Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Andrographis paniculata Leaves Extract Inhibit TNF-α and Caspase-3 Expression of Septic Rats’ Intestinal Tissues

BACKGROUND: Microcirculation and cellular disturbances caused by sepsis might trigger significant intestinal damage. Andrographis paniculata extract decreases inflammatory intestinal epithelial cells with its role as an antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory agent. However, A. paniculata extract’s effect on sepsis have not been commonly studied, especially in the intestinal tissues. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine A. paniculata leaves extract (APLE) effect in sepsis-induced intestinal tissues of rats by examining the expression of inflammatory cytokines involved in sepsis, namely tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and Caspase-3.METHODS: Rats were divided into five groups; two groups received no pretreatment and the other three groups received 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE, respectively. Three pretreated groups and one group with no pretreatment were then injected with 1 mg/200 g BW lipopolysaccharides (LPS) intraperitoneally to create septic rat models. Three days after the LPS-induction, rats were euthanized and the expression of TNF-α and Caspase-3 were assessed based on the immunohistochemical staining of rats’ intestinal tissues.RESULTS: Compared with NaCl (sham), LPS significantly (p<0.001) induced TNF-α expression from 6.60±1.36 to 25.37±1.74. Pretreatment of 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE could significantly (p<0.001) inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-α expression (18.82±1.36, 11.45±1.18, and 6.89±1.90, respectively). Similar with TNF-α, compared with NaCl (sham), LPS significantly (p<0.001) induced Caspase-3 expression from 6.92±1.66 to 23.59±2.25. Pretreatment of 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE could significantly (p<0.001) inhibit the LPS-induced Caspase-3 expression (17.47±1.68, 12.99±1.51, and 5.59±1.51, respectively). CONCLUSION: The pretreatment of APLE could inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-α and Caspase-3 expression, therefore APLE could be suggested as a potential sepsis-preventing agent.KEYWORDS: Andrographis paniculata, sepsis, TNF-α, Caspase-3, lipopolysaccharide
Acoustic Imaging With Circular Microphone Array: A New Approach for Sound Field Analysis

Acoustic imaging is powerful in collecting spatial information of acoustic sources into a visual representation. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of the exterior acoustic field captured by a circular array of microphones. With a proper parametrization based on angles, we map the directions of arrival of sources as a function of the microphone locations, thus obtaining an acoustic image called “angular space”. Therefore, we introduce a linear transform to enable analysis and synthesis operations for mapping the microphone pressures onto the angular space using local space-time Fourier analysis. We prove the ability of this representation to combine global information coming from multiple arrays in a single acoustic image that can be processed and manipulated. Examples of source localization applications in simulated and measured scenarios show the effectiveness of the proposed method obtaining results comparable with state-of-the-art methods.
Genome-Wide Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Mechanisms Underlying Hepatic Metabolism under Different Raising Systems in Yak

Simple Summary Yaks are a major economic source for people in the Tibetan Plateau region. Yaks are rich in nutrients, but their low fat content is not conducive to the large-scale promotion of yak meat, so the study of the mechanism of yak lipid deposition is beneficial to the marketing of yak meat. In this paper, the results of transcriptome sequencing analysis of yak liver showed that it could be determined that the expression levels of genes associated with partial lipid deposition were significantly up-regulated during yak fattening. In addition, this study found that the tenderness of yak meat improved during this process. Fattening significantly affects fat deposition in yaks, which may be realized through its effects on lipid metabolic pathways. Therefore, studying the mechanism of lipid deposition in yaks and fattening yaks will improve the quality of yak meat. Abstract Yak meat is nutritionally superior to beef cattle but has a low fat content and is slow-growing. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism, and in order to determine whether different feeding modes affect lipid metabolism in yaks and how it is regulated, we employed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to analyze the genome-wide differential gene expression in the liver of yaks maintained under different raising systems. A total of 1663 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (|log2FC| ≥ 0 and p-value ≤ 0.05), including 698 down-regulated and 965 up-regulated genes. According to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses, these DEGs were significantly enriched in 13 GO terms and 26 pathways (p < 0.05). Some DEGs were enriched in fatty acid degradation, PPAR, PI3K-Akt, and ECM receptor pathways, which are associated with lipid metabolism. A total of 16 genes are well known to be related to lipid metabolism (e.g., APOA1, FABP1, EHHADH, FADS2, SLC27A5, ACADM, CPT1B, ACOX2, HMGCS2, PLIN5, ACAA1, IGF1, FGFR4, ALDH9A1, ECHS1, LAMA2). A total of 11 of the above genes were significantly enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway. The reliability of the transcriptomic data was verified using qRT-PCR. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating yak meat quality. It shows that fattening improves the expression of genes that regulate lipid deposition in yaks and enhances meat quality. This finding will contribute to a better understanding of the various factors that determine yak meat quality and help develop strategies to improve yield and quality.
A mixed-methods needs assessment for an antimicrobial stewardship curriculum in pediatrics

Objective: Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) education initiatives for multidisciplinary teams are most successful when addressing psychosocial factors driving antimicrobial prescribing (AP) and when they address the needs of the team to allow for a tailored approach to their education. Design: We conducted a mixed-methods embedded study as a needs assessment, involving quantitative analysis of AS concerns observed by pharmacists through an audit while attending clinical team rounds, as well as qualitative semi-structured interviews based on the Theoretical Domain Framework (TDF) to identify psychosocial barriers and facilitators for antimicrobial prescribing for an inpatient general pediatric service. We analyzed the data using deductive and inductive methods by mapping the TDF to a model for social determinants of antimicrobial prescribing (SDAP) in pediatric inpatient health care teams. Setting: The Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), at a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Canada. Participants: Interviews (n = 23) with staff and resident physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. Results: Psychosocial facilitators and barriers for AS practice in the PICU and CTU which were identified included: collaboration, shared decision-making, locally accessible guidelines, and an overarching goal of doing right by the patient and feeling empowered as a prescriber. Some of the barriers identified included the norm of noninterference, professional comparisons, limited resources, feeling inadequately trained in AS, emotional prescribing, and a pejorative monitoring system. Conclusions: Our findings identified barriers and facilitators to AS decisions on pediatric inpatient teams as well as actionable needs in psychosocial-based AS education.
NaOH ile Modifiye Edilmiş Kızılçam (Pinus brutia Ten.) Yongalarının Levha Üretimindeki Performansı

In this study, particles from brutian pine ( Pinus brutia Ten.) were soaked in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1% NaOH solutions. The changes in the chemical and thermal properties of the particles caused by these treatments were indicated and the effects of these treatments on the physical and mechanical properties of the produced boards were evaluated. Main chemical component and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis showed that the extractive, hemicellulose and lignin content of the particles decreased during the alkali treatments, while the cellulose content increased. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the particles treated with NaOH solutions exhibited lower thermal stability than the untreated particles. Alkali treatments caused water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) increase of the produced particleboards. The mechanical properties of the produced particleboards were improved by alkali treatments. The modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR) and internal bond (IB) strength values of the produced particleboards met the requirements for general-purpose particleboards used in dry conditions, as defined by the TS-EN 312 (2012) standard.
Recent advances in the fabrication and adhesion testing of biomimetic dry adhesives

In the past two years, there have been a large number of publications on the topic of biomimetic dry adhesives from modeling, fabrication and testing perspectives. We review and compare the most recent advances in fabrication and testing of these materials. While there is increased convergence and consensus as to what makes a good dry adhesive, the fabrication of these materials is still challenging, particularly for anisotropic or hierarchal designs. Although qualitative comparisons between different adhesive designs can be made, quantifying the exact performance and rating each design is significantly hampered by the lack of standardized testing methods. Manufacturing dry adhesives, which can reliably adhere to rough surfaces, show directional and self-cleaning behavior and are relatively simple to manufacture, is still very challenging—great strides by multiple research groups have however made these goals appear achievable within the next few years.
Design of Spatial Magnetic Field Measurement System and Experimental Study of Near-field Characteristics in Wireless Power Transfer System

: Magnetic coupling resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) technology is widely used in a lot of power equipment because of its high efficiency and safety. Magnetic field is a key factor to study the energy transmission mechanism and transmission characteristics of WPT system. At present, the research on the WPT system spatial magnetic field mainly focuses on theoretical research and finite element simulation, with relatively little experimental research. This paper aims to establish an experimental platform for a WPT system, propose and design a magnetic field measurement system suitable for the WPT system, and conduct experimental research on the WPT system magnetic field with the measurement system. The near field region of the magnetic field is divided, and the experimental magnetic field distribution law is obtained using dimensionless and surface fitting methods. Finally, different models are obtained by surface fitting to characterize the distribution law of the experimental magnetic field. The results indicate that the dimensionless magnetic field intensity follows different forms of exponential distribution in different regions. The models are in good agreement with the actual distribution of the magnetic field, which can effectively reflect the variations in actual magnetic field intensity.
Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation Model Validation with Wind Farm Measurements and Uncertainty Quantification

The variation in simulated monopile substructure loads is quantified by validating an aero-hydro-servo-elastic design tool with offshore foundation load measurements. A three bladed 3.6MW pitch controlled variable speed wind turbine for offshore monopile foundations is modeled in the HAWC2 simulation code. A flexible soil model is included in the analysis. Fatigue loads analysis is performed for both the dynamic simulations and on-site foundation strain measurements. The wind farm wake effects on the monopile fatigue loads is also examined and compared with load measurements. Potential discrepancies between simulated loads and measurements are detailed and explained.
Assessment of Vcheck® analyzer for rapid progesterone concentration measurement including recommendations for achieving the optimal breeding time in bitches

Background and Aim: Serum progesterone concentration plays critical role in determining the optimal breeding time in bitches and diagnosing reproductive-related issues. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of serum progesterone results obtained from commercial point-of-care immunological analyzers, namely, Vcheck®, with those obtained using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). Our overarching goal was to evaluate these analyzers’ accuracy and establish standardized guidelines for optimal breeding timing. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four serum samples from bitches were analyzed using the Vcheck® analyzer and compared with CMIA. Thorough documentation included the mean, standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (CI), and minimum and maximum values of serum progesterone concentrations. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient, and the bias correction factor were meticulously recorded. Results: The mean progesterone concentration measured using the Vcheck® analyzer was significantly lower than that measured using CMIA, with a mean difference of 1.26 ng/mL of serum. The Bias correction factor was 0.935, which was nearly 1.00, indicating that the line of best-fit was on the perfect line of agreement, providing insight into the measurement accuracy. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, a measure of precision, was also close to 1 (0.939), confirming the reliability of the data. Furthermore, Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient was 0.877, indicating a fair overall agreement between the Vcheck® and CMIA methods. These results support the validity of the Vcheck® analyzer’s results. The present study was developed by aligning with established CMIA guidelines and adapting them using the range and 95% CI derived from each set of results, ensuring a standardized and rigorous approach. Conclusion: The Vcheck® analyzer provides a rapid assessment of serum progesterone concentration in bitches, with results comparable to those measured using the CMIA technique. However, when considering the use of the Vcheck® analyzer, it is recommended that the results should be interpreted carefully and the interpretation guidelines should be followed. In conclusion, Vcheck® provides a reliable and convenient method for veterinarian practitioners to measure canine progesterone levels in a clinical/hospital setting. Keywords: chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, optimal breeding time, progesterone, Vcheck®.
Inequality beneath the surface: a Belgian case study on structural discrimination in the workplace and the role of organizational structure, culture and policies

PurposeThe context of a long-standing research tradition, discrimination has emerged as a critical factor contributing to inequalities within the labor market. While existing studies have primarily focused on overt discrimination during the recruitment and selection process, influenced by biases, attitudes, or stereotypes, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding discrimination within the workplace and its underlying structural dimensions. This article aims to address this gap by examining the impact of organizational culture, structure and policies on workplace discrimination, with a particular emphasis on women and ethnic minorities.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a case study strategy centered around a Belgian branch of a multinational professional service agency, data was gathered through ten semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with employees representing various organizational levels.FindingsThe findings reveal that organizational culture, structure and policies may pose inherent risks in perpetuating discrimination throughout individuals' professional trajectories. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that, albeit often unconscious, these elements exhibit biases against women and ethnic minorities.Social implicationsGiven the unintentional nature of structural discrimination, it is crucial to foster increased awareness and understanding of these dynamics.Originality/valueThe originality of this research article lies in its focus on addressing a critical knowledge gap in the existing research tradition on discrimination in the labor market. While previous studies have primarily concentrated on overt discrimination during recruitment and selection, this article delves into the often overlooked area of discrimination within the workplace itself. It explores the intricate interplay of organizational culture, structure and policies in perpetuating discrimination, particularly against women and ethnic minorities. By utilizing a case study approach within a multinational professional service agency in Belgium, the research uncovers hidden biases and unconscious elements contributing to structural discrimination. This emphasis on understanding unintentional discrimination adds a novel dimension to the discourse on workplace inequalities.
The Solutions of DC-DC Converters for Renewable Energy System

Photovoltaic and wind systems have been used for a few years to bring a new power supply to many applications, while preserving the environment. This chapter is interested in this work at low and medium power, a few 100 W, for applications to housing and buildings. The works consider a system in which the various sources of renewable energies are connected to each other in a parallel structure which supposes the use of special- ized converters accepting at the input voltages of the order of a few tens of volts, and giving out several hundred of volts. The DC-DC converters with magnetic coupling will be analyzed more particularly to show the technological limits. In particular, the influence of the magnetic circuit and the leakage flows will be studied in more detail.
Effect of Foliar Application of GA3, on Yield and Quality of Indian Mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.] Under Sodic Soil

The Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important oilseed crop belongs to family Cruciferae, the oilseed crop play an important role in agriculture economy of India. Our country is the largest oil economy in the world after the U.S., China and Brazil in term of vegetable oil. India occupies the second position in area after China and third position in production in the world after China and Canada. In India, it is the second most important edible oilseed crop after groundnut sharing 25-30 percent Indian oilseed economy. The share of oilseeds is 14.1 % out of the total cropped area, in India, rapeseedmustard accounts for 3% of it. Mustard seed is the second largest produced oilseed in the world with an area of 37.0 m ha, with the production of 63.09 m tones and productivity of 11.90 q ha -1 . India contributes 28.3 % and 19.8 % in world acreage and production.
A tool for semi-automatic ground truth annotation of trafﬁc videos

We have developed a semi-automatic annotation tool – “CVL Annotator” – for bounding box ground truth generation in videos. Our research is particularly motivated by the need for reference annotations of challenging nighttime trafﬁc scenes with highly dynamic lighting conditions due to reﬂections, headlights and halos from oncoming trafﬁc. Our tool incorporates a suite of different state-of-the-art tracking algorithms in order to minimize the amount of human input necessary to generate high-quality ground truth data. We focus our user interface on the premise of minimizing user interaction and visualizing all information relevant to the user at a glance. We perform a preliminary user study to measure the amount of time and clicks necessary to produce ground truth annotations of video trafﬁc scenes and evaluate the accuracy of the ﬁnal annotation results.
THE ABDUS SALAM INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS THE SPACETIME LIFE OF A NON-BPS D-PARTICLE

We investigate the classical geometry generated by a stable non-BPS D-particle. We consider the boundary state of a stable non-BPS D-particle in the covariant formalism in the type IIB theory orbifolded by (—1) • I 4 . We calculate the scattering amplitude between two D-particles in the non-compact and compact orbifold and analyse the short and long distance behaviour. At short distances we find no force at order v for any radius, and at the critical radius we find a BPS-like behaviour up to v corrections for long and short distances. Projecting the boundary state on the massless states of the orbifold closed string spectrum we obtain the large distance behaviour of the classical solution describing this non-BPS D-particle in the non-compact and compact cases. By using the non-BPS D-particle as a probe of the background geometry of another non-BPS D-particle, we recover the no-force condition at the critical radius and the v behaviour of the probe. Moreover, assuming that the no-force persists for the complete geometry we derive part of the classical solution for the non-BPS D-particle. MIRAMARE TRIESTE April 2000 1 E-mail: E.Eyras@damtp.cam. ac.uk E-mail: panda@mri.ernet. in
Cuentas Ambientales del Departamento de Pando en Bolivia: Aplicación del Enfoque Insumo Producto a nivel sub-nacional

La estimacion de las cuentas ambientales a nivel subnacional es importante en Bolivia, debido a la heterogenea distribucion espacial de los activos ambientales en el territorio nacional, en particular para departamentos de escasa diversificacion productiva, donde la extraccion de recursos naturales constituye su principal base economica. El presente trabajo se concentra en el departamento de Pando en Bolivia. Aplica la metodologia non-survey de regionalizacion de matrices insumo producto, a una clasificacion adecuada de activos y recursos ambientales, para obtener el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) ambientalmente ajustado del mencionado departamento, cuya desagregacion segun ingreso permite la estimacion cuantitativa del aporte de la naturaleza en la generacion del producto e ingreso departamental, medida a traves del calculo de la renta de los recursos naturales. Los resultados de la investigacion tambien confirman la dependencia economica de Pando, respecto de los recursos naturales, al cuantificar su alto grado de apertura hacia mercados externos al departamento, superior al nacional y constituirse en exportador neto de recursos naturales.
Note on Representing attribute reduction and concepts in concepts lattice using graphs

Mao H. (2017, Representing attribute reduction and concepts in concept lattice using graphs. Soft Computing 21(24):7293--7311) claims to make contributions to the study of reduction of attributes in concept lattices by using graph theory. We show that her results are either trivial or already well-known and all three algorithms proposed in the paper are incorrect.