Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VARIABILITY AMONG MUNGBEAN (VIGNA RADIATA) GENOTYPES FOR YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS GROWN IN PESHAWAR VALLEY

To evaluate the performance of mungbean genotypes, an experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm of NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar during summer 2005. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data was collected on number of leaves plant -1 , pod length, number of pods plant -1 , number of seeds pod -1 , 100-seed weight and seed yield plant -1 . Significant variations were observed for all the parameters except number of pods plant -1 . Genotype KRK mung-1 produced maximum number of leaves plant -1 and maximum number of seeds per pod -1 . Maximum pod length and maximum 100-seeds weight was recorded for genotype NFM 3-3. Mungbean genotypes NM 21 produced maximum seed yield plant -1 , followed by NM-92 and KRK mung-1, while FM 3-3 produced minimum seed yield plant -1 . This variation may be used for further breeding programmes to develop improved mungbean genotypes, adapted to the climatic condition of Peshawar valley through crossing and selection.
Snow drought reduces water transit times in headwater streams

Knowledge of water transit times through watersheds is fundamental to understand hydrological and biogeochemical processes. However, its prediction is still elusive, particularly in mountainous terrain where physiography and precipitation change over short distances. In addition, much remains to be studied about the impact of climate change on transit time as it continues to change precipitation form in mountainous terrain. Water isotopic ratios were used to evaluate mean transit time (MTT) and young water fractions ( Fyw* ) in seven small mountainous watersheds in western Oregon over the 2014–2018 period that included a major regional snow drought in 2015. The MTT was shorter in 2015 across all watersheds compared to any other year while the Fyw* was larger in 2015 than in any other year. The short transit times observed in 2015 could be related to low connectivity between surface water and older ground water which resulted in a homogenous hydrologic response across all the investigated watersheds despite their physiographical differences. The 2016–2018 MTT vary widely across all watersheds but especially within the smaller high elevation watersheds indicating that the impact of the 2015 snow drought was stronger for systems that depend heavily on snowmelt inputs. During relatively wet/cold years intrinsic watershed characteristics such as drainage area and terrain roughness explained some of the variability in transit time metrics across all watersheds. Shorter transit times during the drought have implications for water quality and solute concentrations as biogeochemical processes are controlled in part by the time water resides and interacts within the subsurface. Although the impact of the 2015 snow drought appears short‐lived these results are particularly critical considering the expected regional snowpack decline as the climate warms in the western United States.
Synthesis and efficient field emission characteristics of patterned ZnO nanowires

Patterned ZnO nanowires were successfully synthesized on ITO electrodes deposited on the glass sub- strate by using a simple thermal evaporation approach. The morphology, crystallinity and optical properties of ZnO nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and pho- toluminescence spectroscopy. Their field emission characteristics were also investigated. SEM images showed that the ZnO nanowires, with a diameter of 100-200 nm and length up to 5m, were highly uniform and well distributed on the linear ITO electrodes. The field emission measurement indicated that patterned ZnO nanowire arrays have a turn-on field of 1.6 V/ m at current density of 1 A/cm 2 and a threshold field of 4.92 V/m at current density of 1 mA/cm 2 at an emitter-anode gap of 700 m. The current density rapidly reached 2.26 mA/cm 2 at an applied field of 5.38 V/ m. The fluctuation of emission current was lower than 5% for 4.5 h. The low turn-on field, high current density and good stability of patterned ZnO nanowire arrays indicate that it is a promising candidate for field emission application.
Blood eosinophils in COPD: friend or foe?

ABSTRACT Introduction The pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is highly complex and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Areas Covered COPD has been traditionally associated with neutrophilic inflammation of the bronchi, but in the last decade, studies have demonstrated that eosinophils may also migrate into the lower airways of patients with COPD and their increased numbers can be noticed during exacerbations as well as stable disease. In this review, we present clinical characteristics of eosinophilic COPD, as well as the role of eosinophils as a biomarker-guided therapy in COPD. A systematic research using the database of Pubmed up to February 2021 was performed. The terms we searched were eosinophilic inflammation, COPD, COPD phenotypes, COPD exacerbations, corticosteroids in COPD, and monoclonal antibodies in COPD. Expert Opinion Blood eosinophil levels show strong potential as a prognostic and theragnostic biomarker in the clinical management of COPD being at the moment the most reliable biomarker. The lack of a certain cutoff value of blood eosinophils as guidance for treatment with ICS and biologic therapies and the uncertainty regarding the stability of eosinophilia and eosinophilic phenotype through the course of COPD remain as unmet dilemmas and problems.
Comparison of partial least square, artificial neural network, and support vector regressions for real‐time monitoring of CHO cell culture processes using in situ near‐infrared spectroscopy

The biopharmaceutical industry must guarantee the efficiency and biosafety of biological medicines, which are quite sensitive to cell culture process variability. Real‐time monitoring procedures based on vibrational spectroscopy such as near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, are then emerging to support innovative strategies for retro‐control of key parameters as substrates and by‐product concentration. Whereas monitoring models are mainly constructed using partial least squares regression (PLSR), spectroscopic models based on artificial neural networks (ANNR) and support vector regression (SVR) are emerging with promising results. Unfortunately, analysis of their performance in cell culture monitoring has been limited. This study was then focused to assess their performance and suitability for the cell culture process challenges. PLSR had inferior values of the determination coefficient (R2) for all the monitored parameters (i.e., 0.85, 0.93, and 0.98, respectively for the PLSR, SVR, and ANNR models for glucose). In general, PLSR had a limited performance while models based on ANNR and SVR have been shown superior due to better management of inter‐batch heterogeneity and enhanced specificity. Overall, the use of SVR and ANNR for the generation of calibration models enhanced the potential of NIR spectroscopy as a monitoring tool.
Lateral Distribution Factor from Bridge Field Testing

A study using field test results was conducted to determine the effect of live load for the slab-and-beam bridge structures. From the field testing of four existing bridge structures under the real truck loading, the live load distribution factors (DFs) are deducted from the measured strain gauge values and then determined by using several methods developed by the study team. The final results for each bridge are compared against some of the previously developed methods and design codes. The distribution factor concluded from testing results should be showing lower bound values. Results are given in tabulated forms and conclusions about the distribution factors for each bridge are reached from these tables.
Remote State Estimation With Enhanced Robustness in the Presence of Data Packet Dropouts

This article discusses the remote state estimation over unreliable links, where the packet dropouts occur from the sensor side to the filter, for discrete-time systems with both bounded-power disturbances and white Gaussian noises. A cascaded estimation scheme with enhanced robustness is proposed, driven by the residual signal related to the modeling mismatch. The estimation gains are characterized by two modified algebraic Riccati equations (MAREs), together with a complete and rigorous stability analysis in the mean square (MS) sense. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the MS stability of the corresponding error dynamics are then given in terms of the data arrival rate and unstable poles of the plant, i.e., the Mahler measure of the plant. Moreover, the filtering strategy is expanded into the case of distributed estimation over lossy sensor networks, where each sensor locally constructs an estimate based on its own observation and on those collected from its neighbors, and the solution is again derived by MAREs. The corresponding necessary and sufficient conditions to the MS stability in the distributed case are also characterized by relationships between data arrival rates and the Mahler measure of the plant. Finally, an example is presented to validate the current design method.
Roles of apoptosis and autophagy in natural rabies infections

The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of apoptosis and autophagy in animals (cows, horses, donkeys, dogs and cats) naturally infected with rabies by using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and qPCR. The mRNA transcript levels of caspase-3, Bax, Bcl2 and LC3B were determined with qPCR. Caspase-3 and AIF immunopositivity were not observed in the immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining, whereas LC3B immunopositivity was determined intensively in the infected animals compared to the control groups. LC3B immunopositivity was detected in the cytoplasm of the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of the cows, horses and donkeys, and also in the cytoplasm of the neurons in the cornu ammonis of the dogs and cats. While the expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax were downregulated, the Bcl2 expression was up-regulated in the infected animals compared to the uninfected animals. In addition, the LC3B levels were found to be significantly higher in the infected animals. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first report of neuronal death in the central nervous system by autophagy, rather than by caspase-dependent or AIF-containing caspase-independent apoptosis.
Effect of Seasonal Ambient Temperature on Sleep and Thermal Comfort in Older People Living in Public Elderly Facilities

This study aimed to investigate the thermal environment and thermal comfort of elderly occupants living in elder care facilities and to compare the quality of sleep, in all four seasons, of these elderly occupants. A total of 16 healthy participants with a mean age of 80 ± 5 years (range, 70–87 years) were recruited in two elderly facilities, of which, 13 participated in all four measurements. The sleep parameter was measured by a wrist actigraph which the participants were requested to wear and analyzed with commercial software using the Cole–Kripke algorithm, to assign scores for sleeping and waking patterns. Both ambient temperature (Ta) and relative humidity (Rh) levels were found to be lower in the winter and higher in the summer. The Ta in the summer and Rh in the winter were not within the scope of the Japanese Standard for Maintenance of Sanitation in Buildings, as the central HVAC and air conditioners were turned off due to the absence of facility managers. More than 50% of the elderly occupants used fans and increased airflow by opening windows during the summer nights as an adaptive thermal approach. The slope of the relationship between prevailing mean outdoor temperature and indoor Ta determined in this study was similar to the adaptive model and the regression line lies over the upper limits of the adaptive model. No significant difference was found in the sleep parameter among the four seasons; however, a sex difference was found in the sleep latency and length of waking period during the sleep. The sleep parameters such as sleep efficiency indexes were significantly better for elderly women than men. The adaptive approach is not enough to improve the sleep efficiency of sleeping elderly people even within the acceptable temperature range based on the thermal comfort, especially for elderly men.
An assessment of knowledge of basic research methods among primary health care workers in Riyadh region

Background: The knowledge of and attitude towards medical research among health care staff is an important factor in delivering health care services. We aimed to assess the knowledge of basic research methods and the attitude towards medical research among health care professionals.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the health care professionals working in primary care (including physicians, nursing staff, public health professionals and other paramedical staff). A pre designed, structured, closed ended, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data.Results: A great majority (80%) showed interest in participating in a research if offered opportunity. Most of the attitude items had the highest proportion (>80%) of positive response whereas the knowledge items ranged from as low as 14% (awareness of reference management) to as high as 56% (correct knowledge of consent). Although the proportion of correct responses among the physicians was higher in almost all the knowledge items, as compared to nursing and other heath staff but this difference was not observed to be statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusions: While majority of the participants had good attitude towards medical research, their knowledge was found to be low in basic research methodology.
Cognitive Biases Among Millennial Indian Investors: Do Personality and Demographic Factors Matter?

This study examines the influence of financial literacy, gender, annual family income and neuroticism personality trait on the probability of millennial equity investors to suffer from selected cognitive biases (availability bias, representative bias, mental accounting bias and anchoring and adjustment bias). Binary logistic regression method is applied to conduct the analysis. Results of the current study indicate that selected demographic factors and investor personality are significant in predicting the probability of millennial Indian investor to suffer from the biases under consideration. For availability bias, financial literacy; for representative bias, financial literacy, neuroticism and gender; for mental accounting bias, neuroticism, gender and annual family income; and for anchoring and adjustment bias, financial literacy, neuroticism, gender and annual family income are found as significant predictors.
Stress Coping and Resilience in College Students with Depression

is worthwhile to note that, according to a meta-study, one-third of college students report difficulties with depressive symptoms [2]. to data published by Boston University in 2021, a questionnaire conducted with 33,000 U.S. col-Stress Background: Depression is increasing among college students in general. Moreover, almost one-third of college students have been reported to suffer from depression. Thus, this study aimed to assess differences in stress coping strategies and resilience between depressed and normal-mood groups among college students. Methods: A total of 3,306 college students participated in this study. The students responded to a questionnaire that included questions of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, stress coping scale (SCS), and brief resilience scale. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of variables on depression. Results: Using the CES-D (cutoff score ≥21), 423 (12.8%) college students were classified as depressed. Adjusting for individual demographic factors, the SCS results of the students with depression showed significantly higher scores in emotion-focused coping (p<0.001), wishful thinking (p<0.001), and lower problem-focused coping (p<0.001) than the normal-mood group. Moreover, they presented lower resilience scores. Students who had emotion-focused coping (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; p<0.001) and lower resilience scores (OR, 0.76; p<0.001) were associated with higher CES-D scores. Conclusion: The study findings revealed significant differences between the depressed and normal-mood groups in terms of stress coping skills and resilience, suggesting the need for promoting stress coping strategies and resilience to lower depression-related problems among college students.
Laboratory measurement of rolling resistance in truck tyres under dynamic vertical load

Abstract This paper deals with the rolling resistance of heavy vehicle tyres measured on a large drum under dynamically varying vertical load. The aim is to simulate in the laboratory the dynamic loading conditions arising from interaction of the vehicle with a randomly rough road. A dynamically varying vertical force is generated using a hydraulic actuator. A comprehensive set of experimental data for two different truck tyres is presented, and the influence of dynamic load on the mean rolling resistance is quantified and discussed. The measurements indicate that there is no significant effect of dynamic vertical load on the mean rolling resistance of the two tyres tested.
Epidemiology of Biopsy Proven Glomerular Disorders and Effect of Severe Cyclone on Its Incidence in Central Queensland Region of Australia

Aim: The objectives of this study are to determine the epidemiology of biopsy-proven glomerular disease (GD) in Central Queensland and the effect of a severe cyclone on its incidence and clinical phenotype. Background: Central Queensland (CQ) has a relatively high incidence of kidney disease. Since its biopsy service commenced in 2005, there have been no data on biopsy-proven GD. It has been suggested that GD incidence changes around times of natural disasters. In February 2015, the CQ region was affected by a category 5 Cyclone Marcia. This provides an opportunity to explore possible environmental triggers of GD. Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective observational study on biopsy-proven kidney disease in CQ. All kidney biopsies performed between January 2005 and December 2019 were included. Patients with biopsy-proven GD during 3 years before and after Cyclone Marcia (from 2012 to 2018) were analysed. Results: 170 native kidney biopsies occurred during the 15 years. The number of annual biopsies steadily increased from 7 to 16. The most common biopsy-proven kidney disease was IgA Nephropathy (27%) followed by diabetic nephropathy (20%). GD comprised 64% of biopsies. Unlike other GD, the incidence of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) significantly increased after cyclone (one preand eight post-cyclone, P value = 0.039). The majority of AAV cases occurred in the first year after the cyclone. Conclusion: Kidney biopsies in CQ provide important epidemiological data on biopsy-proven kidney disease. Cyclones have a possible effect on the inciHow to cite this paper: Aljishi, M. , Pham, T. , Chan, J., McGrail, M. , Han, T. , Borg, J., Ranganathan, D. and Thet, Z. (2021) Epidemiology of Biopsy Proven Glomerular Disorders and Effect of Severe Cyclone on Its Incidence in Central Queensland Region of Australia. Open Journal of Nephrology, 11, 477-488. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojneph.2021. 114040 Received: August 3, 2021 Accepted: November 22, 2021 Published: November 25, 2021 Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access
Generalisation of the Dick effect to continuous beam frequency standards

In atomic frequency standard operating in pulsed mode, the frequency noise of the interrogating oscillator is not completely seen by the atoms (ions) and thereby the long term stability of such standards is limited by the "Dick effect" which is formulated using the sensitivity function of the standard. Here, we introduce the sensitivity function for continuous frequency standards in a way similar to that of pulsed standards. We compute it in some typical cases for a monokinetic and for a weighted maxwellian velocity distribution. We find that Dick effect is present in this kind of standards and that it is due essentially to the modulation-demodulation operation.
Potential Safety Cost-Effectiveness of Treating Rutted Pavements

Pavement rutting is a problem that has unknown consequences from a safety-based point of view. It is assumed that the wheelpath fills with water in wet-weather situations, thus increasing the potential for a vehicle to hydroplane. A study was conducted to quantify how pavement rutting affects accident rates and to evaluate possible safety-based guidelines for the treatment of pavement rutting. Rut depth, traffic volumes, and accident databases maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for undivided rural highways were then analyzed to identify statistical trends and relationships. Accidents were categorized as rut-related if the prevailing conditions could be potentially associated with the occurrence of hydroplaning. Rut depth measurements were average values for both directions of 1.8-km (1.1-mi) segments and represent the average elevation difference between the tire paths and the high point between them. The results of the statistical analyses indicated that the defined rut-related accident rate begins to increase at a significantly greater rate as rut depths exceed 7.6 mm (0.3 in.). The cost-effectiveness of potential accident reductions associated with reductions in the relative amount of rutted pavement was also evaluated.
Laboratory Characterization of Recycled Concrete for Use as Pavement Base Material

The purpose of this research was to characterize both demolition and haul-back sources of recycled concrete material (RCM) available in Utah County, Utah, for use as pavement base material and to investigate the self-cementing behaviors of each. A telephone survey was conducted to assess the state of the practice with respect to the local use of RCM, and extensive laboratory testing was performed to evaluate the strength and durability properties of both sources of RCM. Laboratory testing included determinations of particle-size distributions, Atterberg limits, specific gravity values, absorption characteristics, moisture–density relationships, California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength (UCS), stiffness, resistance to freeze–thaw cycling, tube suction test (TST) moisture susceptibility classifications, and Los Angeles abrasion losses. The results of the testing indicate that marked stiffening and strength gain of the materials occur within a 7-day curing period, although the rate and extent of the increases are dependent on the material source. The higher fines content of the haul-back material corresponded to higher absorption, optimum moisture content, maximum dry density, CBR, UCS, and stiffness values compared with the demolition material, presumably because of the exposure of greater quantities of unhydrated cement in the production of the haul-back RCM. However, the haul-back RCM was characterized by a greater loss in stiffness after freeze–thaw cycling and received a marginal moisture-susceptibility rating in the TST, while the demolition RCM was rated as non-moisture-susceptible. Further research is needed to more definitively investigate the self-cementing mechanism of RCM.