Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of traditional nixtamalization process on starch annealing and the relation to pozole quality

Several maize landraces were evaluated using microstructural and rheological starch properties and related them to pozole quality. Annealed starch produced during traditional nixtamalization and additional boiling step enhances the viscosity, swelling and starch stability to collapse by forming amylose–lipid complexes. Regarding pozole broth, Cacahuacintle maize (pozole end-use) presented significantly higher (P < 0.05) soluble solids (0.41%) compared with tortilla end-use landraces Pepitilla (0.16%) and Celaya (0.32%). The explanation is that Cacahuacintle pozole matrix did not collapse, but it eroded, forming a sponge structure. Celaya had a compact matrix structure. Pozole yield was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Cacahuacintle as it was 100% soft endosperm type. X-ray diffraction suggests changes from A-type starch in nixtamal to V-type pattern in pozole, typical of amylose–lipid complexes. Those changes in processing and in quality of the final products are important economic issues that merit further investigations concerning annealing temperatures, steeping and processing times. Practical Applications Pozole is a pre-Columbian exotic soup or stew that once had a ritual significance for the Aztecs of Mexico; it is made with a very special floury type of maize named Cacahuacintle. Despite the economic importance of the Cacahuacintle maize race in Mexico and in Southwest U.S.A. , the quality characteristics that the maize kernel should have to give good quality pozole are not well known, which is in part due to the ready availability of poor quality canned products in the market. Combined treatments involving starch annealing during nixtamalization and heat treatment of the wet nixtamal during boiling lead to increase the pozole quality. A practical way to produce thermally resistant starches is through the use of selected maize and heat/moisture treatments. The amylose–lipid complexes formed increase starch gelatinization temperatures and its stability to produce puckered granules at water boiling temperatures, giving the unique sponge structure with soft texture and high swelling properties in the final product.
Awareness of Immunization among Mothers of Under-five Children in Three Health Centres of South Karnataka

Background : Vaccines are one of the most effective preventive health interventions that have diminished occurrence of infectious diseases and improved the quality of life in the population. In the past few decades, developed countries have seen sufficient improvement in vaccination coverage, but not so in developing countries. Mother’s awareness is one of the determining factors in under-5 children getting full vaccination. Objectives : The objectives of the study were to study immunization awareness among mothers of under-5 children and to impart health education. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in three health centers of Nagamangala taluk. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire in Google form analyzed using Epi Info 7.0. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test were applied. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 128 mothers of under-5 children were included in the study. About 99.2% of the study population had heard of the word immunization. About 98.4% of the study population thought that it is right to immunize their children. About 94.5% of the study population had immunized their children till date. About 12.5% of the study population had heard about optional vaccines. About 33.6% of the study population believe that vaccines have adverse effects. Conclusion: Awareness regarding immunization was good in our study. Regular repeated health education to be given to achieve higher awareness and immunization coverage. Key words: Awareness, immunization, vaccination
The Disposition of Doxycycline by Man and Dog

The disposition of doxycycline by man and dog was investigated with the aid of labeled drug. Isotope dilution methods were instrumental in the successful identification of fecal excretion products. More than 90% of dose was recovered as undegraded drug from urine and feces of both species, but some labeled doxycycline was excreted by dogs in antibacterially inactive form. Dogs appear to eliminate most of intravenously administered doxycycline by secretion into the intestinal tract, by a route different from biliary secretion. It is inferred from these results that the lack of doxycycline accumulation observed by other investigators in patients with impaired renal function is probably due to elimination of unchanged drug with feces, and not the result of extensive metabolic degradation.
Irish pre-service teachers’ expectations for teaching as a career:a snapshot at a time of transition

Recent graduates of teacher education programmes in Ireland are entering their careers at a time characterized by an erosion of teacher autonomy, increased bureaucratic demands, and narrower curriculum specifications. These changes are typical features of what Sahlberg (2011) has termed the global educational reform movement (GERM), and evidence suggests that they can have a negative impact on teacher morale, and on how teaching as a career is perceived. This, in turn, can have detrimental effects on teacher recruitment and retention. This study examined the career expectations of two cohorts of Irish pre-service teachers (n=491) at the point of transition between college and work. The data gathered were also used to investigate if recent changes to the B.Ed. programme are associated with any changes in career expectations. Overall, teachers indicated strong expectations on issues such as doing a worthwhile job, feeling satisfied with pupil achievement and fulfilling personal needs, however, expectations with regard to the adequacy of salaries were low, and appear to have diminished further throughout the period 2014 to 2016.
Permafrost thermal snapshot and active-layer thickness in Svalbard 2016–2017

This report is the product of international collaboration of several permafrost researchers working in Svalbard. The report aims to provide an overview of ground thermal conditions and active-layer thickness as they are recorded at five sites during the 2016/2017 hydrological year from 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017 in Svalbard. We report on this period, as this is when observation variables are available from all sites. This provides the basis for comparison of spatial variations in permafrost thermal conditions and active layer thickness in Svalbard. For earlier summaries of permafrost conditions on Svalbard see Humlum et al. (2003) and Christiansen et al. (2010). The specific objectives of this report are to: (1) introduce the study area and permafrost in Svalbard; (2) describe instrumentation and operation at each of the five sites; (3) characterize the ground thermal regime and present the active-layer thickness from the last 20162017 hydrological year; (4) provide an overall analysis of the ground-thermal observations with a focus on the implications of changing permafrost on other parts of the cryosphere relevant for the SIOS network; (5) ensure access to the reported data through the Global Terrestrial Network on Permafrost (GTN-P) adhering to the SIOS Data policy and (6) point to potential avenues and geographic locations for future permafrost observation needs in Svalbard. This report builds on the IPY 2007-2008 snapshot of the permafrost thermal state and active layer thickness in Svalbard (Christiansen et al., 2010), but now provides ground temperatures from more areas in Svalbard thanks to the international collaboration. The report may serve as a baseline for future regional observation programs and collaborative activities within the SIOS network.
Numerical Simulations on the Formation of Massive Star Clusters

Die Entstehung von massereichen gebundenen Sternhaufen in Molekulwolken ist ein Wettrennen zwischen effizienter Sternentstehung und energetischen Ruckkopplungsprozessen massereicher Sterne. Diese unterbinden den Sternentstehungsprozes und treiben das Restgas aus dem System. Der Einflus des Gasausstoses auf die dynamische Entwicklung von Sternentstehungsregionen wurde untersucht. Bei kollisionsfreien numerischen N-Korperrechnungen wurde der Gasausstos aus einem gebundenen System aus Sternen und umgebenden Gas durch ein externes Potential beschrieben. Die Sternhaufen bleiben nur dann gebunden, wenn entweder die Sternentstehungseffizienz wesentlich hoher ist als die in der Galaxis typische, wenn die Zeitskala des Gaausstoses ein mehrfaches der dynamischen Zeitskala betragt oder wenn sich das System anfangs nicht im virialen Gleichgewicht befand. Deswegen wurde auserdem die Entstehung von Sternhaufen aus anfanglich kalten, turbulenten Molekulwolken untersucht. Zur numerischen Simulation des Gases wurde 'Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics' mit einer idealisierenden Beschreibung der Sternentstehung verwendet. Die Sterne selbst werden wieder mittels kollisionsfreier N-Korperrechnung beschrieben, die Ruckkopplung wird durch thermisches Heizen des umgebenden Gases simuliert. Die Sternentstehungseffizienz der kollabierenden und fragmentierenden Molekulwolke und damit die Gebundenheit des resultierenden Systems wird wesentlich beeinflust von der Zeitverzogerung zwischen der Bildung der Sterne und dem Einsetzen der Ruckkopplung, sowie von dem gewahlten globalen Dichtekriterium, das bestimmt zu welchem Zeitpunkt sich die Sterne wahrend des Kollapses der Wolke bilden.
Soil organic carbon and microbial communities respond to vineyard management

The farming practices in vineyards vary widely, but how does this affect vineyard soils? The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of vineyard management practices on soil organic matter and the soil microbial community. To this end, we investigated three adjacent vineyards in the Traisen valley, Austria, of which the soils had developed on the same parent material and under identical environmental/site conditions but were managed differently (esp. tillage, fertilizer application, cover crops) for more than 10 yrs. We found that topsoil bulk density (BD) decreased with increasing tillage intensity, while subsoil BD showed the opposite trend. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in 0–50 cm depth increased from 10 kg m−2 in an unfertilized and frequently tilled vineyard to 17 kg m−2 in a regularly fertilized but less intensively tilled vineyard. Topsoil microbial biomass per unit SOC, estimated by the sum of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), followed this trend, albeit not statistically significantly. Principal component analysis of PLFA patterns revealed that the microbial communities were compositionally distinct between different management practices. The fungal PLFA marker 18:2ω6,9 was highest in the vineyard with the lowest amount of extractable Cu (by 0.01 m CaCl2), and the bacterial‐to‐fungal biomass ratio was positively correlated with extractable Cu. Our results indicate that tillage and fertilizer application of vineyards can strongly affect vineyard soil properties such as BD and SOC stocks and that the application of Cu‐based fungicides may impair soil fungal communities.
Effect of phase feeding on broiler performance Online J. Anim. Feed Res., 10(1): 36-40. www.ojafr.ir;

This study was conducted to assess the effects of phase feeding on growth performance of broiler chicks. The experimental work consisted of a 7-week trial feeding, in which three different feeding programme. Three experimental diets formulated to contain different levels of metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP); namely a broiler starter diet containing approximately 3072 Kcal ME/kg and 23.9% crude protein, a grower diet containing 3118 Kcal ME/Kg and 21.8% crude protein, and a finisher diet containing 3200 Kcal ME/kg and 18% crude protein. The results diets not reveal any significant differences in productive parameters, but indicated marked trends in differences among the experimental treatment. These differences showed that the highest feed consumption and live weight gain were attained by the group of birds fed the starter diet throughout the experimental period. The starter diet followed by the finisher diet for four weeks resulted in the lowest total feed consumption, reasonably high body weight gain, lowest feed conversion ratio and highest dressing percentage. It can, however, be considered under the conditions of the present experiment that the three experimental feeding programmes supported similar productive performance of broiler, indicating a slight economic advantage of feeding the starter diet followed by the finisher diet.
Cadmium Adsorption by Aerobic Lake Sediments

Factors that influence the adsorption of cadmium on aerobic lake sediments were investigated, including sediment type, pH, and soluble ligand composition. Conditional adsorption constants were experimentally determined for sediments samples in native lake water from Sturgeon Lake, Oregon. Correlation of adsorption constant values with sediment characteristics including mean grain size, iron and manganese content, volatile solids content, and cation exchange capacity indicated significant dependence only on mean grain size. Another approach, using specific geochemical phase adsorption, constants from another study to assess that phases contribution to adsorbtion, predicted that iron oxides controlled cadmium adsorption. A speciation-distribution model for cadmium in the water column indicated that the dominant chemical forms were the free cadmium ion and cadmium adsorbed to suspended solids. As pH increased from 5 to 9, the adsorbed fraction increased and the free ionic fraction decreased markedly. Organic ligand complexes were predicted to be the dominant soluble cadmium complex in the neutral pH range, while the cadmium carbonate complex dominated at pH 9.
Decomposition of Alder, Ash, and Poplar Litter in a Mediterranean Riverine Area

Abstract Litter decomposition dynamics of three Mediterranean riverine species [Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn, Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. , and Populus x hybrida] was studied in a 2‐year experiment in the province of Guadalajara (Spain) using the litterbag technique. Decay rates of the litter were estimated by fitting a single exponential model to the litter decomposition data. At the end of the experiment (after 485 days), the remaining litter necromass varied in the following order: Populus x hybrida>Alnus glutinosa>Fraxinus angustifolia. Litter of the three species was fast degraded; ash litter was almost totally degraded at the end of the experiment. Alder had the highest concentrations of total nitrogen and ammonium in litter, and its pattern of degradation and release to the system was different to the other two litters. This could influence the soil nutrient contents in each system as was indicated by the soil nutrient values.
Design of Self-Healing Supramolecular Rubbers with a Tunable Number of Chemical Cross-Links

Supramolecular rubbers incorporating a large number of physical cross-links through cooperative hydrogen bonds display high self-healing properties but limited solvent and creep resistance due to the lack of chemical cross-links. Increasing both chemical cross-links and H-bonding is therefore desirable but limited by the functionality of monomers. The present work thus devises a convergent chemical platform permitting to increase the number of chemical cross-links without changing the concentration of hydrogen-bonding groups. Starting from a single reactive prepolymer, functionalized with a defined number of hydrogen-bonding groups, a series of networks presenting different ratios of diepoxide and tetraepoxide were prepared. The curing process (controlled by 2-MI catalyst), thermomechanical behavior, and tensile properties recovery of the cured materials were investigated. Gelation state was quantified and compared to theoretical predictions. The introduction of tetrafunctional epoxide in the presence of .
Cellulose Swelling Measured by Propanol-2 Retention

The necessity for swelling cellulose in chemical and textile processes gives rise to the demand for a new and more rapid technique for the determination of the degree of swelling. The method described here is based upon the displacement of the swelling agent with propanol-2, which allows no further swelling and permits removal of extraneous fluid by centrifuging.
Investigation on characterization and transfection of a novel multi-polyplex gene delivery system

pDNA was condensed by polycationic peptide polylysine (PLL) to form a core, and then encapsulated in biodegradable monomethoxy (poly ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-monomethoxy (poly ethylene glycol) (PELGE) to form core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) as a novel multi-polyplex gene delivery system—PPD(PELGE-PLL-DNA). NPs were prepared by a double emulsification-solvent evaporation technique, using F68 (Pluronic F68, namely Poloxamer 188) as surfactant (not traditional stabilizer PVA), and characterized by morphology, particle size, zeta potential, nuclease, and sonication protection ability, as well as transfection efficiency. Results showed that PPD had a regular spherical shape, with an average diameter of 155 ± 2.97 nm and a zeta potential of −25.6 ± 1.35 mV. PPD could protect plasmid DNA from nuclease degradation and sonication during preparation, while the transfection efficiencies in HepG2 cells and Hela cells were much higher than that of NPs without PLL. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Stability and electronic structure of BxNyCz nanotubes

We apply a first-principles method, based on the density functional theory, to calculate the structural stability and electronic properties of BxNyCz nanotubes. We follow the evolution of the electronic and structural properties as a function of the composition, atomic structure and nanotube diameter. The results indicate that nanotubes present a large variety of electronic properties, showing a remarkable dependence on these parameters. The formation energy decreases with the tube diameter, D, and has a strong dependence on the tube stoichiometry. Additionally, the results show that the strain energy of the tubes, relative to the corresponding unstrained sheet material, varies as 1/Dn. For BC2N the classical strain law (n = 2) is clearly obtained. Nevertheless, in the case of BCN, the exact value of n is a matter of discussion.
Facile extraction of cellulose nanocrystals from wood using ethanol and peroxide solvothermal pretreatment followed by ultrasonic nanofibrillation

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were successfully extracted from wood flour by a two-step process that comprised ethanol and peroxide solvothermal pretreatment and an ultrasonic disintegration process. Characterization results showed that 97% of the total lignin and 70% of the hemicellulose could be fractionated in a single ethanosolv pretreatment step. Additional treatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide removed the residual lignin and hemicellulose and resulted in high purity cellulose. The CNCs obtained after ultrasonication displayed a similar yield, size, morphology, and crystallinity but had better thermal stability and film forming properties than those produced by concentrated acid hydrolysis. Overall, the solvothermal treatment using ethanol and its combination with peroxide is an ideal substitute method for pretreatment of lignocellulose. Further integration of such pretreatments with ultrasonication provides a promising efficient process with low environmental impact for production of CNCs.
Sequential Extraction for Evaluating the Behaviour of Selected Chemical Elements in Light weight Aggregates Manufactured From Mining and Industrial Wastes

The chemical extraction of twenty-nine elements in a washing aggregate sludge, a clay-richsediment, a sewage sludge, the mixtures of these materials and the artificial lightweight aggregates (LWAs)manufactured with them was determined by applying the optimized European Community Bureau of Reference sequential extraction procedure in order to establish the effect of the thermal treatment on the extraction of the selected elements. In accordance with the UNE-EN-1744-3 standard (2003), which states a single extraction procedure, preparation of eluates by aggregate leaching was also carried out. All the elements are mainly associated with the residual fraction in the LWAs so their availability is relatively low. The element that presented the highest concentration in the eluates after completion of the single extraction procedure was Fe. All the studied elements are in concentrations below the limit values for inert wastes so, from the standpoint of chemical leaching, the studied LWAs may be used in lightweight concrete manufacturing.
Learned Source and Channel Coding for Talking-Head Semantic Transmission

How to efficiently transmit a special video over wireless channels? While the established systems work by combining H.26x video coding and 5G LDPC channel coding, its end-to-end transmission efficiency is still far away from the extreme for video sources in a specific domain. In this paper, we seek to design a special semantic communication system tailored for transmitting video calling streams over the wireless channels. Inspired by the recent progress in talking-head animation, we propose a talking- head semantic transmission (THST) system, which can efficiently transmit motion keypoint representation as compact semantic information to drive the free-view talk-heading synthesis at the receiver. Since the motion semantic key points are correlated, our THST system learns a nonlinear analysis transform to map the key points across multiple frames into latent space, then transmits the latent hyper semantic representation to the receiver via deep joint source-channel coding. Our system incorporates a latent prior to estimate the importance diversity on the semantic key points, accordingly, we realize variable rate joint source-channel coding to obtain system level coding gain. Extensive experimental validation shows that our THST system outperforms engineered competing systems on benchmark datasets. Moreover, due to the system level joint source and channel design, our method provides much more robust performance over noisy channels with only 33% bandwidth cost versus the current talking-head compression combined with 5G LDPC coded transmission systems.
Particle count and online turbidity interference from bubble formation

Bubble formation affects particle count and online turbidity measurements, but the water industry does not routinely employ a methodology for determining when bubbles are skewing measurements. In this study, bubbles were measured as particle counts in bench‐top laboratory experiments and at a full‐scale functioning utility. Particle counts decreased when the pressure in the measurement cell was increased during sampling, and in some cases, 46 ft (14 m) of water pressure was needed to suppress bubble formation. Failure to account for false particle counts can result in invalid conclusions about the efficacy of particle removal in water treatment. In laboratory experiments, bubbles caused spurious turbidity spikes, increasing turbidity and gas accumulation in the measurement cell of online turbidimeters. Instrument features such as electronic “bubble reject” and in‐line bubble traps can reduce the effect of bubbles on the measured turbidity, but in some cases they may aggravate the problem.