Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBON ELECTRODE SURFACES: DEVELOPMENT OF BIOSENSORS FOR FORENSIC DNA APPLICATIONS

Thesis (M.S.F.S) PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Antibiotic sensitivity of common bacterial pathogens against levofloxacin

Levofloxacin is a member of the fluoroquinolone class of antibacterial agents with a safe and effective treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the susceptibility and resistance pattern of clinical isolates causing different types of infections to Levofloxacin. In vitro antibacterial activity and resistance patterns of levofloxacin antibiotic were studied using disk diffusion method. A total 485 strains isolated from various clinical specimens from September 2020 to November 2020 in Al Saleem Medical Laboratory. This is for isolation and identification of pathogenic gram negative and gram positive bacteria. The samples were involving urine, semen, swabs, High vaginal swab, Blood, Stool, CSF, Body Fluid and Sputum. The isolates were identified by biochemical tests as well as the sensitivity and resistant were tested by levofloxacin antibiotic. In present study, gram negative bacteria were prevalent, 75.6% than gram positive bacteria 47.7%. In the four hundred eighty five clinical isolates comprising of Escherichia coli, Klebseilla spp, Staph Aureus, Enterobacter spp, Streptococcus pneumonia , Pseudmonas spp, Streptococcus pyogen , Citrobacter spp, proteus spp and Staph epidermidis were collected from different clinical specimens. The predominantly isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli, followed by Klebseilla spp, staph Aureus and Enterobacter spp. The levofloxacin antibiotic has sensitive against most of the isolates, E Coli (31%), Klebseilla spp (14%), Staph Aureus (8.7), Enterobacter spp (6%) , strep pneumonia (5%), Pseudomonas spp (3%), Strep pyogen (1%) and Citrobacter spp (0.6%). Levofloxacin exhibited statistically significantly high bactericidal activity against all strains of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Levofloxacin was shown to be active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Embracing mobile financial inclusion in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic: The mediating role of cognitive and affective-based trust embeddedness

The aim of the study is to examine the role of social capital in the formation of mobile financialservice users’ adoptive behaviours toward service providers in the context of the financialtechnological regime of Ghana. The study used a total of 417 sample data from a self-administeredquestionnaire to achieve its objectives. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze thedirect effects of social capital and the mediation role of cognitive-based trust and affective-based truston mobile financial service. The results of the study demonstrate that social capital, cognitive-basedand affective-based trust collaboratively impact on the adoptive lifestyle of mobile financial serviceusers. Specifically, both cognitive-based and affective-based trust mediate between social capital andmobile financial inclusion to inform users’ behavioral intentions. The results however, reveals thataffective-based trust plays a significant role in shaping mobile financial service users’ behavioralintentions than cognitive-based trust. In detail, the study indicates that social capital directly impactson the adoptive behavior of mobile financial service users. It is therefore, recommended that in thepresent era of Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant social distancing protocols, mobile financialservice providers should invest heavily in social media channels to develop their corporate socialcapital brand in order to deepen their bondage with users. The study makes a vital contribution to theevolving debate on mobile financial inclusion, information system and consumer psychology fromAfrican perspective. The study acknowledges the contributions of prior studies to the afore-mentionedstrands of discipline and the chasm in literature. Specifically, this study is the first of its kind toempirically examine the influential functions of social capital, cognitive-based trust and affective-basedtrust on mobile financial inclusion from the len of the Ghanaian financial technological landscape.The study will equip industry players with the needed know-how to enhance their profitability andoperational competitiveness.
Camera Pointing with Coordinate-Free Localization and Tracking

Sound source localization is an important research field that has attracted researchers' efforts from many technical and biomedical sciences. Sound source localization (SSL) is defined as the determination of the direction from a receiver, but also includes the distance from it. Because of the wave nature of sound propagation, phenomena such as refraction, diffraction, diffusion, reflection, reverberation and interference occur. The wide spectrum of sound frequencies that range from infrasounds through acoustic sounds to ultrasounds, also introduces difficulties, as different spectrum components have different penetration properties through the medium. Consequently, SSL is a complex computation problem and development of robust sound localization techniques calls for different approaches, including multisensor schemes, null-steering beamforming and time-difference arrival techniques. The book offers a rich source of valuable material on advances on SSL techniques and their applications that should appeal to researches representing diverse engineering and scientific disciplines.
Intimate Partner Violence Incidents and Solutions Reported by Turkish Couples in Long-Term Marriages: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This qualitative study investigates the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and the duration of marriage in the Turkish context and explores spouses’ perceptions, experiences, and solutions concerning IPV. Participants were thirty Turkish couples married for twenty or more years. Data collection tools were a semi-structured interview, observation notes taken during the interview, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Data analysis showed that psychological violence was the most reported type, while sexual and economic violence was not reported in long-term marriages. Only a few instances of physical violence were reported during the first years of marriage. Regarding gender, the perpetrators of physical IPV were all men except for only one case, while both men and women were the perpetrators and victims of psychological violence. Spouses’ proposed solutions for IPV were identify­ing the determinants of IPV, encouraging religious and values education, solving economic problems, building communication and patience, learning respect, responsibility, and love; or getting divorced. The study suggests some implications for professionals.
Infrastructure and economic growth: Evidence from the United States

Developing countries have witnessed a rise in infrastructure spending over the past decades; however, infrastructure spending in most developed countries, particularly the US, continues to decline. As a result, in 2021, the US Congress passed a Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which invests $1 trillion in the country’s infrastructure every year. Using the principal component analysis and VAR estimation, we analyzed the impact of infrastructure (transportation and water, railway networks, aviation, energy, and fixed telephone lines) on economic growth in the US. Our findings show that infrastructure spending positively and significantly impacted economic growth. Additionally, the impulse response analysis shows that shocks to infrastructure spending had positive and persistent effects on economic growth. Our results suggest that infrastructure investment spurs economic growth. Based on our findings, sustained public spending on transport and water, railway networks, aviation, energy, and fixed telephone lines infrastructure by the US government will positively impact economic growth in the country. The study also suggests that policies that promote infrastructure spending, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) passed by the US Congress, should be enhanced to boost economic growth in the US.
Is ecology anti-urban? Urban ideas and imaginaries across one hundred years of ecological publications

This paper investigates urban imaginaries conveyed in publications in ecology over the past century. We examine some urban ecologists’ view that urban areas have been disregarded by ecology due to negative views on cities and urbanisation. Inspired by previous work on imaginaries in social and cultural geography and political ecology, and by textual data analysis methods, we adopted a methodological framework that applies both quantitative and qualitative methods in the analysis of a corpus of 960 articles (published 1922–2018) drawn from 10 long-standing international journals in ecology. Our hypothesis is that ecology has embraced an anti-urban imaginary that is manifested in urban invisibility as well as the recurrent expression of negative ideas about cities (constituting an ‘anti-urban bias’). Our results partially confirm this hypothesis. We show that until the 1970s only a few papers were published on cities. We identify nine main themes relating to cities around which ideas about cities have been constructed (threats, pests, refuges, fragmentation, gradients, pollution, homogenisation, planetary urbanisation, and planning) and show how these ideas have been mobilised in the articles since the 1920s. We discuss the way in which these evolving ideas reflect a move from an essentially anti-urban imaginary to a more complex and ambivalent one. This shift coincides with the rise of the idea of planetary urbanisation in ecological publications, increasing recommendations regarding urban planning, and more generally, growing conceptual debates on the ecological impact of cities.
Composition of inner main-belt planetesimals

Aims. We carried out a spectroscopic survey in order to investigate the composition of 64 asteroids of the inner main belt, which are leftovers of the original planetesimals of our Solar System (we call them inner main belt planetesimals or IMBPs). Following published methods, we identified IMBPs in the inverse size (1 / D ) versus semimajor axis ( a ) space, after the removal of all asteroids belonging to collisional families. Methods. We conducted several ground-based observational campaigns of these IMBPs in the visible range at the 1.82 m Asiago telescope, and in the near-infrared these types among large asteroids. However, the absence of Q-types among primordial planetesimals is expected, as they have undergone surface rejuvenating processes. Therefore, Q-types have relatively young and less weathered surfaces compared to other types. Our results support the hypothesis of compositional mixing in the early Solar System. In particular, the fact that most of the C-complex planetesimals are aqueous altered, and the presence of three D- or T-type asteroids among them indicate that these bodies migrated from beyond 3 au to their current position.
Accelerated Aging Effects on Color Change, Translucency Parameter, and Surface Hardness of Resin Composites

Background The aging process can induce a change in the surface microstructure of materials, the chemical compositions of matrices, and the filler particles of resin composites. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of accelerated artificial aging (AAA) on the color change, translucency parameter (TP), and surface hardness of resin composites. Methods Five resin composite materials (Tetric N-Ceram, Filtek Z250, Charisma Smart, Herculite Classic, and Escom100) were evaluated. A spectrophotometer was used for color measurements (L∗, a∗, and b∗). TP and color changes (ΔE00) were calculated using the CIEDE2000 formula. The resin materials were subjected to aging for 300 hours. The hardness and TP values were measured before and after AAA. One- and two-way ANOVA and the Tukey test were used. The significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. Results Escom100 had significantly higher ΔE00 values than the other resin composites, and Charisma Smart had significantly lower ΔE00 values than the other tested materials (p < 0.05). Before and after AAA, Charisma Smart had the lowest TP values, and Filtek Z250 exhibited the highest hardness values (p < 0.05). For TP and surface hardness, the effect size value of the composite material was found to be higher than that of AAA. Conclusions After AAA, the investigated resin composites had ΔE00 values that were above clinically acceptable thresholds. After aging, the tested materials generally exhibited decreases in L∗ values and a∗ values, while increases in b∗ values were observed. The ΔTP values of the resin composites were similar. AAA significantly increased the surface hardness of the tested materials.
Thermal Aware Routing Protocols for Wireless Body Area Networks: Review and Open Research Issues

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is a promising technology that improves life quality and enhances medical healthcare services. The activities and communications of sensors lead to a temperature rise, which can be fatal for the human body. The heating problem is addressed by the thermal-aware strategy, which has great importance. This paper reviews sixteen thermal-aware routing protocols proposed for WBAN; it presents routing in WBAN and its associated challenges. It explains the principles and pros and cons of each protocol and compares the protocols studied using several criteria. Finally, the paper points out the open research issues and challenges. This review intends to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date reference for everyone interested in the thermal-aware communication protocols for WBANs.
On Algebraic Hyperbolicity of Log Surfaces

We call a log variety (X, D) algebraically hyperbolic if there exists a positive number e such that 2g(C) - 2 + i(C, D) >= e deg(C) for all curves C on X, where i(C, D) is the number of the intersections between D and the normalization of C. Among other things, we proved that (P^2, D) is algebraically hyperbolic for a very general curve D of degree at least 5. More specifically, we showed that 2g(C) - 2 + i(C, D) >= (deg(D) - 4) deg C for all curves C on P^2. For example, fix a very general quintic curve D and then for any map f: C = P^1 --> P^2, there are at least deg(f) + 2 distinct points on C that map to points on D by f.
Development and Characterization of Azithromycin-Loaded Microemulsions: A Promising Tool for the Treatment of Bacterial Skin Infections

In recent years, the treatment of bacterial skin infections has been considered a major healthcare issue due to the growing emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The incorporation of antibiotics in appropriate nanosystems could represent a promising strategy, able to overcome several drawbacks of the topical treatment of infections, including poor drug retention within the skin. The present work aims to develop microemulsions containing azithromycin (AZT), a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic. Firstly, AZT solubility in various oils, surfactants and co-surfactants was assessed to select the main components. Subsequently, microemulsions composed of vitamin E acetate, Labrasol® and Transcutol® P were prepared and characterized for their pH, viscosity, droplet size, zeta potential and ability to release the drug and to promote its retention inside porcine skin. Antimicrobial activity against S. aureus methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and the biocompatibility of microemulsions were evaluated. Microemulsions showed an acceptable pH and were characterized by different droplet sizes and viscosities depending on their composition. Interestingly, they provided a prolonged release of AZT and promoted its accumulation inside the skin. Finally, microemulsions retained AZT efficacy on MRSA and were not cytotoxic. Hence, the developed AZT-loaded microemulsions could be considered as useful nanocarriers for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections of the skin.
Buffering Copper Tailings Acid Mine Drainage: Modeling and Testing at Fushë Arrëz Flotation Plant, Albania

The beneficiation process of sulfide ores has the inevitable consequence of generating huge amounts of tailings highly enriched in sulfur, thus inducing acid mine drainage (AMD) and the release of potentially toxic elements. The aim of the work was to define the most suitable procedures for buffering acid drainage waters through the addition of commercial CaCO3 paste, provided by UNICALCE. High- and low-pyrite tailing samples were collected at the copper enrichment plant of Fushë Arrëz (Northern Albania copper mining district). They were used for leaching and buffering tests, whose leachates and precipitation products were characterized by ICP-MS, chromatographic, XRD and TEM analyses. In addition, a geochemical model was developed in order to predict the pH trend of the leachate as a function of the addition of CaCO3. The results show the good buffering capacity of CaCO3, accurately predicted by the geochemical model. A drastic reduction in metals in the solution can be easily attained for low-pyrite samples, whereas high amounts of buffering agent are required to reach similar metals concentration reduction in high-pyrite. Precipitates are dominated by oxyhidroxides, followed by sulfates and hydrosilicates, but TEM showed also the presence of nanocrystalline and amorphous phases.
Mortality Rates in Femoral Neck Fractures Treated With Arthroplasty in South Africa

Objectives To investigate the mortality rate for neck of femur fractures treated with arthroplasty at a tertiary level unit in South Africa and to evaluate the effect of known risk factors for mortality in neck of femur fractures treated with arthroplasty in the South African context. Design Retrospective cohort study. The main outcome was to determine mortality rates during in hospital stay, at 3 months, 6 months 1 year post surgery. The secondary outcome was to determine factors influencing mortality at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months post-surgery. Results Mortality rate was 3.3% in hospital, 5.6% at 30 days and 26.7% at 1 year. Age >79, ASA score >3, and cementing of the femur had statistically increased mortality risk (P < .001). Average length of hospital stay was 12.3 ± 5.1 days (range 3.0-41.0 days) with 73% of patients discharged back to pre-hospital home. Conclusion Mortality rates after femur neck fracture arthroplasty in South Africa are slightly higher at 1 year compared to international data. However, the rates are comparably low during hospital stay, 30 day and at 6 months post-surgical intervals.
Numerical simulation of effectively driving the trajectory of magnetic particles in a Newtonian fluid using a uniform magnetic field

Herein, the interaction and relative motion of two circular magnetic particles in a static flow and planar Poiseuille flow is investigated via numerical simulation. A two-dimensional numerical model is constructed based on Maxwell’s finite element method, fully considering the interactions between particles and particles, particles and magnetic fields, and particles and flow fields. First, the motion state and action mechanism of the magnetic particles in contact state in the static fluid are analyzed under a vertical magnetic field; then, the simulation results are verified via experiments. Based on the motion state of the magnetic particles in the planar Poiseuille flow, the feasibility of effectively controlling the trajectory of magnetic particles in the planar Poiseuille flow using a magnetic field is discussed. In the static flow, the vertical magnetic field was unable to separate the contacting magnetic particles; thus, the magnetic field cannot effectively control magnetic particles in static flows. In the planar Poiseuille flow, the free contact and separation of magnetic particles was effectively controlled by the combined action of the magnetic field and the fluid. This study provides insights into the interactions among magnetic particles in static flows and summarizes a set of methods for effectively controlling two circular magnetic particles.
High Prevalence of Abnormal Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Diabetic Inpatients with Poor Glycemic Control

Introduction Higher serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was found in diabetic patients rather than controls. However, the prevalence of abnormal CEA among diabetic inpatients with a large proportion of poor glycemic control is unclear. Methods A total of 385 diabetic inpatients were included in this study. We collected information from a large clinical database. Patients with malignant tumors were excluded by examination and follow-up. Results We found a surprisingly high prevalence (14.3%) of diabetic inpatients with CEA above normal. The proportion of patients with abnormal CEA was significantly different in subgroups with different blood glucose levels, 20.4% in the HbA1c ≥ 9% group, and 8.5% in the HbA1c < 9%, p = 0.000. We found that the CEA levels were correlated with age, body mass index and HbA1c. The regression coefficient of HbA1c was the highest, B = 0.284, p = 0.000. We also found that the CEA levels were higher in diabetic inpatients with BMI < 24 kg/m2 than the overweight or obesity patients. There was a significant difference in the insulin level and C peptide level between the elevated CEA group and the non-elevated CEA group. Conclusion The elevation of CEA is common in diabetic inpatients, especially those with poor hyperglycemia controlled (HbA1c ≥ 9%). The underlying mechanism may be related to glucose toxicity.
Work-related Accidents in Norwegian Road, Sea and Air Transport: Roles and Responsibilities

The study examines regulatory authorities' and transport companies' knowledge of and sources of information about work-related accidents, views on risk factors related to work-related accidents, and understandings of roles and responsibilities in relation to work-related risk factors and -accidents. The main finding of the present study is that the road sector seems to perform poorer than the maritime sector and inland helicopter operations on these three aspects of accident prevention. As a consequence, respondents from the road sector rate their own efforts to prevent work-related accidents as lower than respondents from the other sectors. 19 qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 people from companies, authorities, voluntary organisations and others from the road, sea and air transport sector. Also, a small-scale web-based survey (N=128) was distributed to representatives from government agencies, NGOs and employees in transport companies in the three sectors. The study summarizes regulatory practices and thoughts from respondents from the different sectors on what factors contribute to risk in their sector. Finally, it concludes with suggestions on how the road sector can improve on these three aspects of risk prevention by learning from the other two sectors.