Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors of Development Actions Sustainability In Agriculture: The Case of Innovation Platforms on Mango In Benin

In the aim to cope with the invasion of fruit flies Bactrocera dorsalis that causes significant losses in mango orchards, the Regional Plan project against Fruit Flies (RPFF) in West Africa has disseminated four technologies since 2014. The technologies previously developed were namely the use of the GF-120 treatment product, the collection and burial of infected mangoes (sanitary method), the method of fruit flies mass trapping and the method of ants weavers use. In support to the dissemination of these technologies in order to increase and sustain their adoption, three innovation platforms were set up in November 2015 throughout all Benin subdivided into three regions: the south-central region, the Atacora-Donga region and the Borgou-Alibori region. This study aimed to assess the state of operation and evolution of these innovation platforms since their creation. The methodology used was essentially qualitative and based on the Structure-ConductPerformance (SCP) paradigm. The information and data were collected on each platform through focus group sessions first with the executive committee and then with the actors of the mango sector in at least two Communes covered by the platform. The results revealed that the actors have strongly appreciated the initiative of innovation platforms setting up, but these didn’t really work. The actors are still unaware of the expected mode of operation of the platforms as well as the executive committees ignored the strategies they could usein their respective areas. The structural reorganization and the definition of a governance mechanism adapted to the platforms remained necessary.
Management of Oral Habits in Children-A review

Oral habits since long have been the topic of interest to the dentist in general and paediatric dentist and orthodontist in particular. The controversies related to oral habits range from the simple genetic or non-genetic origin to underlying psychological cause. Oral habits, if persist beyond certain developmental age, can pose great harm to the developing teeth, occlusion, and surrounding oral tissues. These habits might be non-nutritive sucking (thumb, finger, pacifier and/or tongue), lip biting and bruxism events. Tongue thrust is the most common of them, these habits can result in damage to dento-alveolar structure hence causes and its management plan is important to every clinician. Vast number of studies have explored the prevalence of oral habits in young children worldwide to develop an effective preventive community measure to stop the development of these habits. Clinicians, by proper differential diagnosis and thorough understanding of natural growth and developmental processes, should take a decision for intervening. This review aims to understand the etiology behind the development of these oral habits to combat the problem from the root.
Preparation of Co-Processed Excipients for Controlled-Release of Drugs Assembled with Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Direct Compression Materials

The purpose of the study was to develop a novel, directly compressible, co-processed excipient capable of providing a controlled-release drug system for the pharmaceutical industry. A co-processed powder was formed by adsorption of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as a controlled-release film onto a functional excipient, in this case, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DPD), for direct compression (Di-Tab®). The co-processed excipient has advantages: easy to implement; solvent-free; industrial scaling-up; good rheological and compressibility properties; and the capability to form an inert platform. Six different batches of Di-Tab®:SLN weight ratios were prepared (4:0.6, 3:0.6, 2:0.6, 1:0.6, 0.5:0.6, and 0.25:0.6). BCS class III ranitidine hydrochloride was selected as a drug model to evaluate the mixture’s controlled-release capabilities. The co-processed excipients were characterized in terms of powder rheology and dissolution rate. The best Di-Tab®:SLN ratio proved to be 2:0.6, as it showed high functionality with good flow and compressibility properties (Carr Index = 16 ± 1, Hausner Index = 1.19 ± 0.04). This ratio could control release for up to 8 h, so it fits the ideal profile calculated based on biopharmaceutical data. The compressed systems obtained using this powder mixture behave as a matrix platform in which Fickian diffusion governs the release. The Higuchi model can explain their behavior.
EVs from BALF—Mediators of Inflammation and Potential Biomarkers in Lung Diseases

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as key messengers of intracellular communication in health and disease, including the lung. EVs that can be found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) are released by multiple cells of the airways including bronchial epithelial cells, endothelial cells, alveolar macrophages, and other immune cells, and they have been shown to mediate proinflammatory signals in many inflammatory lung diseases. They transfer complex molecular cargo, including proteins, cytokines, lipids, and nucleic acids such as microRNA, between structural cells such as pulmonary epithelial cells and innate immune cells such as alveolar macrophages, shaping mutually their functions and affecting the alveolar microenvironment homeostasis. Here, we discuss this distinct molecular cargo of BALF-EVs in the context of inducing and propagating inflammatory responses in particular acute and chronic lung disorders. We present different identified cellular interactions in the inflammatory lung via EVs and their role in lung pathogenesis. We also summarize the latest studies on the potential use of BALF-EVs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of lung diseases, especially of lung cancer.
Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solutions Using a High Specific Surface Area Porous Carbon Derived from Soybean Dreg

Porous carbon material with high specific surface area was prepared from soybean dreg by a simple and effective two-step method (high temperature pyrolysis and activation). The structural characteristics of the synthesized carbon were evaluated by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), N2 adsorption/desorption measurements/techniques, an elemental analyzer (EA), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The specific surface area of SDB-6-K was 2786 m2 g−1, the pore volume was 2.316 cm3 g−1, and the average pore size was 3.326 nm. The high specific surface area and effective functional groups of carbon material promoted the adsorption of methylene blue. The maximum adsorption capacity of SDB-6-K to methylene blue was 2636 mg g−1 at 318 K. The adsorption kinetic and isotherm data were most suitable for pseudo-second-order and Langmuir equations. The results showed that the adsorbent had excellent adsorptive ability and had good practical application potential in the field of dye wastewater treatment in the future.
Effect of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Intervention on Well-Being, Resilience and Burnout of Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of a blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), an emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher’s well-being. Our secondary aims were to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a prospective controlled trial with an intervention group (N = 35) and a comparison control group (N = 32). The intervention took place in the Jerusalem District throughout the school year from November 2019 to May 2020. The sessions were conducted in blended learning that included traditional learning (face-to-face) and online learning. Data was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: IBSR blended intervention enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers in spite of the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Israel. Simultaneously the control group suffered from enhanced burnout levels and a decline in psychological and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Implementation of IBSR blended intervention during the school year may benefit teachers’ well-being and ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Injectable calcium phosphate hydraulic cements: new developments and potential applications

Les developpements recents de la formulation, de la mise en œuvre et des applications des ciments hydrauliques phospho-calciques sont presentes. Parmi la grande variete des formulation possibles, trois ont fait l'objet de nombreuses etudes in vitro et in vivo: les melanges de phosphate tetracalcique monoxyde et de phosphate dicalcique dihydrate (TTCP-DCPD), les melanges de phosphate tricalcique-β et de phosphate monocalcique monohydrate (β-TCP-MCPM), et ceux a base de TTCP et de MCPM. Ces ciments sont prepares et injectes de facon tres similaire a celle du ciment orthopedique traditionnel (PMMA); bien que leurs proprietes mecaniques soient encore assez faibles, ils presentent sur ce dernier des avantages, tels que l'absence de toxicite et une reaction faiblement exothermique. Grâce a leur caractere resorbable et osteoconducteur, ils favorisent la formation rapide d'os nouveau. Les ciments hydrauliques phosphocalciques ont ainsi un grand potentiel d'applications cliniques: comme comblement osseux temporaire lorsqu'un materiau injectable est necessaire; pour la greffe osseuse lorsque la disponibilite en materiau de greffe est problematique. Les progres recents dans la maitrise des proprietes de ces materiaux permettent d'envisager a terme leur utilisation dans des applications plus exigeantes, telles que la fixation d'implants orthopediques ou la consolidation de fractures. La disponibilite de materiaux de greffe osseuse synthetique injectables, pouvant etre associes a des medicaments ou des facteurs de croissance osseuse, ouvrira de nouvelles perspectives dans le traitement non invasif de defauts osseux importants
Effect of different drying methods on morphological, thermal, and biofunctional properties of lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.) fruit powders

ABSTRACT Four different powders of dried lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.) were obtained by hot air drying (HD), ultrasound-assisted hot air-drying (HDUS), freeze-drying (FD), and spray-drying (SD). The morphological (SEM) and thermal (TGA–DSC) characterization were made, and some biofunctional properties such as dietary fiber (DF) content and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH assays) were evaluated. The homogeneous morphology of SD particles was evident from SEM analysis, in contrast to the irregular morphology of the other dried powders. All of the dried lulo powders were thermally stable until 220°C. Although, the initial composition of the mixtures (fruit pulp/maltodextrin DE-20, 2:1, w/w) was the same, some differences on DF content and antioxidant activity were found, indicating that the drying method influenced significantly the chemical composition of powdered products. A higher insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) percentage was found in FD sample; in contrast, a higher in vitro antioxidant capacity values against ABTS and DPPH free radicals were found for HD and SD powders.
Tuning Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane with Carbon Fibers

In order to meet the needs of constantly advancing technologies, fabricating materials with improved properties and predictable behavior has become vital. To that end, we have prepared polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer samples filled with carbon nanofibers (CFs) at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 CF loadings (w/w) to investigate and optimize the amount of filler needed for fabrication with improved mechanical properties. Samples were prepared using easy, cost-efficient mechanical mixing to combine the PDMS and CF filler and were then characterized by chemical (FTIR), mechanical (hardness and tension), and physical (swelling, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and coefficient of thermal expansion) analyses to determine the material properties. We found that hardness and thermal stability increased predictably, while the ultimate strength and toughness both decreased. Repeated tension caused the CF-filled PDMS samples to lose significant toughness with increasing CF loadings. The hardness and thermal degradation temperature with 4 wt. % CF loading in PDMS increased more than 40% and 25 °C, respectively, compared with the pristine PDMS sample. Additionally, dilatometer measurements showed a 20% decrease in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) with a small amount of CF filler in PDMS. In this study, we were able to show the mechanical and thermal properties of PDMS can be tuned with good confidence using CFs.
A Comparative Analysis of Honeypots on Different Cloud Platforms

In 2019, the majority of companies used at least one cloud computing service and it is expected that by the end of 2021, cloud data centres will process 94% of workloads. The financial and operational advantages of moving IT infrastructure to specialised cloud providers are clearly compelling. However, with such volumes of private and personal data being stored in cloud computing infrastructures, security concerns have risen. Motivated to monitor and analyze adversarial activities, we deploy multiple honeypots on the popular cloud providers, namely Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure, and operate them in multiple regions. Logs were collected over a period of three weeks in May 2020 and then comparatively analysed, evaluated and visualised. Our work revealed heterogeneous attackers’ activity on each cloud provider, both when one considers the volume and origin of attacks, as well as the targeted services and vulnerabilities. Our results highlight the attempt of threat actors to abuse popular services, which were widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic for remote working, such as remote desktop sharing. Furthermore, the attacks seem to exit not only from countries that are commonly found to be the source of attacks, such as China, Russia and the United States, but also from uncommon ones such as Vietnam, India and Venezuela. Our results provide insights on the adversarial activity during our experiments, which can be used to inform the Situational Awareness operations of an organisation.
Development of the Conceptualization of Pain Questionnaire: A Measure to Study How Children Conceptualize Pain

(1) Background: Research has shown that thoughts about pain are important for the management of chronic pain in children. In order to monitor changes in thoughts about pain over time and evaluate the efficacy of treatments, we need valid and reliable measures. The aims of this study were to develop a questionnaire to assess a child’s concept of pain and to evaluate its psychometric properties; (2) Methods: This is a cross-sectional, two-phase, mixed-method study. A total of 324 individuals aged 8 to 17 years old responded to the newly created questionnaire. The Conceptualization of Pain Questionnaire (COPAQ) was calibrated using the Rasch model. The chi-square test was used for the fit statistics. Underfit and overfit of the model were determined and a descriptive analysis of infit and outfit was conducted to identify who responded erratically. Internal consistency was measured using the Person Separation Index (PSI); (3) Results: Fit to the Rasch model was good. Suitable targeting indicated which items were simple to answer; Person Fit identified 9.56% children who responded erratically; PSI = 0.814; (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that COPAQ is a measure of a child’s concept of pain that is easy to administer and respond to. It has a good fit and a good internal consistency.
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) before and after Kidney Transplantation: Causes, Medical Approach, and Implications for the Long-Term Outcomes

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common finding in kidney donors and recipients. AKI in kidney donor, which increases the risk of delayed graft function (DGF), may not by itself jeopardize the short- and long-term outcome of transplantation. However, some forms of AKI may induce graft rejection, fibrosis, and eventually graft dysfunction. Therefore, various strategies have been proposed to identify conditions at highest risk of AKI-induced DGF, that can be treated by targeting the donor, the recipient, or even the graft itself with the use of perfusion machines. AKI that occurs early post-transplant after a period of initial recovery of graft function may reflect serious and often occult systemic complications that may require prompt intervention to prevent graft loss. AKI that develops long after transplantation is often related to nephrotoxic drug reactions. In symptomatic patients, AKI is usually associated with various systemic medical complications and could represent a risk of mortality. Electronic systems have been developed to alert transplant physicians that AKI has occurred in a transplant recipient during long-term outpatient follow-up. Herein, we will review most recent understandings of pathophysiology, diagnosis, therapeutic approach, and short- and long-term consequences of AKI occurring in both the donor and in the kidney transplant recipient.
Going “Green” in the Prevention and Management of Atherothrombotic Diseases: The Role of Dietary Polyphenols

During the 20th century processed and ready-to-eat foods became routinely consumed resulting in a sharp rise of fat, salt, and sugar intake in people’s diets. Currently, the global incidence of obesity, raised blood lipids, hypertension, and diabetes in an increasingly aged population contributes to the rise of atherothrombotic events and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality. Drug-based therapies are valuable strategies to tackle and help manage the socio-economic impact of atherothrombotic disorders though not without adverse side effects. The inclusion of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids to human diets, as recommended by WHO offers a valuable nutritional strategy, alternative to drug-based therapies, to be explored in the prevention and management of atherothrombotic diseases at early stages. Though polyphenols are mostly associated to color and taste in foods, food flavonoids are emerging as modulators of cholesterol biosynthesis, appetite and food intake, blood pressure, platelet function, clot formation, and anti-inflammatory signaling, supporting the health-promoting effects of polyphenol-rich diets in mitigating the impact of risk factors in atherothrombotic disorders and CVD events. Here we overview the current knowledge on the effect of polyphenols particularly of flavonoid intake on the atherothrombotic risk factors and discuss the caveats and challenges involved with current experimental cell-based designs.
Effects of Acupuncture on Lowering Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women with Prehypertension or Stage 1 Hypertension: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Postmenopausal women have a higher prevalence of hypertension compared to premenopausal women. Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, the prevalence of which is ever increasing. This study investigated the effects of long-term acupuncture on lowering the blood pressure of postmenopausal women with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. Participants were 122 postmenopausal women aged less than 65 years, diagnosed with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension (systolic blood pressure 120–159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 80–99 mmHg). We used a propensity score-matched design. The experimental group (n = 61) received acupuncture for four weeks every six months over a period of two years. The control group (n = 61) received no intervention. An Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed for the primary efficacy analysis. Relative risk ratios were used to compare group differences in treatment effects. Acupuncture significantly reduced the participants’ diastolic blood pressure (−9.92 mmHg; p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (−10.34 mmHg; p < 0.001) from baseline to follow-up. The results indicate that acupuncture alleviates hypertension in postmenopausal women, reducing their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and improving their health and quality of life.
Gender Differences of Health Behaviors in the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome for Middle-Aged Adults: A National Cross-Sectional Study in South Korea

This study examined gender differences in health behaviors for the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among middle-aged adults using nationally representative data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018). The sample included data from 8677 middle-aged adults. The Health Practice Index measured health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, sleeping, eating breakfast, working hours, nutritionally balanced diet, and mental stress. Complex sample multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the Health Practice Index (HPI) and MetS. Men and women with poor or moderate HPI scores had significantly higher risks of having MetS than those with good HPI scores. Controlling for covariates, high-risk alcohol use (p < 0.001) and physical activity (p = 0.008) were associated with the risk of MetS in men and women, respectively. Men reporting alcohol use and women lacking a healthy diet were, respectively, 2.056 times (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.056, 95% CI: 1.681–2.514) and 1.306 times (adjusted OR = 1.306, 95% CI: 1.075–1.587) more likely to have increased risks of MetS. Given these gender differences in health behaviors, developing tailored interventions could be beneficial in preventing MetS among middle-aged men and women.
Replication of Previous Findings? Comparing Gray Matter Volumes in Transgender Individuals with Gender Incongruence and Cisgender Individuals

The brain structural changes related to gender incongruence (GI) are still poorly understood. Previous studies comparing gray matter volumes (GMV) between cisgender and transgender individuals with GI revealed conflicting results. Leveraging a comprehensive sample of transmen (n = 33), transwomen (n = 33), cismen (n = 24), and ciswomen (n = 25), we employ a region-of-interest (ROI) approach to examine the most frequently reported brain regions showing GMV differences between trans- and cisgender individuals. The primary aim is to replicate previous findings and identify anatomical regions which differ between transgender individuals with GI and cisgender individuals. On the basis of a comprehensive literature search, we selected a set of ROIs (thalamus, putamen, cerebellum, angular gyrus, precentral gyrus) for which differences between cis- and transgender groups have been previously observed. The putamen was the only region showing significant GMV differences between cis- and transgender, across previous studies and the present study. We observed increased GMV in the putamen for transwomen compared to both transmen and ciswomen and for all transgender participants compared to all cisgender participants. Such a pattern of neuroanatomical differences corroborates the large majority of previous studies. This potential replication of previous findings and the known involvement of the putamen in cognitive processes related to body representations and the creation of the own body image indicate the relevance of this region for GI and its potential as a structural biomarker for GI.