Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rigid bio-based wood/polyurethane foam composites expanded under confinement

Rigid polyurethane biofoams (RPUF) were produced by single shot-method using a bio-based polyol and 10 wt% of pinewood particles. Two different confinement degrees were investigated (70% and 50% of the free-rising volume), along with a control group produced under free-rising. RPUF were studied using SEM images (to estimate average foam cell size and anisotropy index), mechanical testing (under compression and tension), apparent density, and thermal conductivity analysis. The results were statistically evaluated using ANOVA tests prior to means tests. The RPUF produced under confinement showed more rounded and homogeneous cell structures compared to those freely expanded. The filled RPUF produced under a confinement degree of 50% yielded very high compressive and tensile strengths, whereas thermal conductivity decreased with confinement.
Opioid Use Disorder in Women and the Implications for Treatment

Objective The opioid epidemic continues to evolve and impact all groups of people. Moreover, there are concerning trends among women. The aim of this article is to provide a review of opioid use disorder in women and the implications for treatment. Methods A nonsystematic review of the literature as conducted to examine: (1) the epidemiology of opioid‐related hospitalizations and deaths of women; (2) co‐occurring pain, anxiety disorders, and trauma among women with opioid use disorder; (3) evidence for opioid agonist treatment of pregnant women with opioid use disorder; and (4) implications for treatment of women with opioid use disorder and next steps for research and practice. Results The current opioid epidemic has produced important differences by sex and gender with increased rates of use and overdose deaths in women. Significant mental health concerns for women include co‐occurring psychiatric disorders and suicide. Expanding medication treatment for perinatal opioid use disorder is crucial. While effective treatments exist for opioid use disorder, they are often not accessible, and a minority of patients are treated. Conclusions The end to the opioid epidemic will require innovative multi‐systemic solutions. There are significant practice gaps in preventing rising death rates among women by opioid overdose, treating co‐occurring psychiatric disorders and pain, and treating perinatal women with opioid use disorder and their infants. Research on sex and gender differences, and the intersection with race/ethnicity and US region, is critically needed and should include treatment implementation studies to achieve wider access for women to effective prevention, early intervention, and treatment.
An Evidence-Based Review of Timber Harvesting Behavior among Private Woodland Owners

Understanding private woodland owner (PWO) timber harvesting behavior is essential for predicting potential timber supply, as PWOs could be an increasingly important source. This evidence-based review synthesizes more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and dissertations from 1970 to 2014 from North America and Europe. Our broad research question was “To what extent is actual PWO timber harvesting behavior understood? ” Our objectives were to (1) identify how past research analyzed actual harvesting behavior, (2) describe the evolution of these methods, (3) determine the extent to which previous research linked landowners’ stated intentions to actual harvesting behavior, and (4) evaluate the significant predictors of PWO timber harvesting. This evidence-based review found that parcel size, harvest price, and distance from residence were the most common significant predictors of harvesting intention. Many studies purportedly studied behavior, but most measure stated attitudes without measuring observable harvesting behaviors. A better understanding of PWO behavior will inform timber supply prediction and support forest management outreach.
Coexpression of CCR7 and CXCR4 During B Cell Development Controls CXCR4 Responsiveness and Bone Marrow Homing

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) constitute the largest family of plasma membrane proteins involved in cell signaling. Besides their canonical role in signaling, GPCR can also act as allosteric modulator of one another through receptor oligomerization. However, only few studies have investigated the relevance of GPCR oligomerization, and the role of GPCR interaction in physiological processes remains largely unknown. By using chemokine receptors and B cell development as a model system, we unveil in this study a novel role for CCR7 as a selective endogenous allosteric modulator of CXCR4. We show that the upregulation of CCR7 expression naturally occurring in late stages of B cell development contributes to the functional inactivation of CXCR4, and that B cell populations from CCR7-/- mice display higher responsiveness to CXCL12 and improved retention in the bone marrow parenchyma. We also provide molecular evidences supporting a model in which upregulation of CCR7 favors the formation of CXCR4-CCR7 heteromers wherein CXCR4 is selectively impaired in its ability to activate some G protein complexes.
FEEDING INDUCED CHANGES IN PHENOLICS AND PATHOGENESIS-RELATED PROTEINS: IMPLICATIONS HOST RESISTANCE TO Bemisia tabaci Genn. AND Helicoverpa armigera Hiib. IN TOMATO ACCESSIONS

Induction of Pathogenesis - Related (PR) proteins and phenolics occur in tomato upon feeding by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn. and tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera Hub. The induction of PR proteins such as chitinases and ﬂ-1,3-glucanases began after 72-96 h of feeding by whiteﬂy. The activity of these PR proteins varied with the accessions. A maximum of4.40 GlcNAc nmol / min lg of fresh tissue of chitinases has been observed in COTLCVRH 3 whereas the susceptible accession LE 591 has recorded only 1.80 G1cNAc nmol /min/ g of fresh tissue. The induction of [3-1,3-glucanases in tomato plants infested with whiteﬂy follows similar pattems, i.e., the 1,3-glucanases level is found to be high in COTLCVRH 4 (S2 pg glucose released 1min 1 g of fresh tissue). After feeding by tomato fruit borer, the systemic induction of total phenol was 2.00 to 3.00 fold. Similarly, 1.50 to 3.50 fold increase was observed in selected tomato accessions due to feeding by whiteﬂy. The induction was marginally higher in susceptible tomato accessions than in resistant accessions though the changes were not statistically signiﬁcant. There was substantial increase in the quantity of tannins as a result of feeding by tomato fruit borer and whiteﬂy. Tomato fruit borer feeding induced 1.50 to 2.00 fold increase in tannins in different tomato accessions whereas 2.00 to 4.00 fold increase was observed due to feeding by whitefly.
Association of Admission Temperature and Outcome among Neonates with Sepsis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the major causes of mortality in neonates. Hypothermia is also an important contributing factor of neonatal mortality. Neonates with sepsis can present with normal temperature, hypo or hyperthermia. Objectives: This study was design to find out the pattern of temperature on admission and its association with mortality among neonates admitted with sepsis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to April 2018 in the Department of Neonatal Medicine and NICU, Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital. Neonates up to thirty days of age, diagnosed as probable sepsis were enrolled. On admission, axillary temperature was recorded for 3 minutes and neonates were categorized according to the recorded temperature. Neonates were classified as early onset sepsis (EOS) and late onset sepsis (LOS) according to the age of onset of the sepsis. Outcome was also recorded. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS program version 25. Chi-square (2) test was done to determine the association and p value, <0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Among 493 enrolled neonates, 41.2% neonates were with early onset sepsis (EOS) and 58.8% were with late onset sepsis (LOS). Out of 493 neonates, 89(18.1%) died. Among the enrolled neonates, 54.4% had normal temperature, 16.6% had mild hypothermia, 14.6% had moderate hypothermia and 14.4% had hyperthermia. It was found that mild and moderate hypothermia were significantly more in EOS(p<0.05). Mortality was significantly high in neonates with mild and moderate hypothermia (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study found that mortality was associated with mild and moderate hypothermia in neonates admitted with sepsis.
Clinically-targetable vulnerabilities in cancer metabolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy and safety of targeting cancer metabolic vulnerabilities with specific anticancer agents. METHODS The systematic review and meta-analysis entailed search on PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar databases for cohort-based studies or clinical trials which reported hazard ratio for overall survival and/or median overall survival of patients treated with metabolicallyactive anticancer drugs. Data was analysed using the Number Cruncher Statistical System version 11. RESULTS There were 16 studies published between 1989 and 2018 that reported improvement in the overall survival (p=0.05) despite the reported significant heterogeneity across the studies (I2=70%). Exploiting amino acid metabolic vulnerabilities was associated with a favourable prognostic outcome (p=0.05), while targeting glycolysis and nucleic acid synthesis had no significant clinical importance (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is an urgent need to develop future therapies relying on the synergistic actions of nucleotide biosynthesis, glycolysis and amino acid metabolism.
Tax factors affecting FDI allocation in the EU post-socialist states

ABSTRACT The aim of the paper is to reveal the parameters of tax systems – in both the investor and the recipient state – that influence FDI allocation in post-socialist EU countries and cross-border flows of selected types of payments. Our results confirm that investors from EU countries strive to take advantage of both tax rate differences and aggressive tax planning strategies. Regression model estimates show that the investor’s national tax system is of key importance if it allows for the non-taxation of interest income, application of lower rates to royalties and use of special purpose entities. Moreover, the size of FDI is relatively strongly linked to the amount of payments for advisory services and royalties which are often used for aggressive tax planning. The estimated elasticity of FDI to the tax rate is around 1.1 and 1.9 for statutory and effective rates, respectively.
A model of integration ISO 9001 with Lean six sigma and main benefits achieved

The main purpose of this article is to depict the integration of Lean tools with requirements of ISO 9001:2015 standard as an operationalisation and support tool for a Quality Management System (QMS). The research was carried out through a questionnaire, which was sent to 2040 Portuguese companies. From the two hundred responses, 77 of them were validated (companies certified by at least one quality management system and which simultaneously have lean six sigma (LSS) tools and/or techniques implemented) corresponding to the sample of this study. Additionally, the research was also based on a case study in a footwear company where the model was applied. This research proposes a model for integrating Lean tools and requirements of ISO 9001:2015. This integration allows the QMS to become more practical and dynamic, reinforcing the creation of value for the organisation. As main benefits, we can highlight, among others: improvement of problem solving, waste reduction, improvement in internal communication, and increase in productivity. This article aims at becoming a relevant contribution to business management as it displays the main tools and methodologies to implement and sustain a QMS.
Effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaf Extract Against Aluminium Chloride Induced Hippocampal Histology and Serum Enzyme activities in adult Wistar rats

Introduction: Aluminium, a ubiquitous metal implicated in some neurodegenerative diseases is linked to activation of free oxygen species. The antioxidant-rich plants, Moringa oleifera (MO) is reported to protect against Aluminium activities. This study investigated the actions of MO leaf extract (MOLE) against Aluminium chloride (AlCl3 )- induced hippocampal cellular changes and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in adult Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty Wistar rats weighing between 150 g and 220 g were grouped (n=5) into; 1-control (5 mL/kg distilled water), 2-AlCl3 (100 mg/kg), 3-low dose MOLE (250 mg/kg), 4-high dose MOLE (1,000 mg/kg), 5-concurrent AlCl3 and low dose MOLE, and 6-concurrent AlCl3 and high dose MOLE. All administrations were by oral gavages for 21 days. On day 22, following deep anaesthesia and cardiac puncture, blood was obtained for serum enzyme analysis, and the brain perfusion fixed, harvested and processed for histological study. Results: Results showed significantly (p 0.05) AST and ALT levels. The hippocampal CA3 of the AlCl3 group showed hypertrophic cells, with some of the cells having karyorrhectic features. The concurrent AlCl3 and low and high doses, MOLE groups showed less of these adverse features. Conclusion: These results suggest that MOLE may protect enzymatic activities against Aluminium chloride. However, its action on hippocampus is still subject to further investigation.
Sub-Sampled Time Domain Sparse Information in Wired OFDM and STBC-OFDM Systems

A sub-sampling method developed for wired or wireless Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems is presented. The proposed technique can be activated during the exchange of sparse data. The sub-sampling method is implemented with low cost and complexity hardware since it requires the customization of a few specific OFDM stages like channel interleaving, sampling control, etc, and does not require any iterative optimization procedure. Employing special Inverse-Fast Fourier Transform (I-FFT) input structures, the recovery of the original data from fewer samples than those required by the receiver FFT is possible without any other cost for general OFDM applications. A special detector initiates the sub-sampling mode when sparse information is exchanged like sensor data or uncompressed real-time video with stationary views like night surveillance cameras. Up to ¾ of the time, the system can operate in sub-sampling mode reducing the power consumed by the Analogue/Digital Converter (ADC), the FFT and the IFFT. Memory needed for sample storage, intermediate results and FFT/IFFT coefficients can be released in real time if the proposed architecture is adopted. A Bit Error Rate (BER) below 10−3 or full information recovery is achieved in most of the cases. An image reconstruction example is also tested in a wireless environment with Normalised Mean Square Error (NMSE) ranging from 10−5 to less than 0.1.
The Effect of Sustainability-Related Information on the Sensory Evaluation and Purchase Behavior towards Salami Products

Abstract Consumer’s interest in sustainable livestock farming methods has grown in response to concerns for the environment and animal welfare. The purpose of this study is to examine the different influences of sustainability product information on sensory characteristics and purchase behaviors. To accomplish this aim, the study used salami, which is an Italian-style sausage processed by fermentation and drying. Three different types of information were provided: salami made from the pork of an antibiotic-free pig (SMAFP), of an animal welfare pig (SMAWP), and of a grazing pig (SMGP). This study was conducted as an off-line experiment with Korean participants (n=140). As a result, there were sensory differences according to the sustainability information. For the SMAFP, it had a significant difference in, sourness (p<0.05). With the SMAWP, there was a difference in gumminess (p<0.10), and the SMGP had significant differences in sourness (p<0.01), sweetness (p<0.01), andmoisture (p<0.05). Moreover, the purchase intention and willingness to pay were significantly higher when the sustainability information was given. Especially, among the three types of salamis, participants were willing to pay the most for the SMAWP. This is one of the first consumer studies to investigate sensory evaluation and purchase behavior for various types of sustainable livestock production. These results contribute by helping sustainable meat producers and marketers become aware of the kind of sustainable information to which consumers are sensitive.
Genetic diversity of Seriphium plumosum - a grassland encroacher plant in South Africa

ABSTRACT Seriphium plumosum, a grassland encroacher, has decreased the grazing capacity of grasslands in South Africa. The extensive spread of S. plumosum in South Africa requires a need to better understand its genetic characteristics. This study assessed the genetic diversity of five populations of S. plumosum using RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) to understand the relationship between the genetics and the invasiveness of the species. Plant material was obtained from five different localities in the South-Eastern Free-State province (Frankfort, Parys, Senekal, Thaba Nchu, Zastron). DNA was extracted according to the CTAB protocol. Twenty-nine RAPD primers from Operon Technologies were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to generate banding profiles of the samples. A total of 1095 bands amplified from all the populations produced between 52% to 70% polymorphism. Nei’s diversity indices for the populations ranged from 0.17 to 0.23. The Shannon’s information index (Ho ) varied between 0.21 to 0.30. The polymorphic percentage and the Ho index indicated that a high level of genetic diversity existed within S. plumosum. This variation may be one of the reasons for its success as an encroacher, as it enabled it to adapt and survive in changing environments. However, other factors may also enable the success of this invader.
Genetic transformation of the bacterium Bacillus firmus for GFP expression and confocal laser microscopy analysis

Bacillus firmus I-1582 is a bacterium with nematicidal effects on root-knot nematodes, a group of plant parasites pertaining to the genus Meloidogyne. This bacterium is able to colonize the plant rhizosphere of some economically important crops and protect them from nematode parasites by reducing their juvenile hatching, their only infective stage. In this final degree project B.firmus was transformed with a green fluorescent protein gene. To transform the bacterium it was necessary the previous protoplast formation using lysozyme and the addition of polyethylene glycol. The plasmid containing this gene, pAD43-25, was cloned and extracted from an E.coli ECE166 culture. Once the plasmid was stable, the transformant was inoculated in tomato roots and nematode eggs. The samples were analyzed after 48 hours at 35°C with confocal laser microscopy to watch the distribution of the bacteria and the biofilm formation, which was fluorescent too. In the taken images is shown that the bacterium was not able to colonize the root neither penetrate the eggs. Although it seems that some of the bacterial cytoplasmic products can cross the egg wall.
Bifidobacterium longum, a Predominant Bifidobacterium in Early-life Infant Potentially Used as Probiotic

In early life, Bifidobacteria are reported as dominant bacteria in the human digestive tract. Bifidobacterium is potential as a probiotic. The probiotic property of Bifidobacterium is strain-specific. This study aimed to identify the Bifidobacterium (isolated from less than one-month-old healthy infant stool that potentially used as probiotic) based on the 16S rRNA gene and determining their similarities among Bifidobacteria. The probiotic-potentially Bifidobacterium was re-characterized by performing a Gram’s staining and catalase test. The DNA extraction process was followed by the 16S rRNA amplification using 27F-1492R primers. Sequence similarity was checked by using the BLAST program in the GenBank. The phylogenetic tree was constructed by using a neighbor-joining (NJ) method within the MEGA version 7.0 package. The 16S rRNA gene was presented at 1,500 bp length. Bifidobacterium strains have a 91.14-94.26 % sequence similarity to B. longum subsp. longum strain CCUG30698 which is considered as insufficient for species and genus identifications. However, those isolates could be assigned in a phylogenetic position. This present study suggested the B. longum as the dominant strain of Bifidobacterium in the gut of early-life infants which has potential as a probiotic and is considered as an ideal probiotic for human consumption. This study is useful as basic information for other related research, as well as its application in industrial or community service fields.
How a group service failure at a restaurant turns into an individual dissatisfaction? A scenario-based experiment

When it comes to service failures, restaurants are one of the most experienced one in the tourism and hospitality businesses. High level of service interaction and presence of other consumers in a groups of different size make the failures more complicate. Customers whose service expectation is not meet inform other group members through their negative emotions and may lead to a similar change in the emotions of others. Therefore, dealing with service failure requires more inclusive perspective. In this context, the main purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between service failure and dissatisfaction from the point of group service interaction. To that end, this study aims to investigate the effect of the negative emotions and emotional contagion on the perceived service failure and dissatisfaction. To collect data scenario-based experiment was applied through both online and face to face survey. Based on 1437 scenario based questionnaire structural equation modeling analysis was performed. Results show that the dominant factor effecting their service failure perception is the feeling of disappointment rather than anger in group failures. Emotional contagion is also effective on service failure perception. Neither negative emotions nor contagion has direct effect on dissatisfaction. That is, consumers’ dissatisfaction feelings occur if they support their emotional reactions with their cognitive assessments of service failure.