Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Index Finger Reflection and Smoking

The reflectance of the index finger on 680 nm was measured. The experimental results show that the intensity of the reflectance for the index finger is related to age and the smoking circumstance. It was shown that reflectance for the index finger nonlinearly increases and reaches the maximum at about 31 - 32 age for nonsmoker age. Index finger reflectance between smoker and nonsmoker was compared. It was observed that smokers’ index finger reflectance is significantly greater compared with the index finger reflectance for nonsmokers.
Green and grey: Nutritional lifestyle and healthful ageing in rural and urban areas of three
 sub‐Saharan
 African countries

Correspondence Clare Kyomuhendo, Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. Email: clare.kyomuhendo@gmail.com Abstract Increased lifespan has resulted in a growing ageing population with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, among others that are chronic in nature. Thus, causing dependency, disability, poor quality of life, and increased medical costs. This paper uses South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda to understand how improved medical interventions and social-economic conditions have increased life expectancy while changing dietary and disease patterns. The countries are chosen due to their variations in urbanization and ageing levels. South Africa is more urbanized (66%) with an 8% aged population, followed by Ghana (56.06%) with a 5.3% aged population and Uganda (23.77%) with a 4.5% aged population. Lately, healthy dietary patterns are encouraged to promote healthy ageing and prevent, slow and reverse NCDs, through consumption of organic foods (higher in wholegrain foods, vegetables, fruits, with low meat consumption). Organic products are considered healthier, nutritious, fresher, and environmentally friendly because their production excludes pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and chemical food additives. Through literature reviews, we identified how older persons' nutritional patterns in South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda have evolved and their impacts on ageing. Findings indicated rising incomes and urbanization leading to nutrition transition, with traditional foods being substituted with foods high in meat, fats, refined sugars, and oils. Consequently, a double burden of diseases that are communicable and non-communicable is emerging. Changes in diets of older persons have promoted overweight/obesity and under nutrition/underweight. It is, therefore, necessary to use strategies that improve levels of organic food intake through educational programs to the aged and their families on how to control diets and lifestyles. Also, household organic food production can be promoted by encouraging growing vegetables and fruits. This will help boost older persons' nutritional wellbeing, as well as promote the production of local organic foods that are environmental friendly and socially sustainable.
Electric Dipole Moment of the n—π* Singlet State of HCOF

Stark‐effect measurements of the 2480 A band of formyl fluoride have been made. The dipole components are μa′=+1.65±0.1 D and |μb|=2.0(+0.5 or −1.0) D. The sign of μa′ is the same as that of μa″, in disagreement with a picture of excitation localized in the carbonyl group.
Complications and Effectiveness of Intramedullary Limb Lengthening: A Matched Pair Analysis of Two Different Lengthening Nails

Abstract Background Intramedullary limb lengthening has become an accepted concept in reconstructive surgery, but as yet comparative clinical studies are missing. We compared the complications and effectiveness of two types of intramedullary limb lengthening devices (ISKD®; Fitbone®). Materials and methods In a retrospective series of 278 consecutive patients with internal limb lengthening, we found 17 matching pairs in terms of predefined matching parameters (group I with ISKD® and group II with Fitbone®). The surgeries were all performed with the same technique and managed with equivalent pre- and postoperative treatment protocols. The performance of the implants was evaluated using the distraction index and the weight-bearing index. Complications were rated according to Paley's classification for external lengthening. Results The distraction index in group I (ISKD®) was 0.99 mm/day (range 0.55–1.67) and in the group II (Fitbone®) 0.55 mm/day (range 0.14–0.92) (p value = 0.001). The mean weight-bearing index differed between group I and group II from 32.0 day/cm (range 16.4–64.0) to 51.6 day/cm (25.8–95.0) (p value = 0.001). There were 17 recorded incidents in group I and 19 in group II during lengthening. Conclusion Specific technical handicaps of the two systems, such as the so-called runaway of the ISKD® and backtracking of the Fitbone® nails seem to result in different distraction index and weight-bearing index. Further comparative studies might induce technical progress in intramedullary limb lengthening. How to cite this article Thaller PH, Frankenberg F, Degen N, et al. Complications and Effectiveness of Intramedullary Limb Lengthening: A Matched Pair Analysis of Two Different Lengthening Nails. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2020;15(1):7–12.
Evaluation of antioxidant potential and bioactive metabolites of Nannochloropsis sp.

Marine microalgae are a photosynthetic organism which can produce diverse metabolites, biomass and O2. The bioactive compounds produced by microalgae includes polysaccharides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenolic compounds, antioxidants, peptides, essential vitamins and minerals. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and bioactive metabolites of the marine microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. Various solvent (petroleum ether, aqueous, isopropanol, methanol and ethyl acetate) extract of Nannochloropsis sp. were evaluated for antioxidant activity. The ethyl acetate extract contributes maximum total antioxidant activity of 71.35 ± 0.04 mg of AAE/g of extract. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited highest on nitric oxide scavenging metal chelating and reducing power assay with % inhibition of 79.57 ± 0.215, 80.73±0.105, 0.64±0.001 at 1mg/concentration respectively. Methanolic extract showed hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of 78.72±0.21 % inhibition at a concentration of 1mg/ml. The ethyl acetate extract with highest antioxidant activity was analyzed for bioactive metabolites by GCMS. Among the 15 compounds obtained through GCMS, the major component n-Hexadecanoic acid was reported to have antioxidant activity. The results from the different types of extracts clearly indicated that the bioactive components present in the microalgae contribute significantly to the antioxidant capacity of microalgae.
Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials: principle and clinical findings

http://www.e-acn.org pISSN 2508-691X eISSN 2508-6960 Copyright © 2020 The Korean Society of Clinical Neurophysiology This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials: principle and clinical findings
Synthesis and antioxidant activity of newly synthesized chalcones

Chalcones (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones) are natural products abundant in fruits, vegetables, spices and teas. More recently, chalcones are obtained synthetically by the reaction of aldol condensation (Claisen-Schmidt condensation). Chalcones have a wide range of biological activities: antiinflammatory, antioxydant (Halliwell and Gutteridge, 2006), antibacterial, antifungal, antiproliferative (Dimmock et al., 1998) and others, as well as low selectivity that limits their clinical application.
Impacts of energy density and portion size on satiation and satiety

Abstract: Research indicates that dietary energy density (ED–kcal/g) affects energy intake and body weight. The mechanisms underlying this relationship are less well known. We review studies to suggest that these mechanisms involve a complex interplay between cognitive, sensory, gastrointestinal, and neural systems. Over the short-term, these systems are influenced by the properties of food that change in response to ED manipulations, including taste, texture, food form, and amount (volume) consumed). Over the long term, a reduction in dietary ED is associated with weight loss; however, little is known about how either biological responses or learned cues related to amount consumed will influence maintenance of weight loss. Additional questions for future research on this topic are proposed.
The duration of filled pauses and prolongations in northern and southern dialects of Spanish

This research focuses on the prosodic patterns of hesitations contrasted in Northern and Southern dialects of European Spanish, more precisely, on their duration. A corpus of 200 spontaneous utterances has been compiled (including 100 utterances from the northern dialects and 100 utterances from the southern ones, produced by 16 male and 16 female informants, respectively). The analysis has been carried out following the standardization protocol offered by Cantero (2019), in which the representative values of duration (in seconds) are taken for each syllable, and then these values undergo a process of standardization, in order to be comparable objectively and speaker-independently. Due to difficulties in establishing exact syllable boundaries in Spanish, it is not the relative duration of the syllables, but rather the relative duration of the distances between intensity peaks which is compared. It is expected that certain “neutral” hesitations –lengthenings and filled pauses with no specific communicative function – show durational differences in the examined dialects, as Southern dialects are considered to be of higher speech rate due to frequent segment elision than northern ones. This would imply that the relative duration of the examined hesitation phenomena with respect to its context– supposedly of the same absolute duration as in the northern dialects – is longer in the southern dialects. According to the results, nevertheless, Southern dialects present shorter absolute duration also in case of hesitation phenomena, and thus relative duration of hesitation phenomena with respect to their context coincide in the two examined Spanish variants.
Influence of liquid enzymes supplementation on growth performance, blood parameters and muscle fatty acids in broilers

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of liquid enzyme supplementation to drinking water on growth performance, plasma lipids and muscle fatty acids profile in broilers. Methods: One hundred and twenty one-day old broilers were divided into four groups (30 birds), each group included three replicates of 10 chicks. The first group was control without any additives supplementation in feed or water. The second, third and fourth groups were supplemented in drinking water with 2, 4, and 8 ml/ L water of Non-Starch Polysaccharides (NSP) liquid enzyme, respectively. Results: Body weight and body weight gain were increased by 8 ml/ L water liquid enzyme supplementation. Feed intake was decreased and thus, feed conversion was significantly improved. The addition of NSP liquid enzymes in water did not affect the carcass, muscle relative weights, while abdominal fat relative weight was significantly decreased by the addition of 8ml/L NSP enzymes in drinking water. Spleen weight was increased. Plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were significantly decreased following the addition of 8ml/L NSP enzymes. Plasma HDL-cholesterol was significantly increased. Liver MDA and muscle palmitic acid concentration were decreased, however, alpha-linolenic acid was increased by liquid enzyme supplementation. Conclusion: It could be concluded that liquid enzyme supplementation to drinking water improved growth performance, modified plasma lipids and muscle fatty acids profile in broilers.
Lower Hybrid Drift Waves During Guide Field Reconnection

Generation and propagation of lower hybrid drift wave (LHDW) near the electron diffusion region (EDR) during guide field reconnection at the magnetopause is studied with data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission and a theoretical model. Inside the current sheet, the electron beta (βe) determines which type of LHDW is excited. Inside the EDR, where the electron beta is high (βe ∼ 5), the long‐wavelength electromagnetic LHDW is observed propagating obliquely to the local magnetic field. In contrast, the short‐wavelength electrostatic LHDW, propagating nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field, is observed slightly away from the EDR, where βe is small (∼0.6). These observed LHDW features are explained by a local theoretical model, including effects from the electron temperature anisotropy, finite electron heat flux, electrostatics, and parallel current. The short‐wavelength LHDW is capable of generating significant drag force between electrons and ions.
Efficacy of olibanum and propolis medicinal extracts versus metronidazole in Giardia lamblia experimentally infected mice

Giardiasis is a common intestinal infection, recently included by the World Health Organization in the ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’. Despite the efficacy of nitroimidazoles; the main antigiardial chemotherapeutics, adverse effects and resistance enforced developing non-chemical alternatives. The present study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of ethanol extract of olibanum (OL), propolis (PR), and their combination versus metronidazole (MTZ) against G. lamblia infection. Sixty Swiss male albino mice were randomly divided into 6 groups; 10 mice each,: Group I: normal control (non-treated; non-infected). Group II: infected with G. lamblia cysts, non-treated. On the 6th day postinfection (dPI), the remaining 4 infected groups were treated orally with: Group III: (OL). Group IV: (PR). Group V: combination of (OL+PR). Group VI: (MTZ). These mice were subjected to direct parasitological diagnosis of Giardia trophozoite in intestinal exudate, immunochromatographic test for antigen detection and histopathological studies. After 7 days therapy, complete clearance of Giardia trophozoites were in the combination of (OL+PR) and MTZ groups therapy. Lower percentages of reduction (91%) & (83%) were recorded in PR and OL-treated groups, respectively. Histopathological examination showed marked healing of intestinal mucosa using non-chemical combination and different degrees of dysplasia using MTZ, while partial healing was observed using olibanum and propolis separately. Olibanum, propolis and their combination were proved to enhance the clearance of Giardia trophozoites; with progressive improvement of the histopathological changes of jejunal mucosa, making good non-chemical alternative antigiardial therapeutics sidestepping the obstacles of metronidazole like dysplasia and teratogenicity.
Underfunding, the challenge of federally managed protected areas of Ethiopia

This paper presents an analysis of the costs of protected areas (PAs) management in Ethiopia, specifically those managed by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority. The authority is managing a network of protected area (PA) systems covering an area of about 29,950 km2. Primary and secondary data were used. A total of 3,045 rangers are required to effectively control illegal activities. The estimated number of rangers at basic level management ranges from 70 in Senkelle to 459 in Babile sanctuary with a mean (±SD) of 243.75 (± 6.52). The actual mean (±SD) patrol range covered by a single ranger is 53.2 (± 15.08), ranging from 1.22 km2 in Senkelle to 161.72 km2 per ranger in Geralle National Park. At basic level management the mean (±SD) patrol range covered by a single ranger is 8.81 (± 1.31), ranging from 0.8 km2 in Senkelle to 15.5 km2 in Halledighe. The total annual management cost was estimated between $10.5 million to $21.5 million. The mean (±S.D) annual expenditure for basic level management is $404.45/km2 (±164.32); ranging from $2333/km2 in Senkelle to $166/km2 in Halledighe. Cost Benefits Analysis showed the mean (±SD) return of investment was $129 (±41.42) for every $1 invested. Key words: Budget, cost benefits analysis, management cost, protected area, rangers.
Variable expressivity in patients with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa associated with the gene CNGB1

ABSTRACT Purpose In a cohort of eight families (11 patients) with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP), we clinically characterized disease associated with mutations in CNGB1. Methods Visual function was determined by measuring the patients’ visual acuity, dark- and light-adapted perimetry, and by full-field electroretinography. Retinal structure was evaluated with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, fundus imaging, and autofluorescence imaging. Results Age of onset ranged from 4 to 49 years (mean [SD] 26 [17], median 27 years). The age at visit was 27–54 years, mean 37 (17). The range of visual acuity was logMAR −0.1 to 1.3 (Snellen 20/16 to 20/400) in the right eye and −0.1 to 0.9 (Snellen 20/16 to 20/160) in the left eye. Electrophysiological testing in five patients showed an absence of the rod response. Cone responses ranged from normal to severely reduced. The patients exhibited loss of rod vision more severe than cone vision. Funduscopic images showed widespread retinal degeneration with pigment clumping, optic disk pallor, arteriole attenuation, and a peri-foveal ring of hyper autofluorescence. Three families were tested for olfactory dysfunction and results indicated mild to complete anosmia in individuals with mutations in CNGB1. Genetic analysis revealed 6 novel variants, c.2127 C > G, p.Phe709Leu; c.1431 C > A, p.Cys477*; c.2034 G > A, p.Trp678*; c.2092 T > C, p.Cys698Arg; and c.583 + 2 T > C, c.2305–34 G > A and 3 variants that have been previously described, c.2957A>T, p.Asn986Ile; c.2544dup, p.Leu849Alafs*3; and c.2492 + 1 G > A. Discussion This is the first report for six novel CNGB1 variants associated with arRP. Two families had olfactory dysfunction in patients with arRP and family members who were heterozygous for a CNGB1 mutation. Additionally, findings demonstrated variable penetrance and expressivity of disease in these patients.
Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Global South: Empowering and Emancipating?

This paper addresses the following questions: Are women entrepreneurs empowered by entrepreneurship, and critically, does entrepreneurship offer emancipation? Our theoretical position is that entrepreneurship is socially embedded and must be recognized as a social process with economic outcomes. Accordingly, questions of empowerment must take full account of the context in which entrepreneurship takes place. We argue that institutions—formal and informal, cultural, social, and political—create gendered contexts in the Global South, where women’s entrepreneurship is subjugated and treated as inferior and second class. Our thematic review of a broad scope of the literature demonstrates that in different regions of the Global South, women entrepreneurs confront many impediments and that this shapes their practices. We show how the interplay of tradition, culture, and patriarchy seem to conspire to subordinate their efforts. Yet, we also recognize how entrepreneurial agency chips away and is beginning to erode these bastions, in particular, how role models establish examples that undermine patriarchy. We conclude that entrepreneurship can empower but modestly and slowly. Some independence is achieved, but emancipation is a long, slow game.
On One Approach to Predictive Modeling Based on Monitoring Data

The paper proposes one approach to predict the behavior of complex dynamic systems based on monitoring data presented as time series. The general idea of the approach is a decomposition of a prediction task of the behavior of a complex dynamic system possessing substantial structural and parametric uncertainty. The prediction task is performed in two stages. The first stage realizes the retrospective situational modeling for individual time periods resulting in a set of situational models in the form of simple regressions. The second stage comprises inductive modeling based on the previous situational modeling results. According to the approach, the prediction by means of such combined situational-inductive modeling is aimed at establishing relevant situational models of regression type being adequate in the future within certain limited time periods. The approach allows using simultaneously both the principle of optimization in modeling and the principle of adaptation to situational changes occurring in dynamic systems.
The analysis of the parenting implications on the emotional closeness of parent-child improvement

The development of science and knowledge and the structure of society has had various impacts on the order of social life. No exception influences the smallest organization, namely the family. The model and parenting patterns of the previous generation (the baby boomers’ generation) are significantly different from the next generation. Of course, this also causes differences in the results and impacts obtained. However, the issues related to parenting tend to remain the same. One parenting that is often used is authoritarian parenting, in which parent’s tom much impose his will on the child as desired. This makes children become depressed so that the proximity of the child with parents rift or loose. The purpose of this study is to analyze the implications of parenting conditions and its various characteristics in building closeness between parents and children .
Deep Expectation-Maximization For Image Reconstruction From Under-Sampled Poisson Data

Many biomedical imaging techniques, such as computerized tomography, positron emission tomography, and optical microscopy, involve reconstruction of an image from a sequence of a few linear measurements that are corrupted by Poisson noise. In this study, we focus on computational optics, and more precisely single-pixel imaging, where the set-up acquires some of the coefficients of the Hadamard transform of the image of the scene.Recently, this problem has benefited from the advent of deep learning. Although deep methods were initially considered as black boxes, they are now understood as learnable optimisation schemes. Here, we propose a network architecture based on the expectation-maximization algorithm that optimizes the maximum a posteriori of the unknown image for measurements corrupted by Poisson noise. This leads to an interpretable network that generalizes several existing approaches.Finally, we present some reconstruction results from simulated data and from experimental acquisitions from a single-pixel camera. Our network yields higher reconstruction peak signal-to-noise ratios than other similar approaches.
Approaching the Limit of Electromechanical Performance in Mixed-Phase Nanocomposites

Electrically conductive polymer-based nanocomposites have displayed excellent performances when applied as strain sensors for bodily monitoring. Among the most common forms of these systems is the mixed-phased nanocomposite. Through a simple model that combines electromechanical and percolation theory, it is reported here that in comparative systems, two-dimensional nanofillers exhibit a larger electromechanical response than their one-dimensional counterparts. For both nanofiller types, the electromechanical response was found to increase greatly with the aspect ratio and when shifting from an isotropic to anisotropic system. Furthermore, nanocomposites with bulk dimensions intrinsically outperform thinner systems theorized to be based on ink-printing production methods.