Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurements of Thermal Gradients and their Effects on Segmental Concrete Bridge

This paper presents concrete temperature data through the depth of a segmental box girder bridge. These data were collected continuously over a 212 year time period. The maximum recorded positive and negative thermal differentials are reported and compared to current design recommendations. The relationships between measured temperatures and ambient climatic conditions as recorded by the National Weather Service were studied and findings are presented. Equations to predict positive temperature differentials are presented and the predictions are compared to measured values. Finally, the results of two one-day studies of the response of the bridge to positive thermal gradients are presented.
Marine Plants of Australia

Summary To most people, the mention of marine plants conjures up images of rotting seaweed piled high on the beach, or slithering threateningly around bare ankles during a paddle in the shallows. Certainly marine plants do not inspire the imagination or the romanticism that is usually associated with the sea. Marine Plants of Australia might well alter that perception. It illustrates over 300 species of Australia's underwater plant life, mostly using underwater photographs that reveal the amazing colors and intricate patterns found in this largely unknown realm of life. Imagine plants with blue foliage that turns red in the dark, or iridescent plants, or plants that look like rocks painted in shades of pink. There are marine plants with the consistency of jelly, or with fronds that form an intricate mesh that rivals the best lace. These plants have evolved a startling myriad of shapes, colors and patterns that will impress everyone who views them - underwater, or through the pages of this book. Marine Plants of Australia is fully referenced and has numerous descriptions and line drawings, detailing many of the intricacies of this surprisingly complex group of plants. It will be an invaluable identification guide for scientists and teachers; in fact, for anyone interested in the natural world.
A Framework for Experimental-Numerical Analysis of Woven Laminates Failure

Woven composite laminates have been widely used in various application and rapidly replacing unidirectional composite laminates. Thus, it is vital to understand clearly their material parameters and characteristic. Apparently, it is very difficult to analyse the design parameters of a unidirectional composite laminate, and thus due to its weaving structure, analysing numerically the parameters of a woven composite laminate is even more difficult. Therefore, this paper aims to review the work related to woven laminates with respect to its testing and simulations. During the initial stage, a tensile test is conducted according to ASTM D3039 on the 2×2 twill weave carbon fibre woven prepeg where the material constants (E1, E2, G12 and ν12) and the deformation behaviour will be obtained. The later stage will involve the development of a finite element modelling and simulation by means of commercial finite element package ANSYS 14.0 to replicate the experimental set-up. Ultimately, the outcomes and findings between the experimental and numerical approaches will be compared and reported.
Urinary Tract Infections and Preeclampsia among Pregnant Women Attending Two Hospitals in Mwanza City, Tanzania: A 1:2 Matched Case-Control Study

Urinary tract infection (UTI) and preeclampsia are common among pregnant women and are associated with adverse maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes. Despite this, limited information exists on the association between UTIs and preeclampsia in Tanzania to guide specific management and thereby averting the adverse outcomes. A 1:2 matched case-control study (by age and gravidity) involving 131 pregnant women with preeclampsia (cases) and 262 without preeclampsia (controls) was conducted. Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected using a questionnaire. Midstream urine samples were collected during admission for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Out of 393 pregnant women enrolled, 110 (28.0%), 95% CI: 23.8%-32.7%, had significant bacteriuria [cases: 50.4% (66/131) and control: 16.8% (44/262)]. Pregnant women with preeclampsia had 7.7 odds of having significant bacteriuria than those without preeclampsia [OR=7.7, 95% CI (4.11-14.49); p-value <0.001]. Escherichia coli, 50 (45.5%), and Klebsiella spp. , 25 (23.6%), predominated, and resistance to gentamicin, ceftriaxone, and piperacillin-tazobactam ranged from 9.0% to 29.0% in these dominant species. Extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) production in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. was 18.0% (9/50) and 15.4% (4/26), respectively. Routine urine culture and AST among pregnant women with preeclampsia should be introduced in the antenatal clinics to ensure prompt management. Delineation of maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with preeclampsia and UTIs would be of interest in future studies.
Diabetes mellitus and COVID-19: review of a lethal interaction from the cellular and molecular level to the bedside

ABSTRACT Introduction While the main mode of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is close contact with other individuals, the presence of chronic underlying diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM) increases the chance of hospitalization and mortality rate due to infection. Areas covered To investigate the effects of COVID-19 infection in DM patients, we reviewed literature from Google Scholar search engine and PubMed database from ‘2013 to 2020’ using the terms “COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Diabetes mellitus; obesity; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; ACE2; Insulin and Metformin. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 exacerbates the course of diabetes. Presence of pro-inflammatory conditions, increased expression of receptors, and more difficult control of glucose levels in diabetics COVID-19 patients are some of the problems that diabetic patients may face. Also, psychological problems caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in diabetic patients is one of the most important problems in these patients, which is less covered. Expert opinion DM is a strong and independent risk factor with a poor prognosis, which increases the risk of COVID-19 infection, the need for emergency services, the rate of hospitalization in the intensive care unit and also increases the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients.
Disparities in Access to Teledermatology During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Detroit, Michigan

Background: Teledermatology became a necessary modality for dermatologic patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to disparities in access to technology, “The Digital Divide” refers to worsening health care disparities despite telemedicine’s best efforts to improve access. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed of all patients who were scheduled to be seen in dermatology during the first wave of pandemic (March 27, 2020 to April 27, 2020). Demographic characteristics of patients who pursued virtual visits was compared with those who did not. Results: Compared to patients who canceled office visits, patients who completed virtual visit appointments were more likely to be younger (mean age 37.8 versus 45.5 years), female (68.7% versus 62.9%, p=0.01), unmarried (68.7% versus 61.0%, p<0.01). Of the diagnoses rendered during virtual visits, 53.3% were associated with dermatoses. Conclusions: Patient populations above the age of 65 were less likely to complete a video visit, regardless of socioeconomic factors. Future policies must take marginalized populations into account to improve ease of access to technological services.
Impact of Cement Dust on Physical and Chemical Nutrients Properties of Forest Topsoil

: The study examined the impact of Cement dust on physical and chemical nutrients properties of forest topsoil in close proximity to a major private cement industry in Obajana, Kogi State, Nigeria using standard methods by collecting Topsoil samples for physical and chemical properties analyses which are particle size, moisture content, pH, carbon, nitrogen,phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity and organic matter.Data revealed a strong influence of the particulate pollutants on the forest topsoil in close proximity to the Cement factory. It was observed that the soil properties; moisture content and soil pH varied at distances away from the factory. The result showed that the Cement dust particles entering the soil increased the pH of the soil, it more alkaline. The highest pH (6.03) was observed from hundred and fifty meters sample indicating the highest particulate pollution. There were also variations in the other soil nutrient properties; carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity and organic matter arising from the effect of cement dust. High organic matter content was recorded in the location samples compared with the control sample. This is attributed to the addition of cement dust to the soils, resulting in improved organic-matter cycling and plant growth. The result also showed that the chemical properties; organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are significantly higher in the study areas than the control. The study therefore concludes that the emission of cement dust on the forest stands over the years was found to have significantly affected the topsoil properties.
Variation in milk yield and milk composition during the entire lactation period in Mithun cows (Bos frontalis)

The characteristics of the lactation curves and the effect of lactation stage on yield and composition of milk were investigated in 11 multiparous mithun (Bos frontalis) cows. Average lactation length was found to be 340 ± 2 d. The effect of lactation stage on milk yield (0.87 to 1.46 kg) and the milk content of total solids (TS, 20.94 to 22.62%), fat (7.72 to 10.25%) and urea (36.65 to 43.54 mg/dL) was found to be significant (p<0.05). In contrast, the contents of total protein (6.31 to 6.78%), casein (4.38 to 4.77%), solid-not-fat (SNF, 13.40 to 13.70%), lactose (4.36 to 4.60%), non-protein nitrogen (NPN, 0.41 to 0.43%) and ash (0.90 to 0.93%) did not vary among the different stages of lactation. Peak milk yield was recorded on 30 d of lactation and persistency was maintained until 90 d. Milk yield declined significantly (p<0.05) during the late lactation stage with a simultaneous increase (p<0.05) in milk fat, TS and milk urea. The casein and ash contents were found to be the least variable milk constituents. The study revealed that the trend in variation of milk yield and major milk constituents during the entire lactation in mithun was comparable with the other domesticated ruminants. Though mithun produced less amount of milk, but the major milk constituents in mithun milk were found to be much higher than that reported for other domesticated ruminants. The results of the present study indicate that mithun should not be milked after 255 d of lactation as milk yield was less than 40% of peak yield after this period.
Plant-derived insulator-like sequences for control of transgene expression

Stable and consistent transgene expression is necessary to advance plant biotechnology. Stable expression can be achieved by incorporating enhancer-blocking insulators, which are cis-regulatory elements that reduce enhancer interference in gene expression, into transgene constructs. Sufficient insulators for plant use are not available, and their discovery has remained elusive. In this work, we computationally mined the compact genome of Utricularia gibba for insulator sequences and identified short (<1 kb) sequences with potential insulator activity. Based on in vivo tests, three of these effectively mitigate the ectopic transgene expression caused by the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter and do so better than previously reported plant insulators. However, all sequences with apparent insulator activity also decrease the effectiveness of the CaMV 35S promoter, and thus may be more accurately classified as silencers. However, since the insulator effect is proportionately much higher than the silencing effect, these sequences are still useful for plant transformation.
Soybean hulls inclusion on silage of wet brewery waste

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soybean hulls inclusion in the silage of wet brewery waste. The experimental design was randomized in block, where the treatments were constituted by four levels of soybean hulls on the silage (0, 15, 25, and 35%), with three (silos) replicates per treatment. All data collected were subjected to ANOVA and subsequent polynomial regression at 5%. Soybean hulls inclusion caused a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the pH, dry matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and total carbohydrates content of the silage. This inclusion also caused a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the effluent losses and percentages of crude protein, fats, hemicellulose, non-fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients. Thus, it was concluded that soybean hulls can be used as an additive in the silage of wet brewery waste. Up to 35% of inclusion, there was a significant reduction in the effluent losses, a little increase on pH and enrichment of nutritional content, especially in the dry matter.
Bisexual Stereotypes Apply Differently by Body Size: An Assessment of Bisexual Prototypicality, Trait Application, and Body Size

ABSTRACT We blend person perception work with queer appearance psychology to examine the relationship between body size and bisexuality. In an online survey (N = 472, Mage = 25.15, 63.8% women), we examined the specific traits associated with a range of computer-modeled bodies identified as bisexual. We found that average body sizes were perceived as most prototypical of both bisexual men and bisexual women, skinny, and fat bodies were more associated with clusters of traits that contrast with common stereotypes about bisexuality. Additionally, we found that bisexual men were associated with increased masculinity and decreased femininity relative to bisexual women, and found a general, though nonsignificant trend such that bisexual men were perceived as having heightened androcentric desire relative to women. Finally, we found evidence for the role of typicality as a mediator of perceived prejudice; less prototypical bodies tended to be perceived as experiencing greater prejudice based on body size.
A database of house descriptions representative of the Canadian housing stock for coupling to building energy performance simulation

The development of a simulation tool that can accurately characterize the energy performance of the Canadian housing stock would enable detailed studies to predict the impact of energy saving upgrades and technologies on a national scale. Such a tool requires a detailed database of house descriptions that collectively represent the entire housing stock. Such a database has been assembled by selectively extracting measured and observed data collected by professionals who conducted on-site audits of 200,000 houses. The auditors' data were extracted to statistically match key parameters (location, house type, vintage, geometry and heating system) with a broad-based random survey of the Canadian stock. The result is a database comprised of nearly 17,000 detailed records of single-detached, double and row houses. Each of these house records represents ∼500 houses in the Canadian stock and contains sufficient data to enable the accurate characterization of its energy performance through building performance simulation.
THE DETERMINATION OF MONTHLY MEAN HOURLY DIFFUSE RADIATION ON HORIZONTAL SURFACES USING EQUATIONS BASED ON HOURLY CLEARNESS INDEX, SUNSHINE FRACTION AND SOLAR ELEVATION

Several years of measured hourly diffuse and global data for four locations in Spain are used to establish correlations for estimating monthly mean hourly diffuse radiation Dh for locations in Spain and to test the influence of various climatic and geographic parameters on the diffuse to global fraction. A correlation connecting the monthly mean hourly diffuse to global fraction Dh/Gh with mean hourly clearness index KT, mean monthly hourly sunshine fraction S/So, and solar elevation at mid hour y, is found most suitable, and an equation of the form Dh/Gh=i+jkT+lsin γ+m s/sO is recommended for estimation purposes for any location in Spain. When the solar altitude and sunshine fraction are added to the basic equation Dh/Gh= a+bKT the accuracy of the estimated data improves to a good extent and this improvement is more significant when correlations are developed from a group of stations in a region rather than for a single isolated location.
SIRT4 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of thyroid cancer cells by inhibiting glutamine metabolism

Background SIRT4, a protein localized in the mitochondria, is one of the least characteristic members of the sirtuin family. It is known that SIRT4 has deacetylase activity and plays a role in energy metabolism, but little is known about its possible role in carcinogenesis. Recently, several studies have suggested that SIRT4 may function as either a tumor oncogene or a tumor suppressor gene. However, its relationship with thyroid cancer remains unclear. Methods We stably overexpressed SIRT4 or silenced its expression in the human thyroid cancer cell line BCPAP by means of lentiviral vectors. We conducted a variety of tests, such as CCK-8, wound healing, migration, and invasion assays, to investigate the role of SIRT4 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of thyroid cancer cells. We also investigated the effects of SIRT4 overexpression on cell cycle progression and apoptosis of BCPAP cells and studied the role of glutamine metabolism in the effects of SIRT4 on BCPAP cell migration and invasion. Finally, we analyzed SIRT4 expression levels in thyroid cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry and investigated their association with clinicopathological features. Results Overexpression of SIRT4 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of BCPAP thyroid cancer cells, blocked the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase, and induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, SIRT4 inhibited BCPAP migration and invasion by inhibiting glutamine metabolism. Moreover, we found that SIRT4 protein levels in thyroid cancer tissues were markedly lower than in their non-neoplastic tissue counterparts (P<0.001). Conclusion SIRT4 plays a pivotal role in the growth and metastasis of thyroid cancer cells and could be a potential therapeutic target in thyroid cancer.
Real time control (RTC) of urban drainage systems – A discussion of the additional efforts compared to conventionally operated systems

Application of real time control (RTC) in urban drainage systems is discussed in this paper as a potential solution for water management tasks. Though, in engineering practice, often the opinion prevails that to perform RTC requires far more effort than to use conventionally operated systems. Depending on the objectives and the boundary conditions of the entire urban drainage system under review, the additional effort (and extra cost) needed may well be limited. This concerns measurement and control devices as well as the planning process involved and the adaptation of daily operations. Due to the increased flexibility of controlled systems, their degree of utilisation can be essentially improved. With that, it is not only possible to reduce environmental impacts, but also to achieve operational objectives more easily.
Identifying old Norway spruce and Scots pine trees by morphological traits and site characteristics

ABSTRACT Old trees are important for biodiversity, and the process of their identification is a critical process in their conservation. However, determining the tree age by core extraction, ring counts, and eventually, cross-dating by means of dendrochronology is labor-intensive and expensive. Here we examine the alternative method of estimating determining tree age by visual characteristics for old Norway spruce and Scots pine trees. We used forest stands previously identified as “Old tree habitats” by visual criteria in Norwegian boreal forests. The efficiency of this method was tested using pairwise comparison of the age of core samples from trees within these sites, and within neighboring sites. Age regression models were constructed from morphological traits and site variables to investigate how accurately old trees can be detected. Cored trees in the Old-tree habitats were on average 41.9 years older than compared to a similar selection of trees from nearby mature forests. Several characteristics such as bark structure, stem taper and visible growth eccentricities can be used to identify old Norway spruce and Scots pine trees. Old trees were often found on less productive sites. Due to the wide range of environments included in the study, we suggest that these findings can be generalized to other parts of the boreal zone.
When Detailed Information Works Better: Comparison of Three- and Five-Color/Letter Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels

The adoption of front-of-package nutrition labels to promote healthier food choices is increasing worldwide, yet it remains unclear which types of nutrition labels are superior from a public policy perspective. This research compares two common forms of evaluative nutrition labels that vary in the number of colors and corresponding letters they display (three colors, A–C [3C] vs. five colors, A–E [5C]). Four studies, including a field study with vending machines and a study in an experimental supermarket using eye tracking, show that compared with the 3C label and no label (control) conditions, the 5C label enhances purchase intentions and choices of healthy alternatives. In particular, the 5C nutrition label is superior because it provides more information that helps consumers discriminate the products’ healthiness. This ability to discriminate healthiness modifies consumers’ perceived healthiness of products and influences both their purchase intentions and choice of healthy food options.
Examining the Factors Contributing to Fintech Peer-to-peer Lending Adoption

Background: Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform is one of key disruptive business models in financial technology. It bridges lenders and borrowers directly. Researchers have studied the leverage mechanism behind the P2P lending platform.Objective: This research proposes an enhanced technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate how consumers embrace P2P lending platforms using quality of service and perceived risk as drivers of trust.Methods: This research uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesised connections between the latent variables.Results: The findings show that users' trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use in P2P lending platforms significantly influence attitudes towards adoption. Meanwhile, consumers' perceived risk in using P2P lending platforms is unaffected by the quality of service.Conclusion: The estimated model is consistent with the results shown in previous studies. The findings of the current research are useful for fine-tuning platform marketing plans and putting strategic goals into actions. For future research, we suggest including more variables to better understand the adoption intention of P2P lending platforms.Keywords: Adoption intention, Peer-to-peer lending, Structural equation modeling, Technology acceptance model