Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of bacterial and fungal contamination in hairdressing and beauty salons

A study was conducted to evaluate bacterial and fungal contamination in hairdressing and beauty salons in Anyigba - a university community in Nigeria. Samples were collected from six different salons located around Kogi State University, Anyigba. The samples were collected from combs, brushes, hair stretchers, rollers and hairpins and processed according to standard procedures. The isolates obtained were examined and identified using microscopic examination, colonial morphology and biochemical characteristics. Five bacterial and six fungal species were isolated and identified. The bacterial isolates include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus sp, Enterococus species and Enterobacteria. The six fungal isolates were as follows Aspergillus species, Penicillium sp. , Mucor sp. , Rhizopus sp. , Trichophyton sp. and Cephalosporium sp. The presence of these potential pathogens is an indication that hairdressing and beauty salons could be contributing to the spread of infection within Anyigba and also to the university community.
The Performance of the Low Cost Masonry Cement Blocks as a Partial Substitution of Coconut Shell Ash

Aim of the research was to investigate the effect of Coconut Shell Ash (CSA) with cement as a partial substitution in the production of alternative cement blocks to subsist conventional ones. Utilization of this natural agro waste material helps to prevent the environmental pollution, reduces the construction cost as well as contributes to sustainable construction. Therefore, 90 blocks of 450 mm × 150 mm × 225 mm masonry cement blocks of mixing value 1:6 were cast, cured and tested after 7, 21 and 28 days. CSA was substituted at 0 to 50 wt. % at 5% intervals. The materials were mixed well with the addition of sufficient water. The maximum compressive strength and flexural strength of 300 kg/cm 2 and 12.52 kg/cm 2 were recorded at 5% supersession at the 28 th day, respectively, which is found congruous and recommended for building construction having procured a 28 th day compressive strength of more than 280 kg/cm 2 as required by the Sri Lankan Standards. The compressive and flexural strengths of the cement / CSA blocks generally decrease as the percentage of CSA content increases. However the dry density, water absorption, compressive strength and flexural strength results conclude that the 10% CSA addition is the optimal value for the production of environmental friendly low cost alternative cement blocks.
Hydrological drought : characterisation and representation in large-scale models

De verwachting is dat door klimaatverandering de intensiteit van droogte zal toenemen in verschillende gebieden op de wereld. Uitkomsten van vijf hydrologische modellen in combinate met drie klimaatmodellen voor het A2 emissie scenario zijn gebruikt om effecten van klimaatverandering op hydrologische droogte te analyseren voor verschillende stroomgebieden. Droogtes en lage afvoeren (maandelijkse 20ste percentiel waarden, Q20) zijn geidentificeerd uit de uitkomsten van de hydrologische modellen voor een historische periode (1971–2000) en een periode in de toekomst (2071–2100). De gesimuleerde lage afvoeren voor de historische periode zijn vergeleken met geobserveerde lage afvoeren van de verschillende stroomgebieden. De modelcombinaties (combinatie van een klimaatmodel en een hydrologisch model), die de beste resultaten gaven, zijn gebruikt voor verdere analyse. In koude klimaten werd een verschuiving in het hydrologische regime (de piek van sneeuwsmelt zal eerder optreden) waargenomen en een verhoging van de lage afvoeren tussen de historische periode en de periode in de toekomst. Voor aride klimaten gaven de modelcombinaties aan dat omstandigheden nog droger zullen worden in de toekomst. Voor vochtige klimaten werden zowel drogere als nattere situaties verwacht op basis van de modelcombinaties
Formulation and Evaluation of Transdermal Patches for Antianxiety Drug

Aim: The aim of the present study was to design, develop, and evaluate a matrix-type transdermal formulation containing buspirone hydrochloride (HCL) for treatment of anxiety with a goal to increase the bioavailability and improve the patient compliance. Materials and Methods: In the present research work, the different concentrations of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) E50, HPMC E15, and Eudragit RS100 were used in combination to optimize the concentration of HPMC E15 and Eudragit RS100 in the formulation of transdermal patches. These different ratios of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymeric combinations plasticized with dibutyl phthalate by the solvent evaporation technique. The prepared patches were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics such as thickness, weight and drug content uniformity, moisture content, moisture uptake and folding endurance, and in vitro drug release studies. Optimized formulation was further evaluated by in vivo release study, drug-excipient compatibility, and stability study. Results and Discussion: Effect of permeation enhancers such as oleic acid was studied. The interference of the polymers was ruled out by Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet-spectroscopic methods. In vitro release studies of buspirone HCL-loaded patches in phosphate buffer (pH, 7.4) were performed using a modified diffusion cell and showed first-order release rate. Skin studies for the transdermal patches were assessed and were found to be free of irritation. In vivo drug release studies had shown release up to 24 h with the release of 73.82% and it was correlated with in vitro studies. The patches were subjected to short-term stability studies and were found stable. Conclusion: It is concluded from the present studies that the transdermal patches of buspirone HCL were capable of exhibiting controlled release with the stability. Studies had shown promising results, and there was a scope for further pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic evaluation.
Public Confidence in Policing: A Neo-Durkheimian Perspective

Public confidence in policing has received much attention in recent years, but few studies outside of the United States have examined the sociological and social-psychological processes that underpin trust and support. This study, conducted in a rural English location, finds that trust and confidence in the police are shaped not by sentiments about risk and crime, but by evaluations of the values and morals that underpin community life. Furthermore, to garner public confidence, the police must be seen first to typify group morals and values and second to treat the public with dignity and fairness. All these findings are consistent with the perspective that people are Durkheimian in their attitudes towards crime, policing and punishment-a perspective developed here in this paper.
Can Risk Averse Competitive Input Providers Serve Farmers Efficiently?

Under price ceilings and quality floors for agricultural inputs in cash crop sectors in developing countries where credit markets are weak, imperfect information on the ability of farmers to pay for their inputs at the end of the cropping season may lead the decentralized production of those inputs by risk averse private input providers to be inefficient. A coordinating agency and/or subsidies for new farmers could help to produce and distribute more agricultural inputs, thereby increasing the profits for input providers while also enabling more farmers to produce the crops that are key to their livelihood.
Deliberative Monetary Valuation and the Evidence for a New Value Theory

Economists concerned with validity are combining stated-preference methods with participatory deliberation to address on-going criticism. Deliberative monetary valuation (DMV) uses formal methods of deliberation to express values for environmental change in monetary terms. However, the results have begun to define different realms of value, reflecting pluralism in public concern over environmental change. Reviewing empirical DMV studies evidences a range of issues regarded as external to economics and the validity of its methods, issues which are typically kept at arms length by most environmental economists namely, multiple values, incommensurability and lexicographic preferences, social justice, fairness, and non-human values. (JEL D61, Q51)
Retrospective studies of the trends of occurrence of ruminant mastitis pathogens in a veterinary teaching hospital in Northwest, Nigeria

A retrospective study to determine the pattern of isolation of mastitis causing organisms from milk samples of cattle, sheep and goats submitted to the Microbiology laboratory of the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology Ahmadu Bello University Zaria from 1980-1991 and 1999-2009 was conducted . The samples were subjected to cultural isolation and biochemical characterization. The results of the isolates were assembled, reviewed and summarised. A total of 227 milk samples were submitted from cattle (40), sheep (31) and goats (156) respectively, from the years 1980 to 1991 and 1999 to 2009 and subjected to cultural isolation and biochemical characterization. A total of 18 different organisms were isolated from 158 of the samples submitted. Six of the submitted samples were un-typeable while 63 were culture negative i.e showed no growth. The most commonly isolated mastitis causing organisms from all samples were: Staphylococcus aureus (26.51%), Escherichia coli (12.20%), Staphylococcus spp (10.24%), Streptococcus spp (6.63%) and Corynebacterium spp (7.32%). Other organisms are , Micrococcus (1.22%), α-hemolytic Streptococcus (1.83%), β- haemolytic Streptococcus (2.42%), Pseudomonas aeroginosa (4.88%), Enterobacter spp (1.83%), Proteus spp (4.89%), Lactobacillus spp (2.42%), Pasteurella spp (4.27%), Klebsiella spp (3.05%), Citrobacter spp (0.61%), Candida albican (0.61%), Flavobacterium spp (0.61%), Bacillus spp (3.67%), Acinetobacter spp (1.20%) and Sarcina spp (0.61%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most predominant organism isolated from cattle, sheep and goat milk. There was a significant reduction in occurrence of mastitis from 201 (88.55%) cases within 1980-1991 and 26 (11.45%) cases within 1999-2009.
Some properties of reachable solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations with measure data

Let A:W 1,p 0 (Ω) → W −1,q(Ω) , 1/p + 1/q = 1, be a monotone operator of the form A(u) = −div(A(x,Du)) on a bounded open set Ω of RN , N ≥ 2 . Given a measure μ with bounded variation on Ω and a function F ∈ L(Ω,RN ) , we study some properties of those solutions of the equation A(u) = μ−div(F ) which can be approximated by solutions un of equations of the form A(un) = fn − div(Fn) , where fn are functions in C∞ c (Ω) converging to μ in the weak∗ topology of measures, and Fn are functions in C∞ c (Ω,R N ) converging to F strongly in L(Ω,RN ) . Ref. S.I. S.S. A. 51/97/M (April 97) Reachable solutions of nonlinear elliptic problems 1
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF THE SHI DRUM (UMBRINA CIRROSA) IN CAPTIVITY AND INDUCTION OF SPAWNING USING GNRHA

The reproductive biology of the shi drum (Umbrina cirrosa) in culture was histologically examined and sperm quality was monitored during an entire reproductive period. Already in April, the ovary contained oocytes in all stages of maturation, from primary oocytes to full vitellogenesis, as expected from a group-synchronous multiple-batch spawning fish. Vitellogenesis of the first batch of oocytes occurred very rapidly and their mean diameter (500 µm) did not increase significantly (p>0.05) as the reproductive period proceeded. The spermiation index peaked in MayJune, but fish never produced copious amounts of milt upon abdominal pressure. The spermatozoa motility percentage remained unchanged throughout the spawning season (80%) and a significant percentage (40%) maintained viability after overnight storage at 4°C. Sperm density and motility duration increased during the reproductive period and varied 13-26 x109 spermatozoa/ml and 26-40 s, respectively. Spontaneous spawning was not observed during the two-year study. Injection of post-vitellogenic females with an agonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRHa) was successful in inducing a single spawning after two days, with fertilization, hatching and 4-day larval survival rates of 65%, 42-76% and 46-80%, respectively. The results underline the failure of female shi drum in culture to undergo final oocyte maturation and, although GnRHa injection was effective in inducing spawning of viable eggs, multiple treatments did not induce multiple spawns, as was expected from fish with multiple-batch group-synchronous ovarian biology.
Social Networking Site Use and Materialistic Values among the Youth: The Safeguarding Role of Parent‒Child Relationship and Self-Regulation

Social networking sites (SNSs) have become common avenues for young people to share their life experience with peers, including their consumption experience. Although prior research on the media effects of SNSs has shown how online communication on SNSs promotes various volitional behaviors, current understanding is limited with respect to how young people’s use of SNSs is associated with their consumption experience and materialistic values. This study examines how SNS use related to consumption experience is associated with materialistic values among young adults and how their social perceptions mediate such association. This investigation also proposes that young adults’ self-regulation and close relationships with parents would buffer the impact of SNS use. Survey data gathered from 903 youths in Singapore lend strong empirical support to the hypotheses proposed. Implications are discussed.
Analysis on tracking convergent property of reticle seeker

The tracking convergent property is an important guideline for a reticle seeker. The tracking of the reticle seeker is driven by the period mean torque which is generated by the tracking signal. In this paper, the convergent property of the reticle seeker was analyzed and some significant conclusions were attained using series theory. The convergence of the tracking procession was affected by both the tracking coefficient and the phase bias Dt between the target location and the tracking signal. The convergent conditions and the convergent step function were also obtained. These conclusions are important for the design of the convergent tracking algorithm of the reticle seeker.
Comparison of the anxiety and satisfaction level of the patients under fracture plating treatment type c1 and c2 of distal femur in the two groups of combination drugs (gabapentin, celecoxib, and acetaminophen) and placebo

Introduction:Prevention through pain killer drugs can be very useful compared to the treatment of the pain.Aims:Therefore, this study sought to investigate the effect of the three compound prodrugs (celecoxib, acetaminophen, and gabapentin) on the post-operation anxiety and satisfaction level of the patients under distal femur fracture plating treatment.Methods:This study is a clinical trial conducted on 100 patients in which two groups are compared respecting the levels of anxiety, satisfaction, time, morphine doses, and side effects. One hour before surgery, the case patients were given three drugs celecoxib, acetaminophen, and gabapentin with doses of 200, 500, and 400 mg, respectively. The control group patients were given the same placebos. 15 minutes before the operation, the patients were gone under spinal anesthesia through injecting epinephrine 0.2 mg and 5%-lidocaine 100 mg. After entering the ward at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 00:00 O’clock following the operation, the tranquilizer intake and the first time for requesting analgesia was recorded after the elimination of spinal anesthesia.Results:There was a significant difference between the two groups respecting the comparison of the time of consuming the first morphine and its dose, anxiety level, and satisfaction. Other comparisons were not significant.Conclusion:The compound of celecoxib, acetaminophen, and gabapentin is an appropriate one so as to reduce orthopedic surgery post-operation pain. The results of this study can confirm the effect of non-drug palliative drugs on the reduction of the anxiety level and satisfaction increase.
Discovery and first models of the quadruply lensed quasar SDSS J1433+6007

Author(s): Agnello, Adriano; Grillo, Claudio; Jones, Tucker; Treu, Tommaso; Bonamigo, Mario; Suyu, Sherry H | Abstract: We report the discovery of the quadruply lensed quasar J1433+6007, mined in the SDSS DR12 photometric catalogues using a novel outlier-selection technique, without prior spectroscopic or UV excess information. Discovery data obtained at the Nordic Optical telescope (NOT, La Palma) show nearly identical quasar spectra at $z_s=2.74$ and four quasar images in a fold configuration, one of which sits on a blue arc. The deflector redshift is $z_{l}=0.407,$ from Keck-ESI spectra. We describe the selection procedure, discovery and follow-up, image positions and $BVRi$ magnitudes, and first results and forecasts from simple lens models.
Analysis of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruit water dynamics during growth using an ecophysiological model

ABSTRACT Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits exhibit three growth stages associated with distinct biological processes. During these periods, water and carbon accumulate in the fruit, determining quality traits such as fruit size and sugar concentration. We adapted the Fishman-Génard model to blueberry and used it to analyse the effect of fruit load on fruit fresh mass and water dynamics, based on empirical observations of dry mass and sugar content performed throughout the fruit growth period. Different fruit load treatments were imposed during two seasons on ‘Brigitta’ blueberry plants growing under different culture systems. Increasing fruit load significantly reduced the fresh mass of the fruits at harvest, but did not affect sugar concentration, which was simulated and validated with a mean error of 7% for fresh mass and 15% for sugar concentration for the tested conditions. The most sensitive model parameters were those related to cell wall extensibility and sugar uptake. The simulations indicated that larger fresh mass of the fruit was mainly caused by increases in water fluxes rather than pressure differences. The model implementation provides the first estimates of a set of parameters which govern blueberry fruit water dynamics from fruit set to harvest.
Molecular heterogeneity of Malassezia pachydermatis through RAPD-PCR

Several methodologies in molecular biology have been used in the investigation of Malassezia pachydermatis and its differentiation into subtypes. Recent molecular research of this species includes the use of samples isolated from canine otitis externa and dermatitis, as well as from healthy animals, having in view an epidemiological study of the yeast. The aim of this study was to identify molecular differences in M. pachydermatis samples isolated from dogs with otitis externa. The M. pachydermatis strains were analyzed by means of the Random Amplification Primer DNA - Polimerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR) for molecular heterogeneity research. DNA extraction was carried out with phenol-chloroform and the RAPD technique using the AGAATCCGCC primer. A variation was observed in the number and arrangement of the bands among the 49 studied isolates, grouped into nine patterns. Isolate groupings were not found to be related to animal breed, age or sex. It was concluded that M. pachydermatis has differences in its molecular profile, as shown by the molecular technique (RAPD - PCR), which allows isolates to be classified into nine subtypes.
Utah State University From the SelectedWorks of James Long 2015 Cytotype differences in radial increment provide novel insight into aspen reproductive ecology and stand dynamics

High rates of triploidy have recently been described in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) of the Intermountain West, raising questions about the contributions of triploidy to stand persistence and dynamics. In this study, we investigated cytotype differences between diploid and triploid aspen clones using dendrochronological techniques. We used tree-ring data collected from stems within an aspen stand near Fish Lake, Utah, to test for differences in stem age, population structure, growth, and response to climate. This stand contains the well-known Pando clone, which is purported to be the largest organism documented on earth. Our results show that triploid aspen stems grew more rapidly than diploids, and that this difference was most pronounced early in stand development. Growth response to climate varied little between triploids and diploids, where wide rings were associated with cool, moist years, and narrow rings were associated with above-average growing season temperatures. Stand development processes and inherent genetic differences are mechanisms possibly controlling the observed differences in aspen ring width between triploids and diploids. Regardless of the mechanism, the results have specific management implications. Conventional regeneration methods involving coppicing and the associated intermediate treatments will promote asexually reproducing triploids, leading to static or reduced genetic diversity. Enhanced genetic diversity will be favored by management actions that explicitly account for (i) the potential existence of multiple cytotypes within a stand and (ii) the observed differences in growth rates between diploid and triploid individuals.
A review of decision-support tools and performance measurement and sustainable supply chain management

In recent years, interest on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has risen significantly in both the academic and business communities. This is confirmed by the growing number of conferences, journal publications, special issues and websites dedicated to the topic. Within this context, this paper reviews the existing literature related to decision-support tools and performance measurement for SSCM. A narrative literature review is carried out to capture qualitative evidence, while a systematic literature review is performed using classic bibliometric techniques to analyse the relevant body of knowledge identified in 384 papers published from 2000 to 2013. The key conclusions include: the evidence of a research field that is growing, the call for establishing the scope of current research, i.e. the need for integrated performance frameworks with new generation decision-support tools incorporating triple bottom line (TBL) approach for managing sustainable supply chains. There is a need to identify a wide range of specific industry-related TBL metrics and indexes, and assess their usefulness through empirical research and case-base analysis. We need mixed methods to thoroughly analyse and investigate sustainable aspects of the product life cycle across the supply chains, through empirical evidence, building and/or testing theory from and in practice.