cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes by compounds isolated from Aframomum melegueta fruit
Creators: name: Aminu Mohammed
name: Gbonjubola, Victoria Awolola
name: Koorbanally, Neil Anthony
name: Md. Shahidul Islam
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 60506 Virology

description: Context: The use of Aframomum melegueta K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae) fruit for treatment of diabetes has recently been established in Nigeria. However, compounds responsible for the antidiabetic action have not been identified. Objective: The present study carried out the bioassay-guided isolation of possible bioactive compounds responsible for the antidiabetic action of A. melegueta fruit. Materials and methods: The A. melegueta fruit was sequentially extracted using ethyl acetate (EtOAc), ethanol and water, and the most active extract (EtOAc) was subjected to column chromatography on a silica gel column using solvent gradient systems of hexane (HEX):EtOAc and EtOAc:MeOH and the isolation of compounds was guided by α-glycosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities at various concentrations (30–240 μg/mL). Results: According to the results, 3 arylalkanes, 6-paradol (1), 6-shogaol (2) and 6-gingerol (3) and a pentacyclic triterpene, oleanolic acid (4) were isolated from A. melegueta fruit. All the compounds exhibited inhibitory effects against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. 6-Gingerol (3) and oleanolic acid (4) showed higher inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC50: 6-gingerol: 81.78 ± 7.79 μM; oleanolic acid: 91.72 ± 1.63 μM) and α-glucosidase (IC50: 6-gingerol: 21.55 ± 0.45 μM; oleanolic acid: 17.35 ± 0.88 μM) compared to the standard drug, acarbose and other isolated compounds. The kinetics of the enzyme action of the compounds showed a noncompetitive mode of inhibition. Conclusion: The data of this study suggest that the 6-gingerol (3) and oleanolic acid (4) showed higher α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory action and therefore could be responsible for the antidiabetic activity of A. melegueta fruit.
Survey Response Behavior as a Proxy for Unobserved Ability: Theory and Evidence
Creators: name: de New, Sonja C.
name: Schurer, Stefanie
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: An emerging literature is experimenting with using survey response behavior as a proxy for hard-to-measure abilities. We contribute to this literature by formalizing this idea and evaluating its benefits and risks. Using a standard and nationally representative survey from Australia, we demonstrate that the survey item-response rate (SIRR), a straightforward summary measure of response behavior, varies more with cognitive than with noncognitive ability. We evaluate whether SIRR is a useful proxy to reduce ability-related biases in a standard economic application. We show empirically that SIRR, although a weak and imperfect proxy, leads to omitted-variable bias reductions of up to 20%, and performs better than other proxy variables derived from paradata. Deriving the necessary and sufficient conditions for a valid proxy, we show that a strong proxy is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition to reduce estimation biases. A critical consideration is to which degree the proxy introduces a multicollinearity problem, a finding of general interest. We illustrate the theoretical derivations with an empirical application.
Galaxy protocluster candidates at 1.6
Creators: name: Galametz, Audrey
name: Vernet, Joel
name: De Breuck, Carlos
name: Hatch, Nina
name: Miley, George
name: Kodama, Tadayuki
name: Kurk, Jaron
name: Overzier, Roderik
name: Rettura, Alessandro
name: Rottgering, Huub
name: Seymour, Nick
name: Venemans, Bram
name: Zirm, Andrew
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a study of protoclusters associated with high redshift radio galaxies. We imaged MRC1017-220 (z=1.77) and MRC0156-252 (z=2.02) using the near-infrared wide-field (7.5'x7.5') imager VLT/HAWK-I in the Y, H and Ks bands. We present the first deep Y-band galaxy number counts within a large area (200 arcmin2). We then develop a purely near-infrared colour selection technique to isolate galaxies at 1.6
description: accepted for publication in A&A, 16 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables
Glutathione sulfotransferase inhibition activity of a self-fermented beverage, Kanji
Creators: name: Latif, Abida
name: Hussain, Khalid
name: Naureen Shehzadi
name: Islam, Muhammad
name: Khan, Muhammad Tanveer
name: Anwar, Rukhsana
name: Humaira Majeed Khan
name: Bukhari, Nadeem Irfan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Plant Biology

description: Context:Kanji, a liquid preparation of roots of Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus (Hoffm.) Arcang. var. vavilovii Mazk. (Apiaceae), may inhibit glutathione sulfotransferase (GST) activity due to ferulic acid content. Objectives: GST inhibition activity and characterization of Kanji and methanol extract of D. carota roots, and oral absorption pattern of ferulic acid from Kanji in rats. Materials and methods: GST inhibition activity of Kanji and methanol extract of D. carota roots in concentration range 0.001–100.00 mg/mL was determined using Sprague Dawley rat liver cytosolic fraction. Methanol extract upon column chromatography gave ferulic acid, which was used to characterize Kanji and determine its oral absorption pattern in Wistar rats. Results: The GST inhibition activity of Kanji (100.00 μg/mL), methanol extract of D. carota roots (100.00 μg/mL) and tannic acid (10.00 μg/mL, positive control) was found to be 0.162 ± 0.016, 0.106 ± 0.013 and 0.073 ± 0.004 μM/min/mg, respectively. Different Kanji samples and methanol extract contained ferulic acid (0.222–0.316 mg/g) and 0.77 mg/g, respectively. Ferulic acid did not appear in plasma after oral administration of Kanji. Discussion:Kanji having solid contents 80.0 μg/mL, equivalent to 0.0025 μg/mL ferulic acid, does not inhibit the activity of GST. The oral administration of Kanji, in human equivalent dose (528 mg/kg, 16.67 μg ferulic acid), to rats indicated poor absorption of ferulic acid. Conclusion:Kanji having solid contents 14–36 mg/mL does not inhibit GST activity, hence may not interfere with drugs that are the substrates of GST, if taken concomitantly.
MRADSIM-Converter: A new software for STEP to GDML conversion
Creators: name: Alpat, Ali Behcet
name: Coban, Abdullah
name: Kaya, Hakan
name: Bartolini, Giovanni
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Computational Physics (physics.comp-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Radiation effects analysis of instruments operative in harsh radiation environment is crucial for performance and functionality of electronic devices and components. Engineering design of instruments is usually carried out in Computer Aided Design (CAD) engineering software. Geant4-based Monte Carlo codes are extensively used for particle transport simulation and analysis. However, Geant4 is not prepared to accept CAD Standard for The Exchange of Product data (STEP) format. MRADSIM-Converter is a new software for STEP to Geometry Description Markup Language (GDML) format conversion, readable by Geant4-based Monte Carlo codes. Its validation with two different converters confirms its higher speed for importing CAD geometries with arbitrary size and complexity having a user-friendly interface for modifying volumes properties.
description: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables
The effects of variable-retention harvesting and stand age on fine-root decomposition and fungal communities in coastal temperate rainforests
Creators: name: Philpott, Timothy James
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2018

description: Fine-root litter is the principal source of carbon (C) stored in forest soils and a dominant source of C for fungal decomposers. Differences in decomposer capacity among fungi may be an important determinant of fine-root decomposition. Variable-retention harvesting (VRH) provides refuge for ectomycorrhizal fungi, but its influence on fine-root decomposers is unknown, as are the effects of functional shifts in fungal communities on C cycling. I compared fungal communities decomposing fine-roots (in litterbags) under VRH (aggregate and dispersed retention), clearcut, and uncut stands at two sites (6- and 13-years post-harvest), and two decay stages (43-days and 1 year after burial), in Douglas-fir forests in coastal British Columbia. Fungal species and guilds were identified from fine-roots using high-throughput sequencing. Aggregate-retention maintained fungal communities similar to those found in uncut stands, but only at the 6-year post-harvest site. Ericoid and ectomycorrhizal guilds were not more abundant under VRH, but stand-age treatments (6-, 13-, and 70-years post-harvest) significantly structured species composition. Ectomycorrhizal abundance on decomposing fine roots may partially explain why fine roots typically decompose slower than surface litter. Stand age was a good predictor of vegetation and soil chemistry; grass and forb abundance, and nitrogen availability, were highest in young stands, whereas soil C and N increased in older stands. Despite differences among stand-age treatments, environmental factors were poor predictors of fungal community composition. However, in a 2-year decomposition study, environmental differences among treatments at the 6-year post-harvest site resulted in faster fine-root decomposition rates under clearcut harvesting, whereas 15-19% more C was retained under VRH and in uncut stands. As nitrate availability correlated with decomposition rate, management practices that reduce post-harvest nitrate availability are likely to result in lower C losses from fine-root decomposition. The effect of harvesting was not persistent as fine roots decomposed at similar rates in forests and openings at the 13-year post-harvest site. Altogether, aggregate-retention harvesting preserved fungal communities more commonly found in uncut stands, and slowed fine-root decomposition relative to clearcut harvesting. As such, this is a recommended harvesting practice in coastal British Columbia if fungal conservation and reduced harvesting-related C losses are management objectives.
Isolation, characterization, and in silico, in vitro and in vivo antiulcer studies of isoimperatorin crystallized from Ostericum koreanum
Creators: name: Raza, Hussain
name: Abbas, Qamar
name: Mubashir Hassan
name: Seong-Hui Eo
name: Ashraf, Zaman
name: Daeyoung Kim
name: Phull, Abdul Rehman
name: Kim, Song Ja
name: Kang, Sung Kwon
name: Sung-Yum Seo
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cancer

description: Context:Ostericum koreanum (Maxim.) Kitagawa (Apiaceae) roots are traditionally used as an analgesic and antiulcer agent. However, the antiulcer potential of isoimperatorin isolated from O. koreanum has not yet been explored. Aim: To evaluate the antiulcer activity of isoimperatorin isolated from the roots of O. koreanum. Materials and methods: Isoimperatorin was isolated as cubic crystals by repeated column chromatography of the ethyl acetate fraction and structure was verified with 1H NMR, 13C NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS-FAB). The crystals obtained were analyzed with the single crystal X-ray method. The MTT assay was used to determine its cytotoxicity against chondrocytes at different concentrations (0.0–737.74 μM, 24 h). The in vivo antiulcer activity of isoimperatorin (40 mg/kg) was determined against ethanol-, indomethacin- and pyloric ligation-induced ulcers in Sprague-Dawley rats. Furthermore, the effect of isoimperatorin (0.0–737.74 μM, 24 h) on the expression of type II collagen in chondrocytes was determined using western blot method. The in vitro urease inhibitory activity of isoimperatorin (0–80 μM) and molecular docking was also performed against urease. Results and discussion: Isoimperatorin demonstrated significant inhibitory activity (IC50 36.43 μM) against urease as compared to the standard drug thiourea (IC50 33.57 μM) without cytotoxic effects. It provided 70.9%, 67.65% and 54.25% protection in ulcer models induced by ethanol, indomethacin and pyloric ligation, respectively. Isoimperatorin showed the highest expression level of type II collagen at 368.87 μM. The docking results confirmed strong binding affinity with the target protein. Conclusion: Isoimperatorin may be used to develop antiulcer drugs with decreased side effects.
Dynamic Peer Groups of Arbitrage Characteristics
Creators: name: Ge, Shuyi
name: Li, Shaoran
name: Linton, Oliver
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: We propose an asset pricing factor model constructed with semiparametric characteristics-based mispricing and factor loading functions. We approximate the unknown functions by B-splines sieve where the number of B-splines coefficients is diverging. We estimate this model and test the existence of the mispricing function by a power enhanced hypothesis test. The enhanced test solves the low power problem caused by diverging B-splines coefficients, with the strengthened power approaching one asymptotically. We also investigate the structure of mispricing components through Hierarchical K-means Clusterings. We apply our methodology to CRSP (Center for Research in Security Prices) and Compustat data for the U.S. stock market with one-year rolling windows during 1967–2017. This empirical study shows the presence of mispricing functions in certain time blocks. We also find that distinct clusters of the same characteristics lead to similar arbitrage returns, forming a “peer group” of arbitrage characteristics.
Birefringent break up of Dirac fermions in a square optical lattice
Creators: name: Kennett, Malcolm P.
name: Komeilizadeh, Nazanin
name: Kaveh, Kamran
name: Smith, Peter M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We generalize a proposal by Sorensen et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 086803 (2005)] for creating an artificial magnetic field in a cold atom system on a square optical lattice. This leads us to an effective lattice model with tunable spatially periodic modulation of the artificial magnetic field and the hopping amplitude. When there is an average flux of half a flux quantum per plaquette the spectrum of low-energy excitations can be described by massless Dirac fermions in which the usually doubly degenerate Dirac cones split into cones with different "speeds of light" which can be tuned to give a single Dirac cone and a flat band. These gapless birefringent Dirac fermions arise because of broken chiral symmetry in the kinetic energy term of the effective low energy Hamiltonian. We characterize the effects of various perturbations to the low-energy spectrum, including staggered potentials, interactions, and domain wall topological defects.
description: 5 pages, 3 figures
Το Ηλεκτρονικό Χρήμα
Creators: name: Γκλαντζούνη, Αθηνά Ιωάννη
Publisher: name: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Year: 2023
Subjects: Ηλεκτρονικό Χρήμα
Διαδίκτυο
Τεχνολογία
E-Money
Internet
Technology

description: Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο, παρατίθενται κάποια γενικά στοιχεία περί του ηλεκτρονικού χρήματος. Συγκεκριμένα, αποδίδεται ο ορισμός και στη συνέχεια αφού γίνει η ιστορική αναδρομή, παρουσιάζονται στοιχεία σχετικά με το ηλεκτρονικό χρήμα στην Ελλάδα. Στο ίδιο κεφάλαιο περιέχονται οι μορφές του ηλεκτρονικού χρήματος μαζί με τα πλεονεκτήματα και τα μειονεκτήματά του. Το δεύτερο κεφάλαιο, βάσει της επιστημονικής βιβλιογραφίας, ασχολείται με τις επιπτώσεις σε οικονομικό και κοινωνικό επίπεδο που επέρχονται με τη χρήση του ηλεκτρονικού χρήματος. Ακολουθεί το κεφάλαιο με τους κινδύνους που ενέχει η χρήση του ηλεκτρονικού χρήματος. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό αναλύονται οι μηχανισμοί ασφαλείας και τα προληπτικά κατά βάση μέτρα προστασίας τόσο από την πλευρά των χρηστών, όσο και από αυτή των παρόχων. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο, αφού αναλυθεί η έννοια του ηλεκτρονικού εγκλήματος και της σχέσης του με το ηλεκτρονικό χρήμα, γίνεται η παράθεση του νομοθετικού πλαισίου που διέπει τις ηλεκτρονικές συναλλαγές και το ηλεκτρονικό χρήμα, δίνοντας ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στους κανόνες που εφαρμόζονται σε ΕΕ και Ελλάδα. Στο ίδιο κεφάλαιο αναφέρονται οι πιθανές προκλήσεις που καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει η νομοθεσία, ως προς τη χρήση του ηλεκτρονικού χρήματος. Στο τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, γίνεται μια σύνοψη των συμπερασμάτων όπως έχουν προκύψει από την παρούσα μελέτη.  
description: In the first chapter, some general information on electronic money is presented. In particular, the definition is given and then, after a historical review, data on electronic money in Greece are presented. The same chapter contains the forms of electronic money along with its advantages and disadvantages. The second chapter, based on the scientific literature, deals with the economic and social implications of the use of electronic money. This is followed by a chapter on the risks involved in the use of e-money. In this context, security mechanisms and precautionary measures are analysed, both on the part of users and providers. In the fourth chapter, after analysing the concept of e-crime and its relationship with e-money, the legislative framework governing electronic transactions and e-money is presented, with particular emphasis on the rules applicable in the EU and Greece. In the same chapter, the possible challenges that the legislation has to face with regard to the use of electronic money are mentioned. In the last chapter, a summary of the conclusions as they have emerged from this study is presented.
Polyphenol profile by UHPLC-MS/MS, anti-glycation, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of several samples of propolis from the northeastern semi-arid region of Brazil
Creators: name: Jadriane De Almeida Xavier
name: Iara Barros Valentim
name: Camatari, Fabiana O. S.
name: De Almeida, Alberto M. M.
name: Goulart, Henrique Fonseca
name: Jamylle Nunes De Souza Ferro
name: De Oliveira Barreto, Emiliano
name: Cavalcanti, Bruno Coelho
name: Bottoli, Carla B. G.
name: Goulart, Marília Oliveira Fonseca
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Context: Propolis has promising biological activities. Propolis samples from the Northeast of Bahia, Brazil – sample A from Ribeira do Pombal and B, from Tucano – were investigated, with new information regarding their biological activities. Objective: This paper describes the chemical profile, antioxidant, anti-glycation and cytotoxic activities of these propolis samples. Material and methods: Ethanol extracts of these propolis samples (EEP) and their fractions were analyzed to determine total phenolic content (TPC); antioxidant capacity through DPPH•, FRAP and lipid peroxidation; anti-glycation activity, by an in vitro glucose (10 mg/mL) bovine serum albumine (1 mg/mL) assay, during 7 d; cytotoxic activity on cancer (SF295, HCT-116, OVCAR-8, MDA-MB435, MX-1, MCF7, HL60, JURKAT, MOLT-4, K562, PC3, DU145) and normal cell lines (V79) at 0.04–25 μg/mL concentrations, for 72 h. The determination of primary phenols by ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and volatile organic compounds content by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were also performed. Results: The EEP polar fractions exhibited up to 90% protection against lipid peroxidation. The IC50 value for anti-glycation activity of EEP was between 16.5 and 19.2 μg/mL, close to aminoguanidine (IC50 = 7.7 μg/mL). The use of UHPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS allowed the identification of 12 bioactive phenols in the EEP and 24 volatile compounds, all already reported. Conclusions: The samples present good antioxidant/anti-glycation/cytotoxic activities and a plethora of biologically active compounds. These results suggest a potential role of propolis in targeting ageing and diseases associated with oxidative and carbonylic stress, aggregating value to them.
On sum of powers of Laplacian eigenvalues and Laplacian Estrada index of graphs
Creators: name: Zhou, Bo
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Combinatorics (math.CO)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 05C50

description: Let $G$ be a simple graph and $α$ a real number. The quantity $s_α(G)$ defined as the sum of the $α$-th power of the non-zero Laplacian eigenvalues of $G$ generalizes several concepts in the literature. The Laplacian Estrada index is a newly introduced graph invariant based on Laplacian eigenvalues. We establish bounds for $s_α$ and Laplacian Estrada index related to the degree sequences.
description: 9 pages
Bioassay-guided isolation, identification of compounds from Origanum rotundifolium and investigation of their antiproliferative and antioxidant activities
Creators: name: Erenler, Ramazan
name: Meral, Bilal
name: Ozkan Sen
name: Elmastas, Mahfuz
name: Aydin, Ali
name: Ozgur Eminagaoglu
name: Gulacti Topcu
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Context:Origanum (Lamiaceae) has been used in food and pharmaceutical industries. Objective: Isolation and identification of bioactive compounds from Origanum rotundifolium Boiss. and investigation of their antiproliferative and antioxidant activities. Materials and methods: The aerial part of O. rotundifolium was dried and powdered (1.0 kg ±2.0 g) then extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water. Solvent (3 × 1 L) was used for each extraction for a week at room temperature. The aqueous extract was partitioned with ethyl acetate (3 × 1 L) to yield the water/EtOAc extract subjected to chromatography to isolate the active compounds. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated by 1 D, 2 D NMR and LC-TOF/MS. Results: Apigenin (1), ferulic acid (2), vitexin (3), caprolactam (4), rosmarinic acid (5), and globoidnan A (6) were isolated and identified. Globoidnan A (6), vitexin (3), and rosmarinic acid (5) revealed the excellent DPPH• scavenging effect with IC50 values of 22.4, 31.4, 47.2 μM, respectively. Vitexin (3) (IC50 3.6), globoidnan A (6) (IC50 4.6), apigenin (1) (IC50 8.9) and ferulic acid (2) exhibited more ABTS•+ activity than standard Trolox (IC50 13.8 μg/mL). Vitexin (3) revealed the most antiproliferative activity against HeLa, HT29, C6 and Vero cells lines with IC50 values of 35.6, 32.5, 41.6, 46.7 (μM), respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Globoidnan A (6) has the most antioxidant effects on all assays. This has to do with the chemical structure of the compound bearing the acidic protons. Vitexin (3) could be a promising anticancer agent.
Identification of highly potent α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant constituents from Zizyphus rugosa bark: enzyme kinetic and molecular docking studies with active metabolites
Creators: name: Jirapast Sichaem
name: Thammarat Aree
name: Kiattisak Lugsanangarm
name: Tip-Pyang, Santi
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Pharmacology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Context: Previous studies have shown that extracts of Zizyphus rugosa Lam. (Rhamnaceae) bark contained phytoconstituents with antidiabetic potential to lower blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. However, there has been no report on the active compounds in this plant as potential antidiabetic inhibitors. Objective: We evaluated the α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities of Z. rugosa extract. Moreover, the active phytochemical constituents were isolated and characterized. Materials and methods: The α-glucosidase inhibition of crude ethanol extract obtained from the bark of Z. rugosa was assayed as well as the antioxidant activity. Active compounds (1–6) were isolated, the structures were determined, and derivatives (2a–2 l) were prepared. All compounds were tested for their α-glucosidase inhibitory (yeast and rat intestine) and antioxidant (DPPH) activities. Results: The active α-glucosidase inhibitors (1–6) were isolated from Z. rugosa bark and 12 derivatives (2a–2 l) were prepared. Compound 2 showed the most powerful yeast α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 16.3 μM), while compounds 3 and 4 display only weak inhibition toward rat intestinal α-glucosidase. Moreover, compound 6 showed the most potent antioxidant activity (IC50 42.8 μM). The molecular docking results highlighted the role of the carboxyl moiety of 2 for yeast α-glucosidase inhibition through H-bonding. Discussion and conclusions: These results suggest the potential of Z. rugosa bark for future application in the treatment of diabetes and active compounds 1 and 2 have emerged as promising molecules for therapy.
$L^2$ bounds for a Kakeya type maximal operator in $\R^3$
Creators: name: Demeter, Ciprian
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Classical Analysis and ODEs (math.CA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: We prove that the maximal operator obtained by taking averages at scale 1 along $N$ arbitrary directions on the sphere, is bounded in $L^2(\R^3)$ by $N^{1/4}{\log N}$. When the directions are $N^{-1/2}$ separated, we improve the bound to $N^{1/4}\sqrt{\log N}$. Apart from the logarithmic terms these bounds are optimal.
description: 13 pages
Dynamic Peer Groups of Arbitrage Characteristics
Creators: name: Ge, Shuyi
name: Li, Shaoran
name: Linton, Oliver
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: We propose an asset pricing factor model constructed with semiparametric characteristics-based mispricing and factor loading functions. We approximate the unknown functions by B-splines sieve where the number of B-splines coefficients is diverging. We estimate this model and test the existence of the mispricing function by a power enhanced hypothesis test. The enhanced test solves the low power problem caused by diverging B-splines coefficients, with the strengthened power approaching one asymptotically. We also investigate the structure of mispricing components through Hierarchical K-means Clusterings. We apply our methodology to CRSP (Center for Research in Security Prices) and Compustat data for the US stock market with one-year rolling windows during 1967-2017. This empirical study shows the presence of mispricing functions in certain time blocks. We also find that distinct clusters of the same characteristics lead to similar arbitrage returns, forming a ”peer group” of arbitrage characteristics.
Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease using Bottleneck Transformers
Creators: name: Jaiswal, Arunima
name: Sadana, Ananya
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Image and Video Processing (eess.IV)
subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Early detection of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its prodromal state, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), is crucial for providing suitable treatment and preventing the disease from progressing. It can also aid researchers and clinicians to identify early biomarkers and minister new treatments that have been a subject of extensive research. The application of deep learning techniques on structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has shown promising results in diagnosing the disease. In this research, we intend to introduce a novel approach of using an ensemble of the self-attention-based Bottleneck Transformers with a sharpness aware minimizer for early detection of Alzheimer's Disease. The proposed approach has been tested on the widely accepted ADNI dataset and evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and ROC-AUC score as the performance metrics.
The Naming Game in Social Networks: Community Formation and Consensus Engineering
Creators: name: Lu, Qiming
name: Korniss, G.
name: Szymanski, B. K.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: Multiagent Systems (cs.MA)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: We study the dynamics of the Naming Game [Baronchelli et al., (2006) J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. P06014] in empirical social networks. This stylized agent-based model captures essential features of agreement dynamics in a network of autonomous agents, corresponding to the development of shared classification schemes in a network of artificial agents or opinion spreading and social dynamics in social networks. Our study focuses on the impact that communities in the underlying social graphs have on the outcome of the agreement process. We find that networks with strong community structure hinder the system from reaching global agreement; the evolution of the Naming Game in these networks maintains clusters of coexisting opinions indefinitely. Further, we investigate agent-based network strategies to facilitate convergence to global consensus.
description: The original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/70370l311m1u0ng3/
Singular spectral curves in finite gap integration
Creators: name: Taimanov, I. A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: Algebraic Geometry (math.AG)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: We expose some applications of the finite gap integration method which involve singular spectral curves. They include orthogonal curvilinear coordinate systems corresponding to spectral curves with geometrical genus zero, finite gap Frobenius manifolds, and soliton deformations of spectral curves corresponding to equations with self-consistent sources. This is an extended version of the talk given at the conference "Geometry, Dynamics, Integrable Systems --- GDIS 2010" (Serbia, September 7--13, 2010).
description: 45 pages, 7 figures
Phytochemical investigations and antiproliferative secondary metabolites from Thymus alternans growing in Slovakia
Creators: name: Dall’Acqua, Stefano
name: Peron, Gregorio
name: Ferrari, Sara
name: Gandin, Valentina
name: Bramucci, Massimo
name: Quassinti, Luana
name: Mártonfi, Pavol
name: Maggi, Filippo
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Cancer

description: Context:Thymus alternans Klokov (Lamiaceae) is a neglected species of the genus Thymus (Sect. Serpyllum) endemic to Carpathian area, where it is used as a flavouring agent and for medicinal purposes. Objective: The aim of the work was to identify antiproliferative constituents from the flowering aerial parts of this plant. Materials and methods:Thymus alternans extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MSn and subjected to extensive chromatographic separations. The isolated compounds (phenolics and triterpenes) were structurally elucidated by MS and 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Essential oil (EO) composition was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS. Six purified triterpenes and EO were assayed for in vitro antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cells, namely, breast (MDA-MB 231), colon (HCT-15 and HCT116), lung (U1810), pancreatic (BxPC3), melanoma (A375) and cervical carcinoma (A431) cells. Results: The structures of the isolated compounds were achieved on the basis of H-NMR and MS experiments. Luteolin-4′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P1), chrysoeriol-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P2), chrysoeriol-5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P3), apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P4), rosmarinic acid (P5), rosmarinic acid-3′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P6), caffeic acid-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (P7), 3α-hydroxy-urs-12,15-diene (T1), α-amyrin (T2), β-amyrin (T3), isoursenol (T4), epitaraxerol (T5), and oleanolic acid (T6). GC-MS analysis revealed that the EO of T. alternans was devoid of phenols and belonged to the nerolidol-chemotype, that is typical of the Sect. Serpyllum. The six purified triterpenes (T1-T6) were active with IC50 ranging from 0.5 to 5 μM being comparable or better than those of reference compounds betulinic acid and cisplatin. The EO exhibited significant effects on A375, MDA-MB 231 and HCT116 cell lines with IC50 in the range of 5–8 μg/mL. Conclusion: The reported results suggest that T. alternans can be considered as a good source of phytoconstituents with possible importance in the pharmaceutical field.
Cross-Institutional Transfer Learning for Educational Models: Implications for Model Performance, Fairness, and Equity
Creators: name: Gardner, Josh
name: Yu, Renzhe
name: Nguyen, Quan
name: Brooks, Christopher
name: Kizilcec, Rene
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: Computers and Society (cs.CY)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Modern machine learning increasingly supports paradigms that are multi-institutional (using data from multiple institutions during training) or cross-institutional (using models from multiple institutions for inference), but the empirical effects of these paradigms are not well understood. This study investigates cross-institutional learning via an empirical case study in higher education. We propose a framework and metrics for assessing the utility and fairness of student dropout prediction models that are transferred across institutions. We examine the feasibility of cross-institutional transfer under real-world data- and model-sharing constraints, quantifying model biases for intersectional student identities, characterizing potential disparate impact due to these biases, and investigating the impact of various cross-institutional ensembling approaches on fairness and overall model performance. We perform this analysis on data representing over 200,000 enrolled students annually from four universities without sharing training data between institutions. We find that a simple zero-shot cross-institutional transfer procedure can achieve similar performance to locally-trained models for all institutions in our study, without sacrificing model fairness. We also find that stacked ensembling provides no additional benefits to overall performance or fairness compared to either a local model or the zero-shot transfer procedure we tested. We find no evidence of a fairness-accuracy tradeoff across dozens of models and transfer schemes evaluated. Our auditing procedure also highlights the importance of intersectional fairness analysis, revealing performance disparities at the intersection of sensitive identity groups that are concealed under one-dimensional analysis.
description: Code to reproduce our experiments is available at https://github.com/educational-technology-collective/cross-institutional-transfer-learning-facct-2023
Chemical composition and biological activities of Helicteres vegae and Heliopsis sinaloensis
Creators: name: Olivas-Quintero, Sandra
name: López-Angulo, Gabriela
name: Montes-Avila, Julio
name: Díaz-Camacho, Sylvia Páz
name: Vega-Aviña, Rito
name: López-Valenzuela, José Ángel
name: Salazar-Salas, Nancy Yareli
name: Delgado-Vargas, Francisco
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Plant Biology

description: Context:Helicteres vegae Cristóbal (Sterculiaceae) (Hv) and Heliopsis sinaloensis B.L. Turner (Asteraceae) (Hs) are endangered and poorly studied plant species; related plants have been used against chronic-degenerative and infectious diseases. Therefore, Hv and Hs could be sources of bioactive compounds against these illnesses. Objective: To determine the chemical composition and biological activities (antioxidant, antimutagenic and antimicrobial) of Hv and Hs leaves (L) and stems (S). Materials and methods: Methanol extracts (ME) of each plant/tissue were evaluated for their phytochemicals; phenolics (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS); antioxidant activity (AA) (0.125–4 mg/mL) (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and β-carotene discoloration); antimutagenicity (0.5 and 1 mg/plate) (Ames assay, tester strain Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium YG1024, 1-nitropyrene as mutagen); activity against human pathogens (1 mg/mL); and toxicity (0.01–2 mg/mL) (Artemia salina assay). Results: All ME showed flavonoids and triterpenes/steroids. The ME-SHv had the highest content of total phenolics (TP) (2245.82 ± 21.45 mg GAE/100 g d.w.) and condensed tannins (603.71 ± 1.115 mg CE/100 g d.w.). The compounds identified were flavonoids (kaempferol 7-O-coumaroylhexoside, and two kaempferol 7-O-rhamnosylhexosides) and phenolics [rosmarinic acid, and 3′-O-(8″-Z-caffeoyl) rosmarinic acid]. The ME-LHs showed the highest content of flavonoids (357.88 mg RE/g d.w.) and phenolic acids (238.58 mg CAE/g d.w.) by HPLC. The ME-SHv showed the highest AA. All ME were strong antimutagens (63.3-85.7%). Only the Hs extracts were toxic (ME-LHs, LC50 = 94.9 ± 1.7 μg/mL; ME-SHs, LC50 = 89.03 ± 4.42 μg/mL). Discussion and conclusions: Both Hv and Hs are potential sources of preventive and therapeutic agents against chronic-degenerative diseases.
Regulatory/modulatory effect of prune essence concentrate on intestinal function and blood lipids
Creators: name: Chiu, Hui-Fang
name: Yun-Chien Huang
name: Lu, Yan-Ying
name: Han, Yi-Chun
name: You-Cheng Shen
name: Golovinskaia, Oksana
name: Kamesh Venkatakrishnan
name: Chin-Kun Wang
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: Context:Prunus domestica Linn (Rosaceae) has been considered a functional food, owing to its various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and anticancer. Objective: This placebo-controlled, randomized study was framed to check the beneficial activity of prune essence concentrates (PEC) in corroboration with intestinal function and lipid profile in mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. Materials and methods: Sixty healthy mild hypercholesterolemic subjects were randomly chosen and segregated into three groups as placebo (consume 50 mL of simulated prune drink), PEC I (consume 50 mL of PEC/day) and PEC II (consume 100 mL of PEC/day) for 4 weeks with 2 weeks of follow-up without PEC consumption. Results: Intake of PEC (I and II) for 4 weeks substantially ameliorated (p Bifidobacterium spp. (1.18- and 1.19-fold) and Lactobacillus spp. (1.07- and 1.16-fold), but markedly lowered (p Clostridium perfringens (5.97 and 8.35%) and Escherichia coli (6.25 and 9.38%). Meanwhile, the total cholesterol (TC; 5.90 and 6.99%) levels and LDL-c (6.68 and 6.53%) were significantly reduced (p p Discussion and conclusion: Overall, the results suggest that the use of PEC may positively regulate the intestinal microflora and thereby effectively lower the TC levels and thus act as a hypocholesterolemic agent.
Two new isoquinoline alkaloids from the seeds of Nandina domestica
Creators: name: Qin, Juan
name: Zhang, Sheng-Yuan
name: Zhang, Yu-Bo
name: Chen, Li-Feng
name: Chen, Neng-Hua
name: Wu, Zhong-Nan
name: Luo, Ding
name: Wang, Guo-Cai
name: Li, Yao-Lan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Cancer

description: Two new isoquinoline alkaloids, 6 R,6aS-N-nantenine Nβ-oxide (1), 6S,6aS-N-nantenine Nα-oxide (2), along with nine known alkaloids, nantenine (3), oxonantenine (4), protopine (5), nornantenine (6), N-methyl-laurotetanine (7), isocorydine (8), O-methyflavinantine (9), N-methyl-2,3,6-trimethoxymorphinan-dien-7-one Nβ-oxide (10) and (+)-10-O-methylhernovine Nβ-oxide (11) were isolated from the seeds of Nandina domestica. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analyses of spectroscopic data (IR, UV, HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR), ECD calculation and comparison with the related literatures. In addition, the cytotoxicity against A549 cells of these alkaloids was determined by the MTT assay.
title: Ex-ante cost estimations for sanitation systems based on mass flows
Creators: name: Spuhler, Dorothee
name: Germann, Verena
Publisher: name: Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Sandec News, 20, 19.
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: cost estimations
subject: mass flows
subject: sanitation systems
subject: structuring phase

description: We summarize the concept for ex-ante cost estimations for sanitation systems based on mass flows as developed within a Master thesis by Verena Germann in the framework of the GRASP project ([Generation and Assessment of Sanitation Systems for Strategic Planning](https://www.eawag.ch/en/department/sww/projects/grasp-generation-assessment-of-sanitation-systems-for-strategic-planning/)) by Dorothee Spuhler .The supporting information contains some illustrative examples for cost calculations for a set of sanitation systems for different areas in Arba Minch, a small town in Ethiopia.
Randomized double-blinded pilot clinical study of the antidiabetic activity of Balanites aegyptiaca and UPLC-ESI-MS/MS identification of its metabolites
Creators: name: Hend Rashad
name: Fateheya M. Metwally
name: Shahira M. Ezzat
name: Salama, Maha M.
name: Hasheesh, Adel
name: Motaal, Amira Abdel
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Context:Balanites aegyptiaca Del. (Zygophyllaceae) fruits are traditionally known for the treatment of hyperglycaemia. Several in vitro and in vivo studies proposed some mechanisms of action. However, clinical trials in human beings were never reported to date. Objectives: To investigate the antidiabetic efficacy of the 70% ethanol extract of the pericarps of B. aegyptiaca (BE) within a nutritional intervention in elderly people. Materials and methods: Ultra-performance electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis was used for metabolic profiling of BE which was incorporated in hard gelatine capsules (400 mg/day) and tested on 30 type 2 diabetes (T2D) Egyptian patients for 8 weeks. According to sex, age and body mass index participants were divided into two equivalent groups, placebo and treatment. Results: Thirteen compounds were identified in BE using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis among which five steroidal saponins, seven phenolic compounds and a sterol glucoside. At the end of the 8-week treatment, the treated group showed 26.88% decrease in 2 h postprandial plasma glucose relative to 2.6% increase in the placebo group, while fasting plasma glucose was reduced to 10.3%. Treatment with BE capsules for 8 weeks produced significant reduction in the plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 9.0, 12.76 and 21.35%, respectively, with 29.8% increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Plasma alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase were reduced by 42.6 and 43.3%, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Administration of the BE capsules to T2D resulted in significant improvements in the glycaemic markers and the lipid profile, without adverse effects or hypoglycaemia.
Blueprinting Nematic Glass: Systematically Constructing and Combining Active Points of Curvature for Emergent Morphology
Creators: name: Modes, Carl D.
name: Warner, Mark
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Much recent progress has been made in the study of nematic solids, both glassy and elastomeric, particularly in the realm of stress-free, defect-driven deformation in thin sheets of material. In this paper we consider a subset of texture domains in nematic glasses that are simple to synthesize, and explore the ways that these simple domains may be compatibly combined to yield analogs of the traditional smooth disclination defect textures seen in standard liquid crystals. We calculate the deformation properties of these constructed textures, and show that, subject to the compatibility constraints of the construction, these textures may be further combined to achieve shape blueprinting of 3-D structures from flat sheets.
description: 8 pages, 8 figures