Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valorization of Peel Wastes of Purple Turnip (Brassica rapa L.): Extraction of Polyphenolics Through Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction and Investigation of Changes in Total Phenolic Content, Total Monomeric Anthocyanin Content and Total Antioxidant Capacity During in vitro Gastro-Intestinal Digestion

Fruits and vegetables include high levels of bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects. Especially, peels, which are one of the generaly inedible fractions of fruit or vegetable, have higher amount of polyphenolic compounds than their pulps or seeds, since they accumulate in their peels. Purple turnip (Brassica rapa L.) is one of the important members of Brassicaceae family due to its nutritional composition. In this context, the aim of the study was to reveal the potency of peels from purple turnip as a natural antioxidant ingredient To reach this aim, the spectrophotometric assays including the Folin-Ciocalteu method for total phenolic content (TPC), the pH differential method for total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMAC) and CUPRAC and DPPH methods for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) before and after in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion were carried out. According to results of the study, TPC and TMAC of the polyphenolic axtract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were 169.29±6.89 mg GAE/g dw and 159.53±10.82 mg CGE/L, respectively. The TAC of the extracts was 44.19±0.10 mg TE/g dw in CUPRAC assay and 38.52±0.06 mg TE/g dw in DPPH assay. The bioaccessibilities of total phenolics and anthocyanins from extracts after in vitro digestion process were approximately 17% and 6% and the antioxidant capacity of the bioaccessible extract fraction was approximately 28% (CUPRAC) and 0% (DPPH).
Improvement in dye sensitized solar cell efficiency through functionalization of redox mediators and passivation of the photoanode using a home-built atomic layer deposition system

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS . 1 1.1 Justification for dye sensitized solar cells.1 1.2 Function of the DSSC.3 1.3 Influence of the redox mediator on DSSCs.7 1.4 Addressing flaws in current redox mediators.11 1.5 Reduction in recombination rates through modification of the photoanode surface.13 1.6 Alternative redox mediators and the future of DSSCs.16 REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER 1.20 CHAPTER 2: UTILIZATION OF 5,5’ DISUBSTITUTED TRIS-BIPYRIDINE COBALT COMPLEXES AS HIGH POTENTIAL DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL ELECTROLYTE MEDIATORS.24 2.1 Overview.24 2.2 Introduction.24 2.3 Experimental section.27 2.4 Results and discussion.33 2.5 Conclusions.47 REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER 2.50 CHAPTER 3: SYNTHESIS OF HEXADENTATE TRIS-BIPYRIDINE LIGAND FOR IMPROVED STABILITY OF COBALT (II/III) TRIS-2,2’-BIPYRIDINE REDOX MEDIATORS.53 3.
Bottlenose Dolphin Calf Initiated Pectoral Fin Contact Exchanges with Mother, Other Kin, and Non-Kin

For dolphins, the strongest bond documented is typically that between a mother and her pre-weaned offspring, but outside of the maternal relationship, our knowledge of calf behavior is limited. We examined how 23 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) calves (11 females and 12 males from 9 matrilines) initiated pectoral fin contact (PFC) exchanges with their mothers and kin (n = 362) versus with non-kin (n = 950). Calves initiated PFC exchanges with preferred partners (primarily their mothers) over individuals who were simply available to them. For calves with mothers as their only kin available, there was a difference in how they shared PFC with non-kin adults versus non-kin young. A calf was twice as likely to initiate PFC with an adult (mother or adult non-kin) as with another young dolphin. Male and female calves were different in how they initiated PFC with kin and non-kin, which supports previous research that identified a sex difference in calf behavior. These results support the observation that kin and non-kin dolphins share PFC differently. It is also likely that kin (mothers and calves, siblings, etc.) use other forms of contact to share information and potentially develop their relationships. Understanding all types of tactile contact would facilitate a more detailed understanding of how touch might be used by dolphins when relationships are established and maintained.
Work Engagement and Turnover Intention: The Moderating Effect of Organizational Justice

The success of an organisation largely depends on its employees. Employers put forward different ideas to retain employees as to avoid turnover, which can cause both financial and moral loss to employers as well as employees. The actual employees’ turnover behavior is strongly predicted by turnover intention and one factor that affects it is work engagement. Many studies have consistently shown that the relationship between work engagement and turnover intention is significantly negative. However, there is an inconsistency pertaining to the strength of its association and there could be a moderating variable affecting the two variables. Therefore, the objective of this study is to test whether organizational justice plays its role as a moderator in the correlation of work engagement and turnover intention. This study used a cross-sectional and quantitative design. Data were analysed from 225 employees in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which they were required to complete a series of questionnaires to measure all three variables. Regression analysis confirms the role of organizational justice (together with its three dimensions) as a moderating variable (F= 23.26; p< 0.05). Hence, it is recommended for the employers to consider employees’ perceived organizational justice when they intend to promote work engagement as a way to decrease the employees’ turnover intention.
Onset of Aegean-style extensional deformation in the contractional southern Dinarides documented by incipient normal fault scarps in Montenegro

Abstract. We describe two previously unreported, 5–7 km long normal fault scarps (NFS) occurring atop fault-related anticlines in the coastal ranges of the Dinarides fold-and-thrust belt in southern Montenegro, a region under predominant contraction. Both NFS show well-exposed, 6–9 m high, striated and locally polished fault surfaces in limestones, documenting active faulting during the Holocene. Sharply delimited ribbons on free rock faces show different color, varying karstification and lichen growth and suggest stepwise footwall exhumation, typical of repeated normal faulting earthquake events. Displacements, surface rupture lengths and geometries of the outcropping fault planes imply paleoearthquakes with Mw ≈ 6 ± 0.5 and slip rates of c. 0.3–0.5 mm/yr since the Last Glacial Maximum. Slip rates based on cosmogenic 36Cl data from the scarps are significantly higher: modeling suggests 1.5 ± 0.1 mm/yr and 6–15 cm slip every c. 35–100 yrs, commencing c. 6 kyr ago. The total throw on both NFS – although poorly constrained – is estimated to max. 200 m, and offsets the basal thrust of a regionally important tectonic unit. Both NFS are incipient extensional structures that postdate growth of the fault-related anticlines on top of which they occur. Interestingly, the position of the extensional features agrees with recent geodetic data, suggesting that our study area is located exactly at the transition from NE-SW-directed shortening in the northwest to NE-SW-directed extension to the southeast. While the contraction reflects ongoing Adria-Europe convergence taken up along the frontal portions of the Dinarides, the incipient extensional structures might be induced by rollback of the Hellenic slab in the SE, whose effects on the upper plate appear to be migrating along-strike the Hellenides towards the northwest. The newly found NFS provide evidence for a kinematic change of a thrust belt segment over time. Alternatively, the NFS might be regarded as second-order features accommodating changes in dip of the underlying first-order thrust faults to which they are tied genetically.
Co-Adjuvant Nanoparticles for Radiotherapy Treatments of Oncological Diseases

Nanomedicine is emerging as promising approach for the implementation of oncological methods. In this review, we describe the most recent methods exploiting heavy nanoparticles and hybrid nanomaterials aiming at improving the traditional X-rays-based treatments. High-Z nanoparticles are proposed as radiosensitizers due to their ability to stop the ionizing radiation and to increase the locally delivered therapeutic dose. Other nanoparticles working as catalysts can generate reactive oxygen species upon X-rays exposure. Thanks to their high toxicity and reactivity, these species promote DNA cancer cells damage and apoptosis. Hybrid nanoparticles, composed by scintillators coupled to organic molecules, are suitable in X-rays activated photodynamic therapy. This work highlights the roles played by the diverse nanoparticles, upon ionizing radiation irradiation, according to their physico-chemical properties, surface functionalization, and targeting strategies. The description of nanoparticle qualities demanded by the oncological nanomedicine is presented in relation to the processes occurring in biological medium when X-ray radiation interacts with heavy nanoparticles, including the scintillation mechanisms, the stopping power amplification, and the disputed modeling of the effective deposit of energy within nanomaterials. The comprehension of these issues in nanomedicine drives the strategies of nanoparticles engineering and paves the way for the development of advanced medical therapies.
Gutenberg–Richter B-Value Time Series Forecasting: A Weighted Likelihood Approach

We introduce a novel approach to estimate the temporal variation of the b-value parameter of the Gutenberg–Richter law, based on the weighted likelihood approach. This methodology allows estimating the b-value based on the full history of the available data, within a data-driven setting. We test this methodology against the classical “rolling window” approach using a high-definition Italian seismic catalogue as well as a global catalogue of high magnitudes. The weighted likelihood approach outperforms competing methods, and measures the optimal amount of past information relevant to the estimation.
Analysing Clusters of Consumers Who Use Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Products

The trend towards health and environmental protection has led to an increase in the consumption of medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) products. The market for MAP products is influenced by consumer behaviour and therefore the aim of this study was to identify consumer segments that use MAP products for phytotherapeutic, cosmetic and personal care purposes according to their perceptions, attitudes and consumption habits and possible correlations between consumption of MAP products and interest in a healthy lifestyle and sustainable behaviour. Data collection was performed by administering a questionnaire to Cluj-Napoca residents. The final sample consisted of two groups of MAP consumers: the first with 231 respondents who use these products for phytotherapeutic purposes, the second group—with 297 respondents who use them as cosmetic and personal care products. The collected data were statistically analysed using the k-means clustering model, resulting in two distinct clusters in both consumer groups: cluster 1, the “Curious”, and Cluster 2, the “Knowledgeable”. For the consumers of the second cluster, consumption was positively correlated with healthcare and environmental protection, while they exhibited a growing interest in environmentally certified MAP products. The results obtained contribute to a better understanding of the MAP products consumption behaviour while tackling the practical implications for stakeholders in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry through the development and innovation of products tailored to consumer needs.
Structure and Properties of New Antifriction Composites Based on Tool Steel Grinding Waste

This article investigates the impact of manufacturing technology on the structure, mechanical, and tribological properties of new antifriction composite materials based on R6M5 high-speed tool steel grinding waste. The characteristics of the new composite’s structure formation and its impact on properties after use of the established technological modes, including grinding waste regeneration, were illustrated. It was demonstrated that such technology is capable of ensuring microheterogeneous structure. The material’s structure consists of the metal matrix based on R6M5 high-speed tool steel waste and uniformly distributed CaF2 solid lubricant in the steel matrix. As compared to known iron-based composites, this structure promotes a high degree of mechanical and tribological properties. During tribological tests, anti-seize thin films of 15–20 μm are formed on the contacting surfaces. These constantly renewable films contribute to the high antifriction properties of the composite under the studied friction conditions and provide a self-lubricating effect. Such films fully cover both the material’s surface and the counterface. The formation of antifriction films results in the self-lubrication mode. The findings of the study open up the possibility of predicting the friction behavior of a composite at high temperatures by selecting the initial metal grinding waste to ensure the appropriate level of properties. The extensive use of various alloy steel-based industrial grinding waste in the re-production cycle would significantly contribute to resolving the global environmental problem of protecting the environment from pollution.
Time Management Program and Its Effect on Work Stress among Head Nurses

Background: Effective time management has become increasingly important for head nurses to accomplishthe health care organizations’ objectives. Also, time management can help head nurses in balancing theirprofessional and personal lives . Learning how to manage nursing time at work will reduce work stress,burnout and gain control over work. Objective: the present study is conducted to evaluate the effect oftime management program for the head nurses on their work stress. Materials and Methods: A quasiexperimentalresearch design (intervention and control) with pretest and posttest has been conducted toachieve the aim of this study. The study was conducted at Ain-Shams University Hospitals. The subjects ofthe study included 115 head nurses working in Ain Shams University hospitals. The subjects were dividedinto two groups, intervention and control group. Results: The results indicated that there was a highlystatistical significant difference between pre /post, pre / follow up results regarding time managementknowledge level , time management skills , time wasters and work stress in favor of the intervention groupp-value . 05). Conclusion: The study revealed that the head nurses work stress decreased markedly afterimplementing the time management program in the intervention group than the control group.
Correlation, Regression Analysis of Seed Oil Contents in Relation to Morphological Characters in Cotton

Cotton is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. More than half of the export of Pakistan depends on cotton and cotton-based products. Morphological quantitative traits are important for estimation of cotton yield. In this regard, a study was conducted to evaluate the morphological responses on cotton crop at experimental farm of MNS-University of Agricultural Multan during the year 2019-2020. Four cotton varieties with different time windows (early, normal and late) were sown in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split plot arrangement. Correlation and regression studies of cultivars of Gossypium and Malvaceae were analyzed for quantitative characters. Result revealed that significantly positive correlation of boll weight (r=0.211), seed volume (r=0.138), seed oil content (r=0.020) and negatively correlation with seed index (r= -0.005) was displayed by all traits with seed cotton yield, which showed that seed cotton yield was greatly influenced by all characters. Regression coefficients showed that a unit increase in seed index (b=71.375), seed volume (b=120.326), seed oil content (b=4.954) resulted into a proportional increased in seed cotton yield. In future, this study will helpful in selection program for improvement of cotton varieties towards the yield.
Design of redistributed manufacturing networks: a model-based decision-making framework

ABSTRACT In this paper, a decision-making framework for the design of redistributed manufacturing (RdM) networks is developed. Redistributed manufacturing, a manufacturing paradigm greatly empowered by the Industry 4.0 toolset, is the shift in production towards geographically dispersed interconnected facilities. The framework is context independent, accounts for the collective impact of all decision-making levels on one another in an iterative manner, and incorporates uncertainty. The framework has been applied to a case study in the aerospace spare parts production sector. Results indicated that the RdM paradigm demonstrated considerable improvements in service level when compared with a traditional centralized counterpart, while it was not as competitive with regards to total cost. This paper contributes to the literature on model-based distributed manufacturing systems design under uncertainty, and enables informed decision-making regarding the redistribution of resources and decentralization of decision-making. The novelty of this paper is the approach employed to handle complexity, nonlinear interrelationships and uncertainty, within the domain of RdM network design. These computationally demanding attributes are handled through simulation, and only their impact is passed back to an analytical model that generates the RdM network.
Information Age-Delay Correlation and Optimization With Finite Block Length

Both information age and delay are critical performance metrics of emerging time-sensitive applications. However, their inherent correlation in the finite block length (FBL) regime has remained uninvestigated as it is affected by block length and update rate in a complex manner. In this paper, closed-form expressions for average age of information (AoI), peak AoI (PAoI) and delay are derived for an FBL Last-Come First-Served system with retransmission and non-preemption policies, based on which a comprehensive analysis of the relationship among the three metrics in the FBL regime is presented. It is proved that there exists a strong tradeoff between delay and AoI/PAoI given a block length, and that AoI, PAoI and delay have positive correlation given an update rate, regardless of the weight. With the goal of minimizing delay and AoI simultaneously, the weighted sum of delay and PAoI (upper bound on AoI) is formulated and proved to be convex with respect to block length and update rate. A low-complexity optimization algorithm is developed with a closed-form expression of the optimal update rate, whose performance approaches the Pareto boundaries of the PAoI-delay and the AoI-delay regions, at much lower complexity than exhaustive search.
Soil meso‐fauna community composition predicts ecosystem multifunctionality along a coastal‐inland gradient of the Bohai Bay

Previous studies have determined the importance of soil biodiversity for maintaining ecosystem services and multifunctionality. However, the relationship between soil meso‐fauna biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in the real world has yet to be evaluated. In this study, the relationships between soil meso‐fauna community compositions and ecosystem multifunctionality along a coastal‐inland distance gradient were investigated, including 1 km (1T), 15 km (2T), 30 km (3T), 45 km (4T), and 60 km (5T) locations. Our results showed that the soil properties were significantly indicated a decreasing trend after the 3T line. However, the soil meso‐fauna biodiversity indices were observed to have all reached the peak value at the 4T line. In addition, it was found that the soil meso‐fauna biodiversity indices were highly correlated with the ecosystem multifunctionality. These findings further confirmed the fact that the contributions of the soil meso‐fauna community biodiversity indices (59.34%) to ecosystem multifunctionality were as important as, or even more important than, those of the soil environmental factors (40.66%). Therefore, it was concluded that the variations in ecosystem multifunctionality were closely related to the changes in the soil meso‐fauna community biodiversity. In other words, soil meso‐fauna community compositions can be effectively used to predict ecosystem multifunctionality along coastal‐inland ecosystems. These findings, are the first study to provide empirical evidence linking soil meso‐fauna community compositions to ecosystem multifunctionality in real‐world coastal‐inland ecosystems. Certainly, future studies that combine multi‐trophic levels and consider their interactions will be able to clarify the relationships between the below‐ground soil fauna communities and ecosystem multifunctionality.
Evaluation of the Ohmann Scoring System in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency requiring surgical intervention and its lifetime cumulative incidence is 7%. Yet its diagnosis is still sometimes confusing especially in young women and the elderly, which led to the introduction of various scoring systems, including the Ohmann score, aiming to increase efficiency in making the diagnosis and reduce negative appendectomies.Aim of Study: To evaluate the statistical parameters of the Ohmann scoring system in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.Patients and Method: A prospective study of one year duration for patients carried in the emergency department of Al-Yarmouk Hospital on whom the decision of appendectomy was based on clinical evaluation and investigations, application of the Ohmann score on these patients and statistical analysis was done to assess its validity in diagnosing acute appendicitis, and then a comparison was done with the modified Alvarado scoring system (MASS) which is the more used score in our department.Results: A total of 230 patients were studied, 54.3% of them were females and 45.7% were males. 203 patients had inflamed appendix while 27 patients had normal appendix by histopathology (11.7 % negative appendectomy rate). The sensitivity of the Ohmann score was found to be 70%. The specificity was 81%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 97%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 27%. The diagnostic accuracy of the Ohmann score was 72%. Conclusion: The Ohmann score proved to be simple, easy to use and inexpensive. Although its sensitivity is relatively low compared to the MASS
Naturally Resilient to Natural Hazards? Urban–Rural Disparities in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Assistance

ABSTRACT The American public generally sees its rural communities as autonomous and self-sufficient—inherently resilient. Accordingly, research on federally funded hazard mitigation has disproportionately focused on urban areas, as rural communities rebuild largely by themselves. Our exploratory research challenges this overarching narrative on rural communities by examining disparities in the mitigation process—specifically, the amount of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) assistance awarded per recipient and the duration of HMGP projects—between urban and rural counties from 1989 to 2018. Our analysis reveals vast inequities in the distribution and duration of HMGP assistance between urban and rural counties. Controlling for characteristics of the mitigated properties and corresponding counties, social and physical vulnerability, and climate change factors, we find (a) the amount of HMGP assistance awarded per recipient is higher in urban counties, and (b) projects are completed more quickly in rural counties. Ultimately, our findings indicate that the current structure of the HMGP leaves rural counties in the dust.