Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-6, -8, and TGF-β Secreted from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Show Functional Role in Reduction of Telomerase Activity of Leukemia Cell Via Wnt5a/β-Catenin and P53 Pathways

Purpose: The effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the immortality features of malignant cells, such as hematologic cancerous cells, are controversial, and the associated mechanisms are yet to be well understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro effect of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs) on the chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 through telomere length measurements, telomerase activity assessments, and hTERT gene expression. The possible signaling pathways involved in this process, including Wnt-5a/β-catenin and P53, were also evaluated. Methods: Two cell populations (BMSCs and K562 cell line) were co-cultured on transwell plates for 7 days. Next, K562 cells were collected and subjected to quantitative real-time PCR, PCR-ELISA TRAP assay, and the ELISA sandwich technique for telomere length, hTERT gene expression, telomerase activity assay, and cytokine measurement, respectively. Also, the involvement of the mentioned signaling pathways in this process was reported by real-time PCR and Western blotting through gene and protein expression, respectively. Results: The results showed that BMSCs caused significant decreases in telomere length, telomerase activity, and the mRNA level of hTERT as a regulator of telomerase activity. The significant presence of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) was obvious in the co-cultured media. Also, BMSCs significantly decreased and increased the gene and protein expression of β-catenin and P53, respectively. Conclusion: It was concluded that the mentioned effects of IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β cytokines secreted from MSCs on K562 cells as therapeutic agents were applied by Wnt-5a/β-catenin and P53 pathways
Transformation of the organic matter of forest and post agrogenic soils of the boreal zone of Russia

The purpose of the study was to compare forest and postagrogenic soils by parameters such as carbon content in organic matter and total nitrogen to predict the fertility state of lands that are at the stage of restoration of woody vegetation. Areas with similar soil formation conditions were selected on the postagrogenic and forested lands having mature forest stands related with such types of forest: Myrtillosum forest, Oxalidosum and Herbosa-Composita forest, and also areas under the soil complexes of postagrogenic fallow lands. A number of physico-chemical indicators for the soil were assessed according to the methods generally accepted in soil science: the particle size distribution, the bulk density and the thickness of the pedogenic horizons were determined. An analysis of the carbon stocks in organic matter (Corg) and nitrogen (Ntotal) in the genetic horizons of the soils of myrtillosum, Oxalidosum and HerbosaComposita forest types shows an increase in the content of organic matter and total nitrogen from Myrtillosum to Herbosa-Composita forest type. A comparative analysis of the physical and agrochemical state of postagrogenic and forest soils showed that, despite the previous anthropogenic impact, the agroland horizon retains a high content of organic matter and total nitrogen. The properties of postagrogenic soils in the studied areas are not deteriorated, and the transformation towards the natural forest soils of the region is not observed, despite the long period of fallowing.
Guteliver axis: The impact of gut microbiota on non alcoholic fatty liver disease

0939-4753/$ see front matter a 201 doi:10.1016/j.numecd. 2012.02. 007 Abstract Aim: To examine the impact of gut microbiota on non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis. Data synthesis: Emerging evidence suggests a strong interaction between gut microbiota and liver. Receiving approximately 70% of its blood supply from the intestine, the liver represents the first line of defence against gut-derived antigens. Intestinal bacteria play a key role in the maintenance of guteliver axis health. Disturbances in the homeostasis between bacteriaand host-derived signals at the epithelial level lead to a break in intestinal barrier function and may foster “bacterial translocation”, defined as the migration of bacteria or bacterial products from the intestinal lumen to mesenteric lymph nodes or other extraintestinal organs and sites. While the full repertoire of gut-derived microbial products that reach the liver in health and disease has yet to be explored, the levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, are increased in the portal and/or systemic circulation in several types of chronic liver diseases. Derangement of the gut flora, particularly small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, occurs in a large percentage (20e75%) of patients with chronic liver disease. In addition, evidence implicating the guteliver axis in the pathogenesis of metabolic liver disorders has accumulated over the past ten years. Conclusions: Complex metabolic diseases are the product of multiple perturbations under the influence of triggering factors such as gut microbiota and diet, thus, modulation of the gut microbiota may represent a new way to treat or prevent NAFLD. a 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Phytochemical Analysis and Antileishmanial Activity of Clerodendrum myricoides and Salvadora persica Plant Extracts against Leishmania major

Introduction: Clerodendrum myricoides and Salvadora persica have been reported in management of leishmaniasis which is one of the neglected tropical diseases. The study aimed at undertaking phytochemical analysis as well as investigating the in vitro antileishmanial activity of Clerodendrum myricoides and Salvadora persica extracts on promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania major. Materials and Methods: Solvent extraction of the stem parts of the two plants was performed using water, methanol, petroleum ether, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), anti-amastigote and nitric oxide production assays were carried out to demonstrate antileishmanial activity of these plant extracts against the two forms of Leishmania major parasite species: promastigote and amastigote. Cytotoxicity assay was then conducted to assess their safe use as herbal medicinal products. Original Research Article Maina et al.; JOCAMR, 9(1): 29-44, 2020; Article no.JOCAMR. 54324 30 Results: Both plants showed presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, anthraquinones and saponins. The Clerodendrum myricoides water extract demonstrated the best potential antileishmanial activity against Leishmania major promastigotes (MIC=625 μg/ml). The dichloromethane and petroleum ether extract were nontoxic to vero cells but showed moderate to weak activity against Leishmania major promastigotes (MIC=1250 μg/ml; 2500 μg/ml) and amastigotes respectively. The Salvadora persica ethyl acetate, successive methanol and dichloromethane extracts recorded the most potential activity towards both Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes. Conclusions: All Salvadora persica and Clerodendrum myricoides extracts have potential antileishmanial activity and may offer a cheaper alternative to the more expensive pentavalent antimonials.
Evaluation of the homogeneity feature on a Quickbird satellite image using the Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix.

The use of appropriate features to characterize an output class or object is critical for all classification problems. This paper identify an optimal window size for the extraction of spatial information that we are interested in the evaluation of the variation of the homogeneity index based on the size of the window resolution panchromatic 0.6 and 2.5 m of the Quickbird satellite. Gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method has been used for extracting texture from remotely sensed satellite image. Results of classification have also been reported.
CFD Simulation of a Sub-Millimeter Rising Bubble in a Stagnant Liquid

empty line 10pt Abstract Hydrodynamics of the multiphase apparatus is strongly affected by fluids used in the process. One of the main quantities, which determine the hydrodynamic behaviour is the rising velocity of gaseous bubbles. This velocity can be determined easily in small scale apparatuses, but it can be much more challenging in industrial-scale devices. For that reason, mathematical modeling is used. COMSOL Multiphysics, finite element CFD solver, was used to describe the behaviour of the single bubble rising in aqueous solutions of ethanol and n-propanol. Aqueous solutions of low-carbon alcohols are extensively used in many multiphase chemical processes such as distillation, flotation and in multiphase reactors. Bubble velocities and shapes obtained from the simulation were compared to experimental and theoretical values. Two initial diameters of bubbles were used – 0.6 and 0.8 mm. Terminal velocities and shapes deformations obtained from COMSOL of 0.6 mm bubble were in an agreement with theoretical and experimental values.
Aplicação simultânea das teorias de jogos de soma zero e de soma não-zero no design de um jogo de tabuleiro digital

— This article aims to discuss and understand the simultaneous application of zero-sum and non-zero-sum concepts in the design of a digital board game.The paper elucidates the differences between analog and digital board games, to present some mechanics and game design terms that relate to the theme; analyzes the application of zero sum and non-zero-sum in games; investigates the experience provided by these games, and finally lists the differences between the experiences provided by the use of the two types of board games. To conclude we validate the hypothesis of the creation of a digital board game, instead of an analog board, for the application of the proposed concept.
Effectiveness of plant extracts (lemon grass and tobacco) and insecticide Spinosad against Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica

Stored grain products are damaged by various types of insects during preservation of T. castaneum and lesser grain borer are most dangerous insect of preserved food. Rhyzopertha dominica is inner feeder and influences the wide variety as good as high quality of grains. Spinosad insecticide are very potent to manipulate the stored grain pest. Current research work was performed in the Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Five concentrations 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.05% along with one control treatment of Spinosad was formed in hundred ml of purified water from standard dilutions and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10% concentrations of each plants were prepared. Treatments were applied to check their possible toxic effects against T. castaneum and R. dominica. The data were recorded after 24, 48 and 72 hours, treatment means were compared with the help of (THSD) test. Spinosad gave maximum mortality 89.77% as compared to plant extracts lemon grass and tobacco 38.55% and 40.00% against lesser grain borer. Spinosad gives maximum mortality 87.27% as compared to plant extract lemon grass and tobacco 34.55% and 29.09% against red flour beetle.
Design and validation of educational material aimed at adults with Heart Failure

31 © Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander. Este es un artículo bajo la licencia CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/) Abstract Objective: Design and validate educational material aimed at adults with heart failure as an intervention of the disease centered on the decision making for the management of the symptoms. Materials and methods: Methodological study made following the Guide for the design, use and evaluation of educational material about health and the instrument of Specific Guidelines for the Evaluation of printed education materials developed by the Pan American Health Organization. For the design a group of 2 adults with heart failure, 2 caregivers, 2 nurses and 1 cardiologist participated. The educational material in its preliminary design was subject of evaluation by experts (n=7= and by adults with heart failure (n=10). Results: The design of educational material (pamphlet) is supported by the Situation-specific Theory of heart failure self-care and its empirical indicator is the scale of Self-care of Heart Failure Index. The experts and adults with heart failure who participated on this study agreed that the pamphlet meets the criteria of potential effectiveness on all the educational material. The scores obtained in the specific guidelines indicated that it should be used as designed and some evaluators indicated that the design should have some changes from the preliminary version. The production of the final version was made considering the observations of the evaluators. Conclusions: The steps for the design and validation of educational material are explained in detail and supported by the nursing theory and is made available to be used in the practice and research.
Total IgE levels and their relevance in the diagnosis of allergy among Malaysian population in the North-East Region of Peninsular Malaysia

Total immunoglobulin E (IgE) has been an indicator for early diagnosis of allergic diseases due the important role of IgE in the sensitization towards allergens. Although total IgE is a common diagnostic test that screens for possible allergic diseases, reports are still lacking on the profile of total IgE levels of allergic patients from the north-east region of Peninsular Malaysia. To investigate the association of total IgE levels with clinico-demographic parameters and whether increasing total IgE levels were associated with certain allergic manifestations in this study cohort. A local cohort of allergic patients (n=71) diagnosed in between 2009 and 2016 in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) were evaluated for the relevance of total IgE levels in allergy diagnosis. Our study did not demonstrate significant association between total IgE with age ( p =0.75) or gender ( p =0.65). However, we showed that elevated total IgE levels were associated with disease severity. Our data suggests that increasing total IgE levels beyond the conventional cutoff used to define abnormal IgE levels were more commonly associated with patients presenting allergic asthma and skin allergy manifestations. Total IgE level is a useful indicator for diagnosis of allergic diseases. Although total IgE level might not be sufficient to confirm the sensitization status of an individual, it may reflect the severity of the allergic disease suffered and it has a high correlation with positive sIgE values
Association between Sweet Food and Blood Glucose Status of Men and Women in Rural Areas

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder determined by the degree of hyperglycemia. High blood glucose status is a public health problem not only in urban areas but also in rural areas.The prevalence of diabetes in rural areas is increasing.Dietary shift, such as sweet food consumption, is associated with blood glucose status. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the association between sweet foodand blood glucose status of men and women in rural areas. Method: The design of this study was cross-sectional, and this study was conducted on 112 people aged 45-59 years from 56 households in Cisalak Village, Cibeber Subdistrict, Cianjur Regency. Chi-square test was used to analyze the association between sweet food and blood glucose status. Results: The results showed that sweet food consumption in women wasmore often than men. Sweet foods (OR = 8.438; 95% CI: 1.377 – 51.706) were significantly related to blood glucose status among men than women (OR = 0.837; 95% CI: 0.089 – 7.886). Conclusion: There is an association between sweet food consumption and blood glucose status in men. This study suggeststhe importance of limiting sweet food consumption so that the blood glucose status can be controlled.
A semantic-pragmatic analysis of the Slovak imperative and its lexicographic description

The present study focuses on semantic and pragmatic aspects conditioning the distribution of Slovak imperative forms. On the basis of corpus data it analyses verbs with a preference for the imperative form taking into consideration not only the absolute frequency of particular imperative forms but also the representation of the imperative in the grammatical paradigm of the analysed verbs. It concentrates upon lexicographic descriptions of imperatives in Slovník súčasného slovenského jazyka with special attention paid to two important issues: restrictions concerning the formation of imperatives within different semantic groups of verbs and distributional patterns of positive and negative imperatives with respect to verb semantics including also the question of aspectual characteristics. The results illustrate the importance of usagebased analysis which enables us to uncover the semantic and pragmatic aspects relevant for distribution of imperatives in Slovak.
Assessing the effect of pomegranate fruit seed extract mouthwash on dental plaque and gingival inflammation

Background: Utilizing natural products in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases has been increased recently and could be of benefit to low-socioeconomic level communities. Mouthwashes are very useful in the reduction of microbial plaque and gingival inflammation. Pomegranate (Punica granatum ) is an essential medicinal plant with various pharmacological properties. In this study, the efficacy of a mouthwash prepared from the extract of pomegranate fresh fruit, was evaluated in the reduction of dental plaque and gingival bleeding. Materials and Methods: One hundred and four participants diagnosed as mild to moderate gingivitis participated in this double-blind clinical trial. Two weeks after thorough scaling and root planing, the participants were randomly and equally divided into four groups: group 1 - Persica, Group 2 - Matrica, Group 3 - pomegranate mouthwashes, and Group 4 - placebo. The participants were instructed to use the prescribed mouthwashes, twice daily, for 1 month. Pomegranate mouthwash was prepared from seeds of fresh pomegranate fruit. Periodontal parameters including plaque and bleeding indices were assessed at baseline (2 weeks after Phase I of treatment) and 1 month after using mouthwashes. Results: Comparison of the plaque index showed a significant reduction from baseline to 1 month in all groups (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in reduction of plaque when comparing four groups. Assessment of the bleeding on probing revealed a significant decrease from baseline to 1 month in all groups (P < 0.05). The three herbal mouthwashes reduced the bleeding index significantly more than the placebo (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Pomegranate mouthwash was beneficial in improving gingival status, including reducing plaque and bleeding indices. Its effect was comparable to two routinely used herbal mouthwashes.
A new high performance variable step size perturb-and-observe MPPT algorithm for photovoltaic system

The optimization of energy in a photovoltaic conversion chain remains a topic of study. The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is considered the most appropriate solution to ensure the extraction of the maximum power which a photovoltaic generator can provide. Perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm is the well-known MPPT tracker; it shows an important and decisive role in the development of photovoltaic (PV) systems. In This article we introduce a new improved adjustable step size P&O (imVS_PO) MPPT method.The performances of the new algorithm are compared to the conventional P&O MPPT techniques and to the existing adjustable step size P&O (VS_PO) MPPT algorithm. The results clearly show the efficiency of the improved algorithm which contributed to the increase of the tracking speed with negligible fluctuations when the MPP is reached, and especially in rapid variation of insolation.
Seasonal Variation Of Helminthic Infestation In Relation To Length And Gender Of Fish Hosts In Two Districts Of Western U.P.

Present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of helminth infected fishes in relations to various aspects such as seasonal variation, length and gender of host. The study underscores two years observations from Jan 2017 to Dec. 2018 that highlights the heavy helminthic burden in edible fish Channa punctatus collected from Moradabad and Sambhal districts of Western U.P. Four study areas were selected to collect the samples from both the districts. From the total host examined within two years due to harbouring of these helminths parasites prevalence was found highest in large sized fishes (69.90%) and furthermore females were observed more susceptible to infections as recorded in our data (68.86%) in comparison to prevalence of infection in male (61.19%). Our investigations further showed that the highest prevalence (72.69%) of helminthic fauna was found in monsoon season and least (59.79%) was observed in pre-spring and spring season. The helminthic fauna isolated from the host consist of adult digeneans, metacercariae, cestodes, nematodes and their eggs.
Leptin exerts a bone protective effect in ovariectomized rats by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis

Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent bone diseases especially among postmenopausal women. The study was conducted on 36 female rats divided into three equal groups; i) Sham operated; ii) Ovariectomized (OVX) ; iii) Leptin treated ovariectomized. Serum receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), urinarydeoxypyridoline/creatinine (DPY)/Cr) were measured. The mRNA expression of RANKL and OPG were examined by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Leptin decreased bone turnover markers and serum RANKL while it resulted in significant increase in serum Ca and OPG. Moreover, it had a significant anti-osteoporotic effect compared to OVX rats as it markedly down-regulated expression of RANKL and up-regulated expression of OPG in proximal femur, and thus lowered the RANKL/OPG ratio. These findings suggests that the anti-osteoporotic effect of leptin was by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis via modulating the RANKL/OPG ratio and that leptin can be used as alternative therapeutic agents of osteoporosis .
Radiomics prediction model for the improved diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer on biparametric MRI.

Background To evaluate the potential of clinical-based model, a biparametric MRI-based radiomics model and a clinical-radiomics combined model for predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa). Methods In total, 381 patients with clinically suspicious PCa were included in this retrospective study; of those, 199 patients did not have PCa upon biopsy, while 182 patients had PCa. All patients underwent 3.0-T MRI examinations with the same acquisition parameters, and clinical risk factors associated with PCa (age, prostate volume, serum PSA, etc.) were collected. We randomly stratified the training and test sets using a 6:4 ratio. The radiomic features included gradient-based histogram features, grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), run-length matrix (RLM), and grey-level size zone matrix (GLSZM). Three models were developed using multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict clinically significant PCa: a clinical model, a radiomics model and a clinical-radiomics combined model. The diagnostic performance and clinical net benefit of each model were compared via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curves, respectively. Results Both the radiomics model (AUC: 0.98) and the clinical-radiomics combined model (AUC: 0.98) achieved greater predictive efficacy than the clinical model (AUC: 0.79). The decision curve analysis also showed that the radiomics model and combined model had higher net benefits than the clinical model. Conclusions Compared with the evaluation of clinical risk factors associated with PCa only, the radiomics-based machine learning model can improve the predictive accuracy for clinically significant PCa, in terms of both diagnostic performance and clinical net benefit.