Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of diet form and enzyme supplementation on stress indicators and bone mineralisation in heat-challenged broilers fed wheat-soybean diet

Abstract A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary xylanase supplementation and feed form on the bone mineralisation and tibia breaking strength, serum enzyme activities, plasma minerals concentration, and heat stress biomarkers of broilers fed wheat-based diet under high ambient temperature (33 °C for 10 h, from 07.00 to 17.00 h, and 22 °C from 17.00 to 07.00 h). Two hundred and forty 1-d-old Ross 308 male broilers were allocated in six experimental treatments, each of which was replicated five times with eight broilers per replicate. A 2 × 3 factorial design was used in the study, and the main factors were composed of xylanase (with or without 300 mg/kg) and feed form (mash, crumbles, and pellets). Broilers fed crumbles or pellets had higher tibia breaking strength, plasma P concentration, and serum ALP activity than broilers fed mash. The tibia ash, Ca, and P contents in ash were greater (p < .001) for broilers fed pellets than for broilers fed mash or crumbles. The circulating heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, creatine kinase level, and heat shock protein 70 mRNA of breast muscle were also decreased (p < .05) by the crumbles and pellets diets. Xylanse significantly increased tibia ash, tibia Ca and P contents, ALP activity, plasma Ca and P concentrations (p < .05). The results indicate that crumbling or pelleting of the diets improved minerals retention and down-regulated heat stress biomarkers of broilers subjected to heat challenge. The results of the current study suggested that dietary addition xylanase has the potential to improve bone mineralisation. It could be concluded that feeding crumbled and pelleted diets may effective in partially ameliorating the resistance to heat stress in the birds under high ambient temperature.
MicroRNA-15b Targets VEGF and Inhibits Angiogenesis in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis is a critical compensatory response to microvascular rarefaction in the diabetic retina that contributes to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). In this study, we sought to determine the role of specific microRNA (miRs) associated with VEGF in patients with PDR pathology. METHODS RNA sequencing was employed to detect differentially circulating microRNA (miR) associated with VEGF in DM (Diabetes mellitus), NPDR (non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy) and PDR patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the concentration of miR-15b in the serum of DM patients (n=115), NPDR (n=47) or PDR (n=76). The effects of miR-15b on DR and regulation of VEGF and endothelial cell function were also characterized. RESULTS We demonstrated that circulating miR-15b was directly associated with VEGF compared to other miRs in PDR patients. We found a significant inverse relationship between low levels of miR-15b and high levels of VEGF in patients with PDR when compared to the DM or NPDR groups. We found that miR-15b regulates the expression of VEGF by targeting the 3'-UTR regions to inhibit its transcription. Similarly, overexpression of miR-15b suppressed vascular abnormalities in vivo in diabetic GK rats, inhibiting endothelial tube formation, and VEGF expression. CONCLUSION In conclusion, circulating miR-15b is associated with PDR and may be targeted to regulate VEGF expression and angiogenesis.
Wide Frequency Band Single-Phase Amplitude and Phase Angle Detection Based on Integral and Derivative Actions

Numerous applications, such as the synchronization of distributed energy resources to an existing AC grid, the operation of active power filters or the amplification of signals for Power-Hardware-In-The-Loop (PHIL) systems require a few tasks in common. Amplitude, phase angle and frequency detection are crucial for all these applications and many more. Various techniques are presented for three-phase and single-phase applications but only a few of them are able to identify the signals’ attributes for a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. Single-phase systems are typically burdensome, considering the challenge to create an internal signal, orthogonal with the input, in order to perform the phase angle detection. This matter is even more critical when the amplitude and frequency of the input signal varies in a wide range. This paper presents an Orthogonal Signal Generator (OSG) based on integral and derivative actions. It includes a detailed design procedure and a design example. The performance of a single-phase wide range amplitude and frequency detector based on the discussed OSG is experimentally validated under steady state and dynamic conditions.
Assessment of Three Therapeutic Procedures in the Prevention of Diabetic Macular Oedema after Phacoemulsification through Intraocular Lens Implementation

: A cataract is an ocular complication of diabetes mellitus, and the risk of developing diabetic macular oedema (DME) increases in cataract surgery. This randomized, single-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 45 eyes (39 patients) with stable diabetic retinopathy with cataract to compare the efficacy of three therapeutic procedures in the prevention of DME after phacoemulsification through intraocular lens implantation. After cataract surgery by phacoemulsification, the patients were randomly assigned into three groups. The group A received 1.25 mg of intravitreal bevacizumab, and group B received a sub-tenon injection of 40 mg triamcinolone at the end of the surgery. The group C received topical diclofenac drops every 8h for four weeks after the surgery. Results showed there was no significant difference in the demographics and clinical features, central macular thickness, and systemic condition of the three groups at the beginning of the study. There was a significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative periods (i.e., three months after surgery) in the three groups regarding mean macular thickness; however, the difference among the three groups was not significant in the post-operative periods. The DME after cataract surgery occurred in 4 eyes (26.67%) in the diclofenac group and three eyes (20.00%) in the intravitreal bevacizumab and three eyes (20.00%) in sub-tenon triamcinolone groups. According to results, the administration of these three therapeutic procedures can be beneficial in the prevention of DME in patients with cataract and diabetic retinopathy.
Responses to protein supplementation by dairy cows grazing nitrogen fertilised forages.

A study with 30 Holstein-Friesian cows and heifers at pasture was conducted to assess the effects on milk production of substituting cottonseed meal for grain in iso-energetic supplements containing 10, 12, 14, 16 and 20% crude protein. Cows calved either in spring or in autumn and grazed dryland Rhodes grass pastures in summer and intensive irrigated ryegrass in winter. The pastures were fertilised with nitrogen. Cottonseed meal increased fat-corrected milk yield, and yields of butterfat, protein and lactose in milk from cows grazing tropical grass pasture, but had no effect on yield or composition of milk from cows calved during autumn and grazing ryegrass pastures.
Religious/Spiritual Referrals in Hospice and Palliative Care

This study examines the religious/spiritual referral patterns in hospice and palliative care. Religion and death are two highly intersected topics and albeit often discussed together in hospice and palliative care, little is known about how professionals respond to religious/spiritual needs of patients/families/friends and in relation to the chaplaincy team. By means of an in-depth interviewing method, this paper reports on data from 15 hospice and palliative care professionals. Participants were recruited from across five hospice and palliative care organisations, and the data was managed and analysed with the use of NVivo. Largely, participants were keen to refer patients/families/friends to the chaplaincy team, unless the former’s faith or lack thereof did not match the chaplains, in which case referrals to a religious leader in the community were favoured. This shed light to the tendencies to homogenise religious/spiritual beliefs. The paper concludes with some implications for practice and research.
Predicting the actual use of m-learning systems: a comparative approach using PLS-SEM and machine learning algorithms

ABSTRACT Despite the plethora of m-learning acceptance studies, few have tackled the importance of examining the actual use of m-learning systems from the lenses of social influence, expectation-confirmation, and satisfaction. Additionally, most of the prior technology adoption literature tends to use the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in analyzing the structural models. To address these limitations, this study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) and social influence to predict the actual use of m-learning systems. A comparative approach using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and machine learning algorithms was employed to test the proposed model with data collected from 448 students. The results revealed that both techniques have successfully provided support to all the hypothesized relationships of the research model. More interesting, the J48 classifier has performed better than the other classifiers in predicting the dependent variable in most cases. The employment of a comparative analytical approach is believed to add a significant contribution to the information systems (IS) literature in general, and the m-learning domain in specific.
Quantum fluctuations of the spacetime geometry in the spectral scheme

The spectral scheme for spacetime geometry is a totally new framework for quantitatively describing the spacetime geometry in terms of the spectra of a certain elliptic operator (typically the Laplacian operator) on the space in question. The central idea of the framework can be symbolically stated as ``Let us hear the shape of the Universe! " There are several advantages of this framework compared to the traditional geometrical description in terms of the Riemannian metric. After sketching the basics of the spectral scheme, we give a new formula for the Einstein-Hilbert action, which is a central quantity for the general relativity theory, in terms of the spectral scheme. We then pay attention to its application to the quantum universes and see how the quantum fluctuations of spacetimes can be effectively described in terms of the spectral scheme. Key words: General relativity, spacetime structures, spectral scheme, cosmology.
Combustion Turbulence Flow in Trapped Vortex Combustor with Guide Vane and Blunt Body

Numerical calculation was conducted to obtain the optimum structure parameters of the trapped vortex combustor (TVC) with the guide vane and blunt body. The results show that the optimum structure parameters of the guide vane are a/Hf = 0:5, b/Li = 0:2, and c/L = 0:1, and the optimum structure parameters of blunt body are S/L = 0:7, L2/L = 0:1, and L1/Li = 0:25. Then, the influence of different inlet conditions on the combustion turbulence flow was studied. The results show that high inlet temperature and low inlet velocity can effectively reduce total pressure loss; the equivalence ratio has little effect on total pressure loss. The study of unsteady flow shows that double vortices undergo the process of preliminarily forming-breaking down-forming again-being stable gradually.
Left-Digit Effect in Tourists’ Price Evaluations: The Moderating Role of Price Level and Composite Price

Past research has found that the effect of odd-ending price (e.g., $9.99) can be explained by the left-digit effect whereby the leftmost digits of both prices influence the comparison of a pair of prices. However, research on psychological pricing has mostly focused on low-priced retailing products and the focal product’s price per se. Informed by prospect theory, this study extended this line of work by examining how the effect of left-digit pricing varies with the magnitude of hotel room rates (i.e., price level) and the size of prior investment in other travel components (i.e., composite price). The results of 2×2×2 experimental revealed that left-digit pricing was an effective tactic to increase purchase intentions for low-priced hotels. It was also found that tourists who have made a substantial prepayment on other travel components were responsive to the tactic. Additionally, composite price and left-digit pricing were found to moderate the relationship between perceived value and purchase intentions.
Stormwater Filtration Performance for the Ecosol Storm Pit (Class 2): Statistical Analysis of Field Data

An independent field performance evaluation for a secondary stormwater filtration device, named the Ecosol Strom Pit (Class 2), was performed between May 2017 and July 2019 in an urban catchment in Queensland, Australia. During the testing period, a total of 37 rainfall events were recorded, of which between 15 and 21 events were evaluated as qualifying for the purposes of characterizing the removal efficiency performance of the device. A statistical analysis of the event mean concentrations (EMCs) of the flow streams through the device indicate a statistically significant difference between the influent and effluent streams. A variety of pollutant removal evaluation metrics, including concentration-based and total load-based metrics, were utilized in this study to characterise the efficacy of the device. Two new approaches are proposed for facilitation the analysis: a nonlinear regression approach to more effectively deal with nonlinear patterns in the influent and effluent data and the regression of concentration (ROC), which is an added concentration-based metrics. In summary, the removal efficiencies of the Ecosol Storm Pit (Class 2) were evaluated to be 72–74% for total suspended solids (TSS), 45–50% for total phosphorus (TP), 41–45% for total nitrogen (TN), 27–32% for total heavy metals (THM), 79–85% for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and 80–88% for total recoverable hydrocarbons (TRH).
Geospatial variation and risk factors for under-five mortality in rural Misungwi, North-western Tanzania

This study aims to examine if, when holding socio-economic, bio-demographic and healthcare covariates constant, geospatial indicators help to explain variations in the under-five mortality rate across wards from a high focus district of Misungwi in Tanzania. Data were collected from a 2019 survey which canvassed 540 households with 471 women aged 15-49. A total of 737 live births that occurred during five years preceding the survey were analysed. Of all the children born, 46 had died before survey interviews were carried out. Under-5 mortality rates in 27 clusters were calculated. The spatial autocorrelation of under-five mortality rates was estimated by global Moran's index (I). Thematic maps were generated with these rates. The software TerraView 5.4. 1 was used for spatial analysis. The results showed substantial cluster-level spatial variations in childhood mortality in the district. Among all the under-five children analysed, the mortality rate was 56 deaths per 1000 live births. The average global Moran's index (I) was I=0.05 for child mortality rate. All global Moran's indices showed p-values <0.05. Thematic maps showed clusters of villages with high rates located closer to streams and further from transport routes. The geospatial factors associated with mortality indicate variability due to exposure and transmission of infectious diseases. These results provide an improved understanding of district level under-five mortality and help in the execution of health policies. Key words: Geographic differentials, deaths, global Moran’s index, health management, Tanzania.
The Potential Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Astragalus davisii against Paracetamol Induced Liver Damage in Rats

The current study aimed to estimate in vitro antioxidant effect of Astragalus davisii (A. davisii) extract. Further, the possible protective effect of A. davisii against paracetamol (PCM)-induced liver injury was assessed in rats. A. davisii was tested for its antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging assay. The hepatoprotective potential of the extract was assessed in rats following oral Original Research Article Foudah et al.; JPRI, 32(23): 102-114, 2020; Article no.JPRI. 61125 103 administration for 7 days. Liver injury was induced in rats following oral administration of PCM overdose. Hepatic biomarkers; alanine-aminotransferase, aspartate-aminotransferase, alkalinephosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase and bilirubin were increased, while total protein and albumin were reduced in PCM control animals. Additionally, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) and the levels of glutathione were significantly declined, while levels of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly elevated in PCM alone treated rats. Oral administration of A. davisii (400 mg/kg) prior to PCM inhibited the elevation in the levels of liver damage markers in serum and protected against oxidative stress. Histopathological remarks confirmed the hepatoprotective potential of the extract. The results suggest that A. davisii extract at 400 mg/kg protects liver against injury induced by PCM overdose.
Asset Pricing Implications of Money: New Evidence

We provide new evidence on the role of real money balances in terms of explaining equity risk premia by using a rich cross-section of average stock returns (associated with 11 major CAPM anomalies). By estimating Euler equations associated with a cash-in-advance (CIA) model, we find that such model produces substantially smaller pricing errors than the baseline consumption model, while still generating lower estimates of the risk aversion coefficient. The estimates of the parameter governing the share of cash goods are highly significant and plausible in economic terms. A transaction-costs model and a money-in-the-utility model perform considerably worse than the CIA model, both in terms of statistical fit and in terms of the plausibility of the structural parameter estimates. Moreover, a linear version of the CIA model also largely underperforms the corresponding non-linear model.
Concerns, Positive Changes, and Suggestions for Psychological Support during COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis

Background: On 12 March 2020, Slovenia formally declared the presence of a pandemic of COVID-19 disease, followed by measures to stop the spread of the virus. Scope: The aim of this study was to explore how people experienced the progress of events related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Method: We conducted a general adult population survey by an online questionnaire that included—among others—three open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was applied for each question separately to identify key patterns in the data. Results: The first topic (questions about the epidemic) resulted in four core themes: concerns about the disease, concerns about the future, concerns about measures, and concerns about well-being and daily life. The second topic (positive changes during the epidemic) resulted in three core themes: changes in oneself, changes in close relationships, and changes in the environment and society. Lastly, the third topic (requests for psychological support during the epidemic) resulted in three core themes: direct help and support, information and awareness raising, and media activity. Conclusion: Overall, the themes that emerged from our study provide information that can help in understanding how people perceive the influence on their mental health and well-being of the negative and (some) positive effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. This may be helpful in the general preparedness to a feared second wave of the pandemic.
The yield, height and content of protein of field peas (Pisum sativum L.) in Estonian agro-climatic conditions

Pisum sativum L. is important protein crop in the world. The purpose of this investigation was to see whether pea varieties differ in their yield, height and content of protein. Another aim was to select the best varieties suitable for production. Field experiments with different varieties of peas (‘Bruno’, ‘Capella’, ‘Clara’ and ‘Vitra’) were carried out at the Estonian Crop Research Institute in 2014 and in 2015. Yields (t ha) in 2014 and 2015 did not differ much, while yield from variety ‘Bruno’ was very different between years 2014 and 2015 and was much higher in 2015. The most suitable height of field peas is in a range of 60.100 cm, because the plants with such a height are most effectively suppressing weeds. It can be concluded that varieties with suitable height in our investigation were: ‘Bruno’, ‘Capella’ and ‘Clara’. Variety ‘Vitra’ was too high, is lodging easily and is therefore hard to harvest. Crude protein content (% in dry matter) was lowest in ‘Clara’; all other varieties had a higher content of protein, within much the same range. Based on the results of present investigation it can be concluded that out of those four varieties the most suitable varieties for production are ‘Bruno’ and ‘Capella’. Choice of the right variety for pea cultivation is very important, but depends on the local agro-climatic conditions. As in Baltic – Nordic countries and in north of America the agro-climatic conditions are more or less similar the results are useful for those countries.
A protocol to estimate epiphyte biomass in a forest management unit: case of Cameroon

ABSTRACT Vascular epiphyte biomass is poorly studied in Congo Basin forest. The aim of this study was to develop a protocol to estimate epiphyte biomass. Epiphytes were collected on 77 phorophytes of diameter 57–169.5 cm, oven-dried for biomass. Allometric equations for epiphyte biomass were developed with diameter and phorophyte height as predictor variables using regression analysis. The mean epiphyte biomass was 24.48 kg/phorophyte with a standard deviation of ±49.99. Cylicodiscus gabunensis and Triplochiton scleroxylon hosted the greatest epiphyte biomass with a mean vascular epiphyte biomass of 71.65 and 62.3 kg/phorophyte, respectively. Kruskal–Wallis test (p = 0.005) showed that there was a significant difference between epiphyte biomass with respect to phorophyte species. The relationship found between epiphyte biomass and dendrometric variables of the phorophytes were intermediate (Adj.R2 < 0.630) meaning epiphyte biomass increased with increasing tree diameter. However, models with diameter input variables had greater prediction than input variables of total height. Based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), the allometry lnY = −21.37 + 5.21 x ln(D) −0.35 x ln(H) with AIC (183) was the best equation for the prediction of epiphyte biomass. These findings shall contribute to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) strategy for climate change mitigation in Congo Basin.