Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and residues of certain newer insecticides on okra.

Efficacy of acephate, trlazophos, cypermethrln, alphamethrln, and blfenthrln was evaluated against Okra pests viz., aphids, Aphidsgossypii G. , jasslds, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), and fruit borer Earias viJtella F. Acephate (0.1 and 0.15%) and trlazophos (0.1%) were effective against aphids and leafhoppers while the synthetic pyrethrolds; alphamethrln (0.006%), blfenthrln (0.005%), and cypermetbrln (0.006%) were effective against the fruit borer. The residues of acepbate, trlazopbos, and cypermetbrln In/on Okra fruits were reduced below detectable levels by 20,15, and 10 days after spraying, respectively.
Mannose Binding Lectin Levels Was Not Associated with Resistance to Tuberculosis Infection in the Population of Uyo Metropolis in Nigeria

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL2) is an important pattern recognition molecule that identifies and binds to specific sugar molecules on the surface of pathogens thereby activating its destruction by the immune system. Samples for study were recruited from Uyo metropolis of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. In this study, levels of MBL2 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in tuberculosis patients and healthy individuals to determine if the immune protein protects against tuberculosis infection. MBL2 levels in tuberculosis patients and healthy controls were 14.0ng/ml ± 13.9 and 19.9ng/ml ± 18.5 respectively. The results from the study showed that there was no association in MBL2 levels between tuberculosis and controls (p=0.107) as well as between the different sub-groups. Therefore, MBL2 is not a contributory factor in resistance against tuberculosis in the population under study.
A feasibility study on mechanical connections of very high strength (VHS) circular steel tubes

The Very High Strength (VHS) circular steel tube is a quenched and tempered high alloy steel that was invented in Australia in the 1990s. It has a yield strength of 1350MPa that is three times higher than the strength of common structural steels being used in the building industry. While it was found that VHS tube meets the strength and ductility requirements specified in current Australian steel design standards, VHS tubes are not extensively used as structural members due to the strength loss in the heat affected zone after welding. In this study, VHS tubes were connected by using an innovative mechanical joint method. No welding was involved in the connection. Tensile test results revealed that full strength of the VHS tubes was achieved by using this connection method.
Ameliorating Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against Hematotoxicity Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Male Albino Rats

Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a drug with a wide spectrum of clinical uses. Zinc oxide is the most widely used nanoparticles. Nanoparticles could induce oxidative stress that eventually leads to cell toxicity, inflammation and hemolysis. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the hematological changes induced by Zn-O nano-particles and/or Cyclophosphamide in male rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty four adult male rats (Sprague Dawley) were grouped randomly into four groups of six rats each. Group I. Control group: Received 0.2 ml saline /day i.p. injection for 14 days (day by day), group II (CP group): Received CP 20 mg/kg/day body weight (b.w.) day by day for 14 days by intraperitoneal injection, Group III (nZnO group): Received nZnO (5 mg/kg)/day b.w. , intraperitoneally for 14 days. Group IV (CP + ZnO NPs group): Received nZnO group: Received nZnO (5 mg/kg/day) b.w. , intraperitoneally for 14 days, plus CP 20mg/kg/day body weight (b.w.) day by day for 14 days by intraperitoneal injection. At the end of the experimental period, rats were anesthetized using light ether. Blood samples were taken for hematological evaluation. Results: Red blood cells count, hemoglobin concentration, and white blood cells count were significantly decline in rats treated with CP in comparison to control group, while combination of nZnO with CP reduced changes in red bood cells and hemoglobin values. Neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes count were significantly decreased in CP-immunosuppressed group when compared with the control group. In CP-immunosuppressed animals treated with nZnO, these parameters were improved when compared with CP treated groups. Conclusion: It can be concluded that CP induced changes in the hematological parameters. Treatment of rats with zinc oxide nano-particles and CP together ameliorated the toxicity induced by CP. These results may provide further visions into proper treatment of patients by improving side effects of chemotheraby. However further studies are necessary to establish optimal doses of nZnO and receive the best safety profile.
Journalistikens anatomi : analyser av genrer och textmönster i fem strejkbevakningar i svensk dagspress 1879–1996.

This dissertation deals with journalistic texts in the Swedish daily press. The strike event has been chosen to make comparisons of the same event over time possible. The press coverage of five major Swedish strikes is investigated: the strike of the sawmill workers in the Sundsvall area in 1879, the general strike in 1909, the strike of the metal workers in 1945, the strike of the miners in 1969-70 and the strike of the nurses in 1995-96. The overarching purpose is to show connections between changes in society, in journalism and in the structure of newspaper texts. This is realised through two more concrete purposes. The first is to map how the text universe of the newspapers was constructed and read. The method for this is to reconstruct the genre system of the editorial material of the investigated papers and analyse the functions of the genres. The other purpose consists of discerning, describing and interpreting text patterns in the news genre. The text patterns are structured by dominance for or alternation between voices: the own press voice, another news paper's press voice and the voices of the strike actors. I call the journalism of 1879 quoting journalism as the papers, owing to personal and technical limitations, simply obtained texts by cuttings from each other or by printing other texts without editing. In 1909, the strike events are selected and the texts are constructed based on the respective political perspective of the newspapers, which justifies the label party-politicising journalism. In 1945, the journalistic ideal is to reflect the events. However, the political perspectives of the papers can be seen in how the events are selected and how the strike actors are presented. I call the period party-politically reporting journalism. The coverage of 1969-70 is characterised by dialogues between the paper and the strike actors, sometimes also between the actors themselves, which motivates the label dialoguing journalism. The main pattern for constructing news is alternation between the own press voice and the voices of the strike actors. In 1995-96, the journalistic texts are still constructed with dialogues between the paper and the strike actors, yet also developed into texts where the event with the participating actors is depicted as a drama on a scene, which leads to the label dramatising journalism.
Streetlights and Shadows: Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making

In making decisions, when should we go with our gut and when should we try to analyze every option? When should we use our intuition and when should we rely on logic and statistics? Most of us would probably agree that for important decisions, we should follow certain guidelines—gather as much information as possible, compare the options, pin down the goals before getting started. But in practice we make some of our best decisions by adapting to circumstances rather than blindly following procedures. In Streetlights and Shadows, Gary Klein debunks the conventional wisdom about how to make decisions. He takes ten commonly accepted claims about decision making and shows that they are better suited for the laboratory than for life. The standard advice works well when everything is clear, but the tough decisions involve shadowy conditions of complexity and ambiguity. Gathering masses of information, for example, works if the information is accurate and complete—but that doesn't often happen in the real world. (Think about the careful risk calculations that led to the downfall of the Wall Street investment houses.) Klein offers more realistic ideas about how to make decisions in real-life settings. He provides many examples—ranging from airline pilots and weather forecasters to sports announcers and Captain Jack Aubrey in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander novels—to make his point. All these decision makers saw things that others didn't. They used their expertise to pick up cues and to discern patterns and trends. We can make better decisions, Klein tells us, if we are prepared for complexity and ambiguity and if we will stop expecting the data to tell us everything. A Bradford Book
Optical observation of streamer propagation and breakdown in seed based insulating oil under impulse voltages

Increasing demand of electricity and high consumption of natural fuel resources has raised countless challenges for the electricity industry. For years, transformers were equipped with mineral oil for better and lasting performance but the recent uncertainty about the future of oil availability is motivating the researchers to find out the “Green Insulating Oils” for transformers. Thus, green insulating oils are being probed with great interest at research centers worldwide. In this paper, Canola oil was studied for applications in transformers as a sustainable solution. The paper also compared the proposed oil with mineral oil by studying the initiation and propagation of streamers in the oils when subjected to standard lightning impulse voltages. It also presents experimental results of a comparative study of initiation and propagation of streamers in canola seed based oil and mineral insulating oil when subjected under standard lightning impulse voltages. Moreover, streamer patterns, modes of propagation and their stopping lengths were investigated under both polarities of voltage in point-plane electrode gap. The paper concludes with six different findings, which states that canola oil is a better and sustainable choice of oil for transformer use. Key words: Breakdown, impulse voltage, oil, seed based insulating oil, streamer propagation.
Resilience as a mediator of interpersonal relations and depression amongst 10th to 12th grade students

Background: This study aims to explore the prevalence of depression and examine if resilience is a mediator between interpersonal relationships and depression in senior high school students. Methods: Of 463 randomly selected participants from 3,900 high school students in a high school, 450 (97.19%) consented and completed the structured questionnaire which consisted of 4 parts: Demographics, Inventory of Adolescent Resilience, Taiwan Relationship Inventory for Children and Adolescents, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children. Results: A total of 94 (20.89%) had depression, out of which 54 (24%) were boys and 40 (17.78%) were girls. Results from the path analysis indicated that resilience and interpersonal relationships were negatively associated with students' depression, and interpersonal relations were partially mediated by resilience to depression after controlling for demographics. Conclusion: Findings support that resilience and better interpersonal relations are protective factors for depression in adolescents. Findings also suggest that better interpersonal relationships can boost resilience to alleviate depression amongst adolescents.
Effect of Fibre Length and Sea Water Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Sugar Palm Fibre Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

This study presented the effect of different fibre length and seawater treatment on mechanical properties of the fabricated composites. The composite was reinforced with fixed 30wt. % of fibre loading. Sugar palm was treated using sea water for 30 days and have been cut into three different lengths by 5cm, 10cm and 15cm. The mechanical properties of the untreated and treated fibre with different fibre length composites were characterised includes tensile test and flexural test. Treated sugar palm fibre composites with 15cm fibre length exhibited higher tensile strength at 18.33 MPa. However, it shows the lowest value for the tensile modulus at 4251.96MPa. The flexural strength shows an increasing trend as the fibre length increased up to 15cm and the maximum flexural strength was exhibited by treated sugar palm fibre with 5 cm at 80.80MPa. Effect of Fibre Length and Sea Water Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Sugar Palm Fibre Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites
Operating loads of the shaft steelwork- conveyance system due to random irregularities of the guiding strings

Shaft steelwork- conveyance interactions are present in the literature on the subject available in Poland, these problems have been extensively studied by the research teams from AGH-UST, the Central Mining Institute and the Silesian Polytechnic. Despite novel and original solutions in this field, fresh problems tend to appear which have to be solved promptly. In this context an attempt to determine the force of steelwork-conveyance interaction due to irregularities of the guiding string might prove useful in the strength analysis of the conveyance or the shaft steelwork. This study attempts to determine the steelwork-conveyance interaction force based on the dynamic analysis of the hoist operation, taking into account the irregularities or misalignment of the guiding string and their random occurrence.
Technical-tactical differences among university level taekwondo competitors by gender and weight division

Aim : The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical-tactical behavior of the competitors competing in the 2011 University Taekwondo Championship of Spain. Method: The sample consisted of 30 men and 31 women participating in 45 championship finals and semifinals combats. The variables analyzed were: the score, total number of actions, the type of tactical action, the height, the type of technic and kicking leg. Results/Conclusions: The Mann Whitney U test showed significant differences between men and women in total actions, circular techniques and warnings. The results also showed significant gender differences in circular actions in the flyweight and heavyweight categories, in the linear actions in bantamweight and total score in the lightweight category. Significant differences in total actions, attacking actions, actions to the trunk, performed techniques with right leg and circular techniques were also found in the middleweight division. The technical-tactical behavior of taekwondo competitors was found to differ between gender or gender and weight divisions. Women were found to perform more circular actions to the trunk with the right leg and total actions than men, who received more warnings than women.
An ultra-low power 0.1 /spl mu/m CMOS

Ultra-low power operation of 0.1 /spl mu/m CMOS is demonstrated at power supply voltages well below 1 V. Design trade-offs among gate delay, active power, and standby power are carried out in a power supply-threshold voltage design space. Experimental results show a ring oscillator delay of 106 ps at a power supply voltage of 0.5 V, and a minimum power-delay product of 0.03 fJ/stage (switching factor=0.01) at 0.4 V. A 20X reduction in power/circuit is achieved at the same performance level as 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS. <<ETX>>
Russia: Systemic Transformation or Federal Collapse?

Most scholars have argued that the Russian Federation, having survived the turbulence of 1992-93, has slowly developed a durable and sustainable modus operandi. This article argues for the opposite. It notes that the constituent parts of the federation gradually secured greater constitutional and political legitimacy throughout Yeltsin's second-term presidency, even to the extent of regionalizing some federal military structures. They entered into economic alliances with newly privatized companies, created independent communication and information networks and, to a more limited extent, developed foreign economic policies. Although this drift towards growing regional autonomy was kept more or less in check by the centre's ability to contain the wilder excesses of regional governors, the 1998 `August Meltdown' disrupted the balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces within the federation by dramatically weakening the centre's power. As a consequence, the federal system of governance is disintegrating not by design but by default. Following an analysis of the extent to which federal transformation has occurred during 1998, the article charts the likely future trajectory of this process. It argues that as the centre is largely unable to combat the crisis, Russia will either become a very weak federation dominated by large regional blocs, or a confederation. The article concludes by suggesting that Russia's systemic transformation will affect our perceptions of security within the region and that this has important implications for Western policymakers.
Application of laser doppler vibrocardiography for human heart auscultation

Application of laser Doppler vibrocardiography for human heart auscultation S. Koegelenberg Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa. Thesis: MScEng (Mech) April 2014 This thesis investigates the feasibility of the laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) for use in the autonomous auscultation of the human heart. As a non-contact measurement device, the LDV could become a very versatile biomedical sensor. LDV, stethoscope, piezoelectric accelerometer (PA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were simultaneously recorded from 20 volunteers at Tygerberg Hospital. Of the 20 volunteers, 17 were con rmed to have cardiovascular disease. 3 patients with normal heart sounds were recorded for control data. The recorded data was successfully denoised using soft threshold wavelet denoising and ensemble empirical mode decomposition. The LDV was compared to the PA in common biomedical applications and found to be equally accurate. The heart sound cycles for each participant were segmented using a combination of ECG data and a simplicity curve. Frequency domain features were extracted from each heart cycle and input into a k-nearest neighbours classi er. It was concluded that the LDV can form part of an autonomous, non-contact auscultation system. ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Application of RCW Base Dissipator on a Set of Masonry Buildings

An application of the RCW –Reinforced Cut Wall- on a set of four masonry buildings for council housing estate with a total of 43 lofts is presented. The performances of this low-cost base energy dissipation technique has been evaluated with some experimental on-site tests performed on a couple of specimen (40x60x30 cm) subjected to a series of cyclic quasi-static time histories with increasing intensity. Trials show the high properties of self-centering and of wide hysteretic behavior of the RCW. Numerical analyses confirm the mechanical properties and provide parameters to the evaluation of cyclic dissipation properties.
Parkinson´s related protein DJ-1 is involved in aberrant cell cycle re-entry through Cdk5

DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein involved in Parkinson disease (PD) that can act as antioxidant, molecular chaperone, protease, glyoxalase and transcriptional regulator. However, the exact mechanism by which DJ-1 dysfunction contributes to development of Parkinson´s disease remains elusive. Here, using a comparative proteomic analysis between normal cortical neurons and neurons lacking DJ-1, we show that this protein is involved in cell cycle checkpoints disruption as a consequence of increased amount of p-Tau and a-synuclein proteins, altered signalling pathways, as the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). Cdk5 is normally involved in dendritic growth, axon formation and the establishment of synapses, but can also contribute to cell cycle progression, as in our case, in pathological conditions. In addition, we observed a decrease in proteasomal activity, probably due to Tau phosphorylation that can also lead to activation of mitogenic signalling pathways. Taken together, our findings indicate, for the first time, that aborted cell cycle re-entry could be at the onset of DJ-1 associated PD. Thereby, new approaches targeting cell cycle re-entry can be envisaged to improve current therapeutic strategies.
Hardship in the Heartland: Associations Between Rurality, Income, and Material Hardship

Abstract One in three U.S. households has experienced material hardship. The inadequate provision of basic needs, including food, healthcare, and transportation, is more typical in households with children or persons of color, yet little is known about material hardship in rural spaces. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of material hardships in Iowa and examine the relationship between rurality, income, and material hardship. Using data from the 2016 State Innovation Model Statewide Consumer Survey, we use logistic regression to examine the association between rurality, income, and four forms of material hardship. Rural respondents incurred lower odds than non‐rural respondents for all four hardship models. All four models indicated that lower income respondents incurred greater odds for having material hardship. Material hardship was reported across all groups, with rurality, income, race, and age as strong predictors of material hardship among our sample.
Weak inversion four-quadrant multiplier and two-quadrant divider

A four-quadrant multiplier and a two-quadrant divider are presented. The proposed circuits are implemented by MOSFETs operating in weak inversion and are therefore suitable for low voltage and low power applications. Their performances were confirmed by HSPICE simulation using a 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The multiplier can operate under a /spl plusmn/0.75 V supply voltage and its linear input range is /spl sim/0.125 /spl mu/A with error <2%. The input range of the divider is 0.5-2 /spl mu/A and the error is <3% for divider current <60 nA.
Theoretical basis for the Beale number

Th Beale number is an empirically derived figure relating the power output of a Stirling engine to working gas pressure, operating frequency, and piston displacement. It is widely used to make preliminary estimates of performance of new designs and to compare the performance of existing engines. Two separate areas of investigation are combined to give a theoretical value for the Beale number and a straightforward explanation of its physical significance. 5 refs.
Insurgent Strategies in the Post-Cold War: The Case of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

This article analyzes the adaptation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to the post-Cold War strategic scene. In this process of change the Colombian guerrilla organization has broken away from the traditional behavior patterns of Latin American armed groups in four key ways. First, the FARC has reduced the rigidity of its ideology in order to make its political message more attractive. Second, it has made a great effort to boost its military potential. Third, it has established independent channels of funding and arms supply. Finally, the Colombian rebels have developed a very decentralized organic structure that nevertheless maintains a sufficient degree of cohesion. These innovations have made the FARC a new model of insurgency that has managed to corner the Bogota government and destabilize a significant part of the Andean region.