Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of antioxidant activity of nano‐ and microencapsulated rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) leaves extract in cress (Lepidium sativum) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) seed gums for enhancing oxidative stability of sunflower oil

Abstract There has been interest in the use of plant extract as a natural preservative agent for improving the oxidative stability of vegetable oils. However, plant extracts have low stability against heat and environmental stress. In this study, the antioxidant potential of nano‐ and microencapsulated Rosmarinus officinalis L. extract (RE) obtained using the ultrasonication method was measured. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extract was 174.4 ± 25.9 mg gallic acid/g extract and 78.30 ± 3.2 mg rutin/g extract, respectively. Antioxidant activity of 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppm of RE was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging methods, ferric reduction assay, and β‐carotene/linoleic acid assay, and then compared to the 100 ppm of TBHQ as a common synthetic antioxidant. The results showed that the antioxidant activity increased with increasing the concentration of the extract in all evaluating methods. The antioxidant activity of 200 ppm of the free and encapsulated extract in cress (Lepidium sativum) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) seed gums at different ratios (1:0, 1:1, and 0:1) was compared to sunflower oil without antioxidants, and oil‐containing TBHQ which was stored at 60°C for 24 days. The oxidation indexes of oil samples include peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid value, and p‐anisidine value measured at 4‐day intervals. A lower oil oxidation was observed in oil‐containing nanoencapsulated extract followed by microencapsulated extract, free extract, and TBHQ. Since producing nanoencapsulated RE requires a higher time and speed of homogenization and due to no statistically significant difference between the antioxidant properties of nanocapsules and microcapsules in oil, the use of microcapsules of RE in basil seed gum to increase the shelf life of sunflower oil is recommended.
A Self-Supervised Metric Learning Framework for the Arising-From-Chair Assessment of Parkinsonians With Graph Convolutional Networks

The onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) gradually affect the patient’s motor functions and quality of life. The PD motor symptoms are usually assessed using the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Automated MDS-UPDRS assessment has been recently required as an invaluable tool for PD diagnosis and telemedicine, especially with the recent novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak. This paper proposes a novel vision-based method for automated assessment of the arising-from-chair task, which is one of the key MDS-UPDRS components. The proposed method is based on a self-supervised metric learning scheme with a graph convolutional network (SSM-GCN). Specifically, for human skeleton sequences extracted from videos, a self-supervised intra-video quadruplet learning strategy is proposed to construct a metric learning formulation with prior knowledge, for improving the spatial-temporal representations. Afterwards, a vertex-specific convolution operation is designed to achieve effective aggregation of all skeletal joint features, where each joint or feature is weighted differently based on its relative factor of importance. Finally, a graph representation supervised mechanism is developed to maximize the potential consistency between the joint and bone information streams. Experimental results on a clinical dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over the existing sensor-based methods, with an accuracy of 70.60% and an acceptable accuracy of 98.65%. The analysis of discriminative spatial connections makes our predictions more clinically interpretable. This method can achieve reliable automated PD assessment using only easily-obtainable videos, thus providing an effective tool for real-time PD diagnosis or remote continuous monitoring.
The walking meeting: opportunities for better health and sustainability in post-COVID-19 cities

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionised the way we experience the city, and working from home has become the norm for millions of workers. In parallel, the pandemic has created momentum for active travel modes in cities, including for walking. This essay illustrates the concept of the walking meeting as a potential trend for post-COVID-19 cities, and presents a pilot qualitative study with university workers exploring ideas, experiences, and perceptions related to walking meetings. Results suggest that walking meetings can contribute to physical and psychological health and promote creative thinking and socialisation, thus fighting potential isolation and low motivation of remote working. Quiet, nature, and traffic-free spaces were identified as ideal settings for walking meetings. The practice can contribute to healthy and sustainable post-COVID-19 cities.
Groundwater Quality Assessment for Human Drinking in Rural Areas, Al-Hoceima Province (Northern Morocco)

The aim of this study is to assess the quality of water for drinking in the rural area of the city of Al-Hoceima, in order to measure the health risks to which people who use it for their needs are exposed. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was carried out on 60 households selected randomly. Well and spring water samples (8 wells and 8 springs) were collected in November and December 2019 and analyzed according to the standard methods of water analysis. The survey indicated that water consumed by 80.00% of households does not receive any prior treatment. With the lack of a collective excreta and wastewater management system in the municipality, 99.00% of households have latrines, 50.00% of which are installed within 15meters of the water source. The bacteriological analyses indicate that all the sampled points are contaminated by fecal contamination germs. This poor quality may be due to various anthropogenic activities, and the presence of non-standardized septic tanks. Therefore, protecting and improving water sources must be accompanied by adequate measures of disinfection of these waters before their use.
The Effect of Flap Design on Wound Healing after Periapical Surgery: A Comparative Study.

Aims: To assess the clinical effect of different flap design that used in periapical surgery and their relation to untoward postoperative sequel. Materials and methods: Forty five patients were included in the present study, they were divided randomly into three groups, each comprised of (15) patients. In the first group, apicectomy was done using intrasulcular triangular (2–sided) flap. Whereas, in the second group, a submarginal (Luebke–Ochsenbein) scalloped 2–sided flap was used. While in the third group, a new experimental (straight mucogingival) 2–sided flap was tested. Postoperative healing was evaluated clinically in regard to oedema, alteration of soft tissue colour, recession of marginal gingiva, extent of scarring, and closure of the wound site. Assessment was done at 2, 7, 15 and 30 days postoperative intervals. Results: Comparison among the three study groups was performed. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the results of experimental flap over the other two types in regard to oedema, colour and wound closure with the superiority of the former on the latter flaps. Both experimental and Luebke–Ochsenbein flaps showed significant differences from intrasulcular incision in their effect on gingival recession. In contrast, scarring was less evident in intrasulcular flap followed by experimental flap while in Luebke–Ochsenbein incision, this complication was significant. Conclusion: This study; however, revealed that the experimental flap allows for rapid and recession free healing following periapical surgery. In addition, inflammatory changes persist for longer time in the intrasulcular and submarginal (Luebke–Ochsenbein) incision than in experemintal incision. So it was concluded that the new flap design could provide an alternative.
The Controversial Role of HCY and Vitamin B Deficiency in Cardiovascular Diseases

Plasma homocysteine (HCY) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease CVD and stroke. However, more than two decades of intensive research activities has failed to demonstrate that Hcy lowering through B-vitamin supplementation results in a reduction in CVD risk. Therefore, doubts about a causal involvement of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and B-vitamin deficiencies in atherosclerosis persist. Existing evidence indicates that HHcy increases oxidative stress, causes endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) stress, alters DNA methylation and, thus, modulates the expression of numerous pathogenic and protective genes. Moreover, Hcy can bind directly to proteins, which can change protein function and impact the intracellular redox state. As most mechanistic evidence is derived from experimental studies with rather artificial settings, the relevance of these results in humans remains a matter of debate. Recently, it has also been proposed that HHcy and B-vitamin deficiencies may promote CVD through accelerated telomere shortening and telomere dysfunction. This review provides a critical overview of the existing literature regarding the role of HHcy and B-vitamin deficiencies in CVD. At present, the CVD risk associated with HHcy and B vitamins is not effectively actionable. Therefore, routine screening for HHcy in CVD patients is of limited value. However, B-vitamin depletion is rather common among the elderly, and in such cases existing deficiencies should be corrected. While Hcy-lowering with high doses of B vitamins has no beneficial effects in secondary CVD prevention, the role of Hcy in primary disease prevention is insufficiently studied. Therefore, more intervention and experimental studies are needed to address existing gaps in knowledge.
Recent results from T2K

T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) is a Japan-based long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment designed to measure (anti)neutrino flavor oscillations and taking data since 2010. Since 2014 has started a campaign to measure the phase 𝛿 𝐶𝑃 , an unknown element of the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix, that can provide a test of the violation or conservation of the Charge-Parity (CP) symmetry in the lepton sector. To achieve this goal, T2K is taking data with a neutrino and antineutrino enhanced beam investigating asymmetries in the electron neutrino and antineutrino appearance probabilities. The most recent results showed that the CP-conserving cases are excluded at 90% confidence level. One of the largest systematic uncertainties affecting neutrino oscillation measurements comes from limited knowledge of (anti)neutrino-nucleus interactions. The T2K experiment has a wide range of programs measuring neutrino interaction cross-section using detectors in its near detector complex. In this work an overview of the latest T2K neutrino oscillation and cross-section measurements are presented. Afterward, the intense program of upgrades, which promises to improve the sensitivities of the experiment, will be discussed.
Synergistic Interactions of Tebuthiuron with EPTC + R-25788 and Butylate + R-25788 in Corn (Zea mays)

Preplant-incorporated applications of commercial formulations of EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) and butylate (S-ethyl diisobutylthiocarbamate) plus the herbicide antidote R-25788 (N,N-diallyl-2,2-dichloroacetamide) were evaluated for their interactions with preemergence applications of tebuthiuron {N-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-N,N′-dimethylurea} in corn (Zea mays L., ‘Pioneer 3780’) under greenhouse conditions. The thiocarbamate herbicides plus the antidote were used at 1.1, 2.2, 3.4, and 4.5 kg/ha, and they were evaluated against 0.3, 0.6, and 1.1 kg/ha of tebuthiuron. Shoot dry weight and shoot height of corn seedlings were measured at 24 days after treatment. Growth responses of corn to combination treatments of these herbicides were significantly reduced. Statistical analysis of the data showed that tebuthiuron interacted synergistically with both EPTC and butylate in the presence of the herbicide-antidote R-25788.
Relationship between ABO blood group and Rh factor with oral potentially malignant disorder

Introduction: Oral cancer is the most life threatening of all oral diseases. It has a prolonged natural history with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) as the precursor. Recognition and diagnosis of OPMD will help in early treatment, patient survival and in reducing morbidity related to treatment of oral cancer. OPMDs has multifactorial etiologies and is significantly associated with risk factors of the individual's lifestyle, particularly, chronic use of tobacco, spicy food, alcohol and smoking. Genetic factors also play an important role in the etiology of OPMDs. It is proven by many studies like Dermatoglyphics, Salivary miRNA, micronuclei in buccal mucosa etc., one of such kind is ABO blood group and Rh factor. OBJECTIVE: Aim of our study is to evaluate if any of the ABO blood group and Rh factor is associated with an increased risk for OPMDs. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in Sri Rajiv Gandhi College of Dental Sciences included 55 patients with clinical and histopathologically proven OPMD's. Blood grouping was determined for all the patients using standardised agglutination method. Result: This study showed that people with blood group B+ are 1.46 times at a greater risk to develop OPMDs. Conclusion: Our study concludes that subjects with B+ blood group and habit of tobacco chewing and smoking are at higher risk to develop OPMDs than subjects with other blood groups.
An Adaptive Human Posture Detection Algorithm Based on Generative Adversarial Network

Human posture equipment technology has advanced significantly thanks to advances in deep learning and machine vision. Even the most advanced models may not be able to predict all body joints accurately. This paper proposes an adaptive generative adversarial network to improve the human posture detection algorithm in order to address this issue. GAN is used in the algorithm to detect human posture improvement. The algorithm uses OpenPose to detect and connect keypoints and then generates heat maps in the GAN system model. During the training process, the confidence evaluation mechanism is added to the system model. The generator predicts posture, while the resolver refines human joints over time. And, by using normalization technologies in the confidence evaluation mechanism, the generator can pay more attention to the prominent body joints, improving the algorithm's body detection accuracy of nodes. In MPII, LSP, and FLIC datasets, the proposed algorithm has shown to have a good detection effect. Its positioning accuracy is about 95.37 percent, and it can accurately locate the joints of the entire body. Several other algorithms are outperformed by this one. The algorithm described in this article has the best simultaneous runtime in the LSP dataset.
Changes in physicochemical properties and bacterial communities in aged Korean native cattle beef during cold storage

Abstract During refrigerated storage, aged beef is liable to undergo alterations in its physicochemical properties. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the community of microorganisms, volatile compounds, and amino acids in aged beef under cold storage conditions. In addition, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) values were measured to determine the putrefaction degree. Raw‐, dry‐, and wet‐aged beef were stored at 4°C for 21 days. The initial pH of beef under the three conditions ranged from 5.52 to 5.60 and decreased from 5.04 to 5.33 over time. After 21 days, VBN values ranged 20.53–22.59 mg/100 g, which exceeded the standard of spoilage (20 mg/100 g) in the Korean Food Code. As time passed, numbers of psychrophilic and lactic acid bacteria increased in the raw beef. In contrast, number of mesophilic, psychrophilic, and lactic acid bacteria decreased in dry‐ and wet‐aged beef. Among the volatile substances and amino acids, 2,3‐butanedione, 2‐butanone, tyrosine, and arginine contributed the most to the high VBN levels in aged beef, where the VBN was 21 mg/100 g at 21 days, which was beyond the acceptable limit. In conclusion, clear alterations were observed in the physicochemical properties and microorganism communities in cold‐stored aged beef, providing basic information that could benefit the beef industry and boost consumer acceptance.
A Meta-Analysis of Factors Affecting Construction Labour Productivity in the Middle East

Despite the importance of the construction sector to economic development, labour productivity in construction is lower than productivity in many sectors. Construction productivity has declined continuously for decades, particularly in developing countries. The challenges of low productivity in construction is considered a chronic problem. This has engendered the concern of construction stakeholders to address the myriad of challenges undermining labour productivity growth. This study conducted a meta-data analysis of factors affecting construction labour productivity growth in the Middle East. A systematic review of the existing construction labour productivity studies was presented. Ten Middle East studies were selected for a meta-data analysis. The key factors affecting construction labour productivity in the region were identified, and quantitative data of the selected studies were synthesized. Effect summaries derived from the analysis revealed delay in responding to requests for information, inadequate workers supervision, a shortage of skilled labour, extent of change orders, and clarity of technical specifications as the major factors affecting productivity. The study is limited to journal articles published from 2000-2020 in the Scopus database. Contractors in the Middle East can adopt the interventions of the study to evolve productivity growth policies for their organisations.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Leisure among the Youth of Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed the lives of millions, including young people, who are in a vital stage during which leisure has had a preponderant role in their lifestyles, characterized by the search for experiences outside the family environment and forms of leisure dependent on friendships as a source for well-being (physical, cognitive, social, and emotional). This article explores how leisure becomes a form of negotiation among social needs, normative demands, and a particular crisis. It analyzes the transformations of leisure of young Spanish university students during confinement and the new normality. The sample is made up of 1066 young undergraduate university students between 17 and 25 years old residing in Spain. The quantitative findings revealed that (1) young people now value their leisure more than before the pandemic; (2) young people have transformed their leisure time and feel that their leisure has not been the same and will not be the same again; (3) the pandemic has especially affected their routines, relationships with friends, and psychological well-being; (4) they perceive that society has treated young people unfairly in relation to their leisure. The findings show the need to develop leisure policies and programs that address the short- and medium-term effects and transformations caused by COVID-19 on youth leisure.
Systemic Inflammatory Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether routine blood tests and clinical characteristics can predict in-hospital mortality in COVID-19. Clinical data of 285 patients aged 59.7 ± 10.3 yrs. (males n = 189, females n = 96) were retrospectively collected from December 2020 to June 2021. Routine blood tests were recorded within the 1st hour of admission to hospital. The inflammatory variables, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophils–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the systemic inflammatory index (SII), exceeded the reference values in all patients and were significantly higher in deceased patients (n = 108) compared to survivors (n = 177). The log-rank test for comparing two survival curves showed that patients aged ≥60.5 years, with PCT ≥ 0.188 ng/mL or NLR ≥ 11.57 103/µL were at a greater risk of death. NLR demonstrated a high impact on the COVID-19 mortality (HR 1.317; 95%CI 1.004–1.728; p < 0.05), whereas CRP and SII showed no effect (HR 1.000; 95%CI 1.000–1.004; p = 0.085 and HR 1.078; 95%CI 0.865–1.344; p = 0.503, respectively). In the first Polish study including COVID-19 patients, we demonstrated that age in relation to simple parameters derived from complete blood cell count has prognostic implications in the course of COVID-19 and can identify the patients at a higher risk of in-hospital mortality.
Optimale Regelverfahren zur automatischen Bahnführung von Binnenschiffen

Within this paper the tracking problem of automatic river navigation is presented. To realize "track-keeping" on waterways three different control strategies: a linear quadratic regulator with injection, a nonlinear modelpredictive controller and an open loop optimal control with underlying linear quadratic regulator are designed. These methods are examined and compared not only with simulations but also with results of different trials. The goal of automatic river navigation is seen in an improvement of the safety on waterways through relieving the navigator of tiring routine work.
The In Vivo Toxicity Assessments of Water-Dispersed Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), resembling a typical zero-dimensional silicon nanomaterial, have shown great potential in a wide range of biological and biomedical applications. However, information regarding the toxicity of this material in live organisms is still very scarce. In this study, we utilized Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a simple but biologically and anatomically well-described model, as a platform to systematically investigate the in vivo toxicity of SiNPs in live organisms at the whole-animal, cellular, subcellular, and molecular levels. We calculated the effect of SiNPs on C. elegans body length (N ≥ 75), lifespan (N ≥ 30), reproductive capacity (N ≥ 10), endocytic sorting (N ≥ 20), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (N ≥ 20), mitochondrial stress (N ≥ 20), oxidative stress (N ≥ 20), immune response (N ≥ 20), apoptosis (N ≥ 200), hypoxia response (N ≥ 200), metal detoxification (N ≥ 200), and aging (N ≥ 200). The studies showed that SiNPs had no significant effect on development, lifespan, or reproductive ability (p > 0.05), even when the worms were treated with a high concentration (e.g., 50 mg/mL) of SiNPs at all growth and development stages. Subcellular analysis of the SiNP-treated worms revealed that the intracellular processes of the C. elegans intestine were not disturbed by the presence of SiNPs (p > 0.05). Toxicity analyses at the molecular level also demonstrated that the SiNPs did not induce harmful or defensive cellular events, such as ER stress, mitochondria stress, or oxidative stress (p > 0.05). Together, these findings confirmed that the SiNPs are low in toxicity and biocompatible, supporting the suggestion that the material is an ideal fluorescent nanoprobe for wide-ranging biological and biomedical applications.