Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sunlight Photocatalytic Performance of ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Chemistry Using Different Botanical Extracts and Zinc Acetate as a Precursor

In this work, the assessment of Azadirachta indica, Tagetes erecta, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Lentinula edodes extracts as catalysts for the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) was performed. The photocatalytic properties of ZnO NPs were investigated by the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under sunlight irradiation. UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET) were used for the characterization of samples. The XRD results indicate that all synthesized nanoparticles have a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure, which was confirmed by TEM. Further, TEM analysis proved the formation of spherical and hemispherical nanoparticles of ZnO with a size in the range of 14–32 nm, which were found in aggregate shape; such a size was well below the size of the particles synthesized with no extract (~43 nm). ZnO NPs produced with Tagetes erecta and Lentinula edodes showed the best photocatalytic activity, matching with the maximum adsorbed MB molecules (45.41 and 58.73%, respectively). MB was completely degraded in 45 min using Tagetes erecta and 120 min using Lentinula edodes when subjected to solar irradiation.
Examining the distinction between self-enhancement and self-protection in young adults: The roles of basic need satisfaction and psychological adjustment

The current study explores the distinction between self-enhancement and self-protection as regards basic need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and psychological adjustment (i.e., global and contingent types of self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty) in young adults. 531 undergraduates (365 females and 166 males) completed questionnaires assessing self-enhancement and self-protection, basic need satisfaction, global self-esteem, contingent self-esteem, and intolerance of uncertainty tendencies. Correlation, partial correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were used. The results revealed that self-enhancement and self-protection were differently associated with basic need satisfaction and the other indicators of psychological adjustment. Accordingly, self-enhancement was positively predicted by need satisfaction and global self-esteem. However, self-protection was negatively predicted by these variables but positively predicted by the contingent type of self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty. The results suggest that self-enhancement and self-protection are distinct motives. Self-enhancement is linked to psychological adjustment; whereas, self-protection is related to psychological maladjustment.
Improving Quality of Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria Juncea L.) Foliage as Roughage Source for Ruminants by using Microorganisms

This study aims to investigate the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and in vitro ruminal digestibility efficiency of Sunn hemp silage with Fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLAB) and bacillus subtilis. The experiment was designed in a CRD. Five dietary treatments were fresh Sunn hemp (FS, the positive control), Sunn hemp silage (SS, the negative control), Sunn hemp silage with B. subtilis (SSB), Sunn hemp silage with FJLAB (SSL), and SSB plus FJLAB (SSBL). The results showed the OM content of Sunn hemp silage was decreased (p < 0.05), but fiber contents (NDF, ADF, cellulose, and hemicellulose) were increased when compared with fresh Sunn hemp. However, SSL and SSBL could improve nutrition values (higher CP Reduction efficiency; p < 0.01, decrease cellulose; p < 0.01, and hemicellulose content; p < 0.10) and quality grading of Sunn hemp silage when compare with the negative control which did not affect to CP and EE values. Furthermore, FJLAB reduced fiber content and increase CP content of Sunn hemp silage, whereas B. subtilis presented the opposite results. However, the combination of FJLAB and B. subtilis showed the best treatment of Sunn hemp silage of this experiment (the highest CP and EE Reduction efficiency, ruminal gas production, and organic matter degradability; OMD). HIGHLIGHTS Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids, a toxin associated with disease in ruminants, found in Sunn hemp is completely destroyed by anaerobic microorganisms of silage The fermentation process of silage was improved by increasing lactic acid production and decreasing pH value to inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes Combination of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLAB) and Bacillus subtilis, lactic acid producer, for Sunn hemp silage treatment yielded the highest lactic acid production and nutritive values GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
“I Just Can’t”

This chapter explores the social and emotional development of emerging adults and focuses on how it contributes to feelings of anxiety, inability to make decisions, uncertainty, and lack of belonging. It provides information on how identity impacts mental health, particularly during this developmental stage. Various theories are discussed, with information provided on the role of the social-cultural content. The Miami Adult Development Project serves as a case study of an identify-focused intervention with mental health outcomes. Guiding questions help readers better understand the role identity development plays in risk and resilience during this “age of uncertainty. ”
Morphological method and molecular marker determine genetic diversity and population structure in Allochrusa

The Caryophyllaceae family is complex. Several attempts have been carried out in the past to study Caryophyllaceae members. This study mainly focused on Allochrusa Bunge to determine its genetic structure and used ISSR markers, ITS, and rps16 data to classify and differentiate Allochrusa species. We collected 122 Allochrusa specimens. Our analysis included morphological and molecular method approaches. Morphometry analysis indicated that floral characters could assist in the identification of Allochrusa species. A. persica (Boiss.) Boiss. and A. versicolor Fisch. & C.A. Mey. showed affinity to each other. A. bungei Boiss. formed a separate group. Analysis of molecular variance showed significant genetic differentiation in Allochrusa (p= 0.001). The majority of genetic variation was among the Allochrusa population. We recorded minimum gene flow (Nm=0.176) between Allochrusa species. Besides this, isolation by distance occurs in Allochrusa members, as shown in the Mantel test result (r = 0.01, p = 0.0002). STRUCTURE analysis revealed three genetic groups. It is evident that A. persica, A. versicolor, and A. bungei differ genetically from each other. Our current findings have implications in plant systematics and biodiversity management.
Assessment of the Midwives Knowledge on Utilization of Partograph in Management of Labour in Public Health Facilities in Tharaka Nithi County

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended Partograph as a labor management tool due to its impact in reducing obstetric labor complications and maternal deaths over the years. This labor management tool is inexpensive and appropriate for use in low-resource settings, particularly in developing countries. Despite the fact that many African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, have adopted the Partograph in labor management, there is little information on midwives' knowledge on the use of the tool in labor management. Understanding of how to use a Partograph is essential for reducing complications and maternal deaths. The purpose of this study was to determine midwives' knowledge on using the Partograph in labor management. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design. 45 midwives were randomly selected from 16 public health facilities in Tharaka Nithi County. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Focused Group Discussions were also conducted with 77 postnatal mothers who gave birth in the 16 health facilities. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, and percentages) and Chi-Square tests. Thematic analysis was used to examine qualitative data. Results showed that 74% of midwives had used Partograph in labor monitoring, while 26% had never used the tool. 60% of the midwives had received Partograph training. Despite not having been trained, some midwives were using the Partograph. Findings revealed inconsistencies in the use of Partograph in labor management. A large proportion of midwives deviated from the WHO's recommended use of Partograph in the first stage of labor. The study recommended that the Tharaka Nithi County government, through the Ministry of Health, invest in Partograph utilization in-service training programs to provide nurses and midwives working in the maternity wing the necessary knowledge and skills for proper Partograph utilization. There is also a need for policy changes in institutions to ensure that nurses use of the Partograph as a strategy for reducing maternal mortality rates, improving motherhood, and labor management in the County. Key words: Partograph; labour management; public health facilities.
Biologically Inspired Networking

The development of computer networks has seen a paradigm shift from static, hierarchical network structures to highly distributed, autonomous systems without any form of centralized control. For networking nodes, the ability to self-adapt and self-organize in a changing environment has become a key issue. In conventional network structures, e.g., the Internet, there is usually a hierarchical order with centralized and static control. For example, hosts are aggregated to local area networks (LANs), which are connected via gateways to wide area networks (WANs) and network domains, etc., all using static connections and addressing. Recently, however, the trend leads more and more to networks that dynamically set up connections in an ad-hoc manner. Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are a prominent example, but also overlay structures such as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks require a scalable, robust and fully distributed operation with self-adaptive and self-organizing control mechanisms. The main control functions are no longer performed at intermediate nodes like routers, but shifted to the end-user nodes. Additionally, the location of these nodes may now be no longer static but can be mobile, imposing new challenges on the search for shared information in P2P networks or the location of a node in an ad hoc network. For these types of new dynamic networks, the following three requirements for network control are considered mandatory:
Impact of BIM-Enabled Design-to-Fabrication on Building Delivery

AbstractDesign-to-fabrication is an innovative process where the structural engineer of record develops both structural and shop drawings for a project using building information modeling (BIM). This research studies two real-world projects where such a process was applied to the design and installation of concrete reinforcing for the buildings’ foundation and structure. Findings evaluate performance outcomes across two case studies, and compare outcomes to a theoretical baseline estimated by professionals if a standard, design-detail-fabricate process had been applied. Evaluation reveals benefits from design-to-fabrication for both projects. In the case of the federal project, the primary benefit was the ability to start construction a month early and avoid potential liquidated damages. The design-to-fabrication process created several challenges as the result of the out-of-phase delivery of structural and shop drawings to the general contractor. In the case of the medical pavilion, several tangible bene.
Balance control deficits in individuals with a transtibial amputation with and without visual input

Background: Many individuals with a transtibial amputation (TTA) exhibit balance deficits after limb loss. However, limited evidence exists on balance deficits of individuals with a TTA using hip, knee, and ankle kinematics and center of mass outcomes. Objectives: To identify balance control deficits in individuals with a TTA and determine to what extent they are accentuated without visual inputs. Study design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Ten individuals with TTA and 10 healthy controls undertook a biomechanical assessment during a 30-s quiet standing task with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). The mean trunk, hip, knee, and ankle angles and center of pressure (COP) and center of mass excursions were calculated. Results: More ankle dorsiflexion was observed for amputated limbs compared with intact lower limbs (mean difference: 5.8-degree, P = 0.031). Less anteroposterior (mean difference: 26.5 mm, P < 0.001) and mediolateral (ML) (mean difference: 4.2 mm, P = 0.042) COP excursions were found for amputated limbs compared with intact lower limbs and for control limbs compared with intact limbs (mean difference: 18.8 mm, P = 0.019). Greater ML COP excursion was found during EC than during EO condition (mean difference: 1.1 mm, P = 0.037). Conclusions: Individuals with a TTA presented a greater reliance on the intact lower limb, as highlighted by the greater ankle plantarflexion and anteroposterior and ML COP excursions for intact limbs compared with amputated limbs during quiet standing tasks. During EC condition, both groups exhibited greater ML COP excursions compared with EO condition, suggesting less postural stability. These differences may place them at greater risk of falling.
Empirical Evidence for Site Coefficients in Building Code Provisions

Site-response coefficients, Fa and Fv, used in U.S. building code provisions are based on empirical data for motions up to 0.1 g. For larger motions they are based on theoretical and laboratory results. The Northridge earthquake of 17 January 1994 provided a significant new set of empirical data up to 0.5 g. These data together with recent site characterizations based on shear-wave velocity measurements provide empirical estimates of the site coefficients at base accelerations up to 0.5 g for Site Classes C and D. These empirical estimates of Fa and Fv as well as their decrease with increasing base acceleration level are consistent at the 95 percent confidence level with those in present building code provisions, with the exception of estimates for Fa at levels of 0.1 and 0.2 g, which are less than the lower confidence bound by amounts up to 13 percent. The site-coefficient estimates are consistent at the 95 percent confidence level with those of several other investigators for base accelerations greater than 0.3 g. These consistencies and present code procedures indicate that changes in the site coefficients are not warranted. Empirical results for base accelerations greater than 0.2 g confirm the need for both a short- and a mid- or long-period site coefficient to characterize site response for purposes of estimating site-specific design spectra.
Acute kidney injury in a mouse model of meningococcal disease

Introduction Meningococcal disease is associated with high mortality. When acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in patients with severe meningococcal disease, it is typically attributable to sepsis, although meningococcal disease and lipopolysaccharide release are rarely investigated. Therefore, we evaluated renal tissue in a mouse model of meningococcal disease. Methods Female BALB/c mice were induced to AKI by meningococcal challenge. Markers of renal function were evaluated in infected and control mice. Results In the infected mice, serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, interleukins (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12), and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor were elevated, as was renal interstitial infiltration with lymphocytes and neutrophils (p < 0.01 for the latter). Histological analysis showed meningococcal microcolonies in the renal interstitium, without acute tubular necrosis. Infected mice also showed elevated renal expression of toll-like receptor 2, toll-like receptor 4, and Tamm–Horsfall protein. The expression of factors in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis was equal to or lower than that observed in the control mice. Urinary sodium and potassium were also lower in infected mice, probably due to a tubular defect. Conclusion Our findings corroborate those of other studies of AKI in sepsis. To our knowledge, this is the first time that meningococci have been identified in renal interstitium and that the resulting apoptosis and inflammation have been evaluated. However, additional studies are needed in order to elucidate the mechanisms involved.
A Bond Bundle Case Study of Diels-Alder Catalysis Using Oriented Electric Fields

Bond bundles are chemical bonding regions, analogous to Bader atoms, uniquely defined according to the topology of the gradient bundle condensed charge density, itself obtained by a process of infinitesimal partitioning of the three-dimensional charge density into differential zero-flux surface bounded regions. Here we use bond bundle analysis to investigate the response of the charge density to an oriented electric field in general, and the catalytic effect of such a field on Diels-Alder reactions in particular, which in this case is found to catalyze by allowing the transition state valance bond bundle configuration to be achieved earlier along the reaction pathway. Using precise numerical values, we arrive at the conclusion that chemical reactions and electric field catalysis can be understood in terms of intra-atomic charge density redistribution, i.e., that charge shifts within more so than between atoms account for the making and breaking of bonds.
ANALYSIS OF OUTPUT POWER DELAY IN COAXIAL VIRCATOR

In this paper, a virtual cathode oscillator (VCO) is simulated based on FDTD algorithm. The geometrical structure is coaxial. Electromagnetic fields and current graphs are calculated. For the first time it has been shown that the delay between input pulse and output microwave signal originate from the waveguide transition delay time and the virtual cathode generation loop delay time.
A comparative study between the modified and available demand driven based models for head driven analysis of water distribution networks

Most of the currently available models for Water Distribution Network (WDN) hydraulic analysis assume that the nodal demands are independent of nodal heads and fully supplied. However, in practice, discharge of any node is proportional to its head. Considering a head–discharge relationship for each node in the Head Driven Analysis (HDA) method, provides the ability to model WDNs more accurately and realistically. An improved head–discharge relationship is developed and presented in this paper which takes into account two types of demands, volumetric demand and head dependent demand, separately. Most of the HDA-based models use the Newton–Raphson method for simulation. But considering the advantages of the gradient method, e.g. no need for any initial values for nodal heads and robust performance, it is applied in this research through a modified model capable of calculating leakage. The proposed modified model is evaluated using a sample network. Performance of this model is studied in comparison with the results of other available head driven EPANET-based models. Results confirm the ability of the modified model to perform more accurate hydraulic analysis of WDNs and leakage calculation, especially under pressure deficient conditions.
Accelerated Pavement Testing of Geocell-Reinforced Unpaved Roads over Weak Subgrade

Full-scale trafficking tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of novel polymeric-alloy geocell reinforcement on base courses for low-volume unpaved roads over weak subgrade. Three types of in-fill materials—crushed limestone (AB-3) aggregate, quarry waste (QW), and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP)—were used for the base courses over a weak subgrade layer consisting of A-7-6 clay. Four unpaved sections that included one unreinforced control section of AB-3 aggregate 30 cm thick and three 17-cm novel polymeric-alloy geocell-reinforced sections were tested under a single-axle dual-tire wheel loading. The road sections were exhumed and examined after the moving-wheel test. The benefits of novel polymeric-alloy geocell reinforcement were evaluated in relation to rut depths for a specific number of passes of the wheel load and the angle of stress distribution from the surface to the base course–subgrade interface. The test results demonstrated that the novel polymeric-alloy geocell reinforcement improved the performance of unpaved AB-3 and RAP sections. The QW section also showed better performance in relation to stress distribution angle.
An improved TLM full-wave analysis using a two dimensional mesh

An improved TLM (transmission line matrix) full-wave analysis method based on a novel TLM node is described. Compared to the conventional TLM full-wave analysis, which requires a three-dimensional mesh, this method utilizes only a two-dimensional transmission line mesh to fully characterize dispersive guided structures. This leads to a significant reduction in CPU time and memory space, and makes the TLM method an even more attractive tool in the analysis of arbitrarily shaped guided structures. Numerical results are given for shielded and suspended coupled dielectric waveguides. <<ETX>>
Comparing the dietary niche overlap and ecomorphological differences between invasive Hemidactylus mabouia geckos and a native gecko competitor

Abstract Hemidactylus mabouia is one of the most successful, widespread invasive reptile species and has become ubiquitous across tropical urban settings in the Western Hemisphere. Its ability to thrive in close proximity to humans has been linked to the rapid disappearance of native geckos. However, aspects of Hemidactylus mabouia natural history and ecomorphology, often assumed to be linked with this effect on native populations, remain understudied or untested. Here, we combine data from ∂15N and ∂13C stable isotopes, stomach contents, and morphometric analyses of traits associated with feeding and locomotion to test alternate hypotheses of displacement between H. mabouia and a native gecko, Phyllodactylus martini, on the island of Curaçao. We demonstrate substantial overlap of invertebrate prey resources between the species, with H. mabouia stomachs containing larger arthropod prey as well as vertebrate prey. We additionally show that H. mabouia possesses several morphological advantages, including larger sizes in feeding‐associated traits and limb proportions that could offer a propulsive locomotor advantage on vertical surfaces. Together, these findings provide the first support for the hypotheses that invasive H. mabouia and native P. martini overlap in prey resources and that H. mabouia possess ecomorphological advantages over P. martini. This work provides critical context for follow‐up studies of H. mabouia and P. martini natural history and direct behavioral experiments that may ultimately illuminate the mechanisms underlying displacement on this island and act as a potential model for other systems with Hemidactylus mabouia invasions.