Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pluricentrity, Multilingualism and Heterogeneity of the Learners’ Groups

Multilingualism, superdiversity, and the abundance of language contacts place new demands on language teachers, who must consider each student’s linguistic biography, family language policies, and cultural practices in order to keep up with their growth in a specific school vs. university subject. Many more languages are becoming pluricentric as they continue to be used in migrating populations. So, they decline or flourish in diaspora and introduce heritage language learners as people with special needs into regular classrooms. Using Russian as an example, the paper suggests methods for organizing language instruction of varied speakers and learners in a heterogeneous integrated university classroom.
Validation of a clinical competence evaluation tool for community service nurses in North West province, South Africa

Background Little has been done to evaluate clinical competence of community service nurses (CSNs) during the 12-month compulsory community service in South Africa. Evaluating clinical competence of CSNs would be of benefit as it might improve quality patient care and promote patient satisfaction. It therefore became of paramount importance for the researcher to establish some method of evaluating the CSNs’ clinical competence during their compulsory service in the North West province (NWP), South Africa. Aim To evaluate the clinical competence evaluation tool (CCET) for CSNs for reliability and validity. Setting A selected regional level 2 hospital. Methods Ten experts participated in the validation process. The tool was tested at one of the public hospitals in the NWP and 11 out of 13 CSNs participated in this process. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 was employed and the reliability of the tool was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Results This tool’s content validity index has exceeded 0.80 and is indicated at 0.98, which reflects excellent content validity. The higher the content validity ratio score the greater the agreement amongst the experts. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients in the six competencies are all greater than 0.7 implying that the tool developed in this study is reliable. All the experts indicated that the tool is clear, simple, general, accessible and important. Conclusion From the above-mentioned results, a CCET for CSNs was proven to be valid and reliable. Contribution This was the first tool to be developed in NWP of South Africa.
Bitter Taste Receptors Expression in Human Granulosa and Cumulus Cells: New Perspectives in Female Fertility

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2RS) expression is not restricted to the oral cavity and the presence of these receptors in the male reproductive system and sperm provides insights into their possible role in human reproduction. To elucidate the potential role of TAS2Rs in the female reproductive system, we investigated the expression and localization of bitter taste receptors and the components of signal transduction cascade involved in the pathway of taste receptors in somatic follicular cells obtained from women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. We found that TAS2R genes are expressed in both cumulus (CCs) and granulosa (GCs) cells, with TAS2R14 being the most highly expressed bitter receptor subtype. Interestingly, a slight increase in the expression of TAS2R14 and TAS2R43 was shown in both GCs and CCs in young women (p < 0.05), while a negative correlation may be established between the number of oocytes collected at the pickup and the expression of TAS2R43. Regarding α-gustducin and α-transducin, two Gα subunits expressed in the taste buds on the tongue, we provide evidence for their expression in CCs and GCs, with α-gustducin showing two additional isoforms in GCs. Finally, we shed light on the possible downstream transduction pathway initiated by taste receptor activation in the female reproductive system. Our study, showing for the first time the expression of taste receptors in the somatic ovarian follicle cells, significantly extends the current knowledge of the biological role of TAS2Rs for human female fertility.
The role of environmental impact assessment in Nigeria's oil and gas industry

Nigeria has serious environmental degradation resulting from pollution related to the oil and gas industry. The Department of Petroleum Resources reports that there were over 4,200 oil spill incidences in Nigeria over the last 50 years, ranging from minor spills to over half a million barrels in one single incident; yet there are no coherent policies on the environment to deal with the on-going pollution problems. Significant improvements can be achieved by good Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and strict adherence to regulations. The history, strengths and weaknesses of EIA application and implementation in the oil industry are reviewed and assessed. The main research method was the use of a bespoke questionnaire sent to 705 recipients of whom 560 responded, and who were identified as a representative cross-section of stakeholders; including oil industry personnel, academics, government organisations personnel, representatives from local communities affected by the pollution, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The questionnaire survey was used to determine the views of the stakeholders on the role of EIA in Nigeria‟s oil and gas industry; it also investigated the levels of the respondents‟ involvement, experience and participation in EIA. The data from the questionnaire was analysed using statistical methods, which elucidated the nature of the perceived conflict between the oil companies and government organisations, against academics and stake-holder communities. The results clearly demonstrated the ingrained views and perceptions on each side of the dispute. In addition the results highlighted the constraints and challenges faced by various stakeholders in conducting EIA in Nigeria, and emphasized the need for changes in the way EIAs were conducted in the oil industry. The research identified components of particular concern within the Nigerian EIA structure, process and implementation; and raised questions about the adoption or external Agency or industry imposition of 1st World designed EIAs in Nigeria.
Magnetoliposomes Based on Magnetic/Plasmonic Nanoparticles Loaded with Tricyclic Lactones for Combined Cancer Therapy

Liposome-like nanoarchitectures containing manganese ferrite nanoparticles covered or decorated with gold were developed for application in dual cancer therapy, combining chemotherapy and photothermia. The magnetic/plasmonic nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, UV/Visible absorption, HR-TEM, and SQUID, exhibiting superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. The average size of the gold-decorated nanoparticles was 26.7 nm for MnFe2O4 with 5–7 nm gold nanospheres. The average size of the core/shell nanoparticles was 28.8 nm for the magnetic core and around 4 nm for the gold shell. Two new potential antitumor fluorescent drugs, tricyclic lactones derivatives of thienopyridine, were loaded in these nanosystems with very high encapsulation efficiencies (higher than 98%). Assays in human tumor cell lines demonstrate that the nanocarriers do not release the antitumor compounds in the absence of irradiation. Moreover, the nanosystems do not cause any effect on the growth of primary (non-tumor) cells (with or without irradiation). The drug-loaded systems containing the core/shell magnetic/plasmonic nanoparticles efficiently inhibit the growth of tumor cells when irradiated with red light, making them suitable for a triggered release promoted by irradiation.
Treatment of panurethral strictures using one side dissection dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty

The management of panurethral stricture was still challenging and controversial. We presented a case of pan urethral strictures management by using a one-sided dissection of dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft (BMG) urethroplasty (Kulkarni technique). A 53-years old man admitted with panurethral stricture who had previously undergone several procedures. Bipolar micturition cystourethrography procedure revealed 17 cm stricture length. One-sided dissection dorsal onlay buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty was performed. No drain was placed. The Foley catheter was removed four weeks after surgery, and the results of the micturition were favourable. No fistulae were found at a straight erection and meatus at a normal position. The postoperative flow rate (Qmax) was 24.9 ml/second. As a conclusion Kulkarni technique urethroplasty gained good outcome for panurethral stricture in our case.
Chronic lithium administration in a mouse model for Krabbe disease

Krabbe disease (KD; or globoid cell leukodystrophy) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of the galactosylceramidase (GALC) enzyme. No cure is currently available for KD. Clinical applied treatments are supportive only. Recently, we demonstrated that two differently acting autophagy inducers (lithium and rapamycin) can improve some KD hallmarks in‐vitro, laying the foundation for their in‐vivo pre‐clinical testing. Here, we test lithium carbonate in‐vivo, in the spontaneous mouse model for KD, the Twitcher (TWI) mouse. The drug is administered ad libitum via drinking water (600 mg/L) starting from post natal day 20. We longitudinally monitor the mouse motor performance through the grip strength, the hanging wire and the rotarod tests, and a set of biochemical parameters related to the KD pathogenesis [i.e., GALC enzymatic activity, psychosine (PSY) accumulation and astrogliosis]. Additionally, we investigate the expression of some crucial markers related to the two pathways that could be altered by lithium: the autophagy and the β‐catenin‐dependent pathways. Results demonstrate that lithium has not a significant rescue effect on the TWI phenotype, although it can slightly and transiently improves muscle strength. We also show that lithium, with this administration protocol, is unable to stimulate autophagy in the TWI mice central nervous system, whereas results suggest that it can restore the β‐catenin activation status in the TWI sciatic nerve. Overall, these data provide intriguing inputs for further evaluations of lithium treatment in TWI mice.
Antimicrobial Effects of Inula viscosa Extract on the In Situ Initial Oral Biofilm

Given the undesirable side effects of commercially used mouth rinses that include chemically synthesized antimicrobial compounds such as chlorhexidine, it is essential to discover novel antimicrobial substances based on plant extracts. The aim of this study was to examine the antimicrobial effect of Inula viscosa extract on the initial microbial adhesion in the oral cavity. Individual test splints were manufactured for the participants, on which disinfected bovine enamel samples were attached. After the initial microbial adhesion, the biofilm-covered oral samples were removed and treated with different concentrations (10, 20, and 30 mg/mL) of an I. viscosa extract for 10 min. Positive and negative controls were also sampled. Regarding the microbiological parameters, the colony-forming units (CFU) and vitality testing (live/dead staining) were examined in combination with fluorescence microscopy. An I. viscosa extract with a concentration of 30 mg/mL killed the bacteria of the initial adhesion at a rate of 99.99% (log10 CFU value of 1.837 ± 1.54). Compared to the negative control, no killing effects were determined after treatment with I. viscosa extract at concentrations of 10 mg/mL (log10 CFU value 3.776 ± 0.831; median 3.776) and 20 mg/mL (log10 CFU value 3.725 ± 0.300; median 3.711). The live/dead staining revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.0001) of vital adherent bacteria after treatment with 10 mg/mL of I. viscosa extract. After treatment with an I. viscosa extract with a concentration of 30 mg/mL, no vital bacteria could be detected. For the first time, significant antimicrobial effects on the initial microbial adhesion in in situ oral biofilms were reported for an I. viscosa extract.
Excel Methods to Design and Validate in Microelectronics (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor, CMOS) for Biomedical Instrumentation Application

CMOS microelectronics design has evolved tremendously during the last two decades. The evolution of CMOS devices to short channel designs where the feature size is below 1000 nm brings a great deal of uncertainty in the way the microelectronics design cycle is completed. After the conceptual idea, developing a thinking model to understand the operation of the device requires a good “ballpark” evaluation of transistor sizes, decision making, and assumptions to fulfill the specifications. This design process has iterations to meet specifications that exceed in number of the available degrees of freedom to maneuver the design. Once the thinking model is developed, the simulation validation follows to test if the design has a good possibility of delivering a successful prototype. If the simulation provides a good match between specifications and results, then the layout is developed. This paper shows a useful open science strategy, using the Excel software, to develop CMOS microelectronics hand calculations to verify a design, before performing the computer simulation and layout of CMOS analog integrated circuits. The full methodology is described to develop designs of passive components, as well as CMOS amplifiers. The methods are used in teaching CMOS microelectronics to students of electronic engineering with industrial partner participation. This paper describes an exhaustive example of a low-voltage operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) design which is used to design an instrumentation amplifier. Finally, a test is performed using this instrumentation amplifier to implement a front-end signal conditioning device for CMOS-MEMS biomedical applications.
Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Urban Road Dust From Shenyang, a Heavy Industrial City in Northeast China

124 road dust samples were collected from an urban area of Shenyang, a typical heavily industrial city in Northeast China, to study the concentration, pollution level, source, spatial distribution, and health risk of heavy metals. The average concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 1.802, 132.1, 60.33, 778.3, 54.80, 86.73, and 391.2 mg/kg, respectively. The levels of metal pollution ranged from minimal to extremely high, with average levels in the ranked order: Mn < Ni < Cr < Cu < Pb < Zn < Cd, indicating that the road dust was heavily polluted by Cd, Zn, and Pb. Source identification results demonstrated that Cr, Mn, and Ni had mixed sources including industrial emissions and weathering of soil, pavements, and building materials, while Cu, Pb, and Zn mainly originated from traffic and industrial activities, and Cd had a complex mixture of sources (with various anthropogenic sources). Hotspots of heavy metal pollution levels were closely correlated with local anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharge, traffic-related exhaust emissions, and agricultural activities. Furthermore, health risk assessment revealed significant non-carcinogenic risks for children from multiple metals, and the carcinogenic risk assessment identified significant risks for children from Cd, with ingestion being the main exposure pathway for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children. However, no health risk was observed due to dermal and inhalation exposure pathways.
Computer‐aided design and engineering as enablers of agile manufacturing: A case study in an Indian manufacturing organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate computer‐aided design (CAD) and computer‐aided engineering (CAE) as enablers of agile manufacturing (AM). Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature review, the importance of technology integration enabling AM has been found. CAD technology has been used for modelling baseline product; CAE has been used for deriving optimized parameters; new designs have been derived.Findings – The feasibility of CAD and CAE as enablers of AM has been ensured.Research limitations/implications – The study has been conducted only in one automotive sprocket manufacturing organization.Practical implications – The practical feasibility of generating new products through technology integration has been ensured.Originality/value – Very little research has been reported on technology‐integrated AM practices. In this study, CAD and CAE have been used for enabling product development.
Characterization of Gamma-Rays-Induced Spring Wheat Mutants for Morphological and Quality Traits through Multivariate and GT Bi-Plot Analysis

Exploiting new genetic resources is an effective way to achieve sustainable wheat production. To this end, we exposed wheat seeds of the “Punjab-11” cultivar to gamma rays. A total of 32 stable mutants (M7) were developed, followed by characterization by conducting multilocation trials over two seasons. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the first six components accounted for 90.28% of the total variation among the plant height, tillers per plant, 1000-kernel weight, grain yield, and quality traits. All mutants were grouped into three clusters based on high yield index values. The genotype by trait (GT) bi-plot revealed significant associations between yield and its components among the mutants. Positive correlations were estimated for tillers per plant, plant height, 1000-kernel weight, and grain yield; however, yield components showed negative associations with protein, moisture, and gluten contents. The mutant lines Pb-M-59 waxy, Pb-M-1272 waxy, Pb-M-2260, Pb-M-1027 waxy, Pb-M-1323 waxy, and Pb-M-1854 exhibited maximum grain yield, 1000-grain weight, and tillers per plant values. Likewise, Pb-M-2725, Pb-M-2550, and Pb-M-2728 were found to be the best mutant lines in terms of grain quality; thus, the use of gamma radiation is effective in improving the desirable traits, including yield and grain quality. It is suggested that these traits can be improved beyond the performance of corresponding traits in their parent genotypes. The newly produced mutants can also be used to explore the genetic mechanisms of complex traits in the future.
Current state of worker fatigue assessment and associated recommendations in oil and gas and petrochemical industries

Oil and gas extraction (OGE) and petrochemical workers are prone to fatigue due to shiftwork, circadian rhythm disruption, and workload. Currently, there is not a standard set of worker fatigue assessment methods developed to address the constraints in this industry. A systematic review was conducted to 1) identify and categorize fatigue assessment methods, 2) compare the effectiveness of identified methods, and 3) provide recommendations for use in this industry and future research. A total of 20 articles were selected for this review. The findings show that studies used subjective questionnaires (100%), task performance (35%), and physiological measurements (5%) as main fatigue assessment methods. Subjective questionnaires (measuring sleepiness and sleep quality), actigraphy, and task performance were effective at capturing fatigue levels. Finally, this review recommends that subjective questionnaires be employed to assess worker fatigue and supplement them with objective measurements, such as actigraphy (sleep quality) and Psychomotor Vigilance Task (task performance).
Full scale experiments to examine the role of deadwood on rockfall dynamics in forests

Abstract. Forests are rockfall-protective ecological infrastructures, as a significant amount of kinetic energy is absorbed during consecutive rock-tree impacts. Although many recent works have considered rock impacts with standing trees, the effect of lying deadwood in forests has not yet been considered thoroughly, either experimentally or numerically. Here, we present a complete examination of induced rockfall experiments on a forested area in three different management stages. The trilogy is conducted in a spruce forest stand (i) in its original state, (ii) after a logging operation with fresh, lying deadwood and (iii) after the removal of the deadwood. The tests allow us to directly quantify the effect of fresh deadwood on overall rockfall risk for the same forest (slope, species) under three different conditions. The study yields quantitative results on the barrier efficiency of the deadwood logs as only 3.6 % of the rocks surpass the deadwood section. The mean runout distance is reduced by 42 %. Conversely, the runout distance increases by 17 % when the cleared stand is compared to the original forest. These results quantitatively confirm the benefits of nature-based mitigation measures integrated into forestry practice and we show how modern rockfall codes can be extended to incorporate such complex, but realistic forest boundary conditions.
Interaction of Polygenetic Variants for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk with Breastfeeding and Korean Balanced Diet to Influence Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Later Life in a Large Hospital-Based Cohort

The etiologies of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are similar. Genetic and environmental factors interact to influence the risk of both types of diabetes. We aimed to determine if the polygenetic risk scores (PRS) for GDM risk interacted with lifestyles to influence type 2 diabetes risk in women aged >40 years in a large hospital-based city cohort. The participants with GDM diagnosis without T2DM before pregnancy were considered the case group (n = 384) and those without GDM and T2DM as the control (n = 33,956) to explore GDM-related genetic variants. The participants with T2DM were the case (n = 2550), and the control (n = 33,956) was the same as GDM genetic analysis for the interaction analysis of GDM genetic risk with lifestyles to influence T2DM risk. The genetic variants for the GDM risk were selected from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), and their PRS from the best model with gene-gene interactions were generated. GDM was positively associated with age at first pregnancy, body mass index (BMI) at age 20, and education level. A previous GDM diagnosis increased the likelihood of elevated fasting serum glucose concentrations and HbA1c contents by 8.42 and 9.23 times in middle-aged and older women. However, it was not associated with the risk of any other metabolic syndrome components. Breast-feeding (≥1 year) was inversely associated with the T2DM risk in later life. In the genetic variant-genetic variant interaction, the best model with 5-SNPs included PTPRD_rs916855529, GPC6_rs9589710, CDKAL1_rs7754840, PRKAG2_rs11975504, and PTPRM_rs80164908. The PRS calculated from the 5-SNP model was positively associated with the GDM risk by 3.259 (2.17–4.89) times after adjusting GDM-related covariates. The GDM experience interacted with PRS for the T2DM risk. Only in non-GDM women PRS was positively associated with T2DM risk by 1.36-times. However, long breastfeeding did not interact with the PRS for T2DM risk. Among dietary patterns, only a Korean-style balanced diet (KBD) showed an interaction with PRS for the T2DM risk. Participants with a low-PRS had the lowest serum glucose concentrations in the high KBD intake but not low KBD intake. In conclusion, participants with a high PRS for GDM risk are positively associated with T2DM risk, and breastfeeding for ≥1 year and consuming KBD offset the PRS for GDM risk to influence T2DM risk in middle-aged and older.