Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BCS Class IV Oral Drugs and Absorption Windows: Regional-Dependent Intestinal Permeability of Furosemide

Biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) class IV drugs (low-solubility low-permeability) are generally poor drug candidates, yet, ~5% of oral drugs on the market belong to this class. While solubility is often predictable, intestinal permeability is rather complicated and highly dependent on many biochemical/physiological parameters. In this work, we investigated the solubility/permeability of BCS class IV drug, furosemide, considering the complexity of the entire small intestine (SI). Furosemide solubility, physicochemical properties, and intestinal permeability were thoroughly investigated in-vitro and in-vivo throughout the SI. In addition, advanced in-silico simulations (GastroPlus®) were used to elucidate furosemide regional-dependent absorption pattern. Metoprolol was used as the low/high permeability class boundary. Furosemide was found to be a low-solubility compound. Log D of furosemide at the three pH values 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5 (representing the conditions throughout the SI) showed a downward trend. Similarly, segmental-dependent in-vivo intestinal permeability was revealed; as the intestinal region becomes progressively distal, and the pH gradually increases, the permeability of furosemide significantly decreased. The opposite trend was evident for metoprolol. Theoretical physicochemical analysis based on ionization, pKa, and partitioning predicted the same trend and confirmed the experimental results. Computational simulations clearly showed the effect of furosemide’s regional-dependent permeability on its absorption, as well as the critical role of the drug’s absorption window on the overall bioavailability. The data reveals the absorption window of furosemide in the proximal SI, allowing adequate absorption and consequent effect, despite its class IV characteristics. Nevertheless, this absorption window so early on in the SI rules out the suitability of controlled-release furosemide formulations, as confirmed by the in-silico results. The potential link between segmental-dependent intestinal permeability and adequate oral absorption of BCS Class IV drugs may aid to develop challenging drugs as successful oral products.
Essential Amino Acids and Protein Synthesis: Insights into Maximizing the Muscle and Whole-Body Response to Feeding

Ingesting protein-containing supplements and foods provides essential amino acids (EAA) necessary to increase muscle and whole-body protein synthesis (WBPS). Large variations exist in the EAA composition of supplements and foods, ranging from free-form amino acids to whole protein foods. We sought to investigate how changes in peripheral EAA after ingesting various protein and free amino acid formats altered muscle and whole-body protein synthesis. Data were compiled from four previous studies that used primed, constant infusions of L-(ring-2H5)-phenylalanine and L-(3,3-2H2)-tyrosine to determine fractional synthetic rate of muscle protein (FSR), WBPS, and circulating EAA concentrations. Stepwise regression indicated that max EAA concentration (EAACmax; R2 = 0.524, p < 0.001), EAACmax (R2 = 0.341, p < 0.001), and change in EAA concentration (ΔEAA; R = 0.345, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors for postprandial FSR, Δ (change from post absorptive to postprandial) FSR, and ΔWBPS, respectively. Within our dataset, the stepwise regression equation indicated that a 100% increase in peripheral EAA concentrations increases FSR by ~34%. Further, we observed significant (p < 0.05) positive (R = 0.420–0.724) correlations between the plasma EAA area under the curve above baseline, EAACmax, ΔEAA, and rate to EAACmax to postprandial FSR, ΔFSR, and ΔWBPS. Taken together our results indicate that across a large variety of EAA/protein-containing formats and food, large increases in peripheral EAA concentrations are required to drive a robust increase in muscle and whole-body protein synthesis.
Multiscale Airborne Infectious Disease Transmission

Airborne disease transmission is central to many scientific disciplines, including agriculture, veterinary biosafety, medicine, and public health. Legal and regulatory standards are in place to prevent agricultural, nosocomial, and community airborne disease transmission. ABSTRACT Airborne disease transmission is central to many scientific disciplines, including agriculture, veterinary biosafety, medicine, and public health. Legal and regulatory standards are in place to prevent agricultural, nosocomial, and community airborne disease transmission. However, the overall importance of the airborne pathway is underappreciated; e.g., the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s Medical Subjects Headings (MESH) thesaurus lacks an airborne disease transmission indexing term. This has practical consequences, as airborne precautions to control epidemic disease spread may not be taken when airborne transmission is important but unrecognized. Publishing clearer practical methodological guidelines for surveillance studies and disease outbreak evaluations could help address this situation. To inform future work, this paper highlights selected, well-established airborne transmission events, largely cases replicated in multiple, independently conducted scientific studies. Methodologies include field experiments, modeling, epidemiology studies, disease outbreak investigations, and mitigation studies. Collectively, this literature demonstrates that airborne viruses, bacteria, and fungal pathogens have the ability to cause disease in plants, animals, and humans over multiple distances, from near range (<5 m) to continental (>500 km) in scale. The plausibility and implications of undetected airborne disease transmission are discussed, including the notable underreporting of disease burdens for several airborne-transmitted diseases.
Hippocampal hyperglutamatergic signaling matters: Early targeting glutamate neurotransmission as a preventive strategy in Alzheimer's disease

This Editorial highlights a remarkable study in the current issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry in which Hascup and coworkers provide novel data showing that riluzole, an anti‐glutamatergic drug, may be a promising early intervention strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD), aimed at restoring glutamate neurotransmission prior to amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque accumulation and cognitive decline. The mice APP/PS1, a model of AD, initially are cognitively normal but have elevated glutamate release in the hippocampus at 2–4 months of age. They begin showing cognitive decline and Aβ plaque accumulation at approximately 6–8 months of age, and show obvious AD neuropathology and cognitive impairment at 10–12 months. The riluzole treatment over 4 months (at 2–6 months of age) targeting early changes in glutamatergic neurotransmission prevents cognitive decline observed at 12 months of age and restores glutamatergic neurotransmission. This is one of the most convincing preclinical evidence supporting the idea of targeting glutamate neurotransmission in patients at risk for AD and to use riluzole for this purpose.
Applications of EEG indices for the quantification of human cognitive performance: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis

Background Neuroergonomics combines neuroscience with ergonomics to study human performance using recorded brain signals. Such neural signatures of performance can be measured using a variety of neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and electroencephalography (EEG). EEG has an excellent temporal resolution, and EEG indices are highly sensitive to human brain activity fluctuations. Objective The focus of this systematic review was to explore the applications of EEG indices for quantifying human performance in a variety of cognitive tasks at the macro and micro scales. To identify trends and the state of the field, we examined global patterns among selected articles, such as journal contributions, highly cited papers, affiliations, and high-frequency keywords. Moreover, we discussed the most frequently used EEG indices and synthesized current knowledge regarding the EEG signatures of associated human performance measurements. Methods In this systematic review, we analyzed articles published in English (from peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, and conference papers), Ph.D. dissertations, textbooks, and reference books. All articles reviewed herein included exclusively EEG-based experimental studies in healthy participants. We searched Web-of-Science and Scopus databases using specific sets of keywords. Results Out of 143 papers, a considerable number of cognitive studies focused on quantifying human performance with respect to mental fatigue, mental workload, mental effort, visual fatigue, emotion, and stress. An increasing trend for publication in this area was observed, with the highest number of publications in 2017. Most studies applied linear methods (e.g., EEG power spectral density and the amplitude of event-related potentials) to evaluate human cognitive performance. A few papers utilized nonlinear methods, such as fractal dimension, largest Lyapunov exponent, and signal entropy. More than 50% of the studies focused on evaluating an individual’s mental states while operating a vehicle. Several different methods of artifact removal have also been noted. Based on the reviewed articles, research gaps, trends, and potential directions for future research were explored. Conclusion This systematic review synthesized current knowledge regarding the application of EEG indices for quantifying human performance in a wide variety of cognitive tasks. This knowledge is useful for understanding the global patterns of applications of EEG indices for the analysis and design of cognitive tasks.
Neuronal Hippo signaling: From development to diseases

Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved and familiar tissue growth regulator, primarily dealing with cell survival, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The Yes‐associated protein (YAP) is the key transcriptional effector molecule, which is under negative regulation of the Hippo pathway. Wealth of studies have identified crucial roles of Hippo/YAP signaling pathway during the process of development, including the development of neuronal system. We provide here, an overview of the contributions of this signaling pathway at multiple stages of neuronal development including, proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs), migration of NSCs toward their destined niche, maintaining NSCs in the quiescent state, differentiation of NSCs into neurons, neuritogenesis, synaptogenesis, brain development, and in neuronal apoptosis. Hyperactivation of the neuronal Hippo pathway can also lead to a variety of devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Instances of aberrant Hippo pathway leading to neurodegenerative diseases along with the approaches utilizing this pathway as molecular targets for therapeutics has been highlighted in this review. Recent evidences suggesting neuronal repair and regenerative potential of this pathway has also been pointed out, that will shed light on a novel aspect of Hippo pathway in regenerative medicine. Our review provides a better understanding of the significance of Hippo pathway in the journey of neuronal system from development to diseases as a whole.
Body Composition in Women after Radical Mastectomy

The aim of the study was to analyse the body composition among women after radical mastectomy. The body compositions of 30 women after radical mastectomy (study group) were compared with those of 30 healthy females (control group). The method of electrical bioimpedance was used to analyse body composition. The significant differences between the groups, unfavourable for women, following mastectomy concerned body mass (p = 0.021), BMI (p = 0.049), fat mass (%) (p = 0.007), fat mass (kg) (p = 0.005), total body water (%) (p = 0.002), left upper limb fat mass (p = 0.013) as well as right upper limb fat mass (p = 0.022). The body composition of women after radical mastectomy was significantly worse compared to the control group. The majority of subjects were overweight and had high levels of body fat. Abnormal body composition is a modifiable risk factor of breast cancer; therefore, improving lifestyle is important in the prevention and treatment of this disease. There is a need for education, dietary supervision and physical activity in women following radical mastectomy. The innovation of our study was the use of the modern bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method, which does not cause ionisation and is a gold standard in the field of body composition analysis. In future research, we plan to broaden the assessment of lifestyle and the significance of diet and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Pathologic Features of Anti-Mi-2 Dermatomyositis

Objective To identify the characteristic pathologic features of dermatomyositis (DM) associated with anti-Mi-2 autoantibodies (anti-Mi-2 DM). Methods We reviewed 188 muscle biopsies from patients (1) pathologically diagnosed with DM through the sarcoplasmic expression for the myxovirus-resistant protein A and (2) serologically positive for 1 of 5 DM-specific autoantibodies (DMSAs) (anti-Mi-2, n = 30; other DMSAs, n = 152) or negative for all 5 DMSAs (n = 6). We then compared the histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of patients with anti-Mi-2 DM to those with non-Mi-2 DM and patients with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) (n = 212) using the t test, Fisher exact test, and a logistic regression model. Results Patients with anti-Mi-2 DM showed significantly higher severity scores in muscle fiber and inflammatory domains than non-Mi-2 DM patients. The presence of perifascicular necrosis, increased perimysial alkaline phosphatase activity, and sarcolemmal membrane attack complex deposition was more frequent in patients with anti-Mi-2 DM (p < 0.01). After Bonferroni correction, there were no significant differences in the percentages of the features mentioned above between the patients with anti-Mi-2 DM and those with ASS (p > 0.01). Conclusion Perifascicular necrosis and perimysial pathology, features previously reported in ASS, are common in patients with anti-Mi-2 DM. Our findings not only assist in differentiating anti-Mi-2 DM from other DM subtypes but also suggest the possibility of an overlapping mechanism between anti-Mi-2 DM and ASS. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class II evidence that the muscle biopsies of DM patients with anti-Mi-2 autoantibodies are more likely to demonstrate higher severity scores in muscle fiber and inflammatory domains.
JMAC Protocol: A Cross-Layer Multi-Hop Protocol for LoRa

The emergence of Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) technologies allowed the development of revolutionary Internet Of Things (IoT) applications covering large areas with thousands of devices. However, connectivity may be a challenge for non-line-of-sight indoor operation or for areas without good coverage. Technologies such as LoRa and Sigfox allow connectivity for up to 50,000 devices per cell, several devices that may be exceeded in many scenarios. To deal with these problems, this paper introduces a new multi-hop protocol, called JMAC, designed for improving long range wireless communication networks that may support monitoring in scenarios such smart cities or Industry 4.0. JMAC uses the LoRa radio technology to keep low consumption and extend coverage area, and exploits the potential mesh behaviour of wireless networks to improve coverage and increase the number of supported devices per cell. JMAC is based on predictive wake-up to reach long lifetime on sensor devices. Our proposal was validated using the OMNeT++ simulator to analyze how it performs under different conditions with promising results.
Analysis of Influence of Managerial Skills, Company Diversification Policy, Audit Committee, and External Audit and Their Impact on the Financial Reporting Aggressiveness (Study in Public Listed Manufacturing Companies)

Quick Response Code Abstract: The study is aimed to examine and analyze the influence of managerial skills, company diversification policy, audit committee, and external audit and their impact on the financial reporting aggressiveness. Analysis of regression used in the research is using the panel data approach through purposive sampling on the manufacturing companies listed on the Stock Exchange the period 2006-2017. Results of the study showed that partially company diversification policy and audit committee influence positively and significantly to financial reporting aggressiveness. Meanwhile, managerial skill and external audit partially do not impact significantly on the financial reporting aggressiveness. The research findings also show that managerial skills, diversification policies, audit committees, and external audits have a significant effect simultaneously on the aggressiveness of financial reporting.
Poultry Waste Management Practices and Policy Implications for Environmental Sustainability in Urban Areas of Osun State, Nigeria

Effective waste management method is a panacea for a long-term productivity, growth and environmental sustainability of poultry enterprise. In view of this, this study examined the poultry waste management practices and makes policy prescriptions for sustainable poultry production in Osun State. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed for this study. Primary data were collected from eighty poultry farmers selected from four Local Government Areas in Osun State through structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and multinomial logistic regression model. Result of descriptive analysis revealed that poultry production practice was male dominant, averaged 40 years old and attained tertiary education level with 15 years’ experience in poultry production. Majority (88%) of the farmers were married with an average of four members per household. Statistics also revealed that farmers used deep litter housing system mostly with mean stocking density of 3,086 birds generating average of 5,001kg waste weekly. The waste generated was controlled by composting (46 %) and used mostly for organic manuring. Multinomial regression result shows that age of farmers, quantity of waste accumulated, household size and membership of associations were significant factors affecting waste disposal in the study area. Therefore, in order to overcome the waste management crises, conscience of poultry farmers needs to be raised through environmental awareness, imbibition of sustainable farming practices, and education on waste
Expenditures with Policy Implications: Results from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys on Housing, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Gambling

The Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) are the most detailed source of expenditure data collected directly from households by the Federal government. In addition, information on income, assets and liabilities, and demographics are collected from a large, nationally representative sample of consumers. The result is a unique and rich source of data of interest to researchers, educators, advocates, policymakers, and others in a variety of fields. Moreover, these data, both tabular and at the household level (i.e., microdata), are publicly available for free download.
ELECTROOXIDATION OF METHANOL USING FLUORINE-TIN OXIDE ELECTRODE MODIFIED WITH AU–PT BIMETALLIC NANOPARTICLES DISPERSED IN MONTMORILLONITE CLAY

In this research work, a new and effective catalyst was proposed for electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol. Montmorillonite (MMT) clay was used as low-cost catalyst support for goldplatinum bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-PtNPs). The morphological study of the catalyst layers was performed using Scanning spectroscopy with electron microscopy (SEM) and dispersive energy X-ray (EDX). The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at the surface of AuPt/MMT/FTO modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. The electrode proposed for oxidation of methanol molecules showed excellent electrocatalytic activity under optimized experimental conditions. Methanol electro-oxidation was also studied from a kinetic point of view, and the Tafel plots showed better kinetics are present for Montmorillonite clay methanol electrooxidation and golden nanoparticles.
EFFECT OF CADAVERINE ON CULTIVARS OF TOMATO [LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM (L.) EM. THELL] UNDER MULTIPLE STRESS

Abiotic stresses are a major threat for agricultural productivity. Several strategies have been developed to improve such stresses like crop salt tolerance and heavy metal stresses, and in regard to this the effects of polyamines (PA) have been well established. Cadaverine (Cad), a structurally different diamine as that of putrescine and having an independent biosynthetic pathway with respect to other polyamines is regarded as a growth regulator and follows the same mode of action. In day today life, consumption of tomato remains as a main source because of its advantageous constituents like β-carotene, lycopene and other indispensable vitamins. It has been demonstrated for its anticipatory nature in numerous types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, this study was conducted using three different varieties of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) vis. Pusa Rohini, Pusa Ruby and Pusa Sadabahar under multiple abiotic stresses like salinity and heavy metals. Salinity possesses a negative impact on plant growth as it causes plant intoxication and osmotic stress which interferes with the crop development. While heavy metals inhibit nitrate reductase activity and decrease organic nitrogen and protein contents. Their higher concentrations can severely distress the growth of plant and biomass yield. Cad improves crop salt tolerance; improvise heavy metal stress, acts as a plant growth regulator that further activates antioxidant defense system. This study is undertaken to provide some insight into Cad’s regulatory mechanism on the growth of the tomato plant. Germination rate, speed of germination, pigment estimation (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid) of roots and shoots were the parameters assayed and an analysis of Cad’s potential to mitigate the adverse responses induced under multiple stresses.
The Marketing Ethical Strategies of Thailand’s Organic Rice Based on Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC)

Despite being one of the world’s major exporters of food, Thailand is facing mounting problems concerning unstainable agriculture practices. Organic farming could help to address environmental, social and economic issues, organic rice practices are proven to improve soil fertility, foster biodiversity, increase economic yield. The stakeholders of organic rice practices should adopt the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) favorable policies and embrace the digital era. The increased utilization of smart organic farming technology and greater access of corporate social responsibility could help to add the organic rice value and enlarge the export volumes to international markets. The effectively implementation of the marketing ethical strategies could help to reduce Thailand’s rice famer heavy household debt and get out of Thai poverty debt traps.