Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVALUATION OF STABILITY PARAMETERS IN IN-VESSEL COMPOSTING OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

Composting is a reliable technology for production of stabilized organic matter that is suitable for agriculture, but this process should be carefully monitored with appropriate indices. Quality of compost is important from maturity and stability viewpoint, but in most compost factories proper attention is not paid to it. This study was designed to evaluate the stability indices in municipal solid waste composting, for selecting the best index in quality monitoring of the wastes. Processed and shredded municipal solid waste from Isfahan compost plant was used as raw material in an in-vessel composting process. A cylindrical reactor with 1 m height and 50 cm diameter made of Pyrex glass was designed. Air was supplied at a specifically flow rate 0.2 L/min.kg to maintain aerobic condition. NH 4 + / NO 3 ratio, dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DA), pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP or Eh) and specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) were used as stability indices. These parameters were measured during 40 days of composting process. Changes in these parameters during this period were surveyed and analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out to choose best of them. Results showed that among the indices, SOUR can show the different stages of microbial decomposition and a numerical value for compost stability also SOUR value less than 2 mg O 2 /gVS.h can show the full stability of compost.
Cooperating If One's Goals are Collective-Based: Social Identification Effects in Social Dilemmas as a Function of Goal-Transformation

Prior studies of the effect of group identification on cooperation in social dilemmas have advanced 2 competing accounts: the goal-transformation hypothesis, which holds that identification makes personal and collective goals interchangeable; and the goal-amplification hypothesis, which states that identification induces positive expectations about others’ cooperative behavior. However, prior studies have neglected to assess the process measures necessary to pit the one account against the other. The present study showed that the effect of identification was moderated by participants’ social value orientation. Identification influenced proselfs’ cooperation more than prosocials’ cooperation. Mediational analyses further showed that the effect of our identification manipulation was mediated by participants’ sense of collective self, and not by their expectations.
Precise delineation of clinical target volume for crossing-segments thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on the pattern of lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND This work aims to investigate lymph node metastases (LNM) pattern of crossing-segments thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its significance in clinical target volume (CTV) delineation. METHODS From January 2000 to December 2014, 3,587 patients with thoracic ESCC underwent surgery including esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy at Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute. Information of tumor location based on preoperative endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and postoperative pathological results were retrospectively collected. The extent of the irradiation field was determined based on LNM pattern. RESULTS Among the patients reviewed, 1,501 (41.8%) were crossing-segments thoracic ESCC patients. The rate of LNM were 12.1%, 15.2%, 8.0%, 3.0%, and 7.1% in neck, upper mediastinum, middle mediastinum, lower mediastinum, and abdominal cavity for patients with upper-middle thoracic ESCC, 10.3%, 8.2%, 11.0%, 4.8%, 8.2% for middle-upper thoracic ESCC, 4.8%, 4.8%, 24.1%, 6.3%, 22.8% for middle-lower thoracic ESCC and 3.9%, 3.1%, 22.8%, 11.9%, 25.8% for lower-middle thoracic ESCC, respectively. The top three sites of LNM were 105 (12.1%), 108 (6.1%), 101 (6.1%) for upper-middle thoracic ESCC, 108 (8.2%), 105 (7.5%), 106 (6.8%) for middle-upper thoracic ESCC, 1 (18.8%), 108 (17.9%), 107 (9.6%) for middle-lower thoracic ESCC, 1 (21.3%), 108 (16.1%), 107 (10.1%) for lower-middle thoracic ESCC. CONCLUSIONS Crossing-segments thoracic ESCC was remarkably common among patients. When delineating their CTV, tumor location should be taken into consideration seriously. For upper-middle and middle-upper thoracic ESCC, abdominal cavity may be free from irradiation. For middle-lower and lower-middle thoracic ESCC, besides irradiation of relative mediastinal, irradiation of abdominal cavity can't be neglected.
Mouse Model of Cervicovaginal Toxicity and Inflammation for Preclinical Evaluation of Topical Vaginal Microbicides

ABSTRACT Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of nonoxynol-9 (N-9) as a topical microbicide concluded that N-9 offers no in vivo protection against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, despite demonstrated in vitro inactivation of HIV-1 by N-9. These trials emphasize the need for better model systems to determine candidate microbicide effectiveness and safety in a preclinical setting. To that end, time-dependent in vitro cytotoxicity, as well as in vivo toxicity and inflammation, associated with N-9 exposure were characterized with the goal of validating a mouse model of microbicide toxicity. In vitro studies using submerged cell cultures indicated that human cervical epithelial cells were inherently more sensitive to N-9-mediated damage than human vaginal epithelial cells. These results correlated with in vivo findings obtained by using Swiss Webster mice in which intravaginal inoculation of 1% N-9 or Conceptrol gel (containing 4% N-9) resulted in selective and acute disruption of the cervical columnar epithelial cells 2 h postapplication accompanied by intense inflammatory infiltrates within the lamina propria. Although damage to the cervical epithelium was apparent out to 8 h postapplication, these tissues resembled control tissue by 24 h postapplication. In contrast, minimal damage and infiltration were associated with both short- and long-term exposure of the vaginal mucosa to either N-9 or Conceptrol. These analyses were extended to examine the relative toxicity of polyethylene hexamethylene biguanide (PEHMB), a polybiguanide compound under evaluation as a candidate topical microbicide. In similar studies, in vivo exposure to 1% PEHMB caused minimal damage and inflammation of the genital mucosa, a finding consistent with the demonstration that PEHMB was >350-fold less cytotoxic than N-9 in vitro. Collectively, these studies highlight the murine model of toxicity as a valuable tool for the preclinical assessment of toxicity and inflammation associated with exposure to candidate topical microbicides.
The degree of adaptive phenotypic plasticity is correlated with the spatial environmental heterogeneity experienced by island populations of Rana temporaria

Although theoretical models have identified environmental heterogeneity as a prerequisite for the evolution of adaptive plasticity, this relationship has not yet been demonstrated experimentally. Because of pool desiccation risk, adaptation of development rate is important for many amphibians. In a simulated pool‐drying experiment, we compared the development time and phenotypic plasticity in development time of populations of the common frog Rana temporaria, originating from 14 neighbouring islands off the coast of northern Sweden. Drying regime of pools used by frogs for breeding differed within and among the islands. We found that the degree of phenotypic plasticity in development time was positively correlated with the spatial variation in the pool‐drying regimes present on each island. In addition, local adaptation in development time to the mean drying rate of the pools on each island was found. Hence, our study demonstrates the connection between environmental heterogeneity and developmental plasticity at the island population level, and also highlights the importance of the interplay between local specialization and phenotypic plasticity depending on the local selection pressures.
Myocardial glucose transporter GLUT1: translocation induced by insulin and ischemia.

Myocardial glucose transport is not only facilitated by the insulin sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 but also by GLUT1. It was recently demonstrated that ischemia induces GLUT4 translocation by a mechanism distinct from the insulin-induced signaling pathway. However, the role of ischemia-mediated GLUT1 translocation and the signaling pathway involved is not yet defined. This study investigated the effects of wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3kinase) inhibitor, on basal, ischemia- and insulin-stimulated GLUT1 redistribution. PI3kinase is known to participate in insulin-mediated GLUT4 translocation. Rat hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 10 mmol/l glucose according to Langendorff and treated with/without 1 micromol/l wortmannin, 100 nmol/l insulin and 15 min no-flow ischemia. Relative subcellular distribution of GLUT1 protein was analysed using membrane fractionation and subsequent Western blotting. Both ischemia and insulin significantly increased the relative amount of GLUT1 in the plasma membrane (PM) compared to controls (41.6+/-2.8% in controls v 46.0+/-2.3% in ischemic and 51.4+/-3.9% in insulin hearts, both P<0.05) with a concomitant decrease of GLUT1 in intracellular membranes. However, the increases were moderate in view of the more than 2-fold stimulated GLUT4 translocation shown for ischemia and insulin. Although wortmannin completely inhibited insulin-induced GLUT1 translocation (42.0+/-2.0% GLUT1 on PM), it had no effect on the ischemia-induced translocation of GLUT1 (45. 4+/-1% GLUT1 on PM). Treatment with the inhibitor alone did not influence basal GLUT1 distribution. Results show that in the perfused rat heart, PI3 kinase is involved in the insulin-induced signaling leading to GLUT1 translocation but not in the ischemia-mediated signaling and basal GLUT1 trafficking. This suggests two different pathways for ischemia- and insulin-induced GLUT1 translocation as recently shown for GLUT4.
Non-A, non-B fulminant hepatitis is also non-E and non-C.

OBJECTIVES to define the roles of the hepatitis C and E viruses (HCV and HEV) in non-A, non-B (NANB) fulminant hepatitis. METHODS we utilized the polymerase chain reaction to amplify HCV and HEV RNA sequences and assays to detect antibodies to HCV and HEV in the acute phase sera of eight presumed viral NANB and seven nonviral NANB fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) patients. RESULTS none of the 15 patients had detectable HCV or HEV RNA or elevated HCV and IgM-HEV antibody titers in their acute phase sera. Three patients, all with features of autoimmune hepatitis, had raised IgG-HEV antibody titers. Due to the possibility of serologically undetectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in fulminant hepatitis patients, we performed polymerase chain reaction amplification of HBV genomic DNA in acute phase sera of the presumed viral NANB FHF patients and subsequently found no evidence of HBV DNA. CONCLUSIONS we did not find evidence implicating HCV or HEV in presumed viral NANB FHF or as agents contributing to or causing the liver failure in nonviral NANB FHF patients with autoimmune hepatitis, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, or halothane hepatotoxicity.
Stability of fear and sociality in two strains of laying hens

1. This trial studied the effects of strain and age on tonic immobility (TI) duration, emergence time (ET) and social reinstatement time (SRT) in laying hens and investigated the consistency of individual behavioural characteristics over rearing and laying periods and the correlations between these behavioural traits. 2. One hundred chicks from each of ISA Brown (ISA) and Lohmann Tradition (LT) laying hens were reared from one day old in pens. At 3 weeks, birds of each line were divided into 4 groups. Twenty birds in one group of each line were marked individually for repeated testing and the other groups were assigned for single testing to test the habituation effect and possible age effects at a group level. 3. ISA birds had higher overall means for TI duration and latency to leave the start box. ISA also showed longer latency in SRT at week 28 than Lohmanns. TI duration increased from weeks 3 to 10 and then decreased to week 35 in both lines. The latency to explore the test area and to reinstate decreased from weeks 10 to 35. 4. Tonic immobility, exploratory and social reinstatement behaviours were consistent over time in both lines, as revealed by Kendall's W coefficient of concordance. 5. In social test situations, an inter-situational consistency was found, that is, birds emerged quickly from the start box and reinstated quickly with their companion. TI (non-social test) was negatively correlated with ET and SRT. Thus the two lines of laying hens respond differently in social and non-social tests.
Trust in Bitcoin Exchange Networks

We consider two marketplaces to exchange bitcoins and dollars, Bitcoin OTC and Bitcoin Alpha. In these settings, trust is a fundamental necessity since any user can initiate a transaction, receive money from the other user and never send money back in the other currency. To achieve a web of trust, users rate each other after successful or unsuccessful trades. We analyze these datasets using the fairness and goodness method from [5]. These two measures can be used to predict the weight of a given edge (the rating that u gives to v) with good accuracy. We show that whenever the edge is reciprocated, social interaction becomes a better predictor than goodness, and users apply the talion law: "an eye for an eye". We analyze the relationship between trust in these networks with the exchange price of bitcoin and find that there is no evident correlation between these two variables.
Plasma and Liver Carnitine Levels of Children With Chronic Hepatitis B

Background Carnitine status of children with chronic hepatitis B is not yet clear. Because it is well-known that carnitine interferes with T-cell immunity, which is closely related to spontaneous or treatment-induced seroconversion in hepatitis B, it was hypothesized that carnitine status would be effective on the end of therapy response (ETR). The aim of this study is to investigate both carnitine status of children with chronic HBV infection and its probable effects on liver histology and ETR. Methods Thirty-one children with chronic HBV infection, and age and sex matched 20 healthy children were included in the study. Plasma and liver free carnitine level determination was performed before IFN-&agr; and lamivudine combination therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B. Mean plasma carnitine level of healthy children was used as control. IFN-&agr; was injected as 5 million U/m2 subcutaneously 3 times a week for 6 months and lamivudine 4 mg/kg per day orally, maximum of 100 mg, for 1 year. Results The mean plasma carnitine level of patients with chronic HBV infection was significantly lower than that of controls (P < 0.001) The ETR was achieved in 14 (45.2%) patients. While plasma carnitine level was inversely correlated with portal inflammation score (P < 0.05), liver carnitine level was inversely correlated with fibrosis score (P < 0.05). Conclusion It was found that plasma carnitine level was lower in children with chronic hepatitis B compared with healthy ones and carnitine was inversely correlated with liver portal inflammation and fibrosis scores. The role of carnitine in immunopathogenesis and histology of HBV needs to be clarified with further studies.
Early morphological and functional changes in pancreas following necrosectomy for acute severe necrotizing pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION Morphological and functional changes in the pancreas after surgical pancreatic necrosectomy have not been studied extensively. AIMS To study morphological changes in the pancreas, and exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function following pancreatic necrosectomy. METHODS Eighteen adult patients surviving at least one month after pancreatic necrosectomy for acute necrotizing pancreatitis were followed up. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was done every six months. Stool fat was estimated at 3-month intervals, and need for and response to enzyme supplements were recorded. Blood sugar was measured every fortnight; in patients with hyperglycemia, need for oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin was recorded. Additional pancreatic imaging was done in some cases. RESULTS Six weeks after surgery, nine of 18 patients had exocrine insufficiency. Thirteen patients developed endocrine insufficiency, including 5 who also had exocrine insufficiency. At the end of the study, 13 patients had endocrine insufficiency and 2 had exocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic size was subnormal in all patients at the end of six months. Pancreatography in three cases did not reveal any ductal abnormality. CONCLUSIONS Necrotizing pancreatitis affects pancreatic exocrine or endocrine function in more than half the patients.
Effects of Hearing Impairment and Cognitive Capacity Gated Auditory Speech Perception in Elderly Hearing Aid Users and Elderly Normal-Hearing Individuals :

This study compared elderly hearing aid (EHA) users and elderly normal-hearing (ENH) individuals on identification of auditory speech stimuli (consonants, words, and final word in sentences) that were different when considering their linguistic properties. We measured the accuracy with which the target speech stimuli were identified, as well as the isolation points (IPs: the shortest duration, from onset, required to correctly identify the speech target). The relationships between working memory capacity, the IPs, and speech accuracy were also measured. Twenty-four EHA users (with mild to moderate hearing impairment) and 24 ENH individuals participated in the present study. Despite the use of their regular hearing aids, the EHA users had delayed IPs and were less accurate in identifying consonants and words compared with the ENH individuals. The EHA users also had delayed IPs for final word identification in sentences with lower predictability; however, no significant between-group difference in accuracy was observed. Finally, there were no significant between-group differences in terms of IPs or accuracy for final word identification in highly predictable sentences. Our results also showed that, among EHA users, greater working memory capacity was associated with earlier IPs and improved accuracy in consonant and word identification. Together, our findings demonstrate that the gated speech perception ability of EHA users was not at the level of ENH individuals, in terms of IPs and accuracy. In addition, gated speech perception was more cognitively demanding for EHA users than for ENH individuals in the absence of semantic context.
Running head: GUATEMALAN AND CANADIAN USE OF E-COMMERCE FOR TOURISM 1 The Use of e-Commerce for Travel Purposes by Guatemalans and Canadians: An Exploratory Cross-

E-commerce has simplified transactions between businesses and consumers and made them more efficient. Tourism, due to its global nature, is one of the industries most impacted by e-commerce. As with other information technologies, e-commerce has not been adopted at the same rate in all cultures, and although the reasons for varying adoption rates are complex, studies have shown that cultural factors do influence technology adoption and use. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to describe the use of e-commerce for travel purposes by Guatemalan and Canadian participants from their perspective, and to conduct a cross-cultural comparison between cases. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with four participants, two Guatemalan and two Canadian, who were recruited among the researcher’s extended family members using convenience sampling. Participants varied greatly in their use of e-commerce, specifically in their frequency of use, types of products purchased online, reasons for choosing e-commerce and the way they chose to purchase. Most participants reported trusting websites with personal information such as credit card numbers, but their levels of trust varied based on their familiarity with the brand and the website. Perceptions about travel agencies varied across cultures, with Canadian participants being less likely to use a travel agency and having more negative views about them. Guatemalans travelled in groups more frequently than Canadians, potentially due to a collectivist tendency. Overall, participants chose their purchase method based on convenience and sought to reduce their uncertainty levels. These two factors seemed to override any cultural propensities.
Biomarkers of mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle of healthy young human subjects

• Several biochemical measures of mitochondrial components are used as biomarkers of mitochondrial content and muscle oxidative capacity. However, no studies have validated these surrogates against a morphological measure of mitochondrial content in human subjects. • The most commonly used markers (citrate synthase activity, cardiolipin content, mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA), complex I–V protein, and complex I–IV activity) were correlated with a measure of mitochondrial content (transmission electron microscopy) and muscle oxidative capacity (respiration in permeabilized fibres). • Cardiolipin content followed by citrate synthase activity and complex I activity were the biomarkers showing the strongest association with mitochondrial content. • mtDNA was found to be a poor biomarker of mitochondrial content. • Complex IV activity was closely associated with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity.
Using Clinical Journaling to CAPTURE Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum

Clinical journaling is used as an integrated teaching methodology throughout the practicum component of a baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Two disciplines, Nursing and English, collaborated to develop clinical journaling guidelines to provide a consistent framework for student learning and evaluation in a variety of clinical settings. Students complete a weekly log for each clinical rotation. They identify learning goals, analyze events and relate them to nursing practice, use critical thinking to connect theory and practice, and reflect on the experience. A collegiate standard of writing is used. As the student advances through the program, a pattern of accomplishments and a cumulative integration of skills is evidenced to provide consistent standards for student evaluation.
In vitro free radical scavenging activity of five Salvia species.

The radical scavenging activity of ethanolic extracts from five Salvia species including S. hypoleuca Benth. , S. reuterana Boiss. , S. verticillata L. , S. virgata Jacq. and S. officinalis L. (as the reference plant with well documented free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties) was evaluated in vitro with the spectrophotometric method based on the reduction of the stable DPPH free radical. All the extracts showed radical scavenging activity, especially S. verticillata [IC50=23.53 (20.56-26.93) microg ml(-1)] and S. virgata [IC50=27.01 (24.08-30.29) microg ml(-1)] were found to be the most active species. Furthermore, the extracts were investigated regarding their total flavonoid content (TFC) by AlCl3 reagent. The extracts S. hypoleuca (TFC=53.16+/-1.95 microg mg(-1)) and S. reuterana (TFC=46.97+/-4.43 microg mg(-1)) had the highest content of flavonoid. However, a favourable correlation was not found between the radical scavenging potency and the total flavonoid content. This study suggests that S. verticillata and S. virgata are the possible sources of natural radical scavengers.