Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF SOME STILBENOIDS FROM DIPTEROCARPUS RETUSUS FRUITS OF VIET NAM

Abstract. Dipterocarpus retusus Blume growing in Northern Viet Nam is a member of the plants family Dipterocarpaceae. Previous studies indicated that various Dipterocarpus species contain oleoresin, triterpenes, phenolics, stilbenoids, and coumarins with interesting biological activities. In a previous paper, we reported the isolation and characterization of five compounds, eleutherol, trans-resveratrol, polydatin, β-sitosterol, and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside from fruits of D. retusus Blume. In continuation of our interest on this plant, this article describes the phytochemistry and anti-inflammatory activities of D. retusus Blume collected in Phu tho province. From fruits of Dipterocarpus retusus Blume (Dipterocarpaceae) growing in Viet Nam, five compounds, including (‒)-trans-ε-viniferin (1), paucifloroside A (2), ursolic acid (3), quercetin (4), and catechin (5), were isolated and identified by spectroscopic methods and comparison with literature data. This study also reports the anti-inflammatory effect of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts and stilbenoid compounds via their inhibitory activity against the production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 macrophages cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All data are presented as means of three replicates ± standard deviations. The test concentrations of 30 and 100 μg/mL all samples were capable of inhibiting NO production with varying grades of cytotoxicities. The stilbenoids: polydatin (8), trans-εviniferin (1) and paucifloroside A (2) showed both high anti-inflammatory activity and low cytotoxicity against the testing cells (IC50 value: polydatin = 0.46 ± 0.21 μg/mL, trans-εviniferin = 2.51 ± 0.35 μg/mL and paucifloroside A = 16.60 ± 1.56 μg/mL).
Growth and characterization of superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7d-BaZrO 3 thin films

The future fabrication of high-temperature-superconductor-based coated conductors depends on the current research of thin films’ growth processes, especially in developing low cost, scalable and industrially processing methods. A new transient liquid assisted growth method is explored through the growth of YBa$Cu'O) − BaZrO' and YBa$Cu'O)thin films. The characterization of spin-coating deposed thin films verified c-axis epitaxy, although the presence of secondary phases within the film were also confirmed. BaZrO' nanoparticles proved to be useful to enhance density superconducting properties at high fields, furthermore a 1.77 MA cm-2 current density was achieved for YBa$Cu'O) − BaZrO' films at 5 K, whereas for lesser fields YBa$Cu'O) current density was up to 19.94 MA cm-2 also at 5 K. Critical temperatures of (89.2 ± 0.6)K and (90.6 ± 0.4) K were obtained for the films, respectively. First steps towards a new combinational chemistry approach for the inkjet printed samples were also performed.
The circuitry of abulia: Insights from functional connectivity MRI

The circuitry of abulia: Insights from functional connectivity MRI J. S. Siegel Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis A. Z. Snyder Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis N. V. Metcalf Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis R. P. Fucetola Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis C. D. Hacker Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Machine learning models for effective prediction of firefighting systems and reducing environmental damage

Artificial intelligence is now widely used in various industries, including fire safety. When designing and deploying firefighting systems in enterprises and organizations, a large number of different factors are taken into account. This article considers the possibility of applying machine learning models to ensure a high level of protection of the environment and industrial facilities from fires with a properly selected fire suppression system based on the analysis of the data provided.
Prevention of enterotoxigenic escherichiosis as a way to stabilize the ecological situation of anthropogenic pollution by antibiotic-resistant strains

The ecological niches occupied by E. coli are not limited to the environment, this bacterium is part of the symbiotic and conditionally pathogenic microflora of humans and animals. E. coli strains are highly resistant to various antibiotics, which poses a threat to ecological stability in the biodiversity of species. Once in unfavorable conditions, E. coli can acquire pathogenic properties and cause dangerous diseases, one of which is enterotoxigenic escherichiosis. The reservoir of pathogenic E. coli in the environment can be both farm animals and animal products. Timely and effective immunization of animals against escherichiosis is relevant for veterinary medicine and medicine, and the search for new biological products for treatment and prevention is one of the important practical tasks. The preventive effectiveness of the use of anatoxin vaccine samples in combination with an adjuvant complex in enterotoxigenic escherichiosis of animals was studied as a new solution to stabilize the ecological situation of anthropospheric genesis in the form of reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli in the environment. As a result of the conducted studies, it was established that after the use of an anatoxin vaccine with an adjuvant complex, high preventive efficacy is provided for enterotoxigenic escherichiosis.
OptRand: Optimistically responsive distributed random beacons

Distributed random beacons publish random numbers at regular intervals, which anyone can obtain and verify. The design of public distributed random beacons has been an exciting research direction with significant implication to blockchains, voting and beyond. Random beacons, in addition to being bias-resistant and unpredictable, also need to have low communication cost, low latency, and ease of reconfigurability. Existing works on synchronous random beacons sacrifice one or more of these properties. In this work, we design an efficient unpredictable synchronous random beacon protocol, OptRand, with quadratic (in the number n of system nodes) communication complexity per beacon output. First, we innovate by employing a novel combination of bilinear pairing based publicly verifiable secret sharing and non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs to build a linear (in n ) sized publicly verifiable random sharing. Second, we develop a state machine replication protocol with linear-sized inputs that is also optimistically responsive, i.e., it can progress responsively at actual network speed during optimistic conditions, despite the synchrony assumption, and thus incur low latency. In addition, we present an efficient reconfiguration mechanism for OptRand that allows nodes to leave and join the system.
Proteasome inhibition-enhanced fracture repair is associated with increased mesenchymal progenitor cells in mice

The ubiquitin/proteasome system controls the stability of Runx2 and JunB, proteins essential for differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor/stem cells (MPCs) to osteoblasts. Local administration of proteasome inhibitor enhances bone fracture healing by accelerating endochondral ossification. However, if a short-term administration of proteasome inhibitor enhances fracture repair and potential mechanisms involved have yet to be exploited. We hypothesize that injury activates the ubiquitin/proteasome system in callus, leading to elevated protein ubiquitination and degradation, decreased MPCs, and impaired fracture healing, which can be prevented by a short-term of proteasome inhibition. We used a tibial fracture model in Nestin-GFP reporter mice, in which a subgroup of MPCs are labeled by Nestin-GFP, to test our hypothesis. We found increased expression of ubiquitin E3 ligases and ubiquitinated proteins in callus tissues at the early phase of fracture repair. Proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib, given soon after fracture, enhanced fracture repair, which is accompanied by increased callus Nestin-GFP+ cells and their proliferation, and the expression of osteoblast-associated genes and Runx2 and JunB proteins. Thus, early treatment of fractures with Bortezomib could enhance the fracture repair by increasing the number and proliferation of MPCs.
Application of LDA and word2vec to detect English off-topic composition

This paper presents an off-topic detection algorithm combining LDA and word2vec aiming at the problem of the lack of accurate and efficient off-topic detection algorithms in the English composition-assisted review system. The algorithm uses the LDA model to model the document and train the document through the word2vec, and uses the semantic relationship between the document’s topics and words to calculate the probability weighted sum for each topic and its feature words in the document, and finally selects the off-topic composition by setting a reasonable threshold. Different F values are obtained by changing the number of topics in the document, and the best number of topics is determined. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective than vector space model, can detect more off-topic compositions, and the accuracy is higher, the F value is more than 88%, which realizes the intelligent processing of off-topic detection of composition, and can be effectively applied in English composition teaching.
A contextual exploration of healthcare service use in urban slums in Nigeria

Introduction Many urban residents in low- and middle-income countries live in unfavorable conditions with few healthcare facilities, calling to question the long-held view of urban advantage in health, healthcare access and utilization. We explore the patterns of healthcare utilization in these deprived neighborhoods by studying three such settlements in Nigeria. Methods The study was conducted in three slums in Southwestern Nigeria, categorized as migrant, indigenous or cosmopolitan, based on their characteristics. Using observational data of those who needed healthcare and used in-patient or out-patient services in the 12 months preceding the survey, frequencies, percentages and odds-ratios were used to show the study participants’ environmental and population characteristics, relative to their patterns of healthcare use. Results A total of 1,634 residents from the three slums participated, distributed as 763 (migrant), 459 (indigenous) and 412 (cosmopolitan). Residents from the migrant (OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.51 to 0.97) and indigenous (OR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.45 to 0.93) slums were less likely to have used formal healthcare facilities than those from the cosmopolitan slum. Slum residents were more likely to use formal healthcare facilities for maternal and perinatal conditions, and generalized pains, than for communicable (OR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.34 to 0.72) and non-communicable diseases (OR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.41 to 0.91). The unemployed had higher odds (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.08 to 1.93) of using formal healthcare facilities than those currently employed. Conclusion The cosmopolitan slum, situated in a major financial center and national economic hub, had a higher proportion of formal healthcare facility usage than the migrant and indigenous slums where about half of families were classified as poor. The urban advantage premise and Anderson behavioral model remain a practical explanatory framework, although they may not explain healthcare use in all possible slum types in Africa. A context-within-context approach is important for addressing healthcare utilization challenges in slums in sub-Saharan Africa.
Reviewing challenges in access to oral health services among the LGBTQ+ community in Indiana and Michigan: A cross-sectional, exploratory study

Objective In healthcare settings, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations often experience discrimination, leading to decreased healthcare services utilization. In this study we have tried to identify oral healthcare providers (OHP)’s perceptions toward LGBTQ+ patients, perceived barriers for LGBTQ+ patients in accessing oral health services, and whether they were open to inclusive oral healthcare practices. In addition, the experiences of LGBTQ+ patients in oral healthcare settings including their oral healthcare seeking behaviors and beliefs were also explored. Methods Descriptive, quantitative surveys were administered to OHPs and LGBTQ+ patients within Indiana and Michigan. Surveys contained questions about participant demographics, including gender and sexual minority status, and the presence of inclusive healthcare practices within the oral healthcare settings. Descriptive analyses and regression modeling were used to explore the distribution of participant responses and to identify predictors associated with patient comfort and OHP’s attitudes toward LGBTQ+ patients. Results Overall, 71% of LGBTQ+ patients reported regularly attending dental appointments; however, 43% reported feeling uncomfortable going to appointments and 34% reported being treated unfairly during appointments because of sexual orientation. Among OHPs, 84% reported that the healthcare settings where they practiced were welcoming for LGBTQ+ populations and 84% reported willingness to improve LGBTQ+ care. The presence of inclusive healthcare practices predicted comfort for LGBTQ+ patients (P < 0.10). Additionally, OHPs who either identified as an ally or as having a family member or close friend in the LGBTQ+ community had higher odds of feeling responsible to treat LGBTQ+ patients. Conclusion Many LGBTQ+ patients often experience discomfort in oral healthcare settings. While OHPs were largely unaware of this, evidence suggests the need for cultural competency training for OHPs.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in female sex workers in an STI clinic in Nairobi, Kenya

Background Gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most prevalent curable sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at a higher risk of contracting gonorrhea due to their risky sexual behaviors like inconsistent condom use and multiple sexual partners. We determined the prevalence and risk factors associated with gonorrhea and its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among symptomatic FSWs attending Sexual Workers Outreach Program (SWOP) city clinic in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods Using convenience sampling, we recruited 379 female sex workers from SWOP City clinic in Nairobi County. We administered a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographics and behavioral risk factors associated with gonorrhea. We also conducted three focus groups. Two endocervical swabs were collected from each participant by the attending physician for the laboratory identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disc diffusion method. Results Twenty-four out of 379 (6.3%) participants tested positive for gonorrhea by PCR. The significant risk factors associated with gonorrhea were having multiple sexual partners in the previous two weeks, primary education, and being in the age group of 38–49 years (p < 0.05). From the qualitative data, sex work disclosure, and difficulty in engaging protected sex with their partner, and unprotected sex with their clients due to more money from the client, PREP, and alcohol use made the female sex workers vulnerable to gonorrhea exposure and or risky sexual behavior. The culture-positive sample result yielded complete (100%) resistance to all the antimicrobials used. Conclusion Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is prevalent among symptomatic FSWs in Nairobi. Multiple sexual partners, being in age group 38–49 years and having primary education were the factors associated with gonorrhea among the study participants. Based on our identification of a highly resistant isolate, we strongly recommend increasing capacity for culture-based diagnosis and susceptibility testing.
Face-to-face learning enhances the social transmission of information

Learning from others provides the foundation for culture and the advancement of knowledge. Learning a new visuospatial skill from others represents a specific challenge—overcoming differences in perspective so that we understand what someone is doing and why they are doing it. The “what” of visuospatial learning is thought to be easiest from a shared 0° first-person perspective and most difficult from a 180° third-person perspective. However, the visual disparity at 180° promotes face-to-face interaction, which may enhance learning by scaffolding social perspective taking, the “why” of visuospatial learning. We tested these potentially conflicting hypotheses in child and young adult learners. Thirty-six children (4–6 years) and 57 young adults (18–27 years) observed a live model open a puzzle box from a first-person (0°) or third-person (90° or 180°) perspective. The puzzle box had multiple solutions, only one of which was modelled, which allowed for the assessment of imitation and goal emulation. Participants had three attempts to open the puzzle box from the model’s perspective. While first-person (0°) observation increased imitation relative to a 180° third-person perspective, the 180° observers opened the puzzle box most readily (i.e., fastest). Although both age groups were excellent imitators and able to take the model’s perspective, adults were more faithful imitators, and children were more likely to innovate a new solution. A shared visual perspective increased imitation, but a shared mental perspective promoted goal achievement and the social transmission of innovation. "Perfection of means and confusion of goals—in my opinion—seem to characterize our age" Einstein (1973) pg 337, Ideas and Opinions
Alphacoronaviruses Are Common in Bats in the Upper Midwestern United States

Bats are a reservoir for coronaviruses (CoVs) that periodically spill over to humans, as evidenced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2. A collection of 174 bat samples originating from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska submitted for rabies virus testing due to human exposure were analyzed using a pan-coronavirus PCR. A previously partially characterized CoV, Eptesicus bat CoV, was identified in 12 (6.9%) samples by nested RT-PCR. Six near-complete genomes were determined. Genetic analysis found a high similarity between all CoV-positive samples, Rocky Mountain bat CoV 65 and alphacoronavirus HCQD-2020 recently identified in South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of genome sequences showed EbCoV is closely related to bat CoV HKU2 and swine acute diarrhea syndrome CoV; however, topological incongruences were noted for the spike gene that was more closely related to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Similar to some alphaCoVs, a novel gene, ORF7, was discovered downstream of the nucleocapsid, whose protein lacked similarity to known proteins. The widespread circulation of EbCoV with similarities to bat viruses that have spilled over to swine warrants further surveillance.
Visual attention around a hand location localized by proprioceptive information

Abstract Facilitation of visual processing has been reported in the space near the hand. To understand the underlying mechanism of hand proximity attention, we conducted experiments that isolated hand-related effects from top–down attention, proprioceptive information from visual information, the position effect from the influence of action, and the distance effect from the peripersonal effect. The flash-lag effect was used as an index of attentional modulation. Because the results showed that the flash-lag effect was smaller at locations near the hand, we concluded that there was a facilitation effect of the visual stimuli around the hand location identified through proprioceptive information. This was confirmed by conventional reaction time measures. We also measured steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) in order to investigate the spatial properties of hand proximity attention and top–down attention. The results showed that SSVEP reflects the effect of top–down attention but not that of hand proximity attention. This suggests that the site of hand proximity attention is at a later stage of visual processing, assuming that SSVEP responds to neural activities at the early stages. The results of left-handers differed from those of right-handers, and this is discussed in relation to handedness variation.
Molecular Epidemiology of Norovirus (NoV) Infection in Mie Prefecture: The Kinetics of Norovirus Antigenemia in Pediatric Patients

Few studies have shown the presence of norovirus (NoV) RNA in blood circulation but there is no data on norovirus antigenemia. We examined both antigenemia and RNAemia from the sera of children with NoV infections and studied whether norovirus antigenemia is correlated with the levels of norovirus-specific antibodies and clinical severity of gastroenteritis. Both stool and serum samples were collected from 63 children admitted to Mie National Hospital with acute NoV gastroenteritis. Norovirus antigen and RNA were detected in sera by ELISA and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. NoV antigenemia was found in 54.8% (34/62) and RNAemia in 14.3% (9/63) of sera samples. Antigenemia was more common in the younger age group (0–2 years) than in the older age groups, and most patients were male. There was no correlation between stool viral load and norovirus antigen (NoV-Ag) levels (rs = −0.063; Cl −0.3150 to 0.1967; p = 0.6251). Higher levels of acute norovirus-specific IgG serum antibodies resulted in a lower antigenemia OD value (n = 61; r = −0.4258; CI −0.62 to −0.19; p = 0.0006). Norovirus antigenemia occurred more commonly in children under 2 years of age with NoV-associated acute gastroenteritis. The occurrence of antigenemia was not correlated with stool viral load or disease severity.
Cities as complex systems—Collection overview

This collection provides a contemporary excerpt of “Cities as complex systems”. The contributions have been submitted between April and October 2020. We briefly discuss example papers addressing the themes “urban scaling”, “urban mobility”, “flows in cities”, “spatial analysis”, “information technology and cities”, and “cities in time”. After motivating the intersection of cities and complexity, we provide an introduction and additional thoughts on urban scaling.
Age and Primary Vaccination Background Influence the Plasma Cell Response to Pertussis Booster Vaccination

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Over the past years, the incidence and mortality of pertussis increased significantly. A possible cause is the switch from whole-cell to acellular pertussis vaccines, although other factors may also contribute. Here, we applied high-dimensional flow cytometry to investigate changes in B cells in individuals of different ages and distinct priming backgrounds upon administration of an acellular pertussis booster vaccine. Participants were divided over four age cohorts. We compared longitudinal kinetics within each cohort and between the different cohorts. Changes in the B-cell compartment were correlated to numbers of vaccine-specific B- and plasma cells and serum Ig levels. Expansion and maturation of plasma cells 7 days postvaccination was the most prominent cellular change in all age groups and was most pronounced for more mature IgG1+ plasma cells. Plasma cell responses were stronger in individuals primed with whole-cell vaccine than in individuals primed with acellular vaccine. Moreover, IgG1+ and IgA1+ plasma cell expansion correlated with FHA-, Prn-, or PT- specific serum IgG or IgA levels. Our study indicates plasma cells as a potential early cellular marker of an immune response and contributes to understanding differences in immune responses between age groups and primary vaccination backgrounds.
Ash, Gas and Computers: the vulnerability of laptop computers to volcanic hazards

iii Acknowledgments . iv List of Figures . ix List of Tables . xii Chapter One – Introduction . 1 1.1. Context of Study . 1 1.1.1. Risk Management Framework . 3 1.2. Aims and Objectives . 6 1.3. Research Methodology . 6 Chapter Two – Literature Review . 8 2.