Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Collaborative competence, social capital, and mental health: A cross‐sectional analysis of a community‐based intervention for older adults

Social capital interventions for the mental health of older adults have been inconclusive to date, and have rarely investigated the psychological resources that are important to having social capital. This study focused on the “ Neigh-borhoods in Solidarity ” (NS), which are a series of Swiss community-based interventions that aim to empower older adults to participate in their communities. Our goal was to understand whether the NS were associated with collaborative competence, social capital, and subsequently, symptoms of depression. Cross-sectional data were collected from 947 individuals aged 55 and over ( M age = 68.66, SD = 9.04) in 10 Swiss neighbourhoods (five with the NS [ n = 479] and five control neighbourhoods [ n = 468]). Structural equation modelling was used to model the relationship between the NS intervention, collaborative competence, cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital, and symptoms of depression (measured by the CESD-R-10). Individual participation in the NS had total and indirect effects on symptoms of depression via collaborative competence and both social capitals. These findings suggest that existing community-based interventions can be indirectly associated with better mental health outcomes in the ageing population.
The Impact of Different Obesogenic Diets on the Severity of the Obese Phenotype and Colon Health in Male C57Bl/6 Mice

THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT OBESOGENIC DIETS ON THE SEVERITY OF THE OBESE PHENOTYPE AND COLON HEALTH IN MALE C57BL/6 MICE Kyle Gordon Penton Roberton University of Guelph, 2018 Advisors: Dr. Krista Power, Dr. Lindsay Robinson High fat diets (HFDs) are commonly used to induce obesity in rodents, however the nutritional composition of these diets often vary dramatically and may result in variable effects on the obese phenotype. This thesis investigates how two commonly used HFDs (45%HFD (45% kcal from fat) and 60%HFD (60% kcal from fat)) differently affect aspects of the obese phenotype (adipose tissue dysfunction, metabolic dysregulation) and colon health (crypt histomorphology) when fed to 3week-old male C57Bl/6 mice for 12 weeks compared to lean mice consuming low fat diet (17%LFD; 17% kcal from fat). Mice consuming 60%HFD had increased adiposity, gonadal adipose tissue macrophage infiltration, biomarkers of metabolic dysfunction (serum insulin, leptin), endotoxemia, colon crypt height, and goblet cell density compared to mice consuming 45%HFD and 17%LFD. Overall, findings suggest that the severity of the obese phenotype, and colon health in mice were dependant on the nutritional composition of their respective HFDs.
Current Educational Practices from Multicultural Perspectives in Oromia Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges

The purpose of this study is to examine the current educational practices from multicultural perspective in secondary schools of Eastern Wollega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. To realize this, survey method was adopted to collect data from 5 experts, 10 principals, 51 teachers, and 102 students. The students were select randomly by using simple random sampling techniques while experts, principals, and teachers were selected by the availability sampling method. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collections. The collected data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, and narration of words. The findings revealed that respondents were highly aware of multicultural education. However, it was not implemented into educational practices. Furthermore, lack of skills, knowledge, negative attitude, and discrimination based on prejudices, ethnocentrism, politics, and religion were the main challenges. The study confirmed that establishing clubs could boost multicultural education awareness and positive attitude. It could also raise the students, teachers, and the society’s awareness about multicultural education. Teachers should encourage students in practicing tolerance and respecting differences. Furthermore, school principals and Oromia Education Bureau should create different mechanisms for nurturing multicultural education and creating a means to minimize discrimination. Finally, the study indicates the need for preparing teachers, students, and the school community to build unity within diversity and tolerance in the schools.
H∞ control for discrete‐time Markovian jump linear systems with partially uncertain transition probabilities

This work is concerned with the H∞ state‐feedback control for the discrete‐time Markovian jump systems with incomplete knowledge of transition probabilities. A less conservative criterion is proposed via linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) such that the considered systems are stochastically stable and have a prescribed H∞ disturbance attention level. Furthermore, based on the obtained results, a state‐feedback controller is presented via LMIs to guarantee the stochastic stability of the resulted closed‐loop system with a prescribed H∞ performance level γ. The number of the LMIs to be solved in the developed methods is much less than that in many existing methods. A numerical example and a practical example are provided to verify the effectiveness of the presented methods.
Quantum dynamics in low-dimensional topological systems

The discovery of topological matter has revolutionized the field of condensed matter physics giving rise to many interesting phenomena, and fostering the development of new quantum technologies. In this thesis we study the quantum dynamics that take place in low dimensional topological systems, specifically 1D and 2D lattices that are instances of topological insulators. First, we study the dynamics of doublons, bound states of two fermions that appear in systems with strong Hubbard-like interactions. We also include the effect of periodic drivings and investigate how the interplay between interaction and driving produces novel phenomena. Prominent among these are the disappearance of topological edge states in the SSH-Hubbard model, the sublattice confinement of doublons in certain 2D lattices, and the long-range transfer of doublons between the edges of any finite lattice. Then, we apply our insights about topological insulators to a rather different setup: quantum emitters coupled to the photonic analogue of the SSH model. In this setup we compute the dynamics of the emitters, regarding the photonic SSH model as a collective structured bath. We find that the topological nature of the bath reflects itself in the photon bound states and the effective dipolar interactions between the emitters. Also, the topology of the bath affects the single-photon scattering properties. Finally, we peek into the possibility of using these kind of setups for the simulation of spin Hamiltonians and discuss the different ground states that the system supports.
Dissection of enzymatic kinetics and elucidation of detailed parameters based on the Michaelis‐Menten model. Kinetic and thermodynamic connections

A computational procedure based on the numerical integration of the Michaelis‐Menten model of enzyme action, free of any restrictions of steady‐state conditions and substrate/enzyme ratios is proposed. The original Michaelis‐Menten data for invertase (Michaelis and Menten, 1913, Biochem Z. 49:333‐369) were reanalyzed. The surface and contour plots that were generated for substrate, free enzyme, complex, and product confirmed the model's usefulness. All energy potentials G and the “conformational drift parameter” δ involved in the enzymatic reactions were determined. Our findings indicate that at so = 0.0052 M the enzyme‐substrate (ES) complex present an energy of dissociation of GE + S➔ES = 15.0 kJ/mol and as so increases to 0.333 M, the GE + S➔ES value decreases to 5.0 kJ/mol, thereby decreasing its presence in solution. Overall, the ability to determine G and δ for each transition suggests a relationship between kinetics and thermodynamics. The analysis proposed here can be directly applied to chemical and biological situations, as well as industrial processes.
Bioreactor Processed Stromal Cell Seeding and Cultivation on Decellularized Pericardium Patches for Cardiovascular Use

(1) Background: Decellularized xenogeneic tissues are promising matrices for developing tissue-engineered cardiovascular grafts. In vitro recellularization of these tissues with stromal cells can provide a better in vivo remodelling and a lower thrombogenicity of the graft. The process of recellularization can be accelerated using a cultivation bioreactor simulating physiological conditions and stimuli. (2) Methods: Porcine pericardium was decellularized using a custom-built decellularization system with an optimized protocol. Autologous porcine adipose-derived stromal cells (PrASCs), isolated from the subcutaneous fat tissue, were used for recellularizing the decellularized pericardium. A custom cultivation bioreactor allowing the fixing of the decellularized tissue into a special cultivation chamber was created. The bioreactor maintained micro-perfusion and pulsatile pressure stimulation in order to promote the ingrowth of PrASCs inside the tissue and their differentiation. (3) Results: The dynamic cultivation promoted the ingrowth of cells into the decellularized tissue. Under static conditions, the cells penetrated only to the depth of 50 µm, whereas under dynamic conditions, the tissue was colonized up to 250 µm. The dynamic cultivation also supported the cell differentiation towards smooth muscle cells (SMCs). In order to ensure homogeneous cell colonization of the decellularized matrices, the bioreactor was designed to allow seeding of the cells from both sides of the tissue prior to the stimulation. In this case, the decellularized tissue was recolonized with cells within 5 days of dynamic cultivation. (4) Conclusions: Our newly designed dynamic bioreactor markedly accelerated the colonization of decellularized pericardium with ASCs and cell differentiation towards the SMC phenotype.
A New Proposed Pendulum-Like with Attraction-Repulsion mechanism Algorithm for Solving Optimization Problems

This work aims to contribute to the domain of new modification in electromagnetism-like (EM) algorithm, which will be referred to in this work as pendulum-like with attraction-repulsion mechanism algorithm (PA). PA algorithm has been constructed with the purpose of solving inverse kinematics (IK) problem. The proposed new algorithm mimics the concepts of a simple physical pendulum and is derived as a local search in order to promote the performance of the EM algorithm. Comparisons between the suggested PA with the available algorithms, such as genetic algorithm (GA) and EM were conducted using two mathematical test functions. On top of the testing, the PA algorithm is tested to solve the problem of IK for a four degree-of-freedom (DOF) planar robot. The simulation results indicate that the PA algorithm outperforms other approaches in terms of accuracy and the speed of convergence through the errors and the decreasing of objective with iterations as mention in presented tables and figures, on top of being able to successfully solve the IK problem with multiple robot configurations.
Silencing of lncRNA PVT1 ameliorates streptozotocin-induced pancreatic β cell injury and enhances insulin secretory capacity via regulating miR-181a-5p.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a kind of metabolic disorder characterized by long-term hyperglycemia. Accumulating evidence shows that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant roles in the occurrence and development of DM. This study intended to investigate the role of lncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in rat insulinoma (INS-1) cells damaged by streptozotocin (STZ) and to identify the potential mechanisms. Firstly, PVT1 expression in INS-1 cells was assessed using RT-qPCR after STZ stimulation. After PVT1-knockdown, cell apoptosis, the contents of oxidative stress-related markers and the changes of insulin secretion were detected. Results indicated that PVT1 was remarkably upregulated after STZ stimulation. PVT1-knockdown inhibited STZ-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis of INS-1 cells. Moreover, the insulin secretory capacity was notably elevated following PVT1 silencing. Subsequently, a luciferase reporter assay verified that miR-181a-5p was directly targeted by PVT1. The rescue assays revealed that miR-181a-5p inhibitor dramatically abrogated the effects of PVT1 silencing on oxidative stress, apoptosis and insulin secretion. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that PVT1-knockdown could ameliorate STZ-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and elevate insulin secretory capacity in pancreatic β cell via regulating miR-181a-5p, suggesting a promising biomarker in DM diagnosis and treatment.
The interplay between binge eating risk factors: Toward an integrated model

We aimed to assess the interplay between dietary restraint and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties as well as other well-known risk factors of binge eating in a community sample of women. Altogether 96 women (mean age 21.5 years; mean BMI 21.7) participated in the study using ecological momentary assessment. Structural equation modeling indicated that restraint and ER pathways are related yet operate independently in predicting binge eating in a unified model. ER difficulties moderated the effect of negative affect and fluctuations in negative affect in predicting binge eating while Neuroticism and preoccupation with body weight predicted binge eating indirectly.
Description of a New Species of Rhabdias (Nematoda: Rhabditida: Rhabdiasidae) from Ishigakijima Island, Okinawa, Japan

A new nematode species, Rhabdias kiri sp. nov., which is a lung parasite in a microhylid frog Microhyla okinavensis Stejneger, 1901 from Ishigakijima island in the Yaeyama Islands of Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan is described and illustrated. This new species differs from other congeners inhabiting East Asia and the Russian Far East in its features: i.e., shorter body length, slender body shape, narrower and shallower buccal capsule, shorter head diameter and cuticular inflation less prominent in the anterior and middle parts of the body. This is the first record of a frog parasite in Rhabdias from the Yaeyama Islands. Partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 12S rDNA genes were provided as DNA barcodes for the new species.
The Emergence and Spread of Practice-Based Medical Education Research Networks.

Educational research networks leverage shared goals and common infrastructure to overcome traditional barriers to medical education research, including small sample sizes, lack of generalizability, need for expertise in statistical analysis, and limitations on data sharing. The diversity of extant network models today is exciting and provides a set of common options and challenges that newly emerging networks can expect. These include decisions about network focus, organization of data, sampling strategies, funding, and governance. Common challenges include managing authorship, human-subjects protections rules, data use agreements, and statistical disclosure control. Medical education research networks both advance the field and develop the researchers who participate in them. The authors repeat the call that they and others have made for the development of networks to promulgate best practices and coordinate multi-network (multinational, multispecialty, and cross-curriculum) studies.
Coordinated virtual resistance and capacitance control scheme for accurate reactive power sharing and selective harmonic compensation in islanded microgrid

Line impedance mismatch and unregulated harmonic currents cause serious problems for an islanded microgrid, such as inaccurate reactive power sharing and voltage distortion at the point of common coupling (PCC). To overcome these issues, a coordinated virtual resistance and capacitance are introduced together with its control scheme for parallel distributed generation (DG) in an islanded microgrid. The proposed coordinated virtual impedance control scheme directly modifies the DG output impedance at the fundamental frequency to realise accurate current sharing among DG units. In addition, a variable harmonic impedance control loop is proposed for each DG to absorb the non-linear load harmonic current. Thanks to the proposed control scheme, the PCC harmonic voltage distortion is successfully compensated and power-sharing among DG units is accurately achieved. The stability of the microgrid system was analysed in detail to verify the feasibility of the coordinated virtual impedance control scheme. Experiments on a laboratory prototype microgrid are performed to validate the performance of the proposed control scheme.
Abundance of Coffee berry borer in feral, abandoned and managed coffee on Hawaii Island

Coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari), the most damaging insect pest of coffee worldwide, was first detected on Hawaii Island in 2010. Poorly managed, abandoned and feral coffee sites on the island have since been thought to harbour coffee berry borer (CBB) populations, which then negatively impact neighbouring coffee farms. In the present study, we sought to quantify CBB abundance in these sites, which vary in management intensity and vegetation structure and diversity. We collected data on trap catch as a measure of CBB flight activity, fruit production and fruit infestation by CBB in eight well‐managed farms and sites that were either poorly managed, abandoned or feral (wild) coffee. Sites were sampled bi‐weekly over a period of 2 years from 2016 to 2017. We found that CBB flight activity was significantly higher in poorly managed sites relative to abandoned and feral sites, but was not significantly different from well‐managed sites. Coffee production in well‐managed farms was significantly higher than in abandoned and feral sites, but was not significantly different from poorly managed farms. CBB infestation in poorly managed sites was significantly higher than that observed in well‐managed, abandoned and feral sites. We estimated an average load of 11–25 CBB per branch at poorly managed sites, compared to 3–9 per branch at well‐managed sites, 1–16 per branch at abandoned sites and 1–3 per branch at feral sites. Our findings suggest that poorly managed sites should be prioritized for implementation of CBB control measures as part of a landscape‐level integrated pest management (IPM) programme.
Probability models that relate nondestructive test methods to lumber design values of plantation loblolly pine

Within-grade variability in mechanical properties for visually graded lumber has led to increased deployment of nondestructive testing (NDT) methods, even though the relationships between static bending and NDTpredicted values are often highly variable. Dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEdyn) was measured using two acoustic velocity instruments and one transverse vibration instrument, along with specific gravity, for 819 pieces of visually graded loblolly pine lumber. Static modulus of elasticity (MOE) and bending strength (Fb) were measured via destructive testing. The probability of meeting design values was compared using (1) normal distribution linear and power regression models and (2) binomial distribution logistic regression models; the parameters of both models were fit using maximum likelihood estimation. For the normal distribution models, the standard error of the estimate, which ranged from 1.28 to 1.82 GPa for MOE and 4.47 to 5.07 MPa for Fb, was incorporated into predictions in order to calculate the probability of meeting design values. At 50 per cent probability, transverse vibration MOEdyn values of 10.9 (normal) and 11.0 (binomial) GPa would meet the No. 2 MOE design value (9.7 GPa). At probabilities of 75 per cent and 95 per cent, the required values were 12.1 and 13.8 (normal) GPa and 12.0 and 13.5 (binomial) GPa, respectively. The normal and binomial approaches required similar NDT values to meet thresholds, although the advantage of the normal approach is that the regression parameters do not need to be recalculated for each threshold value, but at the expense of increased model complexity.
Amelioration of isoniazid and rifampicin-induced liver toxicity by Amaranthus graecizans subsp. silvestris in rat

Amaranthus graecizans subsp. silvestris , a folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation, was used to evaluate its hepatoprotective potential against rifampicin and isoniazid-induced liver damage. Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: Group I served as control (distilled water treated), Group II served as hepatotoxic group (isoniazid 50 mg/kg and rifampicin 100 mg/kg, treated), Group III served as positive control (silymarin 100 mg/kg, treated) while Group IV served as A. graecizans subsp. silvestris extract (400 mg/kg) treated group. The results suggest that the liver markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin) were significantly increased in the animals of Group II. The methanolic extract showed a significant decrease in the raised liver enzymes of Group IV and encountered the liver damage caused by isoniazid and rifampicin. Histopathological examination of liver also revealed the improved architecture in the extract-treated group. Thus, the methanolic extract has potential liver protective action due to its phytochemicals. Video Clip of Methodology : 8 min 24 sec: Full Screen Alternate
Increasing Engagement in Regulatory Science: Reflections from the Field of Risk Assessment

While the demands for greater engagement in science in general and regulatory science in particular have been steadily increasing, we still face limited understanding of the empirical resonance of these demands. Against this context, this paper presents findings from a recent study of a potential participatory opening of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (“Bundesinstitut für Riskobewertung” [BfR]), a prominent regulatory scientific organization in the field of risk governance. Drawing upon quantitative surveys of the public and selected professional experts as well as in-depth qualitative expert interviews, we identify a general support for greater engagement in science-based risk assessment. However, we also find significant contestation concerning its potential enactment and its normative and strategic merit. Underlying these contestations, we identify the persistence of a normal view of science and decisionist understanding of risk assessment, which create conflicting legitimacy demands for BfR and other regulatory scientific organizations. Together with concerns about imbalances in the power to participate, especially in highly specialized engagement processes, these pose significant challenges for the institutionalization of more participatory practices.
In Vitro Rooting of Hybrid Rose (Rosa Carolina L.)Shoots and Subsequent Establishment

A successful in vitro propagation system has been developed for the valuable ornamental plant hybrid rose (Rosa carolina L.) by in vitro culture of shoot tips from mature plants. First shoot tip explants were excised and cultured on basal medium of Murashige and Skoog (1962) containing several concentrations of BAP and Kinetin. Multiple shoot formation of up to 3 shoots was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/l BAP. Induced microshoots was then tested for root initiation on full MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of Indolbutyric acid (IBA) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and the best root formation was observed on a medium containing 1.0 and 2.0 mg/l of IBA and 2.0 mg/l of NAA. The regenerated plants were successfully transplanted to the greenhouse and appeared similar characteristics to the parent plants in morphologic features.