Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biosafety evaluation of ethanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves on liver and kidney of wistar rats

Abstract. Yakubu OE, Abu MS, Innocent OC, Onuche JI. 2022. Biosafety evaluation of ethanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves on liver and kidney of wistar rats. Asian J Nat Prod Biochem 20: 1-5. Medicinal plants such as Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. have played a significant role in maintaining human health since ancient times. Documented evidence shows that the plant has been used to treat various ailments. Still, its biosafety on vital organs such as the liver and kidney has not been specifically studied. The study was designed to ascertain the biosafety of ethanolic extract of P. amarus leaves on the liver and kidney of wistar rats. A total of twenty (20) wistar rats were used, divided into 4 groups of 5 animals each (Group A, B, C, D). Group B, C, D received 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg of the extract, respectively. Group A (Control) received only distilled water. The treatment was carried out for two weeks. At the end of the experiments, the animals were sacrificed. Afterward, liver function and renal function evaluation were conducted. The indicators of liver function include Total protein (TP), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Albumin (ALB), Direct bilirubin (DB), and total bilirubin (TB) were determined. The indicators of renal function include sodium ion (Na+), potassium ion (k+), Chlorine ion (Cl-), urea, and creatinine. The results showed that the parameters of the liver function of treated animals were no significant (p>0.0) difference compared to the normal rats (control). Concentrations of sodium ions (Na+), potassium ions (k+), chlorine ions (Cl-), urea, and creatinine of the treated animals were statistically comparable to the normal rats at (p<0.05). This research showed that P. amarus did not induce hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity at the dose of 100-400 mg/kg BW. Furthermore, this finding has validated the use of P. amarus as a traditional herb for treating and managing several diseases, including kidney and liver diseases, without any significant organ damage.
Adoption social workers’ perspectives on same-sex couples’ right to adopt in Greece

Abstract This qualitative study explores the perceptions of adoption social workers in Greece regarding same-sex couples’ right to adopt. All 15 participants stressed that they always take the child’s best interest into consideration when assessing prospective parents; however, very different interpretations were evident regarding what this best-interest principle entails if a same-sex couple were to be the prospective adoptive parents. Four participants expressed their full support for same-sex adoption, four were firmly against it, while the rest focused on expressing their reservations. Implications for social work practice and social work education are discussed.
Determinants of combining budgetary innovations at the local level: experience from Slovakia

Slovakia belongs to a highly decentralised group of European countries, espe ­ cially in terms of autonomy of local governments. The structure of local govern ­ ments is extremely fragmented and therefore the individual capacities of many of them can be quite limited. Programme performance-based budgeting was intro ­ duced as a compulsory budgetary innovation for all larger local governments several years ago. Moreover, dozens of them have already experienced participa ­ tory budgeting. The aim of this article is to analyse the links between programme performance­based budgeting and participatory budgeting as local budgetary innovations and to identify the key political factors influencing the spread and durability of participatory budgeting in Slovakia. The findings show that in most municipalities there is a link between PB and PPBB, which is rather positive and could help to sustain PB in the municipality. The second part of the research reveals two political determinants influencing the success of participatory budget ­ ing in Slovakia.
Smartocracy: Context entanglement of the smart city idea and bureaucracy in Russia

This paper explores how the smart city idea unfolds in the bureaucratic context. Applying a qualitative approach and the Scandinavian stream of translation theory, we investigate the case of cities’ ‘smartification’ in Russia during 2017–2020. Tracking mechanisms and outcomes of translation, we see the encounter of the smart city idea and bureaucracy as context entanglement, with smartocracy as an epilogue. Context entanglement refers to the mutual co-translation of the smart city idea and bureaucracy by means of formal and informal mechanisms, implying that what happens with bureaucracy or the smart city cannot be fully described without considering what happens with the other. Smart city vagueness and complexity appear to be both strengths and weaknesses that can be compensated for by bureaucracy as the smart city assemblage point. Smartocracy appears as a new way to organize cities whereby bureaucracy deals with smart city creatively: it keeps the core of bureaucracy while simultaneously reinforcing it and isolating some complex idea elements for later translation. This approach helps keep bureaucracy as a rational form of city modernization while maintaining smart cities’ promise to improve urban futures.
Application of Cutting-Edge Tools in Built Environment Architecture Research: Prospects and Challenges

The rapid technological advancements in the 21st century have been galvanized by the development of innovative tools which have aided research undertakings that have yielded breakthroughs whose influence is ubiquitous in human society. At the center of this research are higher institutions of learning like universities and other advanced research institutes. To meet the expected level of output and innovations, these institutions rely on cutting-edge tools for problem formulation and investigation, information dissemination, and data analytics. One such area of research is the built environment in which architecture plays a central role. To be effective, modern architectural designs and practices require the use of cutting-edge tools which are undergirded by technology in order to meet the demands of an evolving human society. It is against this backdrop that this paper investigates the prospects and challenges of applying innovative tools in the field of architectural research for the built environment. Four tools that are tangential to this study are DepthMapX, AutoCAD, MATLAB, and SPSS. The paper will examine these tools and the advantages these tools bring to architectural built environment research, and the likely challenges to be encountered if these tools are to be fully utilized. The context of this study is the tertiary level of education in Nigeria.
Study the oxidative stress parameters in serum and saliva of the workers at the heavy fuel oil combustion unite

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of the pollutants emitted from the combustion of heavy fuel oil (HFO) on the workers’ health who are working at this unit. This was done by checking the changes in serum and saliva total oxidant status ( TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the oxidative stress index (OSI). The participants of the study were male workers (N= 83) who are working at the combustion of HFO unit in the electricity Dora station. They were divided into subgroups according to: their age, smoking habit, and the service period. Age and gender matched healthy individuals, (N=53) were also included in the study as a control group. Serum and saliva total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured using Erel's methods and OSI was calculated. Serum (TOS) and (OSI) levels were found to be higher (p-value <0.000) in the workers than in controls with a reduced levels of antioxidants (p-value <0.05) in these workers.
Pleural fluid lysozyme as a diagnostic biomarker of pleural tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Pleural fluid lysozyme (LP) and its ratio to serum lysozyme (LP/LS) have been proposed as potential biomarkers for diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE). We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of LP and LP/LS for TPE and evaluated their ability to differentiate TPE from other effusions. Methods: We queried the PubMed and Embase databases for studies indexed until October 2021. We included studies that (a) provided information regarding the sensitivity and specificity of LP or LP/LS for the diagnosis of TPE, or (b) compared LP or LP/LS between TPE and malignant or parapneumonic effusions. We used hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic plots to model summary sensitivity and specificity. Random effects modeling was employed to pool standardized mean differences (SMD) across descriptive studies comparing TPE and other effusions. Results: We included 11 publications in our review, most of which were small and of poor quality. The summary estimates for sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53–1.00), 0.89 (95% CI 0.63–0.97), and 129.88 (95% CI 6.26–2695), and 0.98 (95% CI 0.58–1.00), 0.91 (95% CI 0.84–0.96), and 708.47 (95% CI 11.42–43946), respectively, for LP and LP/LS. Mean LP and LP/LS in TPE were significantly higher than in malignant effusions (summary SMD 1.51 [95% CI 1.04–1.98] and 1.77 [95% CI 1.31–2.22], respectively), and parapneumonic effusions (summary SMD 0.86 [95% CI 0.51–1.22] and 1.15 [95% CI 0.64–1.66], respectively). Conclusion: There is low-quality evidence of good diagnostic accuracy for both LP and LP/LS in identifying TPE, the latter being marginally superior.
Early Assessment of Cardiac Function by Echocardiography in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Objective To offer a baseline for clinical diagnosis, echocardiography was performed to evaluate the disparities in heart function comparing pregnant women with diabetes mellitus (GDM) and ordinary pregnant women. Methods A prospective case-control study is being conducted on pregnant women with or without gestational diabetes. The sample size for both the intervention and control groups is the same: no diabetes diagnosis or previous forms, a single pregnancy, and no issues (such as preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction). The females were all subjected to routine echocardiograms to examine the morphology and function of their left and right hearts. Results In the research, 51 women with GDM and 50 healthy controls volunteered. Women with GDM had a significantly higher heartrate (82 ± 9 vs. 74 ± 8), left ventricular (LV) relative wall thickness (0.39 ± 0.06 vs. 0.31 ± 0.07; P < 0.001), LV early diastolic transmitral valve velocity (E) (0.79 ± 0.14 vs. 0.72 ± 0.13 m/s; P = 0.031), and LV late diastolic implementing regulations valve velocity (0.6). Speckle-tracking analysis showed significant decrease in LV right ventricular (RV). A study indicated a reduced pulmonary acceleration time (59 ± 9 vs. 68 ± 12 ms; P = 0.001), RV E/A ratio (1.21 ± 0.19 vs. 1.31 ± 0.31; P = 0.022), and a greater RV myocardial systolic annular velocity (0.17 ± 0.03 vs. 0.12 ± 0.03; P = 0.023). Conclusions Our results revealed that the heart function of diabetic pregnant women differed considerably from that of the control group, such as LV-RWT, LV diastolic transmitral valve speed, and LV late diastolic transmitral valve speed. Given these results, further research into the postpartum cardiovascular healing of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus is required.
Cuprous oxide-based cathodes for photocatalytic water splitting

3 Preface . 5 1. Motivation . 8 1.1 Hydrogen as fuel . 10 1.2 (Photo)electrochemical water splitting . 11 1.3 Photoelectrochemical cells . 12 1.3.1 Absorber layer . 14 1.3.2 Window layers . 16 1.3.3 Co-catalyst . 19 1.3. 4 Evaluating a PEC cell . 20 1.3. 5 The Challenge . 22 2. Approach followed in the thesis . 24 2.1 Materials . 24 2.2 Architectures . 26 2.3 State-of-the-art . 28 3. Properties of utilized materials . 30 3.1 Substate . 30 3.1.1 Indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass . 30 3.1.2 Steel foil . 30 3.2 Absorber layer . 31 3.3 n-type semiconductors . 34 3.3.1 Zn(O,S), ZnO . 34 3.1.2 Niobium-doped Titanium oxide (NTO) . 35 3.2 Co-catalyst . 35 3.2.2 Platinum . 36 4. Electrochemical deposition (ECD) of Cu2O . 37 4.1 Preparation of the solution for the ECD of Cu2O . 37 4.2 Substrate types and preparation . 37 4.3 Electrochemical deposition setup . 38 4.4 Description of the electrochemical reactions. 39 4.5 Determination of the deposition potential . 40 4.6 Potentiostatic deposition of Cu2O. 45 4.6. 1 Deposition and characterization of Cu2O on glass/ITO . 46 4.6. 2 Deposition and characterization of Cu2O on steel foil . 49 4.7 Sputter deposition of window and co-catalyst layers . 52 4.8 Sputter deposition of ZnOS and NTO layers. 54 4.9 Sputter deposition of co-catalyst layers . 55 5. Results and discussion . 56
Direct Numerical Simulation Studies of Sedimentation of Spherical Particles

Department of Chemical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy Direct Numerical Simulation Studies of Sedimentation of Spherical Particles by Adnan Hamid The behavior of sedimenting particles is investigated widely due to its ubiquitous nature and industrial applications, such as paper and pulp, water purification and hydro-power dams. Despite the extensive research, sedimentation is still an active area of non-equilibrium dynamics due to its paradoxical nature. In order to explore this enigmatic phenomena, we performed direct numerical simulations of mono-dispersed spherical particles, using the smoothed profile method and investigated the evolution of its microstructure, static (time independent) and dynamic properties (time dependent): (1) at finite Peclet number (Pe) in the Stokes regime, which measures the interplay of thermal and hydrodynamic forces; (2) at high Pe and low Reynolds number (Re), where particles show typical non-Brownian characteristics; (3) at finite Re, where inertial forces have significant effects on transport properties. Firstly, we investigated the scaling of hydrodynamic velocity fluctuations and the self-diffusion of sedimenting particles at finite Pe over a moderate range of volume fractions (0.01 ≤ φ ≤ 0.12). We found a complete transition from an isotropic microstructure at low Pe due to the dominance of the thermal force to an anisotropic microstructure at high Pe, where particles preferred to orient themselves in the horizontal direction with respect to neighbouring particles. Apart from these two regimes, we also observed a transition regime, where both of these forces interplay. We observed that at Pe& 30, velocity fluctuations scaled with the Stokes velocity, their relaxation times scaled with the Stokes time and the particle diffusion scaled with the product of the Stokes velocity and the particle radius remained unchanged, showing the dominating effects of hydrodynamic forces. Moreover, the diffusion anisotropy increased with increasing Pe and saturated at high Pe values. Secondly, we investigated the non-Brownian sedimenting particles (Pe& 80) over a wide range of volume fractions from 0.01 to 0.5. The microstructure analysis of the suspension showed that at low volume fractions, the anisotropic microstructure determined the transport properties and at φ & 0.15, many-body interactions dominated the phenomena, whereas a cross-over existed in between these two regimes. We found that hydrodynamic velocity fluctuations scaled as φ 1/2, both parallel and perpendicular to gravity at the low volume fraction regime (φ . 0.04) due to
Variational Inequalities with Applications: A Study of Antiplane Frictional Contact Problems

Background on Functional Analysis. - Preliminaries. - Function Spaces. - Variational Inequalities. - Elliptic Variational Inequalities. - Evolutionary Variational Inequalities with Viscosity. - Evolutionary Variational Inequalities. - Volterra-type Variational Inequalities. - Background on Contact Mechanics. - Modeling of Contact Processes. - Antiplane Shear. - Antiplane Frictional Contact Problems. - Elastic Problems. - Viscoelastic Problems with Short Memory. - Viscoelastic Problems with Long Memory.
Thermocapillary effects in liquid bridges. I - Thermocapillary convection. II - Deformation of the interface and capillary instability

The steady thermocapillary convection in an axisymmetric liquid bridge in the absence of gravitational forces is considered. The relative change in the surface tension is assumed to be very small, i.e., the appropriate capillary number is much less than 1. A detailed analysis of the flow field is carried out for cylindrical bridges. The field equations are simplified by neglecting convective effects (Marangoni number M=0, Reynolds number Re=0). The effects of the bridge aspect ratio, differential heating of the side walls, and arbitrary heating of the free surface are analyzed numerically. The results show that flow patterns consisting of one, two, three, or more columns of vortices, or of their superposition, may exist in the liquid, depending on the type of heating. Decrease of the aspect ratio (long bridges) results in an emergence of the core zones of almost parallel flow. Increase of the aspect ratio (short bridges) leads to the emergence of several layers of vortices, with the strength of each layer.
Probing Linguistic Knowledge in Italian Neural Language Models across Language Varieties

In this paper, we present an in-depth investigation of the linguistic knowledge encoded by the transformer models currently available for the Italian language. In particular, we investigate how the complexity of two different architectures of probing models affects the performance of the Transformers in encoding a wide spectrum of linguistic features. Moreover, we explore how this implicit knowledge varies according to different textual genres and language varieties.
Trace Mineral Levels in Postmenopausal Women Compared to Premenopausal Women Living Within Port Harcourt Metropolis

Aim: The physiological transformation of women from pre to post-menopause is often accompanied with many changes in biochemical parameters which instigates some physiological alterations in the body system of the women. Research has shown some alterations in trace mineral nutrition and metabolism following attainment of menopause. This study was aimed at investigating the trace mineral status in premenopausal and postmenopausal women in Port-Harcourt metropolis. Methods: This study was carried out among fifty (50) apparently healthy postmenopausal women aged between 45-65 years and twenty (20) premenopausal women aged between 22-38 years. Five milliliters (5 mL) of venous blood was withdrawn from each participant after an informed consent was obtained. Blood samples were emptied into a plain tube and allowed to clot. Samples were spun and serum separated into separate tubes and stored at -200C until analysis. Serum levels of trace mineral magnesium, calcium, zinc and copper were evaluated using Atomic absorption Spectrophotometer ELICO, India, Model No. SL173. Data generated were analyzed using Graph-Pad Prism version 8.0. 2 and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Result reveal a significant reduction in serum levels of magnesium in post-menopausal women (0.39± 0.29 mmol/L) when compared with the premenopausal women (1.14 ± 0.54 mmol/L) (P< 0.0001). Similarly, the serum zinc declined in postmenopausal women 6.12 ± 6.42mmol/L compared with the premenopausal women 23.02± 12.25mmol/L (P< 0.0001). However, serum levels of copper and calcium were not statistically different in the two groups (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The findings in this work suggests a decrease in serum zinc and magnesium levels in postmenopausal women, hence dietary supplements of these trace minerals is advocated for post-menopausal women.
Genetic evidence to inform management of rare genetic variants and gene flow: Balancing the conservation of the rare “Spirit bear” allele and population genetic diversity across a complex landscape

Incorporating genetic considerations into wildlife management can require balancing the conservation of rare genetic variants with the maintenance of gene flow. One system illustrating such trade‐offs is coastal British Columbia, Canada, where black bears (Ursus americanus) can carry a genetic variant responsible for white‐coated “Spirit bears. ” We examined population genetic structure, diversity, and gene flow using 22 microsatellite loci for 357 individuals collected over a 23,500 km2 area from a long‐term noninvasive bear monitoring collaboration among the Gitga'at, Kitasoo/Xai'xais, Nuxalk, Haíɫzaqv, and Wuikinuxv First Nations and partnering scientists. We found broad‐ (two groups) and fine‐scale (eight groups) population structures. At the finer scale, three islands formed unique genetic groups and four genetic groups showed heterozygote deficiency, including two populations containing Spirit bear alleles. We additionally created effective estimation of migration surfaces and found that breaks among genetic groups and areas of lower than average migration aligned with wide waterways (>2 km). Given the apparent isolation of island groups, heterozygote deficiencies, and the distribution of the rare Spirit bear allele, we provide recommendations to prevent the loss of Spirit bear allele carriers and individuals contributing genetic diversity to isolated, genetically depauperate groups. More broadly, we highlight the value of locally led, fine‐scale genetic monitoring for wildlife management.
Effects of Fermented Banana Stem as Corn Substitutes on Performance and Protein Utilization in Growing-Finishing Pigs

The objective of this study was to test banana stem silage as a substitute for corn on the performance and protein utilization rate of Duroc crosses pigs in the rearing phase. A total of 12 Duroc crosses pigs in the rearing phase with an average initial weight of 51.25 kg (KV = 7.02%). A completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 3 replicates was used in this study. The treatments were T0: ration without a mixture of fermented banana stems (FBS), T1: ration with 5% FBS instead of cornmeal, T2: ration with 10% FBS instead of cornmeal, and T3: ration with 15% FBS instead of cornmeal. The variables measured were ration consumption, daily weight gain, ration utilization and protein utilization efficiency. The results showed that the use of FBS up to 15% (instead of 40% corn) had no effect on ration consumption, daily weight gain, ration utilization and protein utilization efficiency. Therefore, it can be concluded that banana stems can be used at 15% in the ration of Duroc crosses pigs in the rearing phase as a substitute for corn meal.