Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finite element analysis based fatigue life evaluation approach for railway bridges: a study in Indian scenario

Fatigue is a principal failure mode for steel structures, and it is still less understood than any other modes of failure. Fatigue life estimation of metal bridges is a major issue for making cost effective decisions on the rehabilitation or replacement of existing infrastructure. The fatigue design procedures given by the standard codes are either empirical or based on nominal stress approach. Since the fatigue life estimation through field measurements is difficult and costly, more researches are needed to develop promising techniques in the fatigue analysis of bridges through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This paper aims to develop a methodology for the Fatigue life estimation of railway steel bridge using FEA. The guidelines of IIW-1823-07 were used in the development of the methodology. The Finite Element (FE) package ANSYS and the programming software MATLAB were used to implement this methodology on an Indian Railway Standard (IRS) welded plate girder bridge. The results obtained were compared with results from published literature and found satisfactory. study of different fatigue failure assessment methods of welded bridge details. The accuracy and applicability of Nominal stress method, Structural hotspot method and Notch stress method in fatigue analysis was investigated using different welded joints frequently used in steel bridges. The results indicated that the nominal stress method gave satisfactory results, despite of its simplicity. choice nominal FE 2009). method FEA is the Hot spot stress approach. A simple MATLAB program was developed to simulate the moving train load. The program generates time histories of axle loads for any given speed input by the user. These time histories were exported to ANSYS to perform the dynamic analysis of the plate girder modelled in ANSYS. A preliminary moving load analysis was performed with most critical train loading to identify the critical location on the girder followed by detailed moving load analysis. The critical region was refined with finer meshing and the hotspot stress values were determined using a standard surface stress extrapolation technique through MATLAB coding for each train block loading. Another MATLAB code was used to count the hotspot stress cycles through rainflow cycle counting algorithm. This code also calculates the number of cycles for failure for different stress ranges using the standard design S-N curve given by IIW-1823-07 (2008) and accumulates the total damage through Parm-Miner rule.
Mechanisms and Impact of Chemokines Epithelial Barrier: Adhesion Molecule Monocyte Migration Through the Alveolar

Alveolar monocyte inﬂux requires adherence and transmigration through the vascular endothelium, extracellular matrix, and alveolar epithelium. For investigating the monocyte migratory process across the epithelial barrier, we employed both the A549 cell line and isolated human alveolar epithelial cells. Under baseline conditions, spontaneous bidirectional transepithelial monocyte migration was noted, which was dose-dependently increased in the presence of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. TNF- a stimulation of the alveolar epithelium provoked the polarized apical secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and RANTES and up-regulation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, accompanied by markedly enhanced transepithelial monocyte trafﬁc in the basal-to-apical direction. Multiple adhesive interactions were noted to contribute to the enhanced monocyte trafﬁc across the TNF- a -stimulated alveolar epithelium: these included the b 2 integrins CD11a, CD11b, CD11c/CD18, the b 1 integrins very late Ag (VLA)-4, -5, and -6, and the integrin-associated protein CD47 on monocytes, as well as ICAM-1, VCAM-1, CD47, and matrix components on the epithelial side. In contrast, spontaneous monocyte migration through unstimulated epithelium depended predominantly on CD11b/CD18 and CD47, with some additional contribution of VLA-4, -5, and -6. In summary, unlike transendothelial monocyte trafﬁc, for which b 1 and b 2 integrins are alternative mechanisms, monocyte migration across the alveolar epithelium largely depends on CD11b/CD18 and CD47 but required the
Effect of Computer Simulation Instructional Strategy on Students’ Attitude and Academic Achievement in Genetics

Concepts in genetics have been perceived to be very difficult by Nigerian students in recent times. This study therefore investigated the effect of computer simulation instructional strategy on senior secondary students‟ attitude and achievement in genetics. This was coupled with the moderating effects of gender and ability levels. The design of the study was quasi experimental, while 209 students drawn from four intact classes using purposive sampling techniques constituted the sample size. Six research questions guided the study and emerging hypotheses were tested at . 05 level of significance. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires and achievement tests. The results revealed that the use of computer simulation as a pedagogical tool significantly improve the achievement of students and bolsters their attitude towards biology. Similarly, findings revealed that the instructional use of computer simulation significantly improve the achievement of low ability learners who recorded higher mean gains than the medium and high ability groups respectively. Gendered difference in attitude and achievement did not yield any significant result thereby implying that the instructional use of computer simulations bridges the gap in attitude and achievement of male and female students respectively. The educational implications of these findings were extensively discussed.
Estimating Pedestrian Exposure for Small Urban and Rural Areas

Pedestrian exposure refers to a pedestrian’s contact with vehicular traffic that can create opportunities for collisions. A myriad of metrics exists to estimate pedestrian exposure, but no consensus has been reached on what metrics should be adopted. Hence this study attempted to synthesize previous studies and recommend methods for estimating pedestrian exposure, with a focus on rural and small urban areas. Five general types of exposure metrics emerged: from area-based measures (e.g., zonal walk miles traveled), through more granular metrics at the point or segment level, to advanced metrics that utilize the behavioral attributes of walk trips (e.g., space–time prism and discrete choice). In addition, the study used a finite mixture model to estimate a household-level pedestrian exposure measure for rural and small urban settings with the use of the National Household Travel Survey 2009 data. The model accounted for household characteristics (e.g., income and vehicle ownership), regional factors, and block group level attributes (e.g., population density and land use). The results show that the finite mixture model outperformed the negative binomial and zero-inflated models. The results can be used to infer the number of walk trips at as small as the block group level or be inserted into a four-step travel demand model to create point- or segment-based measures where pedestrian network is defined.
Knowledge about Human Rights of Persons with Mental Illness in India: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study

The misconceptions about mental illness and resultant discrimination of people suffering from mental disorders can affect all aspects of their lives, denying them their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The mental health professionals and the mass media are two important systems that help in dissemination of information of the rights of the mentally ill. Ill-informed mental health professionals and the mass media can perpetuate misconceptions about the mentally ill and their rights, impacting negatively on their access to care and integration into society. In this background, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge about human rights of the mentally ill among the mental health professionals and the mass media in Bangalore, India.
Effect of the vanadyl sulphate on the muscular metabolic compromising induced by immobilization of posterior limb of rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the metabolic performance of immobilized skeletal muscle in rats treated with vanadyl sulphate. Male Wistar rats were divided in groups (n = 6): control (C), immobilized (I), treated with vanadyl sulphate (VS, 0,25 mM) and immobilized treated with vanadyl sulphate (I + VS) during seven days. The concentration of vanadyl sulphate diluted in water was 0,25 mM. After experimental stage, the glycogen content (GC) was evaluated in soleus (S), white gastrocnemius (WG), red gastrocnemius (RG), tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles, besides S and EDL weight. The statistical analysis was realized by the ANOVA followed by Tukey test (p < 0,05). In VS group, the results showed a significant increase in GC (S 110%, WG 71%, RG 85%, TA 125%, EDL 108%) and in the weight (S 9%, EDL 11%). The immobilization reduced significantly the GC (S 31.6%, WG 56.6%, RG 39.1%, EDL 41.7%, TA 45.2%) and weight (S 34.2% and ELD 27%), and in I + VS group, there was a increase of the GC in all muscles (S 211%, WG 115%, RG 148%, EDL 161.9%, TA 147%), besides hindering the weight loss in S (75%) and EDL (46%). The vanadyl sulphate treatment promoted an increase in the glycogen content of control and immobilized groups, besides hindering the weight loss, showing that the insulino-mimetic effect is represented by glycogenic action associate to a possible anti-catabolic action.
Temporal independence of perceived exertion response and heart rate in relation to run velocity at a 10 km test simulation

The objective of this study was to investigate pacing strategy, perceived exertion and heart rate during a competitive run simulation. Eight recreational runners ran a 10 km distance in an outdoor 400 m track with 28-30oC temperature. Before the run they were asked to run the 10 km as faster as possible. The run velocity, the perceived exertion and the heart rate were measured each 400 m. The speed of run decreased on 19th and 20th laps (p < 0.05). The heart rate increased significantly on 7th and 10th laps (p < 0.05) and achieved steady state afterwards, while the perceived exertion increased statistically until the 13th lap (p < 0.05). These data suggest that pacing strategy, perceived exertion and heart rate have different temporal adjustments during a competitive run. Possibly the run strategy is established before the competition simulation and has an economic aspect to the last lap. This economic effect of run strategy is determined until the half of the distance is completed by rate of perceived exertion modulation, which is a result of metabolic, context and cognitive feedbacks.
OAJC_A_257385 135..145

1Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; 2Centre d’Evaluation et de Suivi du Groupe de Recherche et d’Appui en Santé et Education de la Population, Lomé, Togo Context: Provision of high-quality contraceptive counseling and services is essential to ensure family planning (FP) programs are rights-based and voluntary. Togo’s modern contraceptive use has steadily increased with almost a quarter of the method mix attributed to longacting reversible contraceptives (LARC). The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of LARC provision in Togo. Methods: Data for this study were collected in 2016 as part of a larger research study conducted in Lomé, Togo to assess the effectiveness of the ongoing FP service delivery model. Quality of FP service was assessed in terms of program capacity and program performance. Program capacity was measured with five individual variables and program performance was measured with the Method Information Index (MII). Descriptive statistics and mixed effects models were used to assess likelihood of LARC uptake. Results: Of the 669 clients included in the study, 19.4% received a LARC method. Multivariable results show that LARC uptake is significantly associated with supervisory visit at the facility in the last three months (program capacity indicator) (OR 1.44; 95%CI 1.48–2.39) and is twice as likely for those with a positive MII score, even after controlling for provider and client characteristics (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.61–2.51). Conclusion: This study identified supervisory visits and comprehensive contraceptive counseling as the key quality factors positively associated with uptake of LARC. Continued focus on quality of care and provider–client information exchange is necessary to ensure women’s FP needs are met.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of skilled assistance seeking for maternal healthcare services and associated factors among Women in West shoa zone, Oromia, Region, Ethiopia, 2017 CURRENT

Background: Access to skilled health services during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum is crucial element which promotes the health and wellbeing of the mother and new born. The aim of the study was to assess women’s knowledge, attitude and practice of skilled assistance seeking for maternal healthcare services in West Shoa zone. Methods: A community based cross sectional quantitative design was conducted in West Shoa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia in 2017. A multistage, random sampling technique was used to select women who had birth in the past one year preceding the study. Interviewed administered structured questionnaire were used to collect the data. A total of 654 women were involved in this study. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20 statistical software package. Pre-tested and structured questionnaires were used to collect the data by trained data collectors. Logistic regression model was used to control the confounding variables at p-value< 0.05. Results: Out of 654 respondents, 416 (63.6%) delivered at health facilities and 268 (36.4%) at home. Skilled assistance seeking for maternal health services was significantly associated with mother’s education (AOR=3.0, 95%CI=1.18-7.84), mother’s access to maternal health information (AOR=3.1, 95% CI=1.13-8.41). Women’s awareness was significantly associated with antenatal‐care attendance (AOR 1.9) and institutional delivery (AOR 3.1). Women who had experience obstetric problems were twice seek skilled provider than those who had not had complications (AOR=2.3, 95%CI=1.39-3.75. P-value=0.001). Women who experiences complications seek a skilled postnatal care more likely compared with those who did not have such characters (AOR=2.2, 95%CI=1.35-3.66. P-value=0.002). Conclusion: The study revealed that low practice of sought care from skilled providers. Hence, it is highly recommended to improve the socioeconomic factors such as maternal literacy, availability of transport facility in case of emergency referral and service availability may increase care seeking from health facilities.
Antibacterial Activity of the Mucus Extract from the Giant African Snail ( Lissachatina fulica ) and Golden Apple Snail ( Pomacea canaliculata ) Against Pathogenic Bacteria Causing Skin Diseases

– There have been many cases of snails reported to be agricultural pests in Thailand, including the important invasive pests, giant African snail, Lissachatina fulica , and the golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata . These snails have rich mucus that covers their surface, which may serve in preventing moisture evaporation, reducing friction and providing resistant to infection by microorganisms. In this study, the antibacterial activity of aqueous extracts of L. fulica and P. canaliculata mucus were tested against four strains of Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus , methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium sp. Thirty adult snail samples of both L. fulica and P. canaliculata were collected, snail mucus was harvested, and a crude aqueous extract of the mucus (CME) prepared. The in vitro antibacterial activity of each CME was evaluated by the agar well diffusion method, while the broth dilution method was used to determine its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). CME from both L. fulica and P. canaliculata displayed antibacterial activity against all four strains of Gram-positive bacteria in the agar well diffusion assay. In the broth dilution assay, CME from L. fulica showed weak activity against all four bacterial strains, being highest against S. aureus and MRSA (MIC 12.5 µg/ml; MBC >50 µg/ml ), followed by S. epidermidis and Corynebacterium sp. ( MIC 25 µg/ml; MBC >50 µg/ml ); however, that from P. canaliculata showed no antibacterial activity against these bacteria. Therefore, CMEs from these two snail species were somewhat effective against these pathogens, and might be useful for human health-related applications in the future, following further fractionation to isolate the active components and determination of their optimal concentrations, and whether or not they act synergistically.
Pareto optimality, economy–effectiveness trade-offs and ion channel degeneracy: improving population modelling for single neurons

Neurons encounter unavoidable evolutionary trade-offs between multiple tasks. They must consume as little energy as possible while effectively fulfilling their functions. Cells displaying the best performance for such multi-task trade-offs are said to be Pareto optimal, with their ion channel configurations underpinning their functionality. Ion channel degeneracy, however, implies that multiple ion channel configurations can lead to functionally similar behaviour. Therefore, instead of a single model, neuroscientists often use populations of models with distinct combinations of ionic conductances. This approach is called population (database or ensemble) modelling. It remains unclear, which ion channel parameters in the vast population of functional models are more likely to be found in the brain. Here we argue that Pareto optimality can serve as a guiding principle for addressing this issue by helping to identify the subpopulations of conductance-based models that perform best for the trade-off between economy and functionality. In this way, the high-dimensional parameter space of neuronal models might be reduced to geometrically simple low-dimensional manifolds, potentially explaining experimentally observed ion channel correlations. Conversely, Pareto inference might also help deduce neuronal functions from high-dimensional Patch-seq data. In summary, Pareto optimality is a promising framework for improving population modelling of neurons and their circuits.
Potassium carbonate effects on spray mixture pressure changes and final pH

Abstract This research examined a potential nuisance aspect of the use of the volatility-reducing agent (VRA) potassium carbonate when combined with glyphosate in spray-tank mixtures. A VRA is now required to be added to dicamba applications to reduce off-target movement from volatility. When no VRA potassium carbonate was added to the spray mixture, there was no pressure buildup. The addition of VRA potassium carbonate plus glyphosate (which lowers the pH) resulted in an observed pressure buildup. Although the gas produced was not identified, it would be expected to be carbon dioxide formed by the dissolution of the carbonate anion from the VRA. Source water pH range from 3.2 to 8.2 had no effect on pressure buildup. Pressure buildup was directly related to water temperature, with a linear response to temperature when the VRA was added last; in contrast, a less direct relationship of temperature to pressure buildup existed at temperatures >30 C when the VRA potassium carbonate was added first. There was no effect on the pressure increase from adding a defoamer or a drift control agent. Nomenclature: Dicamba; glyphosate; potassium carbonate
Ratiometric control of cell phenotypes in monostrain microbial consortia

We address the problem of regulating and keeping at a desired balance the relative numbers between cells exhibiting a different phenotype within a monostrain microbial consortium. We propose a strategy based on the use of external control inputs, assuming each cell in the community is endowed with a reversible, bistable memory mechanism. Specifically, we provide a general analytical framework to guide the design of external feedback control strategies aimed at balancing the ratio between cells whose memory is stabilized at either one of two equilibria associated with different cell phenotypes. We demonstrate the stability and robustness properties of the control laws proposed and validate them in silico, implementing the memory element via a genetic toggle-switch. The proposed control framework may be used to allow long-term coexistence of different populations, with both industrial and biotechnological applications. As a representative example, we consider the realistic agent-based implementation of our control strategy to enable cooperative bioproduction of a dimer in a monostrain microbial consortium.
Characterization and functional analysis of zinc trafficking in the human fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis

The zinc restriction and zinc toxicity are part of host defence, called nutritional immunity. The crucial role of zinc homeostasis in microbial survival within a host is established, but little is known about these processes in the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis. Our in silico predictions suggested the presence of at least six potential zinc transporters (ZnTs) in C. parapsilosis—orthologues of ZRC1, ZRT3 and ZRT101—but an orthologue of PRA1 zincophore was not found. In addition, we detected a species-specific gene expansion of the novel ZnT ZRT2, as we identified three orthologue genes in the genome of C. parapsilosis. Based on predictions, we created homozygous mutant strains of the potential ZnTs and characterized them. Despite the apparent gene expansion of ZRT2 in C. parapsilosis, only CpZRT21 was essential for growth in a zinc-depleted acidic environment, in addition we found that CpZrc1 is essential for zinc detoxification and also protects the fungi against the elimination of murine macrophages. Significantly, we demonstrated that C. parapsilosis forms zincosomes in a Zrc1-independent manner and zinc detoxification is mediated by the vacuolar importer CpZrc1. Our study defines the functions of C. parapsilosis ZnTs, including a species-specific survival and zinc detoxification system.