Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tanshinone IIA inhibits cell growth by suppressing SIX1-induced aerobic glycolysis in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Aerobic glycolysis plays a key role in cancer cell metabolism and contributes to tumorigenesis, including that of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), an active compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza, exhibits antitumor properties. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the antitumor action of Tan IIA in lung cancer, such as inhibiting cell growth, promoting cell apoptosis and influencing cellular metabolism. However, the effects of Tan IIA on NSCLC cells and its mechanisms of action remain unclear. The present study shows Tan IIA dose-dependently attenuated the growth of NSCLC cells and in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Tan IIA markedly decreased the ATP level, glucose uptake and lactate production in the NSCLC cells in vitro. Tan IIA also inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft model in vivo. Mechanically, Tan IIA treatment decreased sine oculis homeobox homolog 1 (SIX1) mRNA and protein levels, thus leading to the downregulation of pyruvate kinase isozyme M2, hexokinase 2 and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression in A549 cells. SIX1 knockdown with small interfering-RNA inhibited glycolysis in NSCLC cells, suggesting that SIX1 plays a role in the antitumor effect of Tan IIA on NSCLC cells. More importantly, it was demonstrated that SIX1 expression was stimulated in patients with NSCLC and was positively correlated with the LDH serum level. Finally, SIX1 low expression levels predicted the poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC. In conclusion, the present study showed that Tan IIA functioned as an anti-glycolysis agent in NSCLC cells by downregulating SIX1 expression and inhibiting cell proliferation.
Challenges and Experiences in the Design of Transmission Power Control Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

Communication is usually the most energy- consuming event on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Hence, energy-aware medium access control (MAC) protocols are funda- mental to extend the lifetime of those networks. One important technique to mitigate energy consumption in the MAC layer is the adjustment of the transmission power. This article discusses the benefits of transmission power control (TPC) protocols, examines the issues in the implementation of such protocols, and summarizes the results of their first evaluation in existing hardware. Experimental results show that TPC is an effective method to reduce energy consumption in sensor nodes, and should be integrated in the design of new MAC protocols. TPC protocols allowed a reduction of up to 57.5% in the energy required to transmit packets, at the cost of a negligible reduction in the delivery rate. We also provide a glimpse of future challenges in WSNs using TPC-aware MAC protocols.
Development of an inflatable solar dryer for improved postharvest handling of paddy rice in humid climates

Abstract: Rice is the staple food for more than three billion people worldwide. Although considerable progress has been made with respect to improved breeds and production practices, losses during postharvest handling remain considerable. Drying and storage of paddy are two key stages where management can be improved. For rice, grain moisture content of 14% prevents microbiological activity, while a level of about 12% minimizes quality losses over prolonged storage periods. Due to the need for simple and economical technologies, an inflatable solar dryer (ISD) was developed based on adaptations of the Hohenheim-type solar tunnel dryer. To form a drying tunnel, transparent polyethylene (PE) film attaches by zipper to a reinforced black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film. To reduce heat loss, a flexible multilayer floor was used along the drying area. The tunnel does not need a substructure as it is stabilized adequately from pressure created by two axial flow ventilators. During experiments, paddy was spread on the floor and mixed with a special roller bar. The ISD has been evaluated for paddy in the Philippines during both rainy and dry seasons and was subsequently optimized. Sun drying and shade drying were carried out in parallel for comparison and product was evaluated for moisture content and quality in terms of milling recovery and head rice yield. Moisture content was reduced from 23% to 14% within 26-52 h of continuous operation during the rainy season and 16% to 14% within 4-26 h of drying during the dry season. In both seasons, the final moisture content of 12% was reached after prolonged drying periods. Quality was not found to be affected with respect to drying treatment. The ISD showed advantages over sun drying, despite longer drying periods. Keywords: paddy rice, postharvest handling, solar dryer, mobile dryer, collapsible dryer, Philippines DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe. 20171003.2444 Citation: Salvatierra-Rojas A, Nagle M, Gummert M, de Bruin T, Muller J. Development of an inflatable solar dryer for improved postharvest handling of paddy rice in humid climates. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(3): 269–282.
Portrayals of the Black Lives Matter Movement in Hard and Fake News and Consumer Attitudes Toward African Americans

Abstract Our study examined the relationship between media portrayals of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in hard and fake news in varying media modalities (print versus video) and participant attitudes toward African Americans. We also examined sociodemographic factors that may be related to susceptibility of fake news. Participants were primed with either hard or fake news (print or video) prior to completing the online questionnaire. Participants included 385 college students from a large southeastern public university. The findings revealed a direct effect of fake news on attitudes toward African Americans but only if the news was from a printed media modality. Hard news also had a positive impact on participant attitudes if from a printed media modality. These findings may help explain why information learned via fake news is persistent over time. Biological sex and political affiliation were associated with the impact of media priming on participants, with male and Republican participants being more susceptible to the effects of fake news. The results of this study should be helpful to those involved in policy making regarding social media and fake news and are timely considering that the BLM movement is growing stronger and the increase in fake news is ongoing.
Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolic Disease: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Health Care Personnel in a Hospital Setting in Parakou in 2017

Aims: To describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care personnel regarding venous thromboembolic disease prophylaxis (VTE) in the hospital setting to Parakou in 2017. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study with prospective data collection. Place and Duration of Study: Departments of medicine and medical specialties, Departments of surgery and surgical specialties, Departments of gyneco-obstetrics and intensive care at the Hospital University of Parakou (CHUD-B), in northern Benin, between February 2017 and May 2017. Methodology: We included all health professionals working in these services who consented to participate. The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for the management of VTE were used as the reference for the assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices. The evaluation form consisted of two parts, one addressed to physicians and the other to paramedics. The data were analyzed with SPSS 21 software with a significance level of 5% for comparisons. Results: A total of 223 health workers participated in the study. The knowledge level of the health workers was good in 52.47%, attitudes were correct in 37.67% and practices were adequate in 4.32%. Overall, health professionals had a good knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) score in 5.83% of the cases. Factors significantly associated with a good overall KAP score were practice on medical departments, continuing education of staff, status of doctors, knowledge of VTE guidelines and existence of VTE prevention protocols. Conclusion: Venous thromboembolic disease prophylaxis is moderately known by the health care personnel in Parakou, but attitudes and practices are not satisfactory. This highlights the need for continuous training.
Perceived Organizational Support and Knowledge Sharing: A Moderated-Mediation Approach

This paper investigates the positive influence of perceived organizational support (POS) on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior through their affective commitment. Moreover, it examines the moderating effect of task interdependence, as a situational factor, on this mediating relationship. The results from a total of 222 supervisor-subordinate dyads showed that POS was positively related to affective commitment, leading to knowledge sharing behaviors. Besides, the mediation effect of affective commitment was stronger when task interdependence was low than when it was high. These results imply that employees receiving high organizational support would share their knowledge when they perceive knowledge sharing as a voluntary behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Elevated Formation of Particulate Nitrate From N2O5 Hydrolysis in the Yangtze River Delta Region From 2011 to 2019

Aerosol nitrate has become the most abundant compound during aerosol pollution in eastern China. The Chinese government implemented a stringent policy during 2013–2017 to tackle aerosol pollution. However, the response of nitrate to nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction is unclear owing to the limitation of long‐term measurement. Here, we performed a 9‐year continuous measurement of aerosol compositions in Shanghai and confirmed a decrease in most species except nitrate. The contribution of nitrate to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increased significantly, reaching up to 35% in pollution episodes after 2017. This is in contrast to the evident reduction in NOx emissions. We found that the elevated dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) hydrolysis is responsible for the observed nitrate trend. Increased ozone and decreased nitrogen dioxide (NO) facilitated the formation of N2O5, and increased nitrate proportion promoted the uptake of N2O5 and eventually enhanced the conversion efficiency of NO2 to nitrate. Our results highlight the importance of synergic control of aerosol and ozone pollution.
Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity within the Home Environment of Preschool Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing an increasing prevalence of young children being overweight and obese. Many feeding and physical activity-related behaviours are established at home during preschool years, yet the precise factors that contribute to preschool overweight and obesity have not been fully elucidated. This review aims to identify factors in the home environment associated with overweight and or obesity in preschool children in SSA. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Journals Online (AJOL) and the African Index Medicus databases were systematically searched for qualitative and quantitative studies published between 2000 and 2021. Eleven studies (ten quantitative, one qualitative) met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the results highlight the paucity of studies exploring factors in the home environment associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The home food environment and maternal BMI appear to be important factors associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children; however, the information for all other factors explored remains unclear due to the lack of evidence. For successful obesity prevention and treatment interventions to be developed, more research in this area is required to understand how different aspects of the home environment contribute to overweight and obesity in preschool Sub-Saharan African children.
Economic Growth, Income Inequality, and Poverty in Central Sulawesi

This study examines the relationship and effect of economic growth with poverty and income inequality in Central Sulawesi Province. The source of data used in this study is secondary data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Central Sulawesi Province. This study also uses the Granger causality test analysis method to test the relationship between the three variables and then panel data regression is carried out to see the effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable. The data used are panel data on the number of poor people, GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) at Constant Prices 2010, and Gini ratio data by regencies/cities in Central Sulawesi Province during the 2011-2019 period. Based on the empirical findings above, it can be concluded that the variable economic growth (GRDP) has a negative effect on the number of poor people in districts/cities in Central Sulawesi Province. Furthermore, the variable economic growth also has a positive and significant influence on income inequality (GINI), where if there is an increase in economic growth, it will cause an increase in income inequality among people in the local area.
Pediatric Cancer as a Factor of Changes in the Family

The occurrence of pediatric cancer is an example of a non-normative situation that reorganizes family life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functioning of a family with a child affected by cancer. The study was conducted on 339 families. The study group consisted of 153 families with children with cancer (mean age 36.4 ± 6.8 years). The control group was composed of 186 families with healthy children (mean age 39.0 ± 6.3 years). All of them completed the author’s survey questionnaire on family functioning and the Resilience Measurement Scale (RMS). A statistically significant association was found between the place of residence (p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001), assessment of the material status (p < 0.001) and employment structure (p < 0.001) of parents and the membership in the study group or the control group. Statistical significance was achieved for the main effects as measured on the RMS (5 factors and 2 groups). The study group showed consistently lower levels of the factors of the scale. Statistically significant observations were reported for Factor 1 (perseverance, proactive approach) and Factor 4 (tolerance to failure, life as a challenge) (12.0 vs. 14.5, p < 0.001, 13.4 vs. 14.2, p = 0.04, respectively). Parents of children with cancer were characterized by lower persistence, determination and tolerance to failure, which could affect the quality of life of the whole family. In addition, different socio-economic conditions of family functioning were found in families with children with cancer as compared to families with healthy children.
Changes of physical match performance after the COVID-19 lockdown in professional soccer players according to their playing position

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic lockdown, which included training cessation and home-based training, on physical performance in professional soccer players from the Polish Ekstraklasa according to their playing position. The research was based on 3137 players’ individual match performance observations during the 2019/2020 season divided into before (26 matchdays) and after (11 matchdays) lockdown periods. The data were collected using the computerised multiple-camera optical tracking system TRACAB (ChryronHego VID, New York, NY) with a sampling frequency of 25 Hz. Independently of playing position, a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in season resumption metrics of total distance (-0.9%), jogging (-1.6%), running (-3.4%) and high-speed running (-2.5%), with a contemporaneous increase in walking distance (1.4%), was noted in relation to pre-lockdown performance. A reduction in high-speed running was observed in central defenders (p < 0.05), central midfielders (p < 0.01) and forwards (p < 0.05). No significant decrease in sprinting or maximal running velocity was observed. The COVID-19 lockdown negatively influenced the physical performance in professional soccer players.
Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Children and Adolescents in Rural China: A Large-Scale Epidemiological Study

Although children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for 90% of the global population of children, depression, and anxiety among children in LMICs have been understudied. This study examines the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their associations with biological and psychosocial factors among children across China, with a focus on rural areas. We conducted a large-scale epidemiological study of depression and anxiety among 53,421 elementary and junior high school-aged children across China. The results show that 20% are at risk for depression, 6% are at risk for generalized anxiety, and 68% are at risk for at least one type of anxiety. Girls and junior high school students show a higher risk for both depression and anxiety symptoms, while socioeconomic status has varying associations to depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results also show consistent correlations between depression and anxiety symptoms and standard math test scores. These findings underscore the importance of identification, prevention, and treatment of youth depression and anxiety in underdeveloped areas. As China constitutes 15% of the global population of children under age 18, this study offers valuable information to the field of global mental health.
Scenario Based Training in an Aviation Training Environment

Scenario Based Training In an Aviation Training Environment Trends in aviation training (i.e., the changes in pilot instruction proposed by the industry training standards represent changes in the content and delivery of pilot instruction) indicate a shift from traditional maneuver based training approach to incorporate training that is scenario based, which requires different skills and competencies. In this project, the author attempted to solve this problem by designing a PowerPoint presentation of strategies and techniques that pilot instructors new to the operational training environment can utilize when teaching scenario based training (SBT). The strategies are based on methods and techniques utilized by instructors/researchers who have spent years in the field of aviation education researching topics such as how to develop, implement, or manage SBT in an aviation operational environment.
State Anxiety in People Living with Disability and Visual Impairment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

There has been growing recognition of the impact of COVID-19 and the restrictions implemented to contain the virus on mental health. This study provides a preliminary assessment of the longitudinal impact on state anxiety in individuals with disabilities and a subsample of individuals with visual impairment (VI). Two surveys were conducted in April–May 2020 (T1) and March 2021 (T2) to explore state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Participants who consented to being re-contacted were invited to take part in T2. A total of 160 participants completed T1 and T2. There were no significant group differences in median anxiety at T1; however, at T2 anxiety was significantly higher in those with disabilities and there was a trend towards being higher in participants with VI compared to those with no disabilities. While not statistically significant within any of the three subgroups, state anxiety decreased slightly in those with no disabilities. The absence of a disability affecting mobility, experiencing loneliness, and poorer sleep quality predicted state anxiety at both timepoints. While anxiety appeared to decrease in individuals with no disabilities, it remained comparatively stable, and higher in those with disabilities. Loneliness and poor sleep may need to be addressed to alleviate feelings of anxiety.
Treatment of Distillery Industrial Wastewater Using Ozone Assisted Fenton’s Process: Color and Chemical Oxygen Demand Removal with Electrical Energy per Order Evaluation

Ozonation is one of the most effective and efficient advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and has shown great potential in the treatment of industrial effluent and wastewater. In the present work, the ozone-Fenton process for % COD and color removal together with electrical energy per order (EE/O) determination for distillery industrial wastewater (DIW) was established. The process was developed by combining the ozone (O3) with the Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2) process. The ozone-Fenton (O3/Fe2+/H2O2) was compared with other treatment processes such as O3, Fe2+, H2O2, O3/Fe2+, O3/H2O2, and Fe2+/H2O2 for EE/O together with % COD and color removal efficiency for DIW. The removal of color at 100% and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 96.875% were achieved with a minimum of EE/O of 0.5315 kWh/m3 using the O3/Fe2+/H2O2 process by operating at optimum conditions. The % COD and color values obtained using O3/Fe2+/H2O2 were significantly higher than those obtained using O3, Fe2+, H2O2, O3/Fe2+, O3/H2O2, and Fe2+/H2O2 processes. The % color, % COD removal, and its associated EE/O were evaluated by varying Fe2+, H2O2, O3 inlet and COD concentration, and initial wastewater pH using the O3/Fe2+/H2O2 process. The synergy effect of the O3 and Fe2+/H2O2 processes was evaluated and reported. Our experimental findings suggest that combining O3 with the Fe2+/H2O2 process could effectively treat industrial effluent and wastewater.
Improving the performance of chili sauce manufacturing process using simulation approach

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) plays an important role in the country economic development and growth. Food processing industry is one of the industrial SMEs that has contributed to the national economy and provides for the local needs. An increasing demand for better quality of food products means food processing entrepreneurs need to improve on the quality of product and operation in order to be competitive. Therefore, a study has been carried out on the operation of PM Agriculture and Trading Company in producing chili sauce products. A simulation model was developed using Arena software to illustrate the processes involved in producing the chili sauce. The simulation model was used to observe the bottlenecks in the production process. The observations show that there are a number of elements that need to be focused on in order to increase the production, i.e. labor utilization for each process, processing time for each process, waiting time for each process, total number of production and total n.