Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective Effects of Trans-Ferulic acid on Tamoxifen Induced Heptatic and Renal Oxidative Stress in Male Wister Albino Rat

This study was designed to assess the protective effects of trans-ferulic acid on tamoxifen induced hepatic and renal oxidative stress in male Wister albino rates using appropriate standard methods. Twenty four male albino rats were randomly divided into 4 (four) groups of 6 (six) animals each. Group A, B, C and D where group A is control animals group B and C animals were treated with 0.4 mg/kgof tamoxifen and100 mg/kg body weight of trans-ferulic acid respectively. Group D animals were simultaneously administered with 100 mg/kg of trans-ferulic acid and 0.4 mg/kg of tamoxifen for twenty one days. UV/VIS spectrophotometer was used for the analysis of indicators. A significant elevation was observed in plasma bilirubin, urea and creatinine by tamoxifen treated group with mean concentrations of 35.50 ± 1.8 mg/dl, 2.15±0.06 mg/dl and 7.80 ±9.29 mg/dl respectively, when observed with mean concentrations of control group 14.7±0.31 mg/dl, 0.98±0.05 mg/dl and 3.31±0.15 mg/dl. While the mean concentrations of trans-ferulicacid treatment were 21.2±0.36 mg/dl,1.07±0.03 and 3.65 mg/dl, significantly protected on the effects of the tamoxifen- induced. ALP, AST, ALT activities were also increased significantly (p<0.05) on mean concentration of 65±1.0 U/L, 11.08±0.12 U/L and 678.20±13.30 U/L in the treated group by tamoxifen respectively when viewed with the control (p<0.05) and trans-ferulic acid treatment reduced the increased enzyme activities by mean concentrations of 43.6±1.0, 5.54±0.26 U/L and. Furthermore, tamoxifen administration decreased the level of hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities by 32.5±2.30 µmole and 0.50±0.05µmole respectively when viewed with mean concentration of the control (49.0±1.15µmole and 1.37±0.02µmole) and trans-ferulic acid treatments significantly ameliorated the decreased in the hepatic enzymes activities (P<0.05) with mean valued 44.0±1.40 and 1.26 ± 0.05 µmole. Also the level of hepatic ascorbic acid was decreased significantly on treatment with tamoxifen by 41.7±2.9 U/L when compared with the mean concentration of the control (60.48±1.45 U/L), while treatment with trans-ferulic acid protected against the decreased level of ascorbic acid by 55.44±1.76 U/L. Moreover administration of tamoxifen caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in MDA by (97.9±6.9 U/L), while treatment with trans-ferulic acid protected against increased in the level of MDA to (22±0.70 U/L) . These study suggested that trans-ferulic acid reduced the effect of liver and kidney toxicity and induced stress posed by tamoxifen in rats.
An external-cavity wavelength-swept laser with a wide mode-hopping free tuning range based on Littman-Metcalf configuration

A no mode hopping and narrow linewidth external-cavity wavelength-swept laser (EC-WSL) based on a traditional Littman-Metcalf structure is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The wavelength scanning output range of the proposed laser without mode hopping is from 1520.82 nm to 1579.95 nm (namely, 59.13 nm). The narrow spectral linewidth less than 100 kHz is simultaneously realized. Meanwhile, the output power of the presented laser exceeding 14.8 dBm over the entire wavelength scanning range is obtained. In view of the good tuning characteristics, we achieved now, the proposed EC-WSL may be used in practical engineering fields such as gas detection.
Stochastic gradient geographical weighted regression (sgGWR): scalable bandwidth optimization for geographically weighted regression

Abstract GWR (Geographical Weighted Regression) is a widely accepted regression method under spatial dependency. Since the calibration of GWR is computationally intensive, some efficient methods for calibration were proposed. However, these methods require extensive computation environments or limit the class of kernel functions, limiting the applicability of GWR. To improve the applicability, we propose sgGWR (stochastic gradient GWR), an optimization approach for GWR based on stochastic gradient, which stochastically approximates cross-validation errors and applies gradient-based optimization methods. To achieve this, we show the analytical derivate of the GWR cross-validation error. sgGWR can handle a broader class of kernels than that by the existing scalable method, and we can benefit from it even high-performance computers cannot be accessed. Therefore, sgGWR fills in the gap that existing scalable methods do not cover. We examine the performances of sgGWR and the existing methods by simulation studies. Additionally, we apply sgGWR for the land price analysis for Tokyo, Japan. As a result, a spatio-temporal version of GWR has the best prediction performance, and it captures the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of regression coefficients.
Short-Term Electricity Futures Prices: Evidence on the Time-Varying Risk Premium

This paper examines empirically the relationship between electricity spot and futures prices, by analysing a decade of data for a set of short term-to-maturity futures contracts traded in the Nordic Power Exchange, Nord Pool. It is found that, on average, there are significant positive risk premiums in short-term electricity futures prices. The significance and size of the premiums, however, varies seasonally over the year; whereas it is greatest during winter, it is zero in summer. It is also found that time-varying risk premiums are significantly related to unexpectedly low reservoir levels. Furthermore, before the unprecedented supply-shock that hit the Nord Pool market around the end of year 2002, the variation of the risk premiums was related to the variance and the skewness of future spot prices. This result is consistent with the view that risk considerations played a role in the determination of futures prices. Finally, additional evidence provided throughout the paper supports the view that circumstances changed in the Nord Pool market after the shock period. Este trabajo estudia la relacion entre los precios de contado y a futuro de la electricidad a traves de un analisis empirico realizado sobre los precios a futuro a corto plazo negociados durante una decada en el mercado nordico de electricidad, Nord Pool. Los resultados indican que existen primas de riesgo positivas en media en los contratos de futuro a corto plazo. Sin embargo, la significatividad y tamano de las primas varia estacionalmente a lo largo del ano, siendo las de mayor tamano durante el invierno y nulas durante el verano. Tambien se encuentra evidencia significativa relativa a la capacidad explicativa de los niveles anormalmente bajos de las reservas hidraulicas sobre la variacion temporal de las primas de riesgo. Ademas, antes del shock de oferta que azoto el mercado Nord Pool a finales del ano 2002, la variacion de las primas de riesgo estaba relacionada con la varianza y asimetria de los precios futuros de la electricidad. Este resultado es coherente con la vision de que el riesgo se tomaba en consideracion en la determinacion de los precios a futuro. Finalmente, a lo largo de todo el documento se muestra evidencia adicional a favor de la opinion de que las cirscustancias cambiaron en el Nord Pool despues del periodo turbulento.
Paradox of relatively more phospholipids in phytoplankton in phosphorus limited sea

Marine life is threatened by global warming and its indirect consequences, which include, among others, increased stratification leading to phosphorus (P) and nitrogen depletion in the upper water column. Phosphorus plays a key role in all biochemical systems; storage of metabolic energy, formation of genetic material, and subcellular compartmentalization. Our multi‐year study of lipid biogeochemistry in the northern Adriatic (Mediterranean), which is becoming warmer and nutrient‐poorer, particularly regarding P, has shown that under conditions of P scarcity, phospholipids are relatively more abundant and smaller plankton cells dominate. Consistent with the field data, experiments with seven phytoplankton monocultures, comprising microplankton, nanoplankton, and picoplankton, confirmed a relatively higher phospholipid content in the smaller phytoplankton species and, in particular, an increase in those grown under stress conditions in general, including, unexpectedly, P‐limitation. We suggest two reasons for the observed “P paradox” of P‐limited phytoplankton: (1) cell geometry: volume of the plasma membrane relative to the volume of the entire cell is greater in smaller cells and, therefore, the proportion of plasma membrane phospholipids to intracellular lipids is greater in smaller cells, (2) higher proportion of densely packed saturated fatty acids found in stressful conditions, including P oligotrophy, additionally increase the proportion of membrane phospholipids relative to intracellular lipids. Our findings contribute to the understanding of P cycling in the sea. In addition, our data suggest that higher phospholipid export to deep waters is possible by smaller plankton.
Genetic Epidemiology of Longitudinal Change in Bone Mineral Density in Mexican Americans: The San Antonio Family Osteoporosis Study

Motivation: Bone mineral density (BMD), the principal determinant of bone strength and a risk factor for osteoporosis, is the net result of two processes: (i) the acquisition of peak BMD during young adulthood, and (ii) the subsequent rate of bone loss with age. While the genetics of peak BMD has been extensively studied, the specific genetic polymorphisms influencing peak BMD and the genetic contribution to bone loss are largely unknown. We investigated the extent to which genes influence 5-year change in BMD and searched for specific chromosomal regions influencing peak BMD and change in BMD in 1047 Mexican Americans from 34 large, multigenerational families. Methods: BMD measurements of the hip, spine, and forearm were collected at baseline and follow-up (3-8 years later, mean = 5.6 years) by dual-energy x-ray absoptiometry, from which annual BMD change was calculated. Pedigree-based maximum likelihood methods modeling the variance decomposition of longitudinal and cross-sectional measurements of BMD were used to estimate heritability (h²) and perform genome-wide linkage analysis (using a 7.6 cM genetic map) for BMD change and peak BMD. The effects of several environmental covariates, notably sex, age, weight, change in weight, and menopause, were simultaneously modeled.Results: We determined that change in BMD varied over time and could be categorized into two heritable (h² = 31% to 44%) phases: early adult bone loss in participants 45 years of age. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) influencing early bone loss was observed on chromosome 1q (LOD = 3.6) in the cohort 45 years. By comparing cross-sectional genetic analyses at baseline and follow-up, we identified QTLs on chromosomes 6q and 13q with consistent effects on peak BMD of the hip and showed that QTLs influencing peak BMD did not overlap with QTLs influencing bone loss.Public health significance: This work demonstrated the importance of genes in the etiology of osteoporosis, a growing public health problem. Understanding the genetic determinants of bone strength could lead to new biological targets for the treatment of osteoporosis, and/or the identification of persons at risk who would benefit from preventative interventions.
Expectations of manufacturing companies for suppliers regarding the improvement of their processes

The article presents the results of conducted empirical research in which an attempt was made to identify the expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers in terms of process (logistics customer service, supervision over property customer, production monitoring, supplier supervision) improvement. The research was conducted using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) technique. The research covered 150 production medium and large size companies (employing over 50 people) who were suppliers for enterprises from the automotive, electromechanical and chemical sectors operating in the Polish industrial market. The expectations of production companies towards their suppliers regarding improvement of processes concept were assigned a rank on a scale from one (the least important criterion) to five (the most significant). The analysis of the results of the conducted research shows that the implementation of management tools such as international organizational standards (ISO), Kaizen or Lean Management by companies that are purchasers may affect the expectations towards suppliers in terms of improving their processes. The considerations undertaken in this article confirm that in order to compete on the modern market, close cooperation and cooperation within the supply chain are needed. Representatives of the surveyed manufacturing companies notice this fact and set high expectations for their suppliers in virtually all the surveyed aspects. Conducted research shows that suppliers must pay special attention to the implementation of processes related to ensuring and improving the technical quality of products by focusing on improving control and supervision processes and logistical aspects of customer service. Proper implementation and improvement of these processes requires a methodical approach. Based on the obtained research results, managers of organizations supplying manufacturing companies can obtain important information that will be used to improve processes that are important from the point of view of their recipients. On this basis, they can make an optimal allocation of resources and modify the management style to improve cooperation with manufacturing companies.
Students’ L2 Writing Motivation and Self-Efficacy: A Case of Quality-Oriented Writing for Publication

A growing body of research has investigated students’ perceptions on corrective feedback in relation with their emotional state as well as satisfaction in writing, but few studies have considered students’ writing motivation and self-efficacy upon receiving corrective feedback on the same writing section of their scholarly manuscript. In this article, students’ perception of corrective feedback in relation with their writing motivation which in turn affects their writing self-efficacy are explored in the context of a scholarly article writing project. Drawing upon mixed qualitative studies of case study and auto-ethnography, learning portfolios and diaries were collected from three graduate students majoring in English Education Department, and were analyzed using open coding. The findings showed that students’ writing motivation and self-efficacy in the first attempts of writing scholarly articles to be optimistic and highly motivated. However, as the students received multiple major revisions on their introduction section of their article over a certain period of time, their writing motivation and self-efficacy declined significantly. Upon successfully meeting the instructor’s expectations on proper academic writing, some of the students’ writing motivation and self-efficacy seemed to incline back to its former state.
Lipidomic chemotaxonomy aligned with phylogeny of Halobacteria

Archaea play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles and are considered ancestral to eukaryotes. The unique lipid composition of archaea, characterized by isoprenoid alkyl chains and ether linkage to glycerol-1-phosphate, offers valuable insights into archaeal phylogeny and evolution. However, comprehensive studies focusing on archaeal lipidomes, especially at the intact polar lipid level, are currently limited. Here, we built an in-house library of archaeal lipids by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry, which was integrated with bioinformatics and molecular network analyses. Seven halobacterial strains, representing three distinct orders, were cultured under identical conditions to investigate their lipidomes. A total of 162 features were identified, corresponding to 107 lipids that could be assigned to different strains. Clustering analyses of both core lipids and total lipids matched the phylogeny of Halobacteria at the order level. Notably, lipids such as triglycosyl diether-phosphatidyl acid and bis-sulfate glycosyl lipids were specific to particular groups and could serve as diagnostic intact lipid biomarkers for Halobacteria. Furthermore, the analysis of network-coordinated features facilitated the linkage of unknown lipid compounds to phylogeny, which promotes a lipidome to phylogeny matchup among three Haloferax strains, thereby expanding the knowledge of the halobacterial lipidome. Our study provides a comprehensive view of the lipidomes of the seven strains of Halobacteria and highlights the potential of lipidomics for studying archaeal phylogeny.
The diffusive fluxes of inorganic nitrogen across the intertidal sediment- water interface of the Changjiang Estuary in China

Ammonium and nitrate concentrations were analyzed in near-bottom water and pore water collected from ten stations of the intertidal flat of the Changjiang Estuary during April, July, November and February. The magnitudes of the benthic exchange fluxes were determined on the basis of concentration gradients of ammonium and nitrate at the near-bottom water and interstitial water interface in combination with calculations of a modified Fick’s first law. Ammonium fluxes varied from-5.05 to 1.43 μg/(cm 2 ·d) and were greatly regulated by the production of ammonium in surface sediments, while nitrate fluxes ranged from-0.38 to 1.36 μg/(cm 2 ·d) and were dominated by nitrate concentrations in the tidal water. It was found that ammonium was mainly released from sediments into water columns at most of stations whereas nitrate was mostly diffused from overlying waters to intertidal sediments. In total, 823.75 t/a ammonium-N was passed from intertidal sediments to water while about 521.90 t/a nitrate-N was removed from overlying waters to intertidal sediments. This suggests that intertidal sediments had the significant influence on modulating inorganic nitrogen in the tidal water.
Measurement of bed load velocity using an acoustic Doppler current profiler

A new technique has been developed to measure the apparent velocity of bed load (\Iυ\da\N) using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The technique involves estimating the bias in bottom tracking due to a moving bottom. Mean \Iυ\da\N measured at sampling stations in the gravel-bed Fraser River correlated well (\Ir²\N=0.93, \in=9) with mean bed load transport rates measured using conventional samplers. Mean \Iυ\da\N was also correlated (\Ir²\N=0.44, \in=19) with boundary shear stress estimated by a log-law fit to the mean velocity profile. Estimates of \Iυ\da\N from individual 5 s ensemble averages were extremely variable: the coefficient of variation for a sampling station ranged from 1.0 to 6.4, and 25 min of sampling were required to achieve stable estimates of the mean and coefficient of variation (within 5% error). Variance was due to both real temporal variability of transport and measurement error. The mechanisms that produce this variability are discussed and preliminarily quantified.
Atmospheric circulation characteristics associated with daytime extreme static instability over Athens, Greece

The main atmospheric circulation characteristics associated with extreme static instability conditions over the Athens region were examined for the period 1974−2012. The data used consist of daily values of: (1) upper air temperature and dew point, precipitation and cloud cover in Athens and (2) 2.5° × 2.5° 1000 and 500 hPa geopotential heights (GH) and sea level pressure (SLP) over the Mediterranean region, for the period 1974−2012. The stability index K (K-index) was calculated from upper air measurements, and the 5% of the days with the highest K values were selected for both the cold and the warm periods of the year. These days were classified into clusters according to the corresponding GH patterns, using factor analysis and K-means cluster analysis. Results show 9 and 5 clusters for the cold and the warm periods, respectively. The mean 500 hPa GH and SLP patterns were constructed and the cloud cover and precipitation characteristics were investigated for the days classified under each cluster. For the cold period, the main atmospheric circulation factors that are responsible for extreme instability levels are the cyclonic activity in the central Mediterranean, and the warm and humid southeasterly surface flow over Athens; extreme instability is associated with high values of cloud cover, as well as of precipitation amount and frequency of precipitation events. For the warm period, upper air disturbances and the presence of corresponding cold air masses are the main factors leading to extreme instability conditions, while cloud cover and precipitation are relatively lower than during the cold period.
INITIAL EVALUATION OF FLAME QUENCHING MODELING IN FLAMEFOAM

During a severe accident, containment integrity is threatened by a possible hydrogen explosion. Hydrogen flame can be accelerated or quenched depending on the mixture, turbulence, and geometry. At present, turbulence and steam effects on flame acceleration, deceleration, and quenching are not well reproduced by the combustion models usually implemented in the tools relevant to nuclear safety. flameFoam is our custom open-source turbulent premixed combustion solver for OpenFOAM framework. It was developed to perform fast and adequately accurate technical simulations using RANS and TFC modeling approaches. However, in such a framework, there is no accepted flame quenching model. The most common model is based on the flame stretch effect and estimates the probability that the stretching will not quench the flame. This model is parametrized by the critical rate of strain. This model has been recently implemented in flameFoam. This paper presents the initial validation of the implemented model based on ENACCEF facility experiments available from the SARNET2 project. Results obtained with and without quenching modeling are presented and compared. The sensitivity of the obtained results to the critical rate of strain is examined in the simulations with flame quenching. Initial validation shows that the implemented model shows high sensitivity to the critical rate of strain parameter, however, this parameter is not well defined and can be used to fit the simulation results. Implemented model tends to quench the flame in the high turbulence areas, mainly the acceleration tube of the ENACCEF facility, but underestimates the quenching intensity at the exit to the dome. This results in unsatisfactory simulations outcome, showing that quenching modeling under severe accident-relevant conditions in the given framework requires further development.
Effects of Long-Term Natural No-Tillage on Soil Physiochemical Properties in Rice/Wheat Rotation Systems

Through fieldwork,investigated the effects of long-term natural no-tillage on soil physiochemical properties in rice/wheat rotation systems from different years no-tillage soil,the results showed that: under rice/wheat rotation systems,long-term no-tillage of mulching with straws had some effects on soil physiochemical properties.Soil bulk density decreased with no-tillage years in 0～15 cm soil layer,then stabilized after 7～8 years,while there were no effects in 15～30 cm soil layer.Soil aggregate degree increased with no-tillage years, especially in the surface layer.Except available potassium,the contents of organic matter,total nitrogen,available nitrogen and phosphorus also increased with no-tillage years,and the surface gathering phenomenon was obviously.