Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Papaya Seed Extract (Carica papaya Linn.) on Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT 4) Expression of Skeletal Muscle Tissue in Diabetic Mice Induced by High Fructose Diet

Ethnobotany surveys show that papaya seeds are widely used as herbs for the management of some diseases such as abdominal discomfort, pain, malaria, diabetes, obesity, and infection. This research was conducted to analyze the effect of papaya seed extract on GLUT4 expression on skeletal muscle tissue of DM type II model induced by high fructose diet. This study used 24 animals, divided into 4 groups of negative control group, treated with papaya seed extract 100 mg / kgBB, 200 mg / kgBW and 300 mg / kgBW, was adapted for 14 days then induced by fructose solution 20% Orally with a dose of 1.86 grams / kgBB for 56 days. The treatment group was given papaya seed extract in accordance with the dose of each group for 14 days. GDP levels was measured using a spectrophotometer. Skeletal muscle tissue is used on the gastrocnemius part. GLUT4 expression was measured through a Immunoreactive Score (IRS) method with immunohistochemical staining using GLUT4 polyclonal antibodies. Comparative test results showed that there were significant differences between groups (p <0.05) in final GDP variables and GLUT4 expression. Pearson correlation test results show that the value p = 0.001, meaning there is a significant relationship between GLUT4 expression with final GDP levels. The result of simple linear regression analysis showed that p = 0,000 (<0,05), meaning that dose of papaya seed extract had a significant influence on GLUT4 expression.
Sucrose metabolism in lactobacilli and bifidobacteria

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced from sucrose by sourdough lactobacilli can have positive effects on dough and bread quality. The production of oligosaccharides and the incorporation of bifidobacteria can further enhance the nutritional value of baked goods. The sucrose metabolism of Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium lactis and the glycosyltransferases and sucrose phosphorylases involved therein were genetically and biochemically characterized. The glucan synthesis by L. reuteri was optimized. EPS increased the stress tolerance of this strain. Further, the influence of in situ produced fructan on the quality of baked goods and the performance of the fructan-producing L. sanfranciscensis in comparison to its fructosyltransferase-negative isogenic mutant was elucidated. It was shown that the production of acids alleviate the positive effects of the EPS.
Étude de la Sensibilité Aux Huiles Essentielles de Cinnamomum Verum, Eucalyptus Globulus, et Glycyrrhiza Glabra L Ainsi qu’aux Antibiotiques de Certains Germes Issus de la Restauration Collective

Food safety is still a very important topic of interest. The use of medicinal plants extracts can be an efficient alternative for fighting food-borne infections in the face of the increase of resistance to antibiotics. We have studied the sensitivity of bacterial strains isolated from food outlets using commonly used antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Vancomycin, Ceftriaxone, Teicoplanin, Rifampicin and Amikacin). This was done using an antibiogram. We have also tested their sensitivity against essential oils extracted from medicinal plants (Cinnamomum verum, Eucalyptus globulus, and Glycyrrhiza glabra L) using aromatogram. This study was conducted using 27 bacterial strains, including 9 Escherichia coli strains, 9 Staphylococcus aureus strains, 9 Salmonella spp. strains, and 3 ATCC strains (E. coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 et Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028). Results revealed that two plant extracts has a substantial antibacterial activity with zones of inhibition ranging from 10 to 25 mm, and it reached 35 mm when using a cocktail of plant extracts. Regarding the antibiotics we used, all strains of Salmonella spp. demonstrated a resistance to amoxicillin and to ceftriaxone. The tested strains of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus had a partial resistance to the tested antibiotics, which confirms the results of previous studies.
A importância dos modelos murinos na caracterização das respostas imunológicas às leishmanioses: uma revisão

As leishmanioses sao doencas causadas por parasitos do genero Leishmania sp . O grande numero dos estudos na construcao do conhecimento sobre as formas clinicas das leishmanioses, principalmente na area da Imunologia, contribui para a compreensao dos processos imunologicos envolvidos na reposta as infeccoes por Leishmania . Propostas de vacinas e tratamentos farmacologicos para essas doencas sao, tambem, realizados em modelos de camundongos (murinos). Aqui, nosso objetivo foi realizar uma revisao ampliada e esquematica sobre os resultados obtidos nos ultimos anos sobre as respostas imunes desenvolvidas nos modelos murinos para a leishmaniose. Acreditamos que essa sistematizacao e importante no direcionamento de estudos e construcao de conhecimentos futuros sobre a leishmaniose.
Hybrid Bacterial Foraging Sine Cosine Algorithm for Solving Global Optimization Problems

This paper proposes a new hybrid algorithm between Bacterial Foraging Algorithm (BFA) and Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) called Hybrid Bacterial Foraging Sine Cosine Algorithm (HBFSCA) to solve global optimization problems. The proposed HBFSCA algorithm synergizes the strength of BFA to avoid local optima with the adaptive step-size and highly randomized movement in SCA to achieve higher accuracy compared to its original counterparts. The performances of the proposed algorithm have been investigated on a set of single-objective minimization problems consist of 30 benchmark functions, which include unimodal, multimodal, hybrid, and composite functions. The results obtained from the test functions prove that the proposed algorithm outperforms its original counterparts significantly in terms of accuracy, convergence speed, and local optima avoidance.
Controle e profilaxia de mastite causada por staphylococcus sp. em vacas leiteiras: revisão de literatura

Mastitis is a very common disease in dairy cows, causing many losses both in terms of treatment cost as decreased milk production. There are several species of bacteria and fungi that cause mastitis, varying its resistance to antibiotics used in mastitis cases. The family of bacteria that cause major damage is Staphylococcus sp . , Contagious bacteria, can become chronic and thus hinder the treatment. Didactically fall into two main groups of Staphylococcus sp. , Coagulase negative Staphylococcus species and Staphylococcus aureus. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus bacteria are usually with high prevalence in the herd, but very sensitive to conventional antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium with complicated treatment, with a tendency to chronicity, normally reasons for disposal in cows, the low cure rate and transmission potential for healthy animals. Avoid the cause of contagious mastitis source is the best way to control the herd, the drying treatment of lactating animals, line milking, milking management and well done review of milking equipment. There is need for greater control and prevention of mastitis and empower producers on best practices for antimicrobial use. Several studies show that antibiotics commonly used on the farm tend to be the toughest, decreasing efficiency in treatment, usually by underdosing, poor implementation of the drug and a short duration of treatment.
Do “Non-Partisan” Municipal Politicians Match the Partisanship of Their Constituents?

Recent research in the United States has found that municipal governments are responsive to the ideological complexion of their cities even in the absence of partisan elections. In this paper, I test for the presence of party match—a match between the partisan character of a district and the partisanship of its municipal representative—in Canada, where municipal elections are distinctively non-partisan. Using new data on district-level party support and the partisanship of Canadian municipal politicians, I find clear evidence for party match. This match is equally likely in at-large and ward elections, partisan and non-partisan elections, and large and small cities. I thus argue that partisan and ideological representation is an important and widespread feature of Canadian municipal politics. I discuss the implications of these findings for theories of municipal representation and the role of ideology in municipal politics.
Comparative investigation of bio-beneficiation of Kasnau-Matasukh lignite using native microorganisms

ABSTRACT In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to beneficiate lignite using Burkholderia sp. GR 8–02, Bacillus sp. XQW, and mixed consortium. The experiments showed that Bacillus sp. XQW could remove 18.18–37.50% of total sulfur followed by mixed consortium (18.18–29.17%) and Burkholdria sp. GR 8–02 (9.09%-29.17%). There was also a concomitant decrease in the content of mineral matter as revealed in decrease of ash yields from 10.02 to 29.12% by Bacillus sp. XQW followed by 11.74–29.10% by Burkholderia sp. GR8-02 and 9.93–29.30% by mixed consortium. During the biotreatment of lignite, a reduction in the volatile matter and oxygen was also observed. Study through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), petrography, and chemistry of lignite samples provided more insights into the changes in the calorific values as well as the chemical attributes of the lignite after bacterial treatment. The study revealed an increase in the Gross calorific value (6417–7234 cal/g) and Net calorific value (6522–7190 cal/g) of the lignite following the bacterial treatment. Thus, bacterial treatment of the lignite samples proved to be an effective tool for the upgradation of lignite.
Development of a quasi‐real‐time distribution voltage monitoring system

Data compression has its own importance in numerous applications, including power systems and several algorithms were developed for managing data associated with the power system. As security is a matter of concern in transferring the compressed information through any communication channel, data encryption can ensure data security. A low computational, microcontroller implementable, asymmetric key encryption algorithm similar to Rivest–Shamir–Adleman algorithm is proposed here for encrypting any ASCII character. As combined differential binary encoding algorithm (C-DBEA) can handle almost all practical data sets and can achieve a moderately high compression ratio (CR), an attempt was made to ensure the security of the compressed data by developing the low computational compressed, encrypted algorithm. A data array is compressed by using C-DBEA in this compressed, encrypted algorithm and is encrypted by using the proposed encryption algorithm. After successful PC-based testing, the algorithm is implemented successfully at the microcontroller level as well. Finally, the compressed, encrypted Data Acquisition System is realised for measuring distribution voltage where compressed, encrypted data transfer occurs between two microcontrollers. High CR is obtained for the less fluctuating voltage profile data of urban areas where the volume of data reduces by >95%.
Folic acid-conjugated carbon dots as green fluorescent probes based on cellular targeting imaging for recognizing cancer cells

Implementing visual detection of cancer cells has the potential to contribute greatly to basic biological research; early diagnosis of cancer is still a challenging issue. In this work, we designed and fabricated folic acid-conjugated fluorescent carbon dots (FA-CDs) for targeted imaging of cancer cells. The green fluorescent CDs were prepared by a facile hydrothermal treatment of dandelion as the carbon source and ethanediamine (EDA). The surfaces of the CDs possessed active amino groups for further covalent conjugation with FA. The uptake of FA-CDs into HepG-2 cells occurs via receptor-mediated endocytosis; this was confirmed by a comparative experiment using FR-negative (FR−) PC-12 cells as revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Intracellular experiments demonstrated that the FA-CDs could accurately recognize positive FR (FR++/FR+) cancer cells in different cell mixtures of MCF-7/HepG-2 cells and HepG-2/PC-12 cells and could distinctly indicate the expression level of FR on the membranes of the cancer cells. The FA-CDs show excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity and may have great potential as an effective tool for accurately differentiating cancer cells from normal cells, in addition to cancer detection, prognosis, and individualized treatment.
Efek Ekstrak Etanol Daun Gedi Merah (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) Terhadap Kadar Sod Dan Mda Pada Aorta Tikus Model Diabetes Melitus Tipe 2

Introduction: Hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which plays a role in complications of diabetic macroangiopathy. Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik are known to have antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects so they are expected to inhibit oxidative damage in DM. This study aims to determine the effect of the ethanol extract of aibika eaves in preventing oxidative damage in DM by observing the levels of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in the aorta of rats with DM. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats aged 4-6 weeks were grouped into 2 control groups and 3 treatment groups namely the ethanol extract group of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik (n = 5 heads). The experimental animals were induced with high-fat-fructose diet (HFFD) and Streptozotocin (STZ) 25 mg/kgBW intraperitoneal multiple doses. Furthermore, Ethanol extract of Abelmoshus manihot (L.) Medik 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg were given. The measurement of aortic SOD and MDA levels used the Elisa SOD rat kit and Elisa MDA rat kit. Data analysis using One Way Anova followed by LSD test (p<0.05). Results: The administration of Ethanol extract of Abelmoshus manihot (L.) Medik at the doses of 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of body weight inhibited the decrease in aortic SOD levels of about 10%, 30% and 50% respectively compared to the KDM group (p<0.05) while the aortic MDA levels decreased by approximately 20%, 40%, and 70% (p<0.05). The induction of DTLF and STZ in the KDM group decreased aortic SOD levels 50% and increased aortic MDA 2 times compared to KN (p<0.05). Conclusion: Ethanol extract of Abelmoshus manihot (L.) Medik 200-800 mg/kgBW inhibited the decrease in aortic SOD levels and inhibited the increase in aortic MDA levels in DM-model rat.
Common SEP15 polymorphisms and susceptibility to cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Some studies have shown that genetic polymorphisms in the 15 kDa selenoprotein ( SEP15 ) gene can alter the interaction of Sep15 protein with selenium (Se), which is associated with increased susceptibility to cancer. However, the results of other studies are conflicting and ambiguous. Methods: To evaluate the associations between two common SEP15 polymorphisms (rs5859 and rs5845) and susceptibility to cancer, we conducted a comprehensive literature research of several electronic database, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. We enrolled all relevantly eligible studies that were published by December 17, 2016. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: A total of nine publications comprising 10 case-control studies were enrolled for two SEP15 polymorphisms (rs5859 and rs5845). For the rs5859 polymorphism, we enrolled 5,802 cases and 7,035 controls from seven case-control studies, whereas for the rs5845 polymorphism, three case-control studies comprising 1,168 cases and 1,397 controls were included. Overall, the results demonstrated that neither the rs5859 nor rs5845 polymorphism was related to cancer susceptibility. In addition, stratification analyses based on ethnicity, cancer type, Hardy Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) status, and source of control generated null results. Conclusions: The results of this study show that SEP15 polymorphisms (rs5859 and rs5845) are not risk factors for cancer. Future well-designed studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings.
Opportunistic, not Optimal Delegation: The Political Origins of Central Bank Independence

Economists have long argued that central banks ran by technocrats have greater independence from the government. But in many countries, politically experienced central bankers are at the helm, including even highly independent central banks. To explain the level of central bank independence awarded, we develop a formal model where nominating politicians screen central bankers for their political ambitions. We show how screening and reelection efforts by the nominating politician changes the level of autonomy associated with different types of candidates. We predict that technocrats are associated with higher levels of independence than nominees with political experience, but as the appointing politician faces tougher reelection, candidates with political experience are associated with higher independence as well. We test our theory using new data from 29 post-communist countries between 1990 and 2012. We find evidence that the reelection strategy of the nominating politician is an important predictor of the level of central bank independence.
Effect of ethanolic extract of Centella asiatica on pentylene tetrazol induced seizure in albino mice

Background: Various preparations of the plant Centella asiatica were used in traditional medicine for treating memory disorders, insanity, epilepsy, headache, fever and dysentery. Hence this study was conducted to test the effect of Centella asiatica on classical animal model of epilepsy. Methods: First the ethanolic extract of Centella asiatica was subjected to acute toxicity study. Intraperitoneal injection of pentylene tetrazol in albino mice produces seizure. Plant extract was evaluated for protection from these experimental seizures. Four groups of animals were given the extract orally at 100mg, 200mg, 500mg and 1000mg per kilogram body weight. One group received phenobarbitone as standard drug and another group received distilled water as control. Time of onset of clonus is the study parameter. Statistical analysis of data was done using analysis of variance followed by Dunnet's test. Results: Various doses of plant extract ranging from 100mg to 1000mg/kg exhibited protection from experimentally induced seizures. Compared to control, the plant extract showed statistically significant delay in time of onset of clonus. Conclusions: Centella asiatica is potential source of anti-epileptic drug. Detailed phytochemical studies and animal experiments are recommended.
The multi-levelled organization of cell migration : from individual cells to tissues

Cell migration is a complex interplay of biochemical and biophysical mechanisms. I investigate the link between individual and collective cell behaviour using mathematical and computational modelling. Specifically, I study: (1) cell-cell interactions in a discrete framework with a spatial sensing range, (2) migration of a cluster of cells during zebrafish (Danio rerio) development, and (3) collective migration of cancer cells and their interactions with the extracellular-matrix (ECM). My 1D model (1), is approximated by a continuum equation and investigated using asymptotic approximations, steady-state analysis, and linear stability analysis. Analysis and computations characterize regimes corresponding to cell clustering, and provide a link between micro and macro-scale parameters. Results suggest that drift (i.e. due to chemotaxis), can disrupt the formation of cellular aggregates. In (2), I investigate spontaneous polarization of a cell-cluster (the posterior lateral line primordium, PLLP) in zebrafish development. I use a cell-based computational framework (hybrid discrete cell model, HyDiCell3D) coupled with differential equation model to track the segregation and migration of the PLLP. My model includes mutual inhibition between the diffusible growth factors Wnt and FGF. I find that a non-uniform degradation of an extracellular chemokine (CXCL12a) and chemotaxis is essential for long-range cohesive migration. Results compare favourably with data from the Chitnis lab (NIH). I continue using HyDiCell3D in (3) to elucidate mechanisms that facilitate cancer invasion. I focus on: wound healing in a cell-sheet (2D epithelium), and cell-clusters (3D spheroids) embedded in ECM with internal signalling mediated by podocalyxin, a trans-membrane molecule. Experimental data from the Roskelley lab (UBC) motivates the model derivation. I use the models to investigate the role of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion in collective migration as well as the emergence of a distinct phenotype (leader-cells) that guide the migration. ECM induced disruption in the localization of podocalyxin on the cell membrane is captured in the model along with morphological changes of spheroids. The model predicts that cell polarity and cell division axis influence the invasive potential. Lastly, I developed quantitative methods for image analysis and automated tracking of cells in a densely packed environment to compare modelling results and biological data.
Tri-FeatureNet: An Adversarial Learning-Based Invariant Feature Extraction for Sleep Staging using Single-Channel EEG

The difference in EEG data among subjects and sessions is an essential factor affecting the accuracy in neural signal analysis. This paper proposed a Tri-FeatureNet, an adversarial learning-based feature extraction algorithm to learn representations invariant to subjects and sessions for sleep staging. The proposed work improves the algorithm's robustness to individual differences. The invariant features are combined with the subject-specified features and the temporal features to further compensate for the loss of sleep information during adversarial training. The proposed model makes use of the temporal information in EEG signals and sleep staging sequences at the same time. This is the first time that adversarial training was proposed to extract the task-related features for different subjects and different sessions in sleep staging. The proposed algorithm was implemented in a portable sleep staging system. Experimental results illustrated an 82.9% ACC in sleep staging task with a single-channel EEG signal.
Population Differentiation of Wheat Leaf Rust Fungus Puccinia triticina in South Asia

Leaf or brown rust caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt) is one of the most important diseases of wheat. Among the rusts, it is the most ubiquitous in all the wheatgrowing regions and causes considerable yield loss. Microsatellite marker-based genotyping and virulence- based phenotyping of 48 pathotypes of Pt was performed. The pathotypes exhibit low virulence frequencies for Indian leaf rust differentials Lr24, Lr9, Lr10, Lr19, Lr28 and Lr9 . Using avirulence/virulence formula six major clusters of pathotypes were observed, revealing high degree of phenotypic variation. Molecular analysis performed using SSR markers showed high genetic diversity among the pathotypes, and grouped them in seven major clusters. The percentage of polymorphic loci ranged from 17.95 to 84.62, Nei's gene diversity from 0.07 to 0.32 and Shannon's information index from 0.11 to 0.47. Analysis of molecular variance revealed significantly high genetic variation within Pt population. Mantel's Z test proved low positive correlation (r = 0.28) between virulence and molecular diversity, suggesting independent nature of the duo. These findings offer valuable information for framing suitable disease management strategies through appropriate region-specific gene deployment and improve the understanding of the population biology and evolution of Pt in the Indian subcontinent.