Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF INHALATION OF PYRETHROID-CONTAINING MOSQUITO REPELLENT MATS ON THE LIVER OF THE ADULT AND GROWING MALE ALBINO RATS

Pesticide have been used extensively for agricultural. domestic and industrial purpose (Hayes and Laws, 1991). Pyrethroid insecticides are synthetic analogues of the natural pyrethrins contained in flowers of genus Chrysanthemum (Leahey,1985). In recent years. pyrethroids have been used widely due to their good insecticidal activity and low mammalian toxicity (Hutson and Roberts, 1985). However. their wide spread use. their high nonselective potency and their considerable stability in the environment make them potentially harmful (Gassner et at, 1997). In addition.they are commonly used in mosquito repellents to protect the human population. either by impregnating bednets with pyrethroids (Huailu et al., 1995) or in the form of vaporizing mats. coils. scented sticks and liquidators (Miyamoto andKearney, 1983; Warui, 1992). Because these repellants are used routinely overnight.it may allow human to inhale vapors that may be harmful especially to children due to the immature blood - brain barrier (BBB) and metabolic inefficiency compared to adults (Sheets et at, 1994). Several experimental studies demonstratedthat young mammals were generally more sensitive than adults to the acute toxicity of insecticides (Pope and Liu, 1997; Moser and Padilla, 1998). However. very few studies have evaluated age· related differences in response to chronic exposure to lower doses of these insecticides. Eriksson (1997) proved that low - dose exposure to both persistent and non-persistent environmental agents. e.g. pyrethroids, nicotine and paraquat. during the neonatal growth spurt period could lead to functional abnormalities of the brain during adulthood. Encephalopathies in children have been reported following the use of insect repellent containing Ienvalerate. which is a pyrethroid pesticide (Garrettson, 1997; Osmitz and Murphy, 1997). Studies of Gupta et at (1999) exhibited a significant effect of pyrethroid pesticides on BBB, liver and kidney functions. Changes in the BBBpermeability (Srinivas et al., 1993), free-radical generation and oxidative stress (Bagchi et at, 1995) as well as affection of mitochondrial and microsomal function (Yamano and Morita, 1995) are amongIhe suggested mechanisms by which these pesticides may exert their toxicity. The aim of this work is to study the possible histological changes and their reversibility that may occur in the liver of the adult and growing male albino rats following chronic inhalation of commercially available pyrethroid-containing mosquito repellent mats (Ezalo mats).
Genotoxic effect of Phenanthrene on Chironomus sancticaroli (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Phenanthrene, a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, remains adsorbed to sedimentary particles in aquatic environments. It affects mainly benthic organisms, and is considered potentially genotoxic. In ecotoxicology, species of Chironomus Meigen, 1803 are widely known as bioindicators of the effects of chemicals on aquatic organisms. This study investigates the effects of phenanthrene on the size of the head capsule of Chironomus sancticaroli Strixino & Strixino, 1981 larvae after chronic (eight days) exposure, and DNA damage after acute (96 hours) and chronic exposure (eight days), under laboratory conditions. DNA damage, evaluated using the alkaline comet assay, detected effects for both exposure periods, indicating that phenanthrene is toxic for C. sancticaroli. For the acute exposure, we analyzed five concentrations of phenanthrene, between 0.16 mg.l-1 and 1.60 mg.l-1, detecting significant differences (Kruskall-Wallis test with p < 0.05) in the degree of DNA damage in all groups. These effects were not dose-dependent. For the chronic exposure, two concentrations (0.16 mg.l-1, 0.83 mg.l-1) were analyzed, and DNA damage was observed in both. Again, the effects were not dose-dependent. This indicates that phenanthrene is genotoxic to larvae of C. sancticaroli even at low concentrations. The size of the head capsule was evaluated after chronic exposure to concentrations of 0.16 mg.l-1 and 0.83 mg.l-1. Significant differences (ANOVA test with p < 0.05) were detected in the two concentrations, and a reduction in the size of the larval head capsule was observed. This suggests that phenanthrene causes delay in larval development. These results indicate that phenanthrene affects the development of and causes DNA damage in C. sancticaroli larvae. Therefore, we suggest that C. sancticaroli can be used as a biological indicator for environmental contamination with phenanthrene.
Mining micro-blogging users’ interest features via fingerprint generation

Nowadays, micro-blogging is widely used as a communication and information sharing social network service, therefore mining micro-blogging users’ behavior features is very important both in the economic and social fields. A framework for the analysis of user’s interest features is proposed in this paper. After data cleaning, word segmentation, POS(part of speech) filtering and synonym merging, the keywords that called terms of all the tweets posted by a typical user in 2011 are extracted. Then VSM(vector space model) is used to generate the feature vector of the tweets from these terms. Furthermore, a k-bit binary called fingerprint is generated from the high dimensional feature vector of the tweets by use of Simhash algorithm. The micro-blogging user’s interest features and change patterns could be detected by analyzing the fingerprint sequences and the distance between the adjacent two fingerprints. Taking Sina micro-blogging as background, a series of experiments are done to prove the effectiveness of the algorithms. Keywords-micro-blogging;interest feature; tweet; fingerprint
Money Demand Determinants and Stability in Yemen: An ARDL Approach to Cointegration

This paper investigates the determinants and stability of narrow and broad real money demand functions in Yemen. The ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration and error correction modeling were applied to quarterly data covering the period from 2001Q1 to 2013Q4. The empirical results suggest the existence of long-run relationships between real money balances (M1 and M2), and their determinants including real income, inflation rate, and exchange rate. The elasticity coefficients of the real income and inflation rate bear the predicted positive and negative signs respectively and found to be statistically significant. The dominance of the currency substitution effect is reflected in the negative sign of the elasticity coefficient of exchange rate. In addition, CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests support the stability of both M1 and M2 models during the estimation period.
Factors Affecting the Intentions to Use RFID Subcutaneous Microchip Implants for Healthcare Purposes

Abstract Background and Purpose: While there are many studies regarding the adoption of Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID), only a few of them deal with RFID subcutaneous microchip (RFID-SM) usage by individuals. After the first in vivo tests conducted on volunteers from 1998 to 2000, the use of RFID-SM in healthcare remains limited. This study examines the likelihood of adopting RFID-SM in healthcare from the end user’s point of view. Design/Methodology/Approach: The aim of this paper is to develop and evaluate the model for analysing the acceptance of RFID-SM adoption. An extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for RFID-SM adoption is proposed and empirically tested in a cross-sectional study. Online survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 531 respondents. In addition to the three original components of TAM (Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Behavioural Intentions to Use), three external variables (Health Concerns, Perceived Trust, and Age) were also included in the model. The model was validated with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques. Results: Perceived Usefulness has a significant impact on behavioural intentions to adopt RFID-SM in the future, while the influence of Perceived Ease of Use is not significant. The most influential external variable is Perceived Trust, indicating the lack of confidence in personal data security ensured by the state and other institutions. As expected, Health Concerns factor has a negative effect on the Perceived Trust and Perceived Usefulness of RFID-SM. Conclusion: The results of the empirical study prove that all external variables considered in the model significantly influence the RFID-SM adoption. The Perceived Ease of Use is irrelevant to the attitude towards the RFID-SM adoption. In addition to the proposed model, the analysis of gathered data shows that the positive attitude toward the use of RFID-SM in healthcare is rising.
Floquet analysis of secondary instability of boundary layers distorted by Klebanoff streaks and Tollmien-Schlichting waves

Previous studies of the interaction between boundary layer streaks and Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves have shown puzzling effects. Streaks were shown to reduce the growth rate of primary TS waves and, thereby, to delay transition; however, they can also promote transition by inducing a secondary instability. The outcome of the interaction depends on the spanwise wavelength and intensity of the streaks as well as on the amplitude of the TS waves. A Floquet analysis of secondary instability is able to explain many of these features. The base state is periodic in two directions: it is an Ansatz composed of a saturated TS wave (periodic in x) and steady streaks (periodic in z). Secondary instability analysis is extended to account for the doubly periodic base flow. Growth rate computations show that, indeed, the streak can either enhance or diminish the overall stability of the boundary layer. The stabilizing effect is a reduction in the growth rate of the primary two-dimensional TS wave; the destabilizing e.
Laser Processing Gold Interconnectors for Anti-Erosion Protection from Atomic Oxygen in Space

Under processing condition that were the average power of 20 W, repetition frequency of 2 kHz, pulse width of 80 ns, spot diameter less than 20 μm, cutting speed of 10 mm/s, we succeeded in making 300 μm thick gold interconnectors for solar cell panels, by utilizing an optical fiber laser with high power density. These interconnectors could effectively prevent the oxidation corrosion from atomic oxygen in space, meanwhile reduce ohm-contact and series resistance of electrodes. Therefore, both the performance and stability of solar cell could be significantly improved.
Much Ado About Nothing? Estimating the Impact of a U.S. Slowdown on Thai Growth

External demand was the main driver of growth in Thailand in 2006 and 2007. However, WEO projections indicate moderating foreign demand in 2008, with U.S. growth being revised downwards to reflect the turmoil in housing and credit markets, and high oil prices. While the share of Thai exports to the US has fallen in recent years, the US remains Thailand's largest export destination. We use a small structural model and Bayesian estimation to assess the possible impact of a U.S. slowdown on Thai growth. We find that a 1 percent slowdown in U.S. growth in 2008 - relative to the baseline forecast - could have an upper-bound impact on Thai GDP growth of 0.9 percentage points.
A study on interaction effect among risk factors of delirium using multifactor dimensionality reduction method

Abstract Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder accompanying symptoms of hallucination,drowsiness, and tremors. It has high occurrence rates among elders, heart diseasepatients, and burn patients. It is a medical emergency associated with increased mor-bidity and mortality rates. Thatˇs why early detection and prevention of delirium aresigni cantly important. And This mental illness like delirium occurred by complex in-teraction between risk factors. In this paper, we identify risk factors and interactionsbetween these factors for delirium using multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR)method.Keywords: Delirium, multifactor dimensionality reduction, risk factors. 1. Introduction Studies about human diseases has been continuously conducted in medical and biologicalresearch (Lee et al., 2010a). Especially in recent times, due to increasing proportion ofmental disorders such as depression, associated studies are actively pursued. Among them,delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome that accompanies a wide range of symptoms such ascognitive impairment, hyperactivity, hallucinations, nervousness and tremors (Brown et al.,2002). It’s a sudden occurrence of physical and mental confusion and a drastic alternation ofbrain function. These symptoms are temporary phenomenons that they usually disappearfollowing elimination of delirium. However, since hyperactivity in a confusion state mightappear as a symptom of diseases associated with life that it requires close examination.Commonly about 20 percent of hospitalized patients experience delirium and delirium rate
Biochemical and molecuar marker based screening of seed longevity in soybean [Glycine max ( L.) Merill ]

The soybean seed is highly susceptible to field weathering and mechanical damage which adversely affect its longevity. Mechanical injury can occur at any time during harvesting, drying and storage conditioning of seeds. The seed coat color and leachate conductivity of soybean has been correlated with seed longevity and black seed coat color has been reported to be positively correlated with better seed longevity. In order to understand the physico-chemical attributes related to soybean seed longevity, biochemical and molecular analysis of the parents exhibiting black (Birsasoya-1) and yellow seed coat colour (EC 241780) and the eleven F3 progenies of the cross exhibiting brown, yellow and black seed coat colour was carried out. The results revealed that vita-E, lignin, calcium content and activity of antioxidative enzymes appeared to be positively correlated with soybean seed longevity and levels were higher in black and brown seed coat color progenies. The lipid peroxidation rate was inversely related to membrane injury caused by ROS and comparatively much less lipid peroxidation rate was recorded in black and brown seed coat colour parents and progenies having better seed longevity. The SSR primers Satt162, Satt523 and Satt453 which are either linked with seed coat colour and seed permeability exhibited a specific size allelic fragments in soybean genotypes and crosses with better seed longevity.
Small-molecules as regulatory T cell modulators: A pilot screen

Backround and aims: Regulatory T cells are widely recognized as key players of immune control and have been shown to function in many immune related diseases. This has lead to intensive research efforts and high hopes for novel therapeutic and diagnostic measures. We aimed to develop methods suitable for high-throughput expression analysis from low cell counts and to discover small-molecules and key signalling pathways critical to regulatory T cell function. Methods: Solid-phase mRNA extraction, quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometric methods were developed, optimized and applied using automated workstations to a screening assay for small-molecules able to modulate ex vivo human T cells. Results: A functional protocol for high-throughput capable gene expression analysis in low cell counts was produced. We were able to show that the selected methods were applicable and well suited for the planned screening purpose, producing reliable and reproducible data from a complex model. As a result we identified several small-molecule compounds of interest able to modify regulatory T cell phenotype. Conclusions: Regulatory T cell modifiers can be identified using the methods described in this work, and the results presented here indicate that large scale screening of such molecules is feasible. Suitability of the discovered compounds for potential diagnostic or therapeutic purposes need to be assessed in further studies.
Who Pays More: Public, Private, Both or None? The Effects of Health Insurance Schemes and Health Reforms on Out-of-Pocket and Catastrophic Health Expenditures in Turkey

This study explores the determinants and characteristics of the out-of-pocket to capacity to pay and catastrophic health expenditures in Turkey using a detailed micro-level survey, the Household Budget Survey during the period 2002-2011. The results show that those who have public health insurance are less likely to face out-of-pocket to capacity to pay and catastrophic health expenditures, than those with private or without health insurance. In addition, the study explores the expansion of the health reform of 2003, where in 2008 the Green Card (Yesil Kart) holders are entitled, without fee, to the same services as those with public health insurance such as Emekli Sandigi, BAĞ-KUR, SSK. The analysis employs a differences-in-differences approach using a pseudo-panel based on propensity score matching. The results support that the difference of pocket health expenditures between the public health insurers and green card holders has been reduced. Furthermore, those who are located in rural areas are compared with those residing in urban areas, as the health reform in 2008 included expansion and improvement on the emergency services and infrastructure in rural areas.
Flexible beam analysis of the effects of string tension and frame stiffness on racket performance

It is generally accepted that a decrease in string tension leads to greater racket power and an increase in tension improves racket control. The increase in power at low string tension can be attributed partly to a decrease in energy loss in the ball and partly to a decrease in the vibrational energy transferred to the racket. Racket control is affected if the ball strikes the strings towards one edge of the frame, in which case the racket will rotate about the long axis through the handle. The angle of rotation is decreased when the string tension is increased. Quantitative estimates of the magnitude of these effects are presented, using a one dimensional flexible beam model to describe the racket and springs to model the ball and strings. For tensions in the range 50–60 lb (220–270 N), commonly used in tennis rackets, and for a ball incident at right angles to the string plane, changes in racket power and control are essentially negligible. However, a significant increase in racket power can be achieved by increasing the stiffness of the racket frame.
User Verifiable Multiple Keyword Search Scheme using the Merkle Tree for Outsourced Data in the Cloud

Cloud computing has revolutionized the IT industry by offering huge storage for data outsourcing and also for computation. Various security issues concerned with security and privacy of data arise in the context of data outsourcing. The framework enables clients to outsource encrypted data to the cloud, enables users to retrieve preferred documents using multiple keywords and allows the user to verify the response from the server. The strength of the proposed model relies on the discrete logarithmic problem of Hyper Elliptic Curve Cryptography (HECC) and the security of Merkle trees. The paper proposes a user verifiable multi-keyword search scheme, which focuses on: (i) construction of inverted index for the documents with keywords; (ii) index and document encryption by HECC; (iii) index and document authentication by the Merkle tree; and (iv) verification of the accuracy of response from server by top hash or root hash value of the Merkle tree. Security analysis and results demonstrate the correctness of proposed multiple keyword search (MKS) scheme. The search algorithm combined with the hash value verification process by the Merkle tree is strong enough to provide data security, privacy, and integrity. The proposed model reduces the storage overhead on both the client’s and user’s side. As the number of documents increases, the retrieval time is less, which reduces the storage overhead on both sides.
Helicopter rotor blade modal tuning using internal preloads

There are many benefits of variable speed rotors if the associated dynamics problems can be alleviated. Existing passive and active methods are unsuitable due to their mass/power requirements and effectiveness over the necessary frequency range. The concept of inducing controlled ‘stress softening’ to alter the natural frequencies of a rotating structure in a vacuum and in turn avoid resonance is explored in this research. This paper presents an experimental and computational demonstration of this concept in the context of a small scale rotor blade representation. The model is successfully validated away from and within regions of coupling in which veering was present, and was therefore used to assess the effectiveness of the concept on full sized rotorcraft blades. Full scale assessment demonstrated that adequate separation can be achieved without requiring excessively large forces. The aim of the research is to create a semi-active method for the alteration of the blade’s resonant frequencies to avoid resonance within a range of rotor speeds.
Marker Detection in Aerial Images

Marker Detection in Aerial Images Yazeed Alharbi The problem that the thesis is trying to solve is the detection of small markers in high-resolution aerial images. Given a high-resolution image, the goal is to return the pixel coordinates corresponding to the center of the marker in the image. The marker has the shape of two triangles sharing a vertex in the middle, and it occupies no more than 0.01% of the image size. An improvement on the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) is proposed, eliminating the majority of baseline HOG false positives for marker detection. The improvement is guided by the observation that standard HOG description struggles to separate markers from negatives patches containing an X shape. The proposed method alters intensities with the aim of altering gradients. The intensity-dependent gradient alteration leads to more separation between filled and unfilled shapes. The improvement is used in a two-stage algorithm to achieve high recall and high precision in detection of markers in aerial images. In the first stage, two classifiers are used: one to quickly eliminate most of the uninteresting parts of the image, and one to carefully select the marker among the remaining interesting regions. Interesting regions are selected by scanning the image with a fast classifier trained on the HOG features of markers in all rotations and scales. The next classifier is more precise and uses our method to eliminate the majority of the false positives of standard HOG. In the second stage, detected markers are tracked forward and backward in time. Tracking is needed to detect extremely blurred or distorted markers that are missed by the previous stage. 5 The algorithm achieves 94% recall with minimal user guidance. An average of 30 guesses are given per image; the user verifies for each whether it is a marker or not. The brute force approach would return 100,000 guesses per image.
Right- and left-handed twist in optical fibers

The effect of twist-induced variation of the output state of polarization on clockwise and counterclockwise torsion was measured in two standard optical fibers made by different manufacturers. It was found that standard fiber samples may exhibit a different twist-induced polarization performance for right- and left-handed twists. In this work we compare the results obtained for two commercial fibers using linearly polarized input signals with azimuth angles between 0 and 150o, within the 1520-1570 nm spectral range. In all cases these results could be described using the same theoretical model. We demostrate that the different behavior observed for right- and left-handed twists for one of the samples can be explained by the presence of a residual torsion.