Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of E-Waste Awareness in Medical Facilities in Nakuru Town, Kenya.

The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness levels of e-waste in medical facilities in Nakuru town, Kenya. With the growing e-waste problem and low awareness levels, there is a need to assess e-waste awareness in medical facilities in Nakuru town. This will help in understanding how the relevant stakeholders perceive e-waste and their awareness levels on the different e-waste issues. Questionnaires were administered to medical facilities administrators and personnel in charge of waste management in the medical facilities. From the target population of 135 medical facilities, a sample size of 91 was sampled. Convenience sampling was used to choose the facilities. In each facility, one key respondent was sampled. Quantitative data were managed using Statistical Package for social science (SPSS). The results of the study aim to improve the e-waste management initiatives for medical facilities. The study concluded that there is a need to assess and understand how medical facilities are aware of this type of waste and how they perceive it. The study recommends for Awareness creation is a critical tool in waste management; for e-waste to be managed efficiently in medical facilities, there is a need to create awareness. This can include empowering the relevant stakeholders with knowledge on what e-waste is, its dangers, regulations associated with e-waste and knowledge on the best practices for managing the e-waste. The study's findings will be effective in developing better e-waste management initiatives and strengthening waste management in medical facilities.
Phylodynamics and Coat Protein Analysis of Babaco Mosaic Virus in Ecuador

Babaco is a fast-growing herbaceous shrub with great commercial potential because of the organoleptic properties of its fruit. Babaco mosaic virus (BabMV) is a potexvirus in the family Alphaflexiviridae affecting babaco in all the provinces that produce this crop in Ecuador. BabMV was recently described but it has been affecting babaco for decades and, since many potexviruses are serologically indistinguishable, it may have been previously misidentified as papaya mosaic virus. Based on the coat protein (CP) gene, we aimed to study the distribution and epidemiological patterns of BabMV in babaco and chamburo over the years and to model its three-dimensional structure. Sequences of the CP were obtained from thirty-six isolates from plants collected in the main babaco-producing provinces of Ecuador between 2016 and 2021. The evolution rate of BabMV was estimated at 1.21 × 10−3 nucleotide substitutions site−1 year−1 and a time of origin of the most recent common ancestor around 1958.80. From molecular dynamics simulations, compared to other proteins of BabMV—RDRP, TGB1, and Alkb domain—the CP exhibited a higher flexibility with the C and N terminals as the most flexible regions. The reconstructed viral distribution provides dispersion patterns which have implications for control approaches of BabMV.
The Mechanism of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Pathogenic Implication in the Pathogenesis of Gout

The NACHT, LRR, and PYD-domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is an intracellular multi-protein signaling platform that is activated by cytosolic pattern-recognition receptors such as NLRs against endogenous and exogenous pathogens. Once it is activated by a variety of danger signals, recruitment and assembly of NLRP3, ASC, and pro-caspase-1 trigger the processing and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. Multiple intracellular and extracellular structures and molecular mechanisms are involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Gout is an autoinflammatory disease induced by inflammatory response through production of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β by deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the articular joints and periarticular structures. NLRP3 inflammasome is considered a main therapeutic target in MSU crystal-induced inflammation in gout. Novel therapeutic strategies have been proposed to control acute flares of gouty arthritis and prophylaxis for gout flares through modulation of the NLRP3/IL-1 axis pathway. This review discusses the basic mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the IL-1-induced inflammatory cascade and explains the NLRP3 inflammasome-induced pathogenic role in the pathogenesis of gout.
The Effect of the Emergency Physicians' Clinical Decision of Targeted Ultrasonography Application in Non-Traumatic Shock Patients

Introduction Clinical evaluation of non-traumatic shock patients with high risk of mortality and morbidity is problematic for emergency physicians. In this study, changes in the investigations, diagnosis and treatment decision of the physicians using the Abdominal and Cardiac Evaluation with Sonography in Shock (ACES) protocol were examined. Methods In this clinical prospective study, the patients were ultrasonographically examined within the scope of the ACES protocol at 6 quadrants including cardiac, pleural, peritoneal, inferior vena cava and aorta. Pre- and post-US investigations, diagnoses and treatments were compared. Results A total of 141 patients were included in this study. Of these, 92 (65.2%) of the patients were males and 49 (34.8%) were females. The average age of the patients was 62.9±16.8 years (18-97). After the ultrasonographic evaluation, request for new investigations was needed in 25 (17%), and modification of the treatment was needed in 57 (40.4%) of the patients. It was seen that with a targeted ultrasonography (US), the number of the considered pre-diagnoses decreased in 51 (36.2%) of the patients, and the physicians made a new pre-diagnosis in 6 (4.3%) of the patients. When the pre-diagnoses made by the physicians after the US and the final diagnoses clinically made at the end of the follow-up process were compared, there were no changes in the diagnoses in 124 (87.9%) patients. Conclusion Ultrasonographic examination is considered useful for rapid evaluation, early diagnosis and treatment planning in non-traumatic shock patients in emergency department. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2015;22:364-370)
Self-Protection Resonant Beam System for Wireless Information and Power Transfer

Long-range, high-power wireless power transfer (WPT) and high-capacity communication can be achieved simultaneously in the resonant beam system (RBS), characterized with spatially separated transmitter and receiver. However, human safety in space transmission cannot be guaranteed if the transmitted power is above a certain level (e.g., several Watts). Thus, in this article, we propose a self-protection RBS, in which the protective beams embrace the energy-transfer resonant beam and are formed by the refracting part of the resonant beam emitted from the output reflector. If an external object comes across the protective beam whose power is very low, the protective beam transmission is cut off. Meanwhile, the resonant beam is interrupted due to the limit of excitation threshold. Then, we reveal the self-protection mechanism based on electromagnetic field propagation, self-mixing interference effect, and output power model. Afterward, we demonstrate that safe energy transfer can be realized by pumping gain medium with a pumping power that is greater than the threshold of the self-protection RBS and less than that of the unprotected RBS. Finally, the numerical results show that about 4.6-W electric power and 12.8 bps/Hz spectral efficiency can be transmitted at 2-m transmission distance safely in the self-protection RBS. Hence, the self-protection RBS provides a new way for safe simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) without mechanical control.
The Antifungal Itraconazole Is a Potent Inhibitor of Chikungunya Virus Replication

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the causative agent of chikungunya fever, a disabling disease that can cause long-term severe arthritis. Since the last large CHIKV outbreak in 2015, the reemergence of the virus represents a serious public health concern. The morbidity associated with viral infection emphasizes the need for the development of specific anti-CHIKV drugs. Herein, we describe the development and characterization of a CHIKV reporter replicon cell line and its use in replicon-based screenings. We tested 960 compounds from MMV/DNDi Open Box libraries and identified four candidates with interesting antiviral activities, which were confirmed in viral infection assays employing CHIKV-nanoluc and BHK-21 cells. The most noteworthy compound identified was itraconazole (ITZ), an orally available, safe, and cheap antifungal, that showed high selectivity indexes of >312 and >294 in both replicon-based and viral infection assays, respectively. The antiviral activity of this molecule has been described against positive-sense single stranded RNA viruses (+ssRNA) and was related to cholesterol metabolism that could affect the formation of the replication organelles. Although its precise mechanism of action against CHIKV still needs to be elucidated, our results demonstrate that ITZ is a potent inhibitor of the viral replication that could be repurposed as a broad-spectrum antiviral.
Optimization of a Non-Traditional Vibration Absorber for Vibration Suppression and Energy Harvesting

This paper investigates the optimization of a non-traditional vibration absorber for simultaneous vibration suppression and energy harvesting. Unlike a traditional vibration absorber, the non-traditional vibration absorber has its damper connected between the absorber mass and the base. An electromagnetic energy harvester is used as a tunable absorber damper. This non-traditional vibration absorber is attached to a primary system that is subjected to random base excitation. An analytical study is conducted by assuming that the base excitation is white noise. In terms of vibration suppression, the objective of the optimization is to minimize the power dissipated by the primary damper and maximize the power dissipated by the absorber damper. It is found that when the primary system is undamped, the power dissipated by the absorber damper remains a constant that is related to the mass ratio. The higher the mass ratio, the higher the power dissipated. When the primary system is damped, the minimization of the power dissipated by the primary damping is equivalent to the maximization of the power dissipated by the absorber damper. The existence of the optimum solutions depends on both the mass ratio and the primary damping ratio. In terms of energy harvesting, the objective of optimization is to maximize the power harvested by the load resistor. It is found that for a given mass ratio and primary damping ratio, the optimum frequency tuning ratio required to maximize vibration suppression is slightly higher than that required to maximize the harvested power. The trade-off issue between vibration suppression and energy harvesting is investigated. An apparatus is developed to allow frequency tuning and damping tuning. Both the numerical simulation and experimental study with band-limited white noise validate the general trends revealed in the analytical study.
Table banking plus certified organic agriculture: an integrated microfinance approach to sustainable livelihoods

ABSTRACT The understanding of integrated microfinance effects has been limited by variability in the sector and microfinance studied. While sectors ranged from health to agriculture and microfinance varied from special-licensed banks to non-governmental organizations; table banking plus organic agriculture received no research attention. This study analyzed the effects of table banking plus certified organic agriculture on sustainable livelihoods. Using propensity score matching, the study found that table banking plus certified organic agriculture increases social and financial capital, but reduces incomes and food consumption. Therefore, table banking plus certified organic agriculture increases livelihood capitals, but reduces livelihood outcomes.
OVERWINTERING OF SOME HARDY IRIS SPECIES IN AGROBOTANICAL GARDEN UASVM CLUJ-NAPOCA

In this study conducted in two winter seasons on eight Iris species of hardiness seven from Agrobotanical Garden UASVM Cluj-Napoca, by exploring the link between temperature and senescence it was shown that this factor affects differently the iris species in relation to leaf senescence onset and progression. It was observed that temperature variation from one studied overwintering interval to another seems to cause a stronger response in some semi-evergreen species (I. pallida, I. orientalis). Climatic data from last five winters suggests that hardy iris species that can withstand temperatures that reach -20°C and lower are best suited for Cluj County.
Prunella vulgaris L. – A Review of its Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Quality Control and Pharmacological Effects

Prunella vulgaris L. (PVL) is dried fruit spike of Lamiacea plant Prunella vulgaris L. , which is a perennial herb with medicinal and edible homology used for thousands of years. PVL is bitter, acrid, cold, and belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians. It clears the liver and dissipate fire, improve vision, disperse swelling, and has satisfactory clinical therapeutic effects on many diseases such as photophobia, dizziness, scrofula, goiter, breast cancer. The collection of information and data related to PVL comes from literatures retrieved and collated from various online scientific databases (such as CNKI, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Research Gate, Science Database), ancient books of traditional chinese medicine (Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine), and Doctoral and Master’s Dissertations. Currently, the major chemical constituents isolated and identified from PVL are triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, volatile oils and polysaccharides. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that PVL has a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antibacterial and antiviral effects, as well as immune regulation, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, antioxidant, free radical scavenging, liver protection, sedative and hypnotic effects. This paper reviewes the botany, ethnopharmacology, traditional application, phytochemistry, analytical methods, quality control, pharmacological effects of PVL. It can be used not only as medicine, but also gradually integrated into the “medicine and food homology” and “Chinese medicine health” boom. More importantly, it has great potential for drug resources development. This paper deeply discusses the shortcomings of current PVL research, and proposes corresponding solutions, in order to find a breakthrough point for PVL research in the future. At the same time, it is necessary to further strengthen the research on its medicinal chemistry, mechanism of action and clinical application efficacy in the future, and strive to extract, purify and synthesize effective components with high efficiency and low toxicity, so as to improve the safety and rationality of clinical medication.
Developing English Majors’ Comprehension of Literary Texts and Online Self-Regulated Language Learning Skills via Literature Circles 2.0

To cope with the virtual learning mode that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed and driven by the desire to enhance students’ ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate their online learning, the current study sought to digitalize the Literature Circles model and investigate its effect on developing English majors’ comprehension skills of literary texts and online self-regulated language learning skills in an EFL context. Literature Circles 2.0 was adopted to teach the Literary Reading course that includes five short stories and a one-act play. To achieve the purpose of the study, two tools were implemented: Test of Literary Reading Comprehension Skills and Online Self-Regulated Language Learning Skills Questionnaire (Barnard et al., 2009). Sixty English majors, divided into two equivalent groups, participated in the study. The control group studied the course using the traditional teaching method, teacher-centered, which relies on lecturing, whereas the experimental group studied the same course using the Literature Circles 2.0, whereby students worked autonomously in an online virtual environment. The study results revealed the significant effect of Literature Circles 2.0 on developing the students’ comprehension of literary texts as they were demonstrated to be involved personally and emotionally in the active learning process of the course. Meanwhile, the students of the experimental group displayed a significant mastery of the online self-regulated language learning skills. Based on the students’ significant improvement in processing, comprehending, and extracting the meaning of literary texts, the study concluded that the Literature Circles 2.0 proved to be an effective approach to promoting students’ comprehension of literary texts. Therefore, the study conclusively recommends the use of Literature Circles 2.0 in teaching such texts.
Disentangling the Evidence of Milankovitch Forcing From Tree-Ring and Sedimentary Records

Tree-ring records constitute excellent high-resolution data and provide valuable information for climate science and paleoclimatology. Tree-ring reconstructions of past temperature variations agree to show evidence for annual-to-centennial anomalies in past climate and place the industrial-era warming in the context of the late Holocene climate patterns and regimes. Despite their wide use in paleoclimate research, however, tree rings have also been deemed unsuitable as low-frequency indicators of past climate. The arising debate concerns whether the millennia-long tree-ring records show signals of orbital forcing due to the Milankovitch cycles. Here, we produce a summer-temperature reconstruction from tree-ring chronology running through mid- and late-Holocene times (since 5486 BCE) comprising minimum blue channel light intensity (BI). The BI reconstruction correlates with existing and new tree-ring chronologies built from maximum latewood density (MXD) and, unlike the MXD data, shows temperature trends on Milankovitch scales comparable to various types of sedimentary proxy across the circumpolar Arctic. Our results demonstrate an unrevealed potential of novel, unconventional tree-ring variables to contribute to geoscience and climate research by their capability to provide paleoclimate estimates from inter-annual scales up to those relevant to orbital forcing.
Genomic Breakpoints’ Characterization of a Large CHEK2 Duplication in an Italian Family with Hereditary Breast Cancer

CHEK2 (checkpoint kinase 2; MIM# 604373) is a tumor suppressor gene that encodes a serine threonine kinase involved in pathways such as DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, mitosis, and apoptosis. Pathogenic variants in CHEK2 contribute to a moderately increased risk of breast and other cancers. Several variant classes have been reported, either point mutations or large intragenic rearrangements. However, a significant portion of reported variants has an uncertain clinical significance. We report an intragenic CHEK2 duplication, ranging from intron 5 to intron 13, identified in an Italian family with hereditary breast cancer. Using long range PCR, with duplication-specific primers, we were able to ascertain the genomic breakpoint. We also performed a real-time PCR to assess a possible loss-of-function effect. The genomic characterization of large intragenic rearrangements in cancer susceptibility genes is important for the clinical management of the carriers and for a better classification of rare variants. The molecular definition of breakpoints allows for the prediction of the impact of the variant on transcripts and proteins, aiding in its characterization and clinical classification.
Determination of the height of destressed zone above the mined panel: An ANN model

The paper describes an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the height of destressed zone (HDZ) which is taken as equivalent to the combined height of caved and fractured zones above the mined panel in longwall mining. For this, the suitable datasets have been collected from the literatures and prepared for modeling. The data were used to construct a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network to approximate the unknown nonlinear relationship between the input parameters and HDZ. The MLP proposed model predicted values in enough agreements with the measured ones in a satisfactory correlation, in which, a high conformity (R2=0.989) was observed. To approve the capability of proposed ANN model, the obtained results are compared to the results of the conventional regression analysis (CRA) method. The calculated performance evaluation indices show the higher level of accuracy of the proposed ANN model compared to CRA. For further evaluation, the ANN model results are compared with the results of available models and in-situ measurements reported in literatures. Comparative results present a logical agreement between ANN model and available methods. Obtained results remark that the proposed ANN model is a suitable tool in HDZ estimation. At the end of modeling, the parametric study shows that the most effective parameter is unit weight whereas elastic modulus is the least effective parameter on the HDZ in this study.
Evaluation of recycled asphalt pavement using economic, environmental, and energy metrics based on long-term pavement performance sections

Recycled materials have been used in roadway construction for years. Recently, with the advancement of material processing equipment and mix design technologies involving Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP), RAP’s use in pavement construction is increasing. RAP’s various desirable properties spur its use in sustainable development. These merits include energy conservation in mix production, cost savings in material consumption, and environmental protection. Although asphalt mix is considered to be recyclable – meaning RAP could be a sustainable material – in-depth studies verifying and quantifying its effectiveness are limited in the literature. Based on real-world data from pavements constructed with 35% RAP and virgin mixes, this study comprehensively evaluates the sustainability of RAP from three different aspects including cost, energy, and environment. The life cycle cost analysis based on RealCost and life cycle assessment based on PaLATE is used to compare RAP and virgin alternatives. The results suggest that using RAP is more economically efficient and environmentally viable than virgin pavement if thin asphalt overlay is involved. The findings of this study support RAP’s use in current pavement rehabilitation practice, which usually involves relatively thin asphalt overlays.