Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructural, Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Organoleptic Characteristics of Sugar- and Fat-Free Ice Cream from Buffalo Milk

Ice cream is a popular dessert product across the world. Structure, body, taste, and odor properties are created by adding non-milk ingredients and milk ingredients. The main aim of the study is to decrease the caloric value of ice cream by using sugar and fat replacements. Ice cream treatments were investigated based on microstructural, chemical, physical, microbiological, sensory, and calorific values. Four different ice creams were used (control ice cream (SC1), ice cream with stevia (SC2), ice cream with sucralose (SC3), and ice cream with sorbitol (SC4)). The chemical properties in all treatments of ice cream were significantly recorded (p < 0.05). The highest sucrose and fat levels were detected in the SC1 treatment compared with the other treatments (p < 0.05). The lowest fat and sugar amounts were observed in the SC2, SC3, and SC4 treatments (p < 0.05). The highest viscosity, overrun, and hardness values (p < 0.05) were detected in the control ice cream. Total aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts were not significantly recorded between different ice cream treatments (p < 0.05). The sensory scores were not significantly affected by sweeteners and bulk agents in the different treatments. The highest calorific value was calculated in the SC1 samples (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the lowest calorific value was calculated in SC2, followed by the SC3 and SC4 treatments. In scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the gel exhibited a homogeneous structure with a fine network within the SC2, SC3, and SC4 treatments, as it contained a cohesive structure with small-sized pores.
Particle emissions characteristics of different on-road vehicles

Due to the stringent emission standards set worldwide, particulate matter (PM) emissions from diesel vehicles have been significantly curtailed in the last decade, and are expected to be reduced even further in the future. This evolution has brought forward two main issues: whether PM emissions should only be regulated for diesel vehicles and whether gasoline powered vehicles can be further neglected from PM emission inventories. This paper addresses these issues comparing the characteristics of particle emissions from a current diesel passenger car, a gasoline one and two small two-wheelers. It is shown that the gasoline car is a negligible source of particle emissions while the two-wheelers may be even more significant particle sources than the diesel car.
Experiential learning implementation in undergraduate engineering education: a systematic search and review

ABSTRACT Experiential learning (EL) is a process of learning through doing, while experiential education incorporates the pedagogies and structures that support this process. As the benefits of EL have become more evident, experiential engineering education (EEE) efforts like design courses, have increasingly been integrated into undergraduate curricula. However, few efforts have examined the research approaches used to determine the impact of EEE on student learning outcomes. This review examines how EL has been implemented and evaluated in previous undergraduate engineering education publications by performing a systematic search and critical review of relevant articles. Results indicate that a majority of articles study EL and education within the context of one course and employ course evaluation methods in line with goals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research community. Suggestions for future research on EL and education that will allow for a broader understanding of its impact in engineering education are provided.
Local and Global Stabilization of Switched Linear Systems With Actuator Saturation

Utilizing the min-composite Lyapunov function and the min-projection switching strategy, we solve the local and global stabilization problems for switched linear systems by saturated, not necessarily stabilizing individually, linear feedback laws. Sufficient conditions are derived in the form of matrix inequalities under which the closed-loop system is locally asymptotically stable with an estimate of the domain of attraction or is globally asymptotically stable. The derived conditions are shown to be less conservative than the existing ones and, when used to guide the design of feedback laws, enable local stabilization with a larger estimate of the domain of attraction or global stabilization for a larger class of systems. Numerical examples illustrate the theoretical conclusions.
Activated sludge models ASM1, ASM2, ASM2d and ASM3

This book has been produced to give a total overview of the Activated Sludge Model (ASM) family at the start of 2000 and to give the reader easy access to the different models in their original versions. It thus presents ASM1, ASM2, ASM2d and ASM3 together for the first time. Modelling of activated sludge processes has become a common part of the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants. Today models are being used in design, control, teaching and research. Contents This title belongs to Scientific and Technical Report Series ISBN: 9781900222242 (Print) ISBN: 9781780402369 (eBook)
Influence of human activity on gut microbiota and immune responses of Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos Islands

Urbanization can influence animal traits, including immunity and gut microbiota. Over the past several decades, the Galápagos Islands have seen rapid resident human population growth and tourist activity, leading to varying levels of human activity across Islands. Consequently, diet, gut microbiota, and immunity of endemic animals, such as Darwin’s finches, may have changed. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of land use on the immune response, gut microbiota, and body measurements of Darwin’s finches in 2008, at a time of rapidly increasing human activity in the Islands. Specifically, we compared proxies of immunity (lysozyme activity, and haptoglobin, complement antibody, and natural antibody levels), gut microbiota (bacterial diversity, community structure and membership, and relative abundance of bacterial taxa), and body measurements (body mass, tarsus length, and scaled mass index) across undeveloped, agricultural, and urban areas for medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) and small ground finches (G. fuliginosa). We found that lysozyme activity was lower and observed bacterial species richness was higher in urban areas compared to non-urban areas across both finch species. For small ground finches, relative abundances of three bacterial genera (Pseudoxanthomonas, Cloacibacterium, and Dietzia spp.) were higher in urban areas compared to non-urban areas, but this pattern was not observed in medium ground finches. Medium ground finches were smaller in undeveloped areas compared to the other two areas, but body measurements of small ground finches did not differ across areas. Our results suggest that human activity can impact immune measures and gut microbiota of Darwin’s finches.
The War Is on: The Immune System against Glioblastoma—How Can NK Cells Drive This Battle?

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that play an important role in immunosurveillance, acting alongside other immune cells in the response against various types of malignant tumors and the prevention of metastasis. Since their discovery in the 1970s, they have been thoroughly studied for their capacity to kill neoplastic cells without the need for previous sensitization, executing rapid and robust cytotoxic activity, but also helper functions. In agreement with this, NK cells are being exploited in many ways to treat cancer. The broad arsenal of NK-based therapies includes adoptive transfer of in vitro expanded and activated cells, genetically engineered cells to contain chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-NKs), in vivo stimulation of NK cells (by cytokine therapy, checkpoint blockade therapies, etc.), and tumor-specific antibody-guided NK cells, among others. In this article, we review pivotal aspects of NK cells’ biology and their contribution to immune responses against tumors, as well as providing a wide perspective on the many antineoplastic strategies using NK cells. Finally, we also discuss those approaches that have the potential to control glioblastoma—a disease that, currently, causes inevitable death, usually in a short time after diagnosis.
QbD Consideration for Developing a Double-Layered Tablet into a Single-Layered Tablet with Telmisartan and Amlodipine

The aim of this study was to develop a single-layered version of commercially available Twynstar® (Telmisartan + Amlodipine) double-layered tablets to improve the dosing convenience. A quality-by-design approach was applied to develop the single-layered version. To evaluate the range and cause of risks for a single-layered tablet in the formulation design research, we used the tools of the risk assessment, initial risk assessment of preliminary hazard analysis and main risk assessment of failure mode and effect analysis to determine the parameters affecting formulation, drug dissolution, and impurities. The critical material attributes were the stabilizer and disintegrant, and the critical process parameters were the wet granulation and tableting process. The optimal range of the design space was determined using the central composite design in the wet granulation and tablet compression processes. The stabilizer, kneading time, and disintegrant of the wet granulation were identified as X values affecting Y values. The compression force and turret speed in the tablet compression were identified as X values affecting Y values. After deciding on the design space with the deduced Y values, the single-layered tablets were formulated, and their dissolution patterns were compared with that of the double-layered tablet. The selected quality-by-design (QbD) approach single-layered tablet formulated using design space were found to be bioequivalent to the Twynstar® double-layered tablets. Hence, the development of single-layered tablets with two API using the QbD approach could improve the medication compliance of patients and could be used as a platform to overcome time-consuming and excessive costs and the technical and commercial limitations related to various multi-layered tablets.
Development of integrated design tool and methodology for the foundry industry

In the field of casting processes, computer technologies are used for numerical simulations of cast design phases although, their use is often restricted to the simulation of the filling and solidification phases. Our objective is therefore to improve the use of computer in the overall casting process. This study presents an analysis of the available software functionalities through a significant case study. The different models generated during a study are identified and their organization will then lead to an integrated methodology for overall casting design processes. A new approach improving casting design process is presented. The current state of casting design process shows that, with the increased use of computer-aided design tools, the amount of models generated becomes very important and often heterogeneous and inconsistent. Numerical links between models are sometimes incomplete or even missing, thus breaking the overall numerical process flow. Even so, designers need tools to efficiently access or modify the models generated. For these reasons, the existing design process has to be improved. The critical phase of feeders design is studied and a new approach based on the use of rapid simulation techniques of the casting process is evaluated. The final objective is to create an integrated CAD/CAM environment where the designer could handle all the useful tools for casting design process including conventional CAD/CAM tools.
Indigenous Entrepreneurship. Current issues and future lines

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the research field of Indigenous Entrepreneurship (IE), by analysing previous literature and proposing relevant future research lines. IE has been considered in the literature as key for the development of indigenous communities and a promising emergent area of research, and it is time to make efforts to integrate existing knowledge and approaches in order to advance the field. By analysing 264 papers related to IE published up to December 2020, we found some relevant results. In conclusion, we mention the heterogeneity and fragmentation of the field, the specificity of sociocultural issues and context, the concentration of studies in some geographical areas, the relevance of the individual level of study, and the combination of economic and social objectives. In addition, future integration efforts that contribute to a better generalizability of the empirical results and to theory building are proposed.
Partitioning variance in reproductive success, within years and across lifetimes

Variance in reproductive success (, with k=number of offspring) plays a large role in determining the rate of genetic drift and the scope within which selection acts. Various frameworks have been proposed to parse factors that contribute to , but none has focused on age-specific values of , which indicate the degree to which reproductive skew is overdispersed (compared to the random Poisson expectation) among individuals of the same age and sex. Here, an ANOVA sums-of-squares framework is used to partition variance in annual and lifetime reproductive success into between-group and within-group components. For annual reproduction, the between-age effect depends on age-specific fecundity (bx), but relatively few empirical data are available on the within-age effect, which depends on ϕx. By defining groups by age-at-death rather than age, the same ANOVA framework can be used to partition variance in lifetime reproductive success into between-group, within-group, and longevity components. Analyses of simulated data and worked examples for black bears and great tits illustrate the methods and show that the largely-neglected within-age effect a) typically represents a substantial component of the overall variance (even under a null model of random reproductive success), and b) can dominate the overall variance when ϕx>1.
Virus-related Knowledge in Covid-19 Times - Results from two Cross-sectional Studies in Austria and Implications for School

Viruses have become a prominent issue in public health, politics and economics due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet they have still met little attention in educational research, although misconceptions concerning viruses may contribute to antibiotics misuse, disbelief in existence of viruses and distrust in vaccination. We investigated knowledge and attitudes in Austria concerning Covid-19, viruses in general and vaccination. We conducted two cross-sectional online surveys. Study A was performed Austrian-wide (N = 1027), study B specifically targeted Austrian students from middle and high schools (N = 1728). Several participants did not believe in the existence of SARS-CoV-2. General vaccination damage was highly overrated. Many defined viruses as unicellular organisms or bacteria, and 6-10 % believed that they can be killed by antibiotics. Very many participants were unable to identify, whether a specific disease was caused by a virus or another pathogen. Knowledge was significantly correlated with level of education/grade and interest in virology. Additionally, willingness to become vaccinated was significantly correlated with knowledge. Many participants felt insufficiently informed about viruses at school. We strongly recommend that virus-related school education must highly improve to enable the population to correctly assess health-related information, counter fake news and come to scientifically informed decisions.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Associated Factors in Healthcare Workers before the Era of Vaccination at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Turkey

Healthcare workers (HCWs), as frontliners, are assumed to be among the highest risk groups for COVID-19 infection, especially HCWs directly involved in patient care. However, the data on the COVID-19 infection and seroprevalence rates are limited in HCWs. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence rates in HCWs according to risk groups for COVID-19 contraction in a large cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital in Turkey. We enrolled 1974 HCWs before the vaccination programs. In two separate semi-quantitative ELISAs, either IgA or IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit 1 (S1) were measured. The proportion of positive test results for IgG, IgA, or both against SARS-CoV-2 of study subjects was 19% (375/1974). Frontline HCWs who had contact with patients (21.7%, RR 2.1 [1.51–2.92]) and HCWs in working in the COVID-19 units, intensive care units, or emergency department (19.7%, RR 1.61 [1.12–2.32]) had a notably higher Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG compared to the rest of HCWs who has no daily patient contacts ([11.1%]; p < 0.0001). HCWs who care for regular patients in the medium-risk group have also experienced a sustained higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We should enhance the precaution against COVID-19 to protect HCW’s safety through challenging times.
Youth and Community Engagement in the Organized Health and Physical Activities in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

This study aimed to examine the role of the community in the development of the youth, as well as the participation of the community to address the needs of the youth pertaining to health-related and physical activities both in and out of school. This study was driven: (1) examine the role of the community to the physical and health-related activities of the youth, (2) determine the level of the engagement of the youth and the community pertaining to health-related and physical activities, and (3) introduce a new framework to strengthen the programs proposed to widen the scope of awareness of physical and health-related activities. This study used a descriptive research design with a survey questionnaire in collecting data from thirty youth ages 12-24 years. Findings show that the level of physical activities of the youth is high. They engaged in an average level considering their health-related practices. There is a high engagement of the community to the youth’s physical activities in terms of their motivation, participation, and attitude. We concluded that the youth is actively engaging in any physical activities because of the support of their community in terms of their motivation, participation, and to their attitude. However, the youth are uncertain in terms of their health-related activities, ensuring they do not have a hereditary disease, got confined to a hospital, and even use illegal drugs.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Predicting the Grade of Glioma Keeping Histopathology as the Gold Standard

Background Gliomas are the most prevalent intrinsic tumors of the central nervous system and are categorized from grade I to grade IV. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides exact diagnosis, prognosis, and assessment of tumor response to current chemotherapy/immunotherapy and radiation therapy. With histopathology serving as the gold standard, we aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in predicting glioma grade. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiology, KRL Hospital, Islamabad, from December 15, 2019, to September 30, 2021. After providing written consent, 80 patients with untreated gliomas were included in this study. The voxel of interest was identified using MRI brain conventional contrast-enhanced sequences to assess the grade of the gliomas and link it to the histology report. Following this identification, tissue metabolites were calculated using MRS. Results The patients’ age ranged from 13 to 80 years, with a mean age of 49.5 years. Male patients comprised 57.5% of the total study population, while female patients comprised 42.5%. Overall, 23.75% of patients had low-grade tumors, while 76.25% had high-grade tumors. Low-grade tumors had a choline (Cho)/creatine (Cr) metabolite ratio of 1.7421, whereas high-grade tumors had an average Cho/Cr metabolite ratio of 2.5575. N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Cr ratio was 1.6368 in low grade and 0.6734 in high-grade tumors. Sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 84.2% were noted, with 78.75% diagnostic accuracy for the Cho/Cr ratio. Conclusions Multivoxel MRS has been shown to reliably predict the grade of gliomas despite its non-invasive nature and lack of procedural challenges. When used together Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr ratios and histopathology can accurately determine tumor grade and can be used as a supplementary non-invasive technique.
A Prospective Self-Controlled Study of Indocyanine Green, Radioisotope, and Methylene Blue for Combined Imaging of Axillary Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer

Purpose This self-controlled study aimed to clarify whether indocyanine green (ICG) could be an alternative tracer in the absence of radioisotope (RI) for combined imaging of axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) in breast cancer. Methods Primary breast cancer, clinically axillary node-negative patients (n = 182) were prospectively enrolled from March 2015 to November 2020. ICG, methylene blue (MB), and RI were used to perform axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The main observation index was the positivity of ICG + MB vs. RI + MB in axillary SLNB; the secondary observation indicators were the axillary SLN detection rate, mean number of axillary SLNs detected, mean number of metastatic axillary SLNs detected, and safety. Results All 182 patients had axillary SLNs; a total of 925 axillary SLNs were detected. Pathological examination confirmed metastatic axillary SLN in 42 patients (total of 79 metastatic SLNs). Positivity, detection rate of SLNs, detection rate of metastatic SLNs, and the number of metastatic SLNs detected were comparable with RI+MB and ICG+MB (p > 0.05). The mean number of axillary SLNs detected was significantly higher with ICG+MB than with RI+MB (4.99 ± 2.42 vs. 4.02 ± 2.33, p < 0.001). No tracer-related adverse events occurred. Conclusions ICG appears to be a safe and effective axillary SLN tracer, and a feasible alternative to RI in combined imaging for axillary SLN of breast cancer.
Oxidative Stress Evaluation in Dogs Affected with Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

The study aimed to evaluate the concentration of reactive oxidative metabolites (R-OOHs), the antioxidant barrier (OXY), and the ratio between R-OOHs and OXY (OSi) and thiol groups of plasma compounds (SHp) in in canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. Thirty dogs affected with monocytic ehrlichiosis (canine monocytic ehrlichiosis group—CME group) and ten healthy dogs (control group—CTR group) were evaluated. CME was diagnosed by the presence of clinical signs and the detection of anti-Ehlichia canis antibodies. Oxidative stress parameters of two groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney test. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Spearman rank correlation was performed to analyze oxidative stress, and hematological and biochemical variables in the CME group. All dogs affected with CME showed a wide spectrum of clinical signs such as lethargy, anorexia, fever, weight loss, lymph adenomegaly, splenomegaly, subcutaneous and mucosal petechial and ecchymosis, and vomiting. Anaemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia and an increase of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine are also detected. Results showed significantly lower values of SHp in the CME group than in CTR. A statistically significant difference in the number of white blood cells, platelets, and blood urea nitrogen concentration was assayed comparing to the two groups. A negative correlation between SHp and hemoglobin concentration was recorded. These preliminary results may suggest a possible function of oxidative stress in the onset of clinical signs during the course of CME.