Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Potential of Olive Leaf Extract as a Functional Ingredient in Yoghurt Production: The Effects on Fermentation, Rheology, Sensory, and Antioxidant Properties of Cow Milk Yoghurt

Background: Yoghurt has been traditionally consumed for its high nutritional value and health-promoting benefits. The addition of plant extracts as a source of phenolic compounds and bio-flavonoids has attracted much attention recently since milk and dairy products are deficient in these health-protecting components. Accordingly, olive leaf extract (OLE) has been considered due to the presence of bioactive compounds, primarily polyphenols. Thus, the aim of this research was to investigate the possibility of adding OLE into cow milk yoghurt as a potential functional ingredient. Methods: Yoghurts enriched with OLE (1.5, 3, and 5% v/v) were produced and compared with yoghurt without OLE. In all samples acidity, viscosity, colour, syneresis, water holding capacity (WHC), microbiological parameters, sensory properties, total phenols, and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP methods) were determined. Results: The addition of OLE resulted in shorter fermentation and lower pH, but it had no adverse effect on the viability of yoghurt starter bacteria. OLE-enriched yoghurts showed increased syneresis, higher total phenols content, and antioxidant activity, while WHC and viscosity decreased. Sensory properties were slightly poorer for yoghurts containing higher OLE concentrations. Considering all of the obtained results, the addition of 1.5% OLE appeared to be optimal.
Learning Object-Oriented Programming Concepts Through Visual Analogies

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a widely used programming paradigm in modern software industry. This makes it an essential skill for students in many disciplines to learn. However, OOP is known to be challenging to learn and teach due to its abstract nature. Studies have shown that students often face difficulties and develop misconceptions in multiple aspects when learning OOP. This article presents a systematic way of developing a teaching tool that uses a combination of visualization and analogies to help students overcome these barriers and understand the OOP concepts better. To ensure the tool would have pedagogical value and novelty, we first reviewed the educational theories on using analogies and visualization, as well as numerous existing tools. A set of activities in the form of code snippets were then designed to target these misconceptions and difficulties, along with a set of analogies and their interaction mechanisms that mapped to the OOP concepts. A teaching tool was then developed based on those designs and evaluated with engineering students in a CS2 course (n = 253). The results and our analysis show that a statistically significant improvement was achieved in student understanding and confidence through interaction with visualization of OOP concepts with analogies (VOOPA) exercises. Similar gains were also observed using more traditional methods. No statistically significant positive difference in understanding and confidence can be attributed to use of VOOPA through the current study.
Plasma Metabolite Profiles of Red Meat, Poultry, and Fish Consumption, and Their Associations with Colorectal Cancer Risk

Background: Red and processed meat consumption has been consistently associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the association for fish intake is unclear. Evidence using objective dietary assessment approaches to evaluate these associations is sparse. Objectives: We aim to investigate the plasma metabolite profiles related to red meat, poultry, and fish consumption and examine their associations with CRC risk. Methods: We measured plasma metabolites among 5269 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHSII, and Health Professionals Follow-Up study (HPFS). We calculated partial Spearman correlations between each metabolite and self-reported intake of seven red meat, poultry, and fish groups. Metabolite profile scores correlated to self-reported dietary intakes were developed using elastic net regression. Associations between self-reported intakes, metabolite profile scores, and subsequent CRC risk were further evaluated using conditional logistic regression among 559 matched (1:1) case-control pairs in NHS/HPFS and replicated among 266 pairs in Women’s Health Study. Results: Plasma metabolites, especially highly unsaturated lipids, were differentially associated with red meat and fish groups. Metabolite profile scores for each food group were significantly correlated with the corresponding self-reported dietary intake. A higher dietary intake of processed red meat was associated with a higher risk of CRC (pooled OR per 1 SD, 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.29). In contrast, higher metabolite profile scores for all fish groups, not dietary intakes, were consistently associated with a lower CRC risk: the pooled OR per 1 SD was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.96) for total fish, 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.96) for dark meat fish, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.97) for canned tuna fish. No significant associations were found for other food groups. Conclusions: Red meat and fish intake exhibited systematically different plasma metabolite profiles. Plasma metabolite profile of fish intake was inversely associated with CRC risk.
Awareness and willingness to consume whole plant-based food in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Food is an essential entity that supports life and is required in the right quantity and quality in all living things which includes man and animals. Food contains nutrients which would be used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, aid vital processes and to furnish energy. Even though some foods are important for growth and development, the factors influencing households to purchase is yet unknown in the literature. More so, low consumption of plant based food can lead to poor nutrition which impairs daily health and wellbeing. Thus, this study examines factors that influencing the willingness to consume plant-based whole foods. Data were obtained from primary source from households in Ibadan, Oyo State through the use of structured questionnaire with the adoption of multistage sampling procedure. Data were analysed using the Descriptive Statistics, Ordinary Least Squares Regression Model, Logistic Regression, Probit Regression Model. The findings from the study show that marital status, educational level and household size are the important determinants of the level of awareness of whole plant-based diet by households. Likewise, results show that marital status, education and income are the variables that influence the willingness of households to consume whole plant food. The study concludes that the consumption of whole plant-based foods is of great benefit to households as the prevalence of non-communicable diseases would be drastically reduced. The study recommends that households should be educated on the benefits of whole plant food through focused group discussion and media channels to increase the willingness to consume it. Government should place taxes on highly processed food to discourage their purchase and consumption.
Active Surveillance for Renal Angiomyolipoma Less Than 4 Centimeters: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies

The aim of this review is to evaluate the current evidence regarding the best management in terms of active surveillance of angiomyolipoma (AML) cases less than 4 cm, particularly the optimal timing of active surveillance. In addition, we aimed to describe their initial size, clinical presentation, and growth rates. The present systematic review included prospective and retrospective studies that evaluated and followed up patients with AML through active surveillance. Studies were retrieved through an online bibliographic search of the Medline database via PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from their inception to January 2022. Seven studies were included in the present systematic review. Concerning the active surveillance protocol, only four studies describe the frequency of active surveillance and the utilized imaging modality. Some studies followed up lesions by ultrasound annually for two to five years, while other studies followed-up patients twice for the first year, then annually for a median follow-up period of 49 (9-89) months. The used modalities were ultrasound, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Notably, the incidence of spontaneous bleeding was consistent across the included studies (ranging from 2.3 - 3.1%), except for one study which showed an incidence rate of 15.3%. In terms of the need for active treatment, the rate of active treatment was slightly higher in some studies than the others. However, this variation could not be considered clinically relevant to favor one surveillance strategy over the other. We concluded that active surveillance is the first line of management in all small asymptomatic ALMs. ALMs less than 2 cm do not require active surveillance. The current published literature suggested that active surveillance for two years may provide the same benefits as a five-year surveillance strategy, with fewer radiation hazards and less socioeconomic burden.
Free vibrations analysis of cracked variable stiffness composite plates by the eXtended Ritz method

Abstract Variable stiffness composite laminates show advantageous structural features related to their enlarged design space. They are attractive candidates for advanced engineering applications where the assessment of static and dynamic behavior and strength in the presence of cracks is often required. In the present work, a single-domain extended Ritz formulation is proposed to study the free vibrations of cracked variable stiffness composite plates. The plate model is based on the first-order shear deformation theory whose primary variable, i.e. displacements and rotations, are approximated via a set of orthogonal polynomial trial functions enriched with a set of special crack functions. These functions are able to inherently account for crack opening and crack tip singular fields. The plate governing equations are deduced by the stationarity of the energy functional and the formulation has been implemented in a computer code. The method has been validated by comparing the present results with literature solutions for cracked isotropic plates and uncracked variable stiffness plates as, to the best of author’s knowledge, no data on cracked variable stiffness plates free vibrations are available. An explicative and representative study on the free vibrations of variable angle tow composite laminates is finally presented with the aim of illustrating the approach capabilities, providing benchmarck results and identifying distinctive features and opportunities of the variable stiffness concept for the design of advanced damage tolerant structures.
Pinctada Maxima Pearl Shells as a Promising Bone Graft Material in the World of Dentistry

BACKGROUND: Pinctada maxima pearl shell contains inorganic and organic materials that have a bone-like basic structure that facilitates bone remodeling. AIM: This study aimed to describe the effectiveness of Pinctada maxima pearl shells as bone graft material in the world of dentistry using an animal model. METHODS: Research uses Pinctada maxima pearl shell that was processed into hydroxyapatite Pinctada maxima (HPM) powder. Chemical and surface characteristics of HPM were performed with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Thirty male guinea pigs were randomly assigned into three groups: Negative control (NC), positive control, and HPM. After 14–21 days of observation, guinea pigs were sacrificed. Bone formation was seen through immunohistochemical examination of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2) expression. Data were analyzed through Shapiro wills and analysis of variance with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: There was a high expression of OPG and BMP2 on days 14–21 in the HPM group when compared to the NC group with a significance level of 5%. CONCLUSION: HPM powder can be used as a promising bone graft material in the world of dentistry.
Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein and Cerebral Expression of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 in Men with Fragile X Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that a deficiency of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) mediates dysfunction of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) in the pathogenesis of fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most commonly known single-gene cause of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nevertheless, animal and human studies regarding the link between FMRP and mGluR5 expression provide inconsistent or conflicting findings about the nature of those relationships. Since multiple clinical trials of glutamatergic agents in humans with FXS did not demonstrate the amelioration of the behavioral phenotype observed in animal models of FXS, we sought measure if mGluR5 expression is increased in men with FXS to form the basis for improved clinical trials. Unexpectedly marked reductions in mGluR5 expression were observed in cortical and subcortical regions in men with FXS. Reduced mGluR5 expression throughout the living brains of men with FXS provides a clue to examine FMRP and mGluR5 expression in FXS. In order to develop the findings of our previous study and to strengthen the objective tools for future clinical trials of glutamatergic agents in FXS, we sought to assess the possible value of measuring both FMRP levels and mGluR5 expression in men with FXS. We aimed to show the value of measurement of FMRP levels and mGluR5 expression for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with FXS and related conditions. We administered 3-[18F]fluoro-5-(2-pyridinylethynyl)benzonitrile ([18F]FPEB), a specific mGluR5 radioligand for quantitative measurements of the density and the distribution of mGluR5s, to six men with the full mutation (FM) of FXS and to one man with allele size mosaicism for FXS (FXS-M). Utilizing the seven cortical and subcortical regions affected in neurodegenerative disorders as indicator variables, adjusted linear regression of mGluR5 expression and FMRP showed that mGluR5 expression was significantly reduced in the occipital cortex and the thalamus relative to baseline (anterior cingulate cortex) if FMRP levels are held constant (F(7,47) = 6.84, p < 0.001). These findings indicate the usefulness of cerebral mGluR5 expression measured by PET with [18F]FPEB and FMRP values in men with FXS and related conditions for assessments in community facilities within a hundred-mile radius of a production center with a cyclotron. These initial results of this pilot study advance our previous study regarding the measurement of mGluR5 expression by combining both FMRP levels and mGluR5 expression as tools for meaningful clinical trials of glutamatergic agents for men with FXS. We confirm the feasibility of this protocol as a valuable tool to measure FMRP levels and mGluR5 expression in clinical trials of individuals with FXS and related conditions and to provide the foundations to apply precision medicine to tailor treatment plans to the specific needs of individuals with FXS and related conditions.
Impact of myxomatosis on densities of Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in North-western Spain: implications for management and sustainable hunting

Abstract Outbreaks of myxomatosis in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) were detected for the first time in Spain in 2018. The disease spread to a significant proportion of the species range, negatively affecting the hare populations. In this study, we analyzed the impact of myxomatosis at hunting grounds of Castilla y León (Northern Spain), comparing hare density during two consecutive hunting seasons; the first when outbreaks were detected for the first time (season 1, Oct 2019-Jan 20) and the second after the spread of the disease (season 2, Oct 2020-Jan 21). Data was gathered from 1,102 hunts from 178 hunting grounds through “coursing”, a hunting type in which hunters and greyhounds search for hares, allowing the estimation of hare density. Overall, hare density decreased significantly, from 12.7 hare/100 ha in season 1 to 4.7 hare/100 ha in season 2. The percentage of hares suspected to be affected by myxomatosis (sick and dead) per hunt was higher in season 1 (14.4%) compared to season 2 (10.7%). For both seasons, this proportion was higher when hunting season was started (20.7%, October), compared to the remaining months (4.7%, November–January). However, the proportion of hunting grounds affected increased from 44% in season 1 to 66.7% in season 2. Our research confirmed a 62.7% reduction in hare density in Castilla y León after the spread of myxomatosis and identified scenarios of possible depletion when densities were below 4–5 hare/100 ha. As myxomatosis becoming endemic in Iberian hares is likely, hunters and game managers should continue current monitoring and disease surveillance and make management decisions accordingly.
An image-based frameworks for automated discrepancy quantification and realignment of industrial assemblies

Image-based frameworks for automated as-built modeling and infrastructure 3D reconstruction are increasingly being used in the construction industry. The increasing use of image-based technologies in the construction processes is due to the ease of application, cheap cost of enhancement, time effectiveness and high level of accuracy and automation. Automating the tasks involved in the inspection, quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) processes are the potential avenues for utilizing such frameworks. This paper presents an image-based approach for acquiring the built status of fabricated assemblies and describes a framework for realigning the defective segments by borrowing concepts from robotics and forward kinematics. A laboratory set of experiments is then conducted to measure the accuracy and performance of the proposed framework for realignment of industrial facilities, in general, and pipe spools, in particular. Results demonstrate that it can be utilized in real cases providing the required level of accuracy as well.
Correlation-Guided Ensemble Clustering for Hyperspectral Band Selection

Hyperspectral band selection is a commonly used technique to alleviate the curse of dimensionality. Recently, clustering-based methods have attracted much attention for their effectiveness in selecting informative and representative bands. However, the single clustering algorithm is used in most of the clustering-based methods, and the neglect of the correlation among adjacent bands in their clustering procedure is prone to resulting in the degradation of the representativeness of the selected band set. This may, consequently, adversely impact hyperspectral classification performance. To tackle such issues, in this paper, we propose a correlation-guided ensemble clustering approach for hyperspectral band selection. By exploiting ensemble clustering, more effective clustering results are expected based on multiple band partitions given by base clustering with different parameters. In addition, given that adjacent bands are most probably located in the same cluster, a novel consensus function is designed to construct the final clustering partition by performing an agglomerative clustering. Thus, the performance of our addressed task (band selection) is further improved. The experimental results on three real-world datasets demonstrate that the performance of our proposed method is superior compared with those of state-of-the-art methods.
FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT’S INTENTION TO USE E-LEARNING SERVICES: AN APPLIED STUDY ON LEBANESE PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

The study’s purpose is to investigate the impact of selected factors (Computer self-efficacy (CSE), subjective norms (SN), perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitude) on university students’ intention to use e-learning. The objective of this paper is to advance a conceptual framework to better understand the factors that could affect the intention of students to use e-learning in Lebanese universities. The collection of the data was from 444 private universities students in Lebanon. The SEM analysis had been used to assess the influence of these components to intend e-learning system. All proposed relationships are accepted in the framework expected the relationships between Computer self-efficacy (CSE) and subjective norms (SN) on perceived usefulness are rejected. In addition, relationships between subjective norms and perceived enjoyment on perceived ease of use (PEOU) are rejected. Finally, results are discussed then conclusions and future research are presented.
Green Synthesis of Nickle Oxide Nanoparticles for Adsorption of Dyes

The green synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO-NP) was investigated using Ni(NO3)2 as a precursor, olive tree leaves as a reducing agent, and D-sorbitol as a capping agent. The structural, optical, and morphology of the synthesized NiO-NP have been characterized using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray crystallography (XRD) pattern, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The SEM analysis showed that the nanoparticles have a spherical shape and highly crystalline as well as highly agglomerated and appear as cluster of nanoparticles with a size range of (30 to 65 nm). The Scherrer relation has been used to estimate the crystallite size of NiO-NP which has been found about 42 nm. The NiO-NPs have subsequently used as adsorbents for adsorption of two types of dyes; methylene blue (MB) as cation dye and methyl orange (MO) as anion dye. The removal efficiency of dyes from contaminated water was investigated during various key parameters at room temperature; initial dye concentration (Co), pH, contact time (t), agitation speed, and adsorbent dosage. The maximum removal of MB dye was found to be 96% (Co=25 mg/l, pH=10, contact time=100 min, agitation speed=300 rpm and adsorbent dosage=6 g/l), while for MO the maximum removal reached 88% at (Co=20 mg/L, pH=2, contact time=160 min, agitation speed=300 rpm and adsorbent dosage=6 g/L). The experimental adsorption data were found to well obey Freundlich isotherm. The kinetic investigation showed that the adsorption process for both dyes followed a pseudo-second-order model with rate constants 0.0109 and 0.0079 (mg/g min) for MB and MO, respectively.
Values, Motives, and Organic Food Consumption in China: A Moderating Role of Perceived Uncertainty

The present research attempts to understand the importance of altruistic and egoistic values in determining consumers’ motives and intention to purchase organic foods. Using the face-to-face survey approach, a total of 1,067 responses were collected from consumers in China. Data analysis was performed using a two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, i.e., measurement and structural models. The findings indicated that both values influence the intention to purchase organic foods through the mediation of motives. Specifically, the altruistic value influences the environmental concern (EC), and the egoistic value influences the health concern (HC). Moreover, the perceived uncertainty negatively moderates a relationship between consumer HC and organic purchase intention while positively moderating a relationship between consumer EC and organic purchase intention. Several implications and suggestions are also discussed.