Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bamboo Tali Leaf (Gigantochloa apus) Ethanol Extract

Inflammation is a physiological process that serves as a defense mechanism for the body against foreign substances, bacteria, or irritants. Inflammation can be cured with anti-inflammatory drugs. One of the plants that has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory agent is the bamboo leaf. This research aims to analyze the content of secondary metabolites, determine the inhibition value and IC50 value of the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves. Bamboo tali leaves were macerated using 96% ethanol and subjected to phytochemical screening. The extract was then tested for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro with the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein denaturation inhibition method. Bamboo tali leaf ethanol extract contains flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and phenols. The anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves with concentrations of 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 ppm had an inhibition percentage value of 23.14 ± 0.008%; 34.30 0.026%; 54.51 0.060%; 69.07 ± 0.006%; and 87.02 ± 0.021% with an IC50 value of 52.991 ppm. These results indicate that the ethanol extract of bamboo tali leaves has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory with a strong IC50 value below 100 ppm.
Effects of landscape change on corsac foxes in Mongolia

Landscape change affects the distribution of wildlife and represents a conservation concern, especially in Asia, which is experiencing rapid development. In Mongolia, mining, livestock grazing, infrastructure development and climate change represent major drivers of change that will impact habitats and few tools exist to predict how wildlife will respond. I examined the impacts of landscape change on the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) in a steppe region of Mongolia. The corsac fox occurs widely throughout northern Asia, but has experienced declines in many regions and remains one the least studied canids. I addressed two questions: 1) how do common features of a landscape, such as habitats, topography, herder camps, and roads, shape the distribution of the species? and 2) how will changes in those features affect distribution in the future? I collected locations of foxes from radio-collared animals, scat surveys, and opportunistic sightings in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, then used maximum likelihood methods and model selection techniques to develop a model that predicts occupancy probability. I then applied the model to simulations of landscape change. I collected 1,965 locations and examined 19 candidate models. The model with the most support indicated that occupancy is best described by the additive combination of shrublands, open plains, tall grasslands, and rocky habitat. Models with other covariates (camps, roads, and ruggedness) had little support. A Receiver-Operator-Characteristic plot of model performance had an Area Under the Curve of 77%, indicating that the model predicted occupancy better than expected by chance. Average occupancy across the reserve was 22% under current conditions. Incremental reductions in shrubland, open plains, and tall vegetation resulted in occupancy declines with average occupancy being 7%, 13%, and 14%, respectively, when these habitats were completely absent. The loss of all three habitats due to the desertification of the landscape through climate change resulted in an average occupancy of 7%. The results provide the first model of corsac fox occupancy, which can be used to quantitatively examine distribution and impacts of change in other parts of the species’ range. In Ikh Nart, results suggest that climate change poses the greatest threat to the species as it is expected to reduce high quality habitats and confine corsac foxes to areas with high competition from red foxes.
Liquid biofuel powering the sustainable transport with a low-carbon emission: a review

Energy consumption from transport has been increasing at a fast rate and become a major sector, which takes 29% of total global energy demand. Since transport energy consumption primarily relies on fossil fuels, it has resulted in serious carbon emissions and environmental degradation. Moreover, the volatility prices of fossil fuel and unstable international security have attracted keen interest for many developing and industrialized countries looking for sustainable and clean alternatives. Liquid biofuels, including but not limited to bioethanol, biodiesel, bio-jet fuel, are considered as the most promising alternative and more expansive role in powering sustainable transport, for its carbon neutral and low-emissions properties. Liquid biofuels contribute 4% of transport in 2020 and have been foreseen to continuously grow. Liquid biofuels can be produced by diverse technologies and commercialized in various ways, easy-adapt to technical and policy challenges. Major challenges include technical bottleneck, initial and operational cost, byproduct treatment, and associated environmental concern. This paper critically reviews: (1) Categories and production of different liquid biofuels; (2) Application scenarios of liquid biofuels; (3) Environmental impact assessment of liquid biofuels; (4) Opportunities and challenges of liquid biofuels; (5) Future perspectives. Each type of liquid biofuel requires specific production processes and has a strong correlation with biomass raw materials. Liquid biofuels find extensive applications in transportation, aviation, and other functional domains. In addition, the life cycle assessment of liquid biofuels is carried out from the numerous aspects of raw materials, pretreatment, production process, and application. Furthermore, this study analyzes the related policies, highlighting the challenges associated with the unstable supply of clean energy, raw materials, and quality control. Finally, the future perspectives of liquid biofuels were presented. This comprehensive review aims to provide a systematic understanding of liquid biofuels, covering their production and applications from multiple perspectives, while offering insights into future developments.
Performance and Efficiency of Public Sector in Independent Namibia

An analysis of the performance and efficiency of the Namibian government’s interventions after the end of the colonial era has been made in this study for the period 1990 to 2015. Using the Afonso et al. public sector performance (PSP) and public sector efficiency (PSE) method and the Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), the findings reveal a sluggishly improving efficiency in the public sector in Namibia. However, some performance indicators showed significant improvement, while others did not record any substantial improvement. Progress is recorded in government efforts and programmes to reduce inequality and poverty, but the outputs moved at a plodding pace. Programmes and policies to reduce unemployment failed to produce the expected outcomes. Additionally, technical progress has been very slow since independence, as reflected by the technical efficiency parameter. The findings suggest a need to improve the public sector’s performance and efficiency to ensure stability and accelerate growth in the previously colonized economies with the same features as Namibia. JEL Classification: H00, H11, H89, L38
Improved Visualization and Quantification of Net Water Uptake in Recent Small Subcortical Infarcts in the Thalamus Using Computed Tomography

Diagnosing recent small subcortical infarcts (RSSIs) via early computed tomography (CT) remains challenging. This study aimed to assess CT attenuation values (Hounsfield Units (HU)) and net water uptake (NWU) in RSSI and explore a postprocessing algorithm’s potential to enhance thalamic RSSI detection. We examined non-contrast CT (NCCT) data from patients with confirmed thalamic RSSI on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) between January 2010 and October 2017. Co-registered DW-MRI and NCCT images enabled HU and NWU quantification in the infarct area compared to unaffected contralateral tissue. Results were categorized based on symptom onset to NCCT timing. Postprocessing using window optimization and frequency-selective non-linear blending (FSNLB) was applied, with interpretations by three blinded Neuroradiologists. The study included 34 patients (median age 70 years [IQR 63–76], 14 women). RSSI exhibited significantly reduced mean CT attenuation compared to unaffected thalamus (29.6 HU (±3.1) vs. 33.3 HU (±2.6); p < 0.01). Mean NWU in the infarct area increased from 6.4% (±7.2) at 0–6 h to 16.6% (±8.7) at 24–36 h post-symptom onset. Postprocessed NCCT using these HU values improved sensitivity for RSSI detection from 32% in unprocessed CT to 41% in FSNLB-optimized CT, with specificities ranging from 86% to 95%. In conclusion, CT attenuation values and NWU are discernible in thalamic RSSI up to 36 h post-symptom onset. Postprocessing techniques, particularly window optimization and FSNLB, moderately enhance RSSI detection.
Simulations of Mid-Holocene Climate Using an Atmospheric General Circulation Model

The authors describe a first paleoclimatological application of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to simulate the climate state 6000 calendar years before present (6 kyr BP). Climate reconstructions for this period are performed with both fixed SSTs and with the AGCM coupled to mixed layer ocean and thermodynamic sea‐ice modules. The most important difference between this epoch and the present involves the increased surface heating and cooling of the continental land masses in the Northern Hemisphere during summer and winter, respectively, which are a consequence of the modified orbital configuration. A comparison of a fixed SST experiment with a calculated SST experiment, incorporating a thermodynamic representation of oceanic response, is performed to assess the impact on the mid-Holocene climate. The results are also contrasted with those obtained on the basis of proxy climate reconstructions during this mid-Holocene optimum period. Of interest in this calculated SST experiment is the impact on the seasonal cycle of sea‐ice distribution due to the increased insolation at high latitudes during Northern Hemisphere summer. Also important is the fact that the mixed layer ocean in the simulation is found to further enhance the monsoon circulation beyond the enhancement found to occur due to the influence of modified orbital forcing alone. This increased response is found to be a consequence of the sensitivity of tropical SST to the amplification of the seasonal cycle due to the change in insolation forcing that was characteristic of the midHolocene period.
An Imperfect Storm: Fat-Tailed Hurricane Damages, Insurance and Climate Policy

We perform two tests that estimate the thickness of the tails of the distribution of aggregate US hurricane damages. Both tests reject the hypothesis that the distribution of damages is thin tailed at the 95% confidence level, even after correcting for inflation, population, and per capita income growth. Our point estimates of the shape parameter of the damage distribution indicate that the distribution has finite mean, but infinite variance. In the second part of the paper, we develop a microfoundations model of insurance and storm size that generates fat tails in aggregate hurricane damages. In the model, the distribution of the number properties within a random geographical area that lies in the path of a hurricane drives fat tails in hurricane damages, and we confirm that the distribution of coastal city population is fat tailed in the US. We show empirically and theoretically that other random variation, such as the distribution of hurricane strength and the distribution of damages across individual properties do not generate fat tails. We consider policy options such as climate change mitigation, policies which encourage adaptation, reducing subsidies for coastal development, and disaster relief policies, which distort insurance markets. Such policies can reduce the thickness of the tail, but do not affect the shape parameter or the existence of the fat tail.
Determinants Of Human Development Index In Papua Province 2012-2021

The Human Development Index (HDI) aims to emphasize that a country's development assessment should be based on the capabilities of its population. Papua, as the province with the lowest HDI in Indonesia, reflects the poor level of living and human development in Papua. Although Papua is a special autonomous region that receives an allocation of funds, its public services and people's welfare still lag behind other provinces in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to understand how Special Autonomy Funds, Sharia Financing, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Average Length of School (ALS) affect the Human Development Index. This study uses Error Correction Model (ECM) as an analysis method. The results showed that ICT did not have a significant effect on HDI, Special Autonomy Fund had a negative influence in the short term and a positive influence in the long term, Average School Year had a positive influence in the short term and a negative influence in the long term, while Islamic Bank Financing had a positive influence both in the short and long term.