Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant Activities of Vitamin C and Bi-carbonate Buffers on Hormones Secretion and Serum Metabolites of Heat-stressed Rabbit Buck

Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant activities of vitamin C and bicarbonate buffers on hormones secretion and serum metabolites of heat-stressed rabbit buck. Methodology: A total of twenty-five (25) Adult rabbit bucks (New Zealand White crosses) of 12 months old were used in this study. The rabbits were randomly allotted into the experimental treatments of five treatment groups with five (5) rabbits per treatment in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The treatment groups consisted of Control, Sodium Bicarbonate (Na2HCO3) and Potassium bicarbonate (KNO3), Vitamin C, and baobab fruit pulp meal (BFPM) as supplements respectively. The experiment lasted for 9 weeks. Temperature humidity of the pen house and thermoregulatory condition of the rabbits were evaluated. Blood samples (5 ml) were collected from the ear vein at 10.00 h from four rabbits chosen randomly from each group of rabbits respectively before and the end of the experiment for serum metabolite, thyroxine and testosterone hormones evaluation. Results: It was found that Vitamin C and BFPM significantly (P<0.05) reduced thermoregulatory parameters and increased hormonal secretions. The pattern of secretion of serum metabolites was not significantly (P<0.05) consistent. Conclusion: It was concluded that Vitamin antioxidants were more effective to ameliorate heat stress than bicarbonate buffers.
Ozone Therapy for Early Childhood Caries (ECC) Treatment: An In Vivo Prospective Study

The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone therapy in (1) increasing the compactness of decayed dentin (main aim), (2) reducing dentin hypersensitivity, (3) decreasing the salivary bacterial count, and (4) improving the quality of life in ECC-affected children during a 3-month follow-up. A total of 20 subjects uncooperative with conventional restorative treatment were treated with a 60 s ozone application/week (OzoneDTA®) for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated at T0 = baseline; T1 = after ozone cycle and T2, T3, T4 = 1, 2, 3-month follow-up, respectively. Dentin compactness was evaluated according to the Affected Dentine Scale (ADS) proposed by the authors; dentin hypersensitivity was recorded with the Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS); salivary bacteria were measured with the Saliva Check Mutans Test and quality of life with the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). ADS values and salivary bacteria count results were analyzed using non-parametric tests. Statistically significant differences were detected for both parameters between T0 and T1 (p < 0.01). At T1, dentin hypersensitivity was resolved and quality of life improved. Ozone therapy is a simple and painless approach, which might be useful for controlling caries’ progression in uncooperative children until appropriate cooperation is achieved.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition in pregnant women at a large hospital and filter clinics, Lesotho

Background Adequate nutritional knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition of women during pregnancy are fundamental for maternal and foetal well-being. Aim This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition in pregnant women. Setting A large hospital and its filter clinics in Lesotho. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for this study. The data were collected from 120 nurses working in the reproductive health department of a large hospital and filter clinics, using a self-administered questionnaire. The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results The nurses showed good knowledge and practices, and positive attitudes regarding maternal nutrition, 88.3%, 99.2% and 62.5%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between attitude and practice, with a correlation coefficient of r = 296, n = 120, and p = 0.001. Conclusion The results of this study show that nurses’ practices were associated with their attitudes regarding maternal nutrition, meaning their attitudes regarding maternal knowledge transcends their related knowledge. Contribution The study contributes to the body of literature about the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses related to maternal nutrition. It has the potential to lead to the betterment of nursing care, which in turn results in improved pregnancy outcomes in women.
A Cell-Based Screen Identifies HDAC Inhibitors as Activators of RIG-I Signaling

Enhancing the immune microenvironment in cancer by targeting the nucleic acid sensors is becoming a potent therapeutic strategy. Among the nucleic acid sensors, activation of the RNA sensor Retinoic Acid-inducible Gene (RIG-I) using small hairpin RNAs has been shown to elicit powerful innate and adaptive immune responses. Given the challenges inherent in pharmacokinetics and delivery of RNA based agonists, we set out to discover small molecule agonists of RIG-I using a cell-based assay. To this end, we established and validated a robust high throughput screening assay based on a commercially available HEK293 reporter cell line with a luciferase reporter downstream of tandem interferon stimulated gene 54 (ISG54) promoter elements. We first confirmed that the luminescence in this cell line is dependent on RIG-I and the interferon receptor using a hairpin RNA RIG-I agonist. We established a 96-well and a 384-well format HTS based on this cell line and performed a proof-of-concept screen using an FDA approved drug library of 1,200 compounds. Surprisingly, we found two HDAC inhibitors Entinostat, Mocetinostat and the PLK1 inhibitor Volasertib significantly enhanced ISG-luciferase activity. This luminescence was substantially diminished in the null reporter cell line indicating the increase in signaling was dependent on RIG-I expression. Combination treatment of tumor cell lines with Entinostat increased RIG-I induced cell death in a mammary carcinoma cell line that is resistant to either Entinostat or RIG-I agonist alone. Taken together, our data indicates an unexpected role for HDAC1,-3 inhibitors in enhancing RIG-I signaling and highlight potential opportunities for therapeutic combinations.
Handbook of Research on Active Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education

This chapter examines whether increased guidance during the bachelor’s thesis, a research-based learning activity, improves the learning performances of undergraduate students. The quantitative study tests hypotheses on changes in the learning performances at a bachelor’s degree program in Finland following intervention in 2015 of the thesis supervision process. The results suggest that increased guidance scheme had a statistically significant positive effect and recommend its adoption in undergraduate programs
Where wireless broadband makes sense

This paper shows that in order to meet forecast user data demands using a fixed wireless broadband network in suburban and inner urban environments, a high density of base stations would be required. This in turn requires the development of a backhaul network to inter-connect the base stations comparable in scale to a fibre to the premises (FTTP) network. To achieve an increase in the capacity of wireless networks to serve densely populated areas would require more spectrum than is available from the entire ‘Digital Dividend’ allocation, and the number of base stations needed to be installed would substantially exceed those used for today’s mobile wireless networks. However fixed wireless broadband presents a feasible approach for other less densely populated areas.
GAN-based Face Mask Removal using Facial Landmarks and Pixel Errors in Masked Region

In 2020 and beyond, the opportunities to communicate with others while wearing a face mask have increased. A mask hides the mouth and facial muscles, making it difficult to convey facial expressions to others. In this study, we propose to use generative adversarial networks (GAN) to complete the facial region hidden by the mask. We defined custom loss functions that focus on the errors of the feature point coordinates of the face and the pixels in the masked region. As a result, we were able to generate images with higher quality than existing methods.
Panoptic Visual Analytics of Eye Tracking Data

In eye tracking data visualization, areas of interest (AOIs) are widely adopted to analyze specific regions of the stimulus. We propose a visual analytics tool that leverages panoptic segmentation to automatically divide the whole image or frame video in semantic AOIs. A set of AOI-based visualization techniques are available to analyze the fixation data based on these semantic AOIs. Moreover, we propose a modified version of radial transition graph visualizations adapted to the extracted semantic AOIs and a new visualization technique also based on radial transition graphs. Two application examples illustrate the potential of this approach and are used to discuss its usefulness and limitations.
The Development of SiPM-Based Fast Time-of-Flight Detector for the AMS-100 Experiment in Space

AMS-100 is the next-generation high-energy cosmic-ray experiment in Space. It is designed as a magnetic spectrometer with a geometrical acceptance of 100 m2 · sr to be operated for ten years at the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2. Its Time-of-Flight (TOF) detector is a crucial sub-detector for the main trigger and the particle identification constructed from individual scintillation counters. A fast time measurement with a resolution of 20 ps for a single counter is required to cover wide energy ranges for particle identification. A prototype counter has been designed based on a fast plastic scintillator tile readout by two silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). An amplifier board was built to merge 16 SiPM channels into four readout channels in a hybrid connection. The signals are read out by a fast waveform digitizer. The timing performance was studied with electrons from a 90Sr source. A time resolution of 40 ps for a single counter has been achieved. Various operational and environmental conditions have been studied.
Meat: historicizing an icon through marketplace contestations

ABSTRACT Meat is both a loved and hated everyday consumption object across cultures and has become an icon throughout history. This article traces meat’s trajectory in the Global North and identifies four periods that contribute to its iconicity. Meat’s iconic status has been shaped by discourses on health, morality, ecology, class, science, and gender. It has been central to colonialism, wars, the Industrial Revolution, and scientific developments. We pinpoint the role of marketplace actors – from butchers to slaughterhouses to political institutions to corporations and scientists – in making meat a contested object and a marketplace icon. We conclude the article with a call for more research outside the Global North. We also invite researchers and policymakers to consider existing scholarly work that acknowledges a view of nature that is grounded in interspecies reciprocity, which can resolve enduring moral tensions that rely on rigid binary oppositions between humans and animals.
Effect of Angiotensin Receptor Blocker and Probiotics in Caffeine-Induced Anxiety Model

Aim: To evaluate to anti-anxiety effectof probiotics and angiotensine receptor blocker in caffeine induced anxiety rat model. Methodology: The study was conducted in six groups (n=6). Caffeine was given intraperitoneally at a dosage of 25 mg/kg each day for 14 days. Blood samples, body temperature, and glucose measurements were taken prior to the trial. Caffeine was given intraperitoneally to G1-G5 mice at a dosage of 25 mg/kg. For groups 3 and 4, a probiotic formulation was given orally following the caffeine dosage. In group 5, a probiotic topical gel (30 mg) was given topically to the animals' foreheads. Diazepam (1 mg/kg) was given to group 2 animals. Results: The body weight was not changed significantly throughout the study period in all the groups. Mortality and clinical signs were not observed during study. When compared to the anxiety control group, there was no statistical significance in either of the groups' glucose levels. There was no statistical significance in Hemoglobin (Hb) levels of animals on day 14 when we compare with anxiety control group. The changes in SGOT and SGPT levels were not found to be statistically significant. There was no statistical significance in rectal temperature of animals. There was no statistical significance in all the groups in hot plate readings on day 7 when compared with anxiety control group. Whereas there was significance increase in latency time (time spent) was observed in group 2 & group 6 when compared to anxiety control group on day 14. Probiotic high dosage and probiotic topic gel treated animals similarly spent significantly more time in open arms than anxiety control animals (P< 0.01). High serotonin levels were observed In the anxiety control rats . however it reduced in treatment groups. Conclusion: The study concludes the potential benefit of probiotics and Losartan for the treatment of caffeine induced anxiety.
Sharing Platform Ontology Development: Proof-of-Concept

A sharing platform is a digital platform that facilitates access to underutilized goods by renting or lending them to others. Users become less dependent on ownership which improves efficiency, sustainability, and the sense of community. The Sharing Economy (SE) is considered a complex domain because value co-creation can occur between multiple types of platform users. Developing platform software that offers the right functionality for the intended digital platform is therefore challenging. To address this complexity, an ontology can be utilized, which is an explicit specification of a conceptualization that provides a controlled vocabulary and shared meaning regarding a domain. The use of a sharing platform ontology allows for more effective communication and knowledge sharing amongst stakeholders in platform development and eventually drives the platform software development process. However, currently, it is not known how to develop such an ontology. In previous research, we developed the Digital Platform Ontology (DPO) and an extension of the DPO for describing platform business model choices. The DPO describes the digital platform domain in terms of digital platform types, including sharing platforms. However, a method to use the DPO and its business model extension for developing an organization-specific ontology that describes the functionality and business model of a specific existing or intended sharing platform was lacking. In this paper, we develop such a method using the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) and demonstrate it using a proof-of-concept based on the BlaBlaCar and Couchsurfing platforms.
INTEGRATED PROJECTION GUIDANCE AND NONLINEAR CONTROL OF UNMANNED AIR VEHICLE

In this study, an integrated projection guidance and nonlinear flight control law (IPGNFC) is proposed for the unmanned air vehicle (UAV). Testing procedures of the IPGNFC and the results of the testing are reported. To realistically evaluate the design and to compare the results of different types of simulation, the simulation was done on nonreal-time PC and the real-time two PC platform. The two PC in the platform are connected by AD/DA interface cards and can run in parallel. For designing the IPGNFC, the control law can be divided into the guidance and the flight control problem. The guidance problem, based on the point mass model, is to keep the air vehicle stay on a flight trajectory toward the target location with constant air speed. Instead of using the traditional gain scheduling method, the flight controller is designed with nonlinear feedback theory. By the use of singular perturbation, the aircraft system dynamics is separated into fast and slow model. Then feedback linearization and sliding mode control were used to design a robust flight controller. A test case is included which requires the proposed IPGNFC to lead an UAV to arrive at a preset target position and to perform a circling maneuver.
Mechatronics Systems

Many systems in industry and other areas are designed for controlling mechanical movement. Although earlier systems were using only mechanical energy, most of the current mechatronics systems contain components for mechanical movement and parts that control it. The main drawback of earlier systems stems from the use of only simple laws of control, which in turn required system redesign for any control adjustments. Introducing electrical components into systems increased their flexibility. Additional significant improvement was enabled by microprocessors, which enabled to execute tasks by programs instead of purely by hardware. Combined, these improvements substantially increased the complexity of tasks that could be executed. Integrating electrical, electronic and control systems with computers and mechanical systems established a new approach to design and use of manufacturing systems and other systems with mechanical movements.
Generador autoexcitado: operación en red aislada y sin almacenamiento energético

El presente artículo aborda el análisis y la simulación de un sistema de generación eléctrica basado en fuentes renovables, operando aislado y sin almacenamiento de energía. Inicialmente, se proponen estrategias de control individual para garantizar regulación en la tensión del bus DC. Para un sistema fotovoltaico, se considera la modificación de un algoritmo de seguimiento del punto de máxima potencia. Para un generador autoexcitado se construye una combinación de conversión mecánica a través de turbina, conversión electromecánica vía generador de inducción, rectificación trifásica y regulación de tensión vía lazo de control PI. A partir de ello, un control droop demuestra un apropiado reparto de potencias entre las diferentes unidades de generación. La topología de sistema propuesta es aplicable como solución de electrificación de bajo costo en zonas rurales de Colombia.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is a Precursor of New-Onset Metabolic Syndrome in Metabolically Healthy Young Adults

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the temporal relationship between NAFLD and MetS has yet to be evaluated, especially in young adults. In this study, we investigated whether NAFLD could be a precursor for MetS in metabolically healthy young adults. Using the Korean nationwide health screening database, we analyzed subjects aged 20–39 years who were free from any component of MetS between 2009 and 2012. A total of 1,659,192 subjects without excessive alcohol consumption or concomitant liver disease were categorized into three groups according to the fatty liver index (FLI): (1) NAFLD (FLI ≥ 60); (2) borderline NAFLD (30 ≤ FLI < 60); and (3) control (FLI < 30). During the 6,699,462 person-years of follow-up, 109,239 subjects developed MetS (16.3 per 1000-person-years). The NAFLD group and the borderline NAFLD group were associated with a higher risk of MetS than the control group (incidence rate ratios, 2.9 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.7–3.1) for the NAFLD group and 2.1 (95% CI, 2.1–2.2) for the borderline NAFLD group, respectively). In addition, all of the metabolic components were positively associated with FLI in a proportional manner. NAFLD is associated with the future onset of MetS in young adults. Therefore, active lifestyle intervention is required for young adults diagnosed with NAFLD to prevent MetS and other metabolic diseases.
Remodeling of Lipid A in Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola In Vitro

Pseudomonas species infect a variety of organisms, including mammals and plants. Mammalian pathogens of the Pseudomonas family modify their lipid A during host entry to evade immune responses and to create an effective barrier against different environments, for example by removal of primary acyl chains, addition of phosphoethanolamine (P-EtN) to primary phosphates, and hydroxylation of secondary acyl chains. For Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Pph) 1448A, an economically important pathogen of beans, we observed similar lipid A modifications by mass spectrometric analysis. Therefore, we investigated predicted proteomes of various plant-associated Pseudomonas spp. for putative lipid A-modifying proteins using the well-studied mammalian pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a reference. We generated isogenic mutant strains of candidate genes and analyzed their lipid A. We show that the function of PagL, LpxO, and EptA is generally conserved in Pph 1448A. PagL-mediated de-acylation occurs at the distal glucosamine, whereas LpxO hydroxylates the secondary acyl chain on the distal glucosamine. The addition of P-EtN catalyzed by EptA occurs at both phosphates of lipid A. Our study characterizes lipid A modifications in vitro and provides a useful set of mutant strains relevant for further functional studies on lipid A modifications in Pph 1448A.
System design and application for evaluation of blocking agility in volleyball

The agility T-test and countermovement jump test have long been used to examine the agility of athletes. However, for some sports, newer systems of evaluation are being designed for specific movements. The goal of this study was to design a blocking agility system and apply it to analyzing the efficiency of 6 weeks of plyometric training on volleyball players. A total of 26 male volleyball players in Taiwan participated in the study. The participants were divided into a plyometric training group and a control group. The agility T-test, countermovement jump test, and blocking agility test were used to examine the influence of plyometric training on the blocking agility of volleyball players. A single-factor analysis of covariance was applied to obtain the variables for the two groups. There was no significant difference between the groups on the agility T-test. On the countermovement jump test and blocking agility test, the plyometric training group performed significantly better than the control group. Also, the power values of blocking agility were higher than 90%, which demonstrated very good validity. The results of this study indicate that appropriate plyometric training can increase the rate of force development for vertical jumps and significantly enhance the combined agility of volleyball players in terms of lateral-movement speed and quickness, which enable players to rapidly perform blocking actions.
QoS Issues in Complex-Based High Altitude Platform Communication Systems

The use of High Altitude Platforms is a promising solution towards the integration of different wireless networks. Complex-based High Altitude Platform communication systems can offer high quality wireless services combined with enhanced bandwidth efficiency. Inter-system handover and power control are major factors affecting the provided quality of service. The impact of these factors under strong fading environments is studied in the present work.