Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CURCUMIN AS A CURE; COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF SYSTEMIC AND TOPICAL ADMINISTRATION OF CURCUMIN IN ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Previously designated as a premalignant condition oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic insidious disease affecting the oral cavity now comes under the heading of potentially malignant disorders (WHO 2005). Oral submucous fibrosis has shown its higher prevalence in south Asian population due to the heavy consumption of areca nut in this area dominating over the rest of the world. Curcumin is an active component of turmeric which is widely used as a spice for cooking. Curcumin being highly potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer agent holds great potential in the world of research medicine. Methods: 45 healthy adult subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups of 15 each based on the treatment they received. Group I was administered commercially available curcumin tablets Group II was administered topical application of turmeric, Group III was administered a multivitamin group of drugs. Results: The study *Corresponding Author
Inference algorithms for the regression approach to sequence prediction

Sequence prediction algorithms have many applications in natural language processing, bioinformatics, and computer vision. However, the computational complexity required to find the optimal sequence among an exponential number of possibilities limits the use of such algorithms. In this thesis, we propose an approach to solve this search efficiently for two types of sequence prediction problems. More precisely, we address the pre-image problem encountered in structured output prediction, which consists of finding the sequence associated with an arbitrary input, and the problem of finding a sequence maximizing the prediction function of various kernel-based classifiers and regressors. We demonstrate that these problems reduce to a common combinatorial problem valid for many sequence kernels. For this problem, we propose an upper bound on the prediction function which has low computational complexity and which can be used in a branch and bound search algorithm to obtain optimal solutions. On the practical tasks of optical word recognition and grapheme-to-phoneme prediction, the proposed approach is shown to be competitive with state-of-the-art structured prediction algorithms. Moreover, the exact solution of the pre-image problem is shown to significantly improve the prediction accuracy in comparison with an approximation found by the best known heuristic. On the task of finding a sequence maximizing the prediction function of kernelbased classifiers and regressors, we highlight that existing methods can be biased toward long sequences that contain many repeated symbols. We demonstrate that this bias is removed when using normalized kernels. Finally, we present results for the discovery of lead compounds in drug discovery. The source code can be found at https://github.com/a-ro/preimage.
WORKING PAPER SERIES RARE MACROECONOMIC DISASTERS

The potential for rare macroeconomic disasters may explain an array of asset-pricing puzzles. Our empirical studies of these extreme events rely on long-term data now covering 28 countries for consumption and 40 for GDP. A baseline model calibrated with observed peak-to-trough disaster sizes accords with the average equity premium with a reasonable coefficient of relative risk aversion. High stock-price volatility can be explained by incorporating time-varying long-run growth rates and disaster probabilities. Business-cycle models with shocks to disaster probability have implications for the cyclical behavior asset returns and corporate leverage, and international versions may explain the uncovered-interest-parity puzzle. Richer models of disaster dynamics allow for transitions between normalcy and disaster, bring in post-crisis recoveries, and use the full time series on consumption. Potential future research includes applications to long-term economic growth and environmental economics and the use of stock-price options and other variables to gauge time-varying disaster probabilities. Robert J. Barro Department of Economics Littauer Center 218 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 and NBER rbarro@harvard.edu José F. Ursua Department of Economics Littauer Center G32 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 jfursua@fas.harvard.edu
Rational and Adaptive Performance Expectations in a Customer Satisfaction Framework

This article develops and tests alternative models of market-level expectations, perceived product performance, and customer satisfaction. Market performance expectations are argued to be largely rational in nature yet adaptive to changing market conditions. Customer satisfaction is conceptualized as a cumulative construct that is effected by market expectations and performance perceptions in any given period and is affected by past satisfaction from period to period. An empirical study that supports adaptive market expectations and stable market satisfaction using data from the Swedish Customer Satisfaction Barometer is reported. Copyright 1995 by the University of Chicago.
Ionization Rate, Temperature, and Number Density for Breakdown Waves with a Large Current Behind the Shock Front

A three component, one-dimensional, constant velocity, steady-state fluid model is employed to describe the breakdown waves with a current behind the wave front propagating into a neutral gas subjected to an external electric field. Electron gas partial pressure is much larger than that of the other species and therefore is considered to provide the driving force for the wave. The system of equations includes the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy coupled with Poisson’s equation. Inclusion of current behind the wave front in the system of fluid equations also alters the initial boundary conditions and ionization rate. We are considering an ionization rate which changes from accelerational ionization at the front of the wave to directed velocity ionization in the intermediate stages of the wave to thermal ionization at the end of the wave. Using the modified boundary conditions, the set of electron fluid dynamical equations have been integrated through the dynamical transition region of the wave. The effect of current behind the shock front on the wave profile for electric field, electron velocity, ionization rate, electron number density, and electron temperature will be presented.
Extending Agent Messaging to Enable OO Information Exchange

It is canonical practice in agent-based systems to use a declarative format for the exchange of information. The increasing usage and facility of object-oriented tools and techniques, however, suggests there may be benefits in combining the use of object-oriented modelling approaches with agent-based messaging. In this paper we outline our efforts in connection with the New Zealand Distributed Information Systems project to use object-oriented knowledge representation in an agent-based architecture. Issues and tradeoffs are discussed, as well as the possible extensions to current agent-based message protocols that may be necessary in order to support object-oriented information exchange.
Study of the Effect of Brightness After Penetration of Light from a Lens

There are many types of component that are able to produce light and the light is produced based on the angle and wavelength of the lens. Light penetration depends on the type of material used. The tests are done using basic electronic components which are able to produce light including the light emitting diode (LED), laser and infrared source. From the component, there are two types of light line, one with an angle and one without. It is known that the laser only produces a straight line light while the angle and thickness of light from both the LED, and infrared source increase with distance. The results show that the different types of light must use different types of lenses and they are suitable for use with all light properties.
Factors affecting the uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision services among the youth in Kisumu County

This study investigated the factors that affect the uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision services among the youth in Kisumu County. The research intended to contribute to the body of knowledge on VMMC. At policy level, the research sought to prompt a more acceptable approach towards implementation of VMMC in Luo land. In particular, the research sought to investigate the extent to which awareness of VMMC procedures, the socio-cultural norms and beliefs and the attitude of the service providers affect the uptake of VMMC services among the youth. The study applied the Theory of Planned Behaviour which questions the classical model of Belief, Attitude, and Behaviour. It operates from the premise that, behaviour is determined by one's intention, and intention is determined by the person's attitude toward the behaviour and the influence of the person's social environment or norms attitude towards behaviour; and that specific behaviour will have concrete consequence. The data were collected using a survey questionnaire, key informant guide and FGD guide. A total of 100 respondents, 2 key informants and 2 focus group discussions among the trainees in YPs, The finding of the study indicates that a majority of the respondents had knowledge on the procedures of VMMC however; the uptake is still low among the youth. Noncircumcision was mentioned by most participants as a significant cultural characteristic that distinguished the Luo from other communities, and some expressed fear that introducing circumcision could cause loss of this cultural identity. In as far as service providers attitude and service provision are concerned, the barrier to Me uptake was the long distance to the health facilities. The study recommends that the government carries out door to door campaigns to popularize circumcision as a tool for lowering the rate of HIV transmission . There is also need mass counseling for both men and women on the advantages of Me and the health care providers should demystify the belief that circumcision results in loss of virility or otherwise and properly educate the people on the link between Me and HIV transmission. Finally, there is need for a change of attitude among the Luos that Me is an alien culture and practicing it will make them slaves of other people's culture. Academic Year: 2011-2012
Finite element modeling and design of pH/temperature sensitive hydrogel based biphasic twisting actuators

In this article, a pH/temperature sensitive hydrogel based biphasic twisting actuator is presented and studied in various environmental conditions. The actuator consists of a neutral incompressible elastomeric phase attached to pH/temperature sensitive hydrogel phase which twists, when subjected to pH/temperature variation. The deformation of the actuator depends on the cross-section of the actuator as well as geometrical and environmental parameters. To have a guideline for the design of the biphasic twisting actuator, a finite element model of the mentioned structure is developed. A thermodynamic based constitutive model is used to describe the behavior of the hydrogel. The finite element method is used to resolve the homogeneous and inhomogeneous swelling of the pH/temperature responsive hydrogel to check the validity of the method. Finally, how various parameters affect the torsional behavior of the actuator is discussed in detail. According to the results, to get the maximum twisting angle it is recommended to use the actuator with the square cross-section. Also, the twisting angle can even increase more by decreasing the hydrogel size as well as increasing the length of the actuator.
Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Cellulose- Degradation Bacteria from Fresh Cow Dung and Fermentation Biogas Slurry

Two new isolates designated strain MY6 and strains FY2 were isolated from the mixture of fresh cow dung and fermentation biogas slurry, which were found to be potential cellulase producers. On the basis of cellular morphology, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics and similarity of 16S rDNA gene sequences, the former was confirmed as Stenotrophomonas sp. , while the latter was identified as Bacillus cereus sp. Key fermentation factors including culture time, initial pH and culture temperature for cellulase production were optimized using single factor experiments for the two strains. The endoglucanase (CMCase) activity of MY6 was increased by 200.74% and reached 137.36 U/ml under the optimized conditions (cultured for 48 h at pH7.0 and 40°C with shaking at 160 rmp); while the activity of FY2 was enhanced by 150.61% and achieved 177.58 U/ml under the optimized conditions (cultured for 48 h at pH7.0 and 45°C with shaking at 160 rmp). The effects of four native lignocellulosic feed stocks on CMCase activities were compared. The results showed that cellulase from strains MY6 and FY2 were similar in cellulose degradation and the activity was strongest for filter paper, then for degreased cotton, straw powder and sawdust as substrates. These findings indicated that high cellulose concentration used as carbon sources could promote the generation of CMCase.
Radical Scavenging Activity and Preliminary Phytochemical Screening of Pods of Cassia arereh Del. (Fabaceae)

Cassia arereh is traditionally used as a fish poison and to manage different disease conditions including gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders, infertility, diabetes, insect bite, and infections. Free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a range of chronic diseases; and many medicinal plants are thought to be effective in managing such diseases, mainly through their free radicals scavenging ability. The objective of this study was to conduct phytochemical screening and investigate the free radical scavenging activity of various extracts of pods of C. arereh . Petroleum ether, ethanol, and water extracts were prepared from the pods powder and tested for their radical scavenging activity using 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The pods powder was also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. The results revealed that ethanol and water extracts possessed strong DPPH radical scavenging activity with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of 8.84 and 16. 76μg/ml, respectively. Ascorbic acid was used as a standard and exhibited a radical scavenging IC 50 value of 2. 0μg/ml. Results of preliminary phytochemical screening indicated the possible presence of anthraquinones, carbohydrates, deoxy-sugars, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids. It can be concluded that pods of C. arereh may contain medicinally relevant constituents such as terpenoids and displayed strong radical scavenging activity, which may partly contribute to the possible scientific basis for its traditional use to alleviate different disease conditions. Keywords : Cassia arereh, Phytochemical screening, Radical scavenging, Traditional medicine, Ethiopia.
A new gas cooling model for semi-analytic galaxy formation models

Semi-analytic galaxy formation models are widely used to gain insight into the astrophysics of galaxy formation and in model testing, parameter space searching and mock catalogue building. In this work, we present a new model for gas cooling in haloes in semi-analytic models, which improves over previous cooling models in several ways. Our new treatment explicitly includes the evolution of the density profile of the hot gas driven by the growth of the dark matter halo and by the dynamical adjustment of the gaseous corona as gas cools down. The effect of the past cooling history on the current mass cooling rate is calculated more accurately, by doing an integral over the past history. The evolution of the hot gas angular momentum profile is explicitly followed, leading to a self-consistent and more detailed calculation of the angular momentum of the cooled down gas. This model predicts higher cooled down masses than the cooling models previously used in GALFORM, closer to the predictions of the cooling models in L-GALAXIES and MORGANA, even though those models are formulated differently. It also predicts cooled down angular momenta that are higher than in previous GALFORM cooling models, but generally lower than the predictions of L-GALAXIES and MORGANA. When used in a full galaxy formation model, this cooling model improves the predictions for early-type galaxy sizes in GALFORM.
Differential and Affine Differential Invariants for Convexity on Differentiable Manifolds

We prove that some special functions which are non-convex (from the classical viewpoint) may be considered generalized convex, with respect to some properly choosed linear connections. This behaviour provides support to conjecture that this is true for any differentiable function, as far as none of its critical points is a maximum one.
The Politics of Sovereign Defaults

In this article, we study the interplay between political factors and default decisions. First, we survey two branches of theoretical studies. One shows that governments may be willing to repay their debt because it is in the best interest of local agents with political power. The other one discusses how political turnover affects sovereign default risk. Second, we describe a large body of empirical studies that find evidence of the influence of political stability and other characteristics of a political system on default risk. Finally, we examine the role of political factors in five recent default episodes.
Accelerating Convergence of the Frank-Wolfe Algorithm for Solving the Traffic Assignment Problem

††† Summary The Frank-Wolfe method (FW) is one of the most widely used algorithm for solving routing problems in the telecom and traffic areas, its popularity is attributed to its simplicity and modest memory requirements. However, FW converges very slowly, that makes it less favourable to use without modifications. To improve its performance, different modifications of the FrankWolfe method have been suggested. In This paper we describe a new modified version (FWFλ), the algorithm consists to combine Fukushima direction (FWF), with a widened line search technique (FWλ). We also present preliminary computational studies in a C++Builder5, in these we apply (FW), (FWλ), (FWF), and (FWFλ) methods to some Traffic assignment problems. The computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm yield satisfactory results within reasonable computational time comparing to the other methods
Trapped between Romani and Slovak languages

According to estimates, Roma make up to 19 % of pupils in primary and lower secondary education in Slovakia and about two thirds of them speak Romani language at home. Despite this fact, the vast majority of schools do not include Romani in their curriculum. Drawing on theories about the symbolic power of language the paper focuses on the use of the Romani language in the school context as well as on approaches aimed at teaching Slovak as a second language. Its main goal is to examine the application of language policy and minority rights in practice. The paper concludes that as far as the Roma minority is concerned, the de jure existence of minority language rights is not a sufficient condition to ensure the exercise of these rights. The research further revealed that despite the declared emphasis on minority pupils’ adequate command of the Slovak language, the practical measures aimed at improving their fluency in Slovak are unsatisfactory. As a result, many Romani pupils risk failing to master any language on the level that would allow them to succeed in school.
Distribution review, habitat suitability and conservation of the endangered and endemic Moroccan spadefoot toad (Pelobates varaldii)

The Moroccan spadefoot toad (Pelobates varaldii) has received little scientific attention since its discovery. Currently, P. varaldii is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a multitude of threats, while its distribution is partially unknown and fragmented. The current study addresses distribution, threats and the potential niche using ecological niche modelling, while emphasizing conservation strategies and immediate actions. The distribution of P. varaldii can be divided into four disjunct areas, at least two of which consist of small populations. The largest threats to P. varaldii include the transformation of habitat and breeding ponds into agricultural and industrial areas, the pollution of breeding ponds due to extensive livestock pasturing and the possible expansion of Procambarus sp. into the Mamora cork oak forest. Additional threats constitute a reduction of gene flow and loss of genetic variability as a result of habitat fragmentation. The ecological niche models (ENMs) of P. varaldii revealed fundamental environmental conditions along parts of the northeast Moroccan Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline. The species mainly inhabits well vegetated areas upon Quaternary soils at low altitudes. Proposed conservation actions include the development of a biannual monitoring program, identification and designation of protected areas within the distribution and development of a management plan for Mamora forest.
An Innovative and Applied Study Based on Behavior for Accidents Statistical Indexes in China Construction Project

The present accident statistical index for construction project only reflects the total number of accidents and fails to reflect the usual construction project safety and the weakness. Based on major accident cause of behavior and "4M", the framework was established for the causes of construction accidents including two pre-indexes, SBI and SMI, which the field of accidents statistics was enlarged. Combined with the existing construction accidents indexes, the new system was build up for construction accidents index including injuries rates and death rates by SBI and SMI. Besides the new system was applied one construction project and the result showed that this new index system reveals the weakness and the reality including usual safety management level of construction company.
Machine learning from coronas using parametrization of images

We were interested to develop an algorithm for detection of coronas of people in altered states of consciousness (two-classes problem). Such coronas are known to have rings (double coronas), special branch-like structure of streamers and/or curious spots. We used several approaches to parametrization of images and various machine learning algorithms. We compared results of computer algorithms with the human expert’s accuracy. Results show that computer algorithms can achieve the same or even better accuracy than that of human experts.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of aqueous extract of Withania somnifera against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Withania somnifera also known as Ashwagandha, has been an important herb in the ayurvedic and indigenous medical systems. The present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of aqueous root extract of W. somnifera against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Aqueous root extract of the plant was found to possess strong antibacterial activity against MRSA as revealed by the in -vitro agar well diffusion assay. The separation of the bioactive compounds from the plant extract was carried out using two dimensional thin layer chromatography (TLC) and contact bioautography. Two TLC spots were found to be bioactive against the pathogen with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.3 μg/μl and 5.2 μg/μl respectively. One spot was of alkaloids and the other one was a mixture of essential oil and phenolics. The antioxidant activity was estimated to be Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity of 9.83mg/gm of dry weight of extract and reducing power was 0.11mg/gm of dry weight of extract using ascorbic acid as standard. Our study suggests that the bioactive fractions separated from aqueous extract of W. somnifera is a potential source of antibacterial compounds with antioxidant property. Keywords: Ashwagandha, contact bioautography, phenolics, flavonoids, essential oil