Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical Characteristics and Heavy Metals Contents in Soils and Cassava Plants from Farmlands along A Major Highway in Delta State, Nigeria

Soil samples and cassava tubers and leaves collected from farmlands along Agbor-Asaba expressway were analysed for their heavy metal levels in order to assess their levels of contamination on the environment as a result of traffic activities. Physicochemical properties of the soil samples were also determined. The soil pH had a mean value of 5.15 ± 0.48 indicating that the soils were moderately acidic. Total Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen mean values were 1.20 ± 0.13% and 0.09 ± 0.80% respectively showing presence of some organic matters. Electrical conductivity of the soil samples had the mean value of 5.94 ± 1. 32μscm -1 indicating significant presence of ionisable materials in the soils. Particle size was dominated by sand size fractions followed by clay and then silt which revealed that the soils were coarse and have low supply of nutrients and moisture. The mean levels of heavy metals in the soil samples were (mgkg -1 ) 142.93 ± 42.16 for Fe, 59.34 ± 25.21 for Zn, 14.27 ± 5.39 for Cr, 13.63 ± 5.41 for Pb and 24.98 ± 15.57 for Ni. These metal levels were in the abundance trend of Fe> Zn> Ni> Cr > Pb. The mean metal concentrations obtained in the cassava leaves and tubers respectively were (mgkg -1 ) 21.70 ± 3.45 and 9.62 ± 3.53 for Fe, 4.15 ± 1.01 and 1.15 ± 0.44 for Zn, 5.12 ± 2.75 and 0.37 ± 0.63 for Cr and 3.46 ± 1.58 for Pb only in leaves. For both the soil and plant samples, the heavy metal levels were significantly higher than the levels obtained in the control sites confirming some heavy metal enrichments in the soils studied. The plant concentration factor values were in the order Cr > Pb > Fe > Ni showing that chromium was the easiest to migrate among all the metals studied and that all the metals fall into the category showing medium accumulation except for Nickel which fell into the category of elements lacking accumulation. The overall results show that there is some metal enrichments on the soils and cassava plants as a result of automobile emission on the highway. Keywords: Heavy metals, pollution, busy expressway, farmland soils, cassava plants
Silicon self-diffusion of MgSiO3 perovskite by molecular dynamics and its implication for lower mantle rheology

[1] The pressure effect of silicon self-diffusion of MgSiO3 perovskite was investigated by molecular dynamics (MD). The viscosity variation of MgSiO3 perovskite in the lower mantle was derived by the Nabarro-Herring (Herring-Nabarro) model. For the MD calculation, the spontaneous jumping of atoms by self-diffusion was reproduced without using artificial forces, and the consistency of migration enthalpy (Hm*) with experimental data was improved. The results showed that migration enthalpy increases monotonically with increasing pressure. The viscosity of MgSiO3 perovskite in the lower mantle increases monotonically with increasing depth. The obtained depth profile is distinguishable from that of MgO periclase and can be utilized to determine which mineral dominates the lower mantle rheology. Depending upon the assumed shape of the depth profile for lower mantle viscosity, we considered the dominant mineral as (1) MgSiO3 perovskite for the monotonic shape case or (2) MgO periclase for the hill shape case that has the highest-viscosity zone in the middle of the lower mantle.
Detection of Lawsonia intracellularis fecal shedding in dogs in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Lawsonia intracellularise uma bacteria intracelular obrigatoria responsavel pela enteropatia proliferativa, uma doenca enterica endemica em suinos e comum em potros. Em caes, no entanto, existem poucos estudos sobre essa doenca e inexistem relatos de caes infectados por L. intracellularisna America Latina. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a presenca de L. intracellularisem amostras de fezes de caes diarreicos e aparentemente saudaveis em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram incluidos 58 caes, sendo 18 aparentemente saudaveis e 40 diarreicos. Submeteu-se o DNA bacteriano fecal a uma reacao de PCR nested para L. intracellularis. Tres das 40 (7,5%) amostras de caes diarreicos foram positivas para L. intracellularis, estando todos esses animais com aproximadamente 3 meses de idade. Estes resultados salientam a necessidade de mais estudos para confirmar o papel deste patogeno como uma possivel causa de doenca enterica em caes
Effect of caraway essential oil on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of chitosan film

The aim of this study was to evaluate bioactivity of chitosan film with incorporated caraway essential oil by measuring antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the potential interaction of functional groups of chitosan film and incorporated caraway essential oil. New detected peaks and main shifts in the peaks of chitosan spectra are attributed mainly to presence of s-(+)-carvone and limonene, the main components of caraway essential oil. The antioxidant activity of chitosan film was analyzed by DPPH method. Chitosan film without incorporated caraway essential oil showed the lowest scavenging ability (29.95%, after 24 h). The addition of different concentrations of caraway essential oil into chitosan film significantly enhanced antioxidant activity of pure chitosan film, reaching the maximum of 95%. ASTM E 2149 - 01 method was performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of chitosan films. The reduction of bacteria cell number in contact with examined films was tested on Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. The most sensitive bacteria was Staphylococcus aureus and the most resistant bacteria was Salmonella Typhimurium for all tested films. These results suggested that incorporation of caraway essential oil into chitosan film significantly improved its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The film showed a great potential to be used as an active packaging material.
Does livestock predation reflect in negative local perceptions of Ethiopian wolves in South Wollo

The conservation of rare and endangered carnivores in human dominated landscapes is particularly challenging when predators are perceived as a threat to livestock. This study verifies whether the human perception of Ethiopian wolves as predators of livestock accurately reflects the actual damage done by this specialist predator of highland rodents. With that purpose, we quantified the contributions of prey species, including livestock, to the diet of Ethiopian wolves by analysing 118 scats. We then compared them to the reported livestock losses and attitudes in 300 households surrounding wolf habitat in the highlands of South Wollo in north Ethiopia. We found 10 prey species, totalling 222 prey occurrences in the study sample. The most common prey were diurnal rodents, with 79.2% of all prey occurrences. Only 5.4% were livestock (sheep) remains, a result similar to that obtained in other wolf populations. The proportion of households reportedly affected by Ethiopian wolf predation was relatively low (17%), and these households lost an average of 1.0 sheep per year over the previous five years. Even though the proportion of households affected by livestock predation was relatively low, 88% of the households that reported losing sheep to Ethiopian wolves had a negative perception of the species, compared with only 9% of the households unaffected. Clearly current levels of livestock predation in South Wollo lead to widespread negative attitudes among the people affected, an emerging problem that requires the attention of conservationists and wildlife authorities.
Binary Biogeography-Based Optimization Applied to Gene Selection for Cancer Classification Using Artificial Neural Network

In cancer classification, selection of genes that highly contribute to the classification process becomes essential due to the problem of 'curse of dimensionality’ associated with microarray based gene expression data. Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO) is a population based evolutionary computation technique successfully applied to many application domains and proved to deliver optimal solutions. This work proposes a gene selection method named as BBBOFS, by applying Binary Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBBO). The selected genes are used for cancer classification using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) classifier. The proposed method is validated through experiments on standard gene expression dataset benchmarks. Results demonstrate that the proposed method is better than the related works from literature in terms of classification accuracy and selected gene count.
Sulfonamide Derivatives of 2-Amino-1-phenylethane as Suitable Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Purpose: To evaluate the enzyme inhibition activity of N-substituted sulfamoyl derivatives of 2-amino-1phenylethane as probable new drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer’s diseases. Methods: A series of sulfamoyl derivatives, 3a-l, of 1-amino-2-phenylethane (1) were synthesized by reacting with various aryl sulfonyl chlorides, 2a-l, in the presence of aqueous Na2CO3 solution under definite pH control. All the synthesized molecules were screened against three enzymes, acetyl cholinesterase (AChE), butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) and lipoxygenase (LOX). The synthesized derivatives were further characterized by infra-red spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR) and electron ionization–mass spectrometry (EI-MS) for structure elucidation. Results: Screening against acetyl cholinesterase (AChE), butyryl cholinesterase (BChE) and lipoxygenase (LOX) showed these molecules to be suitable inhibitors of cholinesterase enzymes, AChE and BChE, relative to eserine, the reference standard. The molecule, 3c, remained effective with 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 82.93 ± 0.15 µM (relative to eserine with IC50 value of 0.04 ± 0.0001 µM) against AChE; similarly 3d was active against BChE with IC50 value of 45.65 ± 0.48 µM compared to eserine with IC50 value of 0.85 ± 0.00 µM. The molecule, 3f, was inactive against all the three enzymes. Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that these compounds are active against cholinesterase enzymes but less potent against lipoxygenase enzyme.
Efficient Computation of Invariably Safe States for Motion Planning of Self-Driving Vehicles

Safe motion planning requires that a vehicle reaches a set of safe states at the end of the planning horizon. However, safe states of vehicles have not yet been systematically defined in the literature, nor does a computationally efficient way to obtain them for online motion planning exist. To tackle the aforementioned issues, we introduce invariably safe sets. These are regions that allow vehicles to remain safe for an infinite time horizon. We show how invariably safe sets can be computed and propose a tight under-approximation which can be obtained efficiently in linear time with respect to the number of traffic participants. We use invariably safe sets to lift safety verification from finite to infinite time horizons. In addition, our sets can be used to determine the existence of feasible evasive maneuvers and the criticality of scenarios by computing the time-to-react metric.
Biogeography of actinobacterial communities in hot springs

Actinobacteria are ubiquitous in soil, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Although various studies have focused on the microbial ecology of this phylum, data is scant on the ecology of actinobacteria endemic to hot springs. Here, we have investigated the molecular diversity of eubacteria, with specific focus on the actinobacteria in hot springs in Zambia, China, New Zealand and Kenya. Temperature and pH values at sampling sites ranged between 44.5-86.5oC and 5-10, respectively. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis of 16S rRNA gene T-RFLP patterns showed that samples could be separated by geographical location. Multivariate analysis showed that actinobacterial community composition was best predicted by changes in pH and temperature, whereas temperature alone was the most important variable explaining differences in bacterial community structure. Using 16S rRNA gene libraries, 28 major actinobacterial OTUs were found. Both molecular techniques indicated that many of the actinobacterial phylotypes were unique and exclusive to the respective sample. Collectively, these results support the view that both actinobacterial diversity and endemism are high in hot spring ecosystems.
Molecular diagnostics of human pathogenic Aspergillus species

Eight species of Aspergillus (A. hiratsukae, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, A. niger, A. sydowii, A. clavatus and A. flavipes ) were found associated with clinical samples causing human diseases. The nonspecific symptoms and lack of rapid diagnostics is a major problem in treating patients suffering from invasive aspergillosis. Molecular markers based on RAPD primers and diversity in ITS region of 5.8S rRNA gene developed for rapid diagnosis facilitated early treatment of patient suffering from aspergillosis related disorders. Direct sequencing of amplified ITS products revealed significant single nucleotide polymorphism, which facilitated identification of pathogenic Aspergillus species associated with aspergillosis. The complete sequences of eight Aspergillus species were submitted to NCBI database, USA, which were assigned new Gen accession numbers EU515147 to EU515154 and now available in public domain for comparison.
REFLECTION SUPPRESSION IN LARGE SPHERICAL NEAR-FIELD RANGE

Reflections in antenna test ranges can often be the largest source of measurement errors, dominating all other error sources. This paper will show the results of a new technique developed by NSI to suppress reflections from the radome and gantry of a large hemi-spherical automotive test range developed for Nippon Antenna in Itzehoe, Germany. The technique, named Mathematical Absorber Reflection Suppression (MARS), is a postprocessing technique that involves analysis of the measured data and a special filtering process to suppress the undesirable scattered signals. The technique is a general technique that can be applied to any spherical near-field test range. It has also been applied to extend the useful frequency range of microwave absorber in a spherical near-field system in an anechoic chamber. The paper will show typical improvements in pattern performance and directivity measurements, and will show validation of the MARS technique using data measured on antennas in a conventional anechoic chamber.
Neuroprotective Effect of Ginsenoside Rh1 on Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive Dysfunctions

Abstract Background: Ginsenoside Rh1, a 20(S)-protopanaxatriol with a single sugar moiety from ginseng, has benefits on the central nervous system and recently Rh1 had been reported to be effective for the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Ginsenoside Rh1 on scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunctions and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action. Methods: Rh1 (20 and 40 μmol/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to mice for 28 days, and scopolamine (0.75 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 10 days to induce memory deficit. Memory-related behaviors were evaluated using object location recognition (OLR) experiment, novel object recognition (NOR) test, Morris water maze (MWM) test and passive avoidance (PA) task. Cholinergic system function and oxidative stress activities were measured in the hippocampus. The expression levels of CREB, Egr-1, c-Fos and c-Jun were also measured in the hippocampus. Results: Rh1 administration could improve the cognitive performance of scopolaminetreated mice in the object location recognition, the novel object recognition, the Morris water maze and the passive avoidance tests. And Rh1 significantly enhanced cholinergic system function and suppressed oxidative stress level in the hippocampus of scopolaminetreated mice, as indicated by decreasing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, elevating choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and acetylcholine (Ach) level, increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and lowering the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the hippocampus of scopolamine-treated mice. Moreover, for the first time, Rh1 was found to significantly upregulate the expression levels of CREB, early growth response-1 (Egr-1), c-Fos and c-Jun in the hippocampus of scopolamine-treated mice. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that Ginsenoside Rh1 might exert a significant neuroprotective effect on cognitive dysfunctions induced by scopolamine, driven in part by the modulation of cholinergic activity, oxidative stress level and upregulation of CREB, Egr-1, c-Fos and c-Jun expression in the hippocampus.
Physiological Basis for Reduced Glyphosate Efficacy on Weeds Grown Under Low Soil Nitrogen

Abstract Growth room studies were conducted to determine the physiological basis of reduced glyphosate efficacy under low soil nitrogen using velvetleaf, common ragweed, and common lambsquarters as model species. Glyphosate dose–response experiments of weeds grown under low (1.5 mM) and high (15 mM) soil N were conducted. Velvetleaf and common lambsquarters grown under low N required 169 g ae ha−1 glyphosate for a significant reduction in biomass, but only 84 g ae ha−1 were required when grown under high N. However, when common ragweed was grown under low or high soil N there was no significant difference in response to glyphosate at all doses tested. The reduced glyphosate efficacy on velvetleaf and common lambsquarters under low N was primarily due to decreased herbicide translocation to the meristem. It appears that low N may decrease the net assimilation of carbon in plants, resulting in a decrease in the net export of sugars and hence glyphosate from mature leaves. Understanding the relationship between soil N and herbicide efficacy may help explain observed weed control failures with glyphosate and may contribute to our knowledge of the occurrence of weed patchiness in fields. This is the first report illustrating a physiological basis for decreased glyphosate efficacy under low soil N in selected weed species. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medic. ABUTH; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. CHEAL; common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. AMBEL.
The Orbital Space Environment and Space Situational Awareness Domain Ontology – Towards an International Information System for Space Data

The orbital space environment is home to natural and artificial satellites, debris, and space weather phenomena. As the population of orbital objects grows so do the potential hazards to astronauts, space infrastructure and spaceflight capability. Orbital debris, in particular, is a universal concern. This and other hazards can be minimized by improving global space situational awareness (SSA). By sharing more data and increasing observational coverage of the space environment we stand to achieve that goal, thereby making spaceflight safer and expanding our knowledge of near-Earth space. To facilitate data-sharing interoperability among distinct orbital debris and space object catalogs, and SSA information systems, I proposed ontology in (Rovetto, 2015) and (Rovetto and Kelso, 2016). I continue this effort toward formal representations and models of the overall domain that may serve to improve peaceful SSA and increase our scientific knowledge. This paper explains the project concept introduced in those publications, summarizing efforts to date as well as the research field of ontology development and engineering. I describe concepts for an ontological framework for the orbital space environment, near-Earth space environment and SSA domain. An ontological framework is conceived as a part of a potential international information system. The purpose of such a system is to consolidate, analyze and reason over various sources and types of orbital and SSA data toward the mutually beneficial goals of safer space navigation and scientific research. Recent internationals findings on the limitations of orbital data, in addition to existing publications on collaborative SSA, demonstrate both the overlap with this project and the need for datasharing and integration.
Developing Life Skills Scale for High School Students Through Mixed Methods Research: (567102014-001)

The construction of life skills scale is treated under mixed methods research which is exploratory design. First, qualitative analysis of affinity diagram technique was used to the 36 experts’ brain storming and obtaining their consensus to group behaviour indicators based on life skills components and to generate scale items. Then all of each item is implemented to form the scale that can be used to collect data through quantitative method among 1,305 high school students around Thailand. In particular, confirmatory factor analyses comparing an empirical model and a factor structure proposed by experts is a better fit.
Prevalence of Intestinal Worm in Free Ranging Domestic Cats in Bali (PREVALENSI CACING USUS PADA KUCING PELIHARAAN YANG BEBAS BERKELIARAN DI BALI)

The aims of this study were to identify and to measure the prevalence of intestinal worm infections in free-ranging domestic cats in Bali. As many as 133 cat fecal samples were collected from Bali and preserved in sodium acetic formaldehyde solution. Coproscopy method (sedimentation concentration and flotation techniques) was used to identify the eggs of helminthes. Based on fecal examination, eggs of four helminthes species : Toxocara, Ancylostoma, Cestoda and Capillaria were identified. This result indicates the prevalence of intestinal worms in free ranging domestic cats were high, consisting of Toxocara sp (71.43%), Ancylostoma sp (37.59%), Cestoda (19.55%) and Capillaria sp (0.75%). Therefore, it is needed to conduct programs to reduce and eradicate that helminthes.
Measuring Nutrition and Food Literacy in Adults: A Systematic Review and Appraisal of Existing Measurement Tools

Background: Nutrition literacy (NL) and food literacy (FL) have emerged as key components in the promotion and maintenance of healthy dietary practices. However, a critical appraisal of existing tools is required to advance the operationalization and measurement of these constructs using instruments that demonstrate sound validity and reliability. Methods: Electronic databases were searched in January and July 2016, January 2017, and March 2018 for publications detailing the development and/or testing of NL or FL instruments. Instruments' psychometric properties were assessed using a structured methodological framework. We identified 2,563 new titles and abstracts, and short-listed 524 for full review. The extent to which key domains of NL were included in each measure was examined. Key Results: Thirteen instruments assessing NL underwent full evaluation; seven from the United States, and one each from Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Hong Kong, and Japan. Measures targeted general Spanish-, Italian-, or Cantonese-speaking adults; primary care patients, parent, and populations with breast cancer. Instruments ranged from 6 to 64 items, and they predominantly assessed functional NL rather than broader domains of NL. Substantial variation in methodological rigor was observed across measures. Discussion: Multidimensional and psychometrically sound measures that capture broader domains of NL and assess FL are needed. Plain Language Summary: This review systemically compiles, and critically appraises 13 existing measures that assess nutrition literacy and food literacy in an adult population. Substantial variation in methodological rigor was found across the measures, and most tools assessed nutrition literacy rather than food literacy. Findings from this current review may be useful to guide development of future measures that comprehensively capture nutrition literacy and food literacy. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2018;2(3):e134–e160. ]