Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel luminescence probe based on layered double hydroxides loaded with quantum dots for simultaneous detection of heavy metal ions in water

As most heavy metals are highly toxic upon accumulation in the human body, it is urgent to develop accurate, low-cost, and on-site methods to detect multiple heavy metal ions in real water samples. Quantum dots (QDs) are an approved choice for use in sensors and exhibit favorable luminescence in aqueous solution, but they often become quenched when isolated from their suspensions due to agglomeration. Therefore, QDs must exist in a solid state in order to be successfully applied to luminescence detection. This work reports the fabrication of a novel luminescence composite based on glutathione-capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (GSH-Mn-ZnS QDs) and layered double hydroxides (LDH). The composite is solid and exhibits enhanced luminescence intensity, as the structure of LDH prevents the aggregation of QDs. Most importantly, it exhibits a similar response when used as a sensor for detecting Pb2+, Cr3+ and Hg2+ with a linear range of 1 × 10−6 M to 1 × 10−3 M for each heavy metal, and a detection limit for the mixed metal ions of 9.3 × 10−7 M. In addition, the composite was successfully applied for detection in lake water with low interference. Therefore, a practical method is presented for the design and fabrication of a QD–LDH composite that can be used for qualitative and quantitative testing of mixed heavy metal ions simultaneously in real water samples.
Determinants of ferritin and soluble transferrin receptors as iron status parameters in young adult women

Abstract Objective To investigate associations between nutritional and non-nutritional variables and Fe status parameters, i.e. serum ferritin and soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR). Design Cross-sectional design. Fe status parameters were determined on a fasting venous blood sample. Nutritional variables were assessed using a 2 d food record and non-nutritional variables by a general questionnaire. A general linear model was used to investigate associations between the variables and Fe status parameters. Setting Region of Ghent, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Subjects Random sample of 788 women (aged 18–39 years). Results Median (interquartile range) ferritin and sTfR were 26·3 (15·9, 48·9) ng/ml and 1·11 (0·95, 1·30) mg/l, respectively. BMI and alcohol intake were positively associated and tea intake was negatively associated with serum ferritin. Women who used a non-hormonal intra-uterine device, who gave blood within the past year or who had been pregnant within the past year had lower serum ferritin values than their counterparts. Significant determinants of sTfR were smoking habit and pregnancy, with higher values for non-smokers and women who had been pregnant within the past year. Conclusions The present study indicates that contraceptive use, time since last blood donation, time since last pregnancy, BMI, alcohol and tea intake are determinants of Fe stores, whereas smoking habit and time since last pregnancy are determinants of tissue Fe needs. When developing strategies to improve Fe status, special attention should be given to women who use a non-hormonal intra-uterine device, gave blood within the past year and had been pregnant within the past year.
Effect of omnivorous and vegan diets with different protein and carbohydrate content on growth and metabolism of growing rats

Abstract The purpose of this study was to observe, in a rat animal model, the short and medium term effects of vegan (VEG) or omnivorous (OMNI) diets with different energy partition between nutrients (zone or classic). Six different diets were administered, for 72 days to 120 growing male Sprague-Dawley rats: (i) VEG zone diet; (ii) VEG classic diet; (iii) OMNI zone diet; (iv) OMNI classic diet; (v) OMNI zone diet with added fibre and (vi) OMNI classic diet with added fibre. Zone diets (high protein and low carbohydrates), resulted in better growth , feed efficiency, lower blood glucose and insulin responses. VEG diets have lowered cholesterol blood level. Histopathological analysis evidenced no damage to liver and kidney tissue by the intake of any of the diet types. Further longer animal and human duration studies should be performed to exclude detrimental effect of higher protein diet.
Synthesis and Thermal Instability of High-Quality Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 Superlattice Thin Film Thermoelectrics

The quality and temperature stability of 1 nm Bi2Te3/5 nm Sb2Te3 superlattices prepared by molecular beam epitaxy for the first time was investigated by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Upon heating, the superlattice structures are not stable against interdiffusion of the components, with micro- and nanostructural changes occurring at temperatures as low as 200 °C. The interdiffusion preferably starts next to superlattice defects. At 300 °C the Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 layers were mostly interdiffused, forming the thermodynamically stable Sb1.66Bi0. 33Te3 alloy. The data suggests that structural integrity of Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattices will not be stable for extended times above 200 °C, thus inhibiting application of such superlattices over a wide temperature range.
Bioresponsive polymer coating on nanoparticles

Nanotechnology incorporated with molecular biology became a promising way to treat cancer. The size of nanoparticles enables them to overcome the side effects noticed in cancer treatment like chemotherapy and surgery. Various types and shapes of nanoparticles have been synthesized and used in drug delivery to tumor sites. However, one of problems of using these nanoparticles is the aggregation after injecting them into human body due to flow rate of bloodstream. The coagulation and aggregation will result in clogging blood vessel and lower therapeutic efficacy. In this thesis, a solution to the aggregation problem was proposed, which is coating biopolymer on nanoparticles (NPs). The experimental sections covered synthesis and characterization of breast cancer specific targeting drug-encapsulated NPs and biopolymer coating on the surface of Au-Fe3O4 NPs for thermal therapy. Furthermore, in vitro studies of these NPs with breast cancer cells were also included. The specific targeting anticancer drug-encapsulated NRs showed significant inhibition in BT-474 breast cancer cell growth. The Au-Fe3O4 NPs has a possibility to treat cancer cells using the thermal therapy approach.
Interacting psychosocial and environmental correlates of leisure-time physical activity: a three-country study.

OBJECTIVE The main study objective was to examine the moderating effects of perceived enjoyment, barriers/benefits, perceived social support and self-efficacy, on the associations of perceived environmental attributes with walking for recreation and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and whether these potential moderating effects differed by gender and study site. METHODS Data from three observational studies in the United States (Seattle and Baltimore), Australia (Adelaide), and Belgium (Ghent) were pooled. In total, 6014 adults (20-65 years, 55.7% women) were recruited in high-/low-walkable and high-/low-income neighborhoods. All participants completed the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, a validated questionnaire on psychosocial attributes, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. General additive mixed models were conducted in R. RESULTS Enjoyment of physical activity, perceived barriers to physical activity, perceived benefits of physical activity, social support from family and friends, and self-efficacy for physical activity moderated the relationships of specific perceived environmental characteristics with walking for recreation and/or leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Overall, moderating effects were in the same direction: environmental perceptions were positively associated with leisure-time activity, but associations were strongest in adults with less positive scores on psychosocial attributes. The findings were fairly consistent across gender and study sites. CONCLUSIONS The present study findings are promising, as it seems that those who might benefit most from environmental interventions to promote physical activity, may mainly be adults at risk of being insufficiently active or those difficult to reach through individual health promotion programs.
Towards the Success of ERP Systems: Case Study in Two Moroccan Companies

For over a decade, ERP systems in Morocco have shown a significant increase. Companies make large investments in these scale systems in order to anticipate positive impacts on their organization. Measuring ERP systems success becomes an important criterion for the stakeholders in justifying the associated investment. In this paper, we will examine the success of these systems by using a qualitative research method based on a case study approach. We will provide an insight into how two Moroccan organizations perceive the success of their ERP systems. Findings indicated that Information, system quality and net benefits are the three main dimensions of success.
A Benchmark Dataset and Evaluation Methodology for Video Object Segmentation

Over the years, datasets and benchmarks have proven their fundamental importance in computer vision research, enabling targeted progress and objective comparisons in many fields. At the same time, legacy datasets may impend the evolution of a field due to saturated algorithm performance and the lack of contemporary, high quality data. In this work we present a new benchmark dataset and evaluation methodology for the area of video object segmentation. The dataset, named DAVIS (Densely Annotated VIdeo Segmentation), consists of fifty high quality, Full HD video sequences, spanning multiple occurrences of common video object segmentation challenges such as occlusions, motionblur and appearance changes. Each video is accompanied by densely annotated, pixel-accurate and per-frame ground truth segmentation. In addition, we provide a comprehensive analysis of several state-of-the-art segmentation approaches using three complementary metrics that measure the spatial extent of the segmentation, the accuracy of the silhouette contours and the temporal coherence. The results uncover strengths and weaknesses of current approaches, opening up promising directions for future works.
Personality and collective decision-making in foraging herbivores

The mechanisms by which group-living animals collectively exploit resources, and the role of individuals in group decisions, are central issues for understanding animal distribution patterns. We investigated the extent to which boldness and shyness affect the distribution of social herbivores across vegetation patches, using sheep as a model species. Using an experimental and a theoretical approach, we show that collective choices emerge through the nonlinear dynamics of interactions between individuals, at both short and long distances. Within a range of parameter values derived from the observation of homogeneous groups of each behavioural type, we propose a simple mechanism whereby the same interaction rules can result in different patterns of distribution across patches for bold and shy individuals. We present a mathematical model based on behavioural rules derived from experiments, in which crowding and conspecific attraction affect the probability of entering or leaving patches. Variation in the strength of social attraction is sufficient to account for differences in spatial distribution across patches. The model predicts that resource fragmentation more strongly affects the distribution patterns of shy groups, and suggests that the presence of both bold and shy individuals within groups would result in more flexible behaviour at the population level.
Clinical outcomes assessment in multiple sclerosis

This article represents initial deliberation of an international task force appointed by the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society to develop recommendations for optimal clinical assessment tools for multiple sclerosis clinical trials. Presented within this article are the key issues identified by the task force during its initial year of deliberation. These include the precise purpose for a clinical assessment tool, the clinical dimensions to be measured in a multidimensional outcome measure, desirable attributes of an optimal clinical outcome measure, the complexities of multidimensional outcome measures, the relative merits of categorical clinical ratings and quantitative functional assessments, and a number of other important design issues that relate to the use of a multidimensional outcome measure. An action plan for analysis of existing data is summarized, as are the plans for more detailed recommendations from the task force.
Decreased conflict- and error-related activity in the anterior cingulate cortex in subjects with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE People with schizophrenia have exhibited reduced functional activity in the anterior cingulate cortex during the performance of many types of cognitive tasks and during the commission of errors. According to conflict theory, the anterior cingulate cortex is involved in the monitoring of response conflict, acting as a signal for a need for greater cognitive control. This study examined whether impaired conflict monitoring in people with schizophrenia could underlie reduced anterior cingulate activity during both correct task performance and error-related activity. METHOD Functional activity in the anterior cingulate of 13 schizophrenia patients and 13 healthy comparison subjects was investigated by using event-related fMRI and a Stroop task that allowed simultaneous examination of activity during both conflict (incongruent trials) and error (commission of error trials). RESULTS In the presence of comparable reaction time measures for conflict as well as comparable error rates, the schizophrenia subjects showed both decreased conflict- and error-related activity in the same region of the anterior cingulate cortex. Moreover, those with schizophrenia did not exhibit significant post-conflict or post-error behavioral adjustments. CONCLUSIONS Concurrently reduced conflict- and error-related activity in the anterior cingulate cortex along with reduced trial-to-trial adjustments in performance has not previously been reported in schizophrenia. The current results suggest that impaired conflict monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex might play an important role in contributing to cognitive control deficits in patients with schizophrenia.
Design and scalability analysis of optical phased-array 1 × N switch on planar lightwave circuit

We derive explicit design rules of optical phased-array planar 1 × N switch to achieve small insertion loss, large extinction ratio, and non-dispersive waveguide structure required for wavelength-independent broadband operation. The minimum number of phase shifters and slab lengths were studied as a function of N and the optimized array shape was derived to minimize the optical path length. We show that the length depends nonlinearly on N, and may become significantly shorter compared with that of a tree-structured switch under certain conditions.
The Effect of Medicaid Eligibility Expansions on Births

In an effort to increase the use of prenatal care by pregnant women and the utilization of medical care by children, eligibility for Medicaid was expanded dramatically for pregnant women and children during the 1980s and early 1990s. By lowering the costs of prenatal care, delivery, and child health care for some individuals, Medicaid expansions may prompt some women to give birth who otherwise would not have children or lead some women to have more children than they otherwise would have. This study uses natality data from 1983 to 1996 to examine the relationship between a state's eligibility threshold for Medicaid and birth rates among various groups. The results suggest that expansions have significant and sizable effects on births. A 10 percentage point increase in the eligibility threshold is associated with a 1.4 percent increase in the birth rate among nonblack women and a 1.0 percent increase among black women. Between 1983 and 1996, the expansions appear to have led to an average increase in the birth rate of about 10 percent.
Nitrogenase phylogeny and the molybdenum dependence of nitrogen fixation in Methanococcus maripaludis

We studied the effects of molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten on the diazotrophic growth of Methanococcus maripaludis. Mo stimulated growth, with a maximal response at 4.0 microM, while V had no effect at any concentration tested. W specifically inhibited diazotrophic growth in the presence of Mo. Coupling the results of our analysis and other known metal requirements with phylogenies derived from nifD and nifK genes revealed distinct clusters for Mo-, V-, and Fe-dinitrogenases and suggested that most methanogens also have molybdenum-type nitrogenases.
Nested Association Mapping of Stem Rust Resistance in Wheat Using Genotyping by Sequencing

We combined the recently developed genotyping by sequencing (GBS) method with joint mapping (also known as nested association mapping) to dissect and understand the genetic architecture controlling stem rust resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Ten stem rust resistant wheat varieties were crossed to the susceptible line LMPG-6 to generate F6 recombinant inbred lines. The recombinant inbred line populations were phenotyped in Kenya, South Africa, and St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. By joint mapping of the 10 populations, we identified 59 minor and medium-effect QTL (explained phenotypic variance range of 1% – 20%) on 20 chromosomes that contributed towards adult plant resistance to North American Pgt races as well as the highly virulent Ug99 race group. Fifteen of the 59 QTL were detected in multiple environments. No epistatic relationship was detected among the QTL. While these numerous small- to medium-effect QTL are shared among the families, the founder parents were found to have different allelic effects for the QTL. Fourteen QTL identified by joint mapping were also detected in single-population mapping. As these QTL were mapped using SNP markers with known locations on the physical chromosomes, the genomic regions identified with QTL could be explored more in depth to discover candidate genes for stem rust resistance. The use of GBS-derived de novo SNPs in mapping resistance to stem rust shown in this study could be used as a model to conduct similar marker-trait association studies in other plant species.
The incidence of triplets and higher multiple births in some rural and urban populations in Western Nigeria

In a study of triplets and higher multiple births in Western Nigeria, the incidence of triplets was found to be approximately 1–6 per 1000 maternities. The expected incidence calculated by Hellin's ‘law’ was higher than the observed incidence. The twinning and triplet rates in Western Nigeria were found to be approximately 4 and 16 (i.e. 42) times the corresponding rates in U.K. and U.S.A. Using data on sex the method described by Allen (1960) indicated that there was a relatively higher proportion of trizygotic triplets in the Nigerian population.
Computed tomographic findings in progressive supranuclear palsy: Correlation with clinical grade

We report clinical and computed tomography (CT) findings in 17 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Patients were divided into four clinical groups according to the severity of the disease and functional disability. In Grade 1, patients demonstrated minor disability and decreased anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the midbrain tegmentum was present. As the disease progressed clinically to Grade 2, more severe atrophy of the pons and midbrain and dilation of the quadrigeminal plate cistern were noted. The most severe stages of clinical disability (Grades 3 and 4) were characterized radiologically by dilatation of the aqueduct, progressive dilatation of the third and fourth ventricles and atrophy of the temporal lobes. Cortical atrophy was variable and not a prominent radiological feature. Midbrain and pontine AP diameters were significantly smaller in PSP patients than normal patients. Serial studies showed progressive involution of the pons and midbrain and enlargement of the third ventricle. While the most obvious CT changes in PSP occur late in the disease, CT may in fact suggest the correct diagnosis long before the classic clinical picture is evident.
Use of the intertidal zone by mobile predators: influence of wave exposure, tidal phase and elevation on abundance and diet

Linkages between predators and their prey across the subtidal-intertidal boundary remain relatively unexplored. The influence of tidal phase, tidal height and wave exposure on the abundance, population structure and stomach contents of mobile predatory crabs was examined on rocky shores in southwest Britain. Crabs were sampled both during the day and at night using traps deployed at high tide and by direct observation during low tide. Carcinus maenas (L.), Necora puber (L.) and Cancer pagurus (L.) were the most abundant species, being mainly active during nocturnal high tides. C. maenas was the only species that was active during nocturnal low tides, when it was observed mainly on the lower shore feeding on limpets. Individuals of all 3 species sampled during high tide were considerably larger than those sampled during low tide. Thus, sampling crab popula- tions at low tide is likely to underestimate abundance and the extent of predation by crabs on rocky- shore assemblages. During immersion, the relative abundance of each species was influenced by exposure to wave action and tidal elevation. All species were more abundant on the lower shore; C. maenas and N. puber were more abundant in sheltered locations, while C. pagurus was more abundant in exposed locations. Analyses of stomach contents from individuals captured at high tide revealed that chitons and limpets were the most common hard-shell prey taxa in the diet of these predators. The relative abundance of prey in gut contents was, however, not correlated with patterns of prey abundance. Our study indicates the importance of crabs as key intertidal predators and illus- trates the strong trophic linkages between the subtidal and intertidal zones, which is likely to be a key factor influencing community structure on European shores.
Modeling multi-output filtering effects in PCMOS

A methodology has been proposed recently to predict error rates of cascade structures of blocks in Probabilistic CMOS (PCMOS). It requires characterization of unique probabilistic blocks to predict the error rates of a multi-block cascade structure. While the technique was shown to work for a probabilistic carry-select adder [4, 5], the technique needs a new model to work in a Wallace Tree Multiplier (WTM) where error propagates not only along the carry bit but also along the sum bit of the basic full adder building block utilized. In this paper we present a new model for characterization of probabilistic circuits/blocks and present a procedure to find and characterize unique circuits/blocks. Unlike prior approaches, our new model distinguishes distinct filtering effects per output. We apply the proposed model to a WTM and show that using our model, the methodology using a cascade structure [4] can predict WTM error-rates with reasonable accuracy in PCMOS.