Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Political business cycle and fiscal discipline in Sub-Saharan Africa

We tested the Political Business Cycle theory in Sub-Sahara Africa. To provide an empirical explanation for this nexus, this paper used unbalanced panel data from thirty-six (36) Sub-Saharan African countries between 1990 and 2018. The system Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) developed by Arrelano-Bover/Blundell-Bond was employed to analyze the collected data. The results of the system GMM revealed that the fiscal deficit is significantly large in election years and the deficit spending spills into the year after the election, though not as high as in the election year. We could not, however, find a significant effect in the pre-election year. In addition, we found evidence suggesting that though democracy significantly lowers the fiscal deficit, it promotes higher deficit spending in the election year and the year after the election. Hence, the study established the existence of a political business cycle in Sub-Saharan African countries. The study thus recommends that sound economic policies should be put in place to reduce the persistent deficit in SSA so as to maintain sustainable fiscal health, as well as the sustainability of macroeconomics, particularly enhanced industrialization, as the study found that countries' fiscal deficits are lower in more industrialized countries in the region.
Chitin Deacetylase, a Novel Target for the Design of Agricultural Fungicides

Fungicide resistance is a serious problem for agriculture. This is particularly apparent in the case of powdery mildew fungi. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new agrochemicals. Chitin is a well-known elicitor of plant immunity, and fungal pathogens have evolved strategies to overcome its detection. Among these strategies, chitin deacetylase (CDA) is responsible for modifying immunogenic chitooligomers and hydrolysing the acetamido group in the N-acetylglucosamine units to avoid recognition. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that CDA can be an appropriate target for antifungals using the cucurbit powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera xanthii. According to our hypothesis, RNAi silencing of PxCDA resulted in a dramatic reduction in fungal growth that was linked to a rapid elicitation of chitin-triggered immunity. Similar results were obtained with treatments with carboxylic acids such as EDTA, a well-known CDA inhibitor. The disease-suppression activity of EDTA was not associated with its chelating activity since other chelating agents did not suppress disease. The binding of EDTA to CDA was confirmed by molecular docking studies. Furthermore, EDTA also suppressed green and grey mould-causing pathogens applied to oranges and strawberries, respectively. Our results conclusively show that CDA is a promising target for control of phytopathogenic fungi and that EDTA could be a starting point for fungicide design.
Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (Lamiaceae) Essential Oil Prevents Behavioral and Oxidative Stress Changes in the Scopolamine Zebrafish Model

Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum has been used as medicinal herbs promoting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective activities. We investigated the protective effects and the mechanism of O. vulgare ssp. hirtum essential oil (OEO) on cognitive impairment and brain oxidative stress in a scopolamine (Sco)-induced zebrafish (Danio rerio) model of cognitive impairment. Our results show that exposure to Sco (100 µM) leads to anxiety, spatial memory, and response to novelty dysfunctions, whereas the administration of OEO (25, 150, and 300 µL/L, once daily for 13 days) reduced anxiety-like behavior and improved cognitive ability, which was confirmed by behavioral tests, such as the novel tank-diving test (NTT), Y-maze test, and novel object recognition test (NOR) in zebrafish. Additionally, Sco-induced brain oxidative stress and increasing of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were attenuated by the administration of OEO. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were used to elucidate the OEO composition, comprising thymol (38.82%), p-cymene (20.28%), and γ-terpinene (19.58%) as the main identified components. These findings suggest the ability of OEO to revert the Sco-induced cognitive deficits by restoring the cholinergic system activity and brain antioxidant status. Thus, OEO could be used as perspective sources of bioactive compounds, displaying valuable biological activities, with potential pharmaceutical applications.
Trace Mineral, Qualitative Phytochemical Composition and Antidiabetic Effect of Ethanol Extract of Citrullus lanatus Seeds on Diabetic Rats

The trace mineral concentration, phytochemical composition and antidiabetic effect of the ethanol extract of C. lanatus seeds were carried out using standard methods. The preclinical experimental model was 120 mgkg-1 b.w. (via intraperitoneal) Alloxan induced diabetic rat model, with ethanol extract of C. lanatus seeds administered orally at 500mgkg-1 b.w. Qualitative phytochemical screening showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, steroids/triterpenoids, tannins, carbohydrates and oils. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that iron had the highest value (8.31mgkg-1), followed by zinc (5.78 mgkg-1), then manganese (4.28 mgkg-1). Selenium concentration was appreciable (0.85 mgkg-1). Ethanol extract of C. lanatus seeds significantly (p < 0.05), dose and time dependently reduced blood glucose level, increased body weights of rats and had positive effect on organ weights and organ volume. The results in this study showed that Citrullus lanatus seeds are rich in zinc, selenium, manganese, iron, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, steroids/triterpenoids, and tannins. They may therefore serve as good sources of these trace mineral nutrients and bio actives for nutritional and medicinal purposes relating to diabetes management.
Negligible Effect of Quercetin in the Pharmacokinetics of Sulfasalazine in Rats and Beagles: Metabolic Inactivation of the Interaction Potential of Quercetin with BCRP

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) mediates pharmacokinetic drug interactions. This study evaluated the potential of quercetin to inhibit and induce BCRP in vitro and in vivo. The inhibition of BCRP was investigated for quercetin and its metabolites using BCRP/mBcrp1-overexpressing MDCKII cells by flow cytometry. The induction of BCRP was investigated in LS174T cells using quantitative PCR. The expression of rat BCRP in rat small intestine, liver, and kidney was also measured after multiple administrations of quercetin in rats (50, 100, and 250 mg/kg, seven days). The in vivo pharmacokinetic changes of sulfasalazine following single or multiple administration of quercetin in rats and beagles were investigated. Although the induction effect of quercetin on BCRP was observed in vitro, the in vivo expression of rat BCRP was not changed by multiple quercetin administrations. Oral administration of quercetin did not affect the plasma concentration or pharmacokinetic parameters of sulfasalazine, regardless of dose and dosing period in either rats or beagles. In addition, the inhibitory effect of quercetin metabolites on BCRP/mBcrp1 was not observed. These results suggest that the in vivo drug interaction caused by quercetin via BCRP was negligible, and it may be related to the metabolic inactivation of quercetin for the inhibition of BCRP.
Brain tumor segmentation with attention-based U-Net

Brain tumors are a hazardous type of tumor, and they build pressure inside the skull when they grow, which can potentially cause brain damage or even death. Attention mechanisms are widely adopted in state-of-the-art deep learning architectures for computer vision and neural translation tasks since they enhance networks' ability to capture spatial and channel-wise relationships. We offer an attention-based image segmentation model that outlines the brain tumors in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans if present. In the paper, we mainly focus on integrating Squeeze-and-Excitation Block and CBAM into the commonly used segmentation model, U-Net, to resolve the problem of concatenating unnecessary information into the decoder blocks and attempt to locate the tumor boundaries. Our research clearly shows the application of the attention mechanism in U-Net, incorporates the Squeeze-and-Excitation with CBAM, and improves the performance in the brain tumor segmentation task. The model is delivered on an app with additional text to speech and chatbot features provided.
CXCL13 in Cancer and Other Diseases: Biological Functions, Clinical Significance, and Therapeutic Opportunities

The development of cancer is a multistep and complex process involving interactions between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). C-X-C chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its receptor, CXCR5, make crucial contributions to this process by triggering intracellular signaling cascades in malignant cells and modulating the sophisticated TME in an autocrine or paracrine fashion. The CXCL13/CXCR5 axis has a dominant role in B cell recruitment and tertiary lymphoid structure formation, which activate immune responses against some tumors. In most cancer types, the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis mediates pro-neoplastic immune reactions by recruiting suppressive immune cells into tumor tissues. Tobacco smoke and haze (smohaze) and the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene induce the secretion of CXCL13 by lung epithelial cells, which contributes to environmental lung carcinogenesis. Interestingly, the knockout of CXCL13 inhibits benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer and azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-induced colorectal cancer in mice. Thus, a better understanding of the context-dependent functions of the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in tumor tissue and the TME is required to design an efficient immune-based therapy. In this review, we summarize the molecular events and TME alterations caused by CXCL13/CXCR5 and briefly discuss the potentials of agents targeting this axis in different malignant tumors.
Buffeting Prediction for Transport Aircraft Applications Based on Unsteady Pressure Measurements

At ONERA a buffet onset prediction method based on computation of aircraft dynamic responses from the measurement of the unsteady pressure field on a model with scaled static deformation and geometry is under development. To build up such a method several experimental tests were performed on both RA16SC1 airfoil and rectangular wing to analyze in details unsteady separated flows. The existence of organized separated flow fluctuations at transonic speeds was observed. But this type of flow does not seem to be relevant at buffet onset for transport aircraft. Dynamic buffet responses have also been calculated on a 1/38 scale wing model from more complete unsteady pressure measurements. Reasonable agreement was obtained with experimental results at least for transonic speeds.
Analysis of ground-bounce induced substrate noise coupling in a low resistive bulk epitaxial process: design strategies to minimize noise effects on a mixed-signal chip

The industry trend toward system-on-chip solutions continues to push the limits of mixed-signal design. Increasing the integration of analog and digital circuitry causes a struggle to maintain analog signal integrity. Digital switching of noise coupling through the common substrate is both difficult to measure and difficult to control. This paper introduces and applies a practical first-order simulation methodology for performing a substrate noise analysis in a low resistive bulk process. Although this subject has been analyzed in numerous journal articles, few have applied their analysis method to a whole-chip design. This SPICE model will allow mixed-signal designers to determine design variables that will minimize substrate noise. This work elaborates on key aspects of substrate noise that available references do not handle adequately, including: sources of substrate noise, determination of power-rail and bulk-resonance frequencies, and alternatives for bulk biasing. The new model is used to analyze Motorola's 56824, the latest low-cost 16-bit digital signal processor design. The analysis includes the determination of: (1) the on-chip bus and I/O bus noise coupled to the substrate; (2) the dominant resonant frequencies in the chip; and (3) the best bulk-biasing alternative.
Demarcation: a dynamic methodology for quality grading within the Australian wine industry

Formal wine quality ranking has largely been a European phenomenon. While various publications and critics within new world wine industries conduct regular ranking exercises for wine taste or winery processes, these exercises usually target specific quality or taste elements, are often not particularly transparent, and are not comprehensive. In Australia, the lack of a comprehensive ranking system is not simply an oversight. Wine associations have directed the industry along very different pathways from those laid out by their more traditional European peers. There has been a much greater emphasis on the role of the winemaker and technological experimentation, and a more egalitarian, generic branding regime. Until very recently, little value has been placed on factors such as terroir, heritage, regional characteristics, or appropriate and specialised vineyard management. The author believes that the lack of a formalised and comprehensive quality ranking system for Australian wine is a deficiency that is now undermining the industry’s reputation both at home and abroad. The following paper provides the context for, and justification of, what is proposed as a dynamic, transparent, and multi-category wine ranking matrix.
Data mining and socio-spatial patterns of COVID-19: geo-prevention keys for tackling the pandemic

A geographic perspective is essential in tackling COVID-19. This research study is framed in the collaboration project set up by the University of Cantabria, the Valdecilla Hospital Research Institute (IDIVAL) and the Regional Government of Cantabria. The case study is the Santander functional urban area (FUA), which is considered from a multi-scale perspective. The main source is the daily records of micro-data on COVID-19 cases and the methodology is based on ESRI geo-technologies, and more specifically on a tool called SITAR (a Spanish acronym which stands for Fast-Action Territorial Information System). The main goal is to analyse and contribute to knowledge of the spatial patterns of COVID-19 at neighbourhood level from a space-time perspective. To that end the research is based on data mining methods (3D bins and emerging hot-spots) and exploratory geo-statistical analysis (Global Moran’s Index, Nearest Neighbourhood and Ordinary Least Square analyses, among others). The study identifies space-time patterns that show significant hot-spots and demonstrates a high presence of the virus at building level in neighbourhoods where residential and economic uses are mixed. Knowing the spatial behaviour of the virus is strategically important for proposing geo-prevention keys, reducing spread and balancing trade-offs between potential health gains and economic burdens resulting from interventions to deal with the pandemic.
Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio and MCHC as Predictors of Collateral Carotid Artery Disease—Preliminary Report

Background: Carotid artery disease accounts for 30% of ischemic strokes in the general population. Numerous biomarkers have been investigated for predicting either the progression or the severity of the disease. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare hematologic indices among patients referred for surgical interventions due to severe carotid disease. Methods: In total, 135 patients (87 (64.4%) men and 48 (35.6%) women) with a mean age of 70 ± 8 years who underwent surgical carotid intervention were enrolled into the study. Results: A Mann–Whitney test for independent samples revealed significant differences in monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) between patients with one and two (collateral) carotid diseases. The cut-off value for MLR was 0.3 (AUC = 0.654, p = 0.048, 70.0% sensitivity and 74.6% specificity) and for MHCH was 21.6. (AUC = 0.730, p < 0.001, 70.0% sensitivity and 77.2% specificity). A multivariable model of logistic regression revealed two significant parameters for collateral carotid stenosis disease including MLR > 0.3 (OR 6.19 with 95% CI 2.02–19.01, p = 0.001) and MCHC > 21.6 (OR 7.76, 95% CI 2.54–23.72, p < 0.001). Conclusions: MLR above 0.3 and MCHC above 21.6 have predictive values for colleterial carotid stenosis and may be used as easily accessible indicators for atherosclerosis severity.
Dynamic modelling and experimental validation of three wheeled tilting vehicles

The present paper describes the study of the stability in the straight running of a three-wheeled tilting vehicle for urban and sub-urban mobility. The analysis was carried out by developing a multibody model in the Matlab/SimulinkSimMechanics environment. An Adams-Motorcycle model and an equivalent analytical model were developed for the cross-validation and for highlighting the similarities with the lateral dynamics of motorcycles. Field tests were carried out to validate the model and identify some critical parameters, such as the damping on the steering system. The stability analysis demonstrates that the lateral dynamic motions are characterised by vibration modes that are similar to that of a motorcycle. Additionally, it shows that the wobble mode is significantly affected by the castor trail, whereas it is only slightly affected by the dynamics of the front suspension. For the present case study, the frame compliance also has no influence on the weave and wobble.
DC fault ride-through capability and STATCOM operation of a hybrid voltage source converter arrangement for HVDC power transmission and reactive power compensation

HVDC transmission systems are becoming increasingly popular when compared to conventional AC transmission methods. HVDC voltage source converters (VSC) can offer advantages over traditional HVDC current source converter topologies; as such, it is expected that HVDC-VSCs will be further exploited with the growth of HVDC transmission. This paper presents the DC fault ride through capability and new STATCOM modes of operation for a recently published alternating arm voltage source converter (AAC) intended for the HVDC market. Operation of the converter during a local terminal to terminal short circuit of the DC-Link is demonstrated; additionally, operation of the converter as a STATCOM during the fault is also demonstrated. (5 pages)
"Job Satisfaction of Pakistani Speech Therapists in Various Workplaces: A Cross-Sectional Study"

There is evidence that healthy employees are more efficient and that an ill workforce costs the country more [1]. On two fronts, cost arises for SLPs: not only in respect to the number of capable, effective workers but also with respect to the impact a reduced workforce has on the health and productivity of persons with communication and swallowing challenges [2]. It’s a difficult job, but if you like complexities and challenges, a career as a speechlanguage pathologist may be a good fit for you [3]. It has long been acknowledged that job satisfaction is critical for therapists who work with communication disorders. Individuals who are happy in their jobs are more likely to be efficient, do quality work, report success, stay in their jobs, and encourage others to follow in their footsteps [4]. Across occupations, job satisfaction is strongly and indirectly related to stress and emotional exhaustion [5]. According to John Locke, job satisfaction is a pleasant emotional state caused by the assessment of one’s employment as allowing or attaining value accomplishment. It was noted that job dissatisfaction was characterized as an emotionally uncomfortable condition coming ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Numerical Simulation on VIV of a Spring-Mounted Rigid Cylinder through Fully Coupling with Fluid

In this paper, the fluid and structure model are fully coupled and put into FSI solver to calculate simultaneously to predict vortex-induced vibration. Multiple iterative calculations are needed in each time step and the fluid and structure model perform the next step calculation until satisfy the requirement of accuracy, which is different from conventional method used to simulate VIV. The present results agree well with the experimental results of other researchers.
Speed-adaptive roll-angle-tracking control of an unmanned bicycle using fuzzy logic

This paper presents the development of dynamic equations and roll-angle-tracking controller of an unmanned bicycle. First, the equations of motion and constraints of a bicycle with rolling-without-slipping contact condition between wheels and ground are developed using Lagrange's equations. The equations are then used to implement the simulation of the bicycle dynamics. With the bicycle model, a fuzzy-logic controller, which is adaptive to the speed change is implemented to control the bicycle to follow the roll-angle commands. The controller parameters where fuzzy membership functions are presented by scaling factors and deforming coefficients are optimised using genetic algorithms. Results show that the bicycle can follow the roll-angle command with short time delay and the control structure can adapt to a wide range of speed.
Medicine Dose Adjustment Practice and Associated Factors among Renally Impaired Patients in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Background Kidney disease affects absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of medicines and their metabolites. Therefore, when prescribing medicines for patients with kidney disease, dose adjustment is an accepted standard of practice. Objective This study aimed to assess medicine dose adjustment practice and associated factors among adult patients with renal impairment admitted to medical wards at Amhara region referral hospitals. Method Multicenter, institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from March 28, 2020, to August 30, 2020. The data was collected by using a pretested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and transferred into SPSS version 25 for further data processing and analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were computed. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were fitted to identify factors associated with dose adjustment practice. A 95% confidence interval and a p value less than 0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. Result Among 815 medicines' prescriptions that needed dose adjustment, 417 (51.2%) of them were dosed inappropriately. Number of medicines, number of comorbidities, and being unemployed were significantly associated with inappropriate dose adjustment. Conclusion Our study revealed that there was a considerable rate of inappropriate dose adjustment in patients with renal impairment. Training for health care providers, use of guidelines, and communication with clinical pharmacists should be encouraged for good prescription practice.