Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The economic significance of intra-African trade Getting the narrative right

Hardly a presentation is made (or a paper written) on the topic of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) without starting with a lamentation about how intra-African trade is “ abysmally low ” compared to other continents, with the commonly cited figure of around 16 percent of total exports, compared with 59 percent in Asia and 69 percent in Europe. This paper argues that intra-African trade has greater economic significance than commonly believed. To make its case, the paper starts with a theoretical and empirical review of the drivers of trade growth globally, highlighting the role played by regional trade agreements. Because of econometric and methodological errors, earlier studies purportedly showing that previous regional integration efforts on the continent were ineffective are wrong: Recent research points to these agreements boosting intra-African exports by 27 to 32 percent on average. Moreover, contrary to received wisdom, there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary in the existing levels of intra-regional trade; indeed, by some metrics, parts of Africa display a stronger degree of trade integration than comparable regions elsewhere in the world. Finally, the paper provides a recalculation of the intensity of intra-African trade, taking into account structural economic differences and the prevalence of informal cross-border trade, to arrive at a set of new estimates. For non-oil resource-intensive and landlocked countries, the average share of exports already destined to the African market is as high as 38 to 42 percent of total trade, respectively. The paper ends by arguing that, as AfCFTA implementation begins, it is time to change the narrative and to start to ‘talk up” intra -African trade.
ASSOCIATION OF PPAR GAMMA GENE WITH DIABETES IN POPULATION OF PAKISTAN

Diabetes mellitus is defined by an abnormally high blood glucose level. Insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction, and endogenous insulin production are all symptoms of type 2 diabetes, also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). With 38 million people, Asian Indians have a higher prevalence of diabetes. Many single nucleotide polymorphisms in the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR-) gene play a role in the development of diabetes, either directly or indirectly. On exon 6 of the PPAR gamma gene, a silent mutation at position 161 convert the C allele into T allele. We obtained 926 individual samples from the local population, 500 were controls (fasting blood sugar < 99 mg/dL, random blood sugar < 126 mg/dL) and 426 were diabetes patients (fasting blood sugar > 99 mg/dL, random blood sugar > 126 mg/dL). In serum analysis lipid profiling was done that include TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and leptin. DNA was isolated and quantified; ARMS (amplification-refractory mutation system) PCR technique was used subsequently. The genotypic frequencies for CC, CT, and TT in diabetes patients are 66.66%, 20%, and 13.33%, respectively. Normal persons had genotype frequencies of 48.78%, 39.02%, and 12.19% controls had considerably varied anthropometric and biochemical characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate such an association in the local population.
Multi-Agent Systems for Highway Management

The use of a multi-agent approach for highway management is the principal topic of this dissertation. The work is divided into three main parts. The first part is purely theoretical and provides a general overview of the theory of Multi-Agent Systems. The overview is supplemented by a literature review focused on the use of multi-agent systems for highway management. Based on the theoretical background, the proposed architecture for agentbased highway management is presented in the end of this part. The second part describes the development of a simulation model in Anylogic. This model stems from the proposed architecture and is designed to test different approaches to the harmonization of traffic flow using variable speed limits. A total of three approaches were addressed in this work, namely manual centralized control, automated centralized control using decision trees, and automated decentralized agent-based control. For automated centralized control, a replication of the algorithm previously implemented on Czech highways within the INEP project was created. The control logic from this model was used to design the original agent-based algorithm, whose main goal was decentralization. Two extensions were further proposed for an agent-based control, benefiting from system decentralization. The goal of the first extension was to reduce the time aggregation of input data. The second extension generally aimed at implementing floating cars. All the mentioned control approaches were tested on the modeled section of the Prague Ring Road. The results of these simulations are presented in the third part of this work. The manual centralized control provided data for control validation, while the results for the automated centralized control were used as a reference for the newly designed agent-based algorithms. The results generally show that the extended agent-based algorithms result in positive effects, especially in terms of traffic safety.
Disinﬂation Costs and Macroprudential Policies: Real and Welfare Eﬀects

This paper investigates the costs of disin(cid:135)ation in an otherwise standard DSGE model with borrowing constraints and credit frictions, augmented with macroprudential authority. Analyzing the real and welfare e⁄ects of a permanent change in the in(cid:135)ation rate, we study the role of macroprudential policy and its interaction with monetary policy in ensuring (cid:133)nancial stability. Results show that when macroprudential authority intervenes actively in order to improve (cid:133)nancial stability, disin(cid:135)ation costs are limited. As for the welfare e⁄ects, disin(cid:135)ation is welfare improving for savers but welfare costly for borrowers and banks.
Dissecting Latency in 360° Video Camera Sensing Systems

360° video camera sensing is an increasingly popular technology. Compared with traditional 2D video systems, it is challenging to ensure the viewing experience in 360° video camera sensing because the massive omnidirectional data introduce adverse effects on start-up delay, event-to-eye delay, and frame rate. Therefore, understanding the time consumption of computing tasks in 360° video camera sensing becomes the prerequisite to improving the system’s delay performance and viewing experience. Despite the prior measurement studies on 360° video systems, none of them delves into the system pipeline and dissects the latency at the task level. In this paper, we perform the first in-depth measurement study of task-level time consumption for 360° video camera sensing. We start with identifying the subtle relationship between the three delay metrics and the time consumption breakdown across the system computing task. Next, we develop an open research prototype Zeus to characterize this relationship in various realistic usage scenarios. Our measurement of task-level time consumption demonstrates the importance of the camera CPU-GPU transfer and the server initialization, as well as the negligible effect of 360° video stitching on the delay metrics. Finally, we compare Zeus with a commercial system to validate that our results are representative and can be used to improve today’s 360° video camera sensing systems.
Psychomotor Skills Activities in the Classroom from an Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Perspective

Psychomotricity is a tool that allows the development of different capacities, skills and corporal abilities of people. Currently, it is included in early childhood education programmes due to its importance in children’s development, but, even so, it is not always given the role they deserve. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of early childhood education teachers towards the needs and current state of psychomotor skills in the educational context of Extremadura schools and compare the information provided by teachers that work in rural and urban areas. A questionnaire was administered using a tablet and a Google Forms application. The sample consisted of 216 teachers, selected using a non-probability sampling method based on coexistence sampling. The Mann–Whitney U test was applied to determine the relationships between the different items and dimensions according to the location of the school, and Spearman’s Rho test was used to find out if there is any relationship between the age of the teachers and their responses in the different dimensions. The results showed that psychomotor skills do not receive the place they deserve, with insufficient material and facilities, inadequate training, few sessions and inappropriate programming, together with the rest of the components of the cycle. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is necessary to include psychomotor skills in the training of teachers and that the centres should be concerned about providing teachers with the necessary material and spaces for their work.
Research Article Drying Kinetics and Chemical Properties of Mango

Four mango fruit varieties of average slice thickness 0.6cm and slice area 10cm 2 were dried using a mechanical dryer at varied temperatures, 55 ° C, 65 ° C, and 75 ° C. In general, the moisture content (MC) for all samples analyzed decreased with increasing drying time. Palmer and Haden varieties recorded the lowest MCs of 8.7% (w.b.) and 9.3% (w.b.), respectively, when dried for 14 h at 65 ° C. Palmer variety with the highest initial MC of 87.2% (w.b.) recorded a low ﬁ nal MC of 8.7% (w.b.) when dried for 14 h at 55 ° C. Moisture ratio decreased from 1.00 to 0.13, 1.00 to 0.12, 1.00 to 0.12, and 1.00 to 0.10 at 55 ° C for Kent, Keitt, Haden, and Palmer varieties, respectively. Kent, Keitt, Haden, and Palmer varieties recorded e ﬀ ective moisture di ﬀ usivity values of 5 : 90 × 10 – 7 , 6 : 40 × 10 − 7 , 6 : 57 × 10 − 7 , and 7 : 33 × 10 − 7 m 2 /s , respectively. Vitamin C content of 158.34mg/100g recorded for Palmer was highest compared to the other varieties. Activation energy values of samples analyzed were between 19.90 and 25.50kJ/mol for the drying temperature range. The activation energy recorded by Haden variety was highest compared to the rest. Also, twelve mathematical models were analyzed in predicting the moisture ratio of mango fruit slices during thin layer drying. The results showed that the Midilli, Page, Wang and Singh, and Logarithmic models exhibited supremacy in predicting drying behavior compared to the other eight models.
67-kDa Laminin Receptor-Mediated Cellular Sensing System of Green Tea Polyphenol EGCG and Functional Food Pairing

The body is equipped with a “food factor-sensing system” that senses food factors, such as polyphenols, sulfur-containing compounds, and vitamins, taken into the body, and plays an essential role in manifesting their physiological effects. For example, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the representative catechin in green tea (Camellia sinensi L.), exerts various effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects, when sensed by the cell surficial protein 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR). Here, we focus on three representative effects of EGCG and provide their specific signaling mechanisms, the 67LR-mediated EGCG-sensing systems. Various components present in foods, such as eriodictyol, hesperetin, sulfide, vitamin A, and fatty acids, have been found to act on the food factor-sensing system and affect the functionality of other foods/food factors, such as green tea extract, EGCG, or its O-methylated derivative at different experimental levels, i.e., in vitro, animal models, and/or clinical trials. These phenomena are observed by increasing or decreasing the activity or expression of EGCG-sensing-related molecules. Such functional interaction between food factors is called “functional food pairing”. In this review, we introduce examples of functional food pairings using EGCG.
In vitro anticoccidial activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Citrus aurantium L. against Eimeria tenella oocysts

This study was carried out to examine the anticoccidial effect of Citrus aurantium L ethanol leaf extract against the oocysts of Eimeria tenella isolated from broiler chickens. The fresh leaves of C. aurantium were collected from Emirate Garden, Katsina, authenticated, air-dried at room temperature, pulverised by milling and subjected to extraction. Sporulation inhibition bioassay was employed to examine the activity of C. aurantium ethanol extract on the sporulation of E. tenella oocysts. In this assay, deep well petri dishes containing 100 unsporulated oocysts were subjected to 2 ml of five different concentrations of the extract (2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/ml) in triplicates while oocysts sporulated in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution (K2Cr2O7) and phenol served as control groups. The content of the Petri dishes was stirred to ensure adequate oxygenation. The experimental set-up was incubated at room temperature and examined after 24 and 48 hours for sporulation inhibition. The sporulated and unsporulated oocysts were determined by counting using the Mcmaster apparatus. Phytochemical screening of C. aurantium revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, carbohydrates, steroids and tannins. The result showed that ethanolic leaf extract of C. aurantium to possess anticoccidial activity against unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella in a concentration-dependent manner. There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the sporulation inhibition activity, with the highest (97 ± 0.8%) at 30 mg/ml and the lowest activity (8 ± 1.0%) at 2.5 mg/ml concentration of the extract after 48 hours of incubation. There was a general trend of sporulation inhibition with an increase in the concentration of the plant extract. The findings from this study showed ethanol leaf extract of C. aurantium possesses a remarkable In vitro anticoccidial effect that may be further scientifically explicated.
Triple Planar Heterojunction of SnO2/WO3/BiVO4 with Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance under Front Illumination

The performance of a BiVO4 photoanode is limited by poor charge transport, especially under front side illumination. Heterojunction of different metal oxides with staggered band configuration is a promising route, as it facilitates charge separation/transport and thereby improves photoactivity. We report a ternary planar heterojunction photoanode with enhanced photoactivity under front side illumination. SnO2/WO3/BiVO4 films were fabricated through electron beam deposition and subsequent wet chemical method. Remarkably high external quantum efficiency of ~80% during back side and ~90% upon front side illumination at a wavelength of 400 nm has been witnessed for SnO2/WO3/BiVO4 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The intimate contact between the heterojunction films enabled efficient charge separation at the interface and promoted electron transport. This work provides a new paradigm for designing triple heterojunction to improve photoactivity, particularly under front illumination, which would be beneficial for the development of tandem devices.
Demographic Control Measure Implications of Tuberculosis Infection for Migrant Workers across Taiwan Regions

A sharp increase in migrant workers has raised concerns for TB epidemics, yet optimal TB control strategies remain unclear in Taiwan regions. This study assessed intervention efforts on reducing tuberculosis (TB) infection among migrant workers. We performed large-scale data analyses and used them to develop a control-based migrant worker-associated susceptible–latently infected–infectious–recovered (SLTR) model. We used the SLTR model to assess potential intervention strategies such as social distancing, early screening, and directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) for TB transmission among migrant workers and locals in three major hotspot cities from 2018 to 2023. We showed that social distancing was the best single strategy, while the best dual measure was social distancing coupled with early screening. However, the effectiveness of the triple strategy was marginally (1–3%) better than that of the dual measure. Our study provides a mechanistic framework to facilitate understanding of TB transmission dynamics between locals and migrant workers and to recommend better prevention strategies in anticipation of achieving WHO’s milestones by the next decade. Our work has implications for migrant worker-associated TB infection prevention on a global scale and provides a knowledge base for exploring how outcomes can be best implemented by alternative control measure approaches.
Sublethal Dose of β-Cypermethrin Impairs the Olfaction of Bactrocera dorsalis by Suppressing the Expression of Chemosensory Genes

Simple Summary The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a pest that causes huge economic losses in the fruit and vegetable industry. β-cypermethrin has been widely used in the orchard to control this major pest. According to a previous study, the oriental fruit fly developed significant resistance against β-cypermethrin in fields, which indicated that the oriental fruit fly has been exposed to sublethal concentrations of β-cypermethrin in the field for a long time. However, the sublethal effect and its mechanism are still unclear. In our present study, after treatment with sublethal concentrations of β-cypermethrin, the olfaction was disrupted significantly and the chemosensory genes were suppressed obviously. Our data demonstrated that the sublethal dose of β-cypermethrin impairs the olfaction of the pest insects by suppressing the expression of chemosensory genes, which provided theoretical guidance for the rational use of pesticides in fields. Abstract The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is one of the most destructive fruit insect pests. β-cypermethrin has been widely used in the orchard to control this major insect. Based on the resistance monitoring in 2011, B. dorsalis developed significant resistance against β-cypermethrin in fields. This indicated that the B. dorsalis has been exposed to sublethal concentrations of β-cypermethrin in the field for a long time. Thus, it is urgent to understand the sublethal effects of β-cypermethrin on this fly to guide the rational use of an insecticide. According to the olfactory preference assays and electroantennogram (EAG) recording, the B. dorsalis after β-cypermethrin exposure (LD30 = 10 ng/fly) severely decreased the ability to perceive the tested odorants. Moreover, we then performed quantitative real-time PCR and found the chemosensory genes including odorant receptor co-receptor (BdorORco) and ionotropic receptor co-receptors (BdorIRcos) were obviously suppressed. Our results demonstrated that the sublethal dose of β-cypermethrin impairs the olfaction of the pest insects by suppressing the expression of chemosensory genes (BdorORco and BdorIRcos), which expanded our knowledge of the sublethal effects of the pesticide on insects.
Efficacy and Safety of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Advanced Malignant Melanoma: A Meta-Analysis on Monotherapy Vs Combination Therapy

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are approved as cancer immunotherapeutic agents for advanced malignant melanoma (MM) in recent years, and nivolumab and ipilimumab are the most widely used ICIs either alone or in combination. However, their efficacy and safety between single and combined ICIs are not clear. This meta-analysis (MA) is aimed to update the efficacy and safety of ICIs by comparing monotherapy and combination therapy in the treatment of advanced MM. Method: We searched PubMed, Embase, EbscoHost and ClinicalTrials.gov for the eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared the efficacy and safety of ICIs between a single ICI and combined ICIs. The outcomes analyzed included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR) and treatment-related adverse events (AEs). A fixed-effect or random-effects model was adopted depending on the study heterogeneity. Results: A total of nine RCTs were included in this MA. Regarding the efficacy, combined nivolumab and ipilimumab therapy showed statistically significant prolonged OS and PFS with HR 0.65, 95% CI [0.53, 0.79], p <0.0001 and HR 0.48, 95% CI [0.38, 0.60], p<0.0001 respectively. Combination therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab also showed statistically significant longer ORR than monotherapy; with RR 2.15, 95% CI [1.63, 2.84], p <0.00001. In terms of safety, the incidence of all AEs which include any AEs, high-grade, haematological, gastrointestinal, dermatological, pulmonary, liver and endocrine AEs were significantly lower with monotherapy (either nivolumab or ipilimumab) of ICI compared to combination ICI therapy with a p-value <0.00001 to 0.03. Conclusion: Efficacy of the combined nivolumab and ipilimumab was better than a single ICI, especially in the treatment of advanced MM. Although combination therapy showed better efficacy than monotherapy, monotherapy (either nivolumab or ipilimumab) was safer than combination therapy as it tended to decrease the incidence of most of the treatment-related AEs.
The Joint Influence of Tl+ and Thiol-Modifying Agents on Rat Liver Mitochondrial Parameters In Vitro

Recent data have shown that the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is the complex of the Ca2+-modified adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) and the Ca2+-modified ATP synthase. We found in a previous study that ANT conformational changes may be involved in Tl+-induced MPTP opening in the inner membrane of Ca2+-loaded rat liver mitochondria. In this study, the effects of thiol-modifying agents (eosin-5-maleimide (EMA), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), Cu(o-phenanthroline)2 (Cu(OP)2), and embelin (Emb)), and MPTP inhibitors (ADP, cyclosporine A (CsA), n-ethylmaleimide (NEM), and trifluoperazine (TFP)) on MPTP opening were tested simultaneously with increases in swelling, membrane potential (ΔΨmito) decline, decreases in state 3, 4, and 3UDNP (2,4-dinitrophenol-uncoupled) respiration, and changes in the inner membrane free thiol group content. The effects of these thiol-modifying agents on the studied mitochondrial characteristics were multidirectional and showed a clear dependence on their concentration. This research suggests that Tl+-induced MPTP opening in the inner membrane of calcium-loaded mitochondria may be caused by the interaction of used reagents (EMA, FITC, Emb, Cu(OP)2) with active groups of ANT, the mitochondrial phosphate carrier (PiC) and the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. This study provides further insight into the causes of thallium toxicity and may be useful in the development of new treatments for thallium poisoning.
Electronic states of graphene nanoribbons studied with the Dirac equation

We study the electronic states of narrow graphene ribbons (``nanoribbons'') with zigzag and armchair edges. The finite width of these systems breaks the spectrum into an infinite set of bands, which we demonstrate can be quantitatively understood using the Dirac equation with appropriate boundary conditions. For the zigzag nanoribbon we demonstrate that the boundary condition allows a particlelike and a holelike band with evanescent wave functions confined to the surfaces, which continuously turn into the well-known zero energy surface states as the width gets large. For armchair edges, we show that the boundary condition leads to admixing of valley states, and the band structure is metallic when the width of the sample in lattice constant units has the form $3M+1$, with $M$ an integer, and insulating otherwise. A comparison of the wave functions and energies from tight-binding calculations and solutions of the Dirac equations yields quantitative agreement for all but the narrowest ribbons.