Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Properties of Sesquiterpene Lactones Isolated from Stevia spp.: In Vitro and In Silico Studies

Stevia species (Asteraceae) have been a rich source of terpenoid compounds, mainly sesquiterpene lactones, several of which show antiprotozoal activity. In the search for new trypanocidal compounds, S. satureiifolia var. satureiifolia and S. alpina were studied. Two sesquiterpene lactones, santhemoidin C and 2-oxo-8-deoxyligustrin, respectively, were isolated. These compounds were assessed in vitro against Trypanosoma cruzi stages, showing IC50 values of 11.80 and 4.98 on epimastigotes, 56.08 and 26.19 on trypomastigotes and 4.88 and 20.20 µM on amastigotes, respectively. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on Vero cells by the MTT assay. The effect of the compounds on trypanothyone reductase (TcTR), Trans-sialidase (TcTS) and the prolyl oligopeptidase of 80 kDa (Tc80) as potential molecular targets of T. cruzi was investigated. Santhemoidin C inhibited oligopeptidase activity when tested against recombinant Tc80 using a fluorometric assay, reaching an IC50 of 34.9 µM. Molecular docking was performed to study the interaction between santhemoidin C and the Tc80 protein, reaching high docking energy levels. Plasma membrane shedding and cytoplasmic vacuoles, resembling autophagosomes, were detected by transmission microscopy in parasites treated with santhemoidin C. Based on these results, santhemoidin C represents a promising candidate for further studies in the search for new molecules for the development of trypanocidal drugs.
An Optimal Energy-Efficient Path Selection Algorithm Based on Ant Colony-Genetic Optimization Scheme

In this paper, inspired to the high-speed global search ability for genetic algorithm and the positive feedback mechanism for ant colony algorithm, our energy-efficient scheme, called ACGR, was proposed for routing optimization design, in which the communication messages, treated as ants with limited lifetime, are sent by nodes for searching the optimal routing path. Through the proposed scheme, multiple candidate routing paths could be obtained firstly. Then each candidate path is considered as a gene sequence and through the selection, crossover and mutation operations on them, the optimal energy routing path is determined. Simulation results have shown that the proposed algorithm provides promising solution because it takes into account the energy of each node, and extends the lifetime of the wireless sensor network.
The Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease—A Review

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and ruminant species consumed by humans. Ruminant prion diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. In 1996, prions causing BSE were identified as the cause of a new prion disease in humans; variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). This sparked a food safety crisis and unprecedented protective measures to reduce human exposure to livestock prions. CWD continues to spread in North America, and now affects free-ranging and/or farmed cervids in 30 US states and four Canadian provinces. The recent discovery in Europe of previously unrecognized CWD strains has further heightened concerns about CWD as a food pathogen. The escalating CWD prevalence in enzootic areas and its appearance in a new species (reindeer) and new geographical locations, increase human exposure and the risk of CWD strain adaptation to humans. No cases of human prion disease caused by CWD have been recorded, and most experimental data suggest that the zoonotic risk of CWD is very low. However, the understanding of these diseases is still incomplete (e.g., origin, transmission properties and ecology), suggesting that precautionary measures should be implemented to minimize human exposure.
Epidemiological serosurvey of chikungunya fever post outbreak at Tanjung Sepat, Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that usually presents with prominent arthralgia. An outbreak of chikungunya fever was reported in Tanjung Sepat, Malaysia in 2019. The outbreak was limited in size with a low number of cases being reported. The present study sought to determine the possible variables that could have affected the transmission of the infection. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study involving 149 healthy adult volunteers from Tanjung Sepat was performed soon after the outbreak had subsided. All the participants donated blood samples and completed the questionnaires. Laboratory detection of anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG antibodies was performed using enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA). Risk factors associated with chikungunya seropositivity were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS The majority (72.5%, n = 108) of the study participants tested positive for CHIKV antibodies. Only 8.3% (n = 9) of the participants out of all the seropositive volunteers had an asymptomatic infection. Participants who resided with a febrile (p < 0.05, Exp(B) = 2.2, confidence interval [CI] 1.3-3.6) or a CHIKV-diagnosed person (p < 0.05, Exp(B) = 2.1, CI 1.2-3.6) in the same household were found likely to be tested positive for CHIKV antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the study support that asymptomatic CHIKV infections and indoor transmission occurred during the outbreak. Hence, widespread community testing and indoor use of mosquito repellent are among the possible measures that can be implemented to reduce CHIKV transmission during an outbreak.
The ergodicity and stationarity property analysis of nonstationary stochastic processes using wavelet transforms

We focus on the second-order stochastic processes and the ergodicity and stationarity properties of their wavelet transforms (WTs), and are concerned with both the continuous-time and the discrete-time cases. The aim of the paper is to show that the ergodicity property of a second-order stochastic process is preserved by WTs. Moreover, under some soft constraints for wavelet functions, the WT of a second-order process with wide-sense stationary increments/jumps or wide-sense stationary (WSS) property is WSS and ergodic if the process is ergodic. The fractional Brownian motion (fBm) processes have been used in many research areas of 1/f-type noises, fractals, image textures, etc. But, these researches did not deal with the calculation problems of the fBm processes in practice. Actually, the ergodicity property of the fBm process is not concluded by the ergodicity theorem. In our work, the ergodicity property of the WT of an fBm process would be certified too.
Clinical evaluation, accurate diagnosis and treatment of four pedigrees with Fabry's disease

Objective This article analyzes the data of four families with mutations of the GLA (galactosidase) gene with a special focus on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and interdisciplinary clinical management of Fabry disease (FD) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) treatment, and has the aim to assess more accurate prevention and treatment strategy. Methods The MSSI (Mainz Severity Score Index) scale was used to evaluate the clinical data of five children diagnosed in our hospital, and the genotypes of all the patients with FD were collected. Two of the male children started ERT. We summarize the clinical effect and the evaluation of globotriaosylsphingosine (Lyso-GL-3) before and after treatment. Results Five children were confirmed as having FD using the family histories, clinical manifestations, α-galactosidase A (a-Gal A) activity, and genetic test results. Two children used agalsidase α every 2 weeks regularly, after ERT. Their clinical symptoms improved, their pain intensity was significantly relieved, and upon re-examination their Lyso-GL-3 decreased conspicuously and no serious adverse reactions occurred. We report for the first time four families with children with FD. The youngest child was only 1 year old. The four families included one girl which is rare in X-linked lysosomal storage diseases. Conclusion The clinical phenotype of FD in childhood is nonspecific, and the misdiagnosis rate is high. Most children with FD have a delayed diagnosis, and their organs are often seriously damaged in adulthood. Pediatricians must improve their diagnosis and treatment awareness, screen high-risk groups, and emphasize multidisciplinary cooperation and holistic lifestyle management after diagnosis. The diagnosis of the proband is also conducive to the mining of other cases of FD families and has important guiding significance for prenatal diagnosis.
Determinants of food security in Nigeria: Empirical evidence from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries rice farmers of the Kano River Irrigation Project

Introduction While the prevalence of hunger decreased globally, it has risen in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years mainly due to rapid population growth, low agricultural productivity, and economic downturns. This study was conducted to examine food security determinants at the household levels among the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries rice farmers of the Kano river irrigation project in Nigeria. Methods Cross-sectional data were used for the analysis while multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain data from 382 respondents, out of which 217 were project beneficiaries and 165 non-beneficiaries; using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Household food security index and Logit regression model. Results and discussion The results showed that 72.6% of the beneficiaries' households were food secure, against the non-beneficiaries, who had 65.4% food secure households. The findings also revealed that the beneficiaries have 11 and 4% food insecurity depth and severity respectively. Non-beneficiaries, on the other hand, had 17 and 8% food insecurity depth and severity, respectively. Extension contact, farm size, rice output, and educational attainment were the positive determinants of food security. Similarly, determinants that could increase food insecurity identified were; credit constraints and household size. It is recommended that the design of a food security strategy should be multi-dimensional and should encompass social, institutional and economic transformation of small scale farmers. Addressing the identified determinants is also crucial for enhancing the food security status in the study area.
Revisiting the Local Kinematics of the Milky Way using the New Hipparcos Data

With the new Hipparcos data recently released, we reexamine the kinematics in the solar neighborhood. Two different populations of objects, namely the thin-disk O-B5 stars and the thick-disk K-M giants, are selected for tracing the kinematical parameters of the Galaxy. Using a 3-D kinematical model, the components of the solar motion and the Oort constants are derived. The solutions and the kinematics inferred from both types of stars are analyzed. The results obtained with the new data are compared with those from the old Hipparcos data. We conclude that the present solution provides a more reliable estimation of the Oort constants, thanks to the new reduction of the Hipparcos data that provides even more accurate astrometric measurements of stars.
On the statistical theory of turbulence

The present work starts with a study of isotropic turbulence which was introduced by G. I. Taylor in 1935. The different notions of averages are critically examined. The notion of stochastic average is then introduced and the general transport equation is developed. After a detailed study of kinematics of turbulence, the concept of correlation and spectrum, the correspondence between the Karman-Howarth equation and the spectrum equation is made. The turbulence decay is studied. A theory for turbulence decay at large Reynolds number is proposed. In the study of turbulence spectrum, different assumptions on the transfer function are critically discussed and the solution using Heisenberg's assumption is obtained explicitly. The spectrum is further studied by trying to fit the turbulence phenomenon into a general scheme of stochastic processes. In the second part of the work, an entirely different approach to the statistical theory is made. Linearized vorticity transport theory is developed and finally the non-linear effects in turbulence are studied.
Aspects of grand unified models with softly broken supersymmetry

The minimal S U(3)× S U(2)× U(1) gauge model with softly broken supersymmetry is studied in the framework of the standard grand unification. It is assumed that the supersymmetry is left intact at an energy scale μ≃ M_X, the grand unification mass scale, except for Majorana masses of gauge fermions. The other soft breaking parameters at low energies are shown to be generated by renormalization effects. The gauge symmetry breaking S U(2)× U(1)→ U(1)em is also caused through radiative corrections. The super-GIM mechanism apparently works well to suppress flavor changing neutral interactions. The mass of the top quark is remarkably found to be constrained as 60 GeV ≾ mt ≾ 180 GeV. Futhermore various mass relations for unconventional particles are obtained as well as crude estimates for numerical masses of them. It is found that there is a plethola of new particles in a mass range from a few tens of GeV to a few hundred GeV.
Hybrid algorithm for compact and stable macromodelling of parameterised frequency responses

A novel hybrid technique for the macromodelling of parameterised frequency responses is presented. A more compact model representation is proposed that guarantees stability of the poles by construction. It is shown that accurate parametric macromodels can be calculated using a reduced amount of model coefficients and data samples. The obtained macromodels can be used for efficient real-time design space exploration, design optimisation and sensitivity analysis.
The emerging role of nutritional support in the supportive care of pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents a potentially curative strategy for many oncological, hematological, metabolic, and immunological diseases in children. The continuous effort in ameliorating supportive care represents one of the cornerstones in the improvement of outcome in these patients. Nowadays, more than ever nutritional support can be considered a key feature. Oral feeding in the early post-transplant period is severely impaired because of mucositis due to conditioning regimen, characterized by, mainly by vomiting, anorexia, and diarrhea. Gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD), infections and associated treatments, and other medications, such as opioids and calcineurin inhibitors, have also been correlated with decreased oral intake. The consequent reduction in caloric intake combined with the catabolic effect of therapies and transplantation-related complications with consequent extended immobilization, results in a rapid deterioration of nutritional status, which is associated with decreased overall survival and higher complication rates during treatment. Thus, nutritional support during the early post-transplantation period becomes an essential and challenging issue for allo-HSCT recipients. In this context, the role of nutrition in the modulation of the intestinal flora is also emerging as a key player in the pathophysiology of the main complications of HSCT. The pediatric setting is characterized by less evidence, considering the challenge of addressing nutritional needs in this specific population, and many questions are still unanswered. Thus, we perform a narrative review regarding all aspects of nutritional support in pediatric allo-HSCT recipients, addressing the assessment of nutritional status, the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes and the evaluation of the nutritional support, ranging from specific diets to artificial feeding.
Lithium: A Promising Anticancer Agent

Lithium is a therapeutic cation used to treat bipolar disorders but also has some important features as an anti-cancer agent. In this review, we provide a general overview of lithium, from its transport into cells, to its innovative administration forms, and based on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data. Lithium formulations such as lithium acetoacetate (LiAcAc), lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium citrate (Li3C6H5O7), and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) induce apoptosis, autophagy, and inhibition of tumor growth and also participate in the regulation of tumor proliferation, tumor invasion, and metastasis and cell cycle arrest. Moreover, lithium is synergistic with standard cancer therapies, enhancing their anti-tumor effects. In addition, lithium has a neuroprotective role in cancer patients, by improving their quality of life. Interestingly, nano-sized lithium enhances its anti-tumor activities and protects vital organs from the damage caused by lipid peroxidation during tumor development. However, these potential therapeutic activities of lithium depend on various factors, such as the nature and aggressiveness of the tumor, the type of lithium salt, and its form of administration and dosage. Since lithium has been used to treat bipolar disorder, the current study provides an overview of its role in medicine and how this has changed. This review also highlights the importance of this repurposed drug, which appears to have therapeutic cancer potential, and underlines its molecular mechanisms.
Multiscale simulation of polymer melt viscoelasticity: Expanded-ensemble Monte Carlo coupled with atomistic nonequilibrium molecular dynamics

We present a powerful framework for computing the viscoelastic properties of polymer melts based on an efficient coupling of two different atomistic models: the first is represented by the nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method and is considered as the microscale model. The second is represented by a Monte Carlo (MC) method in an expanded statistical ensemble and is free from any long time scale constraints. Guided by recent developments in nonequilibrium thermodynamics, the expanded ensemble incorporates appropriately defined ``field'' variables driving the corresponding structural variables to beyond equilibrium steady states. The expanded MC is considered as the macroscale solver for the family of all viscoelastic models built on the given structural variable(s). The explicit form of the macroscopic model is not needed; only its structure in the context of the general equation for the nonequilibrium reversible irreversible coupling or generalized bracket formalisms of nonequilibrium thermodynamics is required. We illustrate the method here for the case of unentangled linear polymer melts, for which the appropriate structural variable to consider is the conformation tensor $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\mathbf{c}}$. The corresponding Lagrange multiplier is a tensorial field $\mathbf{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$. We have been able to compute model-independent values of the tensor $\mathbf{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$, which for a wide range of strain rates (covering both the linear and the nonlinear viscoelastic regimes) bring results for the overall polymer conformation from the two models (microscale and macroscale) on top of each other. In a second step, by comparing the computed values of $\mathbf{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ with those suggested by the macroscopic model addressed by the chosen structural variable(s), we can identify shortcomings in the building blocks of the model. How to modify the macroscopic model in order to be consistent with the results of the coupled micro-macro simulations is also discussed. From a theoretical point of view, the present multiscale modeling approach provides a solid framework for the design of improved, more accurate macroscopic models for polymer melts.
Oracle inequalities for multi-fold cross validation

We consider choosing an estimator or model from a given class by cross validation consisting of holding a nonneglible fraction of the observations out as a test set. We derive bounds that show that the risk of the resulting procedure is (up to a constant) smaller than the risk of an oracle plus an error which typically grows logarithmically with the number of estimators in the class. We extend the results to penalized cross validation in order to control unbounded loss functions. Applications include regression with squared and absolute deviation loss and classification under Tsybakov’s condition.
Video enhanced depth-sensing indentation technique for characterizing mechanical behaviour of biomaterials

A video enhanced depth-sensing indentation with concomitant experimental technique was developed for the purpose of characterizing the mechanical behaviour of biomaterials. This indentation system possesses the capability of simultaneously measuring the applied force and resultant displacement of biomaterials. Its motion unit is a dc motor incorporated with a PZT actuator, which are activated individually. It can generate a long travelling distance of up to 12.0 mm with a resolution of 0.1 µm or discrete motion of up to 120.0 µm with micro-steps less than 10 nm. An up-to-date force transducer is driven by the motion unit, which has a maximum range of 5.0 mN with a resolution better than 0.1 µN. Armed with a high magnification side-view system, it can offer extra lateral profile variation of samples during the compression procedure, which is essential for observing and analysing the gradual rupture. The technique was applied to characterize the elastic properties of thin biomembranes and large deformation of a single biomimetic microcapsule along with its adhesion on a flat surface. Experimental results verified the performance and application of the homemade indentation apparatus. This study presented that the quantitative characterization of mechanical behaviour for broad varieties of biomaterials is feasible.
Sound Characteristics from Turbulent Flow over a Sphere

Flow-induced sound propagated from turbulent flow over a sphere is investigated using large eddy simulation. The Reynolds numbers considered are Re = 3700 and 10 4 based on the freestream velocity (u∞) and the sphere diameter (d). The flow-induced sound propagates in a complicated manner for both Reynolds numbers due to the three-dimensional vortical evolution in the wake. At Re=3700, the amplitudes of the drag and lift fluctuations are very small as compared to those at Re=10 4 , because of inactive vortical motion right behind the sphere at Re=3700. Hence, at Re=3700, the quadrupole sound is much stronger than the dipole sound. At Re=10 4 , the dipole sound is the most dominant source for the overall sound field. However, at an observation location very near the sphere surface, the contribution of quadrupole source to the overall sound is larger than that of dipole source at both Reynolds numbers.
Effects of dust-charge fluctuation on the damping of Alfvén waves in dusty plasmas

Using a completely kinetic description to analyze wave propagation in dusty plasmas, the case of propagation of waves exactly parallel to the external magnetic field and Maxwellian distributions for electrons and ions in the equilibrium is considered. A model for the charging process of dust particles which depends on the frequency of inelastic collisions between dust particles and electrons and ions is used. The dispersion relation and damping rates for Alfven waves are obtained. For the numerical solutions, the average value of the inelastic collision frequency is used as an approximation. The results show that the presence of dust particles with variable charge in the plasma produces significant additional damping of the Alfven wave. A novel process of mode coupling of low-frequency waves is demonstrated to occur due to the presence of dust particles.