Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Random generation of 2D PFC microstructures through DEM gravimetric methods

Computational mechanics has proven to be a useful method to understand and assess the mechanical behaviour and main degradation mechanisms of Porous Friction Courses (PFC) at the microstructural level. However, a common limitation when preparing these models is the difficulty to achieve realistic microstructures. The ideal model to evaluate the mechanical behaviour and the degradation mechanisms of PFCs would use a three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the mixture with realistic aggregate shape, angularity, and gradation. However, these models are computationally expensive and typically related with numerical instabilities. This paper proposes a novel methodology to generate two-dimensional (2D) random PFC microstructures using gravimetric methods through Discrete Element Method (DEM) modelling. The proposed methodology was calibrated to generate coarse aggregates with realistic and controlled morphological properties. The produced 2D microstructures were implemented in the commercial Finite Element Method (FEM) software Abaqus® and, after coating the particles with asphalt mortar, they were used to verify that the microstructures were able to reproduce the mechanical response –measured through the dynamic axial modulus– of an actual PFC mixture tested in the laboratory. The results show that the proposed methodology is able to produce microstructures with the same dynamic modulus than an actual PFC mixture at different loading frequencies. Among other applications, this methodology could be used to estimate the mechanical properties of PFC mixtures or to assess the expected performance and durability of a specific PFC under realistic field conditions.
Description of the Protective Feature of Oregano Essential Oil Sold as a Commercial Site on Rainbow trout

The essential oil extracted from plants has a shelf-life effect. This study was carried out to determine the difference of natural oregano essential oil, which is considered to be a potential food additive, from commercially available, and its effects on rainbow trout containment by using low amounts of this essential oil. The changes in rainbow trout samples were analyzed by applying commercially available oregano essential oil at a low rate (RT1: 1% and RT2: 2%), by looking at the following parameters. When the microbial load, sensory properties, pH, TVB, TBA numbers are examined in terms of thyme essential oil application and day relationship, the limit to be consumed in samples with 1% oregano essential oil is (RT1), on average, between the 3rd and the 6th days. It is between the 3rd and 9th days in the samples applied with 2% oregano essential oil (RT2). According to the microbial load results, the rainbow trout sample (RT: control) exceeded the consumable limit on day 6 th and showed the highest value (P <0.05). In addition, it has been proven with the TVB and TBA values that the samples applied with essential oil are of good quality. In a sense, the shelf life is stabilized thanks to the oregano essential oil. The preservative effect was greater as soon as the oregano essential oil concentration was greate. OZ Bitkilerden cikarilan ucucu yagin raf omrunde etkisi mevcuttur. Bu calisma, potansiyel bir gida katki maddesi olarak kabul edilen dogal kekik ucucu yaginin farkliligini ve bu ucucu yagin dusuk miktarlari kullanilarak gokkusagi alabaligi muhafazasi uzerindeki etkilerini belirlemek amaciyla yapilmistir. Gokkusagi alabaligi orneklerindeki degisiklikler, ticari olarak temin edilebilen ucucu kekik yagi dusuk bir oranda (RT1:% 1 ve RT2:% 2) uygulanarak asagidaki parametrelere bakilarak analiz edilmistir. Kekik ucucu yagi uygulamasi ve muhafaza gunlerindeki iliskisi acisindan mikrobiyal yuk, kimyasal ve duyusal ozellikler incelendiginde,% 1 kekik ucucu yagi iceren numunelerde tuketilecek sinir ortalama (RT1) 'dir. 3. ve 6. gunler. % 2 kekik ucucu yagi (RT2) ile uygulanan orneklerde 3. ile 9. gunler arasindadir. Mikrobiyal yuk sonuclarina gore gokkusagi alabaligi numunesi (RT: kontrol) 6. Gunde tuketilebilir sinirini asarak en yuksek degeri gostermistir (P <0.05). Ayrica ucucu yag uygulanan numunelerin TVB ve TBA degerlerine gore iyi kalitede oldugu ispatlanmistir. Diger anlamda kekik esansiyel yagi sayesinde raf omrunu stabilize etmisir. Kekik esansiyel yagi konsantrasyonunun cok fazla olmasi durumunda koruyucu etkisi daha buyuk olmustur.
Nutrient digestibility and blood parameters of West African dwarf sheep fed sugarcane top silage

Introduction Ruminant livestock farmers in Nigeria are usually faced with problems of feed shortage for their animals especially during the dry season when there is reduction in the quality and quantity of natural pasture. Convectional feeds such as concentrate which can be fed to ruminant are expensive and are in erratic supply (Akinmutimi, 2004) therefore, livestock owners are forced to migrate with their herds in search of feed and water with consequent body weight loss due to long distance trekking. This results into reduction in both productive and reproductive capacities of the animals (FAO, 1983). It also results in communal clash between livestock owners and crop farmers. However, there are
Concentration of pollen of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae plants in the air of selected Polish cities in 2020

Various concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen are detected in the air of many regions of Europe. The highest content of pollen produced by the taxon is reported in southern Europe and in other countries with a warm climate and low precipitation sums. The study was focused on characterization of the Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen season in 11 Polish cities: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Lublin, Olsztyn, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora in 2020. The volumetric method based on the use of the Lanzoni or Burkard pollen sampler was employed in the study. In 2020, the pollen season in the analyzed plant family began in the second half of June and ended during the first ten days of October. The earliest pollen season onset was recorded in Lublin (June 13th) and Szczecin (June 14th), whereas the latest beginning was noted in Wroclaw (July 5th). The earliest and latest end of the pollen season was recorded in Bialystok (September 6th) and in Olszyn (October 5th), respectively. In terms of length, the season was characterized by the shortest duration in Wroclaw (70 days) and the longest duration in Olsztyn (106 days). In most of the analyzed cities, maximum pollen concentrations were detected in the second half of August, and the highest values were recorded in Zielona Gora and Sosnowiec. Compared to 2019 and 2018, relatively low sums of the annual concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen grains, i.e. in the range of 35–231, were recorded in Poland in 2020. The highest values of this parameter were reported in Olsztyn (231) and Lublin (230), whereas the lowest value was noted in Bialystok (35). The relatively low maximum concentrations of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen recorded during the study year indicate a low risk of development of allergy symptoms induced by the presence of pollen of this taxon in the air.
Reviewing articles as a way of professional evaluation of scientific texts: organizational and ethical aspects

The purpose of the paper is to summarize the organizational and ethical aspects, problems and prospects of peer reviewing. To do this, from September 2019 to January 2020, a survey of Ukrainian scientists registered in Facebook groups “Ukrainian Scientific Journals”, “Ukrainian Scientists Worldwide”, “Pseudoscience News in Ukraine”, “Higher Education and Science of Ukraine: Decay or Blossom? ” and others was conducted. In total, 390 researchers from different disciplines participated in the survey. The results of the survey are following: 8.7% of respondents prefer open peer review, 43.1% – single-blind, 37.7% – double blind, 9.2% – triple blind, 1.3% used to sign a review prepared by the author. 75.6% of respondents had conflicts of interest during peer reviewing. 8.2 % of reviewers never reject articles regardless of their quality. Because usually only editors and authors see reviews, it can lead to the following issues: reviewers can be rude or biased; authors may not adequately respond to grounded criticism; editors may disregard the position of the author or reviewer, and journals may charge for publishing articles without proper peer review.
HIV Reverse Transcriptase Fidelity And Inhibition Are Modulated By Divalent Cations In A Concentration-Dependent Manner In Vitro

Title of Document: HIV REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE FIDELITY AND INHIBITION ARE MODULATED BY DIVALENT CATIONS IN A CONCENTRATION-DEPENDENT MANNER IN VITRO Vasudevan Achuthan, Doctor of Philosophy, 2016 Directed By: Dr. Jeffrey J. DeStefano Professor Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rapidly evolves through generation and selection of mutants that can escape drug therapy. This process is fueled, in part, by the presumably highly error prone polymerase reverse transcriptase (RT). Fidelity of polymerases can be influenced by cation co-factors. Physiologically, magnesium (Mg2+) is used as a co-factor by RT to perform catalysis, however, alternative cations including manganese (Mn2+), cobalt (Co2+), and zinc (Zn2+) can also be used. I demonstrate here that fidelity and inhibition of HIV RT can be influenced differently, in vitro, by divalent cations depending on their concentration. The reported mutation frequency for purified HIV RT in vitro is typically in the 10-4 range (per nucleotide addition), making the enzyme several-fold less accurate than most polymerases. Paradoxically, results examining HIV replication in cells indicate an error frequency that is ~10 times lower than the error rate obtained in the test tube. Here, I reconcile, at least in part, these discrepancies by showing that HIV RT fidelity in vitro is in the same range as cellular results, in physiological concentrations of free Mg2+ (~0.25 mM). At low Mg2+, mutation rates were 5-10 times lower compared to high Mg2+ conditions (5-10 mM). Alternative divalent cations also have a concentration-dependent effect on RT fidelity. Presumed promutagenic cations Mn2+ and Co2+ decreases the fidelity of RT only at elevated concentrations, and Zn2+, when present in low concentration, increases the fidelity of HIV-1 RT by ~2.5 fold compared to Mg2+. HIV-1 and HIV-2 RT inhibition by nucleoside (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) in vitro is also affected by the Mg2+ concentration. NRTIs lacking 3'-OH group inhibited both enzymes less efficiently in low Mg2+ than in high Mg2+; whereas inhibition by the “translocation defective RT inhibitor”, which retains the 3ʹ-OH, was unaffected by Mg2+ concentration, suggesting that NRTIs with a 3ʹ-OH group may be more potent than other NRTIs. In contrast, NNRTIs were more effective in low vs. high Mg2+ conditions. Overall, the studies presented reveal strategies for designing novel RT inhibitors and strongly emphasize the need for studying HIV RT and RT inhibitors in physiologically relevant low Mg2+ conditions. HIV REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE FIDELITY AND INHIBITION ARE MODULATED BY DIVALENT CATIONS IN A CONCENTRATION-DEPENDENT MANNER IN VITRO
Moving from Legislation to Implementation: Participants’ Resolve on Inheritance Property of Women

This paper attempts to develop a mechanism to overcome inequality present in the context of inheritance property of women in Pakistan. Taking a feminist research stand that focused on knowledge construction as a way to suggest alternatives for changes in oppressive situations. Data collected from thirty men, women of rural, urban settings, and ten male and female lawyers from the Pothohar region through self-exploratory semi-structured qualitative interviews. The findings revealed procedural changes at the state level such as the offices where property transfer happened as well as recommended to set up a monitoring cell to see the record of the court decisions about inheritance property of women. Moreover, the findings highlighted community-level changes to spread awareness through various means like media, social media, Friday sermons, and seminars at union council levels about the inheritance property of women. Furthermore, findings also indicated changes at the family level as a combination of state decisions to make a change in the family headship, changing mindset through awareness as well as the training of boys and girls on equal footing at home.
IFRS9 TRANSITION IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF FINANCIAL REPORTING INFORMATION: A CASE STUDY OF YEMEN COMMERCIAL BANKS

The purpose of this study is to know the IFRS 9 transition impact on the suitability and reliability of the quality of financial reporting information. A questionnaire was used in data collecting. Out of 92 questionnaires, only 85 were valid and suitable. The data analysis has been done by using SPSS and several statistical methods through descriptive statistics such as averages, standard deviations, and T-test. This study adds to the literature by knowing the IFRS 9 transition impact on the suitability and reliability of the quality of financial reporting information in the commercial banks of Yemen. The study reached that there is a positive relationship between the impact of the adoption of the IFRS9 on the suitability and reliability of the quality of financial reporting information in Yemen commercial banks. Finally, the study was concluded with some recommendations.
Analytical Pyrolysis and Mass Spectrometry to Characterise Lignin in Archaeological Wood

This review describes the capability of analytical pyrolysis-based techniques to provide data on lignin composition and on the chemical alteration undergone by lignin in archaeological wooden objects. Applications of Direct Exposure Mass Spectrometry (DE-MS), Evolved Gas Analysis Mass Spectrometry (EGA-MS), and single and double-shot Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) in archaeological lignin characterisation are described. With comparison to cellulose and hemicelluloses, lignin is generally less prone to most degradation processes affecting archaeological artefacts in burial environments, especially waterlogged ones, which are the most favourable for wood preservation. Nevertheless, lignin also undergoes significant chemical changes. As wood from waterlogged environments is mainly composed of lignin, knowledge of its chemical structure and degradation pathways is fundamental for choosing preventive conservation conditions and for optimising consolidation methods and materials, which directly interact with the residual lignin. Analytical pyrolysis coupled with mass spectrometry, used in several complementary operational modes, can gather information regarding the chemical modifications and the state of preservation of lignin, especially concerning oxidation and depolymerisation phenomena. Several applications to the analysis of wood from archaeological artefacts affected by different conservation problems are presented to showcase the potential of analytical pyrolysis in various scenarios that can be encountered when investigating archaeological waterlogged wood.
Health-care professional’s attitude, beliefs and perceived potential barriers for recommended adult immunization practices in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Immunization coverage remains very low among adults. Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) may have an unpredictable course in diabetes mellitus (DM) owing to their altered immune functions. The objective of the study was to analyse the knowledge, attitude, practices and behaviour of the healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding the pneumococcal, influenza and hepatitis B vaccination in patients of type-2 DM.Methods: This was a community based, cross-sectional study focusing on HCPs who were involved in diabetic care and were aware about recommended guidelines of adult immunization program. 100 HCPs completed this survey which embraced various parameters involved in vaccine uptake.Results: Females constituted 34% of the participating HCPs. The HCPs with qualification of MBBS and MD were 51% and 49% respectively. MD HCPs were routinely vaccinating DM patient more than MBBS ones which was statistically significant. Difficulty in identifying patients eligible for vaccination was perceived by 53% of HCPs. Vaccination was believed to be more important in children than adults by 63% HCPs and 93% agreed that vaccination provided protection against VPDs. Perceived as barriers for vaccination were: urgent concerns of the patients (79%), lack of time for explaining (49%), vaccine safety (60%), cost of vaccine (58%), lack of records (65%), lack of recall system (62%), lack of educational material for patients (83%), lack of training for HCPs (75%) and lack of ‘standing orders’ (84%). Conclusions: Despite recommendations for adult immunization, there are many substantial lacunae in knowledge and practice among HCPs resulting in low immunization coverage. A structured approach encompassing education and training, identification and elimination of potential barriers and improving infrastructure and leadership is the need to curb the mortality and morbidity associated with VPDs in diabetics.
The Influence of Chemical and Thermal Treatments on the Diss Fiber Hygroscopic Behaviors

ABSTRACT Diss fibers, also called Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, are one of the least studied fibers in the literature. Indeed, the rare studies discussed have focused on mechanical and physicochemical properties. The present work deals with hygrothermal characterization and the effect of treatments on their behavior. So, untreated and treated Diss fibers with chemical treatments (alkaline, silane, and acetic acid) and heat treatment were characterized by absorption tests by water immersion and others by water vapor adsorption and desorption (Proumid-SPS). The results found have shown that these fibers presented a type II sorption isotherm with hysteresis where their saturation point could reach up to 40% of their dry mass. However, the treatments carried out seem to be able to reduce their hydrophilic nature especially after heat, silane, and acetic acid treatments. The adsorption kinetics, on the other hand, also seem to be positively influenced by these treatments, especially after the chemical treatments.
Level of Elements Present in Normal Human Seminal Plasma: A Study and Review

Childlessness remains as a problem with the couple who suffer and they are psychologically and socially very much disturbed Husband, wife or both are likely to be responsible for infertility. Male infertility is on rise world over. Many group of workers are on this study now. Detailed study on semen shall give the exact clue to male fertility status. Other than semen parameters, the biochemistry of semen secured attention of several group of workers. Knowledge in inorganic chemistry of semen limited. Similar studies are in progress at different parts of the world. It is now known increase or decrease of some elements in semen lead to changes in sperm motility or semen quality. In relation to this, we tried to understand more about elements in semen. Considering electrolytes and metals are important for cell functions, few workers are involved in inorganic chemistry of semen study. The present study will improve the existing knowledge on elements in semen. Semen samples were supplied by 10 young, normal, healthy men. Samples were collected after maintaining an abstinence of five days. Collection was done around 9 am to exclude any chrono biological influence. From each sample, seminal plasma was separated at 1 and 3 hours and stored in deep freezer. After thawing and processing, samples were analyzed for elements in it using Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). A total number of 28 elements were found in all samples. Their values differed between 1 and 3 hour, either more or less. Study concludes with supporting evidences showing the role of elements in sperm survival or function.
Advances in Cellular Immunotherapy: Understanding and Preventing T-cell Dysfunction

Over the last decades, cellular immunotherapy has revealed its curative potential. However, inherent physiological characteristics of immune cells can limit the potency of this approach. Best defined in T cells, dysfunction associated with terminal differentiation, exhaustion, senescence, and activation-induced cell death, undermine adoptive cell therapies. In this review, we concentrate on how the multiple mechanisms that articulate the various forms of immune dysfunction impact cellular therapies primarily involving conventional T cells, but also other lymphoid subtypes, in addition to the various strategies put in place to circumvent these effects. The repercussions of immune cell dysfunction across the full life cycle of cell therapy, from the source material, during manufacturing, and after adoptive transfer are discussed. Applicable to cellular products prepared from native and unmodified immune cells, as well as genetically engineered therapeutics, the understanding and potential modulation of dysfunctional features is key to the development of improved cellular immunotherapies.
Ferromagnetic Ordering Theory of Colloidal Suspension of Magnetic Particles in Liquid Crystal

A molecular-statistical theory of colloidal suspension of spherical ferromagnetic particles in a nematic liquid crystal matrix is considered. A tensor expression of the suspension Hamiltonian is proposed, which contains contributions that make it possible to describe the ferromagnetic state of the studied system. Within the mean-field approximation, a system of equations is obtained that describes various orientational states of the suspension. Phase diagrams of the suspension are plotted. It is shown that depending on temperature and intensity of particles interaction with the liquid crystal matrix, the suspension can be in an ordered state with different magnetic properties, namely, in the ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic nematic phases, in addition to the isotropic phase.
Teaching Children with Special Needs in Nigerian Regular Classes: Impact of Gender, Marital Status, Experience, and Specialty

This study investigated the impact of teachers’ gender, marital status, years of experience, and specialty on their willingness to include children with special needs (CWSNs) in their classes. We adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Using a convenience sampling technique, 316 teachers from 15 state-owned secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria participated in this study. Data were analysed with mean, t-test, and ANOVA. Findings showed that teachers were willing to include CWSNs in their classes, and only teachers’ specialty showed a significant impact on teachers’ willingness to teach CWSNs. It was concluded that aspects of the teacher socio-demographic variables that may affect their willingness to include CWSNs are those that could influence their competence. Limitations of studies were highlighted.