Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent Technological and Pharmacological Advances in Type 1 Diabetes

A vast majority of patients with type1 diabetes (T1D) are not at the glycemic goal of an HbA1c of less than 7% [1-3]. It continues to remain a very tough disease and the patients often get very frustrated while managing the unpredictable fluctuations of blood glucose coupled with emotional volatility. This subsequently translates to wild control of diabetes with increased microvascular and macrovascular complications and diminished quality of life. Lind et al. [4] has demonstrated a markedly elevated risk of total and cardiovascular mortality in patients with T1D. This increased risk was related both to glycemic control and to renal dysfunction. The total and cardiovascular mortality was ten times that of the normal population in patients with HbA1c >9.5%. Patients with HbA1c >9.5% had a risk of total and cardiovascular mortality of 10 times that of the normal population. This risk was further amplified in those with impaired renal function. A higher mortality was also shown in the conventional DCCT group when compared with general population over a mean follow up of 27 years [5]. Mortality increased significantly with increasing mean HbA1c, more so among females than males, especially for HbA1c>9% [5]. Intensification of insulin treatment facilitates good glycemic control but is faced with risk of increased hypoglycemia and weight gain. In the DCCT trial, the intensively treated group gained 4.75 kg more weight compared to conventionally treated group over a period of 6 years [6]. In this context, it is imperative that novel pharmacological and technological approaches to treatment of type1 diabetes (T1D) are devised. The landmark discovery of insulin by Banting & Best in 1921 [7] was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. Since then, advances in the treatment of T1D have focused on preparations of insulin with different rates of absorption from the subcutaneous tissue either through the addition of other proteins like protamine or the creation of analogs of human insulin [8]. These modifications allowed the availability of insulin preparations, which have either prolonged bioavailability or a more rapid absorption than human insulin [8]. More recently, the advent of a faster acting insulin aspart should facilitate blunting of postprandial glucose excursions with potentially less risk of hypoglycemia as it not only kicks in promptly but also wears off more quickly thus mimicking the first phase insulin secretory response to some degree [9]. It is currently awaiting regulatory approval from FDA for its use in United States [10].
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Salmonella Species in silico .

Antibiotic resistance is an emerging problem in both developed and developing countries. It has been responsible for 700,000 deaths worldwide. Some genotypes of bacteria are sensitive to certain antibiotics than others. Hence by conducting phylogenetic analysis of bacteria and detecting the presence of resistance genes in each genotype, we can select the antibiotic that would be most effective for the bacteria in that certain genotype. A total of forty-five Salmonella species were investigated for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes through in silico PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and PFGE (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) analysis was conducted to assess the phylogenetic relationship. Total twenty-eight antibiotic resistance genes were selected for screening the isolates and seventeen antibiotic resistance genes among the Salmonella strains were found. Almost all the isolates (n=43) exhibited PCR amplification product for gyrA genes while fluoroquinolone resistance gyrB (66.67%), parC (68.89%) and parE (15.56%) genes were also present. About 15.56% and 11.11% isolates were found to harbor adenylyltransferase gene, aadA1 and aadA2, respectively while phosphotransferase gene was detected in only one isolate. Two isolates expressed both chloramphenicol acetyltransferase genes, cat1 and cat2. Three isolates (6.67%) harbored chloramphenicol resistance gene cmlA gene while two isolates (4.44%) expressed florfenicol resistance gene, floR. Tetracycline resistance gene, tetA was more prevalent (8.89%) than tetG genes (2.22%). Salmonella harbored all three sulfonamide resistance genes while sulII was more prevalent (17.78%). Genotype 2 contained fifteen antibiotic resistance genes while genotype 3 contained only one antibiotic resistance genes. These investigations used a computer aided approach to genotype isolates and assess the difference in antibiotic resistance profile of Salmonella species based on genotype. This data helps to predict antibiotic resistance genes that might be present for an isolate of known genotype and select antibiotic for the treatment of Salmonella infections based on their phylogenetic group.
Can the Taylor Rule Describe the Monetary Policy in China

The Taylor Rule effectively describes the relationship among nominal interest, inflation rate and output gap in the United States, assuming the country has a closed economy. This paper positively analyzes the efficiency of the Taylor Rule in China through historical analysis. I evaluate the responsiveness and effectiveness by estimating the Taylor Rule and its modifications, using quarterly data in the period 1987Q1 to 2015Q3. The original Taylor Rule does not work well based on the current Chinese monetary policy. However, adding a lagged nominal interest rate in the previous period can help the model to work better. The nominal interest rate responds actively to both the inflation rate and the output gap. Using a specific information set can help to forecast the change in the nominal interest rate. The exchange rate also plays an important role in improving the model.
Secondary formation of water-soluble organic acids and α-dicarbonyls and their contributions to total carbon and water-soluble organic carbon: Photochemical aging of organic aerosols in the Arctic spring

[1] Water-soluble dicarboxylic acids (C2-C12), ketocarboxylic acids (C2-C6, C9), and α-dicarbonyls (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) were determined in the Arctic aerosols collected in winter to early summer, as well as aerosol total carbon (TC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Concentrations of TC and WSOC gradually decreased from late February to early June with a peak in spring, indicating a photochemical formation of water-soluble organic aerosols at a polar sunrise. We found that total (C2-C11) diacids (7–84 ng m−3) increased at polar sunrise by a factor of 4 and then decreased toward summer. Their contributions to TC (average 4.0%) peaked in early April and mid-May. The contribution of total diacids to WSOC was on average 7.1%. It gradually increased from February (5%) to a maximum in April (12.7%) with a second peak in mid-May (10.4%). Although oxalic acid (C2) is the dominant diacid until April, its predominance was replaced by succinic acid (C4) after polar sunrise. This may indicate that photochemical production of C2 was overwhelmed by its degradation when solar radiation was intensified and the atmospheric transport of its precursors from midlatitudes to the Arctic was ended in May. Interestingly, the contributions of azelaic (C9) and ω-oxobutanoic acids to WSOC increased in early summer possibly due to an enhanced emission of biogenic unsaturated fatty acids from the ocean followed by photochemical oxidation in the atmosphere. An enhanced contribution of diacids to TC and WSOC at polar sunrise may significantly alter the hygroscopic properties of organic aerosols in the Arctic.
The Co-Use of Methamphetamine and Alcohol: Behavioral and Neurobiological Effects

Alcohol is a drug commonly co-administered with other drugs like the psychostimulant methamphetamine. Both alcohol and methamphetamine target the mesocorticolimbic reward system of the brain through distinct mechanisms of action and the concurrent use of methamphetamine and alcohol likely has complex neurobiological consequences that could cause a variety of negative side effects. The present study serves to examine the way these two powerful drugs of abuse influence the consumption of one another. Alcohol-preferring rats or “P rats” were used as an animal model and given access to a two-bottle alcohol choice procedure in the home cage to measure alcohol consumption and preference. Methamphetamine intake was measured by training animals to self-administer methamphetamine in an operant conditioning chamber. Our study found that while alcohol consumption has no significant effect on the selfadministration of methamphetamine, methamphetamine self-administration decreases the consumption and preference for alcohol. This effect was observed through all procedural variations and suggests an antagonistic effect of methamphetamine use on alcohol reward. Adenosine signaling serves as a modulator for dopamine in the reward pathway and helps to attenuate reward signaling at physiological levels. To identify a possible mechanism behind the behavioral effects we’d found, we examined the presence of adenosine signaling proteins such as ENT1 proteins and A1 receptors in animals taking methamphetamine. Our study found an increase in ENT1 protein and a decrease in A1 receptors in animals taking methamphetamine which suggests a role for adenosine signaling in the effect of methamphetamine on alcohol consumption and preference. Our experimental findings are some of the first insights into the neurobiological aspects behind the drug interaction of methamphetamine and alcohol, and are contributions to the knowledge of the chemical basis of drug addiction.
Two-level Cretan matrices constructed using SBIBD

Abstract Two-level Cretan matrices are orthogonal matrices with two elements, x and y. At least one element per row and column is 1 and the other element has modulus ≤ 1. These have been studied in the Russian literature for applications in image processing and compression. Cretan matrices have been found by both mathematical and computational methods but this paper concentrates on mathematical solutions for the first time. We give, for the first time, families of Cretan matrices constructed using the incidence matrix of a symmetric balanced incomplete block design and Hadamard related difference sets.
A Method for Creative Behavioral Design Based on Analogy and Blending From Natural Things

In the near future, robots and CG (computer graphics) will be required to exhibit creative behaviors that reflect designers' abstract images and emotions. However, there are no effective methods to develop abstract images and emotions and support designers in designing creative behaviors that reflect their images and emotions. Analogy and blending are two methods known to be very effective for designing creative behaviors. The aim of this study is to propose a method for developing designers' abstract behavioral images and emotions and giving shape to them by constructing a computer system that supports a designer in the creation of the desired behavior. This method focuses on deriving inspiration from the behavioral aspects of natural phenomena rather than simply mimicking it. We have proposed two new methods for developing abstract behavioral images and emotions by which a designer can use analogies from natural things such as animals and plants even when there is a difference in the number of joints between the natural object and the design target. The first method uses visual behavioral images, the second uses rhythmic behavioral images. We have demonstrated examples of designed behaviors to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Representation and Characterization of Nonstationary Processes by Dilation Operators and Induced Shape Space Manifolds

We proposed in this work the introduction of a new vision of stochastic processes through geometry induced by dilation. The dilation matrices of a given process are obtained by a composition of rotation matrices built in with respect to partial correlation coefficients. Particularly interesting is the fact that the obtention of dilation matrices is regardless of the stationarity of the underlying process. When the process is stationary, only one dilation matrix is obtained and it corresponds therefore to Naimark dilation. When the process is nonstationary, a set of dilation matrices is obtained. They correspond to Kolmogorov decomposition. In this work, the nonstationary class of periodically correlated processes was of interest. The underlying periodicity of correlation coefficients is then transmitted to the set of dilation matrices. Because this set lives on the Lie group of rotation matrices, we can see them as points of a closed curve on the Lie group. Geometrical aspects can then be investigated through the shape of the obtained curves, and to give a complete insight into the space of curves, a metric and the derived geodesic equations are provided. The general results are adapted to the more specific case where the base manifold is the Lie group of rotation matrices, and because the metric in the space of curve naturally extends to the space of shapes; this enables a comparison between curves’ shapes and allows then the classification of random processes’ measures.
Contextual Bias in Verbal Credibility Assessment: Criteria‐Based Content Analysis, Reality Monitoring and Scientific Content Analysis

Verbal credibility assessment encompasses several methods used to evaluate the credibility of statements by examining their content. In two experiments, we tested to what extent these methods are sensitive to contextual bias. Four statements were presented, although their context was manipulated by confronting raters with extra-domain information that either enhanced or diminished the credibility of the statements. In Experiment 1, 32 police officers analysed the statements using scientific content analysis. In Experiment 2, 128 undergraduates analysed the statements using criteria derived from criteria-based content analysis, reality monitoring or scientific content analysis. Results showed that all three methods were equally vulnerable to contextual bias.
Correlation of iron and colon adenomas Corrélation du statut martial et de la présence d’adénomes du côlon

Background and objective. — Better colon cancer screening guidelines are needed. This study was conducted to explore the relationship between serum transferrin saturation (as iron is a potential carcinogen) and presence of colon adenomas. This may aid to evolve better colon cancer screening guidelines. Methods. — This study is a retrospective review of computer records. Patients who had colonoscopy and iron studies done between May 1996 and December 2003 were included in the study. The adjusted odds ratio, derived from multiple logistic regression analysis, was used to measure the association between transferrin saturation and colon adenomas. Results. — Complete data were available for 124 subjects. The adjusted odds ratio, for predicting the presence of polyp in those patients with transferrin saturation above the median was 10.9 (CI 4.0—29.5, P < 0.001). A one percent increase in transferrin saturation was associated with a 1.07 increase the odds of adenoma (CI 1.03—1.11, P < 0.001). Conclusions. — Iron levels are directly linked to presence of colon polyps, and might help in evolving better screening guidelines. © 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Antibacterial activity of Senna siamae leaf extracts on Salmonella typhi

The aqueous and organic leaf extracts of the plant Senna siamae, traditionally used for the treatment of infectious disease, were tested for their activity against clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi using the disc diffusion method. The ethanol extracts showed the highest activity (zone of inhibition 10 ± 0.01 mm), followed by acetone extracts (zone of inhibition 8 ± 0.01 mm), while the aqueous extracts showed the lowest activity (zone of inhibition 3.5 ± 0.01 mm) at 40 mg/ml concentration. Preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins and glycosides. The activities of the extracts were comparable to those of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole and ciprofloxacin antibiotics (t-test; p < 0.05). The antibacterial activities of the extracts against S. typhi did not change significantly when treated at 4, 30, 60 and 100°C for 1 h, but reduced significantly at pH 6 to 10. The MIC and MBC values of the crude extracts (1 - 3 mg/ml) were comparable to those of the tested antibiotics (0.3 - 1 mg/ml) (t-test; p < 0.05). Preliminary purification of the ethanol extracts with hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform and n-butanol showed that the ethyl acetate fraction possessed the highest activity (zone of inhibition 15 mm), followed by n-butanol fraction (zone of inhibition 2 mm), while the chloroform fraction did not show any activity at 20 mg/ml. Key words: Natural bioactive compounds, Senna siamae, antibacterial activity, antityphoid drug, Salmonella typhi, enteric fever, antibiotics.
Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Activity of Alcoholic and Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Cocculus orbiculatus in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Objective: The purpose of study was to determine the aerial parts of the plant Cocculus orbiculatus (Menispermaceae) for antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Methods: Cocculus orbiculatus was subjected to soxhlet extraction. Aqueous, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic extracts were obtained. These extracts were tested for toxicity unto 2000 mg/kg as per OECD-423 guidelines. Antidiabetic activity was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test and streptozotocin induced model. In oral glucose tolerance test COAE and COHAE exhibited greater activity compared to aqueous extract. Hence the two extracts were further screened by streptozotocin induced model at 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg for 15 days. Results: COAE and COHAE effectively lowered serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, very low density lipoproteins, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine, urea and elevated high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, liver glycogen levels and body weight. Conclusion: COAE and COHAE elicited dose-dependent effect. The effect produced at the lower dose (COAE & COHAE) was not considerable. Hydroalcoholic extract (300 mg/kg) elicited greater antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activity compared to alcoholic extract (300 mg/kg).
Advanced Supervised Spectral Classifiers for Hyperspectral Images : A Review

Hyperspectral image classification has been a vibrant area of research in recent years. Given a set of observations, i.e., pixel vectors in a hyperspectral image, classification approaches try to allocate a unique label to each pixel vector. However, the classification of hyperspectral images is a challenging task due to a number of reasons such as the presence of redundant features, or the imbalance between the limited number of available training samples, as well as the high dimensionality of the data. The aforementioned issues (among others) make the commonly used classification methods designed for the analysis of gray scale, color, or multispectral images inappropriate for hyperspectral images. To this end, several spectral classifiers have been specifically developed for hyperspectral images or carried out on such data. Among those approaches, support vector machines, random forests, neural networks, deep approaches, and logistic regression-based techniques have gained a great interest in the hyperspectral community. This paper reviews most existing spectral classification approaches in the literature. Then, it critically compares the most powerful hyperspectral classification approaches from different points of view, including their classification accuracy, and computational complexity. The paper also provides several hints for readers about the logical choice of an appropriate classifier based on the application at hand.
New insights into microbes in the midgut of termite Coptotermes formosanus.

Wood-feeding termites have evolved unique capability to effectively digest lignocellulosic material, using it for both energy and nutrition. This ability depends mainly on the mutualistic interaction between symbiotic gut microbiota and the termite itself. This study investigated microorganisms in the midgut of termite Coptotermes formosanus, a segment that has been less studied than the hindgut. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was initially used to visualize and identify individual bacteria and archaea in the termite’s midgut. After isolation of microorganisms with six different media, preliminary screening was carried out on plates by testing the capability to oxidize guaiacol as well as decolorize the dye azure B. Two selected strains; B207 and L201 were identified as Streptomyces sp. through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Submerged state fermentation of the strains with softwood biomass as substrate was further performed. The analysis results of attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) indicated that streptomyces strains B207 and L201 have certain lignocellulose decomposition capabilities.
Liver Dysfunctions in Dengue Infection: An Update on its Pathogenesis

Dengue fever (dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome) is a virus infection and comes under one of the major vector-borne diseases [1,2]. Dengue infection has now become the global health threat [2]. High fever, chills, rash and strong headache are the more common clinical features of this disease [3,4]. In addition to these symptoms, some special clinical manifestations appear in response to severe dengue cases where viremia is high [5]. Liver dysfunction is one of the atypical forms of clinical manifestation in the dengue infection [3]. The clinical feature of hepatic dysfunctions in dengue patients are increased liver size and elevated levels of liver enzymes mainly transaminases [4,6]. The increase in size of gallbladder was also observed as early clinical manifestations in dengue patients [7]. Around 46% of dengue infected patients from Indonesia were diagnosed to have enlarged liver size. [8]. The other atypical clinical symptoms of dengue were nausea and abdominal pain [9]. Some dengue patients also manifest jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia [4,10]. However, the number of patients is still very less having liver dysfunction with dengue infections [3]. A wide number of reports have suggested the role of immune cells and mediators of inflammation in the liver dysfunctions however, the exact mechanism is still not clear [11-13]. In this article, we discuss some facts and role of immune components involved in the dysfunctions of liver in dengue fever [14].
Local Map Based Graph SLAM with Hierarchical Loop Closure and Optimisation

We present a Graph SLAM system for use with a laser range finder suitable for low powered mobile robots, that is capable of producing globally consistent maps despite large errors in ICP registration. We introduce two types of loop closure constraints to allow the global map to be corrected as soon as possible, while retaining robustness to false positives in the presence of errors in position tracking. By using a two step optimisation procedure operating on a tree-based graph of local maps, only a subset of the global map is updated after a loop closure. Our system can generate globally consistent maps in challenging scenarios such as long featureless corridors and complex office environments.