Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and in vitro inhibitory effects of Phoenix dactylifera L. on key enzymes implicated in hypertension

Context: Phoenix dactylifera (PD) is a medicinal plant reportedly used in folklore for hypertension management. Scientific validation for its use as an antihypertensive agent is scanty. Aims: To investigate the bioactive compounds present in extract and differential solvent fractions, and the in vitro inhibitory effect of PD on the activities of key enzymes associated with hypertension. Methods: Ethanol and differential solvent (ethyl acetate, butanol and water) fractions of PD were prepared using established methods and were thereafter used for the enzyme inhibition assays, which includes: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and arginase. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to evaluate bioactive compounds present in the extracts and fractions. Results: Preliminary phytochemical evaluations revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, betacyanins and phenols in all solvent fractions. Some of the compounds detected in P. dactylifera that have been implicated in hypertension management include squalene, lauric acid, palmitic acid, caprate, stearate, vitamin E, β-sitosterol, phytol, linolenic acid, isosorbide, coumarins and taurine. Furthermore, all except the aqueous fraction exerted significantly (p<0.05) higher ACE inhibition than the control drug (lisinopril). Also, the ethanol, butanol, and aqueous fractions exerted significantly (p<0.05) higher inhibition of PDE-5 than the control drug (sildenafil). However, the aqueous fraction exhibited the highest PDE-5 and AChE inhibition at 86.99 ± 0.10 and 91.81 ± 1.20%, respectively. Also, the aqueous fraction had the highest inhibitory effect on ADA (82.87 ± 4.32%). Conclusions: These findings, therefore, justify the use of P. dactylifera as an antihypertensive agent in the folklore medicine.
Genetic characterisation of Mini-LEWE as resource population for experimental research

The Mini-LEWE, a miniature pig used as an animal model in experimental research, was originally bred in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) for various test facilities. Nowadays, the Mini-LEWE is maintained as a small but special population at the Farm for Education and Research Ruthe (LFG Ruthe) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover primarily as animal model for transplantation and surgery research. In this study, we performed an analysis of the genetic structure of this rare population, including the start-up population of 15 Mini-LEWE given to the LFG Ruthe from the Humboldt University of Berlin and their offspring. The development of the Mini-LEWE population as well as its genetic relationships and differentiation compared to 155 individuals belonging to four different pig populations, historically related to the Mini-LEWE, were investigated. A comparative genetic diversity analysis in Mini-LEWE showed a nearly complete preservation of the genetic diversity of the start-up population in the offspring resulting in a nearly constant level of genetic diversity during the last 15 years in this population. The Mini-LEWE and the Göttingen Minipig as well, another animal model for experimental research, showed a similar diversity level. Furthermore, genetic relationship analysis revealed the Mini-LEWE as a closed population, separated from historically related pig populations. A great distance was found in Mini-LEWE to the Göttingen Minipig, as well as to Leicoma and Large White. The genetic separation of the Mini-LEWE from these historically related populations emphasized its value as a genetic resource of versatile use as animal model.
Study on the most common bacterial infections in falcons in the United Arab Emirates

The problem of bacterial infections in falcons can be traced back to the 8 century. Studies in the literature on infectious diseases showed that the most common bacterial pathogen is E.coli, followed by Chlamydia psittaci, Pseudomonas sp. and Clostridium perfringens. Microbiological examinations of crop and fecal samples in the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital have confirmed that E.coli can be regarded as the major bacterial problem. The second frequent bacterium found is Clostridium perfringens, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The majority of infections showed a moderate or heavy number of pathogens. The sick falcons have been admitted to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital with the frequent complains “not eating well”, “not flying well” and “vomiting”. These rather non specific disease symptoms should not be underestimated as they may be indicating serious bacterial infections which may lead to a fast deterioration of the falcon’s condition and in very advanced stages to the death of the falcons due to septicemia. The evaluation of the study results reveals clearly that falcons show a species specific susceptibility with respect to bacterial infections. Gyr-Saker hybrid falcons show a higher morbidity for E. coli infections whereas Gyr and Saker falcons are more frequently affected by Clostridium perfringens infections. Gyr-Peregrine hybrid falcons and Saker falcons are most susceptible for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections whereby Peregrine and Gyr-Peregrine hybrid falcons are more prone to moderate and heavy Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Age and antibiotic sensitivity differences can be clearly seen among the bacterial infection in this study.
TipTon Kangaroo raTs ( DipoDomys nitratoiDes nitratoiDes ) , shrubs , and inTraguild CompeTiTion

—The Tipton Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides: TKR) is an imperiled species in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Habitat relationships and competition with other kangaroo rat species are still being defined. We examined the relationship between shrubs and TKR as well as the more common Heermann’s Kangaroo Rats (D. heermanni: HKR) on two live-trapping plots at a study site on the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. The mean distance from capture locations to the nearest shrub was similar for both kangaroo rat species although HKR clearly traveled farther from shrubs (maximum distance > 50 m for HKR versus 14.5 m for TKR). The proportion of stations where only TKR were captured (28.8%) was higher than the proportion where both TKR and HKR were captured (11.0%) suggesting avoidance of the larger HKR by TKR. The proportion of stations with captures of TKR, HKR, or both species did not differ based on the particular species of nearest shrub. Thus, neither kangaroo rat species exhibited an association with a particular shrub species, although TKR were more abundant on the plot where Seepweed (Suaeda nigra) was more abundant. Seepweed does not appear to influence microhabitat use by TKR, but Seepweed may be an indicator of habitat suitability for TKR. Shrubs may facilitate the occurrence of TKR in areas where HKR, a larger intraguild competitor, also occurs, and this possibility warrants further investigation.
Creative Story Writing through Crowdsourcing Empowerment

In this position paper, we envisage a possible crowdsourcing model for enforcing creative story writing in a fully crowd-assisted way. In particular, we discuss open issues regarding the capability to actively involve crowd workers in both the composition and the review/editing steps that constitute a comprehensive story-writing process. Considerations based on a preliminary experimentation in a real crowdsourcing system are also presented.
Analyzing the Peeling Decoder

The simplest example of iterative decoding is the peeling decoder introduced for the binary erasure channel (BEC) by Luby et al. [1] (see also [2, pp. 117–121, 134–136]) . This decoder is based on the parity-check matrix of the code and can be applied to an arbitrary linear code1. Let H be the parity-check matrix of an (n, k) linear code. Definition 1.1. The Tanner graph G of an m ⇥ n parity-check matrix is a bipartite graph with one vertex for each code symbol and one vertex for each parity check. For each non-zero entry in H, the graph contains an edge that connects the variable node associated with the column to the check node associated with the row. Mathematically, we have G = (V [ C,E) with V = {1, 2, . n} C = {1, 2, . ,m} E = {(i, j) 2 C ⇥ V | if H i,j 6= 0} . Algorithm 1.2 (Peeling Decoder). Iteratively remove known bits from the graph as follows: 1. Initialize the variables x 1 , . , x n to ? and the variables y 1 , . , y m to zero.
Overcoming the identity crisis: novel evidence for a referential theory of Verb Phrase Ellipsis∗

This correspondence manifests itself in two ways. First, the acceptability of VPE appears to depend on the existence of some form of parallelism between the ellipsis clause and the antecedent clause. Second, when such parallelism constraints are met, the set of possible interpretations of the ellipsis clause tends to be highly restricted by the meaning of the antecedent clause. In the case of (1), for example, the meaning of the ellipsis clause must involve the meaning of the antecedent VP study hard; the ellipsis simply cannot be resolved to the proposition that the teachers didn’t teach the material well, for instance, even though that would arguably result in a more plausible interpretation. Broadly speaking, there are two ways in which these constraints have been captured in theories of VPE. The first has been to posit the existence of particular constraints on the felicitous use of VPE, ones that impose a requirement for identity between the antecedent and ellipsis clauses at some level of linguistic representation (most notably, at the level of syntax or semantics). We term such theories IDENTITY ACCOUNTS. The second is to treat VPE as a form of discourse reference, thereby assimiliating its behavior to that of other familiar forms of reference, such as pronouns. We term such theories REFERENTIAL ACCOUNTS. Associated with each type of theory is a set of well-known problems. Identity theories have to contend with cases in which VPE is acceptable and interpretable despite the lack of a suitable antecedent, which has motivated researchers to propose various rescue strategies to preserve identity. Referential theories, on the other hand, need to explain why various cases of VPE are infelicitous despite the fact that the required referent could plausibly be seen to be inferrable from the discourse context. We begin the paper by surveying both theories and the predictions they make with respect to certain cases of VPE. We then present results from an acceptability
The Impact of Internet Adoption on SME performance in Sri Lanka: Development of a Conceptual Framework

In a backdrop of shrinking geographical distance due to virtual access to borderless nations via the internet, many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are actively participating in the internet to take maximum advantage of this recently emerged business dimension. The purpose of this research paper was to investigate the Impact of Internet Adoption on SME performance in Sri Lanka with a view of developing a Conceptual Framework. The internet adoption as a key ingredient for SME business success has attracted much attention during the last decade. The impact of Internet Adoption on SME performance from a Srilankan perspective has not been adequately studied. Also, the extent of impact of Internet Adoption on SME performance may differ from other countries. Based on empirical evidence, this study is capturing significant variables that influence internet adoption by SME in a Sri Lankan context. The variables featured in this study are benefits of internet, complexity, business orientation, new work practice adoptability and ICT costs which are identified as major drives that influence the internet usage in SME sector and their impact on SME performances. Furthermore, the relationship of the variable on the SME performance is examined via reviewing applicable literature. This Conceptual framework which is an extension of the work done by earlier researchers will be a contribution to future researchers.
Sustained, not habituated, activity in the human amygdala during a dotâ•’probe task of attentional bias to threat

The human amygdala consciously and nonconsciously processes facial expressions and directs spatial attention to them. Research has shown that amygdala activity habituates after repeated exposure to emotionally salient stimuli during passive viewing tasks. However, it is unclear to what extent the amygdala habituates during biologically relevant amygdala-mediated behaviors, such as the orienting of attention to environmentally salient social signals. The present study investigated amygdala habituation during a dot-probe task measuring attentional bias to backward masked fearful faces. The results suggest that across the duration of the 50 min (1,098 trial) task both attentional bias behavior and amygdala activity were sustained—rather than habituated. Thus, these initial findings indicate that when biologically relevant behavior is sustained, so too is amygdala activation. Subjects: Neuroscience; Psychological Science; Attention; Emotion; Cognition & Emotion; Cognitive Neuroscience; Social Neuroscience
Depth distribution of humic substances in Andosols in relation to land management and soil erosion

Although Andosols are relatively resistant to water erosion, they can be severely affected by changes in land use, resulting in accelerated erosion and loss of soil organic matter (SOM). We hypothesized that if the contents of specific components of SOM and organo–metallic complexes (humic acids –HAs–, fulvic acids –FAs–, sodium pyrophosphate extractable carbon –Cp–, aluminium –Alp–, and iron –Fep–) consistently tend towards certain ratios in A and B horizons, they could be used to identify soils denuded by erosion. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the vertical distribution of humus components and certain ratios, namely C‐HA/C‐FA, C‐FA/total organic C (TOC), Cp/TOC and (Fep + Alp)/C‐FA, in representative profiles of andic soils located in natural ecosystems with different degrees of human disturbance. Furthermore, we analysed these parameters in the topsoil of a natural protected area and in adjacent soils under different land use scenarios (natural reserve vs. traditional exploitation). We found that the ratios of C‐HA/C‐FA and, to a lesser extent, of C‐FA/TOC and Cp/TOC changed with depth in the selected soil profiles, but the values were characteristic of each type of soil horizon. The values of these ratios in the topsoils of the disturbed areas were closer to a B horizon than an A horizon. This pattern may be superimposed on pre‐existing gradients, such as those related to the type of natural vegetation. The use of these indices emerges as a possible land use and erosion indicator.
53 2D to 3D: interaction frequency maps to chromatin higher-order folded conformations

Chromatin is a fiber of histone proteins and DNA present in the nuclei of eukaryotic cells. The higher-order folding of chromatin into chromosomes, which affects various genomic processes ranging from transcription to recombination, has so far remained elusive. Recently, sophisticated experimental techniques, known as chromosome conformation capture, have been developed to measure the frequencies of interaction between different DNA segments within and across chromosomes (Dekker et al., 2002; Lieberman-Aiden et al., 2009). Such interaction frequencies (IFs) can in principle be used to deduce higher-order folding of the chromatin fiber, though this is a highly challenging computational problem. Here, we present novel computational approach to recover the ensemble of chromatin conformations consistent with a set of given IF measurements (Meluzzi & Arya, 2012). Our approach comprises three modules. A model builder builds a restrained bead-chain model of the examined chromosomal domain, capturing both the physical properties of the chromatin fiber and the looping interactions. An ensemble generator performs a dynamical simulation of the restrained bead chain to determine its conformational ensemble and to compute the IFs between all chromatin segments. An adaptive refiner uses a learning algorithm to iteratively refine the strengths of the imposed restraints until a match between the computed and input IF map is achieved. Our approach thus offers multiple advantages over existing alternatives: use of physical models of chromatin; avoidance of preconceived relationships between IFs and spatial distances; prediction of ensembles rather than unique structures; and intrinsic validation of the computed ensemble based on IF. The above approach has been validated against multiple simulated test systems, and we are currently refining the approach against known experimental IF and spatial distance measurements. We expect the final, refined approach to become a valuable tool for researchers examining the higher-order organization of chromatin.
Dependence of the energy deposition of a fast ionization wave on the impedance of a discharge gap

Analyses of experimental and theoretical investigations of energy dissipation in a pulse discharge are reported. The pulse discharge has been investigated in the form of fast ionization waves. The dependence of part of the energy deposition on the impedance discharge cell is found. From the presented model it follows that at high values of the impedance of the discharge cell the energy deposition is determined by the front of the ionization wave, and, in the opposite case, at small values of the impedance it is determined by the charging of the discharge cell capacitance and by joule's losses. The part of the energy deposition in the fast ionization wavefront is estimated to be 20-45%. The conditions at which up to 100% energy deposition is achieved.
EARLY PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TONGUE IN ONE-HUMPED CAMEL (CAMELUSDROMEDARIUS): A LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY

The early prenatal development of the tongue of the dromedary resemble in general outline that previously described in other mammals, however species specific differences have not been recognized yet. So the aim of this study to describe the early stages of tongue development in camel by using light and scanning electron microscopes. The current study was carried out on camel embryos ranging from 1.9cm to 10.5cm CVRL (71-94 days of pregnancy). In 1.9cm CVRL embryo, four prominent pharyngeal swellings appeared protruding in the primitive oral cavity representing the four branchial arches. The oral part of the tongue (anterior two thirds) developed from the first branchial arch as the latter gradually overgrew the second one, while the pharyngeal part (caudal third) of the tongue developed from the rostral part of the third branchial arch as demonstrated in 2.4cm CVRL embryos. The first sign of lingual papillae was demonstrated on the surface of the lingual root at 4.7cm CVRL and then after visualized on the body and apex of the tongue at 8.2cm CVRL. Up to 10.4cm CVRL, the investigated lingual papillae included lentiform and vallate papillae on the Torus linguae and fungiform papillae on the body and apex of the tongue, but filiform papillae were not yet developed as visualized by light and scanning electron microscopy. In conclusion, the present work presents the first report regarding the very early prenatal development of the tongue of camel.
Energy and Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Porphyrin−Fullerene Dyads

Time-resolved fluorescence and absorption techniques have been used to investigate energy and photoinduced electron transfer in a covalently linked free-base porphyrin−fullerene dyad and its zinc analog. In toluene, the porphyrin first excited singlet states decay in about 20 ps by singlet−singlet energy transfer to the fullerene. The fullerene first excited singlet state is not quenched and undergoes intersystem crossing to the triplet, which exists in equilibrium with the porphyrin triplet state. In benzonitrile, photoinduced electron transfer from the porphyrin first excited singlet state to the fullerene competes with energy transfer. The fullerene excited singlet state is also quenched by electron transfer from the porphyrin. Overall, the charge-separated state is produced with a quantum yield approaching unity. This state lives for 290 ps in the free-base dyad and 50 ps in the zinc analog. These long lifetimes suggest that such dyads may be useful as components of more complex light-harvesting systems.
Audit Quality, Effectiveness of Board Audit Committee and Earning Quality

This study aims to investigate the relationships between the Audit Quality and the Earnings Quality as well as between the Board Audit Committee and the Earning Quality of the listed firms in 4 industrial groups in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) which are: 1) Agro and Food, 2) Resource, 3) Technology, and 4) Consumer goods from 2009 to 2013. The Earnings Quality was measured by using the Modified Jones Model and the Total Accruals were calculated by adopting the Cash Flow Concept. The data were collected by using panel data with random effects. The results show that the auditor firm size has a negative correlation with the Discretionary Accruals. Also, there is a positive correlation in changing from the smaller audit companies to the larger ones. For the auditors’ opinion, it is found that when the auditors gave a remark on the going concern, there was a negative correlation with the Discretionary Accrual and it resulted in the good Earnings Quality. The opposite result appeared when the auditors did not give an opinion about the financial statements and gave an observation about the going concerns which resulted in the poor Earnings Quality. However, the relationship between the efficiency of the Board Audit Committee and the Audit Quality was not found and cannot be concluded.
Catalyst free MBE-VLS growth of GaAs nanowires on (111)Si substrate

The behaviour of catalyst free GaAs nanowire growth is investigated on (111)Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy under different Ga and As fluxes. It is found that the diameter of nanowire is increased by increasing the Ga flux, while it is decreased by increasing the As flux. The growth rate along the wire axis is enhanced by increasing the As flux under a constant Ga flux. Moreover, the Ga droplet at the top disappears by the growth interruption and the growth along the wire axis is strictly prohibited. By adopting the last result, the growth of GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell structure is attempted. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Haematinic evaluation of Lauha bhasma and Mandura bhasma on HgCl 2 -induced anemia in rats

The present study was carried out to evaluate the haematinic effect of two ayurvedic preparations of iron on mercuric chloride-induced anemia in rats. Lauha bhasma and Mandura bhasma, two well-known ayurvedic iron preparations, are commonly used to treat anemia. In Charles Foster strain rats of either sex, anemia was induced by administering mercuric chloride (9 mg/kg). Lauha bhasma and Mandura bhasma (11 mg/kg) were evaluated for their haematinic activity. The observed results suggest that Lauha bhasma and Mandura bhasma possess significant (P<0.05) haematinic and cytoprotective activity.
Decentralisation and Public Health Services Provision: Evidence from Administrative Decentralisation Reform in China

This paper adopts the Di↵erence-in-Di↵erence method and combines it with propensity score matching to identify the causal e↵ect of administrative decentralisation reform in 167 counties, on the local public health services provision from 2000 to 2012, using the quantity of hospital beds per 10,000 residents as an indicator. The results show that there is a significant negative e↵ect of decentralisation reform on the other.