Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Note on Selection of Time-Histories for Seismic Analysis of Bridges in Eurocode 8

Eurocode 8 (EC8) allows the use of real earthquake records as an input for time-history analysis of structures. In its Part 2, the code discusses the preparation of seismic input for bridges; although referring to the same target spectral shapes of Part 1, which applies to buildings. The prescriptions are somewhat differently specified in the two drafts. However, the main requirement the chosen record set should satisfy in both cases, is the compatibility of the horizontal average spectrum with the target in a broad range of periods. The set has to be made of at least three recordings, but seven is the minimum set size to consider the mean structural response as the design value. The code, at least for bridges, seems to indicate real records as the principal source of ground-motions the practitioners should rely on; however the selection of real records is not straightforward. In another study, the authors discussed the record selection prescriptions of EC8 Part 1 with respect to the current best practice, and the actual possibility of finding real record sets compliant with EC8 spectra was investigated. This paper represents an extension of the same study to EC8 Part 2 and bridges. To this aim the European Strong-Motion Database is searched to identify real record sets matching the design spectral shapes for several hazard levels and site conditions in a broad range of periods up to 4s. It resulted that combinations well approximating the target may be found for some soil classes, at least for low-to-moderate seismicity sites and if the condition of matching specific source parameters is released and large record-to-record variability is accepted. Finally the record sets presented have been used to compare spectral compatibility prescriptions of EC8 Part 1 and Part 2, which have been found to be equivalent to some extent.
Whitening effect of brushing with activated charcoal-based products on enamel: integrative review

Objective: The purpose in this study was to analyze in the literature whether toothbrushing with charcoal-based products promotes a whitening effect. Methodology: An integrative literature review was carried out in the PubMed/MEDLINE database, which had as its guiding question: Does brushing with activated charcoal-based products have a whitening effect on the tooth? The search strategy was performed through the use of terms (charcoal AND “dentifrice OR toothpaste OR toothbrushing” AND “bleaching OR whitening” AND tooth), and only articles published in English in any period were included. Result: From a total of 34 scientific articles identified, 6 articles were included in the study, between the years 2019 and 2021. According to the evidence, three articles did not observe an advantage in performing brushing with activated charcoal-based products and another three observed a slight whitening effect, generally inferior when compared to other whitening agents. In addition, most articles recommend attention to the use of these products for oral hygiene containing charcoal, since many of these studies observed an increase on the roughness of tooth enamel, which is directly related to the inherent abrasiveness of each product and which depends on the source and the methods used to prepare and mill charcoal. Conclusion: From the studies analyzed so far, it is observed that brushing products based on activated charcoal have few effectiveness of tooth whitening, often lower when compared to other abrasive agents present in whitening dentifrices.
Modern pollen – vegetation – plant diversity relationships across large environmental gradients in northern Greece

Past vegetation and biodiversity dynamics, reconstructed using palaeoecological methods, can contribute to assessing the magnitude of the current biodiversity crisis and anticipating future risks and challenges. Among the different palaeoecological techniques, pollen analysis is probably the most widely used to reconstruct vegetation and plant diversity changes through time. Such reconstructions demand robust and comprehensive calibration studies addressing the pollen representation of extant vegetation to be sound. However, calibration studies are rare in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, particularly regarding plant diversity. Here, we contribute to filling this gap by investigating the modern pollen signature of Mediterranean vegetation across a large environmental gradient in northern Greece. At each sampling site (n = 61), we quantitatively compared the composition and diversity of plant (vegetation surveys) and pollen assemblages (moss/topsoil samples) using numerical techniques. Further, we compared these terrestrial pollen assemblages with those from lake sediment surface samples of the same region. We found an overall good match between plant and pollen assemblages, with maquis and mixed deciduous forest displaying particularly distinct pollen signatures. In contrast, the high regional importance of pines and oaks and their large pollen production blurred the pollen representation of other forested vegetation types and of shrublands and grasslands. Plant and pollen richness and their evenness showed similar declining trends with increasing altitude, but plant and pollen evenness bore a better match than richness. A more detailed vegetation-specific view on the data suggests that pine pollen seriously affected pollen richness and evenness in most of the pine-dominated stands. Lastly, our results suggest a rather straightforward application of vegetation-pollen relationships from moss/topsoil samples to interpret pollen assemblages from lakes in Mediterranean settings.
Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease-Related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Saudi Arabia

Objectives Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disorder caused by group A streptococcal pharyngitis infections that can progress to rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Public awareness and knowledge of this condition are crucial for its prevention. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding these disorders to identify the factors influencing the level of knowledge and to determine how to increase awareness and knowledge of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 1211 participants throughout Saudi Arabia using an online platform. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, levels of awareness, knowledge of rheumatic fever along with rheumatic heart disease, and attitudes toward these diseases. Results A total of 1121 participants met the criteria for the study and completed the questionnaire (77.5% female vs. 22.5% male). The most common age group was 18 to 30 years old (30.5%). The lack of knowledge was most common among the younger age group (≤ 40 years) and males. Knowledge of rheumatic fever was assessed as poor, fair, and good among 80.2%, 16.2%, and 3.6% of participants, respectively. A good knowledge level was more common among the older age group (> 40 years) and those who had four to seven children. Poor, fair, and good attitude levels were expressed by 41.7%, 32.6%, and 25.8% of participants, respectively. Poor attitudes toward rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease were more common among those living in the Central region. Conclusion While the attitudes toward rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease seem adequate, significant deficiencies in the knowledge and awareness of these disorders were observed in the study population. Insufficient knowledge was primarily seen among young male participants.
Multiplexed Molecular Imaging Strategy Integrated with RNA Sequencing in the Assessment of the Therapeutic Effect of Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Osteoporosis

Introduction Osteoporosis is a result of an imbalance in bone remodeling. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) have been considered as a potentially promising treatment for osteoporosis. However, the therapeutic effect, genetic alterations, and in vivo behavior of exogenous EVs for osteoporosis in mice models remain poorly understood. Methods A multiplexed molecular imaging strategy was constructed by micro-positron emission tomography (µPET)/computed tomography (CT), µCT, and optical imaging modality which reflected the osteoblastic activity, microstructure, and in vivo behavior of EVs, respectively. RNA sequencing was used to analyze the cargo of EVs, and the bone tissues of ovariectomized (OVX) mice post EV treatment. Results The result of [18F]NaF µPET showed an increase in osteoblastic activity in the distal femur of EV-treated mice, and the bone structural parameters derived from µCT were also improved. In terms of in vivo behavior of exogenous EVs, fluorescent dye-labeled EVs could target the distal femur of mice, whereas the uptakes of bone tissues were not significantly different between OVX mice and healthy mice. RNA sequencing demonstrated upregulation of ECM-related genes, which might associate with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, in line with the results of microRNA analysis showing that mir-21, mir-29, mir-221, and let-7a were enriched in Wharton’s jelly-MSC-EVs and correlated to the BMP and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Conclusion The therapeutic effect of exogenous WJ-MSC-EVs in the treatment of osteoporosis was successfully assessed by a multiplexed molecular imaging strategy. The RNA sequencing demonstrated the possible molecular targets in the regulation of bone remodeling. The results highlight the novelty of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of EV-based treatment for osteoporosis.
Organisational conflict and its resolution strategies

The concerned research paper has drawn attention towards various aspects related to conflicts in an organization; that influence total framework of performance and related behavior of people i.e. the employees at work. The research paper has primarily sought to extract various conflict redressal and resolution strategies and hence propose desirable solutions to the managing an effective organizational performance tocounter the conflict situations. In addition, it has also presented an insight into different kinds and sources of conflicts, congruent resolution strategies and application of the same.
Large-signal modeling and characterization of high-current effects in InGaP/GaAs HBTs

High-current effects in InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) were modeled and characterized. In addition to the self-heating effect, high currents were found to degrade large-signal performance mainly through Kirk and quasi-saturation effects. New formalisms in terms of base transit time and base-collector diffusion capacitance were used to modify the conventional Gummel-Poon model. This new model was verified against large-signal characteristics measured at 2 GHz. The validity of the new model for HBTs of different emitter geometry was also explored.
Kynurenine and Hemoglobin as Sex-Specific Variables in COVID-19 Patients: A Machine Learning and Genetic Algorithms Approach

Differences in clinical manifestations, immune response, metabolic alterations, and outcomes (including disease severity and mortality) between men and women with COVID-19 have been reported since the pandemic outbreak, making it necessary to implement sex-specific biomarkers for disease diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to identify sex-associated differences in COVID-19 patients by means of a genetic algorithm (GALGO) and machine learning, employing support vector machine (SVM) and logistic regression (LR) for the data analysis. Both algorithms identified kynurenine and hemoglobin as the most important variables to distinguish between men and women with COVID-19. LR and SVM identified C10:1, cough, and lysoPC a 14:0 to discriminate between men with COVID-19 from men without, with LR being the best model. In the case of women with COVID-19 vs. women without, SVM had a higher performance, and both models identified a higher number of variables, including 10:2, lysoPC a C26:0, lysoPC a C28:0, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, lactic acid, cough, fever, anosmia, and dysgeusia. Our results demonstrate that differences in sexes have implications in the diagnosis and outcome of the disease. Further, genetic and machine learning algorithms are useful tools to predict sex-associated differences in COVID-19.
EVALUATION OF PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF OFADA RICE (Oryza sativa ) FLOUR BLENDED WITH BAMBARA GROUNDNUT (Vigna subterranean L)

The proximate composition, functional properties and sensory characteristics of composite blend of germinated rice flour (GRF) and germinated bambara-nut (GBF) in the ratio 100:0, 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30 w/w were investigated using standard processing technique. Data obtained indicated a decreasing trend with increases in the level of substitution with respects to water absorption (10.38-5.12) and swelling capacities (6.85-4.91) while the bulk density increases with increase in level of substitution (0.60-0.69). Proximate composition data indicated an increasing level of protein, fat, ash, crude fibre, iron and gross energy (19.6421.10%;4.8-6.1%,1.6-2.0%,1.1-1.6%,4.4-6.3 and 371.3-377.6) respectively, while carbohydrate content decreased (64.5 to 58.8%) with increasing level of substitution with bambara-nut. Apart from adding value and varieties to the meal due to textural improvement, fortifying Ofada rice flour with bambara-nut flour at 20% level would produce a more nutritionally balance and acceptable product which will reduce problem of food security
Development of a heavy-duty chassis dynamometer driving route

Abstract There is presently a lack of realistic driving cycles or schedules for the chassis dynamometer emissions testing of heavy-duty trucks. This research effort was motivated by the need for representative emissions measurement techniques to compare alternatively fuelled trucks with their diesel or gasoline counterparts operating in heavy-duty truck applications. Speed versus time and video recording data gathered from trucks in local delivery use were used to develop a city/suburban heavy vehicle route (referred to as the CSHVR) for Class 7 (11 794-14969 kg gross vehicle weight) and Class 8 (14969-36287 kg) delivery trucks. Statistical data were gathered on actual truck driving behaviour, as well as 60 h of actual speed versus time driving information. A cycle was then developed by joining microtrips from the actual truck operation and verifying that it was representative of the whole database. A driving route was derived from this cycle with the help of the video data, and with the vehicle deceleration rates modified for practical reasons. It was found that a more powerful truck could bias its exhaust gas emissions by not aggressively applying full power while following a conventional speed versus time trace cycle. In comparison with a speed versus time cycle, a route allows sections of free acceleration (at full power) until a desired overall operating distance is met. A route is defined by a path that a truck must follow where driving instructions are dependent upon the acceleration of the truck, road conditions and speed limitations. The new route has been successfully employed in the emissions testing of several Class 8 tractors and was found to yield emission rates (in g/mile) that were higher than those for the previously documented WVU five-mile route (8 km in length) in the case of a Ford 36287 kg (80000 lb) GVWR tractor with a mechanically injected Cummins 261 kW (350 hp) engine.
The value of thoracic computed tomography scan comparing to reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of COVID-19

Background: Novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is the current pandemic causing massive morbidity and mortality worldwide. The gold standard diagnostic method in use is reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) which cannot be solely relied upon. Computed tomography (CT) scan is a method currently used for diagnosis of lung disease and can play a substantial role if proved helpful in COVID-19 diagnosis. We conducted this study to evaluate the diagnostic value of CT scan compared to RT-PCR in the diagnosis of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: We recruited 291 hospitalized patients suspicious of COVID-19 according to typical clinical findings during February–March 2020. The patients underwent CT-scan and RT-PCR procedures on the day of hospital admission. CT scans were reported by two radiologists as typical, indeterminate, negative, and atypical. Statistical indices were calculated twice: once considering “typical” and “indeterminate” categories as positive and the other time counting “typical” results as positive. Results: The CT reports were classified as typical (64.95%), indeterminate (10.31%), atypical (11%), and negative (13.75%). Considering “typical” and “intermediate” as positive, sensitivity and specificity were 85.3% and 38.8%, respectively, and using the second assumption, the mentioned indices were 75.9% and 50.4%, respectively. Conclusion: According to our study, CT results do not create enough diagnostic benefit and could result in incorrect confidence if negative. Since widely available, CT integration in the clinical process may be helpful in screening of suspected patients in epidemics. Yet, suspected patients should be isolated till confirmed by (multiple) PCRs.
An Internet Quiz Game Intervention for Adolescent Alcohol Drinking: A Clustered RCT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Interventions on adolescent drinking have yielded mixed results. We assessed the effectiveness of an Internet quiz game intervention compared to conventional health education. METHODS In this cluster randomized controlled trial with parallel group design, we randomly allocated 30 participating schools to the Internet quiz game intervention or the conventional health education (comparison) group, with 1:1 ratio. Students of Hong Kong secondary schools (aged 12-15 years) were recruited. The intervention was a 4-week Web-based quiz game competition in which participating students answered 1000 alcohol-related multiple-choice quiz questions. The comparison group received a printed promotional leaflet and hyperlinks to alcohol-related information. RESULTS Of 30 eligible schools, 15 (4294 students) were randomly assigned to the Internet quiz game intervention group and 15 (3498 students) to the comparison group. Average age of participants was 13.30 years. No significant between-group differences were identified at baseline. Overall retention rate for students was 86.0%. At 1-month follow-up, fewer students in the intervention group reported drinking (9.8% vs 12.1%, risk ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68 to 0.92; P = .003), and those who drank reported drinking less alcohol (standardized difference β -0.06, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.01; P = .02). Between-group differences remained statistically significant at 3-month follow-up (10.4% vs 11.6%, risk ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.999; P = .048; β -0.06, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.01; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS The Internet quiz game intervention reduced underage drinking by 21% at 1-month and 14% at 3-month follow-up compared with conventional health education.
Plants as a realized niche for Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes is a human pathogen. It is the causative agent of listeriosis, the leading cause of bacterial‐linked foodborne mortality in Europe and elsewhere. Outbreaks of listeriosis have been associated with the consumption of fresh produce including vegetables and fruits. In this review we summarize current data providing direct or indirect evidence that plants can serve as habitat for L. monocytogenes, enabling this human pathogen to survive and grow. The current knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the interaction of this bacterium with plants is addressed, and whether this foodborne pathogen elicits an immune response in plants is discussed.
Production of Extracellular Enzymes, Antimicrobial and other Agriculturally Important Metabolites by Fungal Endophytes of Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B.Rob. a Medicinal Plant

The present paper deals with the endophytic fungi of Litsea glutinosa, a medicinal plant highly valued in Ayurvedic system. A total of 21 fungal endophytes were extracted from different parts of the plant. The following eight species viz, Aspergillus oryzae, A. terreus, Curvularia sp, Fusarium oxysporum, Gliocladium solani, Penicillium citrinum, Trichoderma viride and Verticillium dahliae were selected for testing the production of secondary metabolites including hydrolytic enzymes. All the eight endophytic fungal species produced amylase, cellulase, protease and lipase. Except for Curvularia species, others did not elaborate laccase. All the test fungi produced antibacterial and antifungal metabolites; however, the crude extracts exhibited poor antimicrobial activity. The present endophytic fungi also produced IAA, ammonia and phosphate solubilizing substances. They were also capable to produce IAA with or without adding the tryptophan. An affect was also made to assess the influence of crude extracts on the root growth of maize seedlings. These studies revealed the enhancement effect of extracts on root growth. Based on these observations, discussions and conclusions were made.
Active Wave Control of a Flexible Beam. Proposition of the Active Sink Method.

This paper deals with the flexural wave control of a flexible beam with an infinite number of vibration modes. It is the purpose of this paper to present a new vibration control method, the active sink method, which makes it possible to suppress all vibration modes of the flexible beam. Unlike a conventional vibration control method which attempts to suppress several vibration modes already excited, the active sink method seeks to keep all the vibration modes inactive. First, this paper presents the principle of the active sink method and shows a means of realizing its system. Next, in order to describe the principle of the active sink method mathematically, transfer matrices of a beam using a progressive wave solution to the wave equation are obtained. Then, the optimal conditions for the active sink system are derived, and the fundamental characteristics of the system are discussed. Finally, from the vdewpoint of vibration intensity analysis, the validity of the active sink method is clarified.