Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical properties controlling water repellency in synthesized granular solids

The wettability of granular solids such as soil is known to depend primarily on two factors: their inherent chemistry and their physical properties, such as their particle size, particle shape and surface roughness. Nevertheless, the distinctive physical properties of such materials have not been fully explored to gauge their wettability. In this study, the difference in wettability between a flat solid (microscope slide) and three granular solids, namely glass beads (GB), Leighton Buzzard Sand (LBS) and crushed Glass (CG), which have different physical properties, were examined. The effect of chemistry was isolated by strongly hydrophobizing the above materials by treatment with dimethyldichlorosilane. Wettability measurements were made by measuring the water–solid contact angle (CA) by the sessile drop method after adhering one layer of uniformly oriented granular solids on to double‐sided adhesive tape initially attached to a microscope slide. Techniques for particle characterization included sieving for particle size, dynamic image analysis for particle shape and confocal laser microscopy to determine surface roughness. Results show that all CAs of the granular solids exceeded that of the hydrophobized microscope slide (103°). The crushed glass had the largest CA (125°). With all three granular solids, there was an increase in CAs as particle size decreased. In addition, as particles became more angular, CAs increased. The influence of shape on wettability became more predominant as particle size decreased. The surface roughness parameter, Ra, was investigated and shown to be sensitive to both the size and shape of the particles. A decrease in Ra from 95.4 to 34.1 μm increased CAs from 107 to 125°. A similar change in CA was shown to correspond to an increase in void fraction from 40.7 to 77.4%. Our results have practical implications for the optimum use of soil by enhancing or suppressing water repellency.
Analysis of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level in Keloid Patients

Open a cess: www.balimedicaljournal. org and ojs.unud. ac.id/index.php/bmj Analysis of serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D level in keloid patients Vira Indhiratamin Damanik1*, Imam B Putra2, Oratna Ginting2 Background: Keloid is solid fibrous tissue tumors that occur due to an imbalance between deposition and degradation of extracellular matrix components, especially collagen. Vitamin D is known to have a beneficial role in slowing the progression of tissue fibrosis and proven to play an important role in the synthesis and degradation of collagen and acts as an anti-inflammatory mediator. Aim: To determine the difference between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in keloid patients and controls. Method: This is a cross-sectional analytic study involving 60 subjects consist of 30 keloid patients and 30 controls. Keloid patients were diagnosed by history and clinical examinations, and we conducted blood sampling and measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level to the patients and controls. Results: The mean of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in keloid patients (16.92 ± 5.96 ng/mL) was significantly lower than controls (23.57 ± 6.72 ng/mL), p=0.0001 Conclusion: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in keloid patients was significantly lower than controls, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in keloid patients was higher in the male group, aged 31-35 years group, duration of disease between 6-10 years group and positive family history.
Doing Survey Research: A Guide to Quantitative Methods

Each chapter begins with "Learning Goals" and concludes with "Exercises. " Preface. 1. Why We Do Research. Everyday Thinking. Scientific Thinking. The Purposes of Scientific Research. Research Methods. 2. Finding Ideas to Research. Generating Topics. Searching for Research. Literature Reviews. Theory and Reasoning. The Ethics of Research. 3. Designing Research: Concepts, Hypotheses, and Measurement. Defining and Operationalizing Variables. Levels of Measurement. Accuracy and Consistency in Measurement. 4. Developing a Questionnaire. Using Questionnaires in Survey Research. Conceptualizing the Task. Measuring Attitudes and Opinions. Measuring Behavior. Demographics. Formatting the Questionnaire. Pilot Testing the Questionnaire. Finding Respondents. 5. Sampling. Some Basic Sampling Concepts. Probability Sampling. Non-Probability Sampling. Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies. Sample Size. 6. Presenting Data: Descriptive Statistics. Presenting Univariate Data. The Normal Curve and Z-Scores. 7. Analyzing Data: Bivariate Relationships. Presenting Nominal and Ordinal Data In Tables. Testing Bivariate Relationships. 8. Analyzing Data: Comparing Means. T-Tests. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Differences not Strength. 9. Analyzing Data: Multiple Variables. Elaborating Relationships: Control Variables. Multiple Relationships. 10. Presenting Results, Making Conclusions, and Writing Reports. Interpretations and Conclusions. Audiences and Reports. The Journey Finishes. Appendix. References. Index.
Cancrinite–vishnevite solid solution from Cinder Lake (Manitoba, Canada): crystal chemistry and implications for alkaline igneous rocks

Abstract This paper presents a microbeam (electron microprobe, Raman spectroscopic and X-ray microdiffraction) study of cancrinite-group minerals of relevance to alkaline igneous rocks. A solid solution is known to exist between cancrinite and vishnevite with the principal substitutions being CO-23 by SO-24 and Ca for Na. In the present study, several intermediate members of the cancrinite-vishnevite series from a syenitic intrusion at Cinder Lake (Manitoba, Canada), were used to examine how chemical variations in this series affect their spectroscopic and structural characteristics. The Cinder Lake samples deviate from the ideal cancrinite- vishnevite binary owing to the presence of cation vacancies. The only substituent elements detectable by electron microprobe are K, Sr and Fe (0.03-0.70, 0-0.85 and 0-0.45 wt.% respective oxides). The following Raman bands are present in the spectra of these minerals: ∼631 cm-1 and ∼984-986 cm-1 [SO-24 vibration modes]; ∼720-774 cm-1 and ∼1045-1060 cm-1 [CO2-3 vibration modes]; and ∼3540 cm-1 and 3591 cm-1 [H2O vibration modes]. Our study shows a clear relationship between the chemical composition and Raman characteristics of intermediate members of the cancrinite-vishnevite series, especially with regard to stretching modes of the CO-2 and SO-24 anions. From cancrinite-poor (Ccn6.5) to cancrinitedominant (Ccn91.3) compositions, the SO-24 vibration modes disappear from the Raman spectrum, giving way to CO-23 modes. X-ray microdiffraction results show a decrease in unit-cell parameters towards cancrinite-dominant compositions: a = 12.664 (1) Å, c = 5.173(1) Åfor vishnevite (Ccn22); a = 12.613 (1) Å, c = 5.132(1) Å for cancrinite (Ccn71). Our results demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy and X-ray microdiffraction are effective for in situ identification of microscopic grains of cancrinite-vishnevite where other methods (e.g. infrared spectroscopy) are inapplicable. The petrogenetic implications of cancrinite-vishnevite relations for tracing early- to late-stage evolution of alkaline magmas are discussed.
Direct and indirect influences of water deficit on salt uptake, ion accumulation and root-shoot interactions of grapevines

The area affected by salinity in Australian grape production regions is increasing, predominantly due to reliance in some regions on poorer quality water for irrigation and to changes in rainfall patterns resulting in reduced leaching of soil borne salts. Combined with an increased requirement to improve water use efficiency the implementation of deficit irrigation techniques has become common practice. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of saline irrigation water and deficit irrigation techniques on the performance of own-rooted grapevines as well as test the hypothesis that PRD reduces the salt transport to the shoot. A field experiment was established in Padthaway on own-rooted Shiraz vines in seasons 2009-2011. Three irrigation treatments were applied using moderately saline irrigation water (2.3dS/m): control (1.0- 2.3ML/ha), reduced control (RC) and partial rootzone drying (PRD ) (both approximately 50% of control). This study found that grape juice Cl⁻ and Na⁺ concentrations were not affected significantly by irrigation treatment. Seasonal variation in rainfall and total irrigation applied had a greater effect on altering grape juice Cl⁻ and Na⁺ concentrations than the application of irrigation water with the same moderate salinity but with the different irrigation treatments. A pot trial was established to replicate the treatments mentioned above in conjunction with slightly increased saline irrigation water (2.46dS/m) from the field trial for the 2011-2012. At the end of the second year the vines were destructively harvested and growth and ion concentrations for different vine organs assessed. PRD was found to have higher concentrations of Cl⁻, Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ present on a whole vine basis. Although Cl concentration was elevated in leaves for PRD, it was partitioned away from the leaves on a total content basis relative to both control and RC. This research highlighted that ion partitioning within grapevines will depend on the type of deficit applied and that the higher total root dry weights observed in the PRD treatment could possibly be responsible for the higher whole plant concentrations of Cl⁻, Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ that were observed. To gain a better understanding of the role Abscisic acid (ABA) plays in modulating the effect of salinity a glasshouse study was undertaken in 2012-2014. The aim was to evaluate the effect of exogenously applied ABA to grapevine root systems, with or without saline irrigation water, on water relations, ion allocation, root hydraulic conductance normalized to root dry weight (Lₒ) and aquaporin expression. Exogenously applied ABA was found to increase Lₒ and decrease water use in ABA-only treatments, while in the presence of excess Cl⁻ salts, it also reduced Cl⁻ transport to the shoot. This reduction could not be accounted for by reduced transpiration. Strong positive correlations were observed between Lₒ and E and Lₒ and gs [s subscript] with a slope of the relationships increasing with both ABA and salt treatments. Aquaporin gene expression was not…
Surface and Biological Effects of Peptide Orientation Evaluated Using Gold-Coated Polyurethanes

Cell adhesion and growth are central issues in the otherwise promising method of endothelialization of materials for improving blood compatibility. To improve cell adhesion to biomaterial surfaces, surface modification with cell adhesion peptides is often used. In particular, arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), long recognized as a peptide sequence that plays an important role in cell adhesion, has been covalently attached to surfaces to enhance cell adhesion. In this work, the effect of the orientation of the cell adhesion peptide immobilized on the surface was studied through using gold surfaces, which can be readily modified with thiols and sulfur-containing groups. Peptide orientation was controlled by the placement of the cysteine (C) at either the Cor N-terminus. Two cell adhesion peptides, the non-specific RGD and more endothelial cell specific REDV (arginine-glutamic acid-aspartic acid-valine), were studied for their effect on the surface chemical and biological properties, including effects on the interactions with the endothelial cell line ECV304. Vitronectin adsorption to the modified surfaces was specifically examined as a possible reason for differences noted. The results suggest that peptide orientation plays an important role in the interactions of cells and proteins to the modified surfaces. Peptides with the cysteine at the N-terminus showed increased adhesion of endothelial cells from the ECV304 line, with the greatest adhesion noted consistently on the CREDV­ modified surfaces. Differences in surface chemistry as evaluated by x-ray
The Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the Anxiety and Severity of Stuttering in Adolescents Aged 15 to 18

Introduction : Since the anxiety is one of the effective factors in stuttering, the present study was examined the effect of Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on anxiety and the severity of stuttering in stammering adolescents. Materials and Methods : The present study adopts pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design with two experimental and one control groups. For this purpose, after applying input and output criteria, 30 stuttering adolescents were selected by convenience sampling method, and were divided into experimental and control groups, randomly. During 10 sessions, one of the experimental groups (EG1) includes 15 participants were experimented by 2 mA current of tDCS on two sides of the anterior temporal region for 20 minutes. The other one (EG2) contains 15 participants as a Sham group was experienced by tDCS with a similar process for 10 sessions. The difference is that the device was turned off after they felt an initial burning sensation. Finally, anxiety and severity of stuttering were evaluated before and after treatment. Findings: Based on the results, there was a significant difference between the experimental and sham groups in the anxiety of the subjects (P < 0.05, F = 645/725). In addition, there was a significant difference in the intensity of stuttering between the experimental and sham groups among participants (P < 0.05, F = 16.875). Conclusion : According to the results, compared to the Sham group, anxiety and the severity stuttering in stammering adolescents who were affected by tDCS, were reduced significantly. So, it seems that tDCS on both sides of the anterior temporal region can be effective in treating anxiety and severity of stuttering. Though, other similar studies in this field are needed to prove the obtained results.
Aerosol Liquid Water Driven by Anthropogenic Inorganic Salts: Implying Its Key Role in Haze Formation over the North China Plain

This study reveals aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) in PM2.5 ranged from 2% up to 74%, and the associated secondary inorganic fraction rose from 24% to 55%, while ambient relative humidity (RH) increased from 15% to 83% in the atmosphere over Beijing. Unexpectedly, the secondary inorganic fraction in PM2.5 increased with an increase in the ambient RH, which is a meteorological parameter independent of anthropogenic activities, indicating the presence of a feedback mechanism driven by Henry’s law and thermodynamic equilibrium. During haze episodes, simultaneously elevated RH levels and anthropogenic secondary inorganic mass concentrations resulted in an abundant ALWC. The condensed water could act as an efficient medium for multiphase reactions, thereby facilitating the transformation of reactive gaseous pollutants into particles and accelerating the formation of heavy haze. ALWC was well correlated with the mass concentrations of both nitrate and sulfate, indicating both nitrate and sulfate salts play .
Effect of Soaking Pre-Treatment on Reactive Extraction/ in situ Transesterification of Nannochloropsis occulata for Biodiesel Production

Microalgal phospholipid bilayer contributes to the molar excesses of methanol and high acid concentration required in reactive extraction to achieve high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield. This study reports an investigation into the effects of pre-soaking Nannochloropsis occulata in methanol at 600:1 and 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratios prior to acid-catalyzed in situ transesterification at 8.5:1 and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratios on the FAME yield. The results showed that the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata produced a higher FAME yield at the two tested methanol to oil molar ratios and acid concentrations than the un-soaked, resulting in a reduction in methanol volume and acid concentration. A maximum FAME yield of 98.4% ± 1.3% was obtained for the pre-soaked Nannochloropsis occulata at 1000:1 methanol to oil molar ratio and 15:1 H2SO4 to oil molar ratio. Both the phosphorus mass balance and conversion of the isolated phospholipids into FAME revealed that pre-soaking solubilizes the phospholipid bilayer to some degree, and contributes to an increased FAME yield.
Study of the Chemical Structure of Laminar Premixed H2/CH4/C3H8/O2/Ar Flames at 1–5 atm

The paper presents an experimental and modeling study of the chemical structure of laminar premixed stoichiometric H2/CH4/C3H8/O2/Ar flames stabilized on a flat burner at 1, 3, and 5 atm. The flame structure was simulated using four different detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms proposed in the literature for oxidation of small hydrocarbons. The width of the zone of consumption of the fuel components was shown to differ appreciably at the three pressures. Hydrogen was shown to have the largest consumption zone, while propane has the smallest one. The kinetic analysis provided an explanation for the observed phenomenon, which assumes the formation of additional pathways for hydrogen and methane production in the flames of ternary fuel mixtures. Comparison of the measured and simulated flame structures shows that all the mechanisms satisfactorily predict the mole fraction profiles of the reactants, products, and some intermediates at atmospheric and elevated pressures. It is noteworthy that the mechanisms a.
Synthesis and x-ray characterization of sputtered bi-alkali antimonide photocathodes

Advanced photoinjectors, which are critical to many next generation accelerators, open the door to new ways of material probing, both as injectors for free electron lasers and for ultra-fast electron diffraction. For these applications, the nonuniformity of the electric field near the cathode caused by surface roughness can be the dominant source of beam emittance. Therefore, improving the photocathode roughness while maintaining quantum efficiency is essential to the improvement of beam brightness. In this paper, we report the demonstration of a bi-alkali antimonide photocathode with an order of magnitude improved roughness by sputter deposition from a K2CsSb sputter target, using in situ and operando X-ray characterizations. We found that a surface roughness of 0.5 nm for a sputtered photocathode with a final thickness of 42 nm can be achieved while still yielding a quantum efficiency of 3.3% at 530 nm wavelength.
Nitrogen mineralization indicators under semi-arid and semi-humid conditions: influence on wheat yield and nitrogen uptake

ABSTRACT The objectives were i) to assess indicators for potential nitrogen (N) mineralization and ii) to analyze their relationships for predicting winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth parameters (yield and N uptake, Nup) in Mollisols of the semi-arid and semi-humid region of the Argentine Pampas. Thirty-six farmer fields were sampled at 0–20 cm. Several N mineralization indicators, wheat grain yield and Nup at physiological maturity stage were assessed. A principal component (PC) analysis was performed using correlated factors to grain yield and Nup. The cluster analysis showed two main groups: high fertility and low fertility soils. In high fertility soils, combining PCs in multiple regression models enhanced the wheat yield and Nup prediction significantly with a high R2 (adj R2 = 0.71–0.83). The main factors that explained the wheat parameters were associated with water availability and N mineralization indicator, but they differ according to soil fertility. Abbreviations: N: nitrogen; SOM: soil organic matter; POM: particulate organic matter; SOC: soil organic carbon; SON: soil organic nitrogen; POM-C: particulate organic carbon; POM-N: particulate organic nitrogen; Nan: anaerobic nitrogen; Nhyd: hydrolyzable N; NO3-N: cold nitrate; N205: N determined by spectrometer at 205 nm; N260: N determined by spectrometer at 260 nm; Pe: extractable P; Nup: wheat N uptake; NO3-N: inorganic N in the form of nitrate; FR: fallow rainfalls (March-Seeding rainfall); FLR: flowering rainfalls (October-December rainfall); GFR: grain filling rainfall (November rainfall); CCR: crop growing season rainfall (June-December rainfall); PCA: principal component analysis; PC: principal component; MR: multiple regression
Segmentation of bladder tumors in cystoscopy images using a MAP approach in different color spaces

Nowadays the diagnosis of bladder lesions relies upon cystoscopic examination and depend on the interpreter's experience. State of the art of bladder tumor identification are based on 3D reconstruction, using CT images (Virtual Cystoscopy) or images where the structures are exalted with the use of pigmentations, but none uses white light cystoscopy images. Traditional cystoscopic images processing has a huge potential to improve early tumor detection and allow a more effective treatment. In this paper is described an initial approach to do segmentation of bladder cystoscopic images. This approach will be used in the future to automatically detect these types of lesions. It can be assumed that each region has a normal distribution with specific parameters, leading to the assumption that the distribution of intensities is a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). The most common bladder tumor type, with a cauliflower shape, appears with higher intensity than normal regions. The segmentation of these images is based on a Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) approach depending on pixel intensities of each three RGB and HSV channels, using the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate the best GMM parameters. Experimental results show that the proposed method does bladder tumor segmentation in a more efficient way in RGB color space than in HSV, even in cases where the tumor shape is not well defined. Results also show that the channels with best results are the R component from RGB and the V component from HSV.
STUDY OF PREVALENCE OF GIARDIA INFECTIONS IN IRAQI SHEEP OF YUESEPHIYA PROVINCE / BAGHDAD

: For Giardia investigation ,faecal samples of 145 sheep from three farms of sheep in Baghdad /Yuesephiya province, were identified by use the direct smear and zinc sulphate flotation method during the period from( Sept. 2007 to Feb. 2008). Out of 145 sheep examined , 36 sheep (24.82 %) were infected with Giardia. Prevalence was studied depend on the sex and age of the host. The prevalent was high in lambs 52.17% with significant difference (p< 0.01). Giardia did not show sex predisposition. Beside Giardia , Haemonchuc contortus , Nematodirus spathiger and Eimeria spp. were isolated by floating method.
Theoretical Investigations into Defected Graphene for Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

Despite numerous experimental efforts that have been dedicated to studying carbon-based materials for electrochemical reduction of CO2, a rationalization of the associated trends in the intrinsic activity of different active motifs has so far been elusive. In the present work, we employ density functional theory calculations to examine a variety of different active sites in N-doped graphene to give a comprehensive outline of the trends in activity. We find that adsorption energies of COOH* and CO* do not follow the linear scaling relationships observed for the pure transition metals, and this unique scaling is rationalized through differences in electronic structure between transition metals and defected graphene. This finding rationalizes most of the experimental observations on the carbon-based materials which present promising catalysts for the two-electron reduction of CO2 to CO. With this simple thermodynamic analysis, we identify several active sites that are expected to exhibit a comparable or even.