Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in experimental and molecular dynamics study of graphene-oxide/natural rubber composites: A review

Rubber nanocomposites are being studied because of their unique characteristics. Fillers are used in rubbers and elastomers to increase certain qualities for their ultimate uses. Fillers are used to strengthen rubber such as graphene/graphene oxide for the majority of activities. The hardness, modulus, anti-ageing and gas barrier properties of nanofilled-reinforced rubber are greater than pristine rubber. Studies from the literature depicted 150% increment in elastic modulus, 27.6% increment in modulus of rigidity and 35% increment in hardness of nitrile butadiene rubber when reinforced with graphene oxide (GO). Bulk, shear and Young’s modulus of vulcanised rubber rises by 19.13%, 21.11% and 26.89% when infused with carbon nanotube. Because of its unique electrical, thermal and mechanical characteristics, rubber nanocomposites loaded with GO are also in high demand in industrial applications. Rubber nanocomposites, different nanofillers like graphene and graphene oxide and their benefits have been discussed. The review also outlines the rubber/GO nanocomposites' production procedures, novel characteristics and possible uses.
Bedside Transthoracic Echocardiology in Critically ill COVID-19 Patients

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory disease that resulted from infection with a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the limitations related to risk of performing personnel exposure, echocardiography can be a very useful tool for guiding management with various finding related to the cardiac COVID involvement. The aim of this study is to determine the role of transthoracic as well as speckle-tracking echocardiography in clinical assessment of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Method : A prospective study in which COVID-19 positive patients, admitted to quarantine of Minia University Hospital in the period from December 2019 to December 2020, underwent transthoracic echocardiography initially then parameters were compared according to clinical deterioration. transthoracic echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiograghy also were done to critically ill patients before and after remedesivir treatment. Results: Significant differences in TAPSE values were observed between group I and group II with mean± SD: 14.85 ± 3.29 and 19.35 ± 4.01, respectively. Also, significant larger basal RV diameter in critically ill patients (mean±SD: 39.93 ± 3.08) vs (mean±SD: 38.67 ± 2.82) in clinically stable patients (p value: 0.034). all TTE and STE used parameters showed highly significant improvement in RV systolic and diastolic dysfunction after treatment with remedesivir therapy. Conclusion: Echocardiograghy plays a crucial role in COVID-19 management. 2D TTE can be useful in predicting disease severity. Both 2D TTE and speckle tracking accurately diagnose cardiac involvement of critically ill COVID-19 patients; detect myocardial changes through course of treatment.
Hot Populism? Affective Responses to Antiestablishment Rhetoric

Populist rhetoric is often portrayed as deeply emotional, aimed at provoking gut-level, affective responses. It clearly enthuses some voters, while other voters clearly resent it. Yet we know very little about the affective responses that populist rhetoric actually evokes. For whom is populist rhetoric, particularly its antiestablishment component, arousing, and who has positive or negative affective responses? To analyze this, we study affective responses to antiestablishment and proestablishment rhetoric. We follow the circumplex model and conceptualize affective responses as arousal (measured with skin-conductance levels) and valence (measured with facial electromyography [fEMG]). We use data (N = 343) collected at different sites (a music festival, the university lab, a religious gathering, a biker festival, a museum, and a fair) and our analyses are based on a preregistered analysis plan. We find no overall differences in affective responses to antiestablishment versus proestablishment rhetoric. We do find, however, that affective responses are conditional on vote choice and education level. Specifically, the lower educated respond with more arousal, and those who vote for the populist radical right also respond with more negative valence. These effects only manifest themselves vis- à-vis proestablishment rhetoric and, hence, suggest an incongruency effect. This raises the question of what constitutes the populist counterframe.
Spatio-temporal analysis of dholes (Cuon alpinus) in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Abstract. Khoewsree N, Pla-ard M, Sukmasuang R, Paansri P, Chanachai Y, Kaewdee B, Phengthong P. 2022. Spatio-temporal analysis of dholes (Cuon alpinus) in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Biodiversitas 23: 2668-2678. The relationship of the occurrence of key wildlife species and other wildlife in the ecosystems is complex and unique as a result of interactions between species as well as responses to complex environments. Spatio-temporal analysis of dholes (Cuon alpinus) in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, aimed to study of the coexistence of the dhole with its main prey, humans, and other physical factors based on camera trapping. The temporal and spatial overlap analysis found that dholes coexist with five prey species and also with humans. The dhole also occurred with a significant positive temporal or spatial overlap with 20 other potential prey species. It was found that water sources and villages had a negative effect on the dhole's occupancy while there was a positive effect from roads, elevation, and slope. The dhole's occupancy model was most closely related to small rodent proximity. It also was found that the dhole's occupation was also related to humans. Based on the results of this study, some recommendations were developed to advocate the strict management of recreation areas. There should also be a boundary between the area of ? human activities and the natural forest of the area and this should include the control of illegal entry into the area from the area surrounding the national park to reduce interactions between human activities and wildlife.
Lower Prevalence of Chronic Pain in Manifest Huntington’s Disease: A Pilot Observational Study

Pain is a minor problem compared with other Huntington Disease (HD) symptoms. Nevertheless, in HD it is poorly recognized and underestimated. So far, no study evaluated the presence of chronic pain in HD. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the presence and features of chronic pain in a cohort of HD gene carriers. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a cohort of HD gene carriers compared to not gene carriers (n.134 HD subjects, n.74 not gene mutation carriers). A specific pain interview, alongside a neurological, cognitive and behavioural examination, was performed in order to classify the type of pain, subjective intensity. A significant prevalence of “no Pain” in HD was found, which tended to increase with HD progression and a reduced frequency of pain in the last 3 months. A clear difference was found between manifest and premanifest HD in terms of intensity of pain, which did not change significantly with HD progression; however, a tendency emerges to a progressive reduction. No significant group difference was present in analgesic use, type and the site of pain. These findings could support a lower prevalence of chronic pain in manifest HD. Prevalence and intensity of chronic pain seem directly influenced by the process of neurodegeneration rather than by an incorrect cognitive and emotional functioning.
Effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilization on drought tolerance of broad bean (Vicia faba L.)

Two greenhouse experiments were carried out during 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons at the Experimental Farm of the Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. These experiments aimed to investigate the effect of nine phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer rates, i.e., F 1 (unfertilized-control), F 2 (100 kg P), F 3 (200 kg K), F 4 (50 kg K), F 5 (100 kg P + 50 kg K), F 6 (200 kg P + 50 kg K), F 7 (100 kg K), F 8 (100 kg P + 100 kg K) and F 9 (200 kg P + 100 kg K) on broad bean plants grown at two irrigation regimes, i.e. Ir 1 (well-irrigation treatment) and Ir 2 (drought stress). The obtained results could be summarized as follows: (200 kg P) and well irrigation treatment in first season and second season, respectively. Phosphorus and potassium fertilization increased the drought tolerance of broad bean.
Preliminary Evaluation of the Effect of Mechanotactile Feedback Location on Myoelectric Prosthesis Performance Using a Sensorized Prosthetic Hand

A commonly cited reason for the high abandonment rate of myoelectric prostheses is a lack of grip force sensory feedback. Researchers have attempted to restore grip force sensory feedback by stimulating the residual limb’s skin surface in response to the prosthetic hand’s measured grip force. Recent work has focused on restoring natural feedback to the missing digits directly through invasive surgical procedures. However, the functional benefit of utilizing somatotopically matching feedback has not been evaluated. In this paper, we propose an experimental protocol centered on a fragile object grasp and lift task using a sensorized myoelectric prosthesis to evaluate sensory feedback techniques. We formalized a suite of outcome measures related to task success, timing, and strategy. A pilot study (n = 3) evaluating the effect of utilizing a somatotopically accurate feedback stimulation location in able-bodied participants was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the standardized platform, and to inform future studies on the role of feedback stimulation location in prosthesis use. Large between-participant effect sizes were observed in all outcome measures, indicating that the feedback location likely plays a role in myoelectric prosthesis performance. The success rate decreased, and task timing and task focus metrics increased, when using somatotopically-matched feedback compared to non-somatotopically-matched feedback. These results were used to conduct a power analysis, revealing that a sample size of n = 8 would be sufficient to achieve significance in all outcome measures.
Modeling Satisfaction with the Walking Environment: The Case of an Urban University Neighborhood in a Developing Country

AbstractThis case study investigates the level of satisfaction of students at the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, with the walking environment of the university’s surroundings. The analysis is conducted by developing two structural equation models for estimating the relations between the level of satisfaction with the attributes of the walking environment and the level of satisfaction with the walking environment overall. The first model, based on 248 observations, examines the sample of students who are frequent on-foot commuters, whereas the second model, based on 439 observations, studies the remaining sampled students who typically conduct on-foot trips in the university surroundings for purposes other than commuting (shopping, eating, leisure, etc.). Both resulting models are of good fit and indicate that particular neighborhood attributes have the greatest impact on the level of satisfaction with the walking environment for both samples, these attributes being the ease of pedestrian .
USING INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS TO OBTAIN HIGH YIELD AND GOOD COMPETITIVE INDICES OF FENNEL AND ONION UNDER DIFFERENT POTASSIUM FERTILIZER LEVELS

: In order to obtain high yield components and good competitive indices of fennel and onion, different intercropping systems (sole crop of each components, 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and 2:2 of fennel: onion, respectively) under different potassium fertilizer levels (0.0, 24 and 48 kg K 2 O/feddan) were used. A field experiment was carried out at Experimental Farm (Ghazala Farm), Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt during the consecutive seasons of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. The achieved results revealed that, intercropping systems significantly decreased fruit and bulb yield per feddan of fennel and onion, respectively, compared to sole crop of each one. Data obtained clearly that, rate of 24 as well as 48 kg of potassium level/ feddan gave increased of yield components of each fennel or onion plants. Furthermore, aggressivity and competitive ratio values indicated that fennel component were the dominant, whereas onion was the dominated one in different intercropping systems. The highest value of land utilization efficiency percentage (128.91 and 137.67 as well as 136.86 and 135.10) were obtained when fennel intercropped with onion at 2: 1 as well as 2: 2 systems under fertilization level of 24 K 2 O/feddan in 1 st and 2 nd seasons, respectively. Therefore, the intercropping systems of 2:1 and 2: 2 raised yield advantage over the sole crop per unit area as revealed by the highest total land equivalent ratio (LER), area time equivalent ratio (ATER) and land utilization efficiency (LUE%).
EFFECT OF LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS ON TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS MUSCLE LARVAE IN EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED MICE COMPARED TO ITS EFFECT WHEN COMBINED WITH ALBENDAZOLE AND/OR NITAZOXANIDE

This study evaluated the therapeutic and synergistic effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus ( L. acidophilus ), a probiotic, and nitazoxanide (NTZ) as compared to the used, albendazole (ABZ), as single therapy and in combination. ABZ/L. acidophilus -treated group showed the highest reduction of encysted larvae (92.5%) as compared to control and to ABZ-treated mice. Also, NTZ treatment showed a significant decrease in larval counts compared to control (40.95%), which was comparable to that produced by L. acidophilus single therapy. But, combined NTZ with L. acidophilus caused a significantly higher reduction of larvae (56.62%) highlighted synergistic abilities of both. Histopathological examination showed marked decrease in larval counts and inflammatory reactions in ABZ/ L. acidophilus -treated group. Combined L. acidophilus with other therapeutics caused increased eosinophilia degeneration and larval replacement.
Service Learning In Engineering Science Courses: Does It Work?

In the fall of 2004 a college with five undergraduate academic programs decided to integrate service-learning (S-L) projects into required engineering courses throughout the curriculum so that students would be exposed to S-L in at least one course in each of eight semesters. The ultimate goal is to graduate better engineers and better citizens. Four of the degree programs have achieved on average one course each semester, with an actual coverage of 103 out of 128 semester courses, or 80% coverage over the four years. Of the 32 required courses in the academic year that had an average of 753 students each semester doing S-L projects related to the subject matter of the course, 19 of the courses (60%) were considered engineering science, that is, not explicitly design or first-year introduction courses. Eighteen different professors taught these engineering science courses with S-L projects, accounting for from 5 to 20% of the grades of the students. In addition, there were nine other elective courses with an additional 40 students on average per semester doing S-L projects. The goal has essentially been reached in four of the five engineering programs at the University of Massachusetts Lowell with more than fifty courses having S-L components. Over two-thirds of the students and faculty members expressed agreement with the basic idea of SLICE, with about 15% opposed. Some forty-three tenure-track faculty members (including 30% untenured) have integrated S-L into at least one required engineering course, averaging four S-L courses each. Finally, more than two-thirds of the students reported that S-L helped keep them in engineering, and female students reported being significantly more responsive to the S-L projects. This program represents perhaps the largest experiment with S-L in mainstream engineering courses in terms of courses, students, and faculty. This approach is based on a number of hypotheses, which are posited and “tested” with quantitative and qualitative data. Most of the hypotheses are confirmed with data collected to date from this program and literature results.
Causes of addiction, motives for quitting and reasons behind failure to quit from the point of view of addicts in Minia Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment.

Background: Addiction is a major problem in Egypt, due to the rapidly growing and changing patterns of substance use. There is a lack of comprehensive study on substance use especially in Upper Egypt and more attention must be paid, which help in addressing the problem more effectively and planning services accordingly. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to determine addict’s perception regarding causes of addiction, motives that push addicts for quitting and reasons behind failure to quit. Research methodology: This is a cross-sectional hospital-based survey study that was conducted among 150 addicts and their family caregivers in Minia Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment. Results: The findings revealed that the majority of the studied addicts reported performance-related causes of addiction, most of addicts were concerned about the health and legal consequences of addiction which pushed them to quit and seek treatment. Withdrawal symptoms was the most obstacle to quit addiction as reported by addicts. Conclusion: Reasons for addiction indicted the fact that addicted patients were experiencing a greater range of stressful life events, health and legal concern was very influential in helping individuals make the decision to seek treatment services and reasons behind failure of quitting addiction indicate the importance of providing medical, social and financial support for the addicts during and after treatment from addiction. Recommendation: There is a need of increase attention regarding addiction causes and how to avoid it among the general population and increase addict awareness about impact of addiction on their life style and their families.
Multi-Factor Collaborative Governance of Controlling Shareholder Expropriation Behavior in Emerging Economies: A Perspective of Double Principal-Agent Conflicts

Controlling shareholder expropriation is an important issue in corporate governance in emerging economies. The existing literature discusses the effects of minority shareholder legal protection, controlling shareholder ownership, and managerial shareholding on controlling shareholder expropriation, which is mainly empirical research with insufficient attention to the internal relationships among the governance factors. This research builds theoretical models to study the interactive mechanisms between minority shareholder legal protection, controlling shareholders’ initial shareholding ratios, managerial shareholding, controlling shareholder expropriation, and management effort. Furthermore, setting reasonable ranges for parameters, we use MATLAB to conduct numerical simulations and expand the detailed analyses to quantitatively reveal the degrees of influence of the governance factors. Our results show that controlling shareholder expropriation is negatively related to the degree of minority shareholder legal protection and controlling shareholders’ initial shareholding ratios, while the optimal managerial shareholding ratio is positively related to the degree of minority shareholder legal protection and controlling shareholders’ initial shareholding ratios. The findings enrich the literature on the governance of controlling shareholder expropriation and provide new approaches to and theoretical explanations for the governance of controlling shareholder expropriation toward sustainability in emerging economies.
Faktor yang berhubungan dengan Konsumsi Makanan cepat Saji pada Mahasiswa di Institusi Kesehatan Helvetia Medan

Fast food is a type of food that is easy to serve, serve, practical, or simple processed. Based on the results of a preliminary survey conducted at the Helvetia Institute of Health, Medan. The results of interviews were conducted from 205 respondents who were undergraduate students of Public Health in the even semester of 199 respondents who consumed fast food and only 6 people who consumed healthy food and brought lunch from home. They prefer fast food because it is easy to find and more practical. This study was to determine the factors associated with consumption of fast food (fast food) in public health undergraduate students at the Helvetia Institute of Health, Medan. This study was a survey analysis with a cross sectional design. The population of this study were 205 undergraduate students of public health at the Helvetia Health Institute, Medan. The sample in this study was 67 respondents. Data analysis used univariate and bivariate analysis with chi-square test. This study is the factors related to the consumption of fast food (fast food) at Helvetia Institute of Health, Medan a attitudes, knowled, and peers.
Receptor Activity Modifying Protein RAMP Sub-Isoforms and Their Functional Differentiation, Which Regulates Functional Diversity of Adrenomedullin

Simple Summary The body contains a variety of humoral bioactive factors and information regulation systems that maintain homeostasis. Although adrenomedullin (AM) was first identified as a vasodilator peptide, subsequent studies have revealed that it plays an essential role in homeostasis in vivo and possesses a variety of bioactivities other than vasodilation. Based on its structural homology, AM is classified as a member of the calcitonin superfamily, which includes calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), amylin, and intermedin. Peptides belonging to the calcitonin superfamily are characterized by a partial sharing of their receptor system. One of the sub-isoforms of receptor activity-modifying protein (RAMP) binds to calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR), a 7-transmembrane G protein, in a one-to-one manner, and then functions as a receptor for these peptides. Among RAMP isoforms, we focused on RAMP2 and RAMP3. Each RAMP isoform is expected to be a potential therapeutic target for various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer metastasis. In this review, we outline the pathophysiological significance and functional differentiation of RAMP2 and RAMP3, as mainly revealed by the analysis of genetically engineered mice. Abstract AM knockout (AM-/-) and RAMP2 knockout (RAMP2-/-) proved lethal for mice due to impaired embryonic vascular development. Although most vascular endothelial cell-specific RAMP2 knockout (E-RAMP2-/-) mice also died during the perinatal period, a few E-RAMP2-/- mice reached adulthood. Adult E-RAMP2-/- mice developed spontaneous organ damage associated with vascular injury. In contrast, adult RAMP3 knockout (RAMP3-/-) mice showed exacerbated postoperative lymphedema with abnormal lymphatic drainage. Thus, RAMP2 is essential for vascular development and homeostasis and RAMP3 is essential for lymphatic vessel function. Cardiac myocyte-specific RAMP2 knockout mice showed early onset of heart failure as well as abnormal mitochondrial morphology and function, whereas RAMP3-/- mice exhibited abnormal cardiac lymphatics and a delayed onset of heart failure. Thus, RAMP2 is essential for maintaining cardiac mitochondrial function, while RAMP3 is essential for cardiac lymphangiogenesis. Transplantation of cancer cells into drug-inducible vascular endothelial cell-specific RAMP2 knockout mice resulted in enhanced metastasis to distant organs, whereas metastasis was suppressed in RAMP3-/- mice. RAMP2 suppresses cancer metastasis by maintaining vascular homeostasis and inhibiting vascular inflammation and pre-metastatic niche formation, while RAMP3 promotes cancer metastasis via malignant transformation of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Focusing on the diverse physiological functions of AM and the functional differentiation of RAMP2 and RAMP3 may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.