Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amelioration of oxidative damage parameters by carvacrol on methanol-induced liver injury in rats

The methanol metabolite that causes hepatotoxicity is formic acid, generating reactive oxygen radical formation and cell damage. Carvacrol is an antioxidant monoterpenic phenol produced from Thymus vulgaris. This study aimed to investigate the effects of carvacrol on methanol-induced oxidative liver damage in rats. Eighteen rats were divided into three groups. Methotrexate was administered orally for 7 days to methotrexate+methanol (MTM) and methotrexate+methanol+carvacrol (MMC) groups. Methotrexate was given before methanol to cause methanol poisoning. Distilled water was given to the healthy group (HG) as a solvent. At the end of the 7th day, 20% methanol was administered orally at a dose of 3 g/kg to the MTM and MMC groups. Four hours after methanol administration, 50 mg/kg carvacrol was injected intraperitoneally into the MMC group. Animals were sacrificed 8 h after carvacrol injection. Biochemical markers were studied in the excised liver tissue and blood serum samples, and histopathological evaluations were made. Severe hemorrhage, hydropic degeneration, pycnosis, and mononuclear cell infiltration were observed in the liver of the MTM group. Additionally, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly higher, and total glutathione (tGSH) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were significantly lower in the MTM group compared to HG (P<0.001). Carvacrol prevented the increase in MDA, TOS, ALT and AST levels with methanol and the decrease in tGSH and TAS levels (P<0.001), and alleviated the histopathological damage. Carvacrol may be useful in the treatment of methanol-induced liver damage.
Ocean Front Detection with Glider and Satellite-Derived SST Data in the Southern California Current System

This study proposes a method to detect ocean fronts from in situ temperature and density glider measurements. This method is applied to data collected along the CalCOFI Line 90, south of the California Current System (CCS), over the 2006–2013 period. It is based on image-processing techniques commonly applied to sea surface temperature (SST) satellite data. Front detection results using glider data are consistent with those obtained in other studies carried out in the CCS. SST images of the Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution (MUR) dataset were also used to compare the probability of occurrence or front frequency (FF) obtained with the two datasets. Glider and MUR temperatures are highly correlated. Along Line 90, frontal frequency exhibited the same maxima near the transition zone (~130 km offshore) as derived from MUR and glider datasets. However, marked differences were found in the bimonthly FF probability with high (low) front frequency in spring-summer for glider (MUR) data. Methodological differences explaining these contrasting results are investigated. Thermohaline-compensated fronts are more abundant towards the oceanic zone, although most fronts are detected using both temperature and density criteria, indicating a significant contribution of temperature to density in this region.
Decline in Uptake of Childhood Vaccinations in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Ghana during the COVID-19 Pandemic

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, early modelling studies estimated a reduction in childhood vaccinations in low- and middle-income countries. Regular provision of both curative and preventive services such as antenatal care and childhood immunizations has been negatively affected since the onset of the pandemic. Our study was aimed at examining the impact that the pandemic had on childhood vaccination services at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). A mixed methods study design was employed for the study, which was conducted at the Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) of the TTH. With quantitative approach, we retrospectively looked at the uptake of the various vaccines during the pandemic era, defined as the period between 1st March 2020 and 28th February, 2021, and the prepandemic era defined as the period 1st March 2019 to 29th February, 2020. The qualitative approach was used to understand the perspective of five healthcare providers at the CWC and the four caregivers of children who have missed a vaccine or delayed in coming, on the factors accounting for any observed change. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2016 and thematic content analysis. Quantitative data were presented in frequencies, percentages, and line graphs. With the exception of the Measles Rubella (MR) 2 vaccine, we observed a decline ranging from 47% (2298) to 10.5% (116), with the greatest decline seen in the BCG and the least decline seen in the MR1 vaccine. The month of May 2020 saw the greatest decline, that is, 70.6% (813). A decline of 38.3% (4473) was noted when comparison was made between the designated prepandemic and pandemic eras, for all the vaccines in our study. Fear of COVID-19 infection and misinformation were commonly given as reasons for the decline. Catch-up immunization schedule should be instituted to curtail possible future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Holistic approach in engineering design - controlling risks from accidental hazards in bridge design

Engineering design, in concise terms, is what engineers do using what they know. It is the underlying decision making activity that determines what is to be built and how it should be built. An ever present requirement in engineering design is that the structure should be safe. While historical approaches to safety in design relied on experience and engineering judgment, modern approaches have rationalized uncertainty in an effort to treat risks in a more consistent and objective way. Concurrent to these advancements, design codes have been developed which include safety formats that are calibrated using these rationalized approaches. This thesis investigates the limitations of the design codes in controlling risks in engineering design and proposes that a complementary approach – involving case-specific risk assessments – is necessary for addressing the risks that are not properly treated by the design codes. The main advantage of such an approach is that: • it broadens the scope of assessment to consider structural systems and possibly non-structural constituents; • it is also applicable during the conceptual design phase for the bridge structure; and • it is complementary to current codified approaches While similar approaches are common in large scale construction projects they are rarely applied in the design of more conventional bridge structures. However, in this thesis it is argued that the application of such approaches is also useful in more common bridge projects to better control risks inadequately treated by design based on code compliance. A framework for a holistic risk-informed approach is provided which focuses on the conceptual design of bridge structures and on the control of risks from accidental hazards. Case studies are conducted to highlight the usefulness of the approach and to help develop crucial aspects of the approach while providing useful background information for its possible implementation in future projects. Specific attention is also paid to the modeling of risks from heavy goods vehicle (HGV) impacts to bridge substructures – a design situation which was found to be inadequate treated using current codified approaches.
Probing Simple Factoid Question Answering Based on Linguistic Knowledge

Recent studies have indicated that existing systems for simple factoid question answering over a knowledge base are not robust for diﬀerent datasets. We evaluated the ability of a pretrained language model, BERT, to perform this task on four datasets, Free917, FreebaseQA, SimpleQuestions, and WebQSP, and found that, like other existing systems, the existing BERT-based system also can not solve them robustly. To investigate the reason for this problem, we employ a statistical method, partial least squares path modeling (PLSPM), with 24 BERT models and two probing tasks, SentEval and GLUE. Our results reveal that the existing BERT-based system tends to depend on the surface and syntactic features of each dataset, and it disturbs the generality and robustness of the system performance. We also discuss the reason for this phenomenon by considering the features of each dataset and the method that was used to evaluate the simple factoid question answering task.
PV-Trombe Wall Design for Buildings in Composite Climates

The design of the novel PV-Trombe wall in Hefei is theoretically processed in this paper. The area of winter air vents and width of PV-Trombe wall are determined, the effects of two improvements (thermal insulation and shading curtain) are investigated, and the different operating results for winter heating and summer cooling are also obtained. Results show that if compared to the original PV-Trombe wall, after thermal insulating, the indoor temperature increases by 2.36 °C in winter and decreases by 2.47 °C in summer and the electrical efficiency decreases by <2%. After curtain shading, the indoor temperature decreases by 2.00°C in summer and the electrical efficiency increases by ∼1%. It is recommended that thermal insulation in both winter and summer and appending a shading curtain in summer are adopted for PV-Trombe wall, especially for the diurnally used PV-Trombe wall.
Counter-hegemonic leadership for democratic alter-politics in our times

This article sets out to grapple with strategic challenges facing democratic alter-politics in our times, dwelling on the question of leadership to explore ways of overcoming the frailties and risks that beset grassroots collective agency for democratic renewal. Discussion begins thus by fleshing out the notion of contemporary democratic alter-politics which breaks both with top-down statist rule and conventional activism, fostering openness, diversity, assembly-based democracy, attention to process, egalitarianism, prefiguration, work in everyday life along with mass mobilization, and engagement with institutions to effect change. In a second step, the argument brings out the strategic limitations of this alter-politics by engaging with relevant theories and reflections on strategy. The following key part of the article sketches the outlines of a strategy of counter-hegemony that could tackle some of these limitations by reconfiguring democratic leadership. Drawing on recent social movements and organizational studies, critical analysis will seek to indicate how the pursuit of effective leadership can be aligned with the alter-politics of egalitarian collective self-direction to boost and expand it in the political circumstances of the present. The nub of the argument is that ‘another leadership’ that is assembly-based, technopolitical, reflective, distributed, ‘servant’, and feminized can further democratic alter-politics.
Nitric oxide contributes to cerebrovascular shear‐mediated dilatation but not steady‐state cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide

Cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity (CVR) is often considered a bioassay of cerebrovascular endothelial function. We recently introduced a test of cerebral shear‐mediated dilatation (cSMD) that may better reflect endothelial function. We aimed to determine the nitric oxide (NO)‐dependency of CVR and cSMD. Eleven volunteers underwent a steady‐state CVR test and transient CO2 test of cSMD during intravenous infusion of the NO synthase inhibitor NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA) or volume‐matched saline (placebo; single‐blinded and counter‐balanced). We measured cerebral blood flow (CBF; duplex ultrasound), intra‐arterial blood pressure and PaCO2${P_{{\rm{aC}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}}}$ . Paired arterial and jugular venous blood sampling allowed for the determination of trans‐cerebral NO2− exchange (ozone‐based chemiluminescence). l‐NMMA reduced arterial NO2− by ∼25% versus saline (74.3 ± 39.9 vs. 98.1 ± 34.2 nM; P = 0.03). The steady‐state CVR (20.1 ± 11.6 nM/min at baseline vs. 3.2 ± 16.7 nM/min at +9 mmHg PaCO2${P_{{\rm{aC}}{{\rm{O}}_{\rm{2}}}}}$ ; P = 0.017) and transient cSMD tests (3.4 ± 5.9 nM/min at baseline vs. −1.8 ± 8.2 nM/min at 120 s post‐CO2; P = 0.044) shifted trans‐cerebral NO2− exchange towards a greater net release (a negative value indicates release). Although this trans‐cerebral NO2− release was abolished by l‐NMMA, CVR did not differ between the saline and l‐NMMA trials (57.2 ± 14.6 vs. 54.1 ± 12.1 ml/min/mmHg; P = 0.49), nor did l‐NMMA impact peak internal carotid artery dilatation during the steady‐state CVR test (6.2 ± 4.5 vs. 6.2 ± 5.0% dilatation; P = 0.960). However, l‐NMMA reduced cSMD by ∼37% compared to saline (2.91 ± 1.38 vs. 4.65 ± 2.50%; P = 0.009). Our findings indicate that NO is not an obligatory regulator of steady‐state CVR. Further, our novel transient CO2 test of cSMD is largely NO‐dependent and provides an in vivo bioassay of NO‐mediated cerebrovascular function in humans.
Incorporation of Sustainability Concepts into a Civil Engineering Curriculum

The need arises to equip engineering students with a wider horizon of concepts in terms of environmental, economic, and social attributes, for decision making of sensitive to sustainability issues. Pedagogic frameworks have to address a multidisciplinary analysis of sustainability. This paper addresses the rationale behind the recent integration of sustainability concepts into an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum in Hong Kong. Incentives and barriers for implementation of the curriculum are addressed. A team-based design project with a problem-based learning approach is highlighted. The initial results of stakeholder evaluations suggested that multidisciplinary skills developed during the learning process might contribute significantly to pertinent knowledge on sustainability.
Flow and Separation Characteristics of Three-dimensional Negatively Buoyant Wall Jets

This paper reports a study of the behavior of cold air jets, specifically three-dimensional, incompressible, negatively buoyant, turbulent wall jets, and their separation from horizontal surfaces. With a cold-air distribution system, both the supply air temperature and flow rate are lower than in conventional systems for the same cooling load. The cold air is supplied to a zone at temperatures between 39°F and 49°F (3°C and 9°C) instead of the conventional 55°F (13°C). As the building's ventilation and cooling airflow supply temperature and flow rate are reduced below the conventional values, indoor thermal environment considerations become increasingly important. An analysis using integral forms of the momentum and energy equations is presented for determination of the separation point of buoyant turbulent wall jets. The analysis shows that the separation point is a function of the outlet Richardson number in addition to the geometry of the outlet diffuser or nozzle. Also reported in this paper is an exp.
EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM LEVELS ON AGRONOMIC AND QUALITY TRAITS IN THREE BREAD WHEAT CULTIVARS

A filed experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different nitrogen and potassium levels on the yield and its component and quality traits of three bread wheat cultivars Sakha 93, Sakha 94 and Giza 168 at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, ARC, during the two successive seasons 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. Nitrogen doses used were 0, 50, 75 and 100 kg N/fad and potassium levels were 0 and 24 kg P2O5/fed. The results indicated that Sakha 94 gave the highest number of kernel/spike, number of spikes/m and grain yield/fed. and it was the latest in heading. Increasing nitrogen levels up to 100 kg N/fad. resulted in significant gradual increase in days to heading and days to maturity, plant height, number of spikes/m, number of kernels/spike, and grain yield/fad. There was no significant effect for potassium fertilization levels on the tested agronomic characters. All fertilizing treatments resulted in increasing crude protein, total soluble protein (albumins, globulins, gliadins and glutemins), non-soluble protein, and the grain storability (aging test). Gluten quality (gliadins and glutenins) was also improved. At higher nitrogen and potassium fertilization levels, there was a negative correlation between storability, crude protein, total soluble protein, non-soluble protein, gluten quality and each of carbohydrate and oil content in grains. However, interaction of nitrogen fertilizer supply and cultivar had a significant effect on gluten quality, and most quality characters.
Microirrigation Management for Double-cropped Vegetables in a Humid Area

Installation of microirrigation tubing below the tillage zone and/or at wide spacings could make microirrigation more profitable for supplemental irrigation of vegetable crops in humid areas such as the southeastern U.S. coastal plain. Two surface (surface 1 and surface 2, either one or two tubes/bed) and one subsurface (Subsurface 2, two tubes below each bed) microirrigation treatments and two application frequencies, high (three times per day) and low (one time per day), were evaluated for cowpea, green bean, squash, and muskmelon production in the spring seasons and for broccoli in the fall seasons. The same irrigation equipment was used in both years and for three years prior to the experiment. There were few yield differences among irrigation treatments, both for tubing placement and irrigation frequency. There was no yield reduction for the surface 1 treatment, although it received only half the irrigation volume as the other treatments. Therefore, for the irrigation systems evaluated, the surface 1 system would be more profitable for vegetable production in the southeastern coastal plain. All yields were as high or higher than industry yields, except for broccoli, which was slightly lower. These results demonstrate the feasibility of multicropping vegetables with the same irrigation system. The satisfactory performance of the microirrigation tubing after five years of use indicates a high probability that the longevity of this system may be sufficient to make it profitable for use with lower-valued crops and other vegetable crops.
Landscape plasticity and its erasure

For centuries, people who call themselves Akha had formed village landscapes of rotating shifting cultivation fields amid regenerating trees together with enduring wooded sites, all under the purview of their ancestors. In Mengsong, an Akha settlement on the ridge separating China and Burma, farmers had managed complex, biodiverse and flexible landscapes for 250 years. In 1996–1997, my extended research there identified cultivation patterns that I called landscape plasticity, referring to farming practices that were highly mutable over space and time, often transgressing state-allocated property lines and the international border with Burma. From 1997 to 2011, a combination of exclusionary state forest policies, the racialization of upland minorities, and a state poverty alleviation project brought landscape plasticity and the ancestors to an end. Using concepts from sentient landscapes, resource access, environmentalism, racialization, and capitalist markets, this paper seeks to explain how landscape plasticity and the ancestors were erased. At the same time, I explore the puzzle of why Akha farmers saw these contingent outcomes as positive
METFORMIN MAY AMELIORATE INFLAMMATORY EVENTS OF IL-18 IN SOME INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS

Background: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) belongs to the cytokine family IL-1. IL-18 is synthesized as inactive precursors which need to be processed into an active interleukin by the Caspase-1 enzyme. The role of IL-18 is implicated in several auto-immune disorders, myocardial function, emphysema, metabolic syndromes, psoriasis, bowel inflammation, sepsis, and acute kidney injury. IL-18 exhibits pro-inflammatory properties, such as increased cell adhesion molecules, nitric oxide production, enhancement of T-cell and natural killer cell maturation, and increasing the production of chemokines. This study was designed from November 2020 to February 2021 at Al-Shomali hospital, Babylon governorate, Iraq. This study aimed to assess the levels of IL-18 in patients with PCOS, T2DM and CAD before treatment with metformin and after metformin medication, and to evaluate the roles of IL-18 in the development of this disease. Materials and methods: The study design is a case-control study and patients are selected by simple randomization after diagnosis by a specialist based on clinical diagnosis and laboratory findings. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent test (ELISA) was used to estimate the level of serum IL-18 before and after metformin administration. A total of 300 patients were involved in this study, divided according to their chronic illness as 60 women with PCOS, 60 patients Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 60 patients with myocardial infarction (MI), and 60 patients with T2DM and MI. In addition, 30 healthy people as a control group. Results: Before treatment with metformin, the results were exhibited a significant difference (P≤0.0001) in the concentrations of IL-18 in PCOS, T2DM, and patients with CAD as compared with control. While, after metformin treatment, a significant decrease (P≤0. 01, P≤0.0001 and P≤0.001) in IL-18 level in patients with PCOS and T2DM and CAD respectively as compared to before metformin treatment. Conclusion: Metformin administration reduces the inflammatory events of IL-18 in patients with T2DM and CAD and PCOS.
Nutritional Status and Physical Activity Pattern as Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases among Occupational Bus Drivers

It is anticipated that occupational bus drivers are at risk of non-communicable diseases. Present study aims at assessing the nutritional status and analyzing the risk factors associated, which could increase the probability of non-communicable diseases among bus drivers and conductors working for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation.120 professional drivers and conductors who attended annual health checkup were included. A pre designed questionnaire elicited information about anthropometry, dietary, physical activity and sleep pattern of the subjects. Lipid profile and blood glucose levels were recorded from annual health check up reports. Mean age of the subjects was 44 years with BMI ranging between 25- 29.9Kg/m2. 73.3% had mixed diet pattern, 40% skip their meals sometime and majority eat their meals outside home most of the days in a week.74. 2% didn’t indulge in physical activity. 56.7% subjects slept six to seven hours per day. 17.5% were diabetic, 52.5%, 80.8% and 17.5%had higher serum triglycerides, Low Density Lipoprotein and total cholesterol respectively. 57.5% had lower High Density Lipoprotein levels. 8.3%, 21.7% and 15% were smokers, alcoholic and tobacco chewers respectively. ‘t’ test analysis showed significant difference between energy, protein and visible fat intake with that of Recommended Dietary Allowance and Estimated Average Requirement. Total cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein and serum triglycerides had positive correlation with energy, protein and visible fat intake and BMI. Considerable risk factors for non-communicable diseases were observed among the subjects; effective diet counseling with regular follow up and monitoring is necessary to prevent the same. Key words: Occupational drivers, nutritional status, risk factors, dietary pattern, physical activity, Non Communicable Diseases, effective counseling.
An angular offset launching technique for bandwidth enhancement in multimode fiber links

We propose an angular offset technique for launching optical signals into multimode fibers (MMFs) used in short distance optical fiber links. The signal is launched onto the angled facet of an MMF. The presented method shows better bandwidth enhancement in comparison with the conventional lateral offset launching method with a little power penalty. This method is simple and can be easily adopted in transmitters for high‐speed MMF links. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 165–168, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22988