Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age variations in anthropometric and body composition characteristics among adult Bauri females of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India

A cross-sectional study of 246 (18 to 76 years) rural Bauri women of Paschim Medinipur was undertaken to study the differences in prevalence of undernutrition and body composition between the three age groups. The data collected from four villages namely, Barobigha, Namopara, Taldangra and Bandhgora. The women were divided into tertiles: age-groups I (18-33 years), age-group II (34-66 years) and age-group III (> 66 years) for making even sample distribution in all three age-groups. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, biceps skinfold, triceps skinfold and subscapular skinfold were recorded using standard anthropometric techniques (Lohman et al., 1988). The result reveals that there existed highly significant (p < 0.001) group differences in mean WC, TSF, WHR, WHTR, CI, PBF, FM, FFM, FMI and FFMI. Similarly, significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed in mean MUAC and SSSF. There was marked increase then decrease in mean values of all variables except (WC, BMI, WHR, WHTR, CI, PBF, FMI and BAI) with increasing age among Bauri females. In Scheffe’s test, negatively significant (p < 0.001, p < 0.01) difference were observed in all variables except (TSF, FFM, FMI & FFMI) between agegroup-I and age-group- II. Similarly, negatively significant (p<0.001 & p < 0.05) difference were observed in all variables except (TSF, FFM and FFMI) which showed positive significance (p < 0.001) between agegroup-I and age-group- III. Correspondingly, positive significance (p < 0.001) difference in (TSF, FFM and FFMI) and negative significance (p < 0.001) difference in (PBF, FM and FMI) were observed between age-group-II and age-group- III. The present paper also reports that with increasing age, the values of anthropometric measurements rise significantly, with subsequent fall, among older rural Bauri women. In conclusion, the present study shows some significant changes and trend with increment of age in anthropometric and body composition traits of Bauri women’s of the studied area but some of the variables fail to demonstrate specific trend with increment of age. Therefore, it is essential to understand the underlying causes or risk factors involved in the causation of this rise and then fall of mean values, which could have various health implications.
Analysis of luminescence coupling effect in three-terminal tandem solar cells

Abstract. The properties of luminescence coupling (LC) in multijunction solar cells were investigated in three-terminal InGaP//InGaAsP and InGaP/GaAs//InGaAsP tandem solar cells fabricated using the bonding technique through metal nanoparticle (MNP) arrays, where // denotes the mechanical stacking using MNP arrays. Power extraction in the three-terminal tandem solar cells is evaluated, showing that the power extraction in the devices is equivalent to a sum of the power extraction of the top and bottom subcells. In addition, the properties of the LC effect are investigated in the three-terminal tandem devices. The LC current increases with the illuminated light intensity and shows a bias-voltage dependency of the subcell that is emitting luminescence. We also discuss the impact of LC on the power extraction of the three-terminal tandem solar cells.
On the Economic Rationality of Fluctuations in Tourist Frequentation at Nature-Based Destinations: The Case of Corsican Seaside Hotels

This paper answers a simple question: are fluctuations, and especially temporary slowdowns or decline, in frequentation always harmful for a tourist destination? The author proposes a simple theoretical model for a nature-based destination, in which a tourist's willingness to pay (WTP) depends on the environmental quality of the place. He hypothesizes that, at some points in time, there is a rational economic incentive to experience a temporary decrease in frequentation in order to allow the stock of natural assets to regenerate. The author uses a sample of 80 seaside hotels in Corsica to show that tourists' WTP for a night stay depends positively on environmental quality. The results indicate that a deterioration of the environmental quality of the destination would reduce the WTP for a night stay in Corsica by more than 25%. This finding tends to confirm the paper's initial hypothesis since, if the environmental quality of Corsica falls, rational hotel owners should ask for a limited and temporary slowdown in frequentation so that the environmental quality and the WTP can regain a higher and more profitable level.
Deciphering the fibrotic process: mechanism of chronic radiation skin injury fibrosis

This review explores the mechanisms of chronic radiation-induced skin injury fibrosis, focusing on the transition from acute radiation damage to a chronic fibrotic state. It reviewed the cellular and molecular responses of the skin to radiation, highlighting the role of myofibroblasts and the significant impact of Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) in promoting fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation. The review delves into the epigenetic regulation of fibrotic gene expression, the contribution of extracellular matrix proteins to the fibrotic microenvironment, and the regulation of the immune system in the context of fibrosis. Additionally, it discusses the potential of biomaterials and artificial intelligence in medical research to advance the understanding and treatment of radiation-induced skin fibrosis, suggesting future directions involving bioinformatics and personalized therapeutic strategies to enhance patient quality of life.
Fostering organisational commitment: a resilience framework for private-sector organisations in South Africa

Introduction Organisations worldwide encounter three significant and challenging issues related to talent management: intense competition for skilled employees, elevated rates of employee attrition, and the ongoing struggle to attract top-tier talent. This research focused on investigating the interconnected dynamics among factors associated with employee retention, including organisational commitment, job embeddedness, and hardiness, in conjunction with resilience-related behaviours such as resilience and career adaptability. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather quantitative data from a convenience sample of employees within the private sector in South Africa (N = 293). The self-assessments of the participants were assessed using a range of well-established and validated instruments. Correlation and regression analyses, followed by structural equation modelling, were utilised to construct a resilience framework designed specifically for private sector organisations in South Africa. Results The results reveal significant associations between organisational commitment, job embeddedness, and hardiness (as retention-related attributes) and resilience and career adaptability (as resilience-related behavioural capacities). These relationships served as the basis for the development of a resilience framework for employees in South African private organisations. Discussion In South African private-sector organisations, talent retention is crucial due to a talent shortage. The study found that employees have a strong emotional attachment to their organisations, are highly aligned with their jobs and communities, and display resilience. Organisational commitment, job embeddedness, and hardiness are key factors in reducing turnover, forming an effective retention strategy. This research contributes to the development of a resilience framework for South African private sector organisations.
COMPARACIÓN DOSIMÉTRICA DE TRATAMIENTOS DE CÁNCER DE PRÓSTATA CON IMRT DINÁMICO CALCULADOS CON ALGORITMOS PENCIL BEAM Y AAA

Introduccion: Los errores significativos en el calculo de dosis usando algoritmos que no tienen en cuenta la perdida de equilibrio electronico lateral y longitudinal causado por heterogeneidades o campos pequenos han sido estudiados con amplio detalle. En tratamientos de IMRT de prostata es necesario conocer dichas diferencias para decidir clinicamente el algoritmo a utilizar. Objetivo: Comparar los calculos dosimetricos realizados con algoritmos pencil beam (PBC) y AAA en tratamientos de cancer de prostata con IMRT dinamico. Metodologia: Se utilizo un haz de fotones 6MV generado por Clinac 21EX con MLC Millenium-120. Los calculos de dosis se realizaron en TPS Eclipse 8.6. Se calcularon planes de tratamientos de IMRT dinamico de 17 pacientes usando el algoritmo PBC y AAA con dosis prescrita 78Gy al 95% del PTV. Se midieron usando los histogramas dosis volumen los parametros: D2%, D98%, D50%, D95%, e indice de homogeneidad al PTV; las restricciones Dmax, V50Gy, V35Gy para las cabezas femorales; V70Gy, V65Gy, V50Gy para el recto; y V70Gy, V50Gy para la vejiga. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias significativas (p<0.05) en las coberturas de dosis al PTV excepto en D50%. En los OAR, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en las restricciones V65Gy y V50Gy para el recto, y V50Gy para la vejiga. Sin embargo, es clinicamente significativo: un aumento en 1% de D95% y 2% de D98% en el PTV, y hasta 5% en Dmax de las cabezas femorales, para calculos realizados con AAA. Conclusion: Las diferencias encontradas entre los algoritmos PBC y AAA son clinicamente poco significativas, a excepcion del hueso. Palabras clave: IMRT prostata, AAA, pencil beam, MLC dinamico.
Effets de la macro-architecture du substrat sur l'activité et la différenciation des ostéoblastes

In vivo, les cellules osseuses evoluent dans un microenvironnement complexe, tridimensionnel et interagissent avec celui-ci a de nombreuses echelles, depuis le nanometre (tropocollagene) jusqu’a des structures de plusieurs centaines de micrometres (trabecules). Paradoxalement, la majeure partie de nos connaissances sur la physiologie cellulaire est issue d’experiences realisees sur des cellules cultivees sur du plastique et en deux dimensions. Ces differences ne peuvent qu’avoir une influence sur le comportement des cellules, qui n’entretiennent plus les memes relations spatiales entre elles, ainsi qu’avec leur environnement. De plus, si ces dernieres annees, nombre d’etudes ont ete realisees sur l’influence de la topographie a des echelles nano et micrometriques, peu d’etudes ont montre le role de la geometrie du substrat a une echelle tissulaire, soit au sein de structures superieures a 100 µm. Afin d’etudier l’influence de la macroarchitecture du substrat sur le comportement cellulaire, des ceramiques en hydroxyapatite a architecture controlee ont ete ensemencees avec des cellules primaires de calvaria de souris. Une premiere etude a ete entreprise sur des substrats macroarchitectures, presentant des sillons de differentes geometries : sillons semi-circulaires (Wave), sillons triangulaires a angle de 90° ou a angle de 45°. Plus la geometrie du substrat etait refermee (45°>90°>Wave), plus la differenciation osteoblastique etait rapide. Cela s’est traduit par une augmentation des niveaux d’expression genique et proteique d’osteocalcine et de sclerostine, indiquant la presence d’osteocytes au sein de l’important tissu depose par les cellules. De plus, au sein de la geometrie a l’angle le plus ferme (i.e. « 45° »), des structures fibreuses mineralisees, orientees parallelement au fond du substrat ont ete observees. Cette orientation s’est confirmee au niveau cellulaire, avec une orientation similaire des fibres de stress et un etirement des noyaux cellulaires. La geometrie du substrat influence donc le comportement des cellules en modifiant tres probablement leur signalisation intracellulaire. Ces investigations ont ete poursuivi par le developpement d’un modele d’osteogenese 3D sous perfusion au sein du bioreacteur BOSE ElectroForce® 5270 BioDynamic®de la plateforme Equipex IVTV, afin d’explorer les interactions cellulaires-substrat en reponse a des contraintes mecaniques (forces de cisaillement). Le depot tissulaire etait particulierement abondant au sein des pores triangulaires a angle de 45°, confirmant les donnees obtenues sur les substrats macroarchitectures et laissant penser que ce type de pores est le plus a meme de permettre une differenciation osteoblastique optimale. Les resultats de ces travaux pourront permettre des avancees dans la comprehension de la biologie de l’os, mais egalement dans la conception d’implants innovants destines a la reparation de defaux osseux, avec une osteointegration stimulee via la presence de structures a geometrie fermee, tel que des sillons triangulaires a angles de 45°.
Effect of Adding Chestnut Inner Skin on Allergenic Protein, Antioxidant Properties, and Quality of Bread

Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis has no fundamental cure and requires patients to refrain from wheat consumption or to rest after eating. Although hypoallergenic wheat production by enzymatic degradation or thioredoxin treatment has been investigated, challenges still exist in terms of labor and efficacy. We investigated a hypoallergenic wheat product manufacturing technology that takes advantage of the property of tannins to bind tightly to proteins. Commercially available bread wheat (BW) and hypoallergenic wheat (1BS-18 “Minaminokaori”, 1BS-18M) were used. Chestnut inner skin (CIS) was selected as a tannin material based on the screening of breads with added unused parts of persimmon and chestnut. Hypoallergenicity was evaluated using Western blotting. The effect of CIS addition on the antioxidative properties of bread was also measured. For both BW and 1BS-18M, CIS addition reduced the immunoreactivity of wheat allergens. Antioxidant activities increased with increasing CIS substitution. However, 10% CIS-substituted breads were substantially less puffy. Five percent CIS substitution was optimal for achieving low allergenicity, while maintaining bread quality. The strategy investigated herein can reduce allergies related to wheat bread consumption. In this study, the evaluation of hypoallergenicity was limited to instrumental analysis. In the future, we will evaluate hypoallergenicity through clinical trials in humans.
An Examination of Parrotfish Assemblage Structure on the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

iv List of Tables . vi List of Figures . vi
Engineering circular bacteriocins: structural and functional effects of α-helix exchanges and disulfide introductions in circularin A

Circular bacteriocins form a distinct group of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) characterized by their unique head-to-tail ligated circular structure and functional properties. They belong to the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) family. The ribosomal origin of these peptides facilitates rapid diversification through mutations in the precursor genes combined with specific modification enzymes. In this study, we primarily explored the bacteriocin engineering potential of circularin A, a circular bacteriocin produced by Clostridium beijerinckii ATCC 25752. Specifically, we employed strategies involving α-helix replacements and disulfide bond introductions to investigate their effects on both biosynthesis and bioactivity of the bacteriocin. The results show the feasibility of peptide engineering to introduce certain structural properties into circularin A through carefully designed approaches. The introduction of cysteines for potential disulfide bonds resulted in a substantial reduction in bacteriocin biosynthesis and/or bioactivity, indicating the importance of maintaining dynamic flexibility of α-helices in circularin A, while reduction of the potential disulfide in one case increased the activity. The 5 α-helices of circularin A were respectively replaced by corresponding helices from another circular peptide, enterocin AS-48, and modestly active peptides were obtained in a few cases. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the engineering potential of circular bacteriocins as antimicrobial agents, including their structural and functional restrictions and their suitability as peptide engineering scaffolds. This helps to pave the way for the development of novel antimicrobial peptides with tailored properties based on circular bacteriocins.
Topographic Distribution of miRNAs (miR-30a, miR-223, miR-let-7a, miR-let-7f, miR-451, and miR-486) in the Plasma Extracellular Vesicles

There are many articles on the quantitative analysis of miRNAs contained in a population of EVs of different sizes under various physiological and pathological conditions. For such analysis, it is important to correctly quantify the miRNA contents of EVs. It should be considered that quantification is skewed depending on the isolation protocol, and different miRNAs are degraded by nucleases with different efficiencies. In addition, it is important to consider the contribution of miRNAs coprecipitating with the EVs population, because the amount of miRNAs in the EVs population under study is skewed without appropriate enzymatic treatment. By studying a population of EVs from the blood plasma of healthy donors, we found that the absolute amount of miRNA inside the vesicles is commensurate with the amount of the same type of miRNA adhered to the outside of the EVs. The inside/outside ratio ranged from 1.02 to 2.64 for different investigated miRNAs. According to our results, we propose the hypothesis that high occupancy of miRNAs on the outer surface of EVs influence on the transporting RNA repertoire no less than the inner cargo received from the host cell.
Stem cells in tissue engineering – dynamic cultivation requirement

Summary Stem cells have shown great potential for in vitro tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cell therapy and pharmaceutical applications. All these applications, especially in clinical trials, will require guided production of high-quality cells. Traditional culture techniques and applications have been performed for the majority of primary and established cell lines and standardized for various analyses. Still, these culture conditions are unable to mimic dynamic and specialized three-dimensional microenvironment of the stem cells’ niche from in vivo conditions. In an attempt to provide biomimetic microenvironments for stem cells in vitro growth, three-dimensional culture techniques have been developed. In our study advantages of newly developed porous scaffolds as the most promising in vitro imitation of niche that provides physical support, enables cell growth, regeneration and neovascularization, while they are replaced in time with newly created tissue was explained. Furthermore, dynamic cultivation techniques have been described, as new way of cell culturing that will be the main subject of our future research. In that manner, by developing an optimal dynamic culturing method, high-quality new cells and tissues would be possible to obtain, for any future clinical application.
Screening of the Leaf Extracts of Culinary Herbs (Apium graveolens, Petroselinum crispum, Cichorium endivia, and Anethum graveolens) for Their Antibacterial Activity Against Escherichia coli

Introduction: In the current era, infectious diseases pose a significant global challenge, primarily attributed to the widespread and prolonged use of antibiotics, which develop antimicrobial resistance. A significant proportion of pharmaceutical agents utilized globally can be traced back to plant origins, constituting approximately 25%. Medicinal applications harness a wide spectrum of plant-derived components, including flowers, leaves, stems, fruits, roots, waxes, oils, bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, and various other constituents. Materials and methods: Our experiment evaluated the antibacterial activity of four different culinary plant leaf extracts. These extracts were prepared using four different solvents and were investigated against the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli DH5α using agar well diffusion and agar disc diffusion methods by measuring the zone of inhibition. Results: The aqueous extract of all leaves did not show any antibacterial activity, likely due to poor diffusion due to the formation of a precipitate. Conversely, Cichorium endivia has shown the highest antibacterial activity in isopropanol as compared to other herbs. Among the herbs examined, organic extracts from endives and soybeans have demonstrated notably strong antibacterial activity compared to the other herbs. Conclusion: Conducting a systematic screening of leaf extracts from various culinary herbs to assess their antibacterial effectiveness against E. coli has produced encouraging and noteworthy results. In the investigation of various herbs, organic extracts derived from endives and soybeans have exhibited particularly robust antibacterial efficacy when compared to other herbal extracts.
Performance evaluation for road extraction

Within the Digital Mapping Laboratory, we have put considerable effort into creating quantitative performance evaluation metrics that are useful for measuring the effects of modifications to our feature extraction systems. This paper presents a case study using these performance metrics to suggest specific improvements to our road feature extraction system. Using a portion of the RCVW (Rapid Construction of Virtual Worlds) test data set over Fort Hood, Texas (USA), we compare an image-space based road tracker to a new object-space based road tracker using manually- and automatically-selected road starting points. As a result of evaluation, we describe a new technique for automatically finding road starting points. Experimental results are also presented for a data set over Fort Benning, GA (USA).
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors in Glioblastoma: Current Status and Future Possibilities

Glioblastoma, a grade 4 glioma as per the World Health Organization, poses a challenge in adult primary brain tumor management despite advanced surgical techniques and multimodal therapies. This review delves into the potential of targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with small-molecule inhibitors and antibodies as a treatment strategy. EGFR, a mutationally active receptor tyrosine kinase in over 50% of glioblastoma cases, features variants like EGFRvIII, EGFRvII and missense mutations, necessitating a deep understanding of their structures and signaling pathways. Although EGFR inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in other cancers, their application in glioblastoma is hindered by blood–brain barrier penetration and intrinsic resistance. The evolving realm of nanodrugs and convection-enhanced delivery offers promise in ensuring precise drug delivery to the brain. Critical to success is the identification of glioblastoma patient populations that benefit from EGFR inhibitors. Tools like radiolabeled anti-EGFR antibody 806i facilitate the visualization of EGFR conformations, aiding in tailored treatment selection. Recognizing the synergistic potential of combination therapies with downstream targets like mTOR, PI3k, and HDACs is pivotal for enhancing EGFR inhibitor efficacy. In conclusion, the era of precision oncology holds promise for targeting EGFR in glioblastoma, contingent on tailored treatments, effective blood–brain barrier navigation, and the exploration of synergistic therapies.