Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Thymoquinone against Aluminum Chloride-Induced Alzheimer-Like Model in Rats: A Neurophysiological and Behavioral Study

Abstract Background: Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation and synaptic dysfunction, which caused in part by abnormal aggregation of senile plaques and neu-rofibrillary tangles outside and inside the cerebral neurons, respectively. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the major bioactive ingredient of the volatile oil of Nigella sativa seed and it possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in some neuronal diseases. Aim of Study: To evaluate the neuroprotective potential of TQ on the oxidative stress status of the brain in aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-induced AD in rats. Material and Methods: Thirty adult male Sprague Dawley albino rats were used in this study. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (control group). Group 2 (AD group): Supplemented orally with AlCl3 (17mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Group 3 (TQ/AD group) supplemented concomitantly with oral TQ (10mg/kg/day) and AlCl3 (17mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, spatial working memory was assessed using the Y-maze spontaneous alternation test. Then, serum levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Glutath-ione Peroxidase Enzyme (GPX) were assessed. Then, the rats were sacrificed and the brain tissue homogenate content of tau protein, AR and acetyle choline were determined. Results: In AD group, spatial working memory was im-paired as indicated by a significant decline of Spontaneous Alteration Performance (SAP%) at Y-maze behavior test. Also, AR, tau protein, acetyle choline in brain and serum MDA were significantly increased with a significant decrease of serum GPX. Co-administration of TQ with AlCl3 in TQ/AD group, significantly decreased AR, tau protein, acetyle choline in brain and serum MDA and increased (SAP%) and serum GPX. Conclusion: TQ could mitigate the neurodegenerative markers and oxidative stress indices encountered in AD, presumably via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.This may implement TQ as an adjuvant alternative medical strategy in ameliorating this devastating disease
Adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto goethite

Hexavalent chromium being a potent carcinogen need to be treated before its disposal. The adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto goethite was carried out by considering the influence contact time and the initial concentration in solution. The adsorption of hexavalent chromium increased with an increase in the concentration of this metal in solution. Goethite with a positively charged surface played a significant role in chromate ion removal. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were employed to observe as to how closely the function fits to the experimental data obtained.
The effects of exogenous monoterpenes on drought response in tomato

Interactions between biogenic monoterpenes and drought stress remain poorly understood and characterised. Even the nature of the response of biogenic monoterpene emissions to water limitation is controversial, possibly depending on the severity, intensity and duration of the drought. Whether monoterpenes regulate plant physiological response to drought stress is currently unknown. In this research, 6-week-old Ailsa Craig wild-type (WT) and ABA-deficient (notabilis) tomatoes were either well-watered or exposed to deficit irrigation (by watering pots with 25% of daily evapotranspiration) in a factorial combination with selected-monoterpenes applied exogenously as a foliar spray. Both genotypes showed similar physiological and biochemical responses to water deficit. Compared to well-watered controls, drought stress significantly reduced net photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance, increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and also significantly inhibited PSII maximum (Fv’/Fm’) and operating (φPSII) efficiency under severe stress. Drought stress significantly increased foliar abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in WT plants, whereas notabilis remained ABA-deficient. Applying exogenous monoterpenes decreased net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of WT plants under moderate drought conditions. Although foliar H2O2 content (a proxy of oxidative stress) was not affected by exogenous monoterpenes, their application significantly decreased the production of MDA (which indicates damage caused by drought-induced oxidative stress). The monoterpene spray also significantly inhibited ABA accumulation under severe stress, possibly by interfering with the methylerythritol (MEP) pathway and thereby reducing production of ABA precursors. Although exogenous monoterpenes increased plant antioxidative capacity by reducing lipid peroxidation, this did not appear to protect photosynthetic activities as the PSII efficiencies or net photosynthesis rate were not affected. That these effects were not observed in notabilis suggests that monoterpenes have ABA-dependent impacts on plant photosynthetic biochemistry.
Identification of Genes With Enriched Expression in Early Developing Mouse Cone Photoreceptors

Cone photoreceptors are the critical first cells that mediate high acuity vision. Despite their importance and their potential use as cell-based therapies for retinal diseases, there is a lack of knowledge about the early developmental stages of these cells. Here we characterize the expression of the homeobox transcription factor Lhx4 as an early and enriched cone photoreceptor expressed gene in both chicken and mouse. A Lhx4 GFP reporter mouse was found to recapitulate this early cone photoreceptor expression and was used to purify and profile embryonic mouse cone photoreceptors by single cell RNA sequencing. This enrichment in cone photoreceptors allowed for the robust identification of genes associated with the early cone transcriptome and also identified subpopulations of cones. To identify early cone genes not previously identified through analysis of the cone transcriptional repressor Nrl, the dataset generated here was filtered through previously reported datasets of Nrl dysregulated genes and early rod photoreceptors. The resulting set of genes was compared to other datasets if early human cones, late embryonic cones, and adult photoreceptors to generate a set of cone photoreceptor-enriched genes that are not regulated by Nrl.
Landcover and crop type classification with intra-annual times series of sentinel-2 and machine learning at central Portugal

Land cover and crop type mapping have benefited from a daily revisiting period of sensors such as MODIS, SPOT-VGT, NOAA-AVHRR that contains long time-series archive. However, they have low accuracy in an Area of Interest (ROI) due to their coarse spatial resolution (i.e., pixel size > 250m). The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission from the European Spatial Agency (ESA) provides free data access for Sentinel 2-A(S2a) and B (S2b). This satellite constellation guarantees a high temporal (5-day revisit cycle) and high spatial resolution (10m), allowing frequent updates on land cover products through supervised classification. Nevertheless, this requires training samples that are traditionally collected manually via fieldwork or image interpretation. This thesis aims to implement an automatic workflow to classify land cover and crop types at 10m resolution in central Portugal using existing databases, intra-annual time series of S2a and S2b, and Random Forest, a supervised machine learning algorithm. The agricultural classes such as temporary and permanent crops as well as agricultural grasslands were extracted from the Portuguese Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) of the Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas (IFAP); land cover classes like urban, forest and water were trained from the Carta de Ocupação do Solo (COS) that is the national Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) map of Portugal; and lastly, the burned areas are identified from the corresponding national map of the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF). Also, a set of preprocessing steps were defined based on the implementation of ancillary data allowing to avoid the inclusion of mislabeled pixels to the classifier. Mislabeling of pixels can occur due to errors in digitalization, generalization, and differences in the Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) between datasets. An inner buffer was applied to all datasets to reduce border overlap among classes; the mask from the ICNF was applied to remove burned areas, and NDVI rule based on Landsat 8 allowed to erase recent clear-cuts in the forest. Also, the Copernicus High-Resolution Layers (HRL) datasets from 2015 (latest available), namely Dominant Leaf Type (DLT) and Tree Cover Density (TCD) are used to distinguish
Switching genetic effects of the flowering time gene Hd1 in LD conditions by Ghd7 and OsPRR37 in rice

Flowering time control in plants is a major limiting factor on the range of species. Day length, perceived via the photoperiodic pathway, is a critical factor for the induction of flowering. The module of GIGANTEA (GI)-CONSTANS (CO)-FLOWERING LOCUS T in the long day (LD) plant Arabidopsis is conserved in diverse plant species including the short day (SD) plant rice, where this module comprises OsGI-Heading date 1 (Hd1)-Heading date 3a. Hd1, the rice ortholog of Arabidopsis CO, has dual functions in the regulation of flowering time, promoting flowering in SD conditions and delaying it in LD conditions. We herein show genetic interactions among three LD repressor genes: Hd1, Grain number, plant height and heading date 7 (Ghd7), and Oryza sativa Pseudo-Response Regulator37 (OsPRR37). Genetic analyses, including segregation analyses, evaluations of near isogenic lines, and transformation for flowering time demonstrated that Hd1 promoted flowering time in inductive SD and non-inductive LD conditions in genetic condition of loss-of-function Ghd7 and OsPRR37 (ghd7osprr37) in rice. Functional Ghd7 or OsPRR37 may switch the genetic effects of Hd1 from the promotion to the delay of flowering times in LD conditions.
Optimization of process parameter variations for 16nm DG-FinFET using Response Surface Methodology-Central Composite Design

A 16 nm double-gate FinFET (DG-FinFET) designed are optimized with a mathematical modelling using a response surface method-central composite design (RSM-CCD), with the relationship between parameters and output responses are investigated and examined. The threshold voltage (VTH), drive current (ION), leakage current (IOFF) and subthreshold swing (SS) ramifications towards the adjustment of six process parameter that integrates polysilicon doping dose, polysilicon doping tilt, Source/Drain doping dose, Source/Drain doping tilt, VTH doping dose and VTH doping tilt is studied using the RSM-CCD using half-factorial of 86 experimental runs, which totals to 52 runs, consisting of 8 centre points, 12 axial points, and 32 factorials. Ultimately, the VTH after the result is optimized with RSM-CCD showcased an improvement at 0.1785 V, with IOFF achieved at 958.71 pA/μm despite performing less favourably after optimized. That said, an improvement towards ION/IOFF ratio at 2.049×106 compared to 1.666×106 proves that both optimization techniques have met the predictions of International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) 2013.
Pseudocyclic integration and evolution of modular invertebrates

The Pseudocyclic (P) integration in modular organisms is determined by specifics in their morphogenesis, ontogeny and systemic features. P-transformations played an important role in the structural evolution of vascular plants. Modular animals are still insufficiently understood in this regard. The pseudocyclic similarities (PS) are found in different taxonomic groups of Coelenterata, Bryozoa, Urochordata. The probability of discovering of other PS increases owing to the hierarchical differentiation of the colony body and network character of structural evolution in different taxa of modular invertebrates. Further frontal analysis of the structural diversity of colonial invertebrates is important from the position of P concept. The results obtained in the analysis of vascular plants are useful in detail examination of the P-integration of modular invertebrates. How to cite this article: Notov A.A. 2017. Pseudocyclic integration and evolution of modular invertebrates // Invert. Zool. Vol.14. No.1. P.53–58. doi: 10.15298/invertzool.14. 1.08
Influence of supplementation of the culture medium on in vitro development of Jatropha curcas

The Jatropha ( Jatropha curcas L.) crop stands out for its socioeconomic potential, being an excellent alternative for biodiesel production. Therefore, this study aimed to standardize and optimize in vitro culture of Jatropha embryos and seeds by means of modifications with the addition of vitamin supplements and gibberellic acid in MS medium. We sought to obtain aseptic explants to be used in tissue culture and genetic transformation for the pro­duction of standardized seedlings. Two experiments were carried out on MS medium with sucrose and agar. In the first experiment, vitamin complex was added to the culture medium with embryos, at doses of 0.0; 0.5; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 4.0 mL L -1 . The second experiment was carried out with seeds added with various doses of gibberellic acid (0.0; 1.0; 2.0; 4.0; 6.0 and 8.0 mg L -1 ). The experiments were conducted in a completely random­ized design with four replicates. Ten variables were analyzed in a two-week period. The results indicated that the addition of vitamins and gibberellic acid to the culture medium is not essential for germination and initial growth, but they provide important increases in seedling shoot and root development.
Avaliação de metodologias de limpeza química com proposta de projeto de manutenção dos trocadores de calor do LADEQ

Este trabalho apresenta a comparacao de tres metodologias de intervencao quimica em trocadores de calor, duas delas com aplicacao pratica em industrias de grande porte e a terceira apresentada somente como proposta, referindo-se ao sistema de trocadores de calor em escala piloto presentes no Laboratorio de Engenharia Quimica da UFRJ (LADEQ). Os dois primeiros estudos de caso se dedicam a analisar a aplicacao pratica de duas diferentes intervencoes quimicas, uma neutralizacao e uma limpeza quimica online, evidenciando as dificuldades e exitos encontradas no campo no momento de colocar a teoria na pratica. A partir deles e da literatura disponivel, visou-se a elaboracao de um projeto de limpeza quimica, a fim de recuperar o trocador do LADEQ, avaliando a conjuntura atual, os parâmetros de processo e os dados dos equipamentos e incrustacao, propondo uma metodologia para se alcancar um aumento de eficiencia de troca termica dos equipamentos. Informacoes sobre o material e configuracao dos trocadores de calor foram levantados, e analises da agua e da incrustacao foram realizadas. Com esses elementos, um roteiro de limpeza quimica foi proposto, considerando alguns cenarios mais usuais quando os dados eram incompletos ou inexistentes. Portanto, nao foi possivel a elaboracao completa e precisa de uma limpeza quimica. Apesar disso, trabalhos futuros podem se desenvolver a partir deste, dando continuidade a elaboracao de um projeto completo e ate a implantacao da limpeza.
Quality of Sleep among General Governmental Secondary School Students in Abha City, Saudi Arabia

Aim of the study: To investigate sleep quality and its associates among secondary school students in Abha City. Subjects and Methods: A total of 400 secondary school students (200 males and 200 females) in Abha City were included. The Arabic versions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Athens Insomnia Scale were applied in addition to the socio-demographic and personal characteristics of the participants. Results: A total of 171 students (42.8%) had poor quality of sleep, while 177 students (44.3%) had insomnia. Prevalence of poor sleep quality was significantly higher among females than males (48% and 37.5%, respectively, p=0.034), and among smokers more than non-smokers (48.8% and 41.3%, respectively, p=0.048), while it did not differ significantly according to students’ age, nationality, midterm exam grades, consumption of soft drinks at night, or any of students’ family characteristics. Insomnia significantly increased with students’ age (p=0.001), while it did not differ significantly according to students’ gender, nationality, midterm exam grades, consumption of soft drinks at night, smoking status, or their family characteristics. Conclusions: Poor sleep quality and insomnia are common among secondary school students in Abha City. Females and cigarette smokers are more prone to poor sleep quality. Insomnia among secondary school students is significantly associated with older age. Recommendations: The school health program should apply anti-smoking control and health education programs at schools. Parents and teachers should guide children toward regulating their sleep and wake-up times. Delaying school start times may be proposed as a means of allowing students to get adequate sleep.
Physico-chemical characterization of organosolv lignins from wheat straw

The effects of reaction time and acid concentration on the yield of lignin released in organosolv processes were investigated in this paper. 1.0 N H 2 SO 4 catalysed aqueous ethanol (ethanol-water, 60/40, v/v) treatment at 75° for 2 h resulted in more than 40% lignin removal and over 50% hemicelluloses release. The chemical compositions of the isolated organosolv lignins are reported. The characteristics of the lignin fractions were further investigated by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Impact of Putative Chemo-preventative Agents on Prostate Cancer Diagnosis among Men with a Negative First Prostate Biopsy

In-vitro data has shown that certain medications may decrease prostate cancer (PCa)cell death. We clinically assessed the role of several medications’ in modulating PCa outcomes, using Cox-regression multivariable models with time-varying covariates. Using linked health administrative data in Ontario, 21,512 men >66 years with a single negative biopsy between 1994-2016 were identified. Hydrophilic statins were associated with a 20%, 18%, and 32.4%, decreased likelihood of undergoing prostate biopsy, being diagnosed with and dying from PCa, respectively. 5ARIs and pantoprazole were associated with an increased risk of being treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Alpha-blockers and proton-pump-inhibitors were associated with a 46% and 50% increased risk of PCa-specific death, respectively. Lastly, metformin conferred a protective effect with 38%, 21% and 28% reduced risk of undergoing another biopsy, being diagnosed with PCa and receiving ADT, respectively. These results require reassessment of these medications’ role in men at risk to develop PCa and PCa patients.
COALIA: A Computational Model of Human EEG for Consciousness Research

Understanding the origin of the main physiological processes involved in consciousness is a major challenge of contemporary neuroscience, with crucial implications for the study of Disorders of Consciousness (DOC). The difficulties in achieving this task include the considerable quantity of experimental data in this field, along with the non-intuitive, nonlinear nature of neuronal dynamics. One possibility of integrating the main results from the experimental literature into a cohesive framework, while accounting for nonlinear brain dynamics, is the use of physiologically-inspired computational models. In this study, we present a physiologically-grounded computational model, attempting to account for the main micro-circuits identified in the human cortex, while including the specificities of each neuronal type. More specifically, the model accounts for thalamo-cortical (vertical) regulation of cortico-cortical (horizontal) connectivity, which is a central mechanism for brain information integration and processing. The distinct neuronal assemblies communicate through feedforward and feedback excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections implemented in a template brain accounting for long-range connectome. The EEG generated by this physiologically-based simulated brain is validated through comparison with brain rhythms recorded in humans in two states of consciousness (wakefulness, sleep). Using the model, it is possible to reproduce the local disynaptic disinhibition of basket cells (fast GABAergic inhibition) and glutamatergic pyramidal neurons through long-range activation of VIP interneurons that induced inhibition of SST interneurons. The model (COALIA) predicts that the strength and dynamics of the thalamic output on the cortex control the local and long-range cortical processing of information. Furthermore, the model reproduces and explains clinical results regarding the complexity of transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS-evoked EEG responses in DOC patients and healthy volunteers, through a modulation of thalamo-cortical connectivity that governs the level of cortico-cortical communication. This new model provides a quantitative framework to accelerate the study of the physiological mechanisms involved in the emergence, maintenance and disruption (sleep, anesthesia, DOC) of consciousness.
Astronomy as a tool for peace and diplomacy: experiences from the Columba-Hypatia project

Science, and astronomy in particular, can be used for the benefit of society and for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this article we present the Columba-Hypatia project, a flagship Astronomy-for-Peace project, whose goal is to use the vision of the cosmos that astronomy imparts us with, to promote peace and diplomacy in post-conflict regions (SDG 16: Peace Justice and Strong Institutions) while also empowering women to be leaders in STEM and in the peace-building process (SDG 5: Gender Equality). The project is a joint endeavour by GalileoMobile and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) that takes place on the divided island of Cyprus. ColumbaHypatia brings together children and educators from the separated communities of Cyprus to inspire them to be curious about science, while using astronomy as a tool for promoting meaningful communication, a feeling of global citizenship and a Culture of Peace and Non-violence. We describe the successes and challenges faced by the project in order to serve as an example of implementing Astronomy-for-Peace projects in other post-conflict regions.
Embracing Novel Technologies in Dentistry and Orthodontics

Electronic medical data is said to account for 30% of the world’s data production. The control and analysis of this “Big Data” will dramatically shape the future of health care. Compared to our medical counterparts, orthodontists have been slow to recognize the intrinsic value of the digital data we are collecting in our practices. To date there have been relatively few instances where orthodontic researchers or corporate entities have utilized the analysis of electronic patient records for the advancement of patient outcomes and experiences. The ability to collect and analyze large quantities of complex information using artificial intelligence (AI) is essential to the future of our profession. We must recognize the significance of Big Data and seek ways to use it for the betterment of our patients’ care.