Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the impact of in-situ infrastructural upgrading on sustainability in informal settlements: The case of Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT Many researchers advocate in-situ upgrading (providing local services and infrastructure) over relocation or resettlement for informal settlement intervention. However, the outcomes from the in-situ approach should be studied further, especially how they affect neighborhood sustainability. Toward that end, this paper investigates how the sustainability performance of settlements correlates with in-situ upgrading. Since Accra broadly employs in-situ upgrading to help underserved areas catch up, it serves as a helpful case study to identify how other African cities could evolve in the future. The findings show that in-situ infrastructural interventions will lead to better sustainability. Meanwhile, the satisfaction levels of infrastructure interventions are varied not only because of the different locations and stakeholders, but also due to their comprehensiveness and the timely upgrades undertaken for settlement expansion. This paper suggests in-situ upgrading is fundamental to Accra and many other African cities as it represents an essential guide to urban development and an opportunity for a “bottom-up” response to existing households.
Quercetin in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronavirus Infections: A Focus on SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 outbreak seems to be the most dangerous challenge of the third millennium due to its highly contagious nature. Amongst natural molecules for COVID-19 treatment, the flavonoid molecule quercetin (QR) is currently considered one of the most promising. QR is an active agent against SARS and MERS due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and some other beneficial effects. QR may hold therapeutic potential against SARS-CoV-2 due to its inhibitory effects on several stages of the viral life cycle. In fact, QR inhibits viral entry, absorption, and penetration in the SARS-CoV virus, which might be at least partly explained by the ability of QR and its derivatives to inhibit 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro). QR is a potent immunomodulatory molecule due to its direct modulatory effects on several immune cells, cytokines, and other immune molecules. QR-based nanopreparations possess enhanced bioavailability and solubility in water. In this review, we discuss the prospects for the application of QR as a preventive and treatment agent for COVID-19. Given the multifactorial beneficial action of QR, it can be considered a very valid drug as a preventative, mitigating, and therapeutic agent of COVID-19 infection, especially in synergism with zinc, vitamins C, D, and E, and other polyphenols.
Enhanced delay propagation tree model with Bayesian Network for modelling flight delay propagation

ABSTRACT An enhanced Delay Propagation Tree model with Bayesian Network (DPT-BN) is developed to model multi-flight delay propagation and delay interdependencies. Using a set of real airline data, results show that flights have non-homogeneous delay propagation effects. The DPT-BN model is used to infer posterior delay profiles with different delay and scheduling scenarios. The major contribution of the DPT-BN model is to demonstrate how the modelling of non-independent and identically distributed delay profiles is more realistic for the observed delay propagation mechanism, and how robust airline scheduling methodologies can benefit from this probability-based delay model.
The Environment and evolution of galaxies : proceedings of the Third Tetons Summer School held in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A., July 1992

Preface. Gastrophysical Cosmology - Introduction and Overview J.R. Bond. Recent Results from COBE C.L. Bennett, N.W. Boggess, M.G. Hauser, J.C. Mather, G.F. Smoot, E.L. Wright. The Formation of Galaxies M. Davis. Experimental Galaxy Formation A.E. Evrard. Population Synthesis and Spectral Evolution of Galaxies G. Bruzual A. Searching for Hidden Galaxies J.I. Davies. Panel Discussion: The Nature of High-Redshift Objects J.M. Shull. Galaxy Evolution as a Function of Environment R. Ellis. Distant Galaxies: Evolution Clues S. Lilly. Old, Red, and Dead Radio Galaxies at Large Redshift H. Spinrad. Primeval Galaxies, the IGM, and the QSO-Protogalaxy Connection T.M. Heckman. The Extragalactic X-Ray Background (1-20 KeV) R.E. Griffiths.
Mixing state of black carbon at different atmospheres in north and southwest China

Abstract. Large uncertainties remain when estimating the radiative forcing by black carbon (BC) because the corresponding microphysical properties have not been well addressed. In this study, the BC size distributions were studied based on three different field campaigns at an urban site, a suburban site, and a background site in China using a single particle soot photometer (SP2) in tandem with a differential mobility diameter. Measurement results indicate that the BC particles were composed of either thinly or thickly coated aerosols. The mean number fractions of the thinly coated BC aerosols were 51 %, 67 %, and 21 % for the urban, suburban, and background sites, respectively. The corresponding thickly coated (thinly coated) core mass median diameters were 187 (154), 182 (146), and 238 (163) nm, respectively. The mean diameter of the thickly coated BC-containing aerosols was larger than that of the thinly coated BC-containing aerosols, while the mean BC core diameter of the thickly coated BC-containing aerosols was smaller than that of the thinly coated BC-containing aerosols. About 10 % of the BC-containing aerosols with the BC core are attached to the other non-BC components, which were mainly generated by coagulation between the BC and non-BC components. The measurement results in our study can be further used in modeling studies to help with constraining the uncertainties of the BC radiative effects.
Multichannel Detection and Acoustic Color Based Classification of Underwater UXO in Sonar

Abstract : The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently responsible for clearing many sites that are potentially contaminated with munitions as a result of past training and weapons testing activities. In many cases, these activities occurred near or were performed in shallow water environments where munitions pose threats to public safety and the environment. The objective of this SERDP Exploratory Development (SEED) project was to develop efficient signal processing techniques for the detection and classification of military munitions in shallow underwater environments using data collected from synthetic aperture sonar (SAS)systems.
MOBILE LEARNING GAMES WITH AUGMENTED REALITY IN A PARK - SYSTEM FOR CLASSIFICATION OF QUESTIONS FOR QUIZ GAME CREATION

This study used Bloom's Revised Taxonomy to examine 30 questions produced for a mobile quiz game with augmented reality contents to be explored in a formal learning context, in an urban green park, in Portugal. The game was co-created by 14 in-service teachers involved in a 50h training that aimed to promote the collaborative development of open digital educational resources that foster Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning based on game approach and supported by mobile devices in outdoor settings. This is a qualitative study, based on the questions planning documents produced by the teacher trainees, which was treated using a hybrid process of inductive and deductive content analysis. The results indicate that teachers developed questions that, in the learner point of view, fall in the lower taxonomy levels, namely Remember, Understand, Apply and Analyze. Moreover, the most frequent type of question required “Direct application” of contents already known to real situations and mobilization of information expected to have been already covered at school, in a “Consolidation” approach. The empirical results suggest that the highest levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (Evaluate and Create) are only achievable, during the process of game creation, and not while playing the game. Suggestions were made regarding future research, such as to analyze the process of game co-creation by teachers familiar with this classification system, to triangulate with the current study. This work is relevant for teacher trainees and teachers to promote higher quality game-based learning in teaching practices, as well as its associated resources.
Genetic diversity of eight maize (Zea mays) cultivars from East Nusa Tenggara (Indonesia) based on inter simple sequence repeat markers

Abstract. Yani A, Chasani AR, Daryono BS. 2022. Genetic diversity of eight maize Zea mays L. cultivars from East Nusa Tenggara based on inter simple sequence repeat markers. Biodiversitas 23: 4124-4130. East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is one of Indonesia's island that has many local maize cultivars. However, the existence of this local corn is threatened by the presence of high-yielding maize seeds. Therefore, characterization of local maize cultivars using molecular marker is needed to conserve the germplasm. This study aims to determine the genetic diversity of local maize cultivars (Zea maysL.) from East Nusa Tenggara based on ISSR markers. This research used eight local maize cultivars (Watar Ohaq, Watar Puluq, Wata Bura, Wata Kuma, Wata Bunga, Pena Muti, Boti Pulut, and Latun Wara). Young leaves of maize were used for DNA isolation. Total genomic DNA was isolated using Genomic DNA Mini Kit for Plant (Geneaid). DNA was then amplified using 5 ISSR molecular markers (ISSR-807, ISSR-808, UBC-809, UBC-811, UBC-834). DNA band profiles were scored based on the presence or absence of bands. Genetic variability was analyzed based on the UPGMA method using the MVSP ver application. 3.1. Local maize from NTT has high genetic diversity (similarity index between 0.29-0.65). Local maize cultivars were separated into two main clusters at a similarity index of 0.43 and the grouping pattern was not influenced by the geographic location of local maize origin.
The Role of Student Employment in Persistence and Efficiency in STEM Higher Education

The high dropout ratios that characterize STEM fields can be explained by several factors, one of which is the employment of students during their studies. Our research aims to explore the impact of student employment on persistence and academic performance in STEM fields. During our research, we used the data of the Hungarian subsample of the PERSIST 2019 database (N=1045). According to our results, IT trainings are more resistant to the negative effects of employment than other trainings, as students working in this field did not differ from their non-employed peers in terms of either persistence or academic progress. Concerning the science, engineering, and non-STEM training, employment had a significant negative effect on academic performance, but it was primarily compensated by being employed in study-related jobs in science training, which also had a favorable effect in non-STEM training courses. However, in the field of engineering, employment in the profession reinforced this adverse effect too. In the field of informatics, study-related work also had a negative impact. Based on our results, we think it is worth considering the broader spread of dual training courses in higher education, during which students can complete an internship at a company or partner organization in addition to theoretical training.
Radial and Latitudinal Gradients of Anomalous Cosmic-Ray Oxygen and Helium from 1 to ~41 AU

We have used data from the IMP 8, Voyager 1 (VI), Voyager 2 (V2), Pioneer 11 (Pll), and Pioneer 10 (PIO) spacecraft. to determine the radial and latitudinal gradients of anomalous cosmic ray oxygen in the energy range ~7 - 25 MeV/nuc and anomalous cosmic ray helium in the energy range ~20- 25 MeV/nuc for a time period near minimum solar modulation in 1987. We find that the radial gradients of both species are decreasing functions of radial distance, r, approximately r^(-1) for oxygen and r^(-0.7) for helium. The latitudinal gradient is large and negative, implying significant spherical asymmetry in the heliospheric distribution of these particles.
Effects of Varying Glucose Concentrations on ACE2′s Hypothalamic Expression and Its Potential Relation to COVID-19-Associated Neurological Dysfunction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted millions of lives, despite several vaccine interventions and strict precautionary measures. The main causative organism of this disease is the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which infects the host via two key players: the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Some reports revealed that patients with glycemic dysregulation could have increased susceptibility to developing COVID-19 and its related neurological complications. However, no previous studies have looked at the involvement of these key molecules within the hypothalamus, which is the central regulator of glucose in the brain. By exposing embryonic mouse hypothalamic neurons to varying glucose concentrations, we aimed to investigate the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. A significant and time-dependent increase and decrease was observed on the viability of hypothalamic neurons with increasing and decreasing glucose concentrations, respectively (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Under the same increasing and decreasing glucose conditions, the expression of hypothalamic ACE2 also revealed a significant and time-dependent increase (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 invades the hypothalamic circuitry. In addition, it highlights the importance of strict glycemic control for COVID-19 in diabetic patients.
Finite Time State-of-Charge Observer With Robustness Against Unknown Parameter Uncertainties

Accurate state of charge (SOC) is of great engineering significance to relieve the range anxiety, avoid safety accidents, and prolong the battery lifetime. This brief proposes an SOC observer with finite-time stability and robustness against unknown and time-varying parameter uncertainties. First, an equivalent circuit model (ECM) is employed to describe the battery dynamic characteristic with full consideration of time-varying parameter uncertainties and unknown noises, which are only assumed to be bounded. Second, a hybrid method combined with off-line and on- line identifications is proposed to estimate the battery model parameters. It means that the change of the battery parameters can be well traced and the estimation error in the early stage can be effectively diminished. Third, a finite-time observer is designed to estimate SOC, which can achieve faster error convergence rate. Finally, sufficient criteria and rigorous proof are given to ensure the convergence of the estimation errors in finite time. Extensive simulations and experiments are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method as well. Results illustrate the high accuracy, strong robustness, and fast convergence speed of the proposed method with the estimation errors bounded by 1% and the convergence time limited in 20 s.
Production of the Green Leaf Volatile (Z)-3-Hexenal by a Zea mays Hydroperoxide Lyase

Plant-produced volatile compounds play important roles in plant signaling and in the communication of plants with other organisms. Many plants emit green leaf volatiles (GLVs) in response to damage or attack, which serve to warn neighboring plants or attract predatory or parasitic insects to help defend against insect pests. GLVs include aldehydes, esters, and alcohols of 6-carbon compounds that are released rapidly following wounding. One GLV produced by maize (Zea mays) is the volatile (Z)-3-hexenal; this volatile is produced from the cleavage of (9Z,11E,15Z)-octadecatrienoic acid by hydroperoxide lyases (HPLs) of the cytochrome P450 CYP74B family. The specific HPL in maize involved in (Z)-3-hexenal production had not been determined. In this study, we used phylogenetics with known HPLs from other species to identify a candidate HPL from maize (ZmHPL). To test the ability of the putative HPL to produce (Z)-3-hexenal, we constitutively expressed the gene in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 that contains a natural loss-of-function mutant in AtHPL and examined the transgenic plants for restored (Z)-3-hexenal production. Volatile analysis of leaves from these transgenic plants showed that they did produce (Z)-3-hexenal, confirming that ZmHPL can produce (Z)-3-hexenal in vivo. Furthermore, we used gene expression analysis to show that expression of ZmHPL is induced in maize in response to both wounding and the insect pests Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodoptera exigua. Our study demonstrates that ZmHPL can produce GLVs and highlights its likely role in (Z)-3-hexenal production in response to mechanical damage and herbivory in maize.
Teacher Retention in Private Schools of Nepal: A Case from Bhaktapur District

Retention of qualified teachers is a crucial part for the quality education in schools because qualified, experienced and stable teachers can enhance the academic standard of students. It is equally important for the smooth operation and success of schools. Considering these facts, a quantitative research with correlational research design was carried out with the objective of finding out relationship between teacher retention and domains of its determinants in private schools of Bhaktapur district, Nepal. The data was collected through a questionnaire. This study concluded that financial and school culture domains have a powerful and significant impact on teacher retention. Similarly, there is a significant association between teacher retention and social domain, and between teacher retention and emotional domain. This study suggested that school administrators and policy makers need to understand that there is a strong positive impact of financial domain and school culture domain on teacher retention. They need to formulate policies which can satisfy financial needs and create a good school culture. Similarly, they need to improve teacher retention by addressing emotional domain and social domain.
A Fuzzy Training Framework for Controllable Sequence-to-Sequence Generation

The generation of music lyrics by artificial intelligence (AI) is frequently modeled as a language-targeted sequence-to-sequence generation task. Formally, if we convert the melody into a word sequence, we can consider the lyrics generation task to be a machine translation task. Traditional machine translation tasks involve translating between cross-lingual word sequences, whereas music lyrics generation tasks involve translating between music and natural language word sequences. The theme or key words of the generated lyrics are usually limited to meet the needs of the users when they are generated. This requirement can be thought of as a restricted translation problem. In this paper, we propose a fuzzy training framework that allows a model to simultaneously support both unrestricted and restricted translation by adopting an additional auxiliary training process without constraining the decoding process. This maintains the benefits of restricted translation but greatly reduces the extra time overhead of constrained decoding, thus improving its practicality. The experimental results show that our framework is well suited to the Chinese lyrics generation and restricted machine translation tasks, and that it can also generate language sequence under the condition of given restricted words without training multiple models, thereby achieving the goal of green AI.
The Effect on Hemostasis of Gelatin-Graphene Oxide Aerogels Loaded with Grape Skin Proanthocyanidins: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

Using in vitro and in vivo models, this study investigated the hemostatic potential to control bleeding of both unloaded gelatin-graphene oxide aerogels and the same loaded with proanthocyanidins (PAs) from Vitis vinifera grape skin extract. Our results showed that the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the aerogels were not affected by PA inclusion. In vitro studies showed that PA-loaded aerogels increased the surface charge, blood absorption capacity and cell viability compared to unloaded ones. These results are relevant for hemostasis, since a greater accumulation of blood cells on the aerogel surface favors aerogel–blood cell interactions. Although PAs alone were not able to promote hemostasis through extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, their incorporation into aerogels did not affect the in vitro hemostatic activity of these composites. In vivo studies demonstrated that both aerogels had significantly increased hemostatic performance compared to SpongostanTM and gauze sponge, and no noticeable effects of PA alone on the in vivo hemostatic performance of aerogels were observed; this may have been related to its poor diffusion from the aerogel matrix. Thus, PAs have a positive effect on hemostasis when incorporated into aerogels, although further studies should be conducted to elucidate the role of this extract in the different stages of hemostasis.
FECH Expression Correlates with the Prognosis and Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is, by far, the most prevalent and fatal kind of kidney cancer. Ferrochelatase (FECH) is an enzyme that performs a significant function in the onset and progression of many distinct kinds of malignant tumors. Nevertheless, its predictive usefulness in renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) has not yet been fully investigated. Methods FECH expression in ccRCC and healthy adjoining tissues was primarily screened utilizing data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and subsequently validated using data from an independent cohort derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Human Protein Atlas HPA databases. The relationship among FECH expression, clinicopathological parameters, and overall survival (OS) was assessed utilizing multivariate analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Additionally, the protein networks with FECH interaction were constructed with the aid of the online Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING). Gene ontology (GO) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted based on TCGA data, and a single-sample GSEA was utilized to explore the link between FECH expression and the infiltration status of immune cells in the tumor. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and TIMER databases were utilized to investigate the relationships of FECH expression with the infiltrating immune cells and the matching gene marker sets. Results FECH expression was shown to be substantially lowered in ccRCC tumors as opposed to that observed in normal tissues (p < 0.05). Lower levels of FECH expression were shown to have a strong association with higher grades of cancer and more advanced TNM stages. The findings of multivariate and univariate analyses illustrated that the OS in patients with ccRCC with low FECH expression is shorter in contrast with that in the high FECH expression group (p < 0.05). It was discovered that CPOX and frataxin are key proteins that interact with FECH. ccRCC with FECH deficiency was linked to the lack of infiltrating immune cells and their respective marker sets, which included CD4+ T cells. Conclusion In ccRCC, decreased FECH expression was linked to disease progression, unfavorable prognosis, and impaired immune cell infiltration.