Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of morphology and Zeta Potential analyzer for the Silver Nanoparticles

This work was devoted for production of colloidal silver nanoparticles via chemical reduction method. The colloidal silver nanoparticles were characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Zeta potential. The controllability of particle size and size distribution is shown in this paper to be dependent upon the type of measurement conditions in addition to it proved that the smaller mean diameter at average electric field (14.42 V/cm) and average current (-0.06 mA). The obtained particles were spherical in shape and having an average particles size of 5-20 nm, zeta potentials range between -25.5 to -38.3 mV. The dissolution data indicates that the release of the silver nanoparticles is inversely correlated with the size of the nanoparticles i.e. the release increased with smaller size particles. The results showed that the Ag NPs would be stable in the pharmaceutical preparations and will be easily to the infection site. The colloidal silver nanoparticles were found to be very efficient antibacterial agents for different types of bacteria. The results provided strong evidence that could warrant the consideration of silver nanoparticles as antibacterial and antifungal agent.
Party affiliation in new democracies: Local reactions to the split of the ruling party in Malawi

The split within Malawi’s ruling party in 2005 offers an opportunity to investigate underlying perspectives about what it means to belong to a political party in a new democracy. Although a mirage of a three-party system emerged after the first multiparty election in the early nineties, Malawi is a typical case where the fluidity of party membership is an ongoing process. By reading the existing literature on party affiliation in democratising states, one would expect that rank-and-file members of the political parties easily defect when a new ruling party is formed. This qualitative analysis of the responses from 54 political activists only to some extent supports this perspective, as the findings show a high degree of variation in party loyalty. About 39% defected, which provides limited support to the exiting literature on new democracies that shows how party affiliation is affected by leadership-centred parties and the dominance of the presidency. About 41% did, however, remain loyal. The in-depth interviews carried out with the loyal supporters revealed the importance of acknowledging the high level of partisanship in the electorate. This suggests that many decided to not change party affiliation because they tried to follow the changing sentiments in the electorate. Key words: Democratic decentralisation, party affiliation, local politics, Malawi.
Foliar application of silicon and the effect on wheat seed yield and quality 1

Adequate nutrients for plants are important for increasing the yield and quality of the seeds produced. The objective of this study was to evaluate foliar fertilization with silicon in wheat and its effect on seed yield and physiological quality. Treatments consisted of two silicon dosages (three and six liters silicon per hectare) and the control (no silicon) and five wheat cultivars: OR "Quartzo", OR "Onix", Fundacep "Linhagem", Fundacep "Campo Real" and Fundacep "Horizonte". The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications. After physiological maturity, harvesting and threshing of the seeds were done manually. Seed samples were evaluated for yield and physiological quality from the germination test, first germination count, seedling dry weight, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity, 1000 seeds and hectoliter weights. The results showed that the foliar application of silicon at the dosages tested did not affect the yield and physiological quality of the seeds produced by the wheat cultivars.
Determination of Annual Incidence, Age Specific Incidence Rate and Risk of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis among Children in Iran

otavirus is recognized as a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and has been estimated to be responsible for 20-70% of hospitalization for diarrhea among children world-wide. The greatest burden of disease falls on children in developing countries, where rotavirus accounts for an estimated 600 000 to 870 000 deaths per year. Despite the global recognition of this problem, many countries are unaware of the importance of rotavirus diarrhea in their own setting (Cunliffe et al, 2005, Bresee et al, 2004). In order to better understand the clinical epidemiology of Rotavirus, we have carried out a survey of acute diarrheal illnesses in three main Children’s hospital in capital city of Iran : in the north Aliasghar, in the south Bahrami and in the center Rasool e Akram hospital to assess the rate of rotavirus infection among children less than five years of age with acute gastroenteritis . 260 specimens were collected from children up to 5 years of age From July 2005 to Jun 2006. Fecal specimens were obtained from each patient within 24h of admission, were frozen at -20 c and were transported frozen for testing to the Virology Laboratory of Tehran. Of these fecal specimens, 193 (74.23%) were inpatients and 67 (25.77%) were outpatients. These fecal specimens was tested by a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (Rotavirus ELISA kit, DAKOpatts, Denmark) for detection of rotavirus antigen , particularly the internal capsid protein ( VP6 ). A total of 50 fecal specimens collected from healthy children in similar age group were studied as controls. Samples with ELISA cutoff values corresponding to > 0.25 were considered positive. Of these 260 specimens, 91 (35%) were determined to be rotavirus positive by ELISA. Comparison between rotavirus results were elicited from hospitalized (79.12%) and non-hospitalized children (20.88%). And this difference was statistically significant (Exact Fisher Test; pvalue= <0.001). Hence there was a significant relationship between rate of hospitalization as a severity of illness indicator and positive rotavirus results. According to the results of previous studies, the association between rotavirus and severe diarrhea is conflicting. In Brazil, the prevalence rates ranged from 13 to 20% in different states (Cardoso et al, 2003) and in a hospital-based study in Bangladesh it was reported that children infected with rotavirus had less severe dehydration than those infected with other enteropathogens (PerezSchael et al, 1999). Conversely, some studies reported that rotavirus diarrhea was particularly severe compared with infections by other enteropathogens (Linhares et al, 2000, Karadag et al, 2005, Shariff et al, 2003, Huilan et al, 1991 and Mohammed et al, 1994). Therefore rotavirus infections are often more severe as well as more likely to be associated with dehydration and hospitalization. According to the age of the children it was R
ODELING OF SATELLITE DATA TO IDENTIFY THE S EASONAL PATTERNS AND TRENDS OF VEGETATION INDEX IN K ATHMANDU V ALLEY , N EPAL FROM 2000 TO 2015

Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were analysed to identify the seasonal patterns and the time series trends of vegetation in Kathmandu. The data were managed in three steps: reordering, removal of unreliable values and validating. A cubic spline function was used to examine annual seasonal patterns that revealed regular seasonal peaks (day 225 to 280) and troughs (day 50 to 81) of vegetation and start of greening from April and of browning from November. Linear regression models were fitted to seasonally adjusted NDVI, which statistically showed 40.70% of the grid cells had a significant increase and 24.71% of it had decreasing trends. To adjust for autocorrelation, generalized estimating equations (GEE) were fitted to the data for whole area that showed, the overall vegetation has been significantly declining at a rate of 0.005 ̊C and -0.006 ̊C per decade for 2000-2004 and 2010-2015 respectively. The recent period of decline is alarming for a growing city like Kathmandu.
Employee Engagement: A Review on Engagement Models

: Engagement is “the psychological state and behavioural outcomes (say, stay, strive) that lead to better performance”. This paper highlights some of the important definitions of employee engagement coined by researchers and firms and also explains the important models in relation to employee engagement. These kinds of studies help companies to tap many simple and inexpensive opportunities to create an engaged work-force. The relationship of employee engagement with two important topics like Leadership and Talent management has been explained as a part of the paper. This study on employee engagement would foster to develop new practice strategies not to correct a deficit, but to help individuals to improve their capacity in order to maximize their non-functioning.
splenic CD 4 D T cells and limits acute kidney Circulating IL-6 upregulates IL-10 production in injury – induced lung in fl ammation

injury–induced lung inflammation Ana Andres-Hernando, Kayo Okamura, Rhea Bhargava, Carol M. Kiekhaefer, Danielle Soranno, Lara A. Kirkbride-Romeo, Hyo-wook Gil, Chris Altmann and Sarah Faubel Department of Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Bioengineering, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA; and Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
REPORTS : PUBLIC HEALTH BODY COMPOSITION AND MUSCULAR STRENGTH AS PREDICTORS OF BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

Pei-Yang Liu, PhD, RD; Lyndsey M. Hornbuckle, PhD, RD; Jasminka Z. Ilich, PhD, RD; Jeong-Su Kim, PhD; Lynn Panton, PhD Our cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between regional bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition variables, including total body lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM), as well as muscular strength in overweight and obese African-American (AA) women with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Forty-four women ranging in age from 39 to 61 years participated. Upper and lower body strength measurements were assessed using chest press and leg extension exercises, respectively. Body composition and BMD of the total body, spine (L2-L4), hip, and radius were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. LM was positively correlated with total body, spine, hip, and radius BMD (r5.338–.603, all P,.05), and FM was positively correlated with total body BMD (r5.343, P,.05). In multiple linear regression analyses after controlling for age, height, total energy, and calcium intake, LM was a significant positive determinant of BMD at various skeletal sites (P,.05), while FM was negatively related to BMD of total hip (P,.05). Our results indicate that LM is an independent predictor of total body, spine, hip, and total radius BMD. In contrast, FM is a negative predictor of total body and hip BMD in overweight or obese AA women with MetS (P,.05). Upper and lower body muscular strength measures were not associated with BMD at any skeletal sites. These results suggest an important role for LM in preventing the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis. (Ethn Dis. 2014;24[3]:356–362)
Inducing the Effects of Acellular Dermal Matrix on Blastema Tissue Originated From the Pinna of New Zealand White Rabbit, in Vitro

Background: Extracellular matrix (ECM) functions as a scaffold for tissue morphogenesis and regeneration, promotes the maintenance of differentiated tissue and plays an extremely indispensable role in cell proliferation and differentiation. As a corollary of this importance, studying the cell behaviors without considering the ECM is to some extent impossible. Deletion of cells from ECM obtains natural three dimensional matrices that ape the in vivo functions of ECM. Objectives: The current study aimed to verify whether acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is a suitable 3D-matrix for blastema tissue cells originated from pinna of rabbit and study different behaviors of these cells on ADM. Materials andMethods: To prepare ADM, small pieces of skin were decellularized by repeated snap freeze-thaw and treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate as a detergent. Decellularization was verified and proved by histological tests. Blastema rings were prepared by double punching the pinnas of male New Zealand White rabbits and cultured in vitro after assembling with ADM. Specimens were studied after 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days of culturing. Results: Migration of cells started on the fifth day. As a result of this migration, most cells were located on the surface of the scaffold and formed epiderm-like structure and some penetrated into the scaffold. By day 25, cells which had penetrated into the scaffold had various destinies such as becoming elongated spindle-shaped cells and creating blood vessel-like structures. Conclusions: ADM can induce migration and probably differentiation of blastema tissue cells; therefore, it is a suitable 3D-model to study cell behaviors in vitro.
Factors affecting the utilization of long lasting insecticide treated bed nets among people living with HIV/AIDS in Bassa Local Government area of Plateau State, Nigeria.

Objective Malaria and HIV account for over four million deaths per year thereby contributing significantly to the current global health burden. Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) represent a practical and effective means to prevent malaria in Africa. This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting the utilization of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated bed Nets (LLITNs) among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). Methods An interventional study with a before and after design conducted among PLHIV to determine the factors affecting the utilization of LLITNs. EPI info statistical software version 3.5. 4 was used for data analysis. Confidence interval for this study was set at 95% with a corresponding P ⩽ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results This study reported a mean 33.86 + 11.50 years with statistically significant improvement in the consistency of LLITNs use after the intervention. Furthermore, the likelihood of use of LLITNs was 9 times more among respondents with tertiary education when compared to other levels of education (Odd's ratio = 9.3712; 95% CI = 2.5261 - 34.7652; P = 0.0008). Conclusion This study has demonstrated positive influence of provision of free LLITNs supported with health education on the consistent utilization of LLITNs as well as certain factors that can influence LLITNs use.
Foreign Direct Investment and External Financing Conditions: Evidence from Normal and Crisis Times

This paper investigates the effects that external financing conditions in source and destination countries have on foreign direct investment (FDI) in normal and crisis times, using a difference-in- differences approach. We find that source and destination countries’ financial development have a strong positive impact on the relative volume of FDI in financially vulnerable sectors in normal times. On the other hand, during the 2008-2010 global financial crisis, the relative volume of FDI in financially vulnerable sectors fell relatively more in financially developed source and destination countries, most notably if these countries experienced a credit crisis.
Mechanical Tribology and Antibacterial Activity of ZnO/Polystyrene Nanocomposite

In this accomplishment, zinc oxide nanoparticles were make-believe by hail make advances reason zinc acetate as a precursor. The explicit display, morphology of pretended ZnO nanoparticles were pragmatic using burn the midnight oil X-ray diffraction (XRD), AFM (Atomic underline microscope) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their optical properties characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy. XRD niggardly simple turn the intended ZnO duplicate is highly crystalline, having wurtzite crystal structure. AFM tight-fisted essential ramble the fitted ZnO sample is of high purity. UV-Vis absorption sweep showed a regular field for ZnO nanoparticles and exertion chasm explicit close to the typical energy gap of ZnO nanoparticles. The SEM get the hang shows range ZnO nanoparticles designed in this scrutinize are spherical in shape with a smooth rise. The surface rudeness inquiry need TR220 unambiguous acceptable results of prepared ZnO/ polystyrene samples.
INTRODUCTION Healthcare workers sustain some of the highest over-all injury rates in the United States

Background Patient care workers in acute care hospitals are at high risk of injury. Recent studies have quantified risks and demonstrated a higher risk for aides than for nurses. However, no detailed studies to date have used OSHA injury definitions to allow for better comparability across studies. Methods We linked records from human resources and occupational health services databases at two large academic hospitals for nurses (n 1⁄4 5,991) and aides (n 1⁄4 1,543) in patient care units. Crude rates, rate ratios, and confidence intervals were calculated for injuries involving no days away and those involving at least 1 day away from work. Results Aides have substantially higher injury rates per 100 full-time equivalent workers (FTEs) than nurses for both injuries involving days away from work (11.3 vs. 7.2) and those involving no days away (9.9 vs. 5.7). Back injuries were the most common days away (DA) injuries, while sharps injuries were the most common no days away (NDA) injuries. Pediatric/neonatal units and non-inpatient units had the lowest injury rates. Operating rooms and the float pool had high DA injury rates for both occupations, and stepdown units had high rates for nurses. NDA injuries were highest in the operating room for both nurses and aides. Conclusions This study supports the importance of a continuing emphasis on preventing back and sharps injuries and reducing risks faced by aides in the hospital setting. Uniform injury definitions and work time measures can help benchmark safety performance and focus prevention efforts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:117–126, 2012. 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and properties of a novel pH sensitive poly ( N-vinyl-pyrrolidone-co-sulfadiazine ) hydrogel

Sulfadiazine monomer (SDM) was synthesized by the reaction of sulfadiazine with acryloyl chloride. The SDM was characterized by 1H-NMR and IR spectra. A novel hydrogel with –SO2NH– group was obtained by the radical copolymerization of SDM with N-vinyl-pyrrolidone (NVP). Effects of the reaction temperature, reaction time, the monomer ratio, and the amount of the cross-linker on the pH sensitivity of the hydrogel were investigated. Results indicate that the hydrogel shows strong pH sensitivity in the pH range of 6.5 to 7.2. It also exhibits a good swelling reversibility at buffer solutions of pH 6.5 and 7.2. At last, drugs tests demonstrated the release effect of the hydrogel in pH range of 6.5 to 7.2.
Maternal Origins of the Jeju Native Pig Inferred from PCR-RFLP Haplotypes and Molecular Phylogeny for Mitochondrial DNA CYTB Gene Sequences

In an effort to gain greater understanding of the maternal lineages of the Jeju native pig (JNP), we analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) CYTB gene and compared it with those of other pig breeds. PCR-RFLP analysis was conducted with six pig breeds including JNP, and then the RFLP patterns allowed for the separation of the pig breeds into two distinct haplotypes (mtCYTB1 and mtCYTB2). The JNP CYTB sequences were detected in both the European and Asian breed clusters on the phylogenetic tree. The J2 group was sorted with the indigenous cluster of Asian pig lineages and was related closely to Chinese native pig breeds, but a second group, J1, was sorted with the European pig lineages and appeared to be related to Spanish Iberian native pigs, rather than to Asian breeds. These results indicate that the JNP currently raised on Jeju Island have two major maternal origins estimated in Asian and European pigs. We concluded that the JNP that share a common lineage with indigenous Asian pigs were domesticated in the distant past, originating from pigs that were already being raised elsewhere at that time, and that the European pig breeds introduced in the twentieth century have also contributed to the formation of this pig population.
PR ] 2 J un 2 01 6 A stroll along the gamma

We provide the first in-depth study of the “smart path” interpolation between an arbitrary probability measure and the gamma-(α, λ) distribution. We propose new explicit representation formulae for the ensuing process as well as a new notion of relative Fisher information with a gamma target distribution. We use these results to prove a differential and an integrated De Bruijn identity which hold under minimal conditions, hereby extending the classical formulae which follow from Bakry, Emery and Ledoux’s Γ-calculus. Exploiting a specific representation of the “smart path”, we obtain a new proof of the logarithmic Sobolev inequality for the gamma law with α ≥ 1/2 as well as a new type of HSI inequality linking relative entropy, Stein discrepancy and standardized Fisher information for the gamma law with α ≥ 1/2. AMS classification: 60E15, 26D10, 60B10
Untangling the links between narcissism and self‐esteem: A theoretical and empirical review.

The links among narcissism, explicit (deliberate, controllable) self-esteem, and implicit (automatic, uncontrollable) self-esteem are unclear despite numerous attempts to illuminate these links. Some investigations suggest that narcissism reflects high explicit self-esteem that masks low implicit self-esteem, but other investigations fail to replicate this pattern. Here, we place the ‘mask’ model of narcissism in historical context and review the existing empirical evidence for this model. We then discuss three possible issues that might shed light on the inconsistent findings that have emerged from tests of the mask model. These issues include the unreliability of implicit attitude measures, narcissism’s different associations with agentic versus communal self-views, and distinctions between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism subtypes. We also summarize several alternatives to the mask model of narcissism. Throughout, we offer suggestions for improving the study of narcissism and self-esteem and point to directions for future research on this topic.
Molecular phylogeny and genetic diversity studies of some potent endophytic fungi isolated from medicinal plants (Calotropis procera and Catharanthus roseus) using 18S rRNA and RAPD analysis

Molecular identification of four endophytic fungi (Penicillium singorense, Curvularia geniculata, Aspergillus neoflavipes and Alternaria alternata) from two important medicinal plants, Calotropis procera (L.) R.Br. and Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don. was carried out by 18SrRNA sequencing. Genetic diversity using two RAPD primer viz. OPB-07 and OPC-06 showed good result with high polymorphism between the four strains. The sample DRC1 Accession No. MG322179 indicated strong homology with Penicillium singorense, strain DI16-118 (Accession No. LT558940), sample DRC2 Accession No. MG322180 with Curvularia geniculata strain F1 (Accession No. KX022497), sample DRC3 Accession No. MG322181 with Aspergillus neoflavipes strain AJR1 ribosomal gene (Accession No. KX218387), sample DRC4 Accession No. MH021686 with A. alternata strain AE1 18SrRNA gene, partial sequence, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS 2 complete sequence (Accession No. KY676196). Phylogenetic tree showing relatedness of sample DRC1 Accession No. MG322179 with 19 strains of Penicillium sp, DRC2 Accession No. MG322180 with 34 strains of Curvularia sp, DRC3 Accession No. MG322181 with 24 strains of Aspergillus sp and DRC4 Accession No. MH021686 with 16 strains of Alternaria sp of diverse origin. The present investigation thus gave an insight for the detection and genetic diversity study among the fungal endophytes isolated from two important Indian medicinal plants (C. procera and C. roseus) and it would probably the first report of its own kind from West Bengal, India. Key words: Calotropis procera, Catharanthus roseus, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), homology search, endophytic fungi, DNA marker, Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, 18SrRNA sequencing.