Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and Development of Pectin Microsphere of Metformin Hydrochloride

Purpose. The objective of the proposed work is to evaluate the efficacy of Pectins to qualify them as polymers for designing an oral microsphere for the delivery of selected oral antidiabetic drug-like metformin hydrochloride. Methods. Different Microspheres formulations were prepared by the water in oil (w\o) emulsion solvent evaporation technique and subsequently evaluated for its different physical parameters as well as its in vitro and in vivo drug release study. Results. The formulations F2 (98.42) and F3 (98.03) showed a constant and high release in the dissolution profile, so among these two formulations, F2 was taken for development study, due to the better result shown over in other evaluation parameters. From the HPLC determinations after in vivo study, it had been found that the test samples and the standard sample had not shown any significant fluctuation in relation to their retention time. Conclusion. From in vitro and in vivo results, it may be concluded that drug-loaded pectin microspheres in 1 : 1 ratio are a suitable delivery system for metformin hydrochloride and may be used for effective management of NIDDM. From this experiment, it could be concluded that as a natural polymer, pectin has potentiality in novel drug delivery system.
EVIDENCE OF AN INITIALLY MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED OUTFLOW IN GRB 080916C

The composition of gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta is still a mystery. The standard model invokes an initially hot “fireball” composed of baryonic matter. Here, we analyze the broadband spectra of GRB 080916C detected by the Fermi satellite. The featureless Band spectrum of all five epochs as well as the detections of ≳10 GeV photons in this burst place a strong constraint on the prompt emission radius Rγ, which is typically ≳1015 cm, independent of the details of the emission process. The lack of detection of a thermal component as predicted by the baryonic models strongly suggests that a significant fraction of the outflow energy is initially not in the “fireball” form, but is likely in a Poynting flux entrained with the baryonic matter. The ratio between the Poynting and baryonic fluxes is at least ∼(15–20) at the photosphere radius, if the Poynting flux is not directly converted to kinetic energy below the photosphere.
Neurocontroller Analysis via Evolutionary Network Minimization

This study presents a new evolutionary network minimization (ENM) algorithm. Neurocontroller minimization is beneficial for finding small parsimonious networks that permit a better understanding of their workings. The ENM algorithm is specifically geared to an evolutionary agents setup, as it does not require any explicit supervised training error, and is very easily incorporated in current evolutionary algorithms. ENM is based on a standard genetic algorithm with an additional step during reproduction in which synaptic connections are irreversibly eliminated. It receives as input a successfully evolved neurocontroller and aims to output a pruned neurocontroller, while maintaining the original fitness level. The small neurocontrollers produced by ENM provide upper bounds on the neurocontroller size needed to perform a given task successfully, and can provide for more effcient hardware implementations.
Evidence that the Early Loss of Membrane Protein Kinase C Is a Necessary Step in the Excitatory Amino Acid‐Induced Death of Primary Cortical Neurons

Abstract: A rapid loss of protein kinase C (PKC) activity is a prognostic feature of the lethal damage inflicted on neurons by cerebral ischemia in vivo and by hypoxic and excitotoxic insults in vitro. However, it is not known if this inactivation of PKC is incidental or is an essential part of the neurodegenerative process driven by such insults. To address this issue, the effects of glutamate on PKC activity and neurotoxicity were studied in immature [8 days in vitro (DIV)] and mature (15–20 DIV) embryonic day 18 rat cortical neuronal cultures. Exposing 16 DIV neurons to as little as 20–50 µM glutamate for 15 min was neurotoxic and induced a rapid (∼1–2 h) Ca2+‐dependent inactivation of membrane PKC. By contrast, neurons 8 DIV were resistant to >800 µM glutamate, and no evidence of PKC inactivation was observed. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analysis of NMDA and AMPA receptor subtypes and fluorometric intracellular Ca2+ concentration measurements of the effects of NMDA, AMPA, kainate, and metabotropic glutamate receptor activation demonstrated that this striking difference in vulnerability was not due to an absence of functional glutamate receptor on neurons 8 DIV. However, 8 DIV neurons became highly vulnerable to low (<20 µM) concentrations of glutamate when PKC activity was inhibited by 50 nM staurosporine, 1 µM calphostin C, 5 µM chelerythrine, or chronic exposure to 100 nM PMA. A 15‐min coapplication of 50 nM staurosporine with glutamate, NMDA, AMPA, or kainate killed between 50 and 80% of 8 DIV cells within the ensuing 24 h. Moreover, cell death was observed in these cells even when PKC inactivation was delayed up to 4 h after glutamate removal. The evidence indicates that a loss of PKC activity is an essential element of the excitotoxic death of neurons 8 DIV and that cellular event(s) responsible for linking glutamate‐mediated Ca2+ influx to PKC inactivation in vulnerable neurons 16 DIV are undeveloped in resistant cells 8 DIV. These results also suggest that the loss of neuronal PKC activity observed in cerebral ischemia may indeed be an important part of the neurodegenerative process. The 8 DIV/16 DIV cortical cell model may prove to be valuable in discerning those intracellular signaling events critical to glutamate‐mediated neuronal death.
When users do and don't rely on icon shape

It is expected that users learn to associate commands with an icon’s shape, and eventually learn to associate its position. The experiment reported suggests that if the icon’s shape is hard see as meaningful then subjects rely on position rather than shape in order to identify the appropriate icon. The experiment had four conditions, manipulating the abstractness of icon shape and constancy of icon position. After a training period, conditions changed without warning and the conclusions depend on whether or not performance was disrupted by the change. The effects were large: ranging from zero to four-fold worsening of performance.
The Beneficial Role of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 in the Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic disease characterized by symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling, dryness, scaling skin, inflammation, and tissue damage. The underlying pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. Steroid drugs are commonly used in the clinical treatment of AD; however, their long-term use may lead to associated complications. Numerous studies have indicated that probiotics could modulate the immune system, enhance immune function, or suppress excessive immune responses. In this study, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 (NTU 101) was orally administered for a duration of 4 weeks, followed by the induction of AD using ovalbumin (OVA) in a mouse model. The skin condition of the stimulated site was observed during the induction period. Subsequently, the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) content, splenocyte T cell typing, and skin histological interpretation were examined to evaluate the efficacy of NTU 101 in alleviating AD symptoms in allergen-exposed animals. The findings indicated that administering NTU 101 beforehand effectively alleviated skin symptoms in animals with AD. It reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells in skin tissue sections, and compared to the OVA group, there was a significant reduction in the thickening of the epidermal cell layer (decreased from 89.0 ± 20.2 µM to 48.6 ± 16.0 µM) and dermis layer (decreased from 310.3 ± 69.0 µM to 209.7 ± 55.5 µM). Moreover, the proportion of regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper 2 (Th2) cells in splenocytes significantly increased, while the proportions of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells did not differ. It is speculated that the potential mechanism by which NTU 101 prevents AD involves increasing the expression of Forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) and promoting Treg cell maturation, thereby alleviating allergic reaction symptoms associated with AD.
Pbx1 Represses Osteoblastogenesis by Blocking Hoxa10-Mediated Recruitment of Chromatin Remodeling Factors

ABSTRACT Abdominal-class homeodomain-containing (Hox) factors form multimeric complexes with TALE-class homeodomain proteins (Pbx, Meis) to regulate tissue morphogenesis and skeletal development. Here we have established that Pbx1 negatively regulates Hoxa10-mediated gene transcription in mesenchymal cells and identified components of a Pbx1 complex associated with genes in osteoblasts. Expression of Pbx1 impaired osteogenic commitment of C3H10T1/2 multipotent cells and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. Conversely, targeted depletion of Pbx1 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased expression of osteoblast-related genes. Studies using wild-type and mutated osteocalcin and Bsp promoters revealed that Pbx1 acts through a Pbx-binding site that is required to attenuate gene activation by Hoxa10. Chromatin-associated Pbx1 and Hoxa10 were present at osteoblast-related gene promoters preceding gene expression, but only Hoxa10 was associated with these promoters during transcription. Our results show that Pbx1 is associated with histone deacetylases normally linked with chromatin inactivation. Loss of Pbx1 from osteoblast promoters in differentiated osteoblasts was associated with increased histone acetylation and CBP/p300 recruitment, as well as decreased H3K9 methylation. We propose that Pbx1 plays a central role in attenuating the ability of Hoxa10 to activate osteoblast-related genes in order to establish temporal regulation of gene expression during osteogenesis.
An acridone‐producing novel multifunctional type III polyketide synthase from Huperzia serrata

A cDNA encoding a novel plant type III polyketide synthase was cloned and sequenced from the Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata (Huperziaceae). The deduced amino acid sequence of Hu. serrata polyketide synthase 1 showed 44–66% identity to those of other chalcone synthase superfamily enzymes of plant origin. Further, phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that Hu. serrata polyketide synthase 1 groups with other nonchalcone‐producing type III polyketide synthases. Indeed, a recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli showed unusually versatile catalytic potential to produce various aromatic tetraketides, including chalcones, benzophenones, phloroglucinols, and acridones. In particular, it is remarkable that the enzyme accepted bulky starter substrates such as 4‐methoxycinnamoyl‐CoA and N‐methylanthraniloyl‐CoA, and carried out three condensations with malonyl‐CoA to produce 4‐methoxy‐2′,4′,6′‐trihydroxychalcone and 1,3‐dihydroxy‐N‐methylacridone, respectively. In contrast, regular chalcone synthase does not accept these bulky substrates, suggesting that the enzyme has a larger starter substrate‐binding pocket at the active site. Although acridone alkaloids have not been isolated from Hu. serrata, this is the first demonstration of the enzymatic production of acridone by a type III polyketide synthase from a non‐Rutaceae plant. Interestingly, Hu. serrata polyketide synthase 1 lacks most of the consensus active site sequences with acridone synthase from Ruta graveolens (Rutaceae).
Increased uncoupling of beta-, beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor to myocardial contraction in failing human myocardium.

Coupling of myocardial beta-, beta 1-, beta 2- and alpha-adrenoceptors (AR) to myocardial contraction was investigated in patients with various degrees of heart failure. With the use of delta Vcfc, a load independent parameter of myocardial contraction, AR mediated contraction was evaluated. beta-AR mediated contraction, delta Vcfc by infusion of a beta-AR agonist, isoproterenol, declined with the advancement of heart failure from 0.41 Circ/sec (NYHA I) to 0.31 (NYHA II), 0.22 (NYHA III) and 0.12 (NYHA IV). Dobutamine, a beta 1-AR full agonist, mediated delta Vcfc was 92-97% of that of isoproterenol. On the other hand, terbutaline sulfate, a full agonist to beta 2-AR, increased delta Vcfc partially in comparison with isoproterenol; 51% in NYHA I, 52% in NYHA II, 36% in NYHA III and 17% in NYHA IV. An alpha 1-AR agonist, methoxamine had little effect on myocardial contractility beta-AR and alpha-AR densities were analyzed by saturation binding isotherms of myocardial membrane fraction with 125I-Iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) and 3H-Bunazosin, respectively. beta-1 and beta 2-ARs were separated by competition binding of 125ICYP with a highly selective beta 1 AR antagonist, CGP20712A. There was a progressive down regulation of beta, beta 1- and beta 2-ARs with the advancement of heart failure. A new index was used to examine coupling of ARs to myocardial contraction; Coupling Index. The index was slightly decreased in NYHA II in beta- and beta 1-ARs. In beta 2-AR, the coupling index declined as heart failure advanced from NYHA I to NYHA IV. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hydrograph Separation by Measurement of Electrical Conductivity and Discharge for Meltwaters in the Ganga Headwater Basin, Garhwal Himalaya

Water quality of meltwater streams in the Higher Himalaya is mainly controlled by precipitation (snowmelt, icemelt and monsoon rainfall), geology and land use patterns in the region. In response to increase in population growth and acidification of the Asian atmosphere, the quality of stream water in one of the pristine environments of the world viz. the Himalaya has been affected. The quality of water in these streams of the glacier region is controlled by mixing of the surface and subsurface waters. Hence, hydrographic study was carried out to quantify the proportion of glacier meltwater in the two different types of water sources in the stream viz. surface and subsurface. The hydrograph was separated into surface and subsurface component sources using a mixing model, and the electrical conductivity (EC) was used as a tracer for mixing of the surface and subsurface component. The results show that high variability in the temporal variation in the surface and subsurface component of water source in the stream. Average subsurface water contribution to stream water was 37 % of the total runoff. The subsurface water was rapidly flushed out from the system during the initial stages of snowmelting. During the rising limb, surface and subsurface flows contribute about 5 1 % and 48% of the total runoff respectively. Surface water was estimated to be the dominant component of streamflow on the falling limb of the hydrograph and constitutes about 77% of total flow. It constitutes however about 64% of total runoff for the whole water year.
Prevalence of the stx2 Gene in Coliform Populations from Aquatic Environments

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains are human pathogens linked to hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The major virulence factors of these strains are Shiga toxins Stx1 and Stx2. The majority of the genes coding for these toxins are borne by bacteriophages. Free Stx2-encoding bacteriophages have been found in aquatic environments, but there is limited information about the lysogenic strains and bacteria present in the environment that are susceptible to phage infection. The aim of this work was to study the prevalence and the distribution of the stx2 gene in coliform bacteria in sewage samples of different origins. The presence of the stx2 gene was monitored every 2 weeks over a 1-year period in a municipal sewage treatment plant. A mean value of 102 genes/ml was observed without significant variation during the study period. This concentration was of the same order of magnitude in raw municipal sewage of various origins and in animal wastewater from several slaughterhouses. A total of 138 strains carrying the stx2 gene were isolated by colony hybridization. This procedure detected approximately 1 gene-carrying colony per 1,000 fecal coliform colonies in municipal sewage and around 1 gene-carrying colony per 100 fecal coliform colonies in animal wastewaters. Most of the isolates belonged to E. coli serotypes other than E. coli O157, suggesting a low prevalence of strains of this serotype carrying the stx2 gene in the wastewater studied.
Cálculo del exponente de Hurst utilizando Spark Streaming: enfoque experimental sobre un flujo de transacciones de criptomonedas

Resumen. Actualmente es cada vez más común encontrarse con problemas de Big Data, donde las aplicaciones desarrolladas para resolver dichos problemas son implementadas en frameworks específicos. Uno de los que más se utiliza es Apache Spark, que posee el módulo Spark Streaming el cual permite el tratamiento de datos provenientes de un flujo de información potencialmente infinito. En este trabajo se presenta una aplicación implementada en Spark Streaming que realiza el cálculo del exponente de Hurst, un indicador muy utilizado en el análisis de mercado para la detección de memoria a largo plazo. Los ensayos realizados se hicieron sobre flujos simulados de transacciones de criptomonedas que demuestran la capacidad de Spark Streaming para el tratamiento de este tipo de flujos.
Scene Perception in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Effect of Contrast

Purpose. To investigate the effect of contrast on scene perception in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to examine the relationship between task performance and macular function. Methods. Nineteen patients with AMD and visual acuity below 20/50 were compared with 16 normally sighted, age-matched controls. Complete ophthalmologic examination (visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, and funduscopy) was performed in both patients and controls. In addition, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, fluorescein angiography, and visual field size were assessed in the AMD study patients. The stimuli were photographs of natural scenes containing or lacking an animal (the target). For each scene, the contrast of the original photograph was divided by 2, 4, and 8 to yield versions with a residual contrast of 50, 25, and 12.5%, respectively. The four levels of contrast were presented randomly and participants were asked to press a key when they saw an animal. Results. AMD patients exhibited a larger drop in target detection performance with the decrease in contrast than controls. We found a correlation between visual acuity and performance when the contrast was reduced to 50, 25, and 12.5% of the original value but not in the normal contrast condition. There were no correlations between letter contrast sensitivity, visual field lesion size, and performance. Conclusions. Our results suggest that optimal, stable contrast conditions would facilitate object recognition in everyday life for people with AMD.
Discovering Packet Structure through Lightweight Hierarchical Clustering

The complexity of current Internet applications makes understanding network traffic a challenging task. By providing larger-scale aggregates for analysis, unsupervised clustering approaches can greatly aid in the identification of new applications, attacks, and other changes in network usage patterns. In this paper we introduce ADHIC, a new algorithm that clusters similar network traffic together without prior knowledge of protocol structures. Packet similarity is determined through comparisons of substrings within packets at distinguishing offsets. ADHIC is notable in that it 1) produces a hierarchical decomposition of network traffic in the form of a cluster-identifying decision tree, 2) needs only a small fraction of packets to generate the tree, and 3) clusters packets at wire speeds. We find that ADHIC appropriately segregates well-known protocols, clusters together traffic of the same protocol running on multiple ports, and segregates traffic from applications, such as p2p, that do not use standard ports. Potential applications include network performance analysis, real-time alerts of flash crowds or worm activity, and dynamic DoS-resistant bandwidth management. NetADHICT, our implementation of ADHIC, is available for download and is licensed under the GNU GPL license.
Efficacy of Kirin pill plus vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of ovarian reserve hypofunction

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of Kirin pill plus vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Methods: 145 patients with ovarian reserve hypofunction hospitalized in Xiangyang Central Hospital, Xiangyang City, China from March 2019 to March 2022 were recruited and assigned randomly to receive either vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 (control group), or vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 plus Kirin pills (study group). The parameters/indices determined include menstrual recovery, clinical efficacy, sex hormone and serum anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, changes in the number of ovarian sinus follicles, and levels of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell. Results: There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) observed among baseline data, pre-treatment sex hormones, serum AMH, ovarian antral follicle count, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell levels. After the intervention, administration of the Kirin pill resulted in significantly lower serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and FSH/luteinizing hormone (LH), elevated AMH levels, and better LH and estradiol (E2) levels in patients compared to the administration of vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 (control group). The study group also showed superior ovarian reserve function and more ovarian basal sinus follicles than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Kirin pill plus vitamin CE and coenzyme Q10 treatment regimen optimizes the ovarian reserve function of patients with DOR infertility by improving basal sex hormones, menstrual cycle and menstrual volume, AMH and ovarian basal sinus follicle count. Further clinical trials are required prior to application in clinical practice.
Metal and Silicate Particles Including Nanoparticles Are Present in Electronic Cigarette Cartomizer Fluid and Aerosol

Background Electronic cigarettes (EC) deliver aerosol by heating fluid containing nicotine. Cartomizer EC combine the fluid chamber and heating element in a single unit. Because EC do not burn tobacco, they may be safer than conventional cigarettes. Their use is rapidly increasing worldwide with little prior testing of their aerosol. Objectives We tested the hypothesis that EC aerosol contains metals derived from various components in EC. Methods Cartomizer contents and aerosols were analyzed using light and electron microscopy, cytotoxicity testing, x-ray microanalysis, particle counting, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results The filament, a nickel-chromium wire, was coupled to a thicker copper wire coated with silver. The silver coating was sometimes missing. Four tin solder joints attached the wires to each other and coupled the copper/silver wire to the air tube and mouthpiece. All cartomizers had evidence of use before packaging (burn spots on the fibers and electrophoretic movement of fluid in the fibers). Fibers in two cartomizers had green deposits that contained copper. Centrifugation of the fibers produced large pellets containing tin. Tin particles and tin whiskers were identified in cartridge fluid and outer fibers. Cartomizer fluid with tin particles was cytotoxic in assays using human pulmonary fibroblasts. The aerosol contained particles >1 µm comprised of tin, silver, iron, nickel, aluminum, and silicate and nanoparticles (<100 nm) of tin, chromium and nickel. The concentrations of nine of eleven elements in EC aerosol were higher than or equal to the corresponding concentrations in conventional cigarette smoke. Many of the elements identified in EC aerosol are known to cause respiratory distress and disease. Conclusions The presence of metal and silicate particles in cartomizer aerosol demonstrates the need for improved quality control in EC design and manufacture and studies on how EC aerosol impacts the health of users and bystanders.