Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essential Oils, Phytoncides, Aromachology, and Aromatherapy—A Review

Chemical compounds from plants have been used as a medicinal source for various diseases. Aromachology is a unique field that studies the olfactory effects after inhaling aromatic compounds. Aromatherapy is a complementary treatment methodology involving the use of essential oils containing phytoncides and other volatile organic compounds for various physical and mental illnesses. Phytoncides possess an inherent medicinal property. Their health benefits range from treating stress, immunosuppression, blood pressure, respiratory diseases, anxiety, and pain to anti-microbial, anti-larvicidal, anti-septic, anti-cancer effects, etc. Recent advancements in aromatherapy include forest bathing or forest therapy. The inhalation of phytoncide-rich forest air has been proven to reduce stress-induced immunosuppression, normalize immune function and neuroendocrine hormone levels, and, thus, restore physiological and psychological health. The intricate mechanisms related to how aroma converts into olfactory signals and how the olfactory signals relieve physical and mental illness still pose enormous questions and are the subject of ongoing research. Aromatherapy using the aroma of essential oils/phytoncides could be more innovative and attractive to patients. Moreover, with fewer side effects, this field might be recognized as a new field of complementary medicine in alleviating some forms of physical and mental distress. Essential oils are important assets in aromatherapy, cosmetics, and food preservatives. The use of essential oils as an aromatherapeutic agent is widespread. Detailed reports on the effects of EOs in aromatherapy and their pharmacological effects are required to uncover its complete biological mechanism. This review is about the evolution of research related to phytoncides containing EOs in treating various ailments and provides comprehensive details from complementary medicine.
A transimpedance amplifier for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

A TRANSIMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER FOR CAPACITIVE MICROMACHINED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS Yavuz KANSU M.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Advisor: Prof. Dr. Abdullah ATALAR December, 2015 In this thesis a design of a CMOS transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for a capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is presented. CMUT’s have a high electrical impedance when used as receivers. Any capacitance between the CMUT and a high impedance amplifier will degrade the frequency response. So, we need to amplify the current rather than the voltage. This approach requires a transimpedance amplifier. The designed TIA has a 30 MHz bandwidth and 400 kΩ transimpedance gain. The total input referred current noise of the TIA is 270 fA/ √ Hz at 10 MHz. The noise figure of the TIA is 2.7 dB at 10 MHz when connected to the CMUT with 200 kΩ source resistance. The power consumption of the TIA is 10.5 mW and the size of the TIA layout is 133μm x 45μm. The TIA chip will be fabricated in AMS C35B4C3 (0.35μm) process.
G-Quadruplex-Binding Proteins: Promising Targets for Drug Design

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical secondary nucleic acid structures. Sequences with the potential to form G4s are abundant in regulatory regions of the genome including telomeres, promoters and 5′ non-coding regions, indicating they fulfill important genome regulatory functions. Generally, G4s perform various biological functions by interacting with proteins. In recent years, an increasing number of G-quadruplex-binding proteins have been identified with biochemical experiments. G4-binding proteins are involved in vital cellular processes such as telomere maintenance, DNA replication, gene transcription, mRNA processing. Therefore, G4-binding proteins are also associated with various human diseases. An intensive study of G4-protein interactions provides an attractive approach for potential therapeutics and these proteins can be considered as drug targets for novel medical treatment. In this review, we present biological functions and structural properties of G4-binding proteins, and discuss how to exploit G4-protein interactions to develop new therapeutic targets.
Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation for Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Prospective Study

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled 39 participants (14 male, 25 female; mean age, 59.5 ± 15.3 [range, 18–87] years) between September 1, 2018, and January 31, 2021. All participants had parathyroid lesions causing PHPT, proven biochemically and through imaging. The imaging features of the PHPT nodules, including the shape, margin, size, composition, and location, were evaluated before treatment. Serum intact parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphorus levels; parathyroid nodule volume; and PHPT-related symptoms were recorded before and after treatment. We calculated the technical success, biochemical cure, and clinical cure rates for these patients. Complications were evaluated during and after the ablation. Results Complete ablation was achieved in 38 of the 39 nodules in the 39 enrolled participants. All the patients were treated in one session. The technical success rate was 97.4% (38/39). The mean follow-up duration was 13.2 ± 4.6 (range, 6.0–24.9) months. At 6 and 12 months post-RFA, the biochemical cure rates were 82.1% (32/39) and 84.4% (27/32), respectively, and the clinical cure rates were 100% (39/39) and 96.9% (31/32), respectively. Only 2.6% (1/39) of the patients had recurrent PHPT. At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after technically successful RFA, 44.7% (17/38), 34.3% (12/35), 15.8% (6/38), and 12.5% (4/32) of participants, respectively, had elevated eucalcemic parathyroid hormone levels. Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis occurred in 5.1% (2/39) of the patients, who recovered spontaneously within 1–3 months. Conclusion US-guided RFA was effective and safe for PHPT patients. RFA may be an alternative treatment tool for patients who cannot tolerate or refuse to undergo surgery.
Disrupted Brain Structural Network Connection in de novo Parkinson's Disease With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Objective To explore alterations in white matter network topology in de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Materials and Methods This study included 171 de novo PD patients and 73 healthy controls (HC) recruited from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. The patients were divided into two groups, PD with probable RBD (PD-pRBD, n = 74) and PD without probable RBD (PD-npRBD, N = 97), according to the RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ). Individual structural network of brain was constructed based on deterministic fiber tracking and analyses were performed using graph theory. Differences in global and nodal topological properties were analyzed among the three groups. After that, post hoc analyses were performed to explore further differences. Finally, correlations between significant different properties and RBDSQ scores were analyzed in PD-pRBD group. Results All three groups presented small-world organization. PD-pRBD patients exhibited diminished global efficiency and increased shortest path length compared with PD-npRBD patients and HCs. In nodal property analyses, compared with HCs, the brain regions of the PD-pRBD group with changed nodal efficiency (Ne) were widely distributed mainly in neocortical and paralimbic regions. While compared with PD-npRBD group, only increased Ne in right insula, left middle frontal gyrus, and decreased Ne in left temporal pole were discovered. In addition, significant correlations between Ne in related brain regions and RDBSQ scores were detected in PD-pRBD patients. Conclusions PD-pRBD patients showed disrupted topological organization of white matter in the whole brain. The altered Ne of right insula, left temporal pole and left middle frontal gyrus may play a key role in the pathogenesis of PD-RBD.
Assessing Hydrolyzed Gluten Content in Dietary Enzyme Supplements Following Fermentation

Partially digested gluten fragments from grains including wheat, rye, spelt and barley are responsible for triggering an inflammatory response in the intestinal tract of Celiac Disease (CD) and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive (NCGS) individuals. Fermentation is an effective method to metabolize gluten, with enzymes from bacterial or fungal species being released to help in this process. However, the levels of gluten in commercially available enzymes, including those involved in gluten fermentation, are unknown. In this study we investigated gluten levels in commercially available dietary enzymes combined with assessing their effect on inflammatory response in human cell culture assays. Using antibodies that recognize different gluten epitopes (G12, R5, 2D4, MloBS and Skerritt), we employed ELISA and immunoblotting methodologies to determine gluten content in crude gluten, crude gliadin, pepsin-trypsin digested gluten and a selection of commercially available enzymes. We further investigated the effect of these compounds on inflammatory response in immortalized immune and intestinal human cell lines, as well as in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from coeliac individuals. All tested supplemental enzyme products reported a gluten concentration that was equivalent to or below 20 parts per million (ppm) as compared with an intact wheat reference standard and a pepsin-trypsin digested standard. Similarly, the inflammatory response to IL-8 and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines in mammalian cell lines and PBMCs from coeliac individuals to the commercial enzymes was not significantly different to 20 ppm of crude gluten, crude gliadin or pepsin-trypsin digested gluten. This combined approach provides insight into the extent of gluten breakdown in the fermentation process and the safety of these products to gluten-sensitive individuals.
A monolithic K-band phase-locked loop for microwave radar application

A monolithic K-band phase-locked loop (PLL) for microwave radar application is proposed and implemented in this paper. By eliminating the tail transistor and using optimized high-Q LC-tank, the proposed voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) achieves a tuning range of 18.4 to 23.3 GHz and reduced phase noise. Two cascaded current-mode logic (CML) divide-by-two frequency prescalers are implemented to bridge the frequency gap, in which inductor peaking technique is used in the first stage to further boost allowable input frequency. Six-stage TSPC divider chain is used to provide programmable division ratio from 64 to 127, and a second-order passive loop filter with 825 kHz bandwidth is also integrated on-chip to minimize required external components. The proposed PLL needs only approximately 18.2 μs settling time, and achieves a wide tuning range from 18.4 to 23.3 GHz, with a typical output power of −0.84 dBm and phase noise of −91.92 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz. The chip is implemented in TSMC 65 nm CMOS process, and occupies an area of 0.56 mm2 without pads under a 1.2 V single voltage supply.
Objetos de Aprendizagem como elementos facilitadores na Educação a Distância

A expansao da educacao a distância e o avanco dos recursos tecnologicos traz consigo o desafio da estruturacao de materiais didaticos adequados para apoiar as acoes pedagogicas nesses cursos. Neste contexto encontra-se a proposta de materiais didaticos estruturados como “Objetos de Aprendizagem” (OAs). Considera-se, aqui, que, para alem de um material digital, um OA precisa funcionar como um elemento facilitador do processo de ensino e de aprendizado; para que isso ocorra, ele deve explicitar seus objetivos pedagogicos e ser estruturado de tal forma que seja autocontido (no que se refere ao conteudo abordado), permitindo ser reusado em outras atividades ou cursos, para alem daquela para o qual foi projetado. Com foco na explicitacao de seus objetivos pedagogicos, este artigo apresenta a analise de um conjunto de 65 objetos de aprendizagem produzidos no Nucleo de Apoio a Educacao a Distância (NAPEAD) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), discutindo os achados desta pesquisa e o ponto de vista de alguns dos diferentes atores envolvidos no processo de producao e uso desses OAs
Vehicle Dynamics Compendium for Course MMF062; edition 2016

This compendium is intended for first-time-studies studies of vehicle dynamics. At Chalmers University of Technology this is in the course “MMF062 Vehicle Dynamics”. The compendium covers more than actually included in the course; both in terms of subsystem designs, which not necessarily has to be fully understood in order to learn the vehicle level; and in terms of some teasers for more advanced studies of vehicle dynamics. // The overall objective of the compendium is to contribute to education of automotive engineers with good skills to design for, and verify, requirements on complete vehicle level functions, regarding vehicle dynamics or motion. The compendium focus on road vehicles, primarily passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Smaller road vehicles, such as bicycles and single-person cars, are only very briefly addressed. // * Chapter 1: Introduction (automotive industry and background knowledge) * Chapter 2: Interactions from outside (e.g. tyres, aerodynamic forces, driver) * Chapter 3: Longitudinal dynamics (also introducing subsystems for propulsion and braking) * Chapter 4: Lateral dynamics (also introducing subsystems for steering) * Chapter 5: Vertical dynamics (also introducing subsystems for suspension) // The compendium stretches from attributes and requirement settings to functions. A large focus is put on modelling, intended for simulation based verification of functions.
Exploring the potential of acoustic energy transfer

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Faktor Kemudahterancaman Multidimensi bagi Kumpulan B40 di Wilayah Kelantan Selatan

Vulnerability means a sense of insecurity resulting from exposure to the threat of the effects of social and environmental changes. The inability to adapt to such changes puts external environmental pressures and uncertain risks on households and communities. The purpose of this study is to identify the multidimensional vulnerability factors of B40 households in the southern region of Kelantan. The respondents consist of 385 heads of B40 households. Data collection was conducted face-to-face through questionnaires. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis. The results of the study found that B40 households face multidimensional vulnerability in terms of economic, social/physical and environmental vulnerabilities. The three components of economic vulnerability factors are (1) job and source of income loss, (2) rising prices and production costs, and (3) lack of capital and marketing. Meanwhile, social/physical and environmental vulnerabilities are explained by one component factor only. In conclusion, B40 households in the southern region of Kelantan need to diversify their income portfolio and not rely on one source of income only. They also need to take precautions against seasonal and environmental changes that will threaten and affect their daily activities. This study can be expanded by using other multidimensional aspects of vulnerability, such as health, market, politics, demographics and agricultural vulnerabilities. The study may also involve M40 and T20 households as respondents for future studies.
Weedy Rice Classification Using Image Processing and a Machine Learning Approach

Weedy rice infestation has become a major problem in all rice-growing countries, especially in Malaysia. Challenges remain in finding a rapid technique to identify the weedy rice seeds that tend to pose similar taxonomic and physiological features as the cultivated rice seeds. This study presents image processing and machine learning techniques to classify weedy rice seed variants and cultivated rice seeds. A machine vision unit was set up for image acquisition using an area scan camera for the Red, Green and Blue (RGB) and monochrome images of five cultivated rice varieties and a weedy rice seed variant. Sixty-seven features from the RGB and monochrome images of the seed kernels were extracted from three primary parameters, namely morphology, colour and texture, and were used as the input for machine learning. Seven machine learning classifiers were used, and the classification performance was evaluated. Analyses of the best model were based on the overall performance measures, such as the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and the average correct classification of the classifiers that best described the unbalanced dataset. Results showed that the best optimum model was developed by the RGB image using the logistic regression (LR) model that achieved 85.3% sensitivity, 99.5% specificity, 97.9% accuracy and 92.4% average correct classification utilising all the 67 features. In conclusion, this study has proved that the features extracted from the RGB images have higher sensitivity and accuracy in identifying the weedy rice seeds than the monochrome images by using image processing and a machine learning technique with the selected colour, morphological and textural features.
Hypoglycemic effect of NOBILETIN via Gut MICROBIOTA-Metabolism Axis on Hyperglycemic Mice.

SCOPE Pre-diabetes and diabetes are major public health problems worldwide without specific cure currently. Gut microbes have been recognized as one of the vital therapeutic targets for diabetes. The exploration that nobiletin (NOB) whether affect gut microbes provided a scientific basis for its application. METHODS AND RESULTS A hyperglycemia animal model was established using high-fat-fed ApoE-/- mice. After 24 weeks of NOB intervention, the level of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and glycosylated serum protein (GSP) were measured. Pancreas integrity was observed by HE staining and transmission electron microscopy. 16s RNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were to determine the changes of intestinal microbial composition and metabolic pathways. The levels of FBG and GSP in hyperglycemic mice were effectively reduced. The secretory function of pancreas was improved. Meanwhile, NOB treatment restored the gut microbial composition and affected metabolic function. Furthermore, NOB treatment regulated the metabolic disorder mainly through lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and Secondary bile acid metabolism, etc. In addition, it was possibly existed mutual promotion between microbe and metabolites. CONCLUSION NOB probably played a vital role in the hypoglycemic effect and pancreatic islets protection by improving microbiota composition and gut metabolism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Proposal of an assessment scale in competitive intelligence applied to the tourism sector

Companies operate in uncertain environments, where decision-making is a complex task. Thus, one of the key elements to take into account in the aforementioned decision-making is the environment in which the business operates. This is where competitive intelligence (CI) makes sense, understood as the process of establishing the environmental information needs, information acquisition and its analysis, transforming it into intelligence and putting it at the service of decision-makers in the company. This paper focuses on the proposal of a CI model that can be applied in the tourism sector, specifically in hotels, due to the relevance of this sector in many economies worldwide. In order to build the model a deep review of the CI literature was made and subsequently the content validation method was applied, for the purpose of identifying the most important items in the two first stages of the CI cycle: planning and collection.
Validating the preeminence of biochemical properties of camel over cow and goat milk during the Covid‐19

Abstract In the light of the Covid‐19 pandemic outbreak, and the need‐of‐the‐hour to boost immunity to residents, especially those residing in an arid environment, a comparative study was made on the physical and biochemical properties of dairy milk. This novel study in Kuwait revealed the lesser consumed pseudoruminant camel milk as a better potential source of dietary inclusion and an immune booster over true ruminants—cow's and goat's milk. Analysis using a wide array of instruments determining the physical characteristics in camel's milk (pH, conductivity, specific gravity, moisture, and total solids), biochemical constituents (crude protein (CP), nonprotein (NP), and fat), and inorganic constituents (K‐919; Ca‐907; Zn‐4.2 mg/100 mg) revealed conducive properties that validate immunity to consumers when compared to the regularly used cow's milk (K‐841; Ca‐776; Zn‐2.43 mg/100 mg) and goat's milk (K‐914; Ca‐849; Zn‐2.45 mg/100 mg). Log‐transformed results revealed high vitamin C in camel's milk (0.42 mg/100 g), indicating high antioxidant properties compared to those of goat's milk (0.12 mg/100 g) and cow's milk (0.04 mg/100 g). Statistical tests by analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences and the correlation coefficient between the three milk samples validating the multiple reasons to use camel's milk over the cow's and goat's milk. Furthermore, this study recommends the consumption of camel's milk due to its low concentrations of contaminants as well, their status below permissible limits in Kuwait, set by global standards over the other sampled milks.
Die «profilierte» Lehrperson: eine konzeptionelle Antwort auf berufsimmanente Widersprüche

Die Frage, wie Grundschullehrpersonen qualifiziert werden müssen, wird in diesem Beitrag ausgehend von einer Analyse ihrer Aufgaben und der Rahmenbedingungen an Grundschulen diskutiert. Erkennbar wird insgesamt ein Widerspruch zwischen der für die Lehrtätigkeit notwendigen Polyvalenz und der für die Professionalisierung und die Qualität des Unterrichts erforderlichen Spezialisierung. Mit dem Ansatz der «profilierten» Lehrperson wird auf der konzeptionellen Ebene ein Zugang präsentiert, der die berufsimmanenten Widersprüche des Lehrberufs aufnimmt. Die damit verbundenen Herausforderungen erfordern eine stärker berufsbiografisch ausgerichtete Qualifikation, eine intensivierte Verzahnung von Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung und Entwicklungen im Schulfeld sowie eine Erhöhung der Evidenzbasierung zukunftweisender und mutiger Reformen.
An assessment of consistence of exhaust gas emission test results obtained under controlled NEDC conditions

Measurements concerning emissions of pollutants contained in automobile combustion engine exhaust gases is of primary importance in view of their harmful impact on the natural environment. This paper presents results of tests aimed at determining exhaust gas pollutant emissions from a passenger car engine obtained under repeatable conditions on a chassis dynamometer. The test set-up was installed in a controlled climate chamber allowing to maintain the temperature conditions within the range from -20°C to +30°C. The analysis covered emissions of such components as CO, CO2, NOx, CH4, THC, and NMHC. The purpose of the study was to assess repeatability of results obtained in a number of tests performed as per NEDC test plan. The study is an introductory stage of a wider research project concerning the effect of climate conditions and fuel type on emission of pollutants contained in exhaust gases generated by automotive vehicles.