Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis Sol-Gel Derived Highly Transparent ZnO Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications

In this work, ZnO thin films were derived by sol-gel using two different techniques; dip coating and spin coating technique. The films were deposited onto glass substrate at room temperature using sol-gel composed from zinc acetate dehydrate, monoethanolamine, isopropanole, and de-ionized water, the films were preheated at 225? C for 15 min. The crystallographic structures of ZnO films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD); the result shows that the good film was prepared at dip coating technique, it was polycrystalline and highly c-orientation along (002) plane, the lattice constant ratio (c/a) was calculated at (002), it was about 1.56. The structure of thin films, prepared by spin coating technique, was amorphous with low intensity and wide peaks. The optical properties of the prepared film were studied using UV-VIS spectrophotometer with the range 190 - 850 nm, and by using the fluorescence spectrometer. The optical characterization of ZnO thin films that were prepared by the dip coating method have good transmittance of about 92% in the visible region, it can be noted from the fluorescence spectrometer two broad visible emission bands centered at 380nm and 430 nm. The optical energy gaps for the direct and indirect allowed transitions were calculated, the values were equal 3.2 eV and 3.1 eV respectively. Dip coating technique create ZnO films with potential for application as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as solar cell.
Anchoring methodologies for pore-scale network models: Application to relative permeability and capillary pressure prediction

The work described in this paper attempts to extend the predictive capability of pore-scale network models by using real experimental data as lithological "anchors". The development of such an anchored model capable of relative permeability and capillary pressure prediction would clearly be of great utility, providing a cheap and flexible tool for interpolating and extrapolating sparse and expensive laboratory data sets. Moreover, once the model had been anchored to reservoir rock samples, a wide range of sensitivities could be examined without recourse to additional experiments. In the context of gas reservoir engineering, a preliminary methodology — utilising mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) data — has been developed that could permit both the matching of existing experimental gas/oil relative permeability curves and the quantitative prediction of additional data sets. Two approaches have been considered. The first involves matching capillary pressure data from MICP experiments to extract pore size distribution and pore volume scaling information. These parameters are then used to predict the relative permeability curves directly. A second approach is to simply match the gas-oil relative permeability curves using a highly constrained bond model. Capillary pressure prediction is then treated as an inverse problem. The constrained set of adjustable parameters in the macropore network model comprises: coordination number (z), pore size distribution exponent (n), pore volume exponent (ν) and pore conductivity exponent (λ) — i.e. only 4 simple parameters. Results demonstrate that this basic four-parameter model is sufficient to reproduce the vast majority of experimental drainage relative permeability curves examined. Only one network simulation per sample is required to match both the wetting and non-wetting curves and each parameter obtained from the matching process lies within a narrow range of possible values. These highly encouraging results suggest that further overparameterisation of the model is unnecessary in the context of drainage processes. However, we also show that anchoring network models to mercury intrusion data alone is insufficient for predicting relative permeabilities a priori — there is an interdependence of parameters and, consequently, an infinite set of parameter combinations will produce almost indistinguishable capillary pressure curves. Therefore, future analysis of MICP data should be performed in conjunction with the analysis of some other independent experiment — an experiment which gives one additional datum that forms the “missing
Changes in the composition of pumpkin seeds ( Cucurbita moschata ) during development and maturation

Changes in the chemical and lipid composition of Cucurbita moschata seeds and seed oils at different stages of development were investigated. The oil content of the seeds at 30, 60 and 90 days after flowering was 10.7, 41.1, and 47.1%, respectively. The amount of proteins was 26.0, 35.9, and 38.2%. The contents of carbohydrates soluble in ethanol were 9.5, 1.8 and 1.3%. The starch and fiber percentage contents were 16.3, 6.8, 2.3 and 4.0, 6.9 and 10.0, respectively and the ash contents were 7.2, 4.7, and 4.5%. The total sterol percentages were found to be 2.0, 0.8 and 0.6 in the oils and 0.2, 0.3 and 0.3 in the seeds. The tocopherol contents were 2010, 512 and 527 mg·kg −1 in the oil, and 215, 210 and 250 mg·kg −1 in the seeds. The total phospholipid percentages were 8.7, 0.8 and 0.4 in the oils and 0.9, 0.3 and 0.2 in the seeds. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography and the major fatty acids in the oils at all stages of ripening were linoleic (40.8–50.2%) followed by palmitic (21.5–25.9%) and oleic (20.5–21.0%).
A Study of the Functionality of Hydrated Lime as an Admixture

It is known that hydrated lime improves the workability and water retention of Portland cement (PC) mortars. PC-lime mixes can be reworked without increasing entrained air thus not undermining durability. In addition, lime lowers strength and stiffness making PC mortars more deformable. However, the use of hydrated lime in PC composites has largely decreased due to the use of plasticisers. These enhance workability and lower cement content reducing heat of hydration. As they are water reducers, they are expected to decrease permeability, minimise shrinkage, enhance ultimate strength and accelerate early-strength gain; leading to stronger, durable composites. Despite these advantages, plasticisers have drawbacks related to wastage and environmental protection. This paper studies the properties of PC-lime mortars and their plasticised equivalents. It concludes that lime raises mortar water demand however, this does not reduce strength but on the contrary, mortars of low lime content (lime amounting 1/4 the cement), have superior flexural and compressive strengths than their plasticised equivalents. The use of lime delivered PC mortars with excellent workability and surface finish and lack of segregation and bleeding. It is concluded that, when lime amounts 1/4 the cement, the mortars are stronger (in tension and compression, at both early and mature age) and gain strength at a faster rate than plasticised mixes. However, when lime equals the cement content, strengths are lower than those of plasticised mixes. It was also noted that lime enhanced bond strength at all ages; and that the ultimate bond strength is greater for the low lime than for the high lime content mortars.
High-end climate change impact on European runoff and low flows – exploring the effects of forcing biases

Abstract. Climate models project a much more substantial warming than the 2 °C target under the more probable emission scenarios, making higher-end scenarios increasingly plausible. Freshwater availability under such conditions is a key issue of concern. In this study, an ensemble of Euro-CORDEX projections under RCP8.5 is used to assess the mean and low hydrological states under +4 °C of global warming for the European region. Five major European catchments were analysed in terms of future drought climatology and the impact of +2 °C versus +4 °C global warming was investigated. The effect of bias correction of the climate model outputs and the observations used for this adjustment was also quantified. Projections indicate an intensification of the water cycle at higher levels of warming. Even for areas where the average state may not considerably be affected, low flows are expected to reduce, leading to changes in the number of dry days and thus drought climatology. The identified increasing or decreasing runoff trends are substantially intensified when moving from the +2 to the +4° of global warming. Bias correction resulted in an improved representation of the historical hydrology. It is also found that the selection of the observational data set for the application of the bias correction has an impact on the projected signal that could be of the same order of magnitude to the selection of the Global Climate Model (GCM).
Effect of riceberry oil (deep purple oil; Oryza sativa Indica) supplementation on hyperglycemia and change in lipid profile in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats fed a high fat diet.

Riceberry oil (RBBO) has been described as having a high level of antioxidants and functional properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of RBBO on changes in blood glucose, insulin levels, and GLUT4 transporter as well as lipid profiles in Streptozotocin (STZ) induced hyperglycemic rats fed a high-fat diet. Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged six weeks and weighing 196.09 ± 10.46 g, were randomly divided into two groups: the first group of 20 rats was fed with a basal diet and another group of 50 rats were fed with a high fat (HF) diet. After two weeks, rats fed the HF-diet were induced to hyperglycemia by two doses of STZ injections (20 and 30 mg/kg; i.p.). Normal rats were divided into two groups: one group fed with basal diet (NC) and another group fed with basal diet with the oil source replaced with 5% RBBO (NR). Diabetic rats were randomized into five groups of 10 rats each as follows: untreated diabetic rats (DMC) fed a high fat (HF) diet alone; and 4 treated groups fed with high fat + 5% RBBO (DMRL); HF + 7.5% RBBO (DMRM); HF + 15% RBBO (DMRH); and HF + metformin 300mg/kg BW (DM-MET), respectively. All rats were given free access to their diet and water for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of supplementation, significant improvement of blood glucose, insulin, HbA1C, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance and GLUT 4 transporter level were observed in the RBBO supplemented groups compared to the DMC group. Significant reductions in TC, LDL-cholesterol, TG and TG/HDL ratio were also shown in rats fed with RBBO when compared to those of diabetic rats. Findings in the present study demonstrate that RBBO, a nutraceutical food, may be useful as an alternative food supplement for the alleviation of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia conditions.
Measurements of the initiation of post‐wildfire runoff during rainstorms using in situ overland flow detectors

Overland flow detectors (OFDs) were deployed in 2012 on a hillslope burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder, Colorado, USA. These detectors were simple, electrical resistor‐type instruments that output a voltage (0–2·5 V) and were designed to measure and record the time of runoff initiation, a signal proportional to water depth, and the runoff hydrograph during natural convective rainstorms.
Precision Limits in Quantum Metrology with Open Quantum Systems

Abstract The laws of quantum mechanics allow to perform measurements whose precision supersedes results predicted by classical parameter estimation theory. That is, the precision bound imposed by the central limit theorem in the estimation of a broad class of parameters, like atomic frequencies in spectroscopy or external magnetic field in magnetometry, can be overcomewhen using quantum probes. Environmental noise, however, generally alters the ultimate precision that can be achieved in the estimation of an unknown parameter. This tutorial reviews recent theoretical work aimed at obtaining general precision bounds in the presence of an environment.We adopt a complementary approach,wherewe first analyze the problem within the general framework of describing the quantum systems in terms of quantum dynamical maps and then relate this abstract formalism to a microscopic description of the system’s dissipative time evolution.We will show that although some forms of noise do render quantum systems standard quantum limited, precision beyond classical bounds is still possible in the presence of different forms of local environmental fluctuations.
Self Medication among Second Year Medical Students in a Teaching Hospital

The study was aimed at assessing self medication among second year medical students using a questionnaire. Of total of 200 students, 94(47 %) practiced self medication at least once in the last six months prior to interview. Analgesics were most commonly used class of drugs, and antibiotics were least used class of drugs. Paracetamol was most frequently used drug. The two important factors encouraged self medication includes minor illness and prior experience with drug. The majority of students supported self medication practices. Text books were top reported source of drug information. As the prevalence of self medication is high which could be because of their medical background, hence students need to be counselled about advantages and limitations of self medication.
Osteocalcin: A New Biomarker for Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Children and Adolescents

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease in adults but uncommon in Pediatrics. Patients with chronic liver disease are at increasing risk of developing metabolic bone disease which may be attributed to decreased Osteocalcin which is involved in bone extracellular matrix mineralization. Aim of the work: was to measure serum osteocalcin levels in children and adolescents with NAFLD and to investigate the relationship with variables degrees of NAFLD. Materials and methods: This study was carried out upon 60 children with NAFL detected by abdominal ultrasonography. Forty apparently healthy children, matched for age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were chosen as controls. They were subjected to history taking, clinical examination, investigations included liver function tests, fasting serum glucose and insulin levels, Homeostasis Model Assessment method of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), serum osteocalcin level and abdominal Ultrasonography to assess semiquantitavely the degree of steatosis. Results: Mean serum osteocalcin level was significantly lower in patients than in controls. Mean serum level of ALT, total cholesterol and triglycerides, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were markedly increases as the hepatic steatosis advancing in severity. There was a parallel decrease of mean serum osteocalcin level with advancing the degree of hepatic steatosis by ultrasound. Serum osteocalcin levels were inversely correlated with the values of W/H ratio, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. Conclusions: NAFLD had lower serum levels of osteocalcin compared to controls. It were inversely associated with the degrees of steatosis so can considered as a biomarker for severity NAFLD in pediatric age.
Long‐Term Unemployment and the Great Recession: Evidence from UK Stocks and Flows

Long‐term unemployment more than doubled during the United Kingdom's Great Recession. Only a small fraction of this persistent increase can be accounted for by the changing composition of unemployment across personal and work history characteristics. Through extending a well‐known stocks‐flows decomposition of labour market fluctuations, the cyclical behaviour of participation flows can account for over two‐thirds of the high level of long‐term unemployment following the financial crisis, especially the procyclical flow from unemployment to inactivity. The pattern of these flows and their changing composition suggest a general shift in the labour force attachment of the unemployed during the downturn.
Diel activity cycles of freshwater gastropods under natural light: Patterns and ecological implications

Though much is known about freshwater snail ecology, their circadian rhythms remain poorly investigated. Well-fed, stress-free, mid-size adults of six species common in central Italian lakes were exposed to natural sunlight and photoperiod, and their activity status was recorded at 3-h intervals during a 9-d indoor experiment. All species exhibited evident diurnal habits despite high individual variability, with midday-to-early-afternoon activity peaks. Activity was correlated with diel light conditions but not with short-term changes in albedo. The prosobranch Bithynia (=Codiella ) leachii and the pulmonates Physa (=Physella ) acuta and Planorbis planorbis were the most active species and exhibited the longest-lasting response to daytime food addition. The prosobranch Valvata piscinalis exhibited long periods retracted in its shell with the operculum shut, and the remaining taxa (the pulmonates Galba (=Lymnaea ) truncatula and Radix (=Lymnaea ) auricularia ) exhibited an intermediate degree of activity. P. acuta was the most active species at night and exhibited the quicker response to nighttime food addition. Alertedness to (diurnal) predators may be highest for the highly active P. acuta and P. planorbis , whose antipredator defenses are mainly behavioral. Diel activity patterns and other ecological characteristics suggest that P. acuta may be favored in food-rich habitats, while V. piscinalis may not be able to fully exploit food resources, especially if in limiting quantities. All snail species – and P. acuta in particular – may stimulate periphyton metabolism while keeping its biomass low by grazing mainly during the time of maximum photosynthesis.
Effects of Dimethyl Sulfoxide and Glycerol Based Vitrification Protocols on Zona Pellucida Hardening in Mature Bovine Oocytes

Zona pellucida hardening is a natural process that occurs after oocyte fertilization to prevent polyspermic fertilization and to protect embryonic development. Pre-fertilization hardening of the zona pellucida, however, decreases fertilization rates. Cryoprotectants have also been shown to negatively affect fertilization rates, one possible mechanism of which being through zona hardening. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different cryoprotectants on hardening of the zona pellucida of mature bovine oocytes. Oocytes were collected by ovum pick-up (OPU) by transvaginal ultrasound guided aspiration (TUGA) from mixed-breed cows. After collection, oocytes were randomly assigned to 3 cryoprotectant treatment groups: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol, or PBS (control). Drops (50 µL) of each vitrification solution were placed under mineral oil. Vitrification solution 1 (VS1) contained 10% ethylene glycol (EG), either 10% DMSO or glycerol, and 0.5 M sucrose. Vitrification solution 2 (VS2) contained 20% EG, 20% DMSO or glycerol, and 0.5 M sucrose. All oocytes were held in VS1 for 5 min before being transferred to VS2 for 45 s. All oocytes were washed in a common dilution solution (80% PBS, 20% calf serum, 0.025 M sucrose) for 5 min. Next, oocytes were moved to 50-µL drops of protease solution (0.1% protease) under mineral oil. Control oocytes were held in PBS for ~10 min before entering the protease solution to represent the same period as the vitrification procedure. The oocytes were observed until the zonae pellucidae were completely digested and times were recorded for each oocyte. This experiment included 4 replicates with a total of 88 oocytes used, 32 each in DMSO and glycerol and 24 in PBS. The data were analysed using ANOVA. The DMSO group had the lower mean zona digestion time out of the 2 cryoprotectants at 15.75 min and glycerol had the highest mean digestion time at 19.3 min. The control group (PBS) had the lowest mean of the 3 treatments at 12.7 min. The differences between DMSO and glycerol, and between DMSO and PBS were not significant (P = 0.0654 and 0.1073, respectively). However, both glycerol versus PBS and the average of DMSO and glycerol versus PBS were significantly different (P-value = 0.0053 and 0.0119, respectively). These results suggest that glycerol hardens the zona pellucida more than DMSO or PBS; however, there is not enough evidence to determine whether DMSO hardens the zona pellucida compared with PBS. This would suggest that, in relation to zona hardening and ensuring proper fertilization, glycerol-based cryoprotectants may be a better option than DMSO-based ones. Further, these results may be important in embryo vitrification as zona hardening may prevent blastocyst hatching, suggesting that glycerol-based cryoprotectants should be investigated as the optimal cryoprotectant here also.
Present-Day Genetic Structure of the Holoparasite Conopholis americana (Orobanchaceae) in Eastern North America and the Location of Its Refugia during the Last Glacial Cycle

Premise of research. Understanding how various organisms respond to previous changes in climate could provide insight into how they may respond or adapt to the current changes. Conopholis americana has a broad distribution across eastern North America, covering both previously glaciated and unglaciated regions. In this study, we investigated the postglacial history and phylogeographic structure of this parasitic plant species to characterize its genetic variation and structure and to identify the number and locations of refugia. Methodology. Molecular data from 10 microsatellite markers and DNA sequences from the plastid gene/introns (clpP) were obtained for 281 individuals sampled from 75 populations spanning the current range of the species in eastern North America and analyzed using a variety of phylogeographic methods. Distribution modeling was carried out to determine regions with relatively suitable climate niches for populations at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and present. Pivotal results. We inferred the persistence of a minimum of two glacial refugia for C. americana at the LGM, one in north-central Florida and southern Alabama and another in the Appalachian Mountains near the southern tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains. High levels of genetic diversity were observed across the southern Appalachian Mountains, the region where populations from two refugia come together following recolonization northward. Conclusions. The genetic and geographic patterns revealed by our results provide further evidence of the dynamic nature and phylogeographical history of eastern North American taxa. The discovery of a distinct southern lineage is in agreement with the location of a previously proposed southern glacial refugium spanning across Florida, southern Georgia and Alabama, and the Lower Mississippi Valley. The second lineage is dominant across the present northern range of the species and is hypothesized to have been located in the southern extent of the Blue Ridge mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains at the LGM.
Pharmacokinetic, Safety and Efficacy of Darunavir/Ritonavir in HIV+ Pregnant Women

Book 17th International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of HIV & Hepatitis Therapy 8 10 June 2016, Washington, DC, USA 6016 R eiew s in A nviral T hrap y & Inectio us D isases All workshop materials such as abstracts, presentations, etc