Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RANS study of very high Reynolds-number plane turbulent Couette flow

The objective of this study is to expound on the deliverables of a steady-state RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) simulation in one of the simplest flows, Couette flow, at a very high Reynolds number. To that end, a process to perform better grid sensitivity testing is introduced. Three two-equation turbulence models ( , , and ) are compared against each other as well as pitted against formal literature on the subject and core flow velocities, slopes, wall-bounded velocities, shear stresses and kinetic energies are analyzed. applied with enhanced wall functions is consistently found to be in better agreement with previous studies. Finally, plane turbulent Couette flow at 51,099, the range at which it has not been studied experimentally, numerically or analytically in former studies, is simulated. The results are found to be consistent with the trends asserted by literature and preliminary computations of this study.
Duration of untreated psychiatric illness and its correlations in patients attending a tertiary care psychiatric facility: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Duration of untreated psychiatric illness is an important component of the final pathway to care for patients. Longer the duration of untreated illness, poorer is the prognosis. Aim: To determine the Duration of Untreated Illness (DUI) along with its correlates, to thus evaluate the pathway to care at our setup. Settings and design: A retrospective cross-sectional study including 228 patients with psychiatric illnesses done at a tertiary care general hospital with a psychiatric setup. Materials: Semi-structured proforma for socio-demographic details, psychiatric diagnosis, duration of illness and duration of untreated illness. Statistical analysis: Sociodemographic details were mainly descriptive and categories compared using Pearson’s Chi square test. Results: The mean age of patients was 36.13 years (Standard Deviation (S.D.) 15.06). The mean DUI was 57.53 months (80.21). Excluding patients with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS), mean duration of illness was 51.58 months (S.D. 75.50) and DUI was 33.77 months (S.D. 49.11). Mean duration of illness for ADS group was 176.19 months (S.D. 101.20) and DUI was 165.90 months (S.D. 103.07). There was significant association of DUI with occupation (P = .039) and residence (P = .006). While 127 (55.70%) of patients showed to a psychiatrist at first, seventy (30.7%) patients went to faith healers first. Conclusion: It took about 5 years on average to reach a psychiatric facility, which was higher in patients with ADS. Awareness regarding illness model of ADS and other psychiatric disorders along treatment availability may improve DUI and lead to better prognosis.
United on Sunday: The effects of secular rituals on social bonding and affect

Religious rituals are associated with health benefits, potentially produced via social bonding. It is unknown whether secular rituals similarly increase social bonding. We conducted a field study with individuals who celebrate secular rituals at Sunday Assemblies and compared them with participants attending Christian rituals. We assessed levels of social bonding and affect before and after the rituals. Results showed the increase in social bonding taking place in secular rituals is comparable to religious rituals. We also found that both sets of rituals increased positive affect and decreased negative affect, and that the change in positive affect predicted the change in social bonding observed. Together these results suggest that secular rituals might play a similar role to religious ones in fostering feelings of social connection and boosting positive affect.
Physico-Chemical, Viability Evaluations and Efficacy Assessment of Bacillus subtilis Against Soft Rot Disease in Phalaenopsis

The study of biological agents in controlling plant disease has discovered many potential microbes with various mode of actions. In the end, these potential microorganism should qualifiedly fulfill several requirements before they are formally stated for commercialization and wider implementation. Evaluations on their physico-chemical characteristics and viabililty after certain storage period were needed to ensure the effectiveness of the product during transportation and commercialization process. The research was aimed to evaluate B. subtilis strains B7 and B30 for their physio-chemical characteristic and viability after six months storage and investigate the efficacy of the strains against soft root disease of Phalaenopsis. The results showed that both antagonists had stable perfomances in physico-chemical, viability and efficacy evaluations after six months storage. The existence of active bacteria was demonstrated from the decrease in pH, murky suspensions and foul smelling as indications of fermentative reactions under optimal and minimal nutrients. Both antagonists showed stable viability after storage and effectively inhibited soft rot disease when applied on the infected plants with slightly lesser supression from streptomycin sulphate.
Light regime affects the seasonal cycle of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba): impacts on growth, feeding, lipid metabolism, and maturity

Light regime is an important zeitgeber for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba Dana, 1850), which seems to entrain an endogenous timing system that synchronizes its life cycle to the extreme light conditions in the Southern Ocean. To understand the flexibility of Antarctic krill’s seasonal cycle, we investigated its physiological and behavioural responses to different light regimes and if an endogenous timing system was involved in the regulation of these seasonal processes. We analysed growth, feeding, lipid content, and maturity in a 2-year laboratory experiment simulating the latitudinal light regimes at 52°S and 66°S and constant darkness under constant food level. Our results showed that light regime affected seasonal cycles of growth, feeding, lipid metabolism, and maturity in Antarctic krill. Seasonal patterns of growth, feeding, and maturity persisted under constant darkness, indicating the presence of an endogenous timing system. The maturity cycle showed differences in critical photoperiods according to the simulated latitudinal light regime. This suggests a flexible endogenous timing mechanism in Antarctic krill, which may determine its response to future environmental changes.
Relations of Chinese Mothers’ Cultural Values and Parental Control to Early Adolescents’ Self-Construals

This study examined associations between mothers’ Chinese cultural values, monitoring, and psychological control with early adolescents’ independent and interdependent self-construals (SCs). Adolescents (n = 594) and their mothers were recruited from urban areas in mainland China. Mothers reported their Chinese cultural values; adolescents reported their mothers’ monitoring and psychological control and their independent and interdependent SCs. The findings suggested that mothers’ Chinese cultural values and perceived monitoring had significant positive associations with adolescents’ independent and interdependent SCs, and mothers’ perceived monitoring had a significant mediation effect on the association between mothers’ Chinese cultural values and adolescents’ interdependent SC. Mothers’ perceived psychological control had a significant positive association with adolescents’ independent SC. The findings suggested that the sociocultural context might shape Chinese early adolescents’ SC through two interacting culture categories (i.e., societal norms and daily practices), and monitoring might have mediation effect in the relation between societal norms and interdependent SC.
Isolation and characterization of a high ethyl acetate-producing yeast from Laobaigan Daqu and its fermentation conditions for producing high-quality Baijiu

Abstract A yeast that produces high levels of ethyl acetate was isolated and purified from Laobaigan Daqu by traditional microbial methods and was identified as Wickerhamomyces anomalus by its morphology and 26S rDNA D1/D2 sequence. This strain, YF1503, greatly tolerated ethanol and ethyl acetate. The optimal conditions for producing high levels of ethyl acetate were identified using single factor experiments and response surface methodology. Under these fermentation conditions, strain YF1503 produced 17.35 g/L ethyl acetate, the highest level that has been reported. The presence of alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) activity (8.63 U/L) and changes in the concentrations of ethanol and ethyl acetate in the fermentation broth indicate that strain YF1503 synthesises ethyl acetate using the acyltransferase pathway.
The impact of experience on brand loyalty: Mediating effect of images of Taiwan hotels

ABSTRACT In today’s increasingly competitive market, hotels are exploring more innovative branding strategies to develop their competitive advantages. The application of brand experience to marketing practice has drawn much attention in the hotel industry recently. Marketing management recognizes that understanding brand experience is critical for developing service products. Studies have examined the relationship between brand experience and brand loyalty, but it remains unclear how the brand image of hotel guests affects this relationship. In addition, according to the data, mainland Chinese tourists comprise the biggest inbound source market in Taiwan’s tourism industry. This study aims to fill this research gap by identifying the composition and structure of brand experience in upscale hotels, with a focus on mainland Chinese tourists and examining the mediating effect of brand image on brand experience and brand loyalty. The findings of this study broaden and deepen the current knowledge of the role of brand experience in the hotel industry, and provides managerial suggestions for hotel brands to consider in improving their brand loyalty by taking into consideration of their guests’ brand experience.
A Novel Report on Killer Yeast Strains Identification Methods

This study was conducted to isolate and identify killer yeasts from soil samples that collected from different locations in Basrah and Dhi-Qar provinces. Seventy-five soil samples were collected from different areas, including sandy, arable, surface sediment and uncultivated soil, using dilution methods to cultivate a serial dilution of each soil sample. The results showed that a 112 isolates were identified biochemically using VITEK system and molecularly using internal transcribed spacer (ITS1- 5.8S-ITS2) marker. The molecular identification provided fast and precise identification results for the 112 isolates, whereas the VITEK test resulted low identification efficiency (8.2% were accurate and 91.8 % were not). The Diazonium blue B salts produced a good colour reaction in distinguishing between ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The PCR was more accurate in identification of killer yeasts compared to the VITEK system.
To Study the Osmotic Dehydration Characteristics of Kiwifruit ( Actinidia delicosa) Slices

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) belongs to family Actinidiaceae with chromosome no. (2n) 58. Its primary origin is China and secondary origin is New Zealand. Area under cultivation in India is 4000 ha with production and productivity of 1100 mt and 3mt/ha (nhb.gov.in 2016-17). It is a temperate fruit crop. Kiwifruit is also known as Chinese gooseberry and horticultural wonder of New Zealand. In India it is cultivated in Himachal Pardesh. Kiwifruit is known for its flavour and vitamin C content. It is a climacteric fruit and is very sensitive to ethylene. Botanically, kiwifruit is a berry with various locules filled with many small and soft black seeds. Its flesh is separated into three regions: the outer pericarp, the inner pericarp with seeds, and the columella (core). Each part differs from the others with respect to composition and texture. The columella is lighter than the inner and outer pericarps. Kiwifruit belongs to family Actinidiaceae and genus Actinidia (Guroo et al., 2017).
Resolving the Hubble Constant Discrepancy: Revisiting the Effect of Local Environments

Studies have found two differing sets of figures for the Hubble constant without clear direction for resolution of that difference. This article offers a direction for reconciling the measurement discrepancy. Research is reviewed and theory is described that indicate the resolution may be found in revisiting how the degree of mass in local environments affects computations. The idea that the expansion rate of the universe is invariably uniform is discounted, to be replaced by a range of figures depending on the mass density of the local environment underlying the measurement.
Methylprednisolone added to tocilizumab reduces mortality in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: An observational study.

Although there are few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of drugs to treat COVID‐19, different molecules have been used empirically and with great interest in those intended to control the excessive inflammatory response produced by SARS‐CoV‐2. By blocking the IL‐6 receptor, tocilizumab has a role in controlling the inflammatory response. Clinical improvement of respiratory parameters and hospital stay have been described in small series in a series of patients without a control group [1]. There are currently numerous ongoing clinical trials aimed to clarifying the role of this molecule in COVID‐19. The guidelines for the treatment of SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia from the Spanish Ministry of Health contemplate the use of tocilizumab as a therapeutic tool for those patients with severe respiratory failure or rapid respiratory deterioration with criteria for admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Particulate air pollution and neurological diseases: The role of tauopathies

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and parkinsonism, are due to the gradual and progressive loss of neural cells, leading to nervous system dysfunction. Increasing epidemiological and toxicological evidence has demonstrated the possible association between neurological diseases and particulate air pollution. Chronic exposure to particulate matter (PM) of < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic size (PM2.5) is related to reductions in white matter and gray matter in brains of older women. Alterations of the structural integrity of the brain were reported for particulate air pollution-induced neurological disorders. Clinically, intraneuronal accumulation of tau proteins is considered to be an important hallmark of the development of neurodegenerative diseases. In Alzheimer's disease brains, for example, hyperphosphorylated levels of tau are around 3–4 times higher than levels in normal adult brains. Tau overexpression in neuroblastoma cells can lead to tau aggregations and the appearance of smaller proteolytic fragments. Degradative mechanisms, such as autophagy that remove tau from cells are considered essential functions for maintaining the brain's health. Notably, increasing numbers of reports have indicated that autophagy dysfunction occurs due to particulate air pollution in vitro and in vivo. Dysfunction of autophagy can lead to tau accumulation in the brain. We reviewed the effects of particulate air pollution on neurological diseases and the underlying mechanisms (i.e., tau and autophagy). Further toxicological evidence is required to fill in the gaps between epidemiological and clinical observations.
Akt kinases are required for efficient feeding by macropinocytosis in Dictyostelium

Macropinocytosis is an actin-driven process of large-scale, non-specific fluid uptake used for feeding by some cancer cells and the macropinocytosis model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. In Dictyostelium, macropinocytic cups are organised by ‘macropinocytic patches’ in the plasma membrane. These contain activated Ras, Rac and PI(3,4,5)P3 and direct actin polymerisation to their periphery. Here, we show that a classical (PkbA) and a variant (PkbR1) Akt protein kinase acting downstream of PI(3,4,5)P3 are together are near-essential for fluid uptake. This pathway enables the formation of larger macropinocytic patches and macropinosomes, thereby dramatically increasing fluid uptake. Akt targets identified by phosphoproteomics were highly enriched in small G-protein regulators, including the RhoGAP GacG. GacG knockout mutants make few macropinosomes but instead redeploy their cytoskeleton from macropinocytosis to motility, moving rapidly but taking up little fluid. The function of Akt in cell feeding through control of macropinosome size has implications for cancer cell biology. Summary statement Dictyostelium amoebae feed by macropinocytosis in a PIP3 dependent manner. In the absence of PI3-kinases or the downstream Akt protein kinases, cells have smaller macropinosomes and nearly abolished fluid uptake.
Association Mapping and Genetic Diversity Studies of Agronomic and Quality Traits in Durum Wheat [Triticum turgidum L. var. durum (Desf.)]

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv DEDICATION . v LIST OF TABLES . xi LIST OF FIGURES . xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xiv LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES . xvi LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES. xvii GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 References . 2 CHAPTER 1. LITERATURE REVIEW . 4 Evolution of Durum Wheat . 4 Domestication and Dissemination of Durum Wheat . 5 U.S. Commercialization of Durum Wheat . 7 Diversity in Durum Wheat . 8 Molecular Characterization of Durum Wheat.9 Genetics of Durum Wheat Agronomic Traits . 10 Yield . 11 Days to heading.11 Plant height . 12 Lodging . 13 Leaf disease . 14
Inflamm-Aging and Brain Insulin Resistance: New Insights and Role of Life-style Strategies on Cognitive and Social Determinants in Aging and Neurodegeneration

Over the past decades, the human life span has dramatically increased, and therefore, a steady increase in diseases associated with age (such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) is expected. In these neurodegenerative diseases, there is a cognitive decline and memory loss, which accompany increased systemic inflammation, the inflamm-aging, and the insulin resistance. Despite numerous studies of age-related pathologies, data on the contribution of brain insulin resistance and innate immunity components to aging are insufficient. Recently, much research has been focused on the consequences of nutrients and adiposity- and nutrient-related signals in brain aging and cognitive decline. Moreover, given the role of metainflammation in neurodegeneration, lifestyle interventions such as calorie restriction may be an effective way to break the vicious cycle of metainflammation and have a role in social behavior. The various effects of calorie restriction on metainflammation, insulin resistance, and neurodegeneration have been described. Less attention has been paid to the social determinants of aging and the possible mechanism by which calorie restriction might influence social behavior. The purpose of this review is to discuss current knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of geroscience—immunosenescence, inflamm-aging, and metainflammation—which makes a significant contribution to aging. A substantial part of the review is devoted to frontiers in the brain insulin resistance in relation to neuroinflammation. In addition, we summarize new data on potential mechanisms of calorie restriction that influence as a lifestyle intervention on the social brain. This knowledge can be used to initiate successful aging and slow the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.
Investigation of cytomegalovirus-based cancer vaccines

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a highly immunogenic beta-herpesvirus that establishes asymptomatic infection in immune competent individuals. The ability of CMV to induce high frequencies of functional effector memory CD8+ T cells that increase over time (termed ‘memory inflation’) makes this virus an attractive vaccine vector. The primary focus of this thesis is centred on the hypothesis that engineering a CMV-based vector expressing a tumour-associated antigen will be able to induce a robust and long-lived anti-tumour CD8+ T cell response. Using the murine CMV (MCMV) infection model, several MCMV-based vectors were constructed to express the tumour-associated antigens 5T4 and NY-ESO-1, from different locations within the m123-m128 locus of the MCMV genome, which has been associated with the induction of memory inflation. Systemic immunisation with these vectors revealed that induction of tumour-specific CD8+ T cells correlated with high tumour antigen expression during MCMV replication in vitro and in turn, depended on the site of insertion within the MCMV genome. MCMV-based vectors were also examined in prime-boost strategies that incorporated recombinant adenovirus expressing the corresponding tumour-associated antigen. Prime-boost immunisation resulted in the generation of polyfunctional tumour-specific CD8+ T cells that delayed tumour onset. Interestingly, immunisation with the MCMV vector led to an increased influx of lymphocytes infiltrating the tumour. Finally, the immunogenicity of a spread-defective MCMV vector, DgL-MCMV, was investigated upon subcutaneous challenge. Encouragingly, although the magnitude of the response was reduced compared to wild-type MCMV, DgL-MCMV was able to drive memory inflation. Collectively, these data show the importance of vector construction in an effective CMV-based vaccine and highlight the potential of CMV in influencing lymphocyte infiltration into tumours. Ultimately, it provides further evidence of the potential use of CMV as a vaccine vector for cancer therapy.
Community Involvement and Compensation Money Utilization in Ethiopia: Case Studies from Bahir Dar and Debre Markos Peri-Urban Areas

In this study the involvement of the community during expropriation and the utilization of the compensation money of the expropriated farmers are investigated taking Bahir Dar and Debre Markos peri-urban areas as case studies. Survey research methods were applied for data collection. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. According to the results, there is high land tenure transformation in both study areas. Even though the majority of the expropriated farmers got compensation payments, most farmers did not use their compensation money to found alternative income generating businesses. Just payment of compensation shall not be an end by itself. Technical and administrative supports for farmers are essential for the proper utilization of the compensation money. Communities affected by expropriation should participate effectively in the processes of expropriation and compensation in order to reduce the externalities of the process. For this to happen, the public authorities should prepare open public consultation meetings prior to expropriation and must exercise smart democracy during the whole period of the process.