Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypoglycemic Effect of Lippia javanica in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Mice

Lippia javanica is widely distributed throughout Kenya where it is used extensively in traditional herbal preparations. An infusion of the leaves is commonly used as a decongestant for colds and coughs including diabetes, however, its efficacy profiles have not been scientifically evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the in vivo antidiabetic activity of aqueous leaf extracts of this plant in white male alloxan-induced albino mice. The antidiabetic activity of the aqueous leaf extracts was orally and intraperitoneally bioscreened in alloxan induced diabetic mice at different doses of 25 mg/kgbwt, 48.4 mg/kgbwt, 93.5 mg/kgbwt, 180.9 mg/kgbwt and 350 mg/kgbwt. The treatment effects were then compared with the controls. Phytochemical composition was assessed using standard procedures. The extract showed hypoglycemic activity at dose levels of 25, 48.4, 93.5, 180.9 and 350 mg/kg body weight in a dose independent manner. The extracts contained tannins, flavonoids, saponins, sterols, alkaloids, and free or bound anthraquinones. The observed hypoglycemic activity could be associated with the phytochemicals present in this plant extract. In conclusion the results showed that the plant extracts were effective in reducing blood sugar levels and revealed the presence of vital phytochemicals which possess antidiabetic activities. The study therefore, confirmed the traditional use of these herbs and established their efficacy data that can guide proper use of these plants in the management of diabetes mellitus. Consideration should be made to carry out the same studies using higher animals or subject the plant to organic solvent extraction and compare activities of both aqueous and organic fractions.
Variation of bulk density and organic matter in soils of tea garden belt of undivided Darrang district, Assam

Quantitative measures to monitor soil physical properties like bulk density and organic matter are more developed now and are still being explored as to how these measures control the total pore space and pore size distribution in soil. The present study has been undertaken to study the variation of SOM and b in and around some selected tea gardens of Darrang district, Assam for strengthening regional soil quality database so that purpose-oriented soil assessments and predictions can be made in the area. Thirty soil samples were collected from the study area and analysed for SOM and b as per standard procedures. The study reveals SOM and b in the area exhibit an unsymmetrical distribution with a long tail either on the right or left side of the mean. It is, therefore, important that we value and conserve our soils so that they will continue to be useful in the future.
A Structural Macro Model of the Yield Curve with Stochastic Endpoints

This paper proposes a methodology to estimate structural macroeconomic models including stochastic endpoints. Using a transitory-permanent decomposition of the Euler equations, the method first solves for the transitory dynamics and subsequently provides the solution for the full model by substituting back in the steady state dynamics. The method is applied to models linking the macroeconomic dynamics to the term structure of interest rates. We find that nonstationary variables play a crucial role in this respect. More specifically, long-run inflation expectations, filtered from macroeconomic variables, turn out to be extremely important in the determination of the term structure.
LMA CTrach™—Results of our first experience with the fiberoptic intubating laryngeal mask airway in 80 patients

Summary We report on our initial clinical experience with the new LMA CTrach™. The intention was to evaluate its suitability in the routine anaesthetic working environment. Method: After inducing general anesthesia and muscle relaxation, the CTrach™ was used in elective patients, and its functionality was tested. We attempted to visualize the level of the vocal cords via the fiberoptic, and to subsequently carry out optically controlled endotracheal intubation. Results: The CTrach™ was used in 80 ASA I-III patients, 10 patients of which had been identified with difficult-to-manage airways. Ventilation via the laryngeal mask and thus securing the airway was possible in all patients. Larynx visualization was achieved in 85% of all cases. Intubation suc-ceeded in 95% at an average of 1.34 intubation attempts per patient. Tracheal intubation failed in 4 patients. Conclusion: LMA CTrach™ allows optically controlled intubation in a large number of patients.
Recent Results in Software Process Modeling

Understanding software process interactions and feedback is increasingly important given changing software development and evolution paradigms. Towards this end, a new graduate course in Software Process Modeling was developed by this author at the University of Southern California Center for Software Engineering (USC-CSE) [1]. It was first offered in the Fall of 1999, and the term projects were original investigations into critical process issues. This abstract summarizes the student research projects, and highlights some results in terms of identifying important feedback in software processes. Rather than focus on previous contributions [2], [3], only new and previously unreported student work is described herein. The in-process book Software Process Dynamics [4] was the primary text for the class. Some of the student work incorporates new concepts in the book, such as inter-phase iterative feedback, process concurrence, personnel factors, learning feedback and model calibration techniques.
Coastal Artificial Habitats for Fishery and Environmental Management and Scientific Advancement

Benthic reefs are the principal type of artificial habitat deployed in coastal waters worldwide to achieve fishery, ecosystem and other purposes. Ancient techniques to attract fishes to submerged natural objects for subsistence food harvest continue to be used, especially in tropical areas, while larger and more complex reefs commonly built of manmade materials and designed to meet an ecological life history requirement or limiting factor have been used in commercial fishing over the past 50 years, and more lately in marine ranching. Geographic centers of long-term artificial reef research and development include eastern Asia, the Mediterranean basin, India and North America. Trends in the use of this technology include a wider number of non-fishery applications, such as protection of habitat, conservation of biodiversity and socioeconomic development, at a growing number of sites in over 50 countries. This paper presents significant findings and trends concerning the ecology of artificial reefs, their effects on fisheries and ecosystems, and appropriate applications of the technology. The maturation of long-term biological datasets has enabled quantification of ecological processes such as production of biomass at artificial reef sites, characterization of functional equivalence for artificial and natural reefs, and determination of sustainability of certain localized fishery harvests.
Analysing witness testimony : a guide for legal practitioners and other professionals

16.1. 1 Expert Testimony: Background The purpose of civil and criminal trials is to decide issues of fact and of law. In most jurisdictions, including England and Scotland, issues of fact are normally decided by juries and issues of law by judges. For several centuries, decisions about issues of fact, in certain cases, have been assisted by experts. As early as 1554, Saunders J. remarked in the case of Buckley v Rice-Thomas (quoted in Cross & Tapper, 1995, p. 555) that ‘If matters arise in our law which concern other sciences or faculties we commonly apply for the aid of that science or faculty which it concerns. This is a commendable thing in our law. For thereby it appears that we do not dismiss all other sciences but our own, but we approve of them and encourage them as things worthy of commendation’.
Beneficial Effects of Green Tea Catechin on Veterinary Sciences and Bacterial Infections

The anti-bacterial effects of green tea catechins (GTCs) have been extensively studied. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant in GTCs, has shown the highest anti-microbial effect among GTCs. This review focuses on anti-bacterial effects and veterinary use of GTCs and EGCG. EGCG shows inhibition of bacterial growth and bio-film formation, and bactericidal effect, resulting from stress response and damage of cell membrane. In veterinary use, feed addition of EGCG and TE brought health improvement to livestock.
Isotope Effects of Copper in Cu(II) Ligand-Exchange Systems by Ion Exchange Chromatography.

The isotope effects of copper in ligand exchange processes were studied by means of chelating ion exchange resin system and EDTA complex/cation-exchange resin system. Two cases of different ionic interactions systems were investigated using chelating ion exchange resin system; Cu-H and Cu-Co systems. Both cases were investigated using the breakthrough technique, while the reverse breakthrough technique was applied in the case of EDTA. The chromatograms obtained from two different chelating resin systems were not ideal but they can be improved in future work. The heavier isotope 65Cu was found to be enriched in the ligand side in all cases, the resin phase in the case of chelating resin and the solution phase in the case of EDTA complex system. The separation coefficients in the two chelating systems were found to be constant and equal to 1.1×10-5. Concerning the EDTA complex system, the chromatogram obtained was ideal one and the separation coefficient was found to be 1.3×10-5.
Intellectual Capital and its Impact on the Financial Performance of Russian Manufacturing Companies

Intellectual Capital (IC) has been argued to be the key element of value creation in the contemporary economy. According to the results obtained in [Molnar, 2004] in the 1980s the share of tangible assets accounted for about 62% of market capitalization of companies on developed markets. However, by the start of the 2000s, their share fell to 16%. This has been widely supported by empirical research, but mainly based on the data from developed markets. The questions of how IC and its elements work on emerging markets remains under-researched due to a lack of empirical research devoted to this topic. The aim of the study is to provide empirical insight into the relationship between three main elements of IC (human, relational and organisational) and organisational performance of Russian companies, such as asset profitability, net sales growth and market share. The sample includes 240 Russian companies. Information about different elements of intellectual capital has been gathered with the help of a questionnaire that has been answered by the executive management of the companies included in the sample over the course of January-March 2015. The data is collected with the survey using the scales that have been already internationally. The findings based on regression analysis demonstrate that structural and human capital positively influence organisational performance, while relational capital does not. We can assume that the results that we obtained can be explained by the specific features of the analyzed industries. For manufacturing companies the organizational structure and the effectiveness of internal processes play a much more important role in company value creation than relations with customers and other stakeholders. The core managerial implication of this study is that building the structural capital, providing employees with efficient and relevant information systems and tools to support cooperation between employees, as well as carefully documenting organizational knowledge and making it easily accessible for employees, should be in the focus of the managers of manufacturing companies. The concept of IC management in our article is developed within the international context and focuses on emerging markets. At the end of the paper, the main areas for further research are presented.
Effect of Aphid Host Plant on Development and Reproduction of the Third Trophic Level, the Predator Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract Secondary plant substances, also called allelochemicals, play a major role in pest infestations. Glucosinolates (GLS) and their degradation products are powerful phagostimulants for herbivores feeding on Brassicaceae and deter the noncrucifer feeders but are tolerated by some generalist phytophagous insects such as the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae Sultzer. Do the allelochemical substances only effect the herbivores or do they also influence the predators of the pest? Broad bean, Vicia faba L. (GLS free), oilseed rape, Brassica napus L. (low GLS level), and white mustard, Sinapis alba L. (high GLS level), were used in this work as host plant for the prey. Although the two latter Brassicaceae species had positive effects on aphid reproductive rates, host plants displayed mixed influences on the performance of the predaceous twospotted lady beetle, Adalia bipunctata L. Both rape and mustard shortened development duration and increased adult weight of the twospotted lady beetle. No significant difference of lady beetle mortality was observed, depending on the prey host plant. Whereas, rape-fed M. persicae enhanced larger egg production and larvae emergence, mustard-fed M. persicae induced lower fecundity and egg viability of the beetles. Fitness of M. persicae on high GLS plant-fed A. bipunctata was lower than the other plants. Biological parameters of aphid predators are closely linked to chemical composition of Brassicaceae species. This work on allelochemical impact gave opportunities to better understand interactions of the plant-aphid-lady beetle tritrophic model and demonstrated that successful biological control of pests must integrate the environmental aspects of each trophic level.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Central regulation of glucose metabolism

The hypothalamus lies adjacent to the 3rd ventricle and is in close proximity with the median eminence (ME), a circumventricular organ with an incomplete blood–brain barrier (BBB), which controls direct entry of nutrients into the brain. The blood-CSF barrier of the hypothalamus shows dynamic changes upon neuroendocrine events and adjusts permeability with the tight junction (TJ) complex. It has been shown that chronic exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) affects BBB permeability. HFD also induces leptin resistance and alters neuropeptide expression in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the hypothalamus starting early during overnutrition. We hypothesized altered integrity of the BBB to occur after exposing rats to a free-choice high-fat high-sugar (fcHFHS) diet for one week. We measured diffusion of Evans blue dye over the ME and assessed expression of the TJ proteins ZO-1, claudin-5 and occludin in the tanycytic wall of the 3rd ventricle. Furthermore, we assessed protein expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1), which is highly expressed in the Arc-ME complex and facilitates glucose transport over the BBB. fcHFHS-fed rats increased caloric intake compared to control, however there was no effect of the fcHFHS diet on permeability of the BBB, nor changes in protein expression of tight TJ proteins or GLUT1. Fasting acutely affects the BBB and we hypothesized that exposure to the fcHFHS diet affects the BBB differently compared to chow after fasting. We did not, however, find any differences in Evans blue diffusion nor protein expression between chow and fcHFHS fed rats when fasted overnight. We conclude that short-term consumption of a fcHFHS diet does not change permeability or diffusion in the hypothalamus barrier in ad libitum fed or fasted rats. Proefschrift_MEREL RIJNSBURGER_versie 3A.indd 48 2-1-2018 19:19:33 49 fcHFHS diet and blood-brain-barrier permeability
Exchange catalysis during anaerobic methanotrophy revealed by 12CH2D2 and 13CH3D in methane

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is a crucial component of the methane cycle, but quantifying its role in situ under dynamic environmental conditions remains challenging. We use sediment samples collected during IODP Expedition 347 to the Baltic Sea to show that relative abundances of 12CH2D2 and 13CH3D in methane remaining after microbial oxidation are in internal, thermodynamic isotopic equilibrium, and we attribute this phenomenon to the reversibility of the initial step of AOM. These data suggest that 12CH2D2 and 13CH3D together can identify the influence of anaerobic methanotrophy in environments where conventional bulk isotope ratios are ambiguous, and these findings may lead to new insights regarding the global significance of enzymatic back reaction in the methane cycle.
Perceived Stress and an Elaborated Structural Model of Adult Student Persistence: An Examination of Financial Aid, Financial Satisfaction, Intent To Persist and Persistence.

Researchers used cross-sectional survey research to reexamine the problem of adult persistence within undergraduate degree programs. They identified a variable--perceived stress--that permitted a richer explanation of the process of student persistence. A model was presented that examined the attitudinal and behavioral impacts of unmet need, financial aid, financial satisfaction, financial difficulty, and academic performance while maintaining a loosely coupled conceptual kinship to the integrated model of student persistence of Sandler (1999). Empirical considerations of St. John, et al. (1994, 2000) and Sandler were explored to produce an innovative path analysis, thereby investigating nonrecursive and reciprocal interactions that were new to the literature. The hypotheses and effects examined explicated adult student decision-making constraints, attitudes, choices, and behavior allied to the theory of planned behavior of Ajzen that bore an empirical impact and other outcomes within the model. Unmet need was empirically shown to be illustrative of nontraditional students' decision making, having an orthogonal impact, as a direct effect, on financial aid, financial satisfaction, and persistence borne by learners continuing their studies for a degree. Findings indicated perceived stress and cumulative grade point average had the widest range of influence on endogenous variables. (Contains 42 references.) (YLB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Perceived Stress and an Elaborated Structural Model of Adult Student Persistence: An Examination of Financial Aid, Financial Satisfaction, Intent to Persist and Persistence Martin E. Sandler, Ph.D. New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Martin E. Sandier, Ph.D. 240 Cabrini Boulevard, # 6C New York, NY 10033 daytime (212) 790-1646 evening (212) 795-1966 E-Mail: martin.sandler@nyu.edu facsimile (212) 790-1686 A paper presented before the American Educational Research Association 2001 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA. Perceived Stress and an Elaborated Structural Model of Adult Student Persistence: An Examination of Financial Aid, Financial Satisfaction, Intent to Persist and Persistence
The Riemann problem for a single conservation law in two space dimensions

This paper r.onsiders the single hyperbolic conservation law in two space dimensions: The Riemann problem in several space dimensions is the initial value problem when the initial values are constant. on a finite number of wedges meeting in a single point. Tn ser.t. ion one we present a nulW'rir.al method for solving this problem if t.he funr.t. ions J and g are piecewise linear and cont.inous with a finite number- of hre.akpoint. "'. Tn ser.t. ion two we obtain stahilit.y estimates fm the computed ROlution with respect to the initial valueA"' of J a.nd g. We can then show existence and uniqueness in L1 if the initial function can he appmximated hy polygonwiAe r.onstant. functions and hru~ r.ompact. suppor-t, and if the flux funt.ions can he appmximat.ed hy piecewise line.ar cnrveA"'. Tn section fom we show . t.hat if the ROlnt.ion is sufficiently smooth, it will satisfy an entr-opy condition. Some of these r-esult. '! wer-e pr-esented at the fonrt.h European Symposium on Enhanced Oil Recover-y [12].
Potential Roles of mTOR and Protein Degradation Pathways in the Phenotypic Expression of Feed Efficiency in Broilers

The cost of feed represents as much as 70% of the total cost of raising a meat producing animal to market weight. Thus, feed efficiency (FE; g gain: g feed) is a very important genetic trait in animal agriculture. We have observed that a hallmark of low feed efficiency in a highly selected male broiler (meat chicken) line was extensive protein oxidation that probably resulted from increased reactive oxygen species being produced by the mitochondria. Repair or resynthesis of damaged proteins would therefore represent a considerable energetic drain and contribute to the phenotypic expression of low feed efficiency. In the present study, a software program (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, IPA) facilitated the analysis and interpretation of data from a 4 x 44k chicken oligo array on breast muscle along with data from previous studies obtained from broilers individually phenotyped for FE. The findings support a hypothesis that differential expression of genes associated with the Akt/mTOR, protein ubiquitination, and proteasome pathways through modulation of transcription and protein turnover could play an important role in the phenotypic expression of feed efficiency. Confirmation of this hypothesis will require a thorough assessment of protein expression as well as protein and enzyme activity measurements associated with these pathways in the low and high FE broiler phenotypes.
Modification and Investment Intention in the Consumer-Possession Relationship: A Love Story

The present-day automobile is at once a source of physical transportation, of course,but also an extension of self, a potential platform for self-expression and imageenhancement, a source of social approval as well as psychological and physiologicalstimulation, and, perhaps, an object of beauty. This study examines motivationsand antecedents of various vehicle-directed consumer behaviors, includingmodification and the intention of consumers to invest in their relationship withtheir vehicle. In this study, vehicle modification refers to the voluntary actionstaken by a user or owner of a vehicle to differentiate the functional or aestheticcharacteristics or performance of a vehicle from other vehicles of the same make,model, year, option package, usage level, and mechanical and cosmetic condition.Investment intention, predicted in this research to derive from the perceived statusof the consumer-possession relationship (i.e., how the consumer perceives thereliability and aesthetic appeal of the vehicle and the extent to which the vehiclereceives the approval of important others), refers to the willingness of consumers totreat their vehicle as a special possession and invest in the longevity of thepossession and consumption relationship.