Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traditional knowledge and modern trends for Asian medicinal plants in Bulgaria from an ethnobotanical view

Background: Asian medicinal plants are an integral part of the Bulgarian traditions and folk botanical knowledge and as from the past until now, have their place in the Bulgarian market. In the last decade the interest in new plant-based products has increased. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with the aim to bring out the facts about the diversity of Asian medicinal plants, present in medicinal plant-based products that are recently available on the Bulgarian market. The survey data was gathered during a period of 7 years (2003-2010) from the main national databases that contain information about herbal medicines and interviews, along with field-collected data. Results: More than 185 species of medicinal plants, belonging to 38 families and 137 genera were registered. Only twenty species were found to be used mostly in plant-based products for example Panax ginseng, Eleuterococcus senticosus, Ginkgo bilоba, Camellia sinensis, Zingiber officinale, Rhodiola rosea, Euphorbia pallasii, Scutelaria baicalensis, Garcinia cambogia, Hibiscus spp. , Cinnamomum verum, Piper nigrum, Curcuma zedoaria, Syzigium aromaticum, etc. Most of them can be compounds of plant extract products, herbal remedies, spices, food and food additives, which are mainly proved to be beneficial as immune stimulants, memory enhancers, antitumor agents, sedatives, aphrodisiacs, antimycotics, wellness tea, body weight reducers, stimulants, blood pressure reducers, etc. Conclusions: Some of the species were used in the past for different purposes, while others are completely unknown and exotic. The occurrence of new combinations and mixtures containing both traditional Bulgarian and Asian folk medicine herbs was observed. This particular way of development, of traditional medicine in modern life, is of special interest to the ethnobotanists and is discussed further in the study.
The Katayama syndrome; an outbreak in Dutch tourists to the Omo National Park, Ethiopia.

: The Katayama syndrome, the early stage of schistosomal disease, occurs 3 to 6 weeks after infection. The main symptoms are fever, urticaria, oedema and general malaise. Eosinophilia is a constant finding. The syndrome developed in a group of Dutch tourists after a visit in early November 1975 to the Omo National Park, southwest Ethiopia. Eight out of 10 infected persons became clinically ill. The incubation period varied from 4 to 41 days with a mean of 26 days. Pyrexia occurred in 6 patients, usually associated with headache and muscle pains; only to one patient the fever lasted for more than two weeks. Fever followed by oedema was present in one patient. Two patients were afebrile, one suffered from urticaria, the other from general malaise. Two visitors remained asymptomatic, but the results of serological tests showed that they were also infected. The liver function was disturbed in one patient during the febrile period and further deteriorated during treatment with niridazole. S. mansoni eggs were detected in small numbers in two patients, 6 months and 19 months after infection. Obviously the tourists harboured few adult worms. They probably had been infected by few cercariae; the possibility that they were infected by cercariae of a S. mansoni strain not well adapted to man was considered.
Comparison of photoconductive semiconductor switch parameters with selected switch devices in power systems

Article history: Received 18 Feb. 2020 Received in revised form 23 Mar. 2020 Accepted 24 mar 2020 Currently, work is underway to manufacture and find potential applications for a photoconductive semiconductor switch made of a semi-insulating material. The article analyzes the literature in terms of parameters and possibilities of using PCSS switches, as well as currently used switches in power and pulse power electronic system. The results of laboratory tests for the prototype model of the GaP-based switch were presented and compared with the PCSS switch parameters from the literature. The operating principle, parameters and application of IGBT transistor, thyristor, opto-thyristor, spark gap and power switch were presented and discussed. An analysis of the possibilities of replacing selected elements by the PCSS switch was carried out, taking into account the pros and cons of the compared devices. The possibility of using the currently made PCSS switch from gallium phosphide was also discussed.
Current status of alternative fuel use in lime kilns

Lime kilns consume large amounts of fossil fuels. Because of the steady rise in natural gas and fuel oil costs in recent years, mills need to find more economical fuel alternatives that have minimal impacts on lime kiln and chemical recovery operations. This paper examines the technical feasibility of various alternative fuels, including petroleum coke, directly fired or gasified wood residues, precipitated lignin, bio-oil, and olein biofuel. Because each fuel has a different composition, heating value, and burning characteristics, it is important to understand the pros and cons of burning each fuel before using it in the lime kiln.
Tsunamis – Harbor Oscillations Induced by Nonlinear Transient Long Waves

The process of excitation of harbors and bays by transient nonlinear long waves is investigated theoretically and experimentally. In addition, nonlinear shallow water waves generated in a closed rectangular basin by the motion of the basin are also examined. Two numerical methods based on finite element techniques are used to solve the weakly nonlinear-dispersive-dissipative equations of motion and are applied to the basin excitation problem and the transient harbor oscillation problem, respectively. In the latter case, the open sea conditions are simulated by including a radiative boundary condition in time at a finite distance from the harbor entrance. Various dissipative effects are also included. In addition to the numerical results, analytical solutions are presented to investigate certain particular aspects of basin and harbor oscillations (e.g., the effects of viscous dissipation in a harbor with simple geometry). Experiments conducted in the closed rectangular basin indicate that for a continuous excitation at or near a resonant mode of oscillation the linear theory becomes inadequate and the nonlinear-dispersive-dissipative theory must be used. For a transient excitation the validity of the linear theory depends on the value of the Stokes parameter. Indeed, some features not predicted by the linear theory can be directly inferred from the magnitude of this parameter. Experiments on the continuous wave induced oscillations of a narrow rectangular harbor with constant depth show that at the first resonant mode convective nonlinearities can be neglected and a linear dissipative solution is sufficient to describe the waves inside the harbor. At the second resonant mode which corresponds to a longer harbor relative to the length of the incident wave, nonlinear convective effects become important and must be incorporated into the numerical model. Also the characteristics of various sources of dissipation which reduce resonance in the harbor are investigated experimentally. The sources considered include, among others, laminar boundary friction, leakage losses underneath the harbor walls, and energy dissipation due to flow separation at the entrance of the harbor. The good agreement obtained between the experiments and the nonlinear numerical model developed in this study suggests that this model could be used with some confidence to predict the response characteristics of prototype harbors. As an example, the results of this study have been applied to the response of Ofunato Bay (Japan) to the tsunami generated by the Tokachi-Oki earthquake of May 16, 1968. The model has been used to investigate the effects of convective nonlinearities on the bay oscillations and also to determine the efficiency of the breakwater which was built to reduce the effects of tsunamis at Ofunato.
University of Birmingham The patient’s experience of the psychosocial process that influences identity following stroke rehabilitation: a meta-ethnography

Background and Purpose. Patient experience is increasingly being recognised as a key health outcome due to its positive correlation with quality of life and treatment compliance. The aim of this study was to create a model of how patient’s experiences of rehabilitation after stroke influence their outcome. Methods. A metaethnography of qualitative articles published since 2000 was undertaken. A systematic search of four databases using the keywords was competed. Original studies were included if at least 50% of their data from results was focused on stroke survivors experiences and if they reflected an overarching experience of stroke rehabilitation. Relevant papers were appraised for quality using the COREQ tool. Pata analysis as undertaken using traditional processes of extracting, interpreting, translating, and synthesizing the included studies. Results. Thirteen studies were included. Two themes (1) evolution of identity and (2) psychosocial constructs that influence experience were identified. A model of recovery was generated. Conclusion. The synthesis model conceptualizes how the recovery of stroke survivors’ sense of identity changes during rehabilitation illustrating changes and evolution over time. Positive experiences are shaped by key psychosocial concepts such as hope, social support, and rely on good self-efficacy which is influenced by both clinical staff and external support.
Seasonal variability in the intermediate water of the eastern North Atlantic

Abstract Observational evidence of seasonal variability below the main thermocline in the eastern North Atlantic is described, and a theoretical model of oceanic response to seasonally varying wind stress forcing is constructed to assist in the interpretation of the observation The observations are historical conductivity-temperature-depth data from the Bay of Biscay region (2–20°W, 42–52°N), a series of eleven cruises over three years 1972 through 1974, spaced approximately three months apart The analysis of the observations utilizes a new technique for identifying the adiabatically leveled density field corresponding to the observed density field. The distribution of salinity anomaly along the leveled surfaces is examined, as are the vertical displacements of observed density surfaces from the leveled reference surfaces. Seasonal variations in salinity anomaly and vertical displacement occur as westward propagating disturbances with zonal wavelength 390 (±50) km, phase at the eastern boundary of 71 (±30.
Composition and temporal patterns of larval fish communities in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, USA

Comparing larval fish assemblages in different estuaries provides insights about the coastal distribution of larval populations, larval transport, and adult spawning locations. We simultaneously compared the larval fish assemblages entering 2 Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) estuaries (Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay, USA) through weekly sampling from 2007 to 2009. In total, 43 taxa (32 families) and 36 taxa (24 families) were collected in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, respectively. Mean taxonomic diversity, mean richness, and evenness were generally lower in Delaware Bay. Communities of both bays were dominated by Anchoa spp. , Gobiosoma spp. , Micropogonias undulatus, and Brevoortia tyrannus; Paralichthys spp. was more abundant in Delaware Bay and Microgobius thalassinus was more abundant in Chesapeake Bay. Inter-annual variation in the larval fish communities was low at both sites, with a relatively consistent composition across years, but strong seasonal (intra-annual) variation in species composition occurred in both bays. Two groups were identified in Chesapeake Bay: a ‘winter’ group dominated by shelfspawned species and a ‘summer’ group comprising obligate estuarine species and coastal species. In Delaware Bay, 4 groups were identified: a ‘summer’ group of mainly obligate estuarine fishes being replaced by a ‘fall’ group; ‘winter’ and ‘spring’ groups were dominated by shelf-spawned and obligate estuarine species, respectively. This study demonstrates that inexpensive and simultaneous sampling in different estuaries provides important insights into the variability in community structure of fish assemblages at large spatial scales.
Trace metals in muscle, liver and gill tissues of marine fishes from Mersing, eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia: concentration and assessment of human health risk

Trace metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) concentrations in muscles, livers and gills of three important marine fishes, Torpedo Scad (Megalaspis cordyla), Sea Catfish (Arius thalassinus) and Belangeri Croaker (Johnius belangeri) were studied using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The samples were collected from Mersing the eastern coastal waters of Peninsular Malaysia. The estimated ranges of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb concentrations in the muscles, livers and gills of the three fish species were 1.51-3.48, 17.54-28.34, 0.02-0.12 and 0.12-0.15; 15.8-26.0, 80.58-365.1, 2.32-6.14 and 0.57-1.54; 3.04-5.51, 61.63-259.3, 0.03-0.12 and 0.14-2.03 μg g-1 dry weight, respectively. Metal concentrations in the edible parts of the fish were assessed for human consumption according to the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) and Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake (PTDI). Generally, levels of metal in muscles were lower than those in livers and gills. Zinc concentration was found to be the highest among the tested metals in all three species. The estimated weekly and daily intakes for the studied metals were far below the PTWI and PTDI limits. Present study reveals that consumption of these fishes from the study area does not pose a risk to human health.
Ice Active Proteins from Cold Tolerant Organisms

iii Acknowledgments. v Table of contents. vii List of Tables. xv List of Figures. xvii Abbreviations. xxi Chapter One: Introduction. 1 1.0 Introduction. 1 1.1 Ice. 3 1.2 Panagrolaimus davidi. 7 1.3 Ice Active Proteins. 10 1.3.1 Antifreeze Proteins. 10 1.3.1.1 Structure. 11 1.3.1.2 Mechanism. 17 1.3.2 Ice Nucleating Proteins. 24 1.3. 3 Recrystallisation Inhibition Proteins. 25 1.3. 3.1 Mechanism of Recrystallisation. 27 1.3. 3.2 Recrystallisation Inhibition. 28 1.4 Biotechnology. 30 1.5 Aims of this Research. 32
Persistent HCH and DDT residues in green fodders of Varanasi

The ill effects of green revolution include residues of extensively used chemical pesticides in various environmental components. The present study was designed to analyze the levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in green fodder samples collected from different localities of Varanasi. α-HCH concentration (mg/kg) in green fodder obtained from different blocks were 0.00193 (Baragaon), 0.00036 (Cholapur), 0.00067 (Arazilie) and 0.00187 (Harhua). Among HCH isomers γ-HCH was more persistent and α-HCH was less persistent. DDT and its isomers present in all blocks but far below from the MRL. highest concentration of 4,4’DDE and 2,4’DDD, were present in Harhua, Araziline block respectively whereas 2,4’DDT and 4,4’DDT were present in Baragaon. Among all blocks Baragaon showed highest concentration for DDT isomers.
USE OF PERMANENT PLOTS TO MONITOR TRENDS IN BURROW- NESTING SEABIRD POPULATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Estimating breeding populations at colony, regional and global scales, and detecting trends in those populations over time, are prerequisites to informed management and conservation of seabird species. Accurate population estimates are often laborious and expensive to obtain. This is especially so for burrow-nesting species, which are inconspicuous and often nocturnal on their breeding grounds and for which populations cannot be counted directly but must be estimated from derived parameters (Nettleship 1976, Evans 1980). Repeated counts of nests or birds within permanently established monitoring plots have been used as an expedient alternative to full-scale population surveys to provide indicators of population trends (Walsh et al. 1995, AnkerNilssen et al. 1996, Byrd & Dragoo 1997, Barrett 2001). Such counts rarely provide estimates of population size because plots are usually distributed subjectively and are not representative of entire colonies, but trends in the counts are thought to reflect trends in population size. Here we describe the use of permanent monitoring plots in British Columbia (BC), test the assumption that trends in plot counts mirror trends in overall population size, and discuss some of the problems we have encountered in repeating and interpreting counts.
A IMPORTÂNCIA DA PALMEIRA Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Beec. PARA A CONSERVAÇÃO DA RIQUEZA E DIVERSIDADE DE ESPÉCIES EPÍFITAS VASCULARES NA CAATINGA1

Neste estudo, o objetivo foi avaliar as diferencas entre a riqueza e a diversidade epifitica sobre os forofitos de licuri, Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Beec. , e outras especies da Caatinga, bem como verificar a maior frequencia das epifitas sobre os estratos de S. coronata. O estudo foi realizado no Parque Nacional do Vale do Catimbau, em Pernambuco. Foram selecionados, aleatoriamente, 50 individuos adultos de S. coronata (L), assim como o individuo arboreo adulto mais proximo de cada S. coronata (O), excluindo-se os individuos de licuri, para contabilizar o numero de individuos epifiticos por especie e classifica-los quanto a forma de vida em hemepifitas primarias, hemepifitas secundarias, holoepifitas obrigatorias, holoepifitas facultativas e holoepifitas acidentais. Foram amostrados 760 individuos epifiticos distribuidos em 16 especies, dos quais 15 taxons sobre S. coronata, principalmente encontrados na regiao da estipe recoberta pelos restos das bainhas das folhas antigas, e cinco no outro grupo forofitico. A diversidade de Shannon-Weaver (L - 1,936; O - 0,155) foi significativamente maior sobreS. coronata quando comparada com aquela observada sobre as outras especies forofiticas. A analise de dissimilaridade floristica das especies epifitas em razao dos dois tipos de forofitos (L e O) apontou a formacao de agrupamentos mais consistentes entre os individuos de S. coronata em relacao as demais especies. Alem disso, considerando os tamanhos do diâmetro a altura do solo (DAS) e a altura, evidenciou-se que, quanto maiores esses parâmetros, maiores tambem a riqueza e abundância de individuos epifiticos. Assim, este estudo corrobora a importância desta especie como hospedeira da riqueza e diversidade epifitica na Caatinga e para a conservacao das populacoes de S. coronata.
Three New Species of Amolops from Borneo (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae)

Three new species of torrent-dwelling ranid frogs of the Amolops jerboa group from Borneo are described. A. macrophthalmus from Sarawak is a member of a group of species having the posterior side of thigh blotched; it differs from other members by having a wide head and large eyes. A. orphnocnemis, like A. phaeomerus and A. jerboa, has a small body; it differs from those species by having a mottled thigh and dusky ventral surface of the lower leg. A. amoropalamus differs from other named species of the A. jerboa group from Borneo by having incomplete webbing on the fourth toe. A. orphnocnemis and A. amoropalamus are sympatric in the mountain of Sabah and East Kalimantan. A key to known species from the island is given and systematic problems of the genus are discussed.
The Effect of Contact Frequency with Customers on Relationship Satisfaction

Purpose: This study is to examine the moderating role of contact mode and customer attachment style on the effects of contact frequency on relationship satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: To explain this phenomenon, literature reviews about contact frequency, contact mode, relationship satisfaction, the moderating effect of contact mode (personal vs. impersonal), and attachment style (anxious vs. avoidant). SEM (Structure Equation Model) was suggest to check these relationships using PLS. Findings: Bootstrapping analysis was performed using process macros to find the relationship between contact frequency and relationship satisfaction. As a results, Contact frequency does not significantly affect satisfaction with a company; however, this independent variable affects satisfaction with a company via satisfaction with the service provider. Anxious people are known to be dependent, while avoidant people are independent, so customers’ attachment styles influence their relationship satisfaction. Personal contact modes, such as by telephone, are found to be more positive than impersonal contact modes, such as group email, for relationship satisfaction. The results of this study show that customers prefer personal contact to impersonal contact. Moreover, for both anxious and avoidant customers, frequent contact has positive effects on customer satisfaction with service providers and organizations. Research limitations/implications: This study provide two contributions. First, it confirmed the mediation effect of the customer-service-provider relationship. Customers’ satisfaction with a company depends on their satisfaction with its service providers. Second, this study identified a moderating role played by the contact mode and the customer’s attachment style. In regard to future research, it would be nice to add cases for increasing customer-satisfaction level with service firms and to focus on other industries to expand current research findings. Originality/value: The findings provide customer segmentation criteria and guidelines for effective relationship marketing activities in service field.
Influence of Bacteriophage PBS1 and φW-14 Deoxyribonucleic Acids on Homologous Deoxyribonucleic Acid Uptake and Transformation in Competent Bacillus subtilis

Both bacteriophage PBS1 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (in which all the thymine residues are replaced by uracil) and phage φW-14 DNA [in which half the thymine residues are replaced by 5-(aminobutylaminomethyl)uracil or 5-putrescinylthymine] exhibit comparable competing abilities for uptake of homologous DNA in a Bacillus subtilis competent system. But, whereas PBS1 DNA leads to a decrease in transformation frequencies compatible with its competing ability for DNA uptake, φW-14 DNA decreases transformation frequencies by a factor up to eightfold higher. The effect of φW-14 DNA on transformation frequencies is visible even at a concentration level that does not decrease transforming DNA uptake. No such effect was observed with heterologous DNA containing presumably ionically bound putrescine. Low concentrations of φW-14 DNA decreased the number of double (nonlinked) transformants more than single transformants. The influence on transformation was abolished when φW-14 DNA was added 20 min after addition of transforming DNA, i.e., when the recombination process was terminated. The putrescine-containing DNA also decreased retention of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable radioactivity of homologous DNA taken up. We conclude that φW-14 DNA inhibits some intracellular process(es) at the level of recombination. In addition, there is evidence that φW-14 DNA, but not heterologous DNA with ionically bound putrescine, binds also to site(s) on the cell surface other than receptors for homologous DNA.