the nine component signals have good interclass discrimination and intraclass aggregation, which can be used for pattern recognition. Finally, the LBP texture features are constructed into feature vectors. The orientations of symmetric ferromagnetic objects underground are identified by SVM based on the feature vectors. Through experiments, we can conclude that the orientation recognition accuracy rate reaches 90%. This suggests that we can obtain the details of magnetic anomalies through our method.
Environmental effects on Neotropical liana species richness

Aim Lianas differ physiologically from trees, and therefore their species‐richness patterns and potential climate‐change responses might also differ. However, multivariate assessments of spatial patterns in liana species richness and their controls are lacking. Our aim in this paper is to identify the environmental factors that best explain the variation in liana species richness within tropical forests.
Platform for Microgrid Design and Operation

This paper describes the development and requirement specification of a platform for design and operation of microgrids. The goal is to have a flexible platform based on open standards that can be used to efficiently solve current and future engineering problems for distributed energy sources and storage systems. By basing it on a unified architecture, collaboration and efficient work flows are enabled. In this work we investigate the requirements on the model and on the tool side. We also demonstrate how an energy storage system can be designed to reduce the maximum peak power and how it can be operated in the most economic efficient way, taking into consideration constraints and limitations of the system. This work is based on Modelon’s web-based modeling and simulation platform and its Modelica library Microgrid.
Entropy versus APE production: On the buoyancy power input in the oceans energy cycle

This letter argues that the current controversy about whether Wbuoyancy, the power input due to the surface buoyancy fluxes, is large or small in the oceans stems from two distinct and incompatible views on how Wbuoyancy relates to the volume‐integrated work of expansion/contraction B. The current prevailing view is that Wbuoyancy should be identified with the net value of B, which current theories estimate to be small. The alternative view, defended here, is that only the positive part of B, i.e., the one converting internal energy into mechanical energy, should enter the definition of Wbuoyancy, since the negative part of B is associated with the non‐viscous dissipation of mechanical energy. Two indirect methods suggest that by contrast, the positive part of B is potentially large.
Recent Trends in Compressive Raman Spectroscopy Using DMD-Based Binary Detection

The collection of high-dimensional hyperspectral data is often the slowest step in the process of hyperspectral Raman imaging. With the conventional array-based Raman spectroscopy acquiring of chemical images could take hours to even days. To increase the Raman collection speeds, a number of compressive detection (CD) strategies, which simultaneously sense and compress the spectral signal, have recently been demonstrated. As opposed to conventional hyperspectral imaging, where full spectra are measured prior to post-processing and imaging CD increases the speed of data collection by making measurements in a low-dimensional space containing only the information of interest, thus enabling real-time imaging. The use of single channel detectors gives the key advantage to CD strategy using optical filter functions to obtain component intensities. In other words, the filter functions are simply the optimized patterns of wavelength combinations characteristic of component in the sample, and the intensity transmitted through each filter represents a direct measure of the associated score values. Essentially, compressive hyperspectral images consist of ‘score’ pixels (instead of ‘spectral’ pixels). This paper presents an overview of recent advances in compressive Raman detection designs and performance validations using a DMD based binary detection strategy.
Americas Conference on Information Systems ( AMCIS ) 2009 Measuring Method Complexity : UML versus BPMN

Graphical models are used to depict relevant aspects of real-world domains intended to be supported by an information system. Various approaches for modeling exist and approaches such as object-oriented and process-oriented modeling methods are in widespread use. These modeling methods differ in their expressive power as well as in their complexity of use, thereby leading to an important investment decision for organizations seeking to conduct modeling projects. In this paper, we used an established approach for evaluating the complexity of conceptual modeling methods and compared two important industry standards for modeling, Unified Modeling Language and Business Process Modeling Notation, based on their complexity. Our research finds that BPMN has very high levels of complexity when contrasted with UML.