Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultural Evolutionary Behavioural Science in Public Policy

Interventions are to the social sciences what inventions are to the physical sciences – an application of science as technology. Behavioural science has emerged as a powerful toolkit for developing public policy interventions for changing behaviour. However, the translation from principles to practice is often moderated by contextual factors – such as culture – that thwart attempts to generalize past successes. Here, we discuss cultural evolution as a framework for addressing this contextual gap. We describe the history of behavioural science and the role that cultural evolution plays as a natural next step. We review research that may be considered cultural evolutionary behavioural science in public policy, and the promise and challenges to designing cultural evolution informed interventions. Finally, we discuss the value of applied research as a crucial test of basic science: if theories, laboratory and field experiments do not work in the real world, they do not work at all.
Case report. Thrombus formation on left atrial appendage clip: surgical exclusion and anticoagulation do not obviate transesophageal echocardiography prior to cardioversion

Abstract Background The cornerstone treatment for atrial fibrillation (Afib) is based on the prevention of cardioembolism with the use oral anticoagulants, which inherently increase the risk of bleeding. An alternative for these patients corresponds to left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion/closure techniques such as Atriclip. Cases summary Patient 1: Seventy-two-year-old female who presented with decompensated heart failure, non ST elevation myocardial infarct, and paroxysmal Afib. She underwent coronary artery bypass graft, MAZE procedure, mitral valve repair, and Atriclip (40 mm). Recurrence of Afib postoperatively led to a precardioversion transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) which demonstrated a LAA pouch thrombus. Patient 2: Sixty-seven-year-old male who underwent electively mitral and tricuspid valve repairs, MAZE procedure, and Atriclip (35 mm). He had recurrent atrial flutter/Afib postoperatively. He received apixaban in addition to rate control medications, and he was readmitted for precardioversion TEE which also demonstrated a LAA pouch thrombus. Discussion Atriclip is a stapler exclusion device via epicardial approach which has shown excellent exclusion rates in contemporary data. One of the pitfalls of this technique is the possibility of leaving a LAA remnant stump or pouch that is highly thrombogenic. The optimal timing for stopping anticoagulation and the need for precardioversion echocardiography remain uncertain.
Effect of aflatoxin on kidney pathology in broilers

Aflatoxin (AFB1) causes toxic effects and leads to organ damage in broilers. This study was conducted to evaluate the pathological effect of aflatoxin B1 on the kidneys of broilers and mitigate its effect by using Saccharomyces yeast cell walls (YCW) extract and nano curcumin (NC) as dietary supplements. A total of 150 one-day-old, unsexed Cobb broiler chicks were allocated into 5 groups. The experimental feeding was designed as follows: Group A: control diet, group B: control diet with 0.25 mg/kg aflatoxin (AFB1), group C: control diet with 0.25 mg/kg AFB1+ YCW 1 kg/ton, group D: control diet with 0.25 mg/kg AFB1+ NC 400 mg/kg, and group E: control diet with 0.25 mg/kg AFB1+ YCW 1 kg/ton + NC 200 mg/kg. Histopathology of the broiler kidneys was shown. Group A showed normal histology, whereas GB showed marked degenerative, necrotic, and desquamative of the renal tubular epithelium, glomerulus, and renal tubule. On the other side, GC, GD, and GE showed normal histology in which the nephron consists of the glomerulus and the renal tubule. The addition of YCW extract and nano curcumin can be an alternative to counteract the negative effect of AFB1 in broiler diets.
Accuracy and Reliability of CBCT Compared to Clinical Probing in Detection of Trifurcation Defects: An In Vivo Study

Background Furcation defects are areas of pathological bone resorption in multirooted teeth. The aim of the study was to compare the measurements of trifurcation bone loss, measured using CBCT, versus clinical measurements in order to evaluate the efficacy of CBCT as an adjunctive diagnostic tool. Material and Methods. The included patients had both CBCT scans for maxillary molars and completed periodontal charts. Clinical examination consisted of probing and detection of vertical and horizontal furcation defects. These were measured and recorded. CBCT measurements were then evaluated using the linear measuring tool in Carestream imaging software (Carestream, Rochester, USA) and iCAT (Imaging Sciences, Hatfield, USA). These measurements of the CBCT images were then documented and compared to clinical findings. The two examiners were blinded to each other's measurements. Results The most common tooth with a detected furcation defect was tooth #2 (31.7%), followed by tooth #15 (26.8%) and #3 (21.9%). The least common tooth with a detected furcation defect was #14 (19.5%). The mean values of buccal furcation for clinical and CBCT measurements were 3.01 mm and 2.6 mm, respectively. The measurements of mesial furcation were 2.5 mm and 2.2 mm for CBCT. The distal measurement of clinical examination was 2.7 mm and for CBCT was 2.44 mm. Conclusion CBCT can be used as an adjunct to clinical furcation measurements and adds useful diagnostic information to assess trifurcation defects. In addition, CBCT limited field of view (FOV) can provide relatively high-resolution images at a reduced dose that is comparable to two-dimensional imaging.
UNIQUENESS OF FAMILIES OF MINIMAL SURFACES IN R 3

We show that an umbilic-free minimal surface in R 3 belongs to the associate family of the catenoid if and only if the geodesic curva- tures of its lines of curvature have a constant ratio. As a corollary, the helicoid is shown to be the unique umbilic-free minimal surface whose lines of curvature have the same geodesic curvature. A similar characterization of the deformation family of minimal surfaces with planar lines of curvature is also given.
Effects of Parity and Stage of Lactation on Trend and Variability of Metabolic Markers in Dairy Cows

Simple Summary The rise in milk yield per cow, herd size, and the percentage of primiparous cows in dairy herds increasingly requires optimized health management in order to ensure the health of the cows. The transition period (three weeks before to three weeks after calving) has a key role in health problems, because dairy cows undergo tremendous metabolic changes. Metabolic monitoring provides an in-depth insight into how the cows cope with these challenges. A remarkable variability in the metabolic parameters reflects the adaptation of dairy cows during the transition from pregnancy to lactation. In addition, primiparous cows undergo physical adaptations because of growth, first gestation, the maturation of the mammary glands, the onset of lactation, and fighting for social dominance. Previous studies have rarely considered these specific demands due to the influences of parity and the lactation stage. Thus, the objective of our study was to describe the variation in metabolic parameters due to parity and the stage of lactation based on a huge number of primiparous and multiparous cows, observed at all stages of lactation, in a retrospective analysis of laboratory data. The remarkable impact of both parity and lactation was elucidated for most parameters. This should be taken into account for a correct interpretation of the laboratory diagnostics in the framework of metabolic monitoring. Abstract Metabolic monitoring is a tool that is helpful with the increasing requirements regarding feeding and health management in dairy herds. This study aimed at describing the trend and variability of different biochemical parameters in blood and urine in relation to the stages of lactation and parity, in a retrospective analysis of laboratory data from clinically healthy German Holstein cows. The results were derived from metabolic monitoring in Thuringia (Germany), during 2009–2019. A total of 361,584 measured values, of 13 different metabolic variables, were assigned to parity (primiparous and multiparous) and stage of lactation (10 classes from −30 to 300 days in milk). The Kruskal–Wallis test was applied for the evaluation of differences regarding parity or the stage of lactation. Non-esterified fatty acids, beta hydroxybutyrate, and the activity of aspartate aminotransferase in serum were clearly affected by parity and lactation. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, bilirubin, and phosphorus, as well as the serum activity of glutamate dehydrogenase, were affected by the stage of lactation, while parity impacted urea concentration. The serum activity of creatine kinase, serum concentrations of calcium, and urine concentrations of net acid base excretion, potassium, and sodium were not affected by parity or lactation. In conclusion, specific reference limits, with respect to parity and the stage of lactation, are necessary.
A Scintillation Proximity Assay for Real-Time Kinetic Analysis of Chemokine–Chemokine Receptor Interactions

Chemokine receptors are extensively involved in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes, making them attractive drug targets. However, despite considerable efforts, there are very few approved drugs targeting this class of seven transmembrane domain receptors to date. In recent years, the importance of including binding kinetics in drug discovery campaigns was emphasized. Therefore, kinetic insight into chemokine–chemokine receptor interactions could help to address this issue. Moreover, it could additionally deepen our understanding of the selectivity and promiscuity of the chemokine–chemokine receptor network. Here, we describe the application, optimization and validation of a homogenous Scintillation Proximity Assay (SPA) for real-time kinetic profiling of chemokine–chemokine receptor interactions on the example of ACKR3 and CXCL12. The principle of the SPA is the detection of radioligand binding to receptors reconstituted into nanodiscs by scintillation light. No receptor modifications are required. The nanodiscs provide a native-like environment for receptors and allow for full control over bilayer composition and size. The continuous assay format enables the monitoring of binding reactions in real-time, and directly accounts for non-specific binding and potential artefacts. Minor adaptations additionally facilitate the determination of equilibrium binding metrics, making the assay a versatile tool for the study of receptor–ligand interactions.
Reconfigurable low complexity digital filter banks for software radio receivers.

Software Defined Radio (SDR) is a technology thought to build flexible radio systems, multi-service, multi-standard, multi-band, reconfigurable and reprogrammable by software. The fundamental idea of SDR is to replace most of the analog signal processing in the transceivers with digital signal processing in order to provide the advantage of flexibility through reconfiguration. This will enable different air-interfaces to be implemented on a single generic hardware platform. The most computationally intensive part in the digital front end of an SDR receiver is the channelizer as it operates at the highest sampling rate. The channelizer extracts multiple channels (frequency bands) from the wideband input signal using a digital filter bank. Reconfigurable low complexity channelizer is a vital part in SDR receivers. This thesis addresses the problem of incorporating low complexity and reconfigurability into the channelizer architecture. Filter banks based on finite impulse response (FIR) filters are commonly employed in SDRs. Generally higher-order FIR filters are required in channelizers to meet the stringent adjacent channel attenuation specifications of wireless communication standards. Coefficient multiplications in such higher-order filters consume huge power and chip area. Apart from low complexity, reconfigurability of these filters and filter banks is important to support multi-standard operation of SDRs. In this thesis, five new methods are proposed for realizing reconfigurable low complexity channel filters and filter banks. The first method makes use of common subexpression elimination (CSE) algorithm to reduce the complexity of coefficient multiplication in FIR filter architectures. The goal of CSE is to identify multiple occurrences of identical bit patterns, called common subexpressions, that are present in the coefficients, and eliminate redundant subexpression multiplications to minimize the number of adders needed to realize the coefficient multipliers. Conventional CSE methods use canonical signed digit (CSD) xv ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library
Effect of planting dates and methods of sowing on productivity of sesame under Toshka conditions

A study was conducted during 2018 and 2019 summer seasons at Toshka Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture, Egypt, with the objective to study the effect of sowing date and planting methods on productivity and oil content of three sesame varieties. The experiment was laid out in a split-split plot arrangement was based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Sowing dates were assigned to the main plots while planting methods in sup-plot and varieties in sub-sub-plot. There was a significant effect of the interaction between sowing dates, sowing method and varieties on study traits (capsule length, capsule width, 1000-seed weight, seed yield per Faddan and seed oil content). The highest values of capsule length were obtained from the interaction of D 1 M 3 V 3 , capsule width from D 3 M 2 V 3 , number of capsules per plant from D 1 M 2 V 1 . The interaction D 2 M 2 V 2 gave the highest values of 1000-seed weight, seed yield per Faddan and seed oil content.
Conceptual design of interlocking block utilizing lightweight expanded polystyrene concrete reinforced with kenaf fiber

Concrete is the most used material in the construction industry in modern times, the concrete technology has also been well developed over the years. Carbon emissions from the built environment and its construction has been reported amounting to 38% of the total global emissions. Furthermore, waste management is a struggling issue. This study utilises the recycled expanded polystyrene and kenaf fiber, an agricultural by-product, incorporated into the concrete matrix. Compressive, split tensile and flexural strength has been done on the composite concrete and has shown good results by surpassing the target of 5.2 MN/m2, set according to the Malaysian Standard, MS 76:1972. The interlocking block is a possible application in the construction industry for cost effectiveness.
Geoheritage and Geosites: A Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review

Geological heritage represents and brings together geological elements of great local and global relevance. It also promotes conservation and sustainable use. This study aims to perform a bibliometric analysis of the contributions that address the topics of geological heritage and geosites, using the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the knowledge of trends and research focuses in this area. The methodology consists of: (i) the preparation of the idea and gathering information from a search on the subjects of interest (geoheritage and geosites); (ii) the merging of the databases and applying automated conversions; and (iii) the analysis of the results and the literature review. The first phase of the work identified 2409 and 1635 documents indexed in Scopus and WoS, respectively. The merged global database (2565 documents) identified the following words as analysis topics: geoconservation, geotourism, geopark, and geodiversity. The analysis also revealed the top five countries in scientific contributions as Italy (12.1%), Spain (8.77%), China (5.67%), Portugal (5.35%), and Brazil (5.31%). Finally, most of the publications focus on the characterisation, assessment, and development of geosite initiatives. The main lines of action and contributions to the topics (7.91%) highlight the fact that geoscientists worldwide value geosites for geoconservation and geotourism strategies.
The Molecular Characterization of Virulence Determinants and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Human Bacterial Uropathogens

The high rates of bacterial infections affect the economy worldwide by contributing to the increase in morbidity and treatment costs. The present cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of bacterial infection in urinary tract infection (UTI) patients and to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance rate (AMR) in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. The study was conducted for the period of one year from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 1899 different clinical samples were collected and examined for bacterial cultures using standard procedures. Samples were inoculated on different culture media to isolate bacterial isolates and for identification and susceptibility testing. A total of 1107/1899 clinical samples were positive for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other bacterial isolates. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) prevalence was 16.93% from these positive cases. MRSA strains were found to be highly resistant to amikacin, clindamycin, fusidic acid, gentamicin and tobramycin, while highest sensitivity was noted against vancomycin (100%) and linezolid (100%). MRSA and high rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) pose a serious therapeutic burden to critically ill patients. A systematic and concerted effort is essential to rapidly identify high-risk patients and to reduce the burden of AMR.
Effect of pavement surface conditions on road traffic accident - A Review

This study aims to establish an overview of the state-of-the-art relationship between accident risks and pavement surface conditions. The symptoms of pavement surface failure are indicated by roughness, rutting, and skid resistance. To analyse the relationship between traffic accident and pavement surface conditions, an extensive review of the literature was conducted on the related titles. The findings showed that pavement surface conditions have a strong positive effect on accident risks. Pavement surface distresses directly affect ride comfort and indirectly cause distraction to the driver resulting in loss of control of the vehicle, which may lead to injuries or deaths. The ranges of acceptable pavement surface conditions were also presented.
Evaluation of Relationship between Serum Liver Enzymes and Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Data from Rafsanjan Cohort Study

Background Hypertension as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases is among the leading causes of death worldwide. The relationship between elevated serum levels of liver enzymes and hypertension has been reported in limited studies, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no previous reports in the literature on this issue in the southeast of Iran. Our investigation aimed at evaluating the relation between ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP with hypertension in the Rafsanjan Cohort Study, a city in Kerman Province, Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used data obtained from the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as a part of the prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN). The association of the liver enzymes levels with hypertension was investigated using the multivariable logistic regression models. Results Among 9930 participants, the mean age (±SD) was 49.94 (±9.56) years, and 46.56% were men. The odds of abnormal blood pressure significantly increased along with the higher levels of ALT, GGT, and ALP which remained significant only for ALP after adjustment for all confounding variables in both males and females (OR in males: 1.36, 95% CI = 1.09–1.69, OR in females: 1.25, 95% CI = 1.01–1.54). In subjects with normal levels of ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP, dose-response increases were observed for abnormal blood pressure in both genders. Finally, we found that, among liver enzymes, only elevated ALP was significantly correlated with the odds of stage 1 hypertension and stage 2 hypertension for both genders. Conclusions In subjects with normal levels of ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP, dose-response increases were observed for abnormal blood pressure in both genders. Increased serum ALP activity was positively associated with increased odds of hypertension in males and females. Therefore, increased ALP could be an early indicator of hypertension.
Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Suicidal Ideation: A Path Analysis Study

Epidemiological studies have suggested that childhood maltreatment increases suicidal ideation, and dissociative symptoms and hopelessness are involved in this relation. To better address this issue, we used a path analysis model to examine the role of different types of childhood maltreatment on suicidal ideation, investigating whether hopelessness and dissociative symptoms mediated this relation. A sample of 215 adult psychiatric inpatients was enrolled between January 2019 and January 2020, at the psychiatric unit of Sant’Andrea Medical Center in Rome, Italy. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II), and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) were used to test the hypotheses. Results revealed that the presence of sexual abuse directly affected suicidal ideation (β = 0.18, SE = 0.8, p < 0.05), while emotional abuse and neglect indirectly increased suicidal ideation via dissociation (β = 0.05, SE = 0.02, 95% C.I. 0.01/0.09) and hopelessness (β = 0.10, SE = 0.03, 95% C.I. = 0.04/0.16). Professionals working with children should be aware of the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment, particularly suicide risk. Furthermore, professionals working with adults should inquire about past childhood maltreatment.
Diet and Food chemicals increasing the risk of colorectal cancer – literature review

Colorectal cancer is a common form of cancer nowadays. There are many risk factors in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. The malignant proliferation is caused by one or more genetic mutations, which activate oncogenes and deactivate tumor suppressor genes. Some factors cannot be changed, such as a person's age or family history. An essential aspect in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer is the choice of lifestyles, such as a high-fat diet, smoking, and excess alcohol. Carcinogens can be either natural or chemical. The mechanisms by which carcinogens initiate tumor formation are genetic or non-genotoxic. The most common form of colorectal cancer is found in people who ingest chemicals that, once ingested, reach the large intestine, thus causing malignant lesions. The Western diet and the metabolic syndrome are risk factors for colorectal cancer, due to gut microbiota changes and low-grade chronic inflammation. Among the most important diet carcinogens are nitrosamines, hydrazines, organophosphates, acetaldehyde, and heterocyclic amines. Screening programs, especially among people over 50 years of age, and with multiple risk factors are extremely important in detecting colorectal cancers in the early stages and in improving the long-term prognosis in such patients.