55 research outputs found
Comparitive Nutritional Analysis Of Sweet Yam Bean (Jicama) Milk With Soya Milk -- A Review
The current research focuses on conducting a comprehensive nutritional comparison between sweet yam bean milk and soy milk. Sweet yam bean, also known as Jicama, is an ancient Mexican root vegetable akin to potatoes or turnips. It is safe for consumption, possesses a slightly sweet taste, and has low sugar content, making it a suitable carbohydrate source for individuals with diabetes or those pursuing a low-sugar diet. On the other hand, soy has been a staple ingredient for thousands of years. The study involved an examination of the proximate composition, mineral content, protein fractions, antinutritional elements, and rotenoids in the seeds of Pachyrhizus erosus, the sweet yam bean. In comparison to other legumes, soy seeds exhibited high levels of proteins, lipids, iron (Fe), and calcium (Ca). The predominant protein fraction was mainly composed of globulins, followed by glutelins. Minimal amounts of antinutritional compounds, such as tannins, hemagglutinating activity, and trypsin inhibitory activity, were detected in the sweet yam bean seeds. By conducting this comprehensive comparative analysis, we aim to provide valuable insights into the nutritional benefits and potential applications of sweet yam bean (Jicama) milk, especially in relation to soy milk, which has been a longstanding nutritional staple
Analysis of Elephant Movement in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ecological, Climatic, and Conservation Perspectives
The interaction between elephants and their environment has profound
implications for both ecology and conservation strategies. This study presents
an analytical approach to decipher the intricate patterns of elephant movement
in Sub-Saharan Africa, concentrating on key ecological drivers such as seasonal
variations and rainfall patterns. Despite the complexities surrounding these
influential factors, our analysis provides a holistic view of elephant
migratory behavior in the context of the dynamic African landscape. Our
comprehensive approach enables us to predict the potential impact of these
ecological determinants on elephant migration, a critical step in establishing
informed conservation strategies. This projection is particularly crucial given
the impacts of global climate change on seasonal and rainfall patterns, which
could substantially influence elephant movements in the future. The findings of
our work aim to not only advance the understanding of movement ecology but also
foster a sustainable coexistence of humans and elephants in Sub-Saharan Africa.
By predicting potential elephant routes, our work can inform strategies to
minimize human-elephant conflict, effectively manage land use, and enhance
anti-poaching efforts. This research underscores the importance of integrating
movement ecology and climatic variables for effective wildlife management and
conservation planning.Comment: 11 pages, 17 figures, Accepted in ACM SIGCAS SIGCHI Conference on
Computing and Sustainable Societies (COMPASS 2023
Quality > Quantity: Synthetic Corpora from Foundation Models for Closed-Domain Extractive Question Answering
Domain adaptation, the process of training a model in one domain and applying
it to another, has been extensively explored in machine learning. While
training a domain-specific foundation model (FM) from scratch is an option,
recent methods have focused on adapting pre-trained FMs for domain-specific
tasks. However, our experiments reveal that either approach does not
consistently achieve state-of-the-art (SOTA) results in the target domain. In
this work, we study extractive question answering within closed domains and
introduce the concept of targeted pre-training. This involves determining and
generating relevant data to further pre-train our models, as opposed to the
conventional philosophy of utilizing domain-specific FMs trained on a wide
range of data. Our proposed framework uses Galactica to generate synthetic,
``targeted'' corpora that align with specific writing styles and topics, such
as research papers and radiology reports. This process can be viewed as a form
of knowledge distillation. We apply our method to two biomedical extractive
question answering datasets, COVID-QA and RadQA, achieving a new benchmark on
the former and demonstrating overall improvements on the latter. Code available
at https://github.com/saptarshi059/CDQA-v1-Targetted-PreTraining/tree/main
Community Health Worker Support For Disadvantaged Patients With Multiple Chronic Diseases: A Randomized Clinical Trial
In a randomized trial, a community health worker intervention reduced hospitalization and improved outcomes in uninsured or publicly insured patients with multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Community health workers can improve health and lower costs, and provide a scalable strategy to improve population health
Knowledge and awareness about optometry profession among rural versus urban population in Eastern India: a survey-based study
Background: The main purpose of this study was to determine the awareness of optometry and to create awareness of optometry among rural and urban population of Kolkata.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among rural and urban population. A total of 671 participants- male=378 and female=293, were enrolled in this study. An amplified self-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants through a survey camp.Results: Out of 671 subjects, (328 rural and 343 urban subjects), 62 (18.9%) and 166 (48.3%) (95%, CI: 1.93-1.88) were know about optometry in rural and urban population respectively. 4.9% and 14% (95%, CI: 1.97-1.94) did knew the difference between optometrist and ophthalmologists, while in participants opinion optometrist is assistant of ophthalmologist was 3.4% and 1.5% (95%, CI: 2.69-2.61) in rural and urban participants respectively. However, 18.2% (rural) and 32% (urban) (95%, CI: 2.31-2.17) participants think that optometrist is trained in detection and recognition of eye diseases while 22.6% and 26.8% (95%, CI: 3.20-3.02) thinks they can prescribe spectacles and contact lens independently in rural and urban participants respectively. All factors mentioned were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) with the Chi square and ANOVA test in SPSS version 21.Conclusions: These findings seem to indicate lack of awareness and knowledge about optometry profession. There is a need to increase campaign in these areas via educational programs, awareness survey camp, a poster explaining the eye care, social media regarding eye care provider’s duties and practices, exhibitions for public concerning the profession of optometry
Rab25 increases cellular ATP and glycogen stores protecting cancer cells from bioenergetic stress
Cancer cells are metabolically stressed during tumour progression due to limited tumour vascularity and resultant nutrient, growth factor and oxygen deficiency that can induce cell death and inhibit tumour growth. We demonstrate that Rab25, a small GTPase involved in endosomal recycling, that is genomically amplified in multiple tumour lineages, is a key regulator of cellular bioenergetics and autophagy. RAB25 enhanced survival during nutrient stress by preventing apoptosis and autophagy via binding and activating AKT leading to increased glucose uptake and improved cellular bioenergetics. Unexpectedly, Rab25 induced the accumulation of glycogen in epithelial cancer cells, a process not previously identified. Strikingly, an increase in basal ATP levels combined with AKT-dependent increases in glucose uptake and glycogen storage allowed maintenance of ATP levels during bioenergetic stress. The clinical relevance of these findings was validated by the ability of a Rab25-dependent expression profile enriched for bioenergetics targets to identify patients with a poor prognosis. Thus, Rab25 is an unexpected regulator of cellular bioenergetics implicated as a useful biomarker and potential therapeutic target
Jnk2 Effects on Tumor Development, Genetic Instability and Replicative Stress in an Oncogene-Driven Mouse Mammary Tumor Model
Oncogenes induce cell proliferation leading to replicative stress, DNA damage and genomic instability. A wide variety of cellular stresses activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) proteins, but few studies have directly addressed the roles of JNK isoforms in tumor development. Herein, we show that jnk2 knockout mice expressing the Polyoma Middle T Antigen transgene developed mammary tumors earlier and experienced higher tumor multiplicity compared to jnk2 wildtype mice. Lack of jnk2 expression was associated with higher tumor aneuploidy and reduced DNA damage response, as marked by fewer pH2AX and 53BP1 nuclear foci. Comparative genomic hybridization further confirmed increased genomic instability in PyV MT/jnk2−/− tumors. In vitro, PyV MT/jnk2−/− cells underwent replicative stress and cell death as evidenced by lower BrdU incorporation, and sustained chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (CDT1) and p21Waf1 protein expression, and phosphorylation of Chk1 after serum stimulation, but this response was not associated with phosphorylation of p53 Ser15. Adenoviral overexpression of CDT1 led to similar differences between jnk2 wildtype and knockout cells. In normal mammary cells undergoing UV induced single stranded DNA breaks, JNK2 localized to RPA (Replication Protein A) coated strands indicating that JNK2 responds early to single stranded DNA damage and is critical for subsequent recruitment of DNA repair proteins. Together, these data support that JNK2 prevents replicative stress by coordinating cell cycle progression and DNA damage repair mechanisms
Phytotherapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly a neurodevelopmental behavioural disorder in children and adolescents. Mainly characterized by symptoms like lack of attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, it can impact the overall mental development of the one affected. Several factors, both genetic and non-genetic, can be responsible for this disorder. Although several traditional treatment methods involve medication and other counselling techniques, they also come with different side effects. Hence, the choice is now shifting to alternative treatment techniques. Herbal treatments are considered one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) administered. However, issues related to the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies for the treatment of ADHD need to be investigated further. This study aims to find out the recent advancement in evidence-based use of herbal remedies for ADHD by a comprehensive and systematic review that depicts the results of the published works on herbal therapy for the disorder. The electronic databases and the references retrieved from the included studies present related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and open-label studies. Seven RCTs involving children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD met the inclusion criteria. There is a fair indication of the efficacy and safety of Melissa officinalis L., Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., Matricaria chamomilla L., and Valeriana officinalis L. from the studies evaluated in this systematic review for the treatment of various symptoms of ADHD. Limited evidence was found for Ginkgo biloba L. and pine bark extract. However, various other preparations from other plants did not show significant efficacy. There is inadequate proof to strongly support and recommend the administration of herbal medicines for ADHD, but more research is needed in the relevant field to popularize the alternative treatment approach
Corrigendum: Phytotherapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a systematic review and meta-analysis
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