Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phytochemical, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of different fractions of Moringa oleifera leaves methanol extract against liver injury in animal model

Objective: To evaluate the potential antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of n-hexane, dichloromethane(DCM), ethyl acetate(EtOAc), n-butanol and aqueous fractions of Moringa oleifera(M. oleifera) leaves methanol extract against carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats. Methods: These fractions were prepared from the M. oleifera leaves methanol extract by solubilization in water and partitioning in n-hexane, EtOAc, DCM and n-butanol. Their phyto-components were identified by GC-MS analysis. The in vitro antioxidant effect of these fractions was carried out by assessment of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity. A total of 40 Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into 8 equal groups: group 1 given olive oil (1 mL/kg b.wt.), group 2 injected with CCl4, group 3 to 7 administered with n-hexane, DCM, EtOAc, n-butanol and aqueous fractions, respectively after CCl4, group 8 administered with silymarin after CCl4. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, total proteins and albumin in serum were determined spectrophotometrically. Glutathione reduced, lipid peroxide by-products levels, glutathione-s-transferase and catalase enzyme activities in the liver homogenate were determined by spectrophotometer. Liver specimens were also examined for histopathological alterations under light microscope. Results: The GC-MS analysis of different fractions of the M. oleifera leaves methanol extract revealed that n-hexane, DCM, EtOAc, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions contained 17, 22, 23, 19 and 32 compounds, respectively. The percent and the molecular structure of each component in each fraction were identified. The n-butanol and EtOAc fractions exhibited the strongest in vitro antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. CCl4 significantly decreased glutathione reduced and total proteins concentration and glutathione-s-transferase and catalase activities but increased lipid peroxide by-products and total cholesterol levels. The n-hexane followed by aqueous and DCM fractions were the most potent to regulate serum enzyme activities and lipid peroxide by-products levels in the liver homogenate. Conclusions: n-hexane, DCM, and aqueous fractions have the highest effectiveness against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. Isolation and purification of the active constituents require further experiments.
Usefulness of CD 4 + CD 45 RB high CD 25 − Cell – Transferred SCID Mice for Preclinical Evaluation of Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Mouse colitis induced by transfer of CD4CD45RB CD25− cells share many pathological features with human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, there is little known about how mouse colitis responds to drugs used for IBD treatment. To address this issue, we have investigated the effects of the IBD drugs, dexamethasone and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody, on the mouse experimental colitis. Administration of either drug ameliorated their morbid signs such as body weight loss, colon shortening, and an increased ratio between colon and body weights (C /B ratio). Also improved were mucosal inflammatory signs in the colon, and histological damage scores were significantly decreased. Of the proinflammatory cytokines assayed in colon and plasma samples from the colitis mice, the colonic interleukin (IL)-1β level alone was significantly decreased by either drug administration. Regression analysis of data obtained with either drug revealed a close correlation between the histological damage score and C /B ratio or colonic IL-1β level. The present results show that the experimental mouse colitis responds to IBD drugs with its amelioration and that the C /B ratio and colonic IL-1β are available as a disease marker for IBD, suggesting the usefulness of this mouse model of colitis for pre-clinical screening of drug candidates for IBD treatment.
Spinal Cord Analysis in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Background. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, inflammatory, and chronic disease which, under the effect of the wastes of myelin degradation occurs in the white matter of the brain, spinal cord, and visual nerves. The main complications of this disease are fatigue, muscle cramps, tremor, imbalance, and walking imbalance. Objectives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spine orientation in people with multiple sclerosis. Methods. The statistical population of this study included all patients with MS in Kerman province and the sample of this study includes 30 patients with mild MS (mean age of 33.83±8.72 years, mean height of 159.77±4.54 cm, mean weight of 63.1±11.16 kg) and 30 healthy subjects (mean age of 31.07±8.84 years, mean height of 162.58±6.61 cm, mean weight of 61.43±11.3 kg), targeted randomly selected as the subjects. First, the patients were examined by a neurologist and the EDSS of each subject was evaluated. Then their demographic data including age, height, and weight were collected. For evaluation of spinal abnormalities including torticollis and forward head, shooting method with the use of -Power shot A1200 HD Canon camera, with 0.73 validity was used; and kyphosis and lordosis abnormalities were measured using a flexible ruler, the validity of the device in comparison with the radiography technique was reported by Thylatson and Borton (1991) as 93%. In research, Hart & Rose (1986) and Lowell et al. (1989) stated the reliability of this device as 97% and 84%, respectively, and scoliometer was used for scoliosis abnormalities. The validity of this device was reported by Guillemhem et al. as 0.87. Results. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between forward head, torticollis, and lordosis abnormalities in patients with mild MS and healthy subjects (p˂0.05), while there is significant relationship between kyphosis and scoliosis (p˂0.05). Conclusion. Regarding factors such as fatigue, muscle cramping, tremor, walking abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis and observation of some spinal abnormalities in these individuals, the implementation of corrective exercises and programs to correct postures, in them, seems necessary.
How Emotions Regulate Social Life

The idea that emotions regulate social interaction is increasingly popular. But exactly how do emotions do this? To address this question, I draw on research on the interpersonal effects of emotions on behavior in personal relationships, parent–child interactions, conflict, negotiation, and leadership, and propose a new framework that can account for existing findings and guide future research: the emotions as social information (EASI) model. I demonstrate that emotional expressions affect observers' behavior by triggering inferential processes and/or affective reactions in them. The predictive strength of these two processes—which may inspire different behaviors—depends on the observer's information processing and on social-relational factors. Examples of moderators that determine the relative predictive strength of inferences and affective reactions include power, need for cognitive closure, time pressure, display rules, and the appropriateness and target of the emotional expression, which are all discussed.
The local hole revealed by galaxy counts and redshifts

The redshifts of ≈250 000 galaxies are used to study the local hole and its associated peculiar velocities. The sample, compiled from the 6dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, provides wide sky coverage to a depth of ≈300 h−1 Mpc. We have therefore examined K- and r-limited galaxy redshift distributions and number counts to map the local density field. Comparing observed galaxy n(z) distributions to homogeneous models in three large regions of the high-latitude sky, we find evidence for underdensities ranging from ≈4–40 per cent in these regions to depths of ≈150 h−1 Mpc with the deepest underdensity being over the southern Galactic cap. Using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey, we then establish the normalization of galaxy counts at fainter magnitudes and thus confirm that the underdensity over all three fields at K < 12.5 is ≈15 ± 3 per cent. Finally, we further use redshift catalogues to map sky-averaged peculiar velocities over the same areas using the average redshift–magnitude, z¯(m), technique of Soneira. After accounting for the direct effect of the large-scale structure on z¯(m), we can then search for peculiar velocities. Taking all three regions into consideration, the data reject at the ≈4σ level the idea that we have recovered the cosmic microwave background rest frame in the volume probed. We therefore conclude that there is some consistent evidence from both counts and Hubble diagrams for a ‘local hole’ with an ≈150 h−1 Mpc underdensity that deeper counts and redshifts in the northern Galactic cap suggest may extend to ≈300 h−1 Mpc.
A survey of metabolic syndrome in first-degree relatives (fathers) of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Abstract Objectives: Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are at twice the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared to women from the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the first-degree relatives (fathers) of patients suffering from PCOS. Design: This was a case control study. Setting and subjects: The study was conducted on 34 fathers of women with PCOS who presented at gynaecological clinics in Shiraz, Iran (as the case group), and 34 fathers of healthy women (as the control group). Outcomes measures: Metabolic syndrome was determined according to Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) indices. A blood sample was obtained to assay serum insulin, blood sugar, testosterone and lipoproteins. The data were analysed using independent t-test, Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. Results: According to the ATP III index, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 29.35% in the fathers of the PCOS patients and 8.8% in the fathers of women in the control group (p-value < 0.05). According to the IDF index, this rate was 17.41 in the fathers of patients with PCOS (p-value < 0.05). According to the quantitative insulin sensitivity check and homeostasis model insulin resistance indices, the prevalence of insulin resistance, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia was higher in the fathers of patients with PCOS than in the control group, but the difference was not significant (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The fathers of the women with PCOS were at a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes.
A comparative study of two methodologies for binary datasets analysis

Studied are differences of two approaches targeted to reveal latent variables in binary data. These approaches assume that the observed high dimensional data are driven by a small number of hidden binary sources combined due to Boolean superposition. The first approach is the Boolean matrix factorization (BMF) and the second one is the Boolean factor analysis (BFA). The two BMF methods are used for comparison. First is the M8 method from the BMDP statistical software package and the second one is the method suggested by Belohlavek & Vychodil. These two are compared to BFA, especially with the Expectationmaximization Boolean Factor Analysis we had developed earlier has, however, been extended with a binarization step developed here. The well-known bars problem and the mushroom dataset are used for revealing the methods’ peculiarities. In particular, the reconstruction ability of the computed factors and the information gain as the measure of dimension reduction was under scrutiny. It was shown that BFA slightly loses to BMF in performance when noise-free signals are analyzed. Conversely, BMF loses considerably to BFA when input signals are noisy.
Transgenic fish – where we are and where do we go?

Transgenic fish have been developed that have improved growth, color, disease resistance, survival in cold, and body composition, and produce pharmaceutical proteins. Transgenes elicit pleiotropic effects, some positive and some negative. In general, transgenic fish appear to have lower fitness than controls and pose little environmental risk, but this research is not fully conclusive. Transgenic zebrafish with altered coloration have been commercialized and growth hormone transgenic salmon, carp, and tilapia are near commercialization. To enhance commercialization and minimize environmental risk, additional technologies such as transgenic sterilization need to be developed. Genomic research has produced an abundance of molecular genetic information including many genes for consideration for gene transfer, highly regulated gene promoters, and knowledge about their expression and function. Functional genomics analysis should be applied in the future to enhance the capacity and versatility of transgenic technology. Preface Collaboration with Israel has been historically significant. It is a major component of and has had major impact on genetic enhancement of catfish in the United States. Thus, we would like to begin this manuscript with a heart felt thanks to Israeli scientists for their assistance, collaboration, and friendship. The fruitful cooperation between Auburn University in the USA and Israeli fish genetics teams (Dor, IOLR-Haifa, IOLR-NCM-Eilat, and Tel Aviv University) was initiated 37 years ago, and has been thriving ever since. In 1969, Dr. Rom Moav, followed by Dr. Giora Wohlfarth, visited Auburn University and assisted Dr. R.O. Smitherman in establishing a catfish genetics program and a graduate level course in fish genetics and breeding. Along with Dr. Smitherman, the Israelis fathered the fish genetics program at Auburn. About 1975, Dr. Wohlfarth returned to Auburn as it was in a major growth phase, and once again assisted in the research and planning of this phase of Auburn’s catfish genetics program. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Smitherman, Dr. William Shelton, and Rex. Dunham of Auburn University collaborated with Dr. Wohlfarth and * Corresponding author. Tel. : +1-334-844-9121, fax: +1-334-844-9208; e-mail: dunhara@auburn.edu
Dynamical bar-mode instability in rotating and magnetized relativistic stars

We present three-dimensional simulations of the dynamical bar-mode instability in magnetized and differentially rotating stars in full general relativity. Our focus is on the effects that magnetic fields have on the dynamics and the onset of the instability. In particular, we perform ideal-magnetohydrodynamics simulations of neutron stars that are known to be either stable or unstable against the purely hydrodynamical instability, but to which a poloidal magnetic field in the range of $10^{14}$--$10^{16}$ G is superimposed initially. As expected, the differential rotation is responsible for the shearing of the poloidal field and the consequent linear growth in time of the toroidal magnetic field. The latter rapidly exceeds in strength the original poloidal one, leading to a magnetic-field amplification in the the stars. Weak initial magnetic fields, i.e. $ \lesssim 10^{15}$ G, have negligible effects on the development of the dynamical bar-mode instability, simply braking the stellar configuration via magnetic-field shearing, and over a timescale for which we derived a simple algebraic expression. On the other hand, strong magnetic fields, i.e. $\gtrsim 10^{16}$ G, can suppress the instability completely, with the precise threshold being dependent also on the amount of rotation. As a result, it is unlikely that very highly magnetized neutron stars can be considered as sources of gravitational waves via the dynamical bar-mode instability.
Metronomic chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer — current status

Chemotherapy remains a standard treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Metronomic chemotherapy – frequent administration of low-dose cytotoxic agents – may be a new option with minimal toxicity. This method may have complex mechanisms of action — the antiangiogenic effects and modulation of the immune system are crucial. Vinorelbine could be an option for non-small-cell lung cancer patients because of it has favourable safety profile and the oral form of the drug is easy to administer. There are some studies documenting the clinical activity of oral vinorelbine in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients. However, further prospective studies are necessary to assess the place of metronomic chemotherapy in clinical practice.
Reactivity of water vapor in an atmospheric argon flowing post-discharge plasma torch

The reactivity of water vapor introduced in the flowing post-discharge of an RF atmospheric plasma torch is investigated through electrical characterization, optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry measurements. Due to the technical features of the plasma torch, the post-discharge can be considered as divided into two regions: an inner region (inside the plasma torch device) where the water vapor is injected and an outer region which directly interacts with the ambient air. The main reactions induced by the injection of water vapor are identified as well as those indicative of the influence of the ambient air. Plausible pathways allowing the production of H, OH, O radicals and H2O2 are discussed as well as reactions potentially responsible for inhomogeneities and for a low DC current measured in the flowing post-discharge.
Phenotype microarray profiling of the antibacterial activity of red cabbage

Background : Functional food can be a potent source of wide array of biocomonents with antimicrobial activity. We investigated the antibacterial activity of red cabbage (RC) extract on Gram negative and positive ATCC strains. Most intersting, we, for the first time, explored and analysed the complete phenotypic profile of RC-treated bacteria using Omnilog Phenotype Microarray. Results : This study revealed that the phenotype microarray (PM) screen was a valuable tool in the search for compounds and their antibacterial mechanisms that can inhibit bacterial growth by affecting certain metabolic pathways. It was shown that RC exerted remarkable antibacterial effect on S. aureus and E. coli bacteria, and PM showed a wide range phenotypic profile of the exerted RC antibacterial activity. RC targeted the peptide, carbon, nutriontional assembly, and sulfur metbolic pathways altogether. The peptidoglycan synthesis pathway was inferred to be targeted by RC extract at a metabolic point different from other available cell wall-targeting drugs; these could be hot targets for the discovery of new therapy for many problematic microbes. Conclusions : Taken together, the phenotype microarray for functional food and medicinal plants can be a very useful tool for profiling their antimicrobial activity. Moreover, extracts of functional food can exert antibacterial activity by hitting a wide range of metabolic pathways, at the same time leading to very difficult condition for bacteria to rapidly develop resistance. Therefore, using functional foods or medicinal plants as such, or as extracts, can be superior on mono-targeting antibiotics if the optimal concentrations and conditions of these functional foods were sought. Key words : red cabbage, bacteria, antibacterial, phenotype microarray, Omnilog, Biolog
Woon's Tree and Sums over Compositions

This article studies sums over all compositions of an integer. We derive a generating function for this quantity, and apply it to several special functions, including various generalized Bernoulli numbers. We connect composition sums with a recursive tree introduced by S.G. Woon and extended by P. Fuchs under the name "general PI tree", in which an output sequence $\{x_n\}$ is associated to the input sequence $\{g_n\}$ by summing over each row of the tree built from $\{g_n\}$. Our link with the notion of compositions allows to introduce a modification of Fuchs' tree that takes into account nonlinear transforms of the generating function of the input sequence. We also introduce the notion of \textit{generalized sums over compositions}, where we look at composition sums over each part of a composition.
Founding Clones, Inbreeding, Coancestry, and Status Number of Modern Apple Cultivars

Pedigrees of apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) cultivars were used to study worldwide genetic diversity among clones used in modern apple breeding. The most frequent founding clones were 'Cox's Orange Pippin', 'Golden Delicious', 'Red Delicious', 'Jonathan', and 'McIntosh'. Coefficients of coancestry between 50 mainstream cultivars and these clones averaged 0.03, 0.12, 0.07, 0.06, and 0.02, respectively, but they were frequently as high as 0.25 with certain pairings. Among a group of 27 cultivars carrying the Vf gene for scab resistance, coefficients of coancestry with the five founding clones were of the same order. Although few of the cultivars sampled were substantially inbred, inbreeding could reach serious levels in their future offspring if current breeding practices are continued. The status effective number was 8 for the mainstream group and 7 for the Vf-carrier clones. This indicates clearly that apple breeders are operating with a population of greatly reduced genetic diversity. Careful consideration of pedigrees and increased size of the genetic base are needed in future apple breeding strategies.
Relationship between knowledge management practices and library users’ satisfaction: a preliminary result of Malaysian university libraries

It is known that “Knowledge Management” is associated with significant benefits which can empower organizations in the whole world especially University libraries to get more competitive in their environment. Knowledge Management Practice (KMP) and Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS) are two vital aspects of Knowledge Management (KM) which play an important role in creating organizational value. Most organizations, such as University Libraries focus on enhancing their capability of knowledge processes to create new knowledge. The aim of this paper is to test empirically levels and types of KM practice applied at Malaysian university libraries. Based on 35 questionnaires through online, a survey was administered to a Lead User group in libraries (PhD candidates) in Malaysia. This is to elicit opinion of the prime users on the linkage between Knowledge Management Practice (KMP) and Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS). SPSS software were utilized to analyze research data using reliability analysis and Pearson correlation. Results obtained show that Knowledge Management Practice (KMP) has positive influence on the Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS). However, a meaningful linkage was observed between Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS) with two vital constructs of Knowledge Record (KRe) and Knowledge Preserving (KPr). The main contribution of the paper is to provide groundwork empirical evidence about the linkage between Knowledge Management Practice (KMP) and Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS) at Malaysian university libraries. Moreover, it reveals what is the most effective KM Practice, specifically knowledge process. For this relationship purpose, it provides organizations with some preliminary implications in order to shape their knowledge management practices. It is evinced that there is a positive and strong relationship between Knowledge Management Practice (KMP) and Library Users’ Satisfaction (LUS).