Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diet Quality and Health in Older Americans

Adequate nutrition is an essential component of healthy ageing. This study documents the quality of diets among older Americans and implications of healthy eating for their physical and mental health. Using a nationally representative longitudinal sample of adults aged ≥50 years, from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010–2016 and food intake data from the 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS), the study evaluates the onset of health problems along the spectrum of diet quality measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. Older adults adhering to healthier diets, in the high HEI group, have a significantly lower risk of developing limitations in activities of daily living (15.2% vs. 19.6%, p < 0.01) and depression (11.8% vs. 14.9%, p < 0.01), as compared to participants with low HEI scores. Consuming healthier diets also predicts more favorable health outcomes, as measured by blood-based biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (3.3 vs. 3.8, p < 0.05), cystatin C (1.1 vs. 1.2, p < 0.1), total cholesterol (192.1 vs. 196.4, p < 0.1), and high-density lipoprotein (57.2 vs. 53.8, p < 0.01). Most older Americans can benefit from improving diet to reduce their risk of disability, chronic disease, and depression.
Current Trends in the Utilization of Essential Oils for Polysaccharide- and Protein-Derived Food Packaging Materials

Essential oils (EOs) have received attention in the food industry for developing biopolymer-derived food packaging materials. EOs are an excellent choice to replace petroleum-derived additives in food packaging materials due to their abundance in nature, eco-friendliness, and superior antimicrobial and antioxidant attributes. Thus far, EOs have been used in cellulose-, starch-, chitosan-, and protein-based food packaging materials. Biopolymer-based materials have lower antioxidant and antibacterial properties in comparison with their counterparts, and are not suitable for food packaging applications. Various synthetic-based compounds are being used to improve the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of biopolymers. However, natural essential oils are sustainable and non-harmful alternatives to synthetic antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for use in biopolymer-derived food packaging materials. The incorporation of EOs into the polymeric matrix affects their physicochemical properties, particularly improving their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. EOs in the food packaging materials increase the shelf life of the packaged food, inhibit the growth of microorganisms, and provide protection against oxidation. Essential oils also influence other properties, such as tensile, barrier, and optical properties of the biopolymers. This review article gives a detailed overview of the use of EOs in biopolymer-derived food packaging materials. The innovative ways of incorporating of EOs into food packaging materials are also highlighted, and future perspectives are discussed.
Semantic OctoMap SLAM Based on Improved HRNet

In this paper, a semantic OctoMap SLAM system is proposed by combining image semantic segmentation with SLAM technology. The system is divided into two parts. In the semantic segmentation part, the improved HRNet combining the Multi-Layer Serial Dilated Convolution (MLSDC) and the Multi-Layer DUpsampling (MLDU) is used for semantic segmentation of RGB data. In the visual SLAM part, the camera pose estimation and optimization are carried out on the input RGBD data, and then the point cloud is preliminarily generated. Next, the Bayesian semantic fusion algorithm is used to fuse the semantic segmentation results and project them into the generated point cloud. Then, the point cloud is filtered to remove outliers and noise points. Finally, the octree map is constructed. Experiments show that the improved HRNet algorithm can retain more detailed features compared with the traditional algorithm, and has a better segmentation effect on the fuzzy edge, and the overall accuracy is improved. The final octree semantic map has intuitive mapping effect.
Tool Condition Monitoring for High-Performance Machining Systems—A Review

In the era of the “Industry 4.0” revolution, self-adjusting and unmanned machining systems have gained considerable interest in high-value manufacturing industries to cope with the growing demand for high productivity, standardized part quality, and reduced cost. Tool condition monitoring (TCM) systems pave the way for automated machining through monitoring the state of the cutting tool, including the occurrences of wear, cracks, chipping, and breakage, with the aim of improving the efficiency and economics of the machining process. This article reviews the state-of-the-art TCM system components, namely, means of sensing, data acquisition, signal conditioning and processing, and monitoring models, found in the recent open literature. Special attention is given to analyzing the advantages and limitations of current practices in developing wireless tool-embedded sensor nodes, which enable seamless implementation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) readiness of TCM systems. Additionally, a comprehensive review of the selection of dimensionality reduction techniques is provided due to the lack of clear recommendations and shortcomings of various techniques developed in the literature. Recent attempts for TCM systems’ generalization and enhancement are discussed, along with recommendations for possible future research avenues to improve TCM systems accuracy, reliability, functionality, and integration.
Submicronic Filtering Media Based on Electrospun Recycled PET Nanofibers: Development, Characterization, and Method to Manufacture Surgical Masks

The disposal of single-use personal protective equipment has brought a notable environmental impact in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these last two years, part of the global research efforts has been focused on preventing contagion using nanotechnology. This work explores the production of filter materials with electrohydrodynamic techniques using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET was chosen because it is one of the materials most commonly present in everyday waste (such as in food packaging, bags, or bottles), being the most frequently used thermoplastic polymer in the world. The influence of the electrospinning parameters on the filtering capacity of the resulting fabric was analyzed against both aerosolized submicron particles and microparticulated matter. Finally, we present a new scalable and straightforward method for manufacturing surgical masks by electrospinning and we validate their performance by simulating the standard conditions to which they are subjected to during use. The masks were successfully reprocessed to ensure that the proposed method is able to reduce the environmental impact of disposable face masks.
Grape Pomace Extract Attenuates Inflammatory Response in Intestinal Epithelial and Endothelial Cells: Potential Health-Promoting Properties in Bowel Inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) implies the chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, combined with systemic vascular manifestations. In IBD, the incidence of cardiovascular disease appears to be related to an increase of oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Grape pomace contains high levels of anti-oxidant polyphenols that are able to counteract chronic inflammatory symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine whether grape pomace polyphenolic extract (GPE) was able to mitigate the overwhelming inflammatory response in enterocyte-like cells and to improve vascular function. Intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells, grown in monolayers or in co-culture with endothelial cells (Caco-2/HMEC-1), were treated with different concentrations of GPE (1, 5, 10 µg/mL gallic acid equivalents) for 2 h and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α for 16 h. Through multiple assays, the expression of intestinal and endothelial inflammatory mediators, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and NF-κB activation, as well as endothelial-leukocyte adhesion, were evaluated. The results showed that GPE supplementation prevented, in a concentration-dependent manner, the intestinal expression and release of interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 and MMP-2. In Caco-2 cells, GPE also suppressed the gene expression of several pro-inflammatory markers, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL)-10, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. The GPE anti-inflammatory effect was mediated by the inhibition of NF-κB activity and reduced intracellular ROS levels. Furthermore, transepithelial GPE suppressed the endothelial expression of IL-6, MCP-1, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 and the subsequent adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelial cells under pro-inflammatory conditions. In conclusion, our findings suggest grape pomace as a natural source of polyphenols with multiple health-promoting properties that could contribute to the mitigation of gut chronic inflammatory diseases and improve vascular endothelial function.
Effective active time of limbing and conversion at chainsaw use in selected technology and habitat variants

The time within which, accordingly to its application, machine works, and an object of work and working groups are under load, is the effective active time. The purpose of the research was the order statistics of effective active time of limbing and conversion at chainsaw use in two technology and two habitat variants. The effective active time of limbing and conversion of one tree was most frequently from 0.5 s to 10.49 s in variant in which the limbing included tree crowns and only thicker branches cutting and the conversion included rods meant for chipping. The strong tree’s branching in fresh mixed coniferous forest had influence on the prolonged limbing time. The share of S2a assortment in total volume of harvested wood had influence on the conversion time, besides the number of wood assortment cutting.
Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Control for Consensus Problems of Uncertain Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, we consider the consensus problem of distributed multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics and disturbances. The underlying system is described based upon the stochastic communication network topology. To solve this problem, we propose a multi-agent reinforcement learning-based method that converts the consensus problem with multiple nonlinear agents into one learning target and automatically learns effective strategies. The actor-critic method is adopted for updating learning policies. Moreover, we design a distributed communication method to ensure that each agent in the multi-agent system can obtain consensus information. Two examples are presented to show the effectiveness and potential of the proposed design technique.
Design of 3D Wind Farm Layout Using an Improved Electric Charge Particles Optimization With Hub-Height Variety

The limited resources of land and wind have increased the requirement for better designing of wind farm layouts in the wind industry. A three-dimensional layout of wind turbines (WTs) is proposed in this paper to optimize the horizontal and vertical layouts of wind farms. The issue of optimization is a highly challenging task as it involves many variables and requires handling conflicting criteria. Classical optimization algorithms cannot handle this problem due to discontinuity and nonlinear behavior. Considering this, a metaheuristic algorithm called improved electric charged particle optimization (ECPO) is developed and implemented in four different shapes and cases studies. All the scenarios implemented have the same wind distribution and obstacles. The result shows that ECPO achieves better performance in the case study when the maximum number of a wind turbine is the same as the number of grids when compared to three well-known metaheuristic algorithms, which are binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and artificial bee colony (ABC). By implementing the three-dimensional WFLO, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) will increase by 7% in the case of the optimal number of WT and 3% in the case of the fixed number of WT.
Ursolic Acid Increases Strength in mdx Mice Model and may Decrease Fibrosis Deposition by TGF-ß Downregulation

increases strength in mdx mice model and may decrease fibrosis deposition by TGF-ß SUMMARY: Dystrophin disfunction results in sarcolemma destabilization, leading muscle cell damage by continuous degeneration cycles and limited regeneration. In muscle dystrophy, caused by dystrophin dysfunction, inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis are pathophysiological muscle function loss characteristics. As a genetic disease,this muscle dystrophy has no cure, however, advances in drug therapy using glucocorticoids can decrease the disease progression. Subsequently, alternative therapies were studied, such as ursolic acid (UA), that inhibits muscle atrophy and increases muscle mass and strength. Herein, we used 10 mg/kg daily supplementation in mdx mice for 4 weeks to evaluate serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), muscle strength (Kondziela test), muscular organization (histology) and expression of fibrosis related genes (TGF-ß, TNF- α , mstn and ostn). UA supplementation increased muscle morphological organization, motor strength and decreased muscular TGF-ß expression. Altogether, the gene expression profile, histological organization and strength could suggest that UA treatment did not stop the fibrogenesis but decreased its progress.
Efficiency of Geospatial Technology and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Groundwater Potential Mapping in a Semi-Arid Region

The increasing water demand in Egypt causes massive stress on groundwater resources. The high variability in the groundwater depth, aquifer properties, terrain characteristics, and shortage of rainfall make it necessary to identify the groundwater potentiality in semi-arid regions. This study used the possibilities of multi-criteria decision approaches (MCDA), geographical information system (GIS), and groundwater field data to delineate potential groundwater zones in the Tushka area, west of Lake Nasser, South Egypt. Furthermore, groundwater potentiality identification can help decision-makers better plan and manage the water resources in this promising area. Eight controlling factors were utilized to achieve the objective of the present work using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approaches, namely the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and frequency ratio (FR) models. The controlling parameters were integrated with the geographic information system (GIS) to develop the zones of groundwater potentialities. The results revealed that high and moderate-potential zones cover approximately 61% and 52% of the total area in the AHP and FR models, respectively. A total of 44 groundwater production wells along with the well yield were collected and used to validate the models. The results were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The best-performing prediction rates achieved by AHP and FR were 83% and 81%, respectively. Finally, the obtained results indicated that the AHP model achieved better performance than the FR model.
Reliability of the Pressure Indicating Film for Occlusal Force Analysis: A Pilot Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the pressure indicating film in measuring pressure exerted on it with and without Polyethylene (PE) sleeve as infection control purposes, and to analyze the pressure produced with its software for occlusal force study. Materials and Methods: The optimization of the pressure indicating film for occlusal force analysis commenced with the design and calibration of this sheet. The film was designed into horseshoe shape to suit the shape of maxillary and mandibular arches. The calibration was initiated with 5 different types of pressure which were 15 MPa, 25 MPa, 30 MPa, 35 MPa and 45 MPa exerted on two groups of the film: (i) with PE sleeve and (ii) without PE sleeve. Three readings were recorded for each group and mean value was documented. Then, the films were calibrated by its software for pressure analysis. Results: There was no significance difference found between the film with and without PE sleeve during the calibration stage (P>0.05). In all groups of pressure, there was no significant difference documented between pressure exerted and read out value. Conclusion: The results suggested that the film can be used for occlusal force analysis and improvement of the film with addition of PE sleeve for hygienic purpose is suitable to form the basis of clinical occlusal forces study.
Categorizing and Ranking Graphs in Economics Research: The American Economic Review over the Last Century

Abstract How do economists use graphs, and do they use them well? Using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, I provide evidence to these questions by exploring more than 2600 graphs published in the first issue of the American Economic Review from 1911 to 2017. I find that economists use a lot of line charts – more than 80% of the total sample are line charts. I also find that the share of graphs that use data (as opposed to diagrams) fell over the first half of the century and then increased from about the early 1980s to today, correlated with perceived graph quality.
Antarctic representation in print media during the emergence of COVID-19

Abstract Like every other continent in the world, Antarctica has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in an imagined as well as a practical sense. Antarctica is a mediated experience; that is, most of us experience the place through films, novels, music, visual arts and the media. We present an analysis of media articles from eight countries over three time periods - pre-COVID-19 outbreak (October–December 2019), shortly after the pandemic hit the headlines (March–May 2020) and when the virus was established (October–December 2020) - to discover how COVID-19 may have changed Antarctic discourse. Our study shows that representations of Antarctica have been affected by the pandemic, in some instances reinforcing existing ideas and in other cases bringing new ideas to the fore. Based on our findings, we believe that COVID-19 has begun to change representations of Antarctica, stepping us away from the prevailing Antarctic hero narrative and providing a more contemporary understanding of the Antarctic experience. We argue that this may increase our motivation to engage with Antarctic issues, with associated implications for future global stewardship of the region.
Hybrid Finite-Element Method for Discretizing Cylindrically Symmetric Parts in Electrotechnical Models

When the geometry, the excitations and the boundary conditions of an electrotechnical model feature a transversal or cylindrical symmetry, the electromagnetic fields are known to preserve this symmetry. Then, the model is commonly discretized by a 2D cartesian or axisymmetric finite-element (FE) mesh respectively. In many models, however, only parts of the geometry are symmetric. Then, the electromagnetic fields are in general not symmetric and a full 3D model is required. In this paper, such partially symmetric model parts are discretized by a hybrid FE method in order to reduce the problem size and to improve the simulation efficiency.
EFL Students’ Perceptions of Interactive Lesson Slides in Online lessons: A Study in the Saudi Context

The unexpected shift to online education necessitates further exploration of online learning tools for online teaching and learning. Accordingly, the present study aims to explore EFL students’ perceptions of interactive lesson slides in online lessons; this study is part of a larger research project focused on exploring the use of interactive lesson slides in online classrooms. To explore students’ perceptions, an online survey was conducted via SurveyMonkey. The study’s participants consisted of 30 EFL students (N=30). Quantitative data was gathered via the online survey. The research’s findings indicate that the students had positive perceptions about the use of interactive lesson slides in online lessons. As a result, the current study highly recommends implementing interactive lesson slides in an online learning environment.
Formulation of Chitosan-Coated Brigatinib Nanospanlastics: Optimization, Characterization, Stability Assessment and In-Vitro Cytotoxicity Activity against H-1975 Cell Lines

The purpose of the current study was to develop Brigatinib (BGT)-loaded nanospanlastics (BGT-loaded NSPs) (S1-S13) containing Span 60 with different edge activators (Tween 80 and Pluronic F127) and optimized based on the vesicle size, zeta potential (ZP), and percent entrapment efficiency (%EE) using Design-Expert® software. The optimum formula was recommended with desirability of 0.819 and composed of Span-60:Tween 80 at a ratio of 4:1 and 10 min as a sonication time (S13). It showed predicted EE% (81.58%), vesicle size (386.55 nm), and ZP (−29.51 mv). The optimized nanospanlastics (S13) was further coated with chitosan and further evaluated for Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), in vitro release, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), stability and in-vitro cytotoxicity studies against H-1975 lung cancer cell lines. The DSC and XRD revealed complete encapsulation of the drug. TEM imagery revealed spherical nanovesicles with a smooth surface. Also, the coated formula showed high stability for three months in two different conditions. Moreover, it resulted in improved and sustained drug release than free BGT suspension and exhibited Higuchi kinetic release mechanism. The cytotoxic activity of BGT-loaded SPs (S13) was enhanced three times in comparison to free the BGT drug against the H-1975 cell lines. Overall, these results confirmed that BGT-loaded SPs could be a promising nanocarrier to improve the anticancer efficacy of BGT.
Music Genre Classification Using A One-way Audio-visual Feature Interaction Method

The existing methods treat the audio features and visual features of audio in isolation so that the corresponding relationship between the two features can not be generated to optimize the model. Finally, the extracted learning features are not enough to support better classification results. Therefore, this paper proposes a one-way audio-visual feature interaction method based on deep learning to explore this problem. That is, different types of learning features extracted from the multi-input model are concatenated for further training. Experimental results show that this method can effectively optimize the model. Compared with the classification accuracy of the benchmark model, the model accuracy of this method is as high as 93.65% on the GTZAN dataset, which is better than most existing methods.
The market structure of shale gas drilling in the United States

The market structure of shale gas drilling in the United States / Zhongmin Wang & Qing Xue. Washington : Resources dfor the Future, September 2014, 11 p. (RFF Discussion Paper 14-31) http://www.rff. org/RFF/Documents/RFF-DP-14-31.pdf Abstract (© RFF) : This paper provides the first empirical study of the market structure of the shale gas drilling industry in the United States. Modern shale gas drilling, which is a major revolution in the energy industry, was highly concentrated during its expe.