Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of Chromium (VI) by Cu (I)-MOF in Water: Optimization, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics

To investigate the adsorption behavior of Cu (I)-MOF material for chromium (VI) in water, the parameters of influencing adsorption were optimized and found as follows: the optimal pH was 6 for the adsorption of Cr (VI) by the Cu (I)-MOF, the optimal amount of adsorbent was 0.45 g·L−1, and the adsorption saturation time was within 180 min. Subsequently, the kinetics results were fitted by four models such as pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion models. Among them, the adsorption of chromium (VI) was more inclined to the pseudo-first-order model (Radj2 = 0.9230). Then, the isotherm data were fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich models. The results indicated that Langmuir isotherm was the excellent match model (Radj2 = 0.9827). It belongs to a monolayer adsorption, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 95.92 mg·g−1. Subsequently, the thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption were calculated as follows: enthalpy change (ΔHθ) was −8.583 kJ·mol−1, entropy change (ΔSθ) was −8.243 J·mol−1 K−1, and the Gibbs function change (ΔGθ) was less than zero in the temperature range of 288–328 K, indicating that the reaction was spontaneous. Finally, both the spectra of infrared and XPS supported the adsorption mechanism that belonged the ion exchange. The spectra of XRD and SEM images shown that the structure of Cu (I)-MOF remained stable for at least 3 cycles. In conclusion, Cu (I)-MOF material has a high adsorption capacity, good water stability, low cost, and easy to prepare in large quantities in practical application. It will be a promising adsorbent for the removal of Cr (VI) from water.
Optimization of iterative reconstructions of /sup 99m/Tc cardiac SPECT studies using numerical observers

In this work we investigate the use of a numerical observer to optimize ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstructions for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). The parameters optimized are the iteration number and the amount of 3-D Gaussian postfiltering. The numerical observer employed in the optimization was the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO). We used channels as previously determined to rank tumor detection accuracy of different reconstruction strategies, that showed good agreement with the rankings of human observers. The intent of this work was to determine if this CHO could also be employed for the detection of CAD. Results indicate that when quantized images are used, the CHO optimization results correlates well with human observers. However, when using floating-point images, the CHO maintains detection performance even when images are excessively filtered, a result that is at odds with our human observer study. Modeling the additive internal noise that quantization introduces, requires further investigation.
MEMO: Mass Spectrometry-Based Sample Vectorization to Explore Chemodiverse Datasets

In natural products research, chemodiverse extracts coming from multiple organisms are explored for novel bioactive molecules, sometimes over extended periods. Samples are usually analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with fragmentation mass spectrometry to acquire informative mass spectral ensembles. Such data is then exploited to establish relationships among analytes or samples (e.g. via molecular networking) and annotate metabolites. However, the comparison of samples profiled in different batches is challenging with current metabolomics methods. Indeed, the experimental variation - changes in chromatographical or mass spectrometric conditions - often hinders the direct comparison of the profiled samples. Here we introduce MEMO - MS2 BasEd SaMple VectOrization - a method allowing to cluster large amounts of chemodiverse samples based on their LC-MS/MS profiles in a retention time agnostic manner. This method is particularly suited for heterogeneous and chemodiverse sample sets. MEMO demonstrated similar clustering performance as state-of-the-art metrics taking into account fragmentation spectra. More importantly, such performance was achieved without the requirement of a prior feature alignment step and in a significantly shorter computational time. MEMO thus allows the comparison of vast ensembles of samples, even when analyzed over long periods of time, and on different chromatographic or mass spectrometry platforms. This new addition to the computational metabolomics toolbox should drastically expand the scope of large-scale comparative analysis.
Allometry between Suture Line Length and Phragmocone Volume in Some Cretaceous Ammonoids

Abstract. The allometric relationship between suture line length and phragmocone volume was examined in 28 specimens belonging to six ammonoid species recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Yezo Group of Hokkaido, Japan. The suture perimeter was calculated by summing the distances between digitized points along the suture line in a photograph. The phragmocone volume was calculated using a modified Raup's model. The relationship between suture perimeter and phragmocone volume in each species was expressed as an allometric equation on a logarithmic scale. The exponent of ontogenetic allometry estimated for each species ranged from 0.462 to 0.626. The exponents estimated were much greater than the exponent in the case of isometry (0.333) and the value previously obtained through interspecific comparison. Calculation using a theoretical morphologic model indicates that allometric exponents for the suture perimeter of approximately 0.5 reflect positive allometry of the septal surface area with respect to body size. The present results suggest that strong positive allometry of the suture perimeter leads to a considerable positive allometry of the septal surface area resulting in satisfying Kleiber's scaling law, although its functional significance remains unclear.
Effectiveness of safety management strategies on safety performance in Hong Kong

This research describes a study of safety attitudes, practices and characteristics of construction firms in Hong Kong and their relationship to safety performance on construction sites. Forty-five construction companies are compared and studied. Each adopts different safety management strategies. The 45 companies were composed of 11 small, 25 medium and 9 large-scale construction firms. Construction firms' safety performance is measured by site casualty rates. Based upon the information collected from the survey, the accident rates are first derived and compared with the industrial norms. Then the following safety measures, and strategies of contractors in Hong Kong and their associated safety performance, are compared: involvement of top management in safety management; safety orientation programmes for new workers; safety awards or incentive schemes; use of post-accident investigation systems; safety training schemes; safety committees; level of subcontracting. The first part of the research studies the.
Transgelin-2 in Multiple Myeloma: A New Marker of Renal Impairment?

Transgelin is a 22-kDa protein involved in cytoskeletal organization and expressed in smooth muscle tissue. According to animal studies, it is a potential mediator of kidney injury and fibrosis, and moreover, its role in tumorigenesis is emerging in a variety of cancers. The study included 126 ambulatory patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Serum transgelin-2 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. We evaluated associations between baseline transgelin and kidney function (serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate—eGFR, urinary markers of tubular injury: cystatin-C, neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin—NGAL monomer, cell cycle arrest biomarkers IGFBP-7 and TIMP-2) and markers of MM burden. Baseline serum transgelin was also evaluated as a predictor of kidney function after a follow-up of 27 months from the start of the study. Significant correlations were detected between serum transgelin-2 and serum creatinine (R = 0.29; p = 0.001) and eGFR (R = −0.25; p = 0.007). Transgelin significantly correlated with serum free light chains lambda (R = 0.18; p = 0.047) and serum periostin (R = −0.22; p = 0.013), after exclusion of smoldering MM patients. Patients with decreasing eGFR had higher transgelin levels (median 106.6 versus 83.9 ng/mL), although the difference was marginally significant (p = 0.05). However, baseline transgelin positively correlated with serum creatinine after the follow-up period (R = 0.37; p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with eGFR after the follow-up period (R = −0.33; p < 0.001). Moreover, higher baseline serum transgelin (beta = −0.11 ± 0.05; p = 0.032) significantly predicted lower eGFR values after the follow-up period, irrespective of baseline eGFR and follow-up duration. Our study shows for the first time that elevated serum transgelin is negatively associated with glomerular filtration in MM and predicts a decline in renal function over long-term follow-up.
Chapter XXI The Impact of Podcasting on Students Learning Outcomes

As part of an initiative to enhance the humanities' use of emerging technologies, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Old Dominion University is currently developing strategies for incorporating the use of podcasting—disseminating audio programming over the Internet—in its foreign language curricula and is studying podcasting's effects on foreign language teaching and learning. The academic use of podcasting allows for 24/7 accessibility and portability of the teaching and learning experience, while enabling on-demand learner control and personalization (Lee & Chan, 2007). It permits the restructuring of valuable classroom time and can convert the popular iPod and other MP3 players into multipurpose teaching and learning tools that can be used to reinforce class content, to improve pronunciation and vocabulary, and to improve oral and aural skills. The early results of this pilot project suggest that podcasting has positive effects on students' learning outcomes and study habits.
Mapping metacognitive awareness of Chinese language learners

The role of metacognitive awareness on language teaching and learning have been confirmed by several studies, but the discussions of this topic in Chinese as foreign language are limited. The aim of the present research was to map metacognitive awareness profile of Chinese language learners. Total respondent of this research was 80 Chinese language learners (38 males and 42 females) which comprise secondary students. Convenience sampling technique was employed to select the respondents. Meanwhile, the metacognitive awareness data were collected utilizing Junior Metacognitive Inventory. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistic. Mann-Whitney U Test was employed to investigate the significance differences of metacognitive awareness between male and female. The findings showed that 46.25% of Chinese Language Learners have a good metacognitive knowledge, 28.75% fair, 20% very good, 3.75% poor, and 1.25% very lacking. The finding also showed that 40% students have good metacognitive regulation, 36.25% fair, 15% very good, 7.50% poor, and 1.25% very lacking. In addition, between male and female students have no significant difference in knowledge of cognition. On the contrary, regulation of cognition female learners (Mdn= 32.50) significantly (U= 551.000, p0.05) better compared to male (Mdn= 30).
THE EFFECTS OF THE 11+ ON AGILITY PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT FUTSAL PLAYERS

The major aims of this project were to investigate the effects of the 11+ training programme on agility performance in adolescent futsal players. There were sixteen subjects in training group (TG) and 14 subjects in control group (CG). Illinois agility test and nine-square test were measured in three times periods namely, baseline- (wk-0), during- (wk-5) and final-test (wk-10) of training period. The TG followed the 11+ training programme which trained between after wk-0 to wk-5 and after wk-5 to wk-10, 5 d/wk, for 10-weeks. Agility performance were tested by Illinois agility test in TG. They were increased significantly after 10-weeks of training program (p < 0.05). Nine-square test in TG showed to tend to improvement significantly. These results were concluded that the 11+ training programme could improve agility performance in adolescent futsal players after trained with the 11+ training programme longer than 10-weeks. (Journal of Sports Science and Technology 2015; 15(2); 59-67)
Briefs Underlap DGMOS for Digital-Subthreshold Operation

Digital circuits operated in the subthreshold region (supply voltage less than the transistor threshold voltage) is suitable for applica- tions requiring ultralow-power and medium frequency of operation. It is also shown that by optimizing the device structure for subthreshold operation, power dissipation can further be reduced. The impact of gate underlap on the effective gate capacitance of double-gate MOS (DGMOS) transistor for digital-subthreshold operation is analyzed in this paper. It shows that with optimum gate underlap, the parasitic fringe capacitances of DGMOS can be significantly reduced resulting in higher performance and lower power consumption. Results on a ring oscillator show that with optimum underlap, 40% improvement in delay can be achieved with 7.3× reduction in power delay product and a 1-bit full-adder circuit can be operated at 1.25 GHz (Vdd =0 .2 V) with 6.2× less power than the one with standard (overlap) DGMOS device. Index Terms—Subthreshold operation, ultralow-power operation, underlap double-gate MOS (DGMOS).
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF CASHEW (Anacardium occidentale L) GENETIC RESOURCES IN BENIN

In order to evaluate producers’ knowledge level on cashew tree production and its socio-cultural importance, present an ethnobotanical study has been conducted from January to March 2013 in three ecological zones of Benin. A total of 347 cashew producers of seven ethnic groups have been interviewed from 21 villages. Data were collected by using participatory research approach through group discussions followed by individual investigations. The results of this study showed that farmers have very good knowledge about the fructification, the length of the flowering period, the different varieties grown and their level of productivity through time. Traditionally, many varieties are recognized and diverse criteria such as the color, the form and the shape of the apple, the form and the shape of the nut were used by the producers for the identification and the description of the cashew varieties. Besides the shape of the nut and the plant productivity are the two main selection criteria of cashew varieties for the installment of their plantations. On the other hand, the leaf, the bark and the roots are used in the traditional medicine for the treatment of some diseases. Cashew is the second important cash crop after cotton in the study area because of its contribution to the income of the producers. These findings are important for the management and exploitation of cashew genetic resources for a better production in Benin.
Structural overview and perspectives of the nuclear receptors, a major family as the direct targets forsmall-molecule drugs

The nuclear receptors (NRs) are an evolutionarily related family of transcription factors, which share certain common structural characteristics and regulate the expressions of various genes by recognizing different response elements. NRs play important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, survival and apoptosis, rendering them indispensable in many physiological activities including growth and metabolism. As a result, dysfunctions of NRs are closely related to a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, infertility, inflammation, the Alzheimer′s disease, cardiovascular diseases, prostate and breast cancers. Meanwhile, small-molecule drugs directly targeting NRs have been widely used in the treatment of above diseases. Here we summarize recent progress in the structural biology studies of NR family proteins. Compared with the dozens of structures of isolated DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and the striking more than a thousand of structures of isolated ligand-binding domains (LBDs) accumulated in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) over thirty years, by now there are only a small number of multi-domain NR complex structures, which reveal the integration of different NR domains capable of the allosteric signal transduction, or the detailed interactions between NR and various coregulator proteins. On the other hand, the structural information about several orphan NRs is still totally unavailable, hindering the further understanding of their functions. The fast development of new technologies in structural biology will certainly help us gain more comprehensive information of NR structures, inspiring the discovery of novel NR-targeting drugs with a new binding site beyond the classic LBD pockets and/or a new mechanism of action.
Use of Focus Groups to Identify Food Safety Risks for Older Adults in the U.S.

Older adults are vulnerable to foodborne illness; however, many do not follow safe food handling guidelines that would reduce their risk of infection. Virtual focus groups were used to explore older adults’ food handling and consumption practices and to understand how to apply the Health Belief Model for food safety research with respect to older adults. Thirty-nine adults between the ages of 56 and 80 participated in the study. Most participants reported eating poultry and eggs, whereas few reported eating precut fruit or raw sprouts. The majority were not using a cooking thermometer for all types of poultry and did report washing raw poultry. Participants were generally resistant to the idea of heating deli meats. Most focus group participants did not perceive themselves as being personally susceptible to foodborne illness. They did, however, express food safety concerns related to specific foods, such as melons and bagged salads, and they reported taking precautions to limit health risks from these foods. Regarding the Health Belief Model, our results indicate that the construct of perceived susceptibility could be expanded to include perceived risk, which refers to an individual’s belief about the likelihood that a food might be contaminated with a foodborne pathogen. These results should be confirmed among a nationally representative sample of older adults.
Optimum GMTI Processing for Space-based SAR/GMTI Systems - Simulation Results

In "Cerutti-Maori, Sikaneta, Optimum GMTI Processing for Space-based SAR/GMTI Systems - Theoretical Derivation", the processing methods, EDPCA (Extended Displaced Phase Center Antenna) and ISTAP (Imaging Space Time Adaptive Processing), were proposed for optimum GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indication). This paper tests these methods using simulated data and contrasts the properties of each method. This paper also comments on the GMTI performance of current generation satellites because the simulated data are based upon proposed RADARSAT-2 modes.
Comprehensive Statistical Exploration of Prognostic (Bio-)Markers for Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Simple Summary Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may suffer from heavy side effects, and not all patients benefit from the treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to gain knowledge about possible (bio-)markers for response to ICIs. We used retrospective data acquired from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in first- or further-line therapy settings, including 16 possible markers. We conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis study to find markers for response to treatment, assessed the robustness of our results, and discussed often encountered statistical pitfalls. Our study yielded hypotheses for various predictive and prognostic (bio-)markers for response to ICIs in NSCLC patients. In particular, we found that high basophil counts may be predictive for treatment response in patients in further-line therapy settings. Abstract Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may suffer from heavy side effects and not all patients benefit from the treatment. We conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis to identify promising (bio-)markers for treatment response. We analyzed retrospective data from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in first- or further-line therapy settings at the University Hospital Zurich. We investigated 16 possible prognostic markers with respect to overall survival, tumor size reduction, and the development of an immune-related adverse event (irAE) and assessed the robustness of our results. For the further-line patient group, the most significant result was that increased basophil counts were associated with increased odds of tumor size reduction within three months and with the development of an irAE. For the first-line patient group, the most significant results were that increased lymphocyte counts, the histology of adenocarcinoma, and the intake of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs (NSAR) were associated with decreased hazards of dying. Our study yielded new hypotheses for predictive (bio-)markers for response to ICIs in NSCLC patients. The possibly beneficial role of high basophil counts is a particularly interesting finding. Our results should be tested on independent data in a prospective fashion.
Photosynthetic Characteristics of Smaller and Larger Cell Size-Fractioned Phytoplankton Assemblies in the Daya Bay, Northern South China Sea

Cell size of phytoplankton is known to influence their physiologies and, consequently, marine primary production. To characterize the cell size-dependent photophysiology of phytoplankton, we comparably explored the photosynthetic characteristics of piconano- (<20 µm) and micro-phytoplankton cell assemblies (>20 µm) in the Daya Bay, northern South China Sea, using a 36-h in situ high-temporal-resolution experiment. During the experimental periods, the phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) in the surface water ranged from 0.92 to 5.13 μg L−1, which was lower than that in bottom layer (i.e., 1.83–6.84 μg L−1). Piconano-Chl a accounted for 72% (mean value) of the total Chl a, with no significant difference between the surface and bottom layers. The maximum photochemical quantum yield (FV/FM) of Photosystem II (PS II) and functional absorption cross-section of PS II photochemistry (σPS II) of both piconano- and micro-cells assemblies varied inversely with solar radiation, but this occurred to a lesser extent in the former than in the latter ones. The σPS II of piconano- and micro-cell assemblies showed a similar change pattern to the FV/FM in daytime, but not in nighttime. Moreover, the fluorescence light curve (FLC)-derived light utilization efficiency (α) displayed the same daily change pattern as the FV/FM, and the saturation irradiance (EK) and maximal rETR (rETRmax) mirrored the change in the solar radiation. The FV/FM and σPS II of the piconano-cells were higher than their micro-counterparts under high solar light; while the EK and rETRmax were lower, no matter in what light regimes. In addition, our results indicate that the FV/FM of the micro-cell assembly varied quicker in regard to Chl a change than that of the piconano-cell assembly, indicating the larger phytoplankton cells are more suitable to grow than the smaller ones in the Daya Bay through timely modulating the PS II activity.