Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial Potential of Allium ursinum Extract Prepared by the Green Extraction Method

The antimicrobial activity of Allium ursinum aqueous extract prepared using high pressure extraction was evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of A. ursinum extract for six bacterial pathogens were determined using the broth macrodilution method. Although the A. ursinum extract was shown to be effective toward all investigated foodborne bacteria, its antimicrobial activity depended on its concentration and bacterial strain. Listeria monocytogenes was the most sensitive to antimicrobial activity of A. ursinum extract among all tested pathogens. Accordingly, the lowest MIC and MBC of A. ursinum extract were determined for L. monocytogenes (28 and 29 mg/mL). The tested extract showed a similar antimicrobial potential to other examined bacterial strains (Salmonella Enteritidis, Proteus hauseri, Enterococcus faecalis and two strains of Escherichia coli) with MIC and MBC values at concentrations of 29 and 30 mg/mL, respectively. The dependence of the antimicrobial activity of the A. ursinum extract on the level of contamination of tested pathogens was also observed. The increase in the contamination level caused an intense reduction in antibacterial potential of the A. ursinum extract. The composition of the A. ursinum extract was analyzed and found to be a good source of polyphenols and sulfur compounds. However, considering the applied extraction method and the HPLC analysis of bioactive compounds, the antimicrobial potential may be attributed more to polyphenol content. The obtained results that the extracts have shown toward food pathogens open the possibility of using the tested extracts as natural additives in a variety of food products.
One‐cycle controlled standalone solar water pumping system

This paper addresses with the development of an effective standalone solar photovoltaic (PV)‐fed brushless DC (BLDC) motor water pumping system with battery storage. The system guarantees continuous water supply in all operating environments. Boost converter is selected as the DC‐DC converter linking the PV array and voltage source inverter. Maximum power point tracking is achieved through perturb and observe algorithm. The bidirectional buck‐boost converter is intended for the transfer of power between the battery and solar panels. Charging and discharging control of battery is achieved through one‐cycle control of bidirectional converter which provides quick response and zero steady‐state error. The BLDC motor works with electronic commutation providing smooth and fundamental frequency operation of the voltage source inverter. Simple battery management system using digital integrated circuits for controlling the power transfer amidst the solar panel and the load enhances the system efficiency. The performance of the proposed system is checked for various operating modes like normal conditions, discharging conditions and charging conditions of the battery, and is validated through simulation results. Comparison with existing topologies proves the efficacy of the system under all operating conditions.
Effect of an Aftermarket Additive in Powertrain Wear and Fuel Consumption of Small-Capacity Motorcycles: A Lab and Field Study

Metal conditioners (MC) are friction, wear, and heat-reducing agents between metal components in motion and are mainly used in engines and transmission boxes as aftermarket additives. Laboratory and field tests were conducted to assess the performance of a commercial MC. Laboratory tribotests revealed the MC’s potential to reduce wear and friction in lubricated steel contacts. Field studies were performed on two new motorcycles (160 cc) under urban driving conditions for 15,000 km. The physico-chemical properties of the used oils were similar and within the acceptable limits provided in the literature. The FTIR results showed that specific components in the MC formulation do not allow for a direct comparison between oils and their mixtures with MC. Regarding engine wear, MC provided overall aluminum and iron metal parts protection, mainly in the first 7000 km of engine break-in, but a higher wear of copper-containing parts, although at levels below the warning limits. Accurate measurements of engine components demonstrated there were changes of less than 0.05% in the cylinder, piston, and transmission system pieces, except for gear #5. The lubrication of the crown, pinion, transmission chain and gear #5 with the MC significantly increased their wear resistance. The motorcycle driven with MC maintained higher average fuel economy improvements (+1 km/L), representing a 2.5% gain compared to the other motorcycle. Although only two motorcycles were tested, the laboratory and field results suggested that mixing MC with the fully formulated oil (10W-30) reduces wear and friction during the break-in period.
In Situ Gels Triggered by Temperature for Ocular Delivery of Dexamethasone and Dexamethasone/ SBE-β-CD Complex

: This research aims to increase the solubility of Dexamethasone (Dex) using cyclodextrin and develop a temperature-triggered in situ gelling system for the ocular application. The solubility of Dex was increased with SBE-β -CD. Dex- SBE-β -CD inclusion complex was prepared with kneading and freeze-drying method. Structural characterization was carried out using DSC and FT-IR. When in situ gel formulations were prepared, Pluronic F127 (PF127), a thermosensitive polymer, and Chitosan (CH), a natural, biodegradable, and mucoadhesive hydrophilic polymer, were used together. When the solubility diagrams of the drug-cyclodextrin inclusion complex were examined, it was determined that SBE-β CD showed a linear increase, and AL-type diagram was selected in consequence. The formulations were produced using different amounts of PF127 and a fixed ratio of CH. In situ gels were evaluated for clarity, pH, gelation temperature, and rheological behaviors and selected one formulation. It was established that the formulations were clear, their pH was 6, their gelation temperature decreased with increasing PF127, and was between 22-34 °C. For the selected formulation, 0.1% Dex and Dex/ SBE-β -CD were transferred to in situ gelling systems. As a result of in vitro release studies, it was observed that the release of the Dex/SBE-β -CD inclusion complex containing BRN formulation showed a higher burst effect than the other and was released for 6 hours. The results exhibited that the combination of PF127 and CH has potential as an in situ gelling systems for ocular delivery of Dex and Dex/ SBE-β -CD.
Low-Power High-Capacity Full-Duplex Scheme for Uplink Self-Backhauling

In this letter, we propose a low-power and high-capacity full-duplex (FD) scheme for uplink self-backhauling. Based on a user transmit power constraint, we analyze the transmit power condition at the small-cell base station (SBS) that maximizes the end-to-end link capacity. The mean capacity of the end-to-end link and mean transmit power of the SBS are derived in closed form. The results show that the proposed FD scheme achieves higher capacity over the conventional FD and half-duplex (HD). Moreover, the transmit power of the proposed FD scheme is reduced by up to 4 dB, thereby improving the power efficiency of the system. We also propose an opportunistic FD scheme that achieves better capacity and power efficiency performances than individual FD or HD modes.
Contactless safety evaluation of damaged structures through energetic criteria

The reinforced concrete structures need to be monitored to ensure their structural integrity, but sometimes those measurements are very local, and the instrument is complex to locate physically in the structure and may interfere on it. Digital Image Correlation is a noncontact and nondestructive experimental technique capable to measure the displacement field in a big region of a structure with a great accuracy. This allows extracting valuable information from the fracture processes of reinforced concrete structures, critical for the evaluation of the structural integrity. The measurement of the energy dissipated by the structure is essential for the identification of the strength mechanisms that are failing in the structure and to identify a proper repair. Also, using fracture mechanics, other valuable information are extracted from the fracture processes of the reinforced concrete beam, such as the Modes I and II fracture energy released at each loading step, which is essential to evaluate the elastic energy that the structure can accumulate before collapse. The examples enable to anticipate the importance of Digital Image Correlation for future large scale studies of fracture in concrete and other materials related to construction.
Exercise interventions to reduce anxiety in mid-life and late-life anxiety disorders and subthreshold anxiety disorder: a systematic review

Background: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and cause significant distress, disability, and cost. Medication adverse effects and interactions increase in mid-life and late-life, highlighting the need for effective non-pharmacological interventions. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the extent of evidence supporting exercise interventions for anxiety and subthreshold anxiety disorders in mid-life and late-life. Design: Systematic review. Data Sources and Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, Ovid Nursing, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library, Health Collection, Humanities & Social Sciences Collection, and https://clinicaltrials.gov databases for trials published January 1994–May 2019. Randomised controlled trials of exercise interventions involving aerobic exercise or resistance training for adults aged 40 years and above with anxiety or subthreshold anxiety disorders in residential or health settings were identified. The primary outcome was change in anxiety. We excluded trials including participants aged below 40 years, participants with diagnosis of separation anxiety, selective mutism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and head-to-head comparisons of interventions. Trial quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and evidence synthesised in narrative form. Results: Four trials totalling 132 participants met inclusion criteria, although some had methodological limitations. Interventions included a home-based resistance training intervention, supervised group-based aerobic intervention, Tai Chi intervention, and supervised group-based aerobic and strength intervention. Three trials included late-life participants and the fourth mid-life. Three trials demonstrated greater reductions in anxiety in the intervention group compared with control. The fourth trial showed pre–post reductions in anxiety in both groups, with between-group difference not reaching statistical significance. Conclusion: There is limited supportive evidence suggesting that exercise interventions have potential to be effective, feasible and safe non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety and subthreshold anxiety disorders in mid-life and late-life. The heterogeneity, limited number and high risk of bias of some trials meant that we were not able to conduct a meta-analysis. Tailoring of interventions may improve uptake and reduce dropout. The paucity of research in this area with only four included trials demonstrates the urgent need for future and larger trials to provide proof of concept, data about effective types and doses of exercise interventions, and guidance to community, clinical, and public health services.
Improved scheme of membership function optimisation for fuzzy air‐fuel ratio control of GDI engines

This study researches an improved scheme of membership function optimisation (MFO) for fuzzy air–fuel ratio (AFR) control of gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines based on correspondence analysis (CA). This proportional–integral-like fuzzy knowledge-based controller (FKBC) optimised by the proposed scheme can further optimise AFR control performance while maximising conversion efficiency of the three-way catalyst to eliminate the exhaust emissions in real time. Different from the conventional experience-based membership function (MF) design method for an FKBC, the proposed MFO scheme uses CA approach and can visualise the relationship between engine step gain scenarios and designed MF patterns to precisely determine its scalar parameters for AFR regulation of GDI engines. Within this context: (i) specialised MFs for self-adaptive AFR control system of a GDI engine are designed with weight distribution; (ii) based on designed scalar parameters, the CA model with taxonomic dimensions is built for acquiring a customised MF to counter transient scenario changes more effectively; (iii) the engine controller with the proposed scheme is real time validated in a production V6 GDI engine, and its advantage in terms of engine transient control performance is further demonstrated by comparing with a benchmark controller designed based on experience.
Indoor Positioning System: A New Approach Based on LSTM and Two Stage Activity Classification

The number of studies on the development of indoor positioning systems has increased recently due to the growing demands of the various location-based services. Inertial sensors available in commercial smartphones play an important role in indoor localization and navigation owing to their highly accurate localization performance. In this study, the inertial sensors of a smartphone, which generate distinct patterns for physical activities and action units (AUs), are employed to localize a target in an indoor environment. These AUs, (such as a left turn, right turn, normal step, short step, or long step), help to accurately estimate the indoor location of a target. By taking advantage of sophisticated deep learning algorithms, we propose a novel approach for indoor navigation based on long short-term memory (LSTM). The LSTM accurately recognizes physical activities and related AUs by automatically extracting the efficient features from the distinct patterns of the input data. Experiment results show that LSTM provides a significant improvement in the indoor positioning performance through the recognition task. The proposed system achieves a better localization performance than the trivial fingerprinting method, with an average error of 0.782 m in an indoor area of 128.6 m2. Additionally, the proposed system exhibited robust performance by excluding the abnormal activity from the pedestrian activities.
Pedagogical Progressivism and Black Education: A Historiographical Review, 1880–1957

This article offers a critical review of the literature on how race played into the historical development of pedagogical progressivism in the late-19th and early-20th-century United States. While many historians have focused on the overt/covert racism inherent in much of progressive pedagogy as espoused by White educators, others have highlighted the ways in pedagogical progressivism supported movements toward liberation and social justice, especially when taken up by Black educators. Thus, the historical treatment of pedagogical progressivism is becoming more nuanced by incorporating the work of Black scholars, school leaders, curriculum designers, and teachers.
Water Productivity, Farmers Satisfaction, and Sustainability of Selected Small Scale Irrigation Schemes in Salale Zone, Ethiopia

In order to assess the potential, farmers satisfaction, and operation and maintenance issues of selected small scale irrigation schemes in Salale Zone Ethiopia, the study was designed with key objectives of evaluating the current status of irrigation water productivity of the schemes; irrigation water users satisfaction, and structures, function, and power of water users association in sustainable operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes. Structured questionnaires focus group discussion, and key informant interview was employed to collect data for each considered irrigation schemes and the data was analyzed by using SPSS and descriptive statistics. The result overall revealed that there was low water productivity of the schemes when it was compared with acceptable limit values. In each considered irrigation scheme, irrigation water users were not satisfied in operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes and less satisfied in fair distribution of water and timeline of water distribution; but fairly satisfied in fee policy. From the perspectives of roles of irrigation water users in leadership, resource mobilization, infrastructure management, equity in water distribution, and conflict management; there was a gap in effectively performing all such activities so that the overall productivity of schemes becomes very low. In general, the research indicated that there was a problem in improving water productivity, farmers’ satisfaction, role of irrigation water users in management, operation, and maintenance of schemes which need due consideration to sustain small scale irrigation schemes so that it will play the intended roles in attaining food security
Centrifuge modelling in the undergraduate curriculum—a 5 year reflection

A summary overview of 5 years working with a small-scale educational centrifuge at the University of Sheffield is presented. Various geotechnical design problems have been successfully performed throughout this period, including slope stability, bearing capacity failure and tunnelling. The opportunity to experimentally explore the theoretical content taught in lectures has had a positive impact on student learning in the undergraduate curriculum. The authors advocate there is an immediate need for greater adoption of experimental based observation/demonstration, either conducted at 1 g or Ng, to be embedded within the geotechnical undergraduate curriculum to enrich and deepen the student learning experience of geotechnical system performance.
The dynamics of Tibetan singing bowls

Tibetan bowls have been traditionally used for ceremonial and meditation purposes, but are also increasingly being used in contemporary music-making. They are handcrafted using alloys of several metals and produce different tones, depending on the alloy composition, their shape, size and weight. Most important is the sound-producing technique used - either impacting or rubbing, or both simultaneously - as well as the excitation location, the hardness and friction characteristics of the exciting stick (called puja). Recently, researchers became interested in the physical modelling of singing bowls, using waveguide synthesis techniques for performing numerical simulations. Their efforts aimed particularly at achieving real-time synthesis and, as a consequence, several aspects of the physics of these instruments do not appear to be clarified in the published numerical formulations and results. In the present paper, we extend to axi-symmetrical shells - subjected to impact and friction-induced excitations - our modal techniques of physical modelling, which were already used in previous papers concerning plucked and bowed strings as well as impacted and bowed bars. We start by an experimental modal identification of three different Tibetan bowls, and then develop a modelling approach for these systems. Extensive nonlinear numerical simulations were performed, for both impacted and rubbed bowls, which in particular highlight important aspects concerning the spatial patterns of the friction-induced bowl vibrations. Our results are in good agreement with preliminary qualitative experiments.
Clinical Performance of Rapid and Point-of-Care Antigen Tests for SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern: A Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are widely used in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by diverse variants. Information on the real-world performance of RATs for variants is urgently needed for decision makers. Systematic searches of the available literature and updates were conducted in PubMed, Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, CENTRAL, and KMBASE for articles evaluating the accuracy of instrument-free RATs for variants up until 14 March 2022. A bivariate random effects model was utilized to calculate pooled diagnostic values in comparison with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction as the reference test. A total of 7562 samples from six studies were available for the meta-analysis. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity of RATs for variants were 69.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 62.5% to 76.1%) and 100.0% (95% CI = 98.8% to 100.0%), respectively. When an additional 2179 samples from seven studies reporting sensitivities only were assessed, the pooled sensitivity dropped to 50.0% (95% CI = 44.0% to 55.0%). These findings suggest reassessment and monitoring of the diagnostic utility of RATs for variants, especially for the sensitivity aspect, to facilitate appropriate diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients.
Physicochemical Characteristics of Bambara Groundnut Speciality Malts and Extract

Speciality malts and their extracts have physicochemical characteristics such as colour, flavour, and aroma sorted for in food production. Speciality malts used in food production are mostly produced from cereal grains. Hence, this study aimed to produce speciality malts from Bambara groundnut (BGN) seeds and analyse their physicochemical characteristics and metabolites. The base, toasted, caramel, and roasted malt were produced by drying at different temperatures and times. Syrups were produced isothermally from the speciality malts. The speciality malts and syrups were assessed for colour, pH, protein, α and β-amylases, total polyphenols, antioxidants, and metabolite profiling. The BGN speciality malts were assayed for fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), hydrocarbons, sugar alcohols, sugars, acids, amino acids, and volatile components using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID). The colours of the speciality malts and syrups were significantly (p = 0.000) different. The protein content of the BGN speciality malts was significantly different (p = 0.000), while the protein content of the syrups was not significantly different. The amylase activities of the BGN speciality malt decreased with the change in kilning temperatures and time. The α- and β-amylase activities for the specialty malts were 1.01, 0.21, 0.29, 0.15 CU/g and 0.11, 0.10, 0.10, 0.06 BU/g. The total polyphenols and antioxidant activities differed for all BGN speciality malts. There were twenty-nine volatiles detected in the BGN speciality malts. Fifteen amino acids consisted of seven essential amino acids, and eight non-essential amino acids were detected in the speciality malts. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) identified were palmitoleic, oleic, linolelaidic, linoleic, and arachidic acid. The sugars, organic acids, and sugar alcohols consisted of lactic acid, fructose, sucrose, and myo-inositol. The BGN speciality malts exhibited good physicochemical characteristics and metabolites that can make them useful as household and industrial ingredients for food production, which could be beneficial to consumers.