Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Tyrosol and Hydroxytyrosol Intake Reduces Arterial Inflammation and Atherosclerotic Lesion Microcalcification in Healthy Older Populations

Aging is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and convincing data have shown that chronic low-grade inflammation, which develops with advanced age, contributes significantly to cardiovascular risk. The present study aimed to use 18F-FDG/18F-NaF-PET/CT imaging to, respectively, gauge arterial inflammation and microcalcification in a healthy elderly population and to assess the potential benefits of a tyrosol- and hydroxytyrosol-rich diet on these two markers of atherosclerotic plaque fragility. Eleven healthy participants (mean age 75 ± 5.67 years) were supplemented for 6 months with high polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil (HP-EVOO), extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or refined olive oil (ROO). The participants underwent PET/CT imaging with 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF radiotracers at baseline and after 6 months. 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF uptakes were quantified using standardized uptake values (SUV) and were categorized based on artery calcification and olive oil type. A total of 324 slices of the aortas of the imaged participants were analyzed for arterial inflammation and 327 slices were analyzed for microcalcification. 18F-FDG uptake was significantly higher in the non-calcified segments than in the calcified segments (SUVmax = 2.70 ± 0.62 and SUVmax = 2.54 ± 0.44, respectively, p < 0.042). Conversely, the non-calcified segments displayed significantly lower 18F-NaF uptake than the calcified segments (SUVmax = 1.90 ± 0.37 and 2.09 ± 0.24, respectively, p < 0.0001). The 6-month supplementation with HP-EVOO induced a significant reduction in 18F-FDG uptake in both the non-calcified (2.93 ± 0.23 to 2.75 ± 0.38, p < 0.004) and calcified segments of the aortas (2.25 ± 0.29 to 2.15 ± 0.19, p < 0.02). 18F-NaF uptake was also significantly lower in patients supplemented with HP-EVOO (SUVmax = 1.98 ± 0.33 at baseline compared to 1.85 ± 0.28, after the 6-month supplementation, p < 0.004), whereas no significant effect was observed with EVOO. Conversely, participants supplemented with ROO displayed a significant increase in 18F-NaF uptake (SUVmax = 1.78 ± 0.34 to 1.95 ± 0.34, p < 0.0001). The present study confirmed that a phenolic-compound-rich diet reduces both arterial inflammation and atherosclerotic lesion microcalcification and demonstrated that 18F-FDG/18F-NaF-PET/CT imaging is a valuable approach for assessing age-related arterial damage.
Access to veterinary care: evaluating working definitions, barriers, and implications for animal welfare

Humans have a moral obligation to meet the physical and mental needs of the animals in their care. This requires access to resources such as veterinary care, which is integral to achieving animal welfare. However, “access” to veterinary care is not always homogenous across communities and currently lacks a consistent definition. The objectives of this scoping review were to (1) understand how “access” to veterinary care has been defined in the literature, (2) map a broad list of potential barriers that may influence access to veterinary care, and (3) identify how access to care impacts the welfare of companion and livestock animals. The literature search yielded a total of 1,044 publications, 77 of which were relevant to our inclusion criteria, and were published between 2002 and 2022. Studies were most frequently conducted in the United States (n = 17) and Canada (n = 11). Publications defining access to veterinary care (n = 10) or discussing its impacts on animal welfare (n = 13) were minimal. However, barriers to accessing veterinary care were thoroughly discussed in the literature (n = 69) and were categorized into ten themes according to common challenges and keywords, with financial limitations (n = 57), geographic location (n = 35), and limited personnel/equipment (n = 32) being the most frequently reported. The results of this scoping review informed our proposed definition of access to veterinary care. Additionally, our findings identified a need to further investigate several understudied barriers relating to access to care (i.e., veterinarian-client relationship, client identity) and to better understand how they potentially affect animal welfare outcomes.
Combining cisplatin and a STING agonist into one molecule for metalloimmunotherapy of cancer

ABSTRACT Mounting evidence suggests that strategies combining DNA-damaging agents and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists are promising cancer therapeutic regimens because they can amplify STING activation and remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. However, a single molecular entity comprising both agents has not yet been developed. Herein, we designed two PtIV-MSA-2 conjugates (I and II) containing the DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin and the innate immune-activating STING agonist MSA-2; these conjugates showed great potential as multispecific small-molecule drugs against pancreatic cancer. Mechanistic studies revealed that conjugate I upregulated the expression of transcripts associated with innate immunity and metabolism in cancer cells, significantly differing from cisplatin and MSA-2. An analysis of the tumor microenvironment demonstrated that conjugate I could enhance the infiltration of natural killer (NK) cells into tumors and promote the activation of T cells, NK cells and dendritic cells in tumor tissues. These findings indicated that conjugate I, which was created by incorporating a Pt chemotherapeutic drug and STING agonist into one molecule, is a promising and potent anticancer drug candidate, opening new avenues for small-molecule-based cancer metalloimmunotherapy.
Family Functioning, Maternal Depression, and Adolescent Cognitive Flexibility and Its Associations with Adolescent Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study explores family functioning and its associations with adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD), comparing its dynamics with healthy counterparts. Family functioning (cohesion, flexibility, communication, and satisfaction), maternal depressive symptoms, postpartum depression history, parental divorce, parental alcohol abuse, and the adolescents’ cognitive flexibility, are examined. The research incorporates the perspectives of both adolescents and mothers. Methods: The sample includes 63 mother-teenager dyads in the clinical group and 43 in the control group. Instruments encompass the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI-2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), The Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test, and structured interviews. Results: Families of adolescents with MDD exhibit lower flexibility, cohesion, communication, and overall satisfaction. Depressed adolescents display reduced cognitive flexibility. Discrepancies were observed between adolescents’ and mothers’ perspectives as associated with adolescents’ MDD. Teenagers emphasized the severity of maternal depressive symptoms, while mothers highlighted the importance of family cohesion and flexibility. Conclusions: This study emphasizes a holistic strategy in addressing adolescent depression, including family-based assessment and therapy. Screening for maternal depressive symptoms is identified as valuable. Cognitive flexibility also needs to be addressed during therapy for depression in adolescence.
Generation Z Media Literacy Awareness of the Rainbow Symbol on Tik-tok as an LGBT Campaign

Tik-tok is a social media that has been present in Indonesia since 2018 and was blocked by the Ministry of Communication and Information for one week because it gave negative broadcasts. However, Tik-tok has now spread as a medium for campaigning for various aspects, one of which is the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) is a term for people who have deviations in their sexual orientation and are synonymous with the rainbow flag and rainbow symbol. LGBT with rainbow symbol on Tik-tok. The formulation of the problem discussed was regarding how to use the rainbow symbol on Tik-tok as an LGBT campaign and how media literacy awareness of Generation Z on LGBT campaigns in using the rainbow symbol on Tik-tok (Studies on Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Students of UIN KH. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan. The type of research used is qualitative, with data collection techniques of observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used by researchers is using the method from Miles and Huberman, which includes the process of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of research on rainbow symbols in some content on Tik-tok are a campaign for LGBT actors in the world, including Indonesia. Although there are two possible uses of the rainbow symbol as something related to aesthetic elements. The results of the analysis of Z generation's media literacy awareness of LGBT campaigns in using the rainbow symbol on Tik-tok (Study on Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Students of UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan) are still not met, namely there are four New Media Literacy frameworks, namely the consumption function includes consuming skills and understanding, critical consumption includes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, participation functions include prosuming skills and distribution, as well as critical participation.
AIREML estimation of genetic parameters and study of factors affecting growth and fertility performance of sire line of IBL-80 broiler chicken

The present investigation included the data of 29,879 birds pertaining to 8 generations, from 2010 to 2018 on growth line (PB1) of IBL-80 broiler. The mean estimates of growth and fertility traits were BWT0 (39.97±0.05 gms), BWT5 (1189.17±1.45 gms), BWT10 (1723.59±6.26 gms), BWT15 (2165.71±7.90 gms), BWT20 (2611.23±4.10 gms), ADG5 (32.36±0.07 gms/day), ADG10 (13.09±0.14 gms/day), ADG15 (12.38±0.13 gms/day), ADG20 (12.65±0.13 gms/day), AFE (171.80±0.21 days) and ENO40 (62.47±0.25) which indicated higher growth performance of PB1 affected its fertility performance. ADG5 had highest estimate indicating higher growth during chick stage. Least squares analysis indicated that effect of gender, month of hatch and generation were significant (p less than 0.01) for all growth and fertility traits. AIREML heritability estimates indicated appreciable additive variance in BWT0 (0.50), BWT5 (0.54) and ADG5 (0.20). Other growth and fertility traits had lower heritability which was due to stage wise selection in breeder flock. Phenotypic and genetic correlation estimate indicated negative association between growth and fertility traits.
Global Permian brachiopod biostratigraphy: an overview

Abstract Establishing a Permian brachiopod biochronological scheme for global correlation is difficult because of strong provincialism during the Permian. In this paper, a brief overview of brachiopod successions in five major palaeobiogeographical realms/zones is provided. For Gondwanaland and peri-Gondwanan regions including Cimmerian blocks, Bandoproductus and Punctocyrtella (or Cyrtella) are characteristic of the lower Cisuralian, as is Cimmeriella for the middle Cisuralian. As the Cimmerian blocks continued drifting north during the late Kungurian, accompanied by climate amelioration, contemporaneous brachiopods inhabiting these blocks showed a distinct shift from cold-water to mixed or warm-water affinities. However, coeval brachiopods in the Northern Transitional Zone (NTZ) are characterized by warm-water faunas and are associated with fusulinids in the lower Cisuralian. The Guadalupian brachiopods of the NTZ were clearly mixed between the Boreal and palaeoequatorial affinities. The end-Guadalupian is marked by the disappearance of a few characteristic genera, such as Vediproductus, Neoplicatifera and Urushtenoidea, in the Palaeotethyan region. The onset of the end-Permian mass extinction in the latest Changhsingian is clearly exhibited by the occurrence of the dwarfed and thin-shelled brachiopods commonly containing Paracrurithyris.
3. DATA REPORT: MIOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE SEDIMENTATION PATTERN ON THE CHATHAM RISE, NEW ZEALAND

Site 1123 is located on the northeastern flank of the Chatham Rise. Sedimentological and clay mineralogical analyses indicate a very fine grained carbonate-rich sediment. Smectite and illite are the main constituents of the clay mineral assemblage. High smectite values in the Eocene decrease in younger sediment sequences. Illite and chlorite concentrations increase in younger sediments with significant steps at 13.5, 9, and 6.4 Ma. The kaolinite content is near the detection limit and not significant. We observed only small fluctuations of the clay mineral composition, which indicates a uniform sedimentation process, probably driven by long-term processes. Good correspondence is shown between increasing illite and chlorite values and the tectonic uplift history of the Southern Alps.
Exploring the Influence of Demographic Factors on Perceptions of Festival Tourism in Ilara-Mokin, Nigeria: A Social Exchange Analysis

This research article explores the influence of demographic factors, including age, gender, income, and education, on residents’ attitudes and perceptions towards festival tourism. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilizing purposive sampling, and 400 questionnaires were distributed to festival participants aged 18 and above. Data collection involved a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions in the questionnaires, with subsequent analysis employing descriptive and inferential statistics. An analysis by gender highlighted disparities between male and female respondents in how they perceived economic impacts, indicating gender-based variations in expectations and perceptions. The female respondents exhibited positive views regarding the economic advantages of festival tourism. In addition, employment type emerged as a significant predictor of perceived social effects, indicating diverse viewpoints among different occupational groups. For festival organizers and tourism operators, the findings underscored the importance of considering the diverse needs and preferences of various demographic groups when designing festival tourism products and services. This approach ensures the maximization of economic benefits while simultaneously balancing social and cultural values. The application of social exchange theory offered valuable insights into the exchange of rewards and costs within festival tourism interactions, influencing perceptions, and behavior.
Land degradation in the Highlands of Tigray and strategies for sustainable land management

LPAP working papers contain results of research of ILRI scientists, consultants and collaborators awaiting formal publication. The papers are circulated with minimal review and editing to share information and solicit comments for refinement of results and interpretation for formal publication. The author(s) alone is (are) responsible for the contents. However, ILRI retains copyrights and all other rights.
Managing Product Features and Customer Satisfaction via Product Development, Product Branding, and Product Packaging: Evidence from CWAY Table Water

Customer satisfaction has become a source of worry to most organizations, including the table water business. The table water industry is one of the most competitive markets in Nigeria today and due to its portability and affordability, it is seen as a lucrative trade to venture into. However, this has also led to the proliferation of mushroom table water companies and has made it difficult for some companies to maintain their customer base. Therefore, this study examines the effect of product features on customer satisfaction of veritas table water. The population of this study comprised of 3037 customers of CWAY Table Water Abuja, Nigeria. The sample size of 353 was derived through Taro Yamane’s sample size formula. Data for this study was collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for data analysis. The findings from the study revealed that product development and features have positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction of CWAY Table Water. It was generally concluded that product features have significant effect on the customer satisfaction of CWAY Table Water. This study recommends there should be very strong emphasis on the development of new and innovative products, the management of CWAY Table Water to embrace all the indicators of product branding to be able optimally maximize its benefits and embrace innovative ideas, monitoring and responding to the changes in the needs of the customers.
Understanding and Awareness of Dementia in the Pakistani-Origin Community of Stoke-on-Trent, UK: A Scenario-Based Interview Study

The aim of this project was to explore the understanding and awareness of dementia in the Pakistani-origin community in a deprived urban region of the UK. The study was unique in accessing and interviewing Pothwari speakers, some of whom could not read or understand spoken English. Data generated from an earlier study were used to construct five scenarios, which were used as the basis for face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 11 male and female participants from the Pakistani-origin community spanning two generations. Braun and Clarke’s six phases of thematic analysis were used to analyse the data to answer the research questions. Themes constructed from these interviews indicated a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia, a range of attitudes and assumptions, reluctance to seek external support, and a significant role for the cultural background in shaping the individuals’ responses. The study found that poor understanding, cultural differences, and language issues presented barriers to accessing services in the British Pakistani community, particularly among those who had been born in Pakistan and/or spoke Pothwari in preference to English. Services and information may need to be offered by Pothwari speakers in order to reach this neglected sector of the population.
Effects of Tannic Acid Supplementation of a High-Carbohydrate Diet on the Growth, Serum Biochemical Parameters, Antioxidant Capacity, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Liver and Intestinal Health of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides

We investigated the effects of dietary tannic acid (TA) supplementation of a high-carbohydrate diet on growth, feed utilization, whole-body proximate composition, serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant capacity, digestive enzyme activity, and liver and intestinal health of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (initial mean weight: 8.08 ± 0.08 g). Five diets were prepared, including a positive control (dietary carbohydrate level, 16%, LC0), a negative control (dietary carbohydrate level, 21%, HC0), and three TA-supplementation diets based on the negative control diet with TA addition at 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, the results showed that compared with the LC0 diet, 400–800 mg/kg dietary TA significantly improved the survival rate of largemouth bass (P < 0.05) while significantly reducing its weight-gain rate and specific growth rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the HC0 diet, 400 mg/kg dietary TA significantly increased serum catalase activity (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased serum malondialdehyde, liver glycogen, lightness (L ∗), and yellowness (b ∗) (P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the HC0 diet, 200–400 mg/kg dietary TA effectively improved the vacuolation of hepatocytes caused by the high-carbohydrate diet and reduced the occurrence of intestinal epithelial cell vacuolation and necrosis. In turn, 800 mg/kg dietary TA significantly inhibited protease activity in the pyloric caecum and intestine (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with TA inhibited protease activity, which resulted in decreased growth performance in largemouth bass. However, it was also found that 200–400 mg/kg TA enhanced the antioxidant capacity of largemouth bass in the case of the high-carbohydrate diet, reduced liver glycogen levels, and improved liver and intestinal health. Finally, it should be noted that, when the dietary TA level exceeded 800 mg/kg, TA appeared to play a pro-oxidation role in the liver, which may cause oxidative stress in the liver.
Hukou Intermarriage in China: Patterns and Trends

Abstract: Most studies on intermarriage between groups rely on the prevalence of intermarriage to assess social boundaries. Yet the characteristics underlying the intermarriage pairings are seldom examined. In this study, I analyze intermarriage across hukou, China’s household registration status of designating people as “rural” or “urban” categories based on parents’ place of origin. Using Chinese General Social Surveys, I show that the intermarriage pairings do not follow the patterns of endogamous marriage across three marriage cohorts. Rather, intermarriages build on group inequalities based on hukou in which urban hukou holders are able to marry more educated rural spouses because of their urban status advantage even after controlling for the general likelihood of intermarriage, educational homogamy, and marginal differences in education between rural and urban hukou holders. However, such a status exchange relationship has weakened in the recent marriage cohort, implying a gradual blurring of hukou boundaries.
User Requirements in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Adoption: A Case of Botswana’s Higher Institutions

ERP systems are the largest software applications adopted by universities, along with quite significant investments in their implementation. However, unlike other applications, limited research has been conducted regarding the application of this system in higher education in Botswana. This study aims to identify user requirements in the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in Botswana’s higher education institutions. This study was conducted in three higher education institutions in Botswana. This study adopted the quantitative methodology of using surveys to understand ERP adoption in higher education and proposed a model that could be used to guide business information systems requirements to appropriate ERP systems in a higher educational environment. Based on the findings, the study proposed a conceptual model of ERP system adoption in higher education institutions using six success dimensions. The six success dimensions are user requirements, user satisfaction, information quality, service quality, institutional impact, system quality, and faculty/management impact. Only information quality was rejected from the model. The six success dimensions are the basis through which a higher education institution can understand user requirements in implementing an effective ERP.