Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanocomposite Materials Based on Polylactide and Gold Complex Compounds for Absorbed Dose Diagnostics in BNCT

In this study, approaches to the synthesis of complex compound of gold with cysteine [AuCys]n for measuring absorbed dose in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) were developed. The dependence of the complex particle size on pH were established. Nanocomposite materials based on polylactide containing [AuCys]n particles with an average size of about 20 nm were obtained using the crazing mechanism. The structure of obtained materials was studied by electron microscopy. The release kinetics of [AuCys]n from polymer matrix were investigated. Release of [AuCys]n from the volume of the polymeric matrix had a delayed start—this process began only after 24 h and was characterized by an effective rate constant of 1 μg/h from a 20 mg composite sample. At the same time, in vitro studies showed that the concentration of 6.25 μg/mL was reliably safe and did not reduce the survival of U251 and SW-620 cells.
Changes in the surface area of lakes in the Gwda River basin

Abstract This paper presents lake surface area changes that have taken place in the Gwda River basin. The studies were conducted on the basis of the cartographic materials released since the beginning of the twentieth century until the present times. The starting point was the area of all lakes greater than 1 ha which are present on the MPHP map from 2010. The assessment of the changes in the surface area of lakes in the Gwda River basin during approximately the last 100 years was possible thanks to the use of German topographic maps, so called Messtischblatt, at a scale of 1: 25 000 released between 1919 and 1944. The area of all the studied lakes has decreased by 465.09 ha (from 12783.62 ha at the beginning of the twentieth century to 12318.53 ha at the present time). Despite the general trend of lake atrophy, in particular cases one may observe an increase in the water surface area. This is the result of hydrotechnical works leading to river and lake damming, which in turn hampers the pace of atrophy.
N-Succinylaspartic-Acid-Conjugated Riluzole Is a Safe and Potent Colon-Targeted Prodrug of Riluzole against DNBS-Induced Rat Colitis

In our previous study, riluzole azo-linked to salicylic acid (RAS) was prepared as a colon-targeted prodrug of riluzole (RLZ) to facilitate the repositioning of RLZ as an anticolitic drug. RAS is more effective against rat colitis than RLZ and sulfasalazine, currently used as an anti-inflammatory bowel disease drug. The aim of this study is to further improve colon specificity, anticolitic potency, and safety of RAS. N-succinylaspart-1-ylRLZ (SAR) and N-succinylglutam-1-ylRLZ (SGR) were synthesized and evaluated as a “me-better” colon-targeted prodrug of RLZ against rat colitis. SAR but not SGR was converted to RLZ in the cecal contents, whereas both conjugates remained intact in the small intestine. When comparing the colon specificity of SAR with that of RAS, the distribution coefficient and cell permeability of SAR were lower than those of RAS. In parallel, oral SAR delivered a greater amount of RLZ to the cecum of rats than oral RAS. In a DNBS-induced rat model of colitis, oral SAR mitigated colonic damage and inflammation and was more potent than oral RAS. Moreover, upon oral administration, SAR had a greater ability to limit the systemic absorption of RLZ than RAS, indicating a reduced risk of systemic side effects of SAR. Taken together, SAR may be a “me-better” colon-targeted prodrug of RLZ to improve the safety and anticolitic potency of RAS, an azo-type colon-targeted prodrug of RLZ.
Vocalisation rates of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

Vocalisation rates were measured from North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in spring 1999-2000 in the Great South Channel and off Cape Cod, USA, and in summer 1999-2000 in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Vocalisations were classed as either ‘moans’, ‘low-frequency (LF) calls’ or ‘gunshots’. Towed hydrophone recordings (36.1 hours) were made in 21 encounters where loose aggregations of right whales were within about 1,000m. Recordings were also made using acoustic tags attached by suction cups to ten different whales (29.5 hours). Tags also recorded depth data. Moan rates (sounds per aggregation per hour) were correlated with size of whale aggregation. Individual whales produced moans at ~ 0-10 per hour (recorded from tags and the towed hydrophone). Small aggregations (2-10) gave higher moan rates (usually < ~ 60 per hr) and larger aggregations ( > 10) higher still ( ~ 70-700 per hr) (recorded from towed hydrophone). Results from the Bay of Fundy indicate high moan rates at night. Moans were usually produced in clusters. Tag data showed that moans were usually produced when whales were within about 10m of the surface. A passive acoustic system could potentially provide supplementary information on the distribution of aggregations of right whales. This could be useful for management (1) in the long term, by aiding the prediction of right whale distribution, or (2) as a real-time tool for helping to route shipping away from concentrations of right whales. The empirical evidence presented here on vocalisation rates will assist in assessing feasibility. The clustering of moans and the tendency to produce them near the surface could hamper detection and localisation efforts. Further research is underway to investigate other important practical issues such as detectability and source levels.
THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SELF EFFICACY ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOWLEDGE ON STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL INTEREST AT VOCATIONAL STATE SCHOOL IN MOJOKERTO REGENCY

Unemployment is one of the main problems that every country faces. When talking about unemployment, it means not only talking about social problems but also talking about economic problems. This research uses a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to predict and confirm the given hypothesis. This study used Google Forms for the data collection on Vocational State School students in the Mojokerto district. Four hundred respondents from the three schools used as the object of research constituted the entire sample. The results showed that Entrepreneurship Knowledge and self-efficacy can explain the interest in entrepreneurship. However, the Entrepreneurship Knowledge variable will have more influence on entrepreneurial interest, if reinforced with Self-efficacy as a mediating variable
A Novel Multiplex LAMP Assay for the Rapid and Accurate Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania infantum from Iran

Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) is one of the neglected tropical diseases despite being responsible for serious clinical symptoms, some of which lead to fatal outcomes. Thus, there is a need to apply accurate, rapid, and specific diagnostic measurements in order to control the disease and reduce the mortality rate. We aimed to develop and validate a multiplex LAMP assay for the diagnosis of VL caused by Leishmania infantum (L. infantum). Moreover, a thorough assessment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of multiplex LAMP in identifying various Leishmania species, such as Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) and Leishmania major (L. major) in comparison to Leishmania infantum (L. infantum). The diagnostic performance of the multiplex LAMP method for VL was compared to each LAMP assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and nested PCR technique. Two separated primers were set and used in a multiplex LAMP assay which was designed based on the ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer II) and were selected on the basis of conserved and high copy number region. Multiplex LAMP primers were designed using an online tool available at https://www.primerexplorer. jp/e. The alignment was performed using MEGA5, and the primers were further adjusted utilizing GENE Runner software. All molecular methods were tested on the serial dilution of cloned plasmid containing ITS region from standard strains of L. infantum, L. tropica, and L. major. Moreover, multiplex LAMP assay was evaluated and compared based on both standard strains and 55 clinical samples from humans as well as dogs. Various approaches were applied to interpret the multiplex LAMP reaction which deciphered a higher sensitivity when compared to the RT-qPCR for L. infantum (one copy number of plasmid, equal to 0.85 femtograms (fg) of plasmid concentration, and 0.004 parasite DNA per μL) detection while these three standard strains of Leishmania were confirmed to contain 40 DNA copies using RT-qPCR. Additionally, the multiplex LAMP detection limit was approximately equivalent to RT-qPCR for L. major and L. tropica, which included 0.342 picograms (pg) and 342 femtograms (fg) of plasmid concentration, 4 × 103 and 4 × 102 copy number of plasmid, and 17.1 and 1.71 parasite DNA per μL for L. major and L. tropica, respectively. Nested PCR exhibited a lower detection limit for L. infantum of 4 × 106 plasmid copy number compared to multiplex LAMP and RT-qPCR. Multiplex LAMP has the potential for accurate and rapid detection of infectious disease, successful treatment, and finding and monitoring asymptomatic cases, especially in low-income countries.
Factors Influencing Users’ Intentions to Use Mobile Applications in Hospitals

e-Health app is an application system that potentially could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a hospital's performance. The developers need to know e-health app impacts, such as usefulness, easy use, and the overall impact to the users. This research identifies and evaluates factors influencing users' intentions and prospective users using an easy-to-Health (e-Health) app named RSA UGM Online application. Prospective users are included in this research as samples to help the application developer understand their potential market regarding product effectiveness. This research aims to identify and analyze factors influencing the use of the electronic-Health Technology Acceptance Model (e-HTAM) to increase a hospital's performance efficiency and effectiveness. A hypothetical model testing was conducted through empirical data collection, 403 experienced and inexperienced respondents on using RSA UGM Online application, using online and offline surveys. The structural Equation Model was used to assess the significance of the path coefficient. The research results show that the Perceived Usefulness, Subjective Norm, and Technology Design of the RSA UGM Online application can predict the users' intentions and prospective users. It recommends the application developer developing an e-health app based on the three factors that are successfully tested affecting their users’ intentions.
Comparative study of hydro- and steam-water distillation for isolation of essential oils from needles of Cupressus torulosa D. Don

Abstract Cupressus torulosa, a large aromatic evergreen conifer tree widely distributed in the northwestern Himalayan region of India, holds various traditional uses of its aerial parts. The objective of this study was to compare the essential oil content and chemical composition of C. torulosa needles obtained using two distinct distillation methods: hydro-distillation (HD) and steam-water distillation (SWD). Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques were employed to determine the compositions of the oils. The results indicated that the hydro-distilled essential oil (HDEO) exhibited significantly higher content (0.73±0.09%) compared to the steam-water distilled essential oil (SWDEO, 0.19±0.02%). Additionally, the HDEO and SWDEO exhibited notable differences in their chemical composition. The HDEO was primarily rich in oxygenated monoterpenes (58.45%), with terpinen-4-ol (29.09%) and umbellulone (21.29%) identified as the major constituents. On the other hand, the SWDEO was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (73.75%), with α-pinene (22.19%), δ-3-carene (19.98%), and limonene (14.7%) as the main components. The findings from this study can assist in selecting the appropriate distillation technique to obtain essential oils with desired chemical compositions for various end-use applications.
Eastward Shift of Deepwater Fan Axes during the Miocene in the Gulf of Mexico: Possible Causes and Models

Synthesis of the Gulf of Mexico depositional history reveals a notable eastward displacement of sediment transport in the Miocene. The paleo–Tennessee River system deposited over 9800 ft (3000 m) of sediment south of the fluvio-deltaic input point in available shelf/upper slope accommodation. However, the depositional axis of the MCAVLU (Mississippi Canyon Atwater Valley, and Lund protraction areas) submarine fan system is located more than 150 km (90 mi) east of this depocenter, indicating along shelf/upper slope transport prior to entering the deepwater. This anomaly can be variously explained as a function of salt tectonics or, alternatively, development of strong easterly oceanographic currents. Evidence for development of intensified, clockwise oceanographic flow in the Miocene has been previously recognized but not linked to this apparent deepwater submarine fan shift. Upper Miocene deepwater fan deposits on the western flank of the Gulf of Mexico Basin, including north-dipping clinoforms, indicate accelerated current flow from the south. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, seismic stratigraphic analysis shows a major Middle to Upper Miocene unconformity formed on the western Florida platform margin, well below the influence of subaerial erosion processes. Linking these observations suggests that oceanographic current velocities were probably elevated, and thus may have caused displacement of transport pathways toward the Mississippi Canyon area. Initiation of intensified current flow could be linked with progressive termination of global equatorial flow beginning in the early Miocene. Implications for deepwater exploration are substantial, given high interest in the Gulf of Mexico Miocene deepwater play and use of source-to-sink reconstructions that often do not consider oceanographic currents.
Elevation‐Dependent Periglacial and Paraglacial Processes Modulate Tectonically‐Controlled Erosion of the Western Southern Alps, New Zealand

Examining the links and potential feedbacks between tectonics and climate requires understanding the processes and variables controlling erosion. At the orogen scale, tectonics and climate are thought to be linked through the influence of mountain elevation on orographic precipitation and glaciation; the only documented erosional processes capable of balancing rapid rock‐uplift rates are glacial erosion or coupled river incision and landsliding. Our 20 new 10Be derived catchment‐averaged denudation rates from the Western Southern Alps of New Zealand generally range between 0.6 and 9 mm/yr, within the same order of magnitude as fault‐throw rates, exhumation rates, and erosion rates estimated from suspended sediment yields and landslide inventories. Combining our data with previously published 10Be denudation rates, we find that the proportion of catchment area in the 1,500–2,000 m elevation window is the variable that best explains denudation rate variability and the disparity between rock‐uplift rates and denudation rates. This correlation indicates that enhanced erosion likely occurs at 1,500–2,000 m above sea level, where periglacial and paraglacial processes have been proposed to be most active. We find that these temperature‐controlled erosional processes, which are also elevation‐dependent, can play a greater role in modulating erosion during interglacials than precipitation or glaciation. Our data suggest that temperature‐controlled peri‐ and paraglacial erosion could be efficient enough to balance some of the fastest rock‐uplift rates on Earth. Hence, temperature‐controlled erosion could contribute to limiting orogen elevations and modulating the erosion rates dictated by rock‐uplift, playing an essential role in linking tectonics and climate.
The Forgotten Storm: The Implications of Agenda Setting on Hurricane Ike‘s National Relevance

The Forgotten Storm: The Implications of Agenda Setting on Hurricane Ike’s National Relevance. (August 2011) Amanda Michelle Sudduth, B.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Tracy Rutherford This study utilized content analysis of newspaper articles in the month following Hurricane Ike’s landfall to evaluate the presence of agenda setting and framing. Three national newspapers were analyzed to determine the existence and order of news frames. The results indicate that Semetko and Valkenburg’s (2000) news frames changed in order of importance in this study. The order of news frames varied among the three national newspapers. The newspaper with mostly human interest frames was determined to be more sensational than the other two, more serious newspapers with predominantly responsibility frames. This study then compared the five ordered frames to previous framing research on Hurricane Katrina. The two hurricanes differed greatly in amount of news coverage and varied slightly in the order of the news frames. An evaluation of news coverage of major U.S. events occurring in the month after Hurricane Ike was conducted, with results indicating that news attention of the hurricane was hindered by other major national events.
Vignetting Correction Using an Optical Model and Constant Chromaticity Prior

Vignetting correction is a key pre-processing module for most imaging systems related to computer vision applications. Vignetting estimation is difficult for the current imaging systems due to the complex optical components and challenging vignetting feature extraction. In this work, we propose an algorithm for single-image vignetting correction. We present an optical aperture limit model that uses an occlusion parameter to estimate vignetting effect caused by light occlusion. Moreover, we derive a novel prior that the pixel chromaticity is not affected by vignetting. Our algorithm efficiently selects regions for feature extraction according to the chromatic and spatial analysis of the image, and then uses the intensity ratios to predict the vignetting model parameters and optical center guided by the constant chromaticity prior. We evaluate our algorithm on both synthetic and real-world images. Experimental results indicate that, compared with the state-of-the-art methods, our algorithm achieves better correction under different types of vignetting.
RESEARCH ON ROCK MASS CONTAINING DISCONTINUOUS JOINTS BY DIRECT SHEAR TEST BASED ON WEAKENING MECHANISM OF ROCK BRIDGE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Based on weakening mechanism for rock bridge mechanical properties,at five different normal stress levels,three different rock mass samples containing discontinuous joints which are tooth-shaped asperities have been studied by laboratory shear test.The tests are conducted with electro-hydraulic servo-controlled shear system.The tests are to study both failure mechanism and strength behavior,displacement behavior of rock mass containing discontinuous joints.At lower angle of tooth-shaped asperities and under lower normal stress,the failure model I is found,which is always in tension failure model.However,at higher angle of tooth-shaped asperities and under higher normal stress,the failure model II is found,which is in first tension but final shear failure.Under the same joint appearance,with the normal stress increasing,both the shear strength and the displacement for peak shear strength raised.However,at the same normal stress,with the joint appearance increasing,the displacement for peak shear strength decreased but the shear strength raised.Moreover,all of cohesion calculated based on Jennings′ theory is higher than the experimental results.Some of angles of friction calculated based on Jennings′ theory are more than the experimental ones.
Paleogeographic reconstructions in the western mediterranean and implications for permian pangea configurations

The identification of a massive shear zone, separating Gondwana from Laurasia during late Palaeozoic times is one of the prerequisites for the controversial Pangea B to A transition. Here we present new paleomagnetic data from Permian and Triassic sediments and volcanic rocks from the Toulon-Cuers basin, SE France, likely to be situated within this intra Pangea shear zone. A total of 150 samples from 14 sites were collected in the field; 108 samples yielded reliable paleomagnetic component directions based on stepwise thermal demagnetization up to maximum temperatures of 690◦C. After removal of an initial viscous magnetic component from room temperature up to 200◦C, a second component of reverse polarity, oriented to the south-and-up, was identified in almost all samples of Permian age. The Triassic samples behave similarly, with the notable difference that here, two polarities of magnetization are present. Positive field tests suggest the primary character of this characteristic magnetization. The latitudes of the resulting Early to Mid Permian paleopoles agree well with the corresponding segment of the apparent polar wander path (APWP) for Europe, whereas the longitudes are strung out along a small circle segment, indicating relative rotations between the sampled regions and stable Europe. The Triassic poles, instead, plot close to the Triassic segment of the European APWP, and provide an upper time limit for the observed rotations. These results suggest a wrench faulting event associated with intra-Pangea crustal instability and transformation during the Permian.
Experimental methods for river discharge measurements: comparison among tracers and current meter

Abstract Discharge measurements in natural watercourses are performed in order to determine the value of the surface outflow of a basin, its temporal variability, and the outflow characteristics. The methods conventionally used for these measurements utilize an immersed current meter in different points of a river section, which acquires the mean flow velocity. Using this measurement, the discharge can be calculated. Some experimental problems arise, however, when there is a very high discharge. An important method, valid in such cases, is the artificial tracing method. In particular, the use of chemical tracers for small watercourses is very convenient because they are low cost, easily handled, low impact and provide satisfactory results. In the past, radioactive tracers such as tritium have been used in large rivers, while fluorescent tracers have been commonly exploited in the USA and now elsewhere. However, if the water is turbid, the suspended sediments may easily absorb some tracers. In this paper, the preliminary results of a comparison between current meter and artificial tracer measurements are reported. In particular, field tests in a small tributary have been performed, in order to investigate the behaviour of different tracers. Citation Tazioli, A. (2011) Experimental methods for river discharge measurements: comparison among tracers and current meter. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(7), 1314–1324.