Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Peptides Grafted onto a Plasma Polymer Interlayer Platform: Performance upon Extended Bacterial Challenge

To combat infections on biomedical devices, antimicrobial coatings have attracted considerable attention, including coatings comprising naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). In this study the aim was to explore performance upon extended challenge by bacteria growing in media above samples. The AMPs LL37, Magainin 2, and Parasin 1 were selected on the basis of well-known membrane disruption activity in solution and were covalently grafted onto a plasma polymer platform, which enables application of this multilayer coating strategy to a wide range of biomaterials. Detailed surface analyses were performed to verify the intended outcomes of the coating sequence. Samples were challenged by incubation in bacterial growth media for 5 and 20 h. Compared with the control plasma polymer surface, all three grafted AMP coatings showed considerable reductions in bacterial colonization even at the high bacterial challenge of initial seeding at 1 × 107 CFU, but there were increasing numbers of dead bacteria attached to the surface. All three grafted AMP coatings were found to be non-toxic to primary fibroblasts. These coatings thus could be useful to produce antibacterial surface coatings for biomaterials, though possible consequences arising from the presence of dead bacteria need to be studied further, and compared to non-fouling coatings that avoid attachment of dead bacteria.
Determining Feeding Habits in Fattening Farms in Muş Province

This study was conducted to determine feed types and feeding habits in fattening farms in Muş province. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 368 farmers using random sampling method. While all of the farms dealt with forage production, only 48.5% had sufficient information about forage production. The roughage used in animal in feeding according to total frequency values were, hay (58.2%), prairie grass (56.5%), alfalfa (48.4%), sainfoin (7.2%) and vetch (5.2%), respectively. Ration formulations were either, as mostly used, ‘50% concentrate-50% roughage’, or ‘mostly concentrate’. Half of the famers considered that the rangeland area was not adequate, for 29.2% it was adequate and for 20.8% it was fairly enough. It was determined that only 7.8% of farms made silage, 82.8% used licking stone, and 60.9% used vitamins and minerals as feed additives. As a result, it was determined that feeding in the farms was based on intensively utilized concentrate and hay and prairie grass as roughage. Some works need to be done for the dissemination of information regarding to silage usage which is a source of cheap roughage and used in very few farms in the region, and to solve problems that prevent use of it.
Effects of Barium Stress in Brassica juncea and Cakile maritima: The Indicator
Role of Some Antioxidant Enzymes and Secondary Metabolites

Soil contamination by toxic trace metal elements, like barium (Ba), may stimulate various undesirable changes in the metabolic activity of plants. The plant responses are fast and with, direct or indirect, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To cope with the stress imposed by the ROS production, plants developed a dual cellular system composed of enzymatic and non-enzymatic players that convert ROS, and their by-products, into stable nontoxic molecules. To assess the Ba stress response of two Brassicaceae species (Brassica juncea, a glycophyte, and Cakile maritime, a halophyte), plants were exposure to different Ba concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300 and 500 μM). The plants response was evaluated through their morphology and development, the determination of plant leaves antioxidant enzymatic activities and by the production of plants secondary metabolites. Results indicated that the two Brassicaceae species have the ability to survive in an environment containing Ba (even at 500 μM). The biomass production of C. maritima was slightly affected whereas an increase in biomass B. juncea was noticed. The stress imposed by Ba activated the antioxidant defense system in the two species, noticed by the changes in the leaves activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaicol peroxidase (GPX), and of the secondary metabolites, through the production of total phenols and flavonoids. The enzymatic response was not similar within the two plant species: CAT and APX seem to have a more important role against the oxidative stress in C. maritima while in B. juncea is GPX. Overall, total phenols and flavonoids production was more significant in the plants aerial part than in the roots, of the both species. Although the two Brassicaceae species response was different, in both plants catalytic and non-catalytic transformation of ROS occurs, and both were able to overcome the Ba toxicity and prevent the cell damage.
Forecasting Confidence Intervals: Sensitivity Respecting Panel-Data Point-Value Replacement Protocols

In the practice of Time Series [TS] forecasting there are very often situations where it is prudent to modify certain “outlier” values in the TS-Panel. A simple modification protocol is to replace selected TS-points by the Average of their adjacent Near-Neighbor-points [ANN]. Thus, a research question, not previously addressed and thus of interest, is: Are ANN-TS modifications balanced —50% of the time provoking OLS-forecasting variation, thus reducing the predicative acuity of the 95% Confidence Intervals; and, by symmetry, 50% of the time smoothing resulting in more predicative resolution. Research Plan To address this question, we: (i) collected accounting information to be forecasted from firms on the Bloomberg™ terminals for Income Statement and Balance Sheet sensitive variables, (ii) formed three ANN-modifications, and (iii) computed 95% Confidence Intervals using the firm-Panel and the three modified Panels. Results Regarding the research question, surprisingly the ANN-replacement protocols were not balanced. In fact, about 2/3 of the time the ANN was smoothing in nature, and thus about 1/3 of the time the ANN-protocol provoked OLS-variation. We discuss the important implication of this result for forecasting in the economic context.
Victim Precipitation: An Outdated Construct or an Important Forensic Consideration?

ABSTRACT Risk assessment and threat management are important components of crime control and crime prevention, with the results of assessments having a significant impact on personal and community safety. There may also be important legal implications arising from these if individuals are deemed to be a risk to others. There is evidence showing that traditional risk assessment tools do not consider the victim’s role, even though it is important to incorporate into assessment and management to gain a full understanding of the risk and the intervention to decrease or eliminate risk or harm. This paper reviews the construct of victim precipitation, where the victim may actively do something or has characteristics that entice or incite an offender. Victim precipitation is a controversial topic that has not been the subject of much recent research, and its relationship to risk assessment and threat management has therefore been largely ignored. This paper argues that excluding victim precipitation has a negative impact on the conclusions derived from risk assessment and threat management. This is done by analyzing victim precipitation, risk assessment, and threat management in detail which helps understand the role precipitation plays.
CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING (EMA): THE THEORY BEHIND

The need for Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) can be associated with the major problems of environmental degradation that lead to other concerns, such as legitimacy and competitive issues. EMA is seen as a management accounting innovation whose consequence is a boost to corporate performance. EMA can benefit the competitive position of a firm by directing the attention of its managers towards potential cost reduction or potential areas for differentiation. EMA can also help firms gain resource productivity and process efficiency, which will result in the reduction of waste and improved the financial profitability of the firm. In other words, EMA practically improves both the environmental and economic performance of a firm. However, despite all these success stories, many firms are still reluctant to take a more proactive approach to EMA, perhaps due to a perceived lack of evidence that the benefits exceed the costs of pursuing these initiatives. The findings so far may also not be generalizable since they are based on descriptive statistics rather than rigorous hypothesis testing. There has been little empirical evidence regarding the impact of EMA on the business success of the firm. This is due to prior EMA studies that have made limited use of a theory that attempts to explain the consequences of the practice. Most research has focused on descriptive work and researchers seem to be unwilling to move beyond action-based case studies in further develop the framework of EMA practice and firm performance. This has raised a concern on the need for theoretical explanation on the consequences of EMA. As it is important to gauge the effects of EMA on firm performance, this study provides a discussion of how EMA could help companies in Malaysia to enhance both their economic and environmental performance and by this to encourage firms to put EMA in practice for their sustainable growth.
Smart polyester fabric with comfort regulation by temperature and moisture responsive shape memory nanocomposite treatment

Recently, clothing comfort and ease of use have become an indispensable expectation especially in sports and functional clothing which have led researchers to focus on development of smart textiles including new functionalities such as active thermoregulation. Therefore, a novel nanocomposite finishing treatment consisting of temperature responsive shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) was developed and applied to polyester fabric to produce smart fabric having dual responsive performance to moisture besides temperature. Water vapour, air permeability and sweat absorption properties were investigated under different temperature and relative humidity conditions to test thermoregulation performance of the treated fabrics. Physical, mechanical properties (weight, thickness and bursting strength) and durability of treated fabrics were also tested. Morphology, chemical compositions and thermal characterization of treated fabrics were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, respectively. It was found out that polyester fabric exhibited dynamic breathability and sweat absorption with temperature and relative humidity of body or environmental conditions thanks to the obtained dual responsive shape memory function. Also, mechanical and end use performances such as bursting strength and washing fastness of polyester were enhanced with this treatment. Summing up, SMPU-CNW nanocomposite treatment can be a good alternative for smart sports clothing having thermoregulation function for enhanced comfort besides desired mechanical and end use performances.
Thermal and mechanical analysis of metallocene‐catalyzed ethene–α‐olefin copolymers: The influence of the length and number of the crystallizing side chains

Copolymers of ethene and 1-octene, 1-dodecene, 1-octadecene, and 1-hexacosene were carried out with [Ph2C(2,7-di-te"BuFlu)(Cp)]ZrCl2/methylalumoxane as a catalyst to obtain short-chain branched polyethylenes with branch lengths of 6-26 carbon atoms. This catalyst provided high activity and a very good comonomer and hydrogen response. In this study, the influence of the length and number of the side chains on the mechanical properties of the materials was investigated. The crystalline methylene sequence lengths of the copolymers and lamellar thicknesses were calculated after the application of a differential scanning calorimetry/successive self-annealing separation technique. By dynamic mechanical analysis, the storage modulus as an indicator of the stiffness and the loss modulus as a measure of the effect of branching on the i and β relaxations were studied. The results were related to the measurements of the polymer density and tensile strength to determine the effect of longer side chains on the material properties. The hexacosene copolymers had side chains of 24 carbons and remarkable material properties very different from those of conventional linear low-density polyethylenes. The side chains of these copolymers crystallized with one another and not only parallel to the backbone lamellar layer, depending on the hexacosene concentration in the copolymer. The side chains crystallized even at low hexacosene concentrations in the copolymer. A transfer of these results to 16 carbons side chains in ethene-octadecene copolymers was also possible.
Semiempirical Analysis of Time-Dependent Elementary Polarizations in Electrochemical Cells

A systematic semiempirical way to analyze the variation in dc polarization with the operating time of electrochemical energy conversion devices is suggested. This includes the differentiation of the constituents of the total cell impedance, followed by the estimation of the time-dependent elementary contributions to the total polarization with the help of the theoretical analysis of an equivalent circuit. This unique method enables us to design high power energy conversion devices and, at the same time, effectively diagnose the power degradation of a cell. A comparative analysis of a fresh cell with an aged cell and the effect of temperature on polarization are exemplified. In particular, time-dependent contributions of elementary polarizations have been quantitatively suggested in each case with a strategy for the design of the materials. From this approach, power degradation after repeated battery cycling was ascribed to a rise in polarization due to the interfacial charge-transfer resistance of the cathode. Furthermore, the charge-transfer resistance of the cathode proved to be the most important factor in high rate battery discharging at ambient and low operating temperatures.
Fortnite: a context for child development in the U.S. during COVID-19 (and beyond)

I said no to Fortnite for months. In part it was because of my general distaste for weapons (a common anxiety apparently (Riddle & Di, 2020)), but largely because I wanted to keep playing Super Mario with my preadolescent son for a bit longer. But the pandemic forced my hand –my son made a persuasive argument for how Fortnite allowed him to connect and play with his friends, even while socially isolated. Despite my skepticism of the game’s developmental appropriateness, I relented, and my son has joyfully spent an inordinate amount of time in a Meowscles skin with a rocket launcher. He engages in numerous forms of gameplay: (a) solo, duo, and squad play in Battle Royale mode, where he vies to be the last player standing, (b) cooperative play in Save the World, where he and his friends work to survive an apocalyptic storm, and (c) imaginative play in Creative, the Minecraft-style mode where he and his friends can interact and build without game-play constraints. As both a parent and a scholar of the intersection of families and technology, I have been very interested in watching this “at home” experiment play out. Would this game serve its intended purpose – social connection? How might stereotypes of shooterstyle games be reinforced or challenged? In late May my son came down to breakfast bleary eyed, as the night before he had participated in an “online sleepover” (i.e., an ingenious term some enterprising preadolescent came up with to make staying up to midnight playing videogames more palatable to their parents). He told some stories about his exploits the night before, but one particular comment caught my attention: “We adopted a younger kid last night. It was his birthday and he was playing all by himself. ” “What do you mean adopted? ” I asked. He replied, in a relaxed and offhand manner, “You know . we took him around, gave him weapons, protected him . we helped him to have a good time. ” This conversation forced me to realize that Fortnite is more than a communication tool for my son – he is developing in this virtual context. As I began to mentally scroll through seminal developmental theories, my son’s online gaming activities checked a lot of boxes. This revelation also prompted self-reflection: Where did my preconceptions and stereotypes of online gaming originate? Popular media, yes, but these stereotypes also echo the academic literature. Studies have found links between exposure to video-game
Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT Images of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Mimicking Metastasis in a Patient With Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

A 54-year-old male patient with metastatic small cell lung carcinoma received chemotherapy and in follow-up he was referred to positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan for re-staging. In addition to the primary disease, increased Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) uptake was detected in skin and subcutaneous fat tissue in the axillary, periscrotal, and perianal regions, which was later proven as hidradenitis suppurativa in PET/CT images.
Exploring Student Perceptions of Flipgrid in Online Courses

Asynchronous video-based discussions have affordances that can address some of the constraints of asynchronous text-based discussions. However, little research has been conducted on the use of asynchronous video-based discussions in online courses. As a result, the purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate students’ perceptions of using Flipgrid for asynchronous video-based discussions in fully online courses. We used a cross-sectional survey design to survey 79 students who used Flipgrid in a fully online course. Students overall reported that they liked using Flipgrid, it was easy to use, and that it helped improve social presence. In this paper, we will report the results of our inquiry and implications for research and practice.
Supporting Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Motivation, and Information Literacy for Students in Tertiary Institutions

Academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, and information literacy are considered crucial to fostering student learning in tertiary institutions. The aim of this study was to examine the information literacy self-efficacy and academic motivation of college students and to identify the predictors of information literacy self-efficacy. The participants included students in their junior and senior years studying nursing, healthcare, and non-healthcare disciplines at a self-financing institution. Data were collected through a quota sampling method using a questionnaire. In total, 504 valid questionnaires were returned. The results indicated a moderate positive correlation between the two variables. The nursing students were found to have lower information literacy self-efficacy scores than those from the other disciplines. The results from a multiple regression analysis showed that the following factors are predictors of information literacy self-efficacy: being a nursing student, total scores for academic motivation, and owning a personal computer. Nurse educators are encouraged to strengthen the information literacy skills of nursing students, as this is an essential component in the application of evidence-based practices in the nursing profession.
Effect and interaction of crop management factors and crop year on the yield of maize (Zea mays L.)

yield under varying climatic conditions. The effect of winter wheat forecrop, three tillage systems (Mouldboard-MT, Strip-ST, Ripper-RT), two planting densities (60,000 & 80,000 plants ha), three fertilizer levels (N0-control, N80, N160 kg ha ) with four replications in irrigated and non-irrigated treatments were evaluated over a five year period, 2015–2019. The obtained results revealed that growing season rainfall
Representation analysis of magnetic structures

In the analysis of spin structures a `natural' point of view looks for the set of symmetry operations which leave the magnetic structure invariant and has led to the development of magnetic or Shubnikov groups. A second point of view presented here simply asks for the transformation properties of a magnetic structure under the classical symmetry operations of the 230 conventional space groups and allows one to assign irreducible representations of the actual space group to all known magnetic structures. The superiority of representation theory over symmetry invariance under Shubnikov groups is already demonstrated by the fact proven here that the only invariant magnetic structures describable by magnetic groups belong to real one-dimensional representations of the 230 space groups. Representation theory on the other hand is richer because the number of representations is infinite, i.e. it can deal not only with magnetic structures belonging to one-dimensional real representations, but also with those belonging to one-dimensional complex and even to two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations associated with any k vector in or on the first Brillouin zone. We generate from the transformation matrices of the spins a representation Γ of the space group which is reducible. We find the basis vectors of the irreducible representations contained in Γ. The basis vectors are linear combinations of the spins and describe the structure. The method is first applied to the k = 0 case where magnetic and chemical cells are identical and then extended to the case where magnetic and chemical cells are different (k ≠ 0) with special emphasis on k vectors lying on the surface of the first Brillouin zone in non-symmorphic space groups. As a specific example we consider several methods of finding the two-dimensional irreducible representations and its basis vectors associated with k = ½ b2 = [0½0] in space group Pbnm (D162h). We illustrate the physical context of representation theory by constructing an effective spin Hamiltonian H invariant under the crystallographic space group and under spin reversal. H is even in the spins and automatically invariant under the (isomorphous) magnetic group. We show by the example of CoO that the invariants in H, formed with the help of basis vectors, give information on the nature of spin coupling as for instance isotropic (Heisenberg–Neel) coupling, vectorial (Dzialoshinski–Moriya) and anisotropic symmetric couplings. Magnetic structures, cited in the text to show the implications of the representation theory of space groups are ErFeO3, ErCrO3, TbFeO3, TbCrO3, DyCrO3, YFeO3, V2CaO4, β-CoSO4, Er2O3, CoO and RMn2O5 (R = Bi, Y or rare earth). Representation theory of magnetic groups must be considered when the Hamiltonian contains terms which are odd in the spins. The case may occur when the magnetic energy is coupled with other forms of energy as for instance in the field of magneto-electricity. Here again representation theory correctly predicts the couplings between magnetic and electric polarizations as shown on LiCoPO4 and (previously) on FeGaO3.