Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Pre-treatment and Processing on Nutritional Composition of Cassava Roots, Millet, and Cowpea Leaves Flours

Cassava roots, millet and cowpea leaves have short storage life thus the need for simple post-harvest handling and storage protocol to ensure prolonged availability to fully contribute toward food and nutrition security, a major challenge within Sub-Saharan Africa. The current study sought to investigate the effect of pre-treatment and processing on cyanide safety and nutrition composition of cassava roots, millet and cowpea leaves flours. The study used three popular cassava varieties grown along the Kenyan coast, cowpea leaves (M66) grown as vegetable and pearl millet. The study used analytical techniques as guided by AOAC standard methods, to determine the nutritional composition of the individual crops while subjecting them to pre-treatment processes (blanching, peeling, washing, drying, and fermentation) and optimizing for maximum nutrient composition. The cyanide content ranged 7.8–9.5, 3.4–5.0, and 2.2–2.8 ppb for raw, untreated, and fermented cassava flours, respectively. The carbohydrates content was in the range of 35–37, 81.73–83.49, and 70.28–71.20% for raw cowpea leaves, cassava roots, and millet, respectively; the carbohydrate content for untreated flours was in the range of 35.68–35.19, 66.07–83.49, and 66.07–68.89% for cowpea leaves, cassava roots, and millet, respectively; the carbohydrate content for the fermented flours was in the range of 29.06–28.01, 79.68–84.36, and 69.08–70.12% for cowpea leaves, cassava roots, and millet, respectively. The protein content was in the range of 25.69–26.01, 1.2–18, and 11.1–13.3% for untreated cowpea, cassava, and millet flours, respectively; fermented flours protein content was in the range of 25.7–29.3, 1.3–2.2, and 8.5–11.1% cowpea, cassava, and millet flours, respectively. Iron and zinc contents were in the range of 4.31–9.04, 1.0–1.3; 7.98–7.89, 1.21–1.25; 6.58–8.23, 0.99–1.22 (mg/100 g dwb) for raw, untreated, and fermented cowpea flours, respectively. Pre-treatment had significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) on cyanide content and nutritional composition of each of the flours. Farmers should be trained to utilize such simple processing techniques.
Integrating High-Throughput Approaches and in vitro Human Trophoblast Models to Decipher Mechanisms Underlying Early Human Placenta Development

The placenta is a temporary but pivotal organ for human pregnancy. It consists of multiple specialized trophoblast cell types originating from the trophectoderm of the blastocyst stage of the embryo. While impaired trophoblast differentiation results in pregnancy disorders affecting both mother and fetus, the molecular mechanisms underlying early human placenta development have been poorly understood, partially due to the limited access to developing human placentas and the lack of suitable human in vitro trophoblast models. Recent success in establishing human trophoblast stem cells and other human in vitro trophoblast models with their differentiation protocols into more specialized cell types, such as syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast, has provided a tremendous opportunity to understand early human placenta development. Unfortunately, while high-throughput research methods and omics tools have addressed numerous molecular-level questions in various research fields, these tools have not been widely applied to the above-mentioned human trophoblast models. This review aims to provide an overview of various omics approaches that can be utilized in the study of human in vitro placenta models by exemplifying some important lessons obtained from omics studies of mouse model systems and introducing recently available human in vitro trophoblast model systems. We also highlight some key unknown questions that might be addressed by such techniques. Integrating high-throughput omics approaches and human in vitro model systems will facilitate our understanding of molecular-level regulatory mechanisms underlying early human placenta development as well as placenta-associated complications.
Isolation Method and Characterization of Outer Membranes Vesicles of Helicobacter pylori Grown in a Chemically Defined Medium

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are small vesicles constitutively shed by all Gram-negative bacterium, which have been proposed to play a role in Helicobacter pylori persistence and pathogenesis. The methods currently available for the isolation of H. pylori OMVs are diverse and time-consuming, raising the need for a protocol standardization, which was the main aim of this study. Here, we showed that the chemically defined F12 medium, supplemented with cholesterol, nutritionally supports bacterial growth and maintains H. pylori viability for at least 72 h. Additionally, we developed an abridged protocol for isolation of OMVs from these bacterial cultures, which comprises a low-speed centrifugation, supernatant filtration through a 0.45 μm pore, and two ultracentrifugations for OMVs’ recovery and washing. Using this approach, a good yield of highly pure bona fide OMVs was recovered from cultures of different H. pylori strains and in different periods of bacterial growth, as assessed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and proteomic analyses, confirming the reliability of the protocol. Analysis of the proteome of OMVs isolated from H. pylori F12-cholesterol cultures at different time points of bacterial growth revealed differentially expressed proteins, including the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA. In conclusion, this work proposes a time- and cost-efficient protocol for the isolation of H. pylori OMVs from a chemically defined culture medium that is suitable for implementation in research and in the biopharmaceutical field.
Interferon Lambda 3/4 (IFNλ3/4) rs12979860 Polymorphisms Is Not Associated With Susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Although It Regulates OASL Expression in Patients With SLE

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. Various genetic factors are associated with susceptibility to developing SLE and contribute to its onset and progression. Different single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with SLE in several populations. The rs12979860 SNP in interferon lambda 3/4 (IFNλ3/4) is significantly associated with SLE susceptibility in patients negative for nephritis in Taiwanese people, and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) are differentially expressed in normal liver by the rs12979860 genotype. This study aimed to investigate whether rs12979860 is associated with the presence of SLE and lupus nephritis in Mexican individuals as well as with the expression of several ISGs in SLE patients. In total, 439 SLE patients and 358 healthy donors were genotyped for rs12979860 using real-time PCR, and allelic discrimination plots were constructed. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the venous blood of SLE patients by centrifugation (n = 78). The mRNA levels of 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase like (OASL), myxovirus resistance 1 (MX1), 2′5′-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) and lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus E (LY6E) were determined using real-time PCR. The distributions of rs12979860 genotypes and allele frequencies were compared between SLE patients and healthy donors; case-control analysis revealed that rs12979860 was not associated with SLE susceptibility (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.97–1.45, p = 0.08) or with the risk for lupus nephritis (OR 0.913, 95% CI 0.590–1.411, p = 0.682). However, OASL expression levels in PBMCs were significantly different between rs12979860 genotypes in SLE patients: median OASL mRNA levels were significantly higher in patients carrying the CC genotype (197.10, IQR 71.10–411.17) than in those with CT/TT genotypes (173.75, IQR 58.80–278.75, p = 0.016). Our results suggest that the SNP rs12979860 does not play a relevant role in susceptibility to SLE in Mexican individuals. However, IFNλ3/4 genotypes appear to be associated with OASL expression in PBMCs from patients with SLE.
Organizational Readiness for the Implementation of a Three-Month Short-Course TB Preventive Therapy Regimen (3HP) in Four Health Care Facilities in Zimbabwe in 2020: A Mixed Methods Study

Background: Tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) for latent TB infection has had limited success in Zimbabwe. The country plans to roll-out the three-month short-course TPT regimen (3HP) to address the implementation lag and poor uptake of the 6-9-month regimens. The study measured the level of organizational readiness while identifying barriers and facilitators to implement 3HP in four health facilities in Zimbabwe. Methods: A convergent, parallel mixed-methods approach was used to collect data from four primary healthcare clinics in Bulawayo and Harare Metropolitan provinces, Zimbabwe. Twenty healthcare providers completed a 35-item, self-administered questionnaire designed on a 5-point Likert scale and developed from the Weiner organizational readiness model. Nine of the providers and five TB program managers took part in 20-30 minute individual semi-structured key-informant interviews. Median scores with interquartile ranges were calculated wherein a score of 3.3 or greater indicated readiness. Differences between facilities were assessed using a Kruskal-Wallis rank test. Qualitative data on barriers and facilitators were transcribed and analyzed using a framework approach. Results: Readiness to implement 3HP across the four facilities was positive with a score of 3.8(IQR 3.3-4.1). The difference between the best 4.0(IQR 3.8-4.2) and worst performing facility 3.2(IQR 2.7-3.3) was 0.8 and statistically significant (p=0.039). The low facility score was due to poor contextual factors 2.5(IQR 2.0-3.3), task demands 2.6(IQR 2.3-2.9) and resource availability 2.1(IQR 1.5-2.5) scores. Key organizational readiness facilitators included healthcare provider and management buy-in; community willingness to generate demand for 3HP; strong collective capability through task-shifting, alignment with existing primary healthcare programs, perceived benefits, and need for 3HP. Barriers were negative past TPT experiences, suboptimal programmatic monitoring, inconsistent health provider remuneration, inadequate staffing, added workload, and an erratic supply chain across facilities. The organizational communication gap prompts the slow program implementation culture. Conclusions: The varied scores between facilities suggest distinct underlying conditions for readiness. Healthcare provider motivation is temporary based on the inconsistent resource supply, absence of TPT-specific monitoring and evaluation, and daily contextual challenges in facilities that must be addressed. Similar research is necessary for countries yet to implement 3HP to optimize the design or revision of delivery strategies and increase uptake of TPT. Keywords: Organizational readiness, TB preventive therapy, TPT, 3HP, Zimbabwe
Impacts of authentic assessment on the development of graduate attributes

ABSTRACT Authentic assessment activities are those that afford learners opportunities to practice finding solutions to real-world issues and challenges, so that upon graduation they are able to apply these skills to issues and challenges they will face in their workplaces. When learners are able to do this successfully, they are judged as job ready. However, ascertaining the impacts of authentic assessment activities upon the achievement of learning outcomes and the development of desirable graduate attributes is challenging. How can we know for certain that our assessment activities have had the desired impact? A possible pathway is to examine the impacts of authentic assessment activities on the development of graduate attributes. The study reported in this paper offers insights on how, and in which ways, the design of authentic assessment activities in an online professional development program for practitioners influenced the development of generic graduate attributes.
Revisioning the potential of Freire’s principles of assessment: Influences on the art of assessment in open and online learning through blogging

ABSTRACT When the art of assessment in online and distributed learning is grounded in Freirean writings, instructors have the opportunity to craft a nuanced and layered learning environment where the potential for critical consciousness is enhanced through carefully codesigned assessment strategies. Patton (2017) summarized 10 pedagogical principles based on the writings of Freire, which he determined relevant as a result of their connection to critical pedagogy of evaluation. We explore a revisioning of those principles: using evaluative thinking to cultivate critical consciousness; learning resides in communities, not just individuals; critical pedagogy must be dialogical and interactive; assessment should integrate reflection, action, thinking, and emotion; and critical consciousness is co-intentional, focusing on process and product. We use them as a framework to describe what we call Freirean principles of assessment, through the application of student blogs within online and distributed assessment practices. Our intention is to share the potential of blogging, in connection with Freirean principles of assessment, when considering open assessment in higher education.
Two-stage and sequential procedures for estimation of powers of parameter of a family of distributions

Abstract For the generalized positive exponential family of distributions, the problems of confidence interval estimation, bounded risk point estimation, and minimum risk point estimation of the rth power of unknown parameter θ are handled. Two-stage and purely sequential methodologies are developed for the estimation purpose. Sequential procedures are developed based on the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the parameter. The exact operating characteristics of these procedures are given.
Effect of Low Radiation Dose on Cisplatin Induced Hepato- Testicular Damage in Male Rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of low radiation dose with the chemotherapeutic drug in order to find possible way to lessen the harmful effects during chemo-radiotherapy. Study Design: Randomized controlled experiment. Place and Duration of Study: Experimental Animal Unit, Drug Radiation Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Cairo Egypt. Methodology: Estimation of antioxidant activity of low radiation dose on oxidative stress induced by cisplatin administration at a dose of 10 mg/kg b. wt. in male albino rat. Results: Results of experiment revealed that cisplatin administration caused a significant increase in serum alanine transaminase (GPT) activity (38.58±2.060) and FSH level (8.162±1.424) accompanied with a decrease in serum albumin (3.492±0.253), and Butyry Cholein Esterase (BChE) (65.35 12.61). In Liver and testis, GSH content (68.00±2.391 & 24.93±4.778) as well as cytochromes P450 levels (0.3875±0.0727 & 0.2167±0.0459) showed a significant decrease as compared to the normal control level respectively. In addition the level of Fe, Cu and Zn showed no significant changes in liver and appeared to be significantly decrease as in case of corresponding trace elements in testis organs. On the other hand, exposing to low dose of radiation (0.5 Gy) post-cisplatin Original Research Article British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 4(9): 1053-1066, 2014 1054 treatment effectively prevented these alterations and maintained the antioxidant status. Conclusion: Data from present results revealed that low radiation dose have the existence as an antioxidant and antitumor agents which may be useful to use as a synergistic agents with the chemotherapeutic drug.
An Automatic and Operational Method for Land Cover Change Detection Using Spatiotemporal Analysis of MODIS Data: A Northern Ontario (Canada) Case Study

Mapping and understanding the differences in land cover and land use over time is an essential component of decision-making in sectors such as resource management, urban planning, and forest fire management, as well as in tracking of the impacts of climate change. Existing methods sometimes pose a barrier to the effective monitoring of changes in land cover and land use, since a threshold parameter is often needed and determined based on trial and error. This study aimed to develop an automatic and operational method for change detection on a large scale from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. Super pixels were the basic unit of analysis instead of traditional individual pixels. T2 tests based on the feature vectors of temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature were used for change detection. The developed method was applied to data over a predominantly vegetated area in northern Ontario, Canada spanning 120,000 sq. km from 2001–2016. The accuracies ranged between 78% and 88% for the NDVI-based test, from 74% to 86% for the LST-based test, and from 70% to 86% for the joint method compared with manual interpretation. Our proposed method for detecting land cover change provides a functional and viable alternative to existing methods of land cover change detection as it is reliable, repeatable, and free from uncertainty in establishing a threshold for change.
An Adaptive Spatial Resolution Method Based on the ST-ResNet Model for Hourly Property Crime Prediction

Effective predictive policing can guide police patrols and deter crime. Hourly crime prediction is expected to save police time. The selection of spatial resolution is important due to its strong relationship with the accuracy of crime prediction. In this paper, we propose an adaptive spatial resolution method to select the best spatial resolution for hourly crime prediction. The ST-ResNet model is applied to predict crime risk, with historical crime data and weather data as predictive variables. A prediction accuracy index (PAI) is used to evaluate the accuracy of the results. Data on property crimes committed in Suzhou, a big city in China, were selected as the research data. The experiment results indicate that a 2.4 km spatial resolution leads to the best performance for crime prediction. The adaptive spatial resolution method can be used to guide police deployment.
Using Word2vec Technique to Determine Semantic and Morphologic Similarity in Embedded Words of the Ukrainian Language

The study presents the word translation into vectors of real numbers (word embeddings), one of the most important topics in natural language processing. Word2vec is the latest techniques developed by Tomas Mikolov to study high quality vectors. The majority of studies on clustering the word vectors were made in English. Dmitry Chaplinsky has already counted and published vectors for the Ukrainian language by using LexVec, Word2vec and GloVe techniques, obtained from fiction, newswire and ubercorpus texts, for VESUM dictionary and other related NLP tools for the Ukrainian language. There was no research done on the vectors by using Word2vec technique to create Ukrainian corpus, obtained from Wikipedia dump as the main source. The collection contains more than two hundred and sixty one million words. The dictionary of words (unique words) obtained from the corpus is more than seven hundred and nine thousand. The research using machine technology Word2vec is of great practical importance to computerise many areas of linguistic analysis. The open-source Python programming language was used to obtain word vectors with Word2vec techniques and to calculate the cosine proximity of the vectors. In order to do machine learning with Word2vec techniques on Python, a resource containing open source licensed software libraries called "Gensim" was used. Calculations regarding the cosine affinities of the obtained vectors were made using "Gensim" libraries. The research examining the clustering of the word vectors obtained from the Ukrainian corpus was made considering the two sub-branches of linguistics, semantics and morphology (language morphology). Firstly, it was investigated how accurately the vectors are obtained from the Ukrainian corpus and how the words represent the cluster they belong to. Secondly, it was investigated how word vectors are clustered and associated respectively to the morphological features of the suffixes of the Ukrainian language.
Could Historical Mortality Data Predict Mortality Due to Unexpected Events?

Research efforts focused on developing a better understanding of the evolution of mortality over time are considered to be of significant interest—not just to the demographers. Mortality can be expressed with different parameters through multiparametric prediction models. Based on the Beta Gompertz generalized Makeham (BGGM) distribution, this study aims to evaluate and map four of such parameters for 22 countries of the European Union, over the period 1960–2045. The BGGM probabilistic distribution is a multidimensional model, which can predict using the corresponding probabilistic distribution with the following parameters: infant mortality (parameter θ), population aging (parameter ξ), and individual and population mortality due to unexpected exogenous factors/events (parameters κ and λ, respectively). This work focuses on the random risk factor (λ) that can affect the entire population, regardless of age and gender, with increasing mortality depicting developments and trends, both temporally (past–present–future) and spatially (22 countries). Moreover, this study could help policymakers in the field of health provide solutions in terms of mortality. Mathematical models like BGGM can be used to achieve and highlight probable cyclical repetitions of sudden events (such as Covid-19) in different time series for different geographical areas. GIS context is used to map the spatial patterns of this estimated parameter as well as these variations during the examined period for both men and women.