Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Antimicrobial Properties of Carbon Nanotubes-Based Nanocomposites

The development of carbon-based nanomaterials has extensively facilitated new discoveries in various fields. Carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites (CNT-based nanocomposites) have lately recognized as promising biomaterials for a wide range of biomedical applications due to their unique electronic, mechanical, and biological properties. Nanocomposite materials such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), polymers, biomolecules, enzymes, and peptides have been reported in many studies, possess a broad range of antibacterial activity when incorporated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It is crucial to understand the mechanism which governs the antimicrobial activity of these CNT-based nanocomposite materials, including the decoupling individual and synergistic effects on the cells. In this review, the interaction behavior between microorganisms and different types of CNT-based nanocomposites is summarized to understand the respective antimicrobial performance in different conditions. Besides, the current development stage of CNT-based nanocomposite materials, the technical challenges faced, and the exceptional prospect of implementing potential antimicrobial CNT-based nanocomposite materials are also discussed.
Impaired self-awareness of cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease relates to cingulate cortex dysfunction

Abstract Background Impaired self-awareness of cognitive deficits (ISAcog) has rarely been investigated in Parkinson's disease (PD). ISAcog is associated with poorer long-term outcome in other diseases. This study examines ISAcog in PD with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), compared to healthy controls, and its clinical-behavioral and neuroimaging correlates. Methods We examined 63 PD patients and 30 age- and education-matched healthy controls. Cognitive state was examined following the Movement Disorder Society Level II criteria. ISAcog was determined by subtracting z-scores (based on controls' scores) of objective tests and subjective questionnaires. Neural correlates were assessed by structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in 47 patients (43 with MRI) and 11 controls. We analyzed whole-brain glucose metabolism and cortical thickness in regions where FDG-uptake correlated with ISAcog. Results PD-MCI patients (N = 23) showed significantly more ISAcog than controls and patients without MCI (N = 40). When all patients who underwent FDG-PET were examined, metabolism in the bilateral superior medial frontal gyrus, anterior and midcingulate cortex negatively correlated with ISAcog (FWE-corrected p < 0.001). In PD-MCI, ISAcog was related to decreased metabolism in the right superior temporal lobe and insula (N = 13; FWE-corrected p = 0.023) as well as the midcingulate cortex (FWE-corrected p = 0.002). Cortical thickness was not associated with ISAcog in these regions. No significant correlations were found between ISAcog and glucose metabolism in controls and patients without MCI. Conclusions Similar to Alzheimer's disease, the cingulate cortex seems to be relevant in ISAcog in PD. In PD-MCI patients, ISAcog might result from a disrupted network that regulates awareness of cognition and error processes.
Elastic Job Scheduling with Unknown Utility Functions

We consider a bipartite network consisting of job schedulers and parallel servers. Jobs arrive at the schedulers following stochastic processes with unknown arrival rates, and get routed to the servers, which execute the jobs with unknown service rates. The jobs are elastic, as their "size", i.e., the amount of service needed for their completion, is determined by the schedulers.
Structure and Function of Pinniped Vibrissae

vii GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Motor control 3 Anatomy and innervation 5 Morphology 8 Sensitivity 8 References 15 CHAPTER 1: EFFECT OF ANGLE ON FLOW-INDUCED VIBRATIONS OF PINNIPED VIBRISSAE 20 Abstract 20 Introduction 21 Materials and Methods 25 Sample collection 25 Flume apparatus and vibration recordings 27 Calculated theoretical vibration frequency 29 CT Scanning of vibrissal structure 30 Underwater photographic images 31 Ethics statement 31 Results 32 Discussion 35 Tables 40 Figures 46 Description of Supplementary Material 58 References 59
Working Memory, Attention, and Inhibitory Control in Adolescents with Suicidal Behavior: A Pilot Study

Suicide in people between the ages of 15 and 24 is one of the top three causes of death. The aim of this research is to compare and associate performance in working memory, attention, and inhibitory control with the presence of suicidal behavior in adolescents. Research design was cross-sectional and the convenience sample consisted of 65 adolescents from the city of Temuco, Chile. The instruments used for data collection were: 1) the Okasha Suicidality Scale, 2) span of direct and indirect digits, and 3) the Stroop test. The results show that 49.3% of the adolescents had suicidal ideation. In terms of the groups, an association and significant differences were found in the Stroop test;this occurred specifically in the female sex (p < .05). In the rest of the tasks that measured memory and attention, no differences were observed (p > .05). It is concluded that suicidal behavior is associated with a lower performance in inhibitory control tasks for females.Alternate : El suicidio en personas entre 15 y 24 años es una de las tres primeras causas de muerte. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido determinar la asociación de la memoria de trabajo, la atención y el control inhibitorio con la presencia de conducta suicida en adolescentes. Se ha utilizado un diseño de investigación transversal y una muestra por conveniencia compuesta por 65 adolescentes de la ciudad de Temuco, Chile. En la recolección de datos se utilizaron :1) la Escala de Suicidalidad Okasha, 2) la amplitud de dígitos directos e indirectos y 3) el test de Stroop. En el 49.3% de los adolescentes se presentó ideación suicida, encontrando diferencias significativas en el test de Stroop, esto ocurre específicamente en el sexo femenino (p < .05). Se concluye que la conducta suicida está asociada a un desempeño más bajo en tareas de control inhibitorio para el sexo femenino.
The impact of authentic leadership on employees' organizational citizenship behavior in Ethiopia public service

There has been an increased recognition that more attention needs to be paid to authentic leadership as it emphasizes positive psychological behavior. Organizational citizenship behavior is crucial in the public service, and there should be friendly leadership behavior that could enable public employees to engage in helping behavior. Research in this area is of great interest and with a very active research community. The problem has recently attracted more attention due to the increasing mismanagement, scandal, and corruption in various public organizations that have contributed to the demand for authentic leadership. Although public organizations were trying to introduce various leadership styles that can enhance service delivery, what and how leadership behavior contributes to employees' Organizational Citizenship behavior (OCB) in public service is not well elaborated. The respondents were leaders from 10 public service organizations. Empirical evidence revealed that leaders' authentic leadership behavior impacted employees' organizational citizenship behavior through self-awareness, sharing information, ethical practices, good relation with subordinates, mutual understanding, and transparency. The innovative results of the study revealed that political, cultural, and social aspects influence the leadership behavior of leaders in public service. This study concluded that authentic leaders play a great role in creating a positive relationship and promoting employees' citizenship behaviors. The implications and future research of the results were discussed based on the influence of authentic leadership on employees' OCB.
Feasibility study of the use of superheated steam spray drying to produce selected food powders

Abstract Feasible utilization of superheated steam spray drying at different inlet temperatures (160–200 °C) and feed rates (3–15 mL/min) to produce instant coffee and sodium copper chlorophyllin (natural green colorant) powders was assessed. Yield, physical properties and morphology of the steam-dried powder were determined and compared with those of the air-dried one. Superheated steam spray drying might not be a proper method for producing coffee powder as at all test conditions coffee extract adhered and dried on the wall of the chamber. Superheated steam spray drying, on the other hand, has the potential to produce the color powder with smaller particle size, higher bulk density and more wrinkle surfaces, resulting in the superior solubility. Mean diameter (D[4,3]), bulk density and solubility time of the steam-dried powder were 15.53–15.97 µm, 0.67–0.68 g/cm3 and 192–226 s, while those of the air-dried powder were 29.03–31.02 µm, 0.34–0.35 g/cm3 and 244–283 s, respectively. In terms of yield and color, both of the powders and of the reconstituted solutions, no significant differences among the air-dried and steam-dried powders were observed.
Slope and aspect controls on soil climate: Field documentation and implications for large‐scale simulation of critical zone processes

Soil climate, as quantified by soil temperature (TS) and water content (θ), exerts important controls on critical zone processes. It may be sensitive to variations in local slope and aspect (SA), but this attribute remains poorly quantified at the local scale and unresolved in large‐scale models. Estimation of SA effects on soil climate across multiple scales may facilitated using topographically modified, incoming clear‐sky solar radiation (SR,CS,T). We established six paired automated soil climate monitoring stations on opposing north‐facing (NF) and south‐facing (SF) slopes (4 yr) and collected spatial TS and θ data within the hectare surrounding four stations (2 yr) to measure SA effects on soil climate. Results were compared with physically based simulations and evaluated in the context of SR,CS,T. Spatial θ data were more variable than Ts, and both were consistent with values from continuous monitoring stations. On average, the SF TS was much greater (4.7 °C) and the annual summer drought longer (36 d) than on the adjacent NF aspect. Seasonal variations of TS and θ were different from each other and also different from SR,CS,T. Local conditions, including snow cover, precipitation patterns, and soil properties, largely controlled seasonal variations of TS and θ, which cannot be predicted from SR,CS,T. This indicates that realistic simulation of many critical zone processes requires high‐resolution inputs. Simulations captured first‐order SA effects and could be useful for estimating SA effects in lieu of field monitoring.
THE ANALYSIS OF SERVICE QUALITY AND BRAND IMAGE TOWARDS DECISIONS TO ENROLL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON CONSUMER SATISFACTION OF THE BERINGIN PRATAMA FOOTBALL SCHOOL BEKASI

The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of service quality and brand image towards consumer satisfaction, as well as to determine the role of the decision to enroll as a mediating variable that affects service quality and brand image towards consumer satisfaction at the Beringin Pratama Football School Bekasi. The population in this research was all 130 students at the Beringin Pratama Football School Bekasi in 2020. The sample employed in this research was 100 respondents. The sampling method was carried out by a stratified random sampling method. In addition, this research employed the path analysis data analysis technique. Finally, this research indicated some following results, namely: service quality had positive and significant effects on the decision to enroll, the brand image had positive and significant effects on the decision to enroll, service quality had positive and significant effects on consumer satisfaction, and brand image had positive and significant effects on consumer satisfaction. Nonetheless, the decision to enroll was not proven to have positive and significant effects on consumer satisfaction.
Energy Audit on a Two-Litre Saloon Car Driving an Ece 15 Cycle from a Cold Start

In an effort to identify the aspects of vehicle operation which have most influence on fuel consumption during the ECE 15 driving cycle an energy audit was carried out on a two-litre saloon car driving such a cycle. The most interesting results to emerge were that, in the first cycle, 12 per cent of the fuel passed through the engine either partially or completely unburnt, 8 per cent emerged as useful work, and 60 per cent was used to warm up the engine and transmission, while 10 per cent was rejected in the exhaust gas as heat.
Air Pollution Analysis during the Lockdown on the City of Milan

From February 2020, the progressive adoption of measures to contain coronavirus’s contagion has resulted in a sudden change in anthropogenic activities in Italy, especially in Lombardy. From a scientific point of view, this situation represents a unique laboratory for understanding and predicting the consequences of specific measures aimed at improving air quality. In this work, the lockdown effect on Milan’s (Italy) air quality was analyzed. The PM10 and PM2.5 values were measured by the ARPA Lombardia, and the real-time on-road (ROM) air quality monitoring network indicates the seasonality of these pollutants, which typically record the highest values in the coldest months of the year. The 10-year particulate matter concentrations analysis shows a PM10 reduction of 35% from 2010 to 2020. March 2020 data analysis shows an alternation of days with higher and lower particulate matter concentrations; values decrease in pollutants concentrations of 16%, respective to 2018. The complexity of the phenomena related to the atmospheric particulates formation, transport, and accumulation is highlighted by some circumstances, such as the Sahara dust events. The study showed that the trend of a general pollutant concentration reduction should be attributed to the decrease in emissions (specifically, from the transport sector) from the variation of meteorological and environmental conditions.
Performance characteristics and applications of hybrid multichannel ANI-VSB/M-QAM video lightwave transmission systems

The performance characteristics and applications of hybrid multichannel amplitude modulation vestigal sideband (AM-VSB)/M-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) video lightwave transmission systems operating at either 1310 or 1550 nm are reviewed. These systems can transport up to 80 AM-VSB video channels and more than 30 64/256-QAM digital video channels over a standard single-mode fiber (SMF) using a single laser transmitter. Five main transmission impairment mechanisms for these systems are reviewed as follows: (a) clipping-induced impulse noise, (b) bursty nonlinear distortions, (c) multiple optical reflections, (d) stimulated Brillouin scattering, and (e) self-phase modulation. For AM-QAM video lightwave trunking applications, the in-line erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) selection is discussed using a frequency-domain simulation model. Such lightwave trunking systems can provide an AM carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) greater than 50 dB with composite second order (CSO) and composite-triple-beat (CTB) distortions less than -65 dBc, and nearly error-free transmission (BER/spl les/10/sup -9/) for the 64-QAM channels with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 30-dB or better. Comparison between 64-QAM and 256-QAM video channel transmission and the effect of the QAM channels on the AM-VSB channels are also presented. The implications of these results and others in hybrid multichannel AM-QAM video lightwave trunking systems are discussed.
Fiber-optic subscriber loop systems for integrated services--The strategy for introducing fibers into the subscriber network

Two approaches to fiber-optic subscriber loop system development in Japan are described. In the first. Approach I, NTT aims at introducing inexpensive fiber-optic subscriber loop systems using conventional LED's, multimode fiber, and analog transmission techniques in the near future. In the second, Approach II, fiber-optic subscriber loop systems will be made highly functional by evolving from analog to digital transmission. This paper presents system fabrication examples for each approach and the results obtained in the tests.
Optimal choice of compensation PMD vector in feedforward-type second-order PMD compensation

In this paper, the formula of an optimal compensation vector, which is defined as an input polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) vector of the compensator, for second-order PMD compensation has been derived from the minimization of the root-mean-square (rms) pulse-broadening factor. The derived optimal compensation vector is a linear combination of frequency-averaged PMD vectors and output states of polarization, which shows a similar trend to the previously reported optimal first-order PMD compensation. The rms pulse-broadening factor after optimal second-order PMD compensation has been semianalytically calculated and compared with the previously reported simulation result. They are in good agreement. The formula of the optimal second-order compensation vector derived in this paper provides indispensable information for feedforward second-order PMD compensation.
Structural damage detection robust against time synchronization errors

Structural damage detection based on wireless sensor networks can be affected significantly by time synchronization errors among sensors. Precise time synchronization of sensor nodes has been viewed as crucial for addressing this issue. However, precise time synchronization over a long period of time is often impractical in large wireless sensor networks due to two inherent challenges. First, time synchronization needs to be performed periodically, requiring frequent wireless communication among sensors at significant energy cost. Second, significant time synchronization errors may result from node failures which are likely to occur during long-term deployment over civil infrastructures. In this paper, a damage detection approach is proposed that is robust against time synchronization errors in wireless sensor networks. The paper first examines the ways in which time synchronization errors distort identified mode shapes, and then proposes a strategy for reducing distortion in the identified mode shapes. Modified values for these identified mode shapes are then used in conjunction with flexibility-based damage detection methods to localize damage. This alternative approach relaxes the need for frequent sensor synchronization and can tolerate significant time synchronization errors caused by node failures. The proposed approach is successfully demonstrated through numerical simulations and experimental tests in a lab.
Piezoelectric transducer embedded in a composite plate: Application to Lamb wave generation

The aim of this paper is to show that Lamb waves may be effectively generated using piezoelectric transducers embedded inside a composite plate, for nondestructive evaluation and health monitoring applications. A cylindrical transducer embedded in a composite host plate is considered. The electrical impedance of the transducer alone in vacuum and then of the embedded transducer, which allows the identification of the resonance modes, have been obtained by the finite element method (FEM). Moreover, the displacement fields in the plate, which allow the identification of the types of Lamb waves, have been computed at the resonance frequencies. Comparison between the FEM results and the Lamb wave dispersion curves of the host material are in good agreement. Experimental results (electrical impedance, frequency response, and phase velocities) concerning a composite plate specimen containing the same piezoelectric transducer inside it are shown. A good agreement is generally obtained between numerical and exper.
Social Robots in the Home: What Factors Influence Attitudes Towards their Use in Assistive Care?

Advances in technology and science have led to the application of artificial intelligence in many different areas of life. In particular, they have led to the appearance of robots in the domestic sphere. One type of robot – namely, the social robot – has been endowed with a very human aesthetic and is designed to interact with humans, and it is increasingly being used to perform “human tasks”. Social robots have also been introduced into the social services, providing companionship and assistive services for children, the infirm and the elderly. Such usage has rightly attracted the interest of the social sciences, fuelling the debate about the acceptance of social robots by their end-users. In this paper, regression analysis is applied to data from the Eurobarometer survey to investigate how socio-demographic features and self-confidence on technological development influence European citizens’ attitudes towards robots in the social services. The results show that men, with a high level of education, living in a big city and with experience of robot use have more positive attitudes towards the concept of robots for assistive services. This study emphasizes the need to consider the relation between attitudes towards social robots and their use to avoid the generation of social inequalities.
Eliminating output distortion in four-switch inverters with three-phase loads

A new space vector switching strategy for four-switch inverters driving three-phase induction motors is described. The technique allows a full range of operation, compensating for both DC link ripple and imbalance to eliminate torque and speed pulsations under all operating conditions, while allowing the largest possible voltages to be produced. The paper presents theoretical expectations and compares these with measured values obtained from an inverter operating off a single phase AC supply corresponding to worst case conditions.
Biofuels from abandoned mines: A starting point for future developments

Abandoned mines and quarries represent sites with the request of restoration due to their pollution. On the other hand, biofuels represent a response to the present request of sustainable energy, in order to reduce the CO$_2$ emission, in transportation, but also in energy production and domestic use. However, biofuels production seldom requires lands for the biomass cultivation. In this paper, the use of the dismissed mines and quarries is suggested for the cultivation of algae, as biomass production. To support this approach, a theoretical numerical evaluation of a typical dismissed quarry is developed in order to highlight the feasibility of the approach itself.