Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of melatonin and zinc on oxidative stress in poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients treated with metformin

Background: Glycemic control and prevention of secondary complications are the most important goals of using pharmacologic treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). The administration of antioxidants such as melatonin and zinc may improve tissue responses to insulin and increase the efficacy of drugs, e.g. metformin, which act through this pathway. This project was designed to evaluate the effects of melatonin and zinc on the oxidative stress status in type 2 DM patients poorly controlled with metformin. Patients and methods: A placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was performed in which 46 type 2 diabetic patients were selected and allocated into three groups. These groups were treated with single daily oral doses of both 10 mg of melatonin and 50 mg of zinc acetate alone: in addition to the regularly used metformin or placebo, given at bedtime for 90 days. Plasma Malondialdehyde (MDA); plasma glutathione (GSH); and plasma zinc and copper levels were measured before initiating the treatments (zero time) and after 30 and 90 days of treatment. Results: Daily administration of melatonin and zinc effectively normalizes the impaired antioxidant status, and significantly elevates serum zinc levels after 30 and 90 days compared to placebo treated group; the addition of this treatment regimen in combination with metformin improved the tissue responses to this oral hypoglycemic agent. Conclusion: the combination of melatonin and zinc acetate, when used alone or in combination with metformin, has a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation and improvement in antioxidant status , and this effect can be related to several mechanisms in type 2 DM patients.
Acceptance and Attitude Toward Cosmetic Surgeries in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Cosmetic surgery refers to any surgical intervention that alters normal bodily characteristics in order to attain a more appealing appearance as perceived by the patient. Data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) indicates a consistent rise in plastic surgery procedures over time. The objective of our research is to carry out a cross-sectional investigation to assess the perceptions and attitudes toward cosmetic surgery among individuals residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia. This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional methodology. The intended sample includes residents of Makkah and Medina Regions who are 18 years of age or older, representing the general population. Data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire created using Google Forms, which was disseminated electronically via social media platforms. The questionnaire gathered demographic information and assessed participants' attitudes and acceptance towards cosmetic surgery. The study included a total of 1249 participants, with 1064 (85%) being female and 185 (15%) being male. In our sample, the overall acceptance rate for cosmetic surgery was 54.2%. There was a significant correlation between the acceptance level and factors such as gender, age, marital status, and occupational status (P value <0.001) for all the aforementioned factors. However, the level of education and financial status were not significantly associated. The majority of the participants in our study were accepting of cosmetic surgery. However, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the acceptance of aesthetic surgery in Saudi Arabia, further research should be conducted across the country to assess the attitudes of the wider population.
The Effects of Ontario Menu Labelling Regulations on Nutritional Quality of Chain Restaurant Menu Items—Cross-Sectional Examination

Restaurant foods are associated with excessive energy intake and poor nutritional quality. In 2017, the Healthy Menu Choices Act mandated food service establishments with ≥20 outlets in Ontario to display the energy content on menus. To examine the potential impact of menu labelling, nutrition information for 18,760 menu items were collected from 88 regulated and 53 unregulated restaurants. Descriptive statistics were calculated for serving size, energy, saturated fat, sodium and total sugars. Quantile regression was used to determine the differences between regulated and unregulated restaurants. The energy content of menu items from regulated restaurants (median (95% CI): 320 kcal (310, 320)) was significantly lower than those from unregulated restaurants (470 kcal (460, 486), p < 0.001). Saturated fat, sodium and total sugars were significantly lower in regulated restaurants (4 g (4, 4), 480 mg (470, 490) and 7 g (6, 7), respectively) than in unregulated restaurants (6 g (6, 6), 830 mg (797, 862) and 8 g (8, 9), respectively, p < 0.001). This study showed that menu items from regulated restaurants had smaller serving size, lower levels of energy and nutrients of public health concern compared to those from the unregulated restaurants, suggesting potential downstream beneficial effects of menu labelling in lowering caloric content and nutrients of public health concern in foods.
A Feasibility Study of Customized and Fully Aerosol-Jet-Printed Micro-Electrode Arrays for In Vitro Application

The article proposes a fully printed microelectrode array (MEA) as a proof of concept for the feasibility of a customized and low-cost bioelectronic device. The target application is to promote the maturation of the cell culture by providing biophysical stimuli and evaluating the functionality of the bioengineered products, monitoring in real-time the electrogenic cell action potential. The MEA is entirely printed with aerosol jet printing (AJP) with a multilayer structure composed of an array of 16 electrodes. AJP fabrication was exploited as low-cost technique and easy and reliable possibility to print both insulated material and conductive polymer. Furthermore, the technique allows the realization of a customized electrode design according to specific neuronal network architecture. The chosen inks achieve the requirements for the intended use, in terms of high conductivity for electrodes, low conductivity for passivation layers, and biocompatibility for cell culture. Results from geometrical characterization showed an agreement with the design requirements. In particular, the first prototypes showed a thickness of the passivation layer of (33.4 ± 1.4) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and the silver conductive tracks with a thickness of (5.5 ± 0.6) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a width of (68 ± 1.4) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy established an impedance magnitude value significantly below compared with commercial MEA and inkjet printing MEA. The reusability and the stability of the sensor are demonstrated within two weeks. Overall, the results suggest the possibility to exploit the potential to print MEA onto platform, for in vitro cell culture and to integrate other types of biosensors.
Characterization and Quantification of Ground Heat Flux for Late Season Shallow Snow

Increasing populations, rapid land use changes, and climate change in mountainous areas have stressed water resources and reduced available water from snowpacks. In anticipation of warmer temperatures, receding snowlines, and increasing water demands, water managers will need detailed snowmelt energy and water balance information from the margin as transitional snow replaces deeper snowpacks. Patchy shallow snow, found at transitional snow elevations, has a distinct energy balance that includes local advection and short wave radiation penetration of snow less than 10 cm deep. Solar penetration to the soil surface provides a heat source that can be absorbed by the soil and conducted back to the snow. The objective of this study is to compare ground heat flux beneath snow less than 10 cm depth (shallow) and greater than 10 cm depth to see if solar penetration of shallow snow results in the heating of soils and an increased ground heat flux. Further objectives of the study are to evaluate the mathematical model for ground heat flux and to assess distributed temperature sensing (DTS) as a tool for measuring soil/snow interface temperatures beneath spatially unpredictable shallow snow extents. To capture and quantify the additional energy flux below patches of spatially unpredictable shallow snow, near surface soil temperatures must be taken at large spatial scales. High spatial resolution DTS was deployed prior to snow season, 2.5 cm beneath the soil surface throughout a mid-elevation semi-arid watershed, to capture near surface soil temperatures below spatially unpredictable patchy snow. Ground heat flux was modeled from the soil temperatures.
Hydrogéologie des zones de faille du socle cristallin : implications en terme de ressources en eau pour le Massif Armoricain

Les regions de socle cristallin, pourtant largement representees a l'echelle mondiale, sont reputees pour leurs modestes ressources en eaux souterraines. La valorisation des eaux souterraines dans les regions de socle est majoritairement limitee aux formations alterees et fissurees de sub-surface. Cependant, ces ressources sont souvent negligees au profit des eaux de surface en raison de leurs faibles debits d'exploitation et de leurs vulnerabilites aux polluants anthropiques. De recentes etudes de prospection et de recherche ont revele la presence de ressources souterraines importantes, au dela des horizons superficiels classiquement exploites. Cependant peu d'informations specifiques a ces ressources profondes sont disponibles, notamment concernant la structure des systemes aquiferes et leurs particularites hydrogeologiques. Par cette etude nous mettons clairement en evidence la presence de ressources en eau consequentes dans le socle cristallin profond du Massif Armoricain. Ces ressources sont associees a des systemes de failles assurant des capacites de drainage des reservoirs de stockage connectes. Les reservoirs de stockage superficiels et bordiers assurent l'alimentation en eau du reseau de fracture principal. Cette capacite de drainage est dependante de la geometrie du plan de faille permeable. Les failles sub-horizontales sont les structures les plus efficaces dans cette fonction. Le stockage dans les formations bordieres au systeme de faille apparait determinant pour assurer un debit d'exploitation consequent. Cette etude permet d'etablir une conceptualisation generale de ces systemes de faille, tant d'un point de vue hydrodynamique que geochimique, et apporte des pistes de reflexions pour la gestion et la protection de telles ressources en eau.
Volcanic earthquakes and tremor in Japan

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The effects of sales surprise on inventory turnover: An empirical study

Abstract Sales surprise (SS) is a significant factor in a firm’s inventory turnover (ITO). In order to estimate SS, it is necessary to select an appropriate approach of sales forecasting. The current study’s main purpose is to examine the effects of SS on ITO. The data was gained from the Albertina database from 2017 to 2021, for two sectors: manufacturing and construction. The Czech firms’ panel data was used to estimate sales forecasts by four different methods: (i) sales linear forecast (SLF), (ii) sales change (SCH), (iii) sales growth (SG), and (iv) sales forecast random walk (SRW). The two most accurate methods were chosen to calculate SS: sales surprise linear forecast (SSLF) and sales surprise random walk (SSRW). After estimating four different regression models by employing the fixed-effect panel model, the results show that SSRW is positively correlated with ITO. The sales surprise linear forecast (SSLF) is found to be insignificant. Capital intensity (CI) has a positive impact on ITO; on the other hand, the relationship between gross margin (GMN) and ITO is negative. This is the first research in which SS is measured by four different techniques, and then the two most accurate techniques are used to examine the effects of SS on ITO. Therefore, the findings of the current research will be fruitful for managers, academics, policymakers, and directors of firms to estimate SS using different techniques and to understand the effects of SS on ITO. Hence, the research will be useful to the firms’ management in many contexts.
Students’ Life Satisfaction, Personality, Gratitude and Resilience of Students

Positive psychology, which has been widely developed in the last twenty-three years, raises the topic of individual positive character strengths. The purpose of this study was to see a positive relationship between the existing characters, according to the constructs tested, including life satisfaction, resilience, personality and gratitude for the subjects after the earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction. The sampling technique used was a two-stage random sampling conducted on students. The BF 10 psychological instrument related to personality was used to reveal personality, the SWLS instrument was used to express life satisfaction, QR-6 was used to identify gratitude and RYDM was used to measure resilience. The SPSS 21 license authorized wizard regression analysis program was used as a data analysis technique. The results show that the level of relationship between personality factors, gratitude, and resilience to life satisfaction is in the strong category with a value of R = 0.677. The magnitude of the simultaneous contribution is R square = 0.458, indicating that there is a role in the predictor variables of personality, gratitude, and resilience to life satisfaction of 45.8%.
Analyses of Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase, Metallo-β-Lactamase, and AmpC-β-Lactamase Producing Enterobacteriaceae from the Dairy Value Chain in India

The consumption of milk contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant health threat to humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae producing β-lactamases (ESBL, MBL, and AmpC) in cow and buffalo milk samples from two Indian states, Haryana and Assam. A total of 401 milk samples were collected from dairy farmers and vendors in the specified districts. Microbiological assays, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and PCR-based genotyping were employed to analyze 421 Gram-negative bacterial isolates. The overall prevalence of β-lactamase genes was 10% (confidence interval (CI) (7–13)), with higher rates in Haryana (13%, CI (9–19)) compared to Assam (7%, CI (4–11)). The identified β-lactamase genes in isolates were blaCMY, blaMOX, blaFOX, blaEBC, and blaDHA, associated with AmpC production. Additionally, blaCTX-M1, blaSHV, and blaTEM were detected as ESBL producers, while blaVIM, blaIMP, blaSPM, blaSIM, and blaGIM were identified as MBL producers. Notably, Shigella spp. were the dominant β-lactamase producers among identified Enterobacteriaceae. This study highlights the presence of various prevalent β-lactamase genes in milk isolates, indicating the potential risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in dairy products. The presence of β-lactam resistance raises concern as this could restrict antibiotic options for treatment. The discordance between genotypic and phenotypic methods emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive approaches that integrate both techniques to accurately assess antibiotic resistance. Urgent collaborative action incorporating rational and regulated use of antibiotics across the dairy value chain is required to address the global challenge of β-lactam resistance.
How TikTok and Its relationship with narcissism and bandwagon effect influenced conspicuous consumption among Gen Y and Gen Z

This research aims to investigate the influence of TikTok, as one of the most widely used social media, and its relationship with narcissism and bandwagon effect on conspicuous consumption among Gen Y or Millennials and Gen Z. Although the impact of social media usage, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; on conspicuous consumption is well known, little was known whether TikTok, which emphasizes on short videos with various filters and massive music library, has similar impact. The relationships between TikTok and narcissism as well as bandwagon effect that are associated with conspicuous consumption is also little discussed in research. The data for this research are collected through an online survey from 107 Indonesian Gen Y and Gen Z respondents that regularly use TikTok. The result shows that TikTok usage positively affects conspicuous consumption, and that bandwagon effect positively mediates TikTok usage and conspicuous consumption. It also shows that narcissism negatively mediates TikTok usage and conspicuous consumption. This research proves that TikTok, especially among younger generations, is important for luxury brand strategies as it gives a positive impact to the bandwagon effect among users, thus adding to the urge to buy luxury products.
Toxicity of Prepared Fermented Soybean Condiments from Indigenious Fermenters

Several studies have shown that most condiments consumed in Nigeria today are fortified with chemicals that alter the nature, and negatively affect organs and cells. Several condiments have been developed from fermented foods in order to control this ugly situation and to produce a non-toxic condiment with improve health qualities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of the fermented soybean condiments produced using indigenous fermenters. Soybean (Glycine max) sample was fermented with indigenous microorganisms isolated from 7 days old fermented soybean sample; this was oven-dried, pulverized and packaged in a cleaned sterile screw capped container. The toxicity was evaluated using in vivo technique. Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZS 2058 (L), Bacillus subtilis strain 168 (B) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YJM555 (Y) were the indigenous microbes used singly and in consortium for the production of light to dark brown condiments with water activity ranging from 0.27 – 0.37 for the fermented soybean in the plate and 0.22 - 0.36 for the fermented soybean wrapped with Thaumatococcus danielli leaves (called Uma in Igbo and Ewe eran in Yoruba). No death was recorded from the experimental rats.The experimented rats showed significant (P<0.05) increased in body weight, no evidence of severe deformities in the organs and cells, slight or no increased in organ weights and these were statistically non-significant (P>0.05). Therefore condiments produced from fermentation of soybean using indigenous B, L, Y, BL and BLY are recommended safe and non-toxic and those fermented in plastic plates using BLY were most efficient, preferable and acceptable.
Étude spectroscopique des phénomènes de résonance dans les plasmas micro-ondes

In surface-wave plasmas, the energy can be transferred to the plasma electrons through both ohmic (collisional) and collisionless heating mechanisms. At very low pressure, when the electron-neutral collision frequency is much lower than the wave frequency (collisionless regime), a resonance is excited close to the tube walls where the electron plasma frequency in the radially-inhomogeneous plasma column reaches the wave frequency. In such conditions, the sharp rise of the component of the surface-wave electric field perpendicular to the tube axis can induce transit-time heating. At the resonant point, the long-wavelength electromagnetic surface wave can also be converted into short-wavelength electrostatic Langmuir waves that propagate down the density gradient. In this work, spatially-resolved trace-rare-gases optical emission spectroscopy combined with collisional-radiative modeling is used to analyze the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and wave-particle interactions in low-pressure argon plasma columns sustained by an electromagnetic surface wave at 600 MHz (over-dense plasma). The EEDF is found to depart from a Maxwellian with the presence of a high-energy tail. The relative population of high-energy electrons increases with the axial distance towards the end of the plasma column where the electron density decreases and the resonance point becomes closer to the discharge axis. Over the range of experimental conditions examined, the high-energy tail increases with the characteristic length of the plasma density gradient at the resonance point; a feature that can be linked to collisionless electron heating by Landau damping of Langmuir waves. * Luc.Stafford@umontreal.ca
On mean flow universality of turbulent wall flows. II. Asymptotic flow analysis

ABSTRACT Understanding of the structure of turbulent flows at extreme Reynolds numbers (Re) is relevant because of several reasons: almost all turbulence theories are only valid in the high Re limit, and most turbulent flows of practical relevance are characterized by very high Re. Specific questions about wall-bounded turbulent flows at extreme Re concern the asymptotic laws of the mean velocity and turbulence statistics, their universality, the convergence of statistics towards their asymptotic profiles, and the overall physical flow organization. In extension of recent studies focusing on the mean flow at moderate and relatively high Re, the latter questions are addressed with respect to three canonical wall-bounded flows (channel flow, pipe flow, and the zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer). Main results reported here are the asymptotic logarithmic law for the mean velocity and corresponding scale-separation laws for bulk flow properties, the Reynolds shear stress, the turbulence production and turbulent viscosity. A scaling analysis indicates that the establishment of a self-similar turbulence state is the condition for the development of a strict logarithmic velocity profile. The resulting overall physical flow structure at extreme Re is discussed.
How Connected are Pakistanis?

Pakistanis have been using the internet for more than a decade now and yet there is little or no independent academic research data that explores broadband internet adoption and usage profiles of internet users in the country. This paper looks at slow and unequal broadband internet adoption patterns in the country using survey data collected from three cities (Karachi, Lahore and Quetta) of Pakistan based on various socio-economic demographics while the author was a research student at University of Strathclyde. The data presented in this paper illustrates that household with lower income and education levels are far well below the average rate of adoption of broadband in the country. In contrast household with high income and education levels are far above the average rate of adoption of broadband internet. This paper explores this uneven access and illustrates the disparity to participate online between households with different economic and educational levels. The discussion section in the paper considers this problem of slow adoption and uneven access and the future impact of being disconnected for the younger generation Pakistanis. The aim of the paper is to present this empirical research data and raise awareness about the situation for further research and effective ICT policies and strategy to be adopted at national levels if we are to reap the future benefits of ICTs in the country.