Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Effect of Ursolic Acid on Proliferation and Migration of Renal Carcinoma Cells and Its Mechanism

Background Renal carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in the urinary system. Autophagy can be both activated and inhibited in renal carcinoma, and it plays a double-edged role in the development of renal carcinoma. In the early stage of cancer, autophagy can suppress tumors. In the late stage, autophagy contributes to the survival of tumor cells in an unfavorable environment, and some autophagy-related proteins P62, LC3B, and beclin-1 have become indicators of the prognosis of patients with renal carcinoma. Aim To demonstrate that ursolic acid activates autophagy in renal carcinoma 786-O cells by inhibiting the hedgehog signaling pathway. Methods The effect of ursolic acid on the viability of 786-O cells was determined by the MTT method; the effect of ursolic acid on the proliferation and migration of 786-O cells was examined by crystalline violet staining and scratch assay, respectively. For the study of autophagy, we firstly screened the time points. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression level of autophagic protein P62 at different time points of ursolic acid on 786-O. Then, the Cell MeterTM Autophagy Assay Kit was used to detect the effect of different doses of ursolic acid on the autophagic fluorescence intensity of 786-O cells; the Western blot method was used to detect the effect of different doses of ursolic acid on the expression levels of LC3II and P62 proteins in 786-O cells. Further, AdPlus-mCherry-GFP-LC3B adenovirus transfection was used to detect the effect of ursolic acid on the autophagic flow of 786-O cells; ursolic acid was combined with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) to detect the expression level of autophagy protein LC3II by Western blot. In terms of mechanism, the effect of ursolic acid on hedgehog signaling pathway-related proteins in 786-O cells was detected by Western blot. Results Ursolic acid inhibited the activity, proliferation, and migration of 786-O cells, enhanced the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes in 786-O cells, increased the expression level of autophagy marker protein LC3II, and inhibited the expression level of P62 in a time and dose-dependent manner; ursolic acid activated the autophagic flow in 786-O cells, which showed that ursolic acid caused the accumulation of autophagic fluorescent spots and enhanced the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes. Ursolic acid activated the autophagic flow in 786-O cells, as evidenced by the accumulation of autophagic fluorescent spots and enhanced fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes, and the combined use of the autophagy inhibitor CQ increased the expression level of LC3II compared to ursolic acid alone; ursolic acid decreased the expression levels of PTCH1, GLI1, SMO, SHH, and c-Myc and increased the expression level of Sufu in the hedgehog signaling pathway. Conclusion Ursolic acid activates autophagy in renal carcinoma 786-O cells, probably by inhibiting hedgehog signaling pathway activity.
Comparison of Piperacillin and Tazobactam Pharmacokinetics in Critically Ill Patients with Trauma or with Burn

Critical illness caused by burn and sepsis is associated with pathophysiologic changes that may result in the alteration of pharmacokinetics (PK) of antibiotics. However, it is unclear if one mechanism of critical illness alters PK more significantly than another. We developed a population PK model for piperacillin and tazobactam (pip-tazo) using data from 19 critically ill patients (14 non-burn trauma and 5 burn) treated in the Military Health System. A two-compartment model best described pip-tazo data. There were no significant differences found in the volume of distribution or clearance of pip-tazo in burn and non-burn patients. Although exploratory in nature, our data suggest that after accounting for creatinine clearance (CrCl), doses would not need to be increased for burn patients compared to trauma patients on consideration of PK alone. However, there is a high reported incidence of augmented renal clearance (ARC) in burn patients and pharmacodynamic (PD) considerations may lead clinicians to choose higher doses. For critically ill patients with normal kidney function, continuous infusions of 13.5–18 g pip-tazo per day are preferable. If ARC is suspected or the most stringent PD targets are desired, then continuous infusions of 31.5 g pip-tazo or higher may be required. This approach may be reasonable provided that therapeutic drug monitoring is enacted to ensure pip-tazo levels are not supra-therapeutic.
Design and techno economic evaluation of biomass gasifier for industrial thermal applications

This paper addresses the design, performance and economic evaluation of biomass based open core downdraft gasifier for industrial process heat application. The gasifier is having feed rate as 90 kg h -1 and producing about 850 MJ h -1 of heat. The gasifier has been installed in M/S Phosphate India Pvt. Limited, Udaipur (27° 42' N, 75° 33' E) for heating and concentrating phosphoric acid. The system is in position to save 20 L of light diesel oil per hour. The techno economics of the designed system is also presented in the paper. Key words : Biomass, gasifier, downdraft, feed stock.
Nigerian English pronunciation preferences: A corpus-based survey of pronunciation variants

Abstract This paper examines 48 lemmas that typically exhibit variable pronunciations in English in order to establish the variants preferred by Nigerian English (NigE) speakers. The data for the study were extracted from the spoken part of International Corpus of English (ICE)—Nigeria and analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentage distribution presented on tables). The findings establish phonemic variability as a widespread phenomenon in NigE, which is conditioned by a combination of exonormative and endonormative factors. The study concludes that, although NigE is largely influenced by the exoglossic Standard varieties, it is undergoing critical norm development which deserves to be codified in order to achieve endonormative stability. The present findings are, therefore, recommended as valuable resources for a future edition of a NigE dictionary as an important step towards standardisation.
Elongation Patterns of the Superficial Medial Collateral Ligament and the Posterior Oblique Ligament: A 3-Dimensional, Weightbearing Computed Tomography Simulation

Background: Although length change patterns of the medial knee structures have been reported, either the weightbearing state was not considered or quantitative radiographic landmarks that allow the identification of the insertion sites were not reported. Purpose: To (1) analyze the length changes of the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) and posterior oblique ligament (POL) under weightbearing conditions and (2) to identify the femoral sMCL insertion site that demonstrates the smallest length changes during knee flexion and report quantitative radiographic landmarks. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: The authors performed a 3-dimensional (3D) analysis of 10 healthy knees from 0° to 120° of knee flexion using weightbearing computed tomography (CT) scans. Ligament length changes of the sMCL and POL during knee flexion were analyzed using an automatic string generation algorithm. The most isometric femoral insertion of the sMCL that demonstrated the smallest length changes throughout the full range of motion (ROM) was identified. Radiographic landmarks were reported on an isometric grid defined by a true lateral view of the 3D CT model and transferred to a digitally reconstructed radiograph. Results: The sMCL demonstrated small ligament length changes, and the POL demonstrated substantial shortening during knee flexion (P = .005). Shortening of the POL started from 30° of flexion. The most isometric femoral sMCL insertion was located 0.6 ± 1.7 mm posterior and 0.8 ± 1.2 mm inferior to the center of the sMCL insertion and prevented ligament length changes >5% during knee flexion in all participants. The insertion was located 47.8% ± 2.7% from the anterior femoral cortex and 46.3% ± 1.9% from the joint line on a true lateral 3D CT view. Conclusion: The POL demonstrated substantial shortening starting from 30° of knee flexion and requires tightening near full extension to avoid overconstraint. Femoral sMCL graft placement directly posteroinferior to the center of the anatomical insertion of the sMCL demonstrated the most isometric behavior during knee flexion. Clinical Relevance: The described elongation patterns of the sMCL and POL aid in guiding surgical medial knee reconstruction and preventing graft lengthening and overconstraint of the medial compartment. Repetitive graft lengthening is associated with graft failure, and overconstraint leads to increased compartment pressure, cartilage degeneration, and restricted ROM.
Improvement of vegetable soybean: genetic diversity and correlations of traits between immature and mature plants

Human consumption of vegetable soybeans is increasing, and consequently, breeding programs need to be encouraged and optimized. Therefore, there is a need to understand the relationship between the traits evaluated in the R6 (full seed) and R8 (full maturity) stages and estimate genetic divergence. At two sites and two crop seasons, we evaluated 42 progenies (F6 generation) from crosses between vegetable soybean genotypes and three commercial cultivars. In general, we found significant coincident correlations between environments. Positive and significant correlations between pod width (PWR6) and hundredseed weight (HSW) and between PWR6 and hundred-pod weight (HPW) suggest the possibility of replacing the labor-intensive process of obtaining HSW and HPW by estimating PWR6, which is faster and easier to apply. The unweighted pair-group method arithmetic average analysis allocated soybean genotypes into six major clusters. Furthermore, information from the present work may guide practical actions in breeding programs.
Raman Natural Gas Analyzer: Effects of Composition on Measurement Precision

Raman spectroscopy is a promising method for analyzing natural gas due to its high measurement speed and the potential to monitor all molecular components simultaneously. This paper discusses the features of measurements of samples whose composition varies over a wide range (0.005–100%). Analysis of the concentrations obtained during three weeks of experiments showed that their variation is within the error caused by spectral noise. This result confirms that Raman gas analyzers can operate without frequent calibrations, unlike gas chromatographs. It was found that a variation in the gas composition can change the widths of the spectral lines of methane. As a result, the measurement error of oxygen concentration can reach 200 ppm. It is also shown that neglecting the measurement of pentanes and n-hexane leads to an increase in the calculated concentrations of other alkanes and to errors in the density and heating value of natural gas.
Balanced scorecard model for Paulinian educational institutions

The researcher aimed to come up with a mission-centered strategic management system for Paulinian schools using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach. To achieve this project, a consensus was derived from 39 schools in the Philippines run by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) using the Delphi technique. The resulting BSC model included five perspectives, namely, spirituality, internal processes, learner and external community, learning organization, and fiscal resources perspectives. Strategic objectives with the corresponding key performance indicators (KPIs) were identified. Unique to the resulting BSC model is the inclusion of spirituality perspective which ensures the conscious infusion of long-lasting values in all aspects of the school.
Comparing Administrative Support for Teaching and Learning of Physical Education and Sports between Senior High Schools and Colleges of Education in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

The purpose of the study was to compare the level of administrative support being provided for the teaching and learning of Physical Education (P.E.) and sports between the Senior High Schools and the Colleges of Education in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The descriptive design was utilized for the study. A total of 180 students, 35 tutors and 45 administrative personnel, totalling 260 respondents were selected for the study. A quota system was used to sample twenty students from each of the six Senior High Schools and the three Colleges of Education, while the purposive sampling was employed for the tutors and administrators. Three different sets of questionnaires were developed by the researcher for the three categories of respondents. The questionnaire was rated on a five point Likert scale. The questionnaire was pilot tested on Students, Physical Education Tutors and Administrators in a Senior High School and a College of Education in the Offinso Municipality, and it yielded a reliability co-efficient of 0.86. Independent sample t-test was used for the data analysis. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between Senior High Schools and Colleges of Education on funding- t (33) =. 47, p>. 05, personnel – t (33) = . 73, p>. 05 and scheduling of P.E. periods- t (33) =1.51, p>. 05. But there were significant differences in facilities and equipment- t (33) =. 45, p<. 05, provision of textbooks- t (33) =1.77, p<. 05, and changing room- t (33) =2.32, p<. 05. The study also revealed that all the schools were government assisted and lacked vital Physical Education and Sports facilities. The study recommends among others the need for government and other stakeholders to try as much as possible to provide enough equipment and facilities to Senior High Schools and Colleges of Educations to enhance the teaching and learning of Physical Education and Sports.
Does Faeces Excreted by Moxidectin-Treated Sheep Impact Coprophagous Insects and the Activity of Soil Microbiota in Subtropical Pastures?

Moxidectin (MOX) is used to control helminth parasites in ruminant livestock. It is released through feces and remains in the environment for a long period. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of faeces excreted by moxidectin-treated sheep on soil biodiversity (coprophagous insects, soil microbial biomass, and activity) to establish environment-related guidelines regarding the use of MOX in sheep livestock. The study consisted of two experiments. In the first one, faeces from MOX-treated (subcutaneous dose of 0.2 mg·kg−1 body weight) and nontreated rams were placed on an animal-free pasture field, protected or not against rain, for 88 days. Then, coprophagous insects were captured, identified, and counted, and faeces degradation was evaluated by measuring dry weight and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents over time. Diptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, and Coleoptera were equally encountered in faeces from MOX-treated and nontreated animals. Faecal boluses of MOX-treated animals (with higher N content) not protected against rain degraded faster than faecal boluses of nontreated animals (with lower N content). In the second experiment, faeces from nontreated animals were amended with increasing amounts of MOX (75 to 3,000 ng·kg−1 faeces), mixed with soil samples from animal-free pasture (1.9 to 75 ng·kg−1 soil), and incubated in a greenhouse for 28 days. Increasing concentrations of MOX did not prevent the growth of cultivable bacteria, actinobacteria, or fungi in culture media. However, even the lower MOX concentration (1.9 ng·kg−1 soil) abruptly decreased soil microbial biomass, basal respiration, and N mineralization. Thus, the results indicate that faeces excreted from sheep treated with MOX under the experimental conditions of this study are not harmful to the coprophagous insects. However, adding MOX to faeces from drug-free sheep had a negative impact on soil microbial activity and biomass.
Amplification Effect of Urbanization on Atmospheric Aridity Over China Under Past Global Warming

While it is well known that rapid urbanization poses prominent effects on regional or local temperature changes under global warming, possible impacts of urbanization on the changes in atmospheric aridity (measured by vapor pressure deficit [VPD]) are poorly understood. In this study, we provide a national investigation of the spatiotemporal changes of atmospheric aridity over China in recent decades by analyzing observations at over 2,000 weather stations across China during 1971–2017 and further quantify the effects of urbanization on the atmospheric aridity changes in different subregions. The results show that most parts of China have experienced a significant intensification of atmospheric aridity since the 1970s. Especially, stronger drying trends tend to appear in urban agglomerations with higher urbanization levels and denser population, such as Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (BTH), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the Pearl River Delta (PRD), and the Sichuan Basin. It is estimated that urbanization contributed to more than 30% of the total increases in atmospheric aridity in urban core areas (i.e., 32.58%, 27.73%, 30.29%, 42.03%, and 37.33%, respectively, for annual, spring, summer, autumn, and winter VPD). Spatially, urbanization exerted significant amplification effects on increasing VPD in most parts of China (nearly 80% grid cells) except for few areas with higher elevation and complex topography (e.g., Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and Xinjiang). In particular, the areas with higher urbanization (e.g., BTH, YRD, and PRD) underwent even stronger urbanization effects on amplifying atmospheric aridity. Our findings suggest that how to alleviate atmospheric aridity in future urban planning is worthy of consideration.
Complete (Humoral and Cellular) Response to Vaccination against COVID-19 in a Group of Healthcare Workers-Assessment of Factors Affecting Immunogenicity

Vaccination is the best way to limit the extent of the COVID pandemic. Knowledge of the duration of the immune response will allow the planning of a vaccination protocol. This study aims to validate the complete (humoral and cellular) immune responses over time in large population groups following the full vaccination of healthcare professionals in real-life conditions and to assess the relationship between antibody levels and T-cell activity in relation to the characteristics of the study group. The samples for the study were obtained from volunteers (staff of two hospitals) on three occasions: before vaccination, T0, then 4–9 weeks after full vaccination (two doses BNT162b2), T1, and 7–9 months after vaccination, T2. The humoral response was investigated by the titre of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies to S1 protein. Assays were performed three times at intervals. The cellular response was assessed in a subgroup of 189 subjects by QuanT-Cell SARS-CoV-2 (IGRA). The assay was performed once. A group of 344 subjects fully vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine were included in the study. The humoral response was observed in 100% of subjects at both 4–7 weeks and 7–9 months, but antibody titres fell by almost 90% in this interval. The cellular response was observed in 94% (177/189) of subjects 7–9 months after the second dose of vaccine. In subjects with a negative cellular response, eight out of 12 smoked. A factor associated with greater immunogenicity of vaccination was past SARS-CoV-2 infection. The administration of full BNT162b2 vaccination (two doses) induces humoral and cellular responses detectable even more than six months after vaccination. Smoking may be a factor associated with impaired cellular response to vaccination.
Measurement, Analysis, and Modeling of Non-IsothermalLow-Velocity Displacement Ventilation Jets

Displacement Ventilation (DV) is an air distribution method recognized to enhance indoor air quality, while having a great potential for energy savings, due to stratification, higher supply air temperature and opportunity of free cooling. A frequent complaint associated with displacement ventilation is however the draft discomfort caused by the colder air movement at foot level, and the local discomfort due to an excessive temperature difference between head and ankle. Insufficient information is currently available regarding the variations of temperature and velocity inside a DV jet. Correlation models also need to be developed to report the variation of air speed in the jet. In this thesis, the DV jet is analyzed in depth through, first, experimental measurements and, then, the development of correlation models. Measurements are performed in an environmental chamber to study the DV jet coming from two different wall-mounted DV diffusers, for different supply conditions. The variations of air speed and temperature in the longitudinal, transversal, and horizontal planes are measured and analyzed. The thermal characteristics are discussed in terms of local thermal comfort. In the second part of the thesis, the experimental data are analyzed towards developing new models for the distribution of air speed and temperature in the air jets. A new mathematical model is proposed for the variation of air speed in the secondary zone of the jet, as well as a new model is suggested for the vertical air speed profile. The variation of the thickness of the DV jet is also studied. A new mathematical is model is proposed to account for the variation of minimal air temperature in the jet. The variations of air speed and temperature in the transversal direction are also discussed. Finally, the contributions are summarized and future work is proposed.
A Person-Centered Approach to Moralization—The Case of Vaping

Using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation is a controversial topic among health experts. Evidence suggests that vaping might have been moralized among the general public. Despite the detrimental consequences of moralizing health behaviors on social cohesion and health, some argue for using moralization strategically to prevent and combat vaping. We aim to add to the body of literature showing the dangers of moralization in health by proposing a person-centered approach to the moralization of anti-vaping attitudes. Our cross-sectional survey explores the moralization of anti-vaping attitudes and its predictors on a convenience sample of 348 Romanian never-vapers, before the final vote to severely restrict vaping. By fitting a hierarchical regression model on our data, we found support for a unique contribution of negative prototypes (β = 0.13) and opinions of vapers (β = 0.08) in predicting moralization, with significant contributions of piggybacking on moralized self-control, on moralized attitudes toward smoking and on sanctity/degradation, disgust, anger, harm to children, and gender. Together, these variables explained 56% of the variance of the moralization of anti-vaping attitudes. Our findings add to our knowledge of motivated moralization and advise against using moralization in health, suggesting that people may weaponize it to legitimize group dislike.