Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of Tuberculosis among Residents of Informal Settlements: A Case of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Nairobi

Abstract: A TB prevalence survey conducted by National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Lung Disease-Program (NTLD-P) in 2016 revealed that the burden of TB in Kenya is higher than the previous assumptions. Additionally, it demonstrated that there was a higher burden of TB in urban compared to rural settings consistent with routine TB data collection which shows a higher notification in the big cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. There is need to find out factors contributing to the large TB burden in Kenya, especially in the escalating slums near cities such as Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum. The current study assessed existing knowledge regarding TB causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The study population consisted of residents of Mukuru kwa Njenga who had lived in the area for at least one month aged above 18 years, from both genders. Household survey was the major source of data for the demographics and socio-economic status of the participants who verbally consented to participating in the study. Focused group discussions were conducted with TB patients on intensive phase of treatment at the facility. Descriptive analysis with the help of SPSS was conducted. A majority of the respondents did not know additional symptom of TB other than cough (n=126, 51.2%) while (23% n=57) did not know how TB is transmitted. Additionally, (82 % n=203) of the respondents knew what causes TB. While adequate ventilation is key in TB prevention, majority of houses in this location had one room (94%, n=232) with a majority with only one window (89.4% n=220) and 41% n=102 with more than four occupants per house. The study concluded that the community suffers overcrowding, poor housing and lacks the ability to detect or diagnose TB occurrences earlier in order to acquire early treatment.
STRENGTH AND THERMAL STABILITY OF FLY ASH-BASED

This paper presents the engineering properties of geopolymer mortar manufactured from class F (low calcium) fly ash from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, with potassium-based alkaline reactor. Tests were carried out on 50x50x50 mm cube geopolymer mortar specimens. The results revealed that as the concentration of KOH increased, the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar increases. The range of potassium silicate to KOH solution ratio by mass to produce high strength geopolymer mortar is in between 0.8 – 1.5. This study also found that geopolymer posses superior thermal stability at least up to 800°C. The setting time of geopolymer was found dependent on the alkaline concentration.
Five different foods in initial development of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

The aim of this study was to test the use of five different foods for the initial growth of the Betta splendens. The experiment was performed in randomized design with five treatments and five replications, 125 animals with average initial weight of 0.0013±0.0003 g and length averaging 0.56±0.04 cm. The treatments were: T1 Artemia nauplii, T2 egg yolk, T3 feed powder, T4 Daphnia and T5 plankton, provided for 30 days. At the end, we measured the standard length, total length, height, weight, specific growth rate, specific development rate and survival. Statistical difference was observed at 5% for survival and the level of 5% for other variables by the Tukey test, being the Artemia nauplii the food with best results for all variables, following then the egg yolk and feed powder that did not differ statistically.
Correspondence between Dental and Skeletal Maturity Parameters Among Patients with Different Sagittal Relationships at the end of Puberty Period

Objective of the research was to evaluate level of correspondence between skeletal and dental maturity parameters and their relation to chronological age among orthodontic patients with different sagittal relationship at the end of puberty period. A sample of 61 patients’ datasets (clinical records, OPG, cephalogram) aged 15-17 years old was divided into 3 subgroups considering specifics of sagittal relationship (I, II and III Class). For each subgroup evaluation of dental age and staging of teeth development were provided with the use of Demirjian’s method. Evaluation of skeletal maturity was provided with the use of cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method by the analysis of present cephalograms.85. 24% persons were registered with H stage of second molars development, 80.32% persons with H stage of canines development, and 95.08% persons with H stage of second premolars development with no statistical differences of developmental stages distribution of above mentioned teeth between I, II and III Class (p >0.05). Correlation values between canine developmental stages and CS5 and CS6 were equal to the range of 0.52-0.64 and 0.60-0.69 respectively; between second premolar developmental stages and CS5 and CS6 – 0.610. 67 and 0.60-0.69 respectively; between second molar developmental stages and CS5 and CS6 – 0.51-0.53 and 0.50-0.58 respectively. Obtained results allow to resume that deviations of dental age among persons with different sagittal relationship prior to orthodontic treatment characterized with the analogical tendencies of distribution, thus providing us with primary evidences for theoretical hypothesis that dental maturation patterns used for dental age estimation are not influenced by the fact of different sagittal relationship itself. However, obtained results are not competent to conclude that essential causes of sagittal relationship changes have no effect on dental maturation processes. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2020; 13(1): 223-228)
Empirical Validation of Single-Room Heat Transfer Models under Uncertainty

This study enhances the empirical validation framework proposed by Li et al. (2017) and demonstrates it with real measurement data from a set of controlled single-room heat transfer experiments. Models were created based on the test facility and experiment descriptions, and measurement data from various types of on-site sensors. Experimental and model uncertainties were quantified and propagated based on the literature and sensor accuracy. The probabilistic absolute error (PAE) and several of its variations were developed and used as the metrics to evaluate the agreement between estimations and observations under uncertainty. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify the influential uncertain inputs on the agreements. Results of the analysis suggest that substantial discrepancies between the current models and the measurements are present in many test scenarios and are most likely caused by remaining model assumptions, simplifications, and solution process errors that are not yet considered in the uncertainty characterization. Detailed investigations and more information and data gathering are warranted for next steps.
Endothelial to mesenchymal transition contributes to nicotine-induced atherosclerosis

Rationale: Nicotine exposure via cigarette smoking is strongly associated with atherosclerosis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The current study aimed to identify whether endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) contributes to nicotine-induced atherosclerosis. Methods: ApoE-/- mice were administered nicotine in their drinking water for 12 weeks. The effects of nicotine on EndMT were determined by immunostaining on aortic root and RNA analysis in aortic intima. In vitro nicotine-treated cell model was established on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). The effects of nicotine on the expression of EndMT-related markers, ERK1/2 and Snail were quantified by real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescent staining. Results: Nicotine treatment resulted in larger atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE-/- mice. The vascular endothelial cells from nicotine-treated mice showed mesenchymal phenotype, indicating EndMT. Moreover, nicotine-induced EndMT process was accompanied by cytoskeleton reorganization and impaired barrier function. The α7 nicotine acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) was highly expressed in HAECs and its antagonist could effectively relieve nicotine-induced EndMT and atherosclerotic lesions in mice. Further experiments revealed that ERK1/2 signaling was activated by nicotine, which led to the upregulation of Snail. Blocking ERK1/2 with inhibitor or silencing Snail by small interfering RNA efficiently preserved endothelial phenotype upon nicotine stimulation. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that EndMT contributes to the pro-atherosclerotic property of nicotine. Nicotine induces EndMT through α7nAChR-ERK1/2-Snail signaling in endothelial cells. EndMT may be a therapeutic target for smoking-related endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.
EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations on the Clinical Use of Ultrasound Elastography.Part 2: Clinical Applications

Abstract The clinical part of these Guidelines and Recommendations produced under the auspices of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology EFSUMB assesses the clinically used applications of all forms of elastography, stressing the evidence from meta-analyses and giving practical advice for their uses and interpretation. Diffuse liver disease forms the largest section, reflecting the wide experience with transient and shear wave elastography . Then follow the breast, thyroid, gastro-intestinal tract, endoscopic elastography, the prostate and the musculo-skeletal system using strain and shear wave elastography as appropriate. The document is intended to form a reference and to guide clinical users in a practical way.
Effect of Dietary Maillard Reaction Products on Insulin Sensitivity, Metabolic Inflammation and Intestinal Inflammation in Mice Fed the Total Western Diet

Effect of Dietary Maillard Reaction Products on Insulin Sensitivity, Metabolic Inflammation, and Intestinal Inflammation in Mice Fed the Total Western Diet by Siyu Xiao, Master of Science Utah State University, 2020 Major Professor: Dr. Robert Ward Department: Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences The effects of dietary Maillard reaction products (MRPs) on weight gain, glucose metabolism and intestinal health in mice were investigated. Three groups of C57BL6/J mice (n=10/gp) were fed the Total Western Diet (TWD) with different levels of MRPs: MRP0, TWD with low level of MRPs; MRP1, TWD with medium level of MRPs, and MRP2, TWD with high level of MRPs. In this study, only the casein (protein) and sugar components of the diet were cooked to generate MRPs, while in previous studies, whole diet pellets, including lipids, were cooked to generate MRPs. Thus, a complementary experiment was conducted to show the difference in the lipid oxidation level of the diet between this study and previous studies. No significant differences in weight gain were found between three groups during 13 weeks. No significant differences were observed in histology or colitis scores of mice colons after 10 days of oral administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The results of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that normalized area under the curve (AUC) of blood sugar during 120 minutes of MRP0 was significantly higher than that of MRP2 (p < 0.05),
Is fertilizer use inconsistent with expected profitability in Sub Saharan Africa? The case of rice in Nigeria

This article revisits a conventional wisdom that inorganic fertilizer use across sub-Saharan Africa is too low. This expectation that more farmers should be using inorganic fertilizer and at higher rates implies it is profitable to use rates higher than observed if farmers are rational expected profit maximizers. The article exploits the political economy of fertilizer access in Nigeria to get consistent estimates of the effects of applied nitrogen on rice production. We find the yield response to applied nitrogen to be low in the main rice growing farming system. Farmer behavior is not inconsistent with expected profitability which is limited by a low yield response to applied fertilizer, high transportation costs and low selling prices for rice in rural areas.
The Relationships within the Poecilimon ornatus Group (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae) Based on the Cytochrome C Oxidase I Gene

The genus Poecilimon includes 142 species divided into 18 groups. It is distributed throughout the Palaearctic area. One of the groups is the Poecilimon ornatus group, in which many closely related taxa have been identified (13 species). Although several searches have been carried out, the phylogeny and systematics of P. ornatus are only partly resolved. The most dispersed taxon within the group is Poecilimon affinis, having numerous subspecies. Species from the P. ornatus group have been described mainly based on morphological characteristics, as well as type of song. The aim of this study is to clarify the relationships between species from the P. ornatus group by comparing partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene. The analyses were carried out on 84 specimens from 23 taxa. Bush-crickets from the P. ornatus group are monophyletic, in contrast to taxa within the P. affinis complex. Not all of the previously described divisions of the group based on morphology, bioacoustics, distribution, and ecology were confirmed.
PTPROt aggravates inflammation by enhancing NF-κB activation in liver macrophages during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Rationale: Inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type O truncated isoform (PTPROt) is an integral membrane protein that has been identified in osteoclasts, macrophages, and B lymphocytes. However, its relationship between inflammation and NASH is largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to study the function of PTPROt in NASH progression. Methods: We established a NASH mouse model in wild-type (WT), PTPRO knockout mice by western diet (WD) and methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCD). In addition, MCD-induced NASH model was established in BMT mice. Moreover, we determined the expression of PTPROt in liver macrophages in human subjects without steatosis, with simple steatosis, and with NASH to confirm the relationship between PTPROt and NASH. In vitro assays were also performed to study the molecular role of PTPROt in NASH progression. Results: Human samples and animal model results illustrated that PTPROt is increased in liver macrophages during NASH progression and is positively correlated with the degree of NASH. Our animal model also showed that PTPROt in liver macrophages can enhance the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which induces the transcription of genes involved in the inflammatory response. Moreover, PTPROt promotes the transcription of pro-oxidant genes and inhibits antioxidant and protective genes via increased activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby causing an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and damaged mitochondria. This triggers the NLRP3-IL1β axis and causes a heightened inflammatory response. Notably, PTPROt partially limits inflammation and ROS production by promoting mitophagy, which participates in a negative feedback loop in this model. Conclusions: Our data strongly indicate that PTPROt plays a dual role in inflammation via the NF-κB signaling pathway in liver macrophages during NASH. Further studies are required to explore therapeutic strategies and prevention of this common liver disease through PTPROt.
Histopathological Diagnosis of Diseases Affecting Amphibians Inhabiting Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania

Kihansi gorge is a natural habitat to Kihansi spray toad (KST), Nectophrynoides asperginis. The toad is extinct in its natural habitat partly due to diseases. Efforts to successfully re-introduce it are primed by awareness and mitigation of prevalent diseases at the gorge. This study aimed at exploring the prevalent amphibian diseases at and around Kihansi gorge. A total of 182 individuals from Petropedetes yakusini (n = 60), Nectophrynoides tornieri (n = 60) and Leptopelis uluguruensis (n = 62) species were collected, humanely sacrificed, fixed in formalin, routinely processed, sectioned, stained with haematoxylin and eosin and analysed for diseases by histopathology. Disease prevalence (percentage) in P. Yakusini, N. Tornieri and L. uluguruensis were strongyloidiasis 23.3, 31.7 and 29%; chytridiomycosis 8.3, 38.3 and 11.3%; inflammatory reactions 13.3, 6.7 and 14.5%; viral inclusion bodies 15, 11.7 and 9.7%; and granuloma 0, 0 and 1.6%, respectively. It is concluded that there are potentially fatal disease conditions at Kihansi gorge and its surroundings that can threaten the life of the re-introduced KSTs.
Territoriality in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a review

Territory defense by ants is a social process with strong ecological effects. I review the mechanisms by which ants partition space, the behaviors governing individual an d colony territorial responses, and the effects of territory defense on populations and communities. Partitioning of space is sometimes accomplished by massive battles, but w ell defined boundaries are also maintained by less violent mean s, including avoidance of competitors. Ants flexibl y adjust individual and group territorial behavior according to locatio n, scent marks, prior experience, and the local den sity of nestmates and competitors. An ongoing theoretical challenge i s to incorporate these processes into models that a ccur tely predict division of space. Many studies have documented str ong effects of territorial interactions on the grow th, movement, survival, reproduction, and spacing of competing co lonies. Far fewer studies have measured the net eff ct o territoriality on population dynamics. Fighting can be costl y, but there is little evidence that it appreciably reduces worker density or that loss of territoriality promotes the invasiveness of exotic ants. Territorial ants are said to be at the top of competitive hierarchies that structure ant communit ies. Because much of the evidence is based on correl ations, some claims about the community effects of territorialit y have met with skepticism. Nonetheless, there is s trong evidence from diverse habitats that territory defense produc es multi-species mosaics of exclusive foraging area s and that territorial dominants influence the occurrence of some other an t species.
DIODE I-V MODEL FOR AN ILLUMINATED SOLAR CELL

A two-dimensional (2D) analytical model based on the Green’s Function method is applied on a n-p polysilicon solar cell. This model is implemented through a simulation program in order to optimize the conversion efficiency of a PV module constituted of 36 solar cells connected in series. The influence of different physical and geometric parameters like doping density and thickness of different regions of the elementary cell on the conversion efficiency. This study shows that the optimum conversion efficiency of the considered PV module can reach 19,38 %. A half-analytical method was investigated while using a twodiode I-V model to predict the five electrical parameters that characterize the I-V relationship of PV module. These results are in satisfactory agreement with the simulation model of other works.
Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis as a Presentation of Relapse in Adenocarcinoma of Colon: A Case Report and Review

The incidence of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) has been increasing, due to advances in the cancer and the improved overall survival of cancer seeding leptomeninges multidisciplinary by a and targeted therapies systemically via fluid route, and a case of leptomeningeal in which our on in solid
The Dirac Electron Hypertube Revisited Nonlocal Parameters Within Extended Particle Elements

Traditionally, elementary particles, by definition are considered zero-dimensional (0D) or point-like elements; strings or branes on the other hand are dimensionally extended entities. Dirac’s electron hypertube model appears to provide insight into this duality. Recent attempts to consider isolated particles and real constitutive wave elements as localized, extended spacetime structures (i.e., moving within time-like hypertubes or M-Theoretic higher dimensional (HD) brane topologies) are developed within a causal extension of the Feynman-Gell-Mann electron model. These extended structures contain real internal motions, (i.e., internal hidden parameters) locally correlated with the "hidden parameters" describing the local collective motions of the corresponding pilot-waves. The Dirac electron hypertube has been missed by the uncertainty principle. Recent experimental evidence and new protocols for supervening uncertainty are discussed.
Rate Maximization under Partial CSIT for Multi-Stage/Hybrid BF under Limited Dynamic Range for OFDM Full-Duplex Systems

This paper considers a bidirectional full-duplex Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) OFDM system. The limited dynamic range (LDR) noise model takes into account the hardware impairments in the radio frequency (RF) chain and is thus more practical. Hence we propose a beamforming (BF) design which takes into account the LDR noise characteristics and also is robust to imperfections in the estimated channel. At the transmit side, we introduce a two stage beamformer (BF) with an inner BF of lower dimension and an outer BF of higher dimension, both BFs being at the digital (baseband) side. The inner BF in OFDM domain handles directive transmission, while the outer BF in time domain handles self interference (SI). At the receive side, we propose a hybrid combiner which involves an analog phase shifter based BF, with fewer RF chains compared to the number of receive antennas and a digital (baseband) BF in OFDM domain. The analog BF helps reduce SI before analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). All the BFs are optimized using maximization of the expected weighted sum rate (WSR) which is solved using an alternating minorization approach. The proposed multi-stage BF architecture has multiple advantages including SI reduction during OFDM cyclic prefixes, with uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) possibly using different numerology or being asynchronous, allowing proper ADC operation.
SYNTHESIS, SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY STUDIES OF Cu(II) COMPLEXES DERIVED FROM 6 HYDROXYFLAVONE

This study reported the synthesis of the ligands (E) chromen-6-o1 (L) and (E) – 2 – ((6 (L). These two Schiff base ligands were synthesized by refluxing e hydroxyflavone with 2-aminophenol and 2 synthesized Schiff bases were subsequently reacted with Cu(II) acetate to form the corresponding metal complexes C1 and C2. The compounds melting point and decomposition temperature studies, solubility test, magnetic susceptibility studies and gravimetric analysis. The purity of the compounds were analysed using TLC. The spectroscopic data indicated that the Schiff base ligands acted as tridentate and coordinated to the metal via imine nitrogen and deprotonated phenolic oxygen atoms. The Schiff base ligands have melting point between 166 – 185 o 202 C. Magnetic susceptibility studies showed that the complexes are paramagnetic in nature with the μeff values are in the range of 1.9 found to be in the range of 20.4 nature. The solubility test of the compounds indicated that they are soluble in most organic solvents except water, acetone and tetrachloro methane in which are completely insoluble. The Cu(II) acetate, synthesized ligands and their metal complexes were studied for their in vitro antibacterial activity against two gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonel diffusion method and the results indicated that the complexes were more active than the ligands and the Cu(II) acetate but less active compared to standard drug (ciprofloxacin).