Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ability of Spirulina sp. Microalgae as A Phytoremediation Agents in Liquid Waste of Handling Fish from Cemara Market, Medan

Highlight Microalgae Spirullina sp. can remediate BOD levels reach on 75.59% with the experiment was 30% liquid waste and 70% water. Microalgae Spirullina sp. can remediate COD levels reach on 79.19% with the experiment was 30% liquid waste and 70% water. Microalgae Spirullina sp. can remediate TSS levels reach on 83.54% with the experiment was 30% liquid waste and 70% water. Microalgae Spirullina sp. can remediate ammonia levels reach on 89.15% with the experiment was 30% liquid waste and 70% water. Abstract Contamination material from fish market activities, namely fish handling liquid waste, is a problem facing the city of Medan today. Reduce the level of liquid waste pollutants can be done biologically by using microalgae organisms. One of them is like microalgae Spirulina sp. This study aims to determine the ability of Spirulina sp. for reducing the levels of pollutants in liquid waste of handling fish.There search method was use a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and three replications. Addition of 100 mL of inoculant Spirulina sp. with a density of 1x10 5 ind/mL of liquid waste mixed with fresh water with to reach a volume of 1000 mL. Each liquid waste concentration of 30%, 60%, 80%, 100%, and control (0%) added 1 mL Walne fertilizer. The results of initial measurements of liquid waste for parameters BOD, COD, TSS, ammonia, and phosphate, respectively are 26.50mg/L, 4400mg/L, 894mg/L, 1.10mg/L, and 16.7 mg/L. Based on the results, the best reduction in BOD level occured in the treatment of 30% (pA) of liquid waste is 17.64 mg/L with phytoremediation efficiency of 75.59%. The best reduction in COD levels occurred in the treatment of 30% (pA) of liquid waste is 1301.12 mg/L with phytoremediation efficiency of 79.19%. The best reduction in TSS levels occurred in the treatment of 60% (pB) of liquid waste is 411 mg/L with phytoremediation efficiency of 83.54%. The best reduction in ammonia levels was at 30% (pA) treatment, which was 0.38 mg/L with phytoremediation efficiency of 89.15%. While the best decrease in phosphate levels occurred in the control treatment (pK), which was 4.45 mg/L with phytoremediation efficiency of 97.35%.
Pest infestation on the biochemical modulation of Adhatoda vasica.

Essential oil of Adhatoda vasica leaves contain vasicine, vasicinone and maiontone. The plant has lot of medicinal value against many diseases. Insecticidal activity of Adhatoda vasica was highlighted previously. Hence a thorough seasonal survey is taken up in A vasica to estimate the variation in the quantity and quality of the essential oils and alkaloids of A. vasica found in Virudhunagar District. The investigation proposes to study the various insect pests of the plants in exsitu cultivated plants of the Virudhunagar district. The data are compared with 50 plants collected from different areas and cultivated at the experimental gardens. Harvest was made at the interval of three months and a comparative analysis is presented after pest infestation. The above study is more valuable since the cost effectiveness of the tuberculosis treatment with A. vasica is commendable.
An Investigation Into The Molecular Basis Underlying Enhancement Of Transcription By The Intron In Budding Yeast

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MOLECULAR BASIS UNDERLYING ENHANCEMENT OF TRANSCRIPTION BY THE INTRON IN BUDDING YEAST. by NEHA AGARWAL December 2016 Advisor: Dr. Athar Ansari Major: Biological Sciences Degree: Doctor of Philosophy It is now quite evident that the introns, which are removed from the primary transcript by the process of splicing, are involved in a variety of important functions in eukaryotic cells. One of the evolutionarily conserved functions of introns is their role in regulating transcription of genes that harbors them. This effect of a splicing-competent intron on transcription is known as ‘Intron-Mediated Enhancement of transcription’ (IME). It has been observed that the intron-containing genes are often transcribed more efficiently than non-intronic genes. However, the molecular mechanism underlying IME in budding yeast and higher eukaryotes is not entirely clear, and that forms the basis of my thesis. To address this issue, I have organized my research project into three specific aims. The primary objective of the first aim was to investigate the mechanism of enhancement of transcription by an intron. I found that the intron-mediated enhancement in budding yeast is dependent on the gene assuming a unique architecture called gene loop. In the second aim, I explored the molecular basis underlying enhancement of transcription by the intron-facilitated gene loop. In the third aim, I determined the effect of position of an intron within a gene on its transcription regulatory potential.
Predictive Torque Control Based on Discrete Space Vector Modulation of PMSM without Flux Error-Sign and Voltage-Vector Lookup Table

The conventional finite set–predictive torque control of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) suffers from large flux and torque ripples, as well as high current harmonic distortions. Introducing the discrete space vector modulation (DSVM) into the predictive torque control (PTC-DSVM) can improve its steady-state performance; however, the control complexity is further increased owing to the large voltage–vector lookup table that increases the burden of memory. A simplified PTC-DSVM with 73 synthesized voltage vectors (VVs) is proposed herein, for further improving the steady-state performance of the PMSM drives with a significantly lower complexity and without requiring a VV lookup table. The proposed scheme for reducing the computation burden is designed to select an optimal zone of space vector diagram (SVD) in the utilized DSVM based on the torque demand. Hence, only 10 out of 73 admissible VVs will be initiated online upon the optimal SVD zone selection. Additionally, with the proposed algorithm, no flux error is required to control the flux demand. The proposed PTC-DSVM exhibits high performance features, such as low complexity with less memory utilization, reduced torque and flux ripples, and less redundant VVs in the prediction process. The simulation and experimental results for the 11 kW PMSM drive are presented to prove the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Moderating effect of gender on the opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial intention

This study investigated the relationship between opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial intention at the national level. It hypothesized that the gender equality, measured based on national perceptions of women as human resources, would moderate this relationship. The data of 15 countries from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the Gender Gap Index (GGI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) were used for the analysis. The results showed that opportunity recognition affects entrepreneurial intention. The analysis also suggested that gender had a moderating effect on this relationship, although the size of the gender moderation effect was not directly related to the level of gender inequality in the sampled countries.
Effects of in vitro digestion on the composition of flavonoids and antioxidant activities of the lotus leaf at different growth stages

The lotus leaf is rich in phenolic compounds and has good antioxidant activity. The effects of simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) digestions on the active substances and antioxidant activity of the lotus leaf in different growth stages (D25, D45 and D65) were investigated. The total phenolic content of D25 and D45 significantly increased by SGF digestion but not D65 compared to the DW treatment. However, SIF treatment saw markedly increased total phenolic content across all growth stages (D25, D45 and D65). Moreover, the total flavonoid content at all growth stages was increased by SIF digestion compared to SGF treatment. The pepsin and trypsin had different effects on the FRAP and ABTS (2, 2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) antioxidant activities of the lotus leaf. The SGF digestion increased the FRAP antioxidant capacity of the lotus leaf, and SIF digestion increased the ABTS antioxidant capacity of the lotus leaf. The HPLC results showed that the main flavonoid compound in the lotus leaf was isoquercetin. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilisation of the lotus leaf as an inexpensive natural and functional food ingredient.
On-farm fertilizing materials in organic horticulture: agronomic performance, energy use and GHG emission evaluation

ABSTRACT Anaerobic digestate (AD), a sub-product of cattle manure treatment to produce biogas, could be used for agricultural purposes after co-composting. The aim of this research was to evaluate in organic horticulture the co-composted AD, obtained using two different aerobic stabilization processes (not aerated and aerated composting), by assessing (i) the energy requirements and the GHG emissions of on-farm co-composting; (ii) the agronomic performance of the co-composted AD, compared to a commercial organic (CF) fertilizer, on fennel, tomato and zucchini crops; (iii) the environmental sustainability of the different analyzed systems, through the energy and the carbon footprint analyses. The AD co-composting was a feasible way to valorize organic wastes by producing organic fertilizers. These fertilizers could substitute the CF, leading to similar production capacity, energetic and carbon efficiencies. In particular, despite the greater carbon stocks generated by CF, the carbon efficiency was higher in co-composted AD than CF for both fennel and tomato cultivation systems. The GHG emission analysis for the agricultural operations indicated that CF treatment determined the highest CO2 emissions. Therefore, an appropriate management of the fertilization strategies could allow reducing the GHG emissions.
Haplotype variations of three Mitochondrial DNA genes in Microtus guentheri (Danford and Alston, 1880)

Synonym site mutations do not cause any changes in the protein sequence, whereas non-synonymous site mutations alter the protein sequence, causing amino acid changes. In this study, the rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution (Ks-Ka values) with the mutation and nucleotide variations in the synonymous and non-synonymous were analysed in Guenther’s vole Microtus guentheri (Danford and Alston, 1880) by amplification of three gene region (Cytochrome-oxidase I (COXI), Cytochrome- b (Cyt- b ) and 12S rRNA), and haplotype variations were investigated in these genes. Haplotypes were found to be 12, 14 and 7 for the COXI, Cyt- b and 12S rRNA gene regions, respectively. Based on the Jukes and Cantor Parameter (Jukes and Cantor, 1969), the nucleotide diversity values in synonymous and non-synonymous regions were found to be close to each other in the COXI and Cyt- b regions but higher than in the 12S rRNA region. In addition to nucleotide diversity, Ka values in Cyt- b and 12S rRNA regions are generally higher than Ks values (Ka/Ks>1) while Ks and Ka values are very close to each other (Ks/Ka~1) in COXI region.
Assessing desalination pretreatment conditions towards pilot scale‐up using Box‐Behnken experimental design

The purpose of this study is to optimize the operating conditions in batch mode using Box‐Behnken Design (BBD), for the coagulation‐flocculation line sizing prior the sand filter in the pilot scale. Three coagulants were employed to achieve a high turbidity removal with a low concentration of residual metals. The results showed that the best turbidity removal was obtained with FeCl3. Using BBD (15 experiments), the optimal parameters were: coagulant dose = 5.5 mg FeCl3/L, slow stirring time = 33 min and slow stirring velocity = 45 rpm, in these conditions, the turbidity removal reached 94.89% and the residual iron concentration was 0.449 mg/L. Regarding the model fit, the obtained R2 values were 99.67% for turbidity removal and 99.47% for residual iron concentration. The optimum conditions obtained from this study could be scaled up and applied to desalination plants. BBD approach is of great interest because it allows the prediction of the response value without performing experiments.
Direct numerical simulation of stratified Ekman layers over a periodic rough surface

Abstract Ekman layers over a rough surface are studied using direct numerical simulation. The roughness takes the form of periodic two-dimensional bumps whose non-dimensional amplitude is fixed at a small value ($h^+=15$) and whose mean slope is gentle. The neutral Ekman layer is subjected to a stabilizing cooling flux for approximately one inertial period ($2{\rm \pi} /f$) to impose the stratification. The Ekman boundary layer is in a transitionally rough regime and, without stratification, the effect of roughness is found to be mild in contrast to the stratified case. Roughness, whose effect increases with the slope of the bumps, changes the boundary layer qualitatively from the very stable (Mahrt, Theor. Comput. Fluid Dyn., vol. 11, issue 3–4, 1998, pp. 263–279) regime, which has a strong thermal inversion and a pronounced low-level jet, in the flat case to the stable regime, which has a weaker thermal inversion and stronger surface-layer turbulence, in the rough cases. The flat case exhibits initial collapse of turbulence which eventually recovers, albeit with inertial oscillations in turbulent kinetic energy. The roughness elements interrupt the initial collapse of turbulence. In the quasi-steady state, the thickness of the turbulent stress profiles and of the near-surface region with subcritical gradient Richardson number increase in the rough cases. Analysis of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget shows that, in the surface layer, roughness counteracts the stability-induced reduction of TKE production. The flow component, coherent with the surface undulations, is extracted by a triple decomposition, and leads to a dispersive component of near-surface turbulent fluxes. The significance of the dispersive component increases in the stratified cases.
A Statistical Approach for the Assessment of Muscle Activation Patterns during Gait in Parkinson’s Disease

Recently, the statistical analysis of muscle activation patterns highlighted that not only one, but several activation patterns can be identified in the gait of healthy adults, with different occurrence. Although its potential, the application of this approach in pathological populations is still limited and specific implementation issues need to be addressed. This study aims at applying a statistical approach to analyze muscle activation patterns of gait in Parkinson’s Disease, integrating gait symmetry and co-activation. Surface electromyographic signal of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis were recorded during a 6-min walking test in 20 patients. Symmetry between right and left stride time series was verified, different activation patterns identified, and their occurrence (number and timing) quantified, as well as the co-activation of antagonist muscles. Gastrocnemius medialis presented five activation patterns (mean occurrence ranging from 2% to 43%) showing, with respect to healthy adults, the presence of a first shorted and delayed activation (between flat foot contact and push off, and in the final swing) and highlighting a new second region of anticipated activation (during early/mid swing). Tibialis anterior presented five activation patterns (mean occurrence ranging from 3% to 40%) highlighting absent or delayed activity at the beginning of the gait cycle, and generally shorter and anticipated activations during the swing phase with respect to healthy adults. Three regions of co-contraction were identified: from heel strike to mid-stance, from the pre- to initial swing, and during late swing. This study provided a novel insight in the analysis of muscle activation patterns in Parkinson’s Disease patients with respect to the literature, where unique, at times conflicting, average patterns were reported. The proposed integrated methodology is meant to be generalized for the analysis of muscle activation patterns in pathologic subjects.
Microbiological profile of common bacterial isolates from acute tonsillitis in pediatric age group patients

Background: The paediatric age group are more prone to tonsillitis. The management of tonsillitis mainly based on understanding of microbiological and pathological features. This study aimed to discuss the microbiological profile of acute tonsillitis in children. Methods: Children fewer than 16 years age group was included in this study and the children underwent tonsillectomy or in antibiotics for at least one month were excluded from study. The throat swabs were taken for microbiological diagnosis. Results: A total of 150 children were diagnosed as acute tonsillitis during the period of 1 year from January 2019 to December 2019. The mean age group of children were 9.6 years. There were total 70 males and 80 females. The most common isolates were Streptococcus viridians group, Group A β-hemolytic Streptococci . There were only 3 cases with polymicrobial growth. The histopathological examination reported acute tonsillitis with follicular hyperplasia in all children. Conclusions: The understanding of microbiological profile could help in management of acute tonsillitis. The pathological profile can help us to identify the organisms which are difficult to culture.
An empirical study on spiritual intelligence and quality of life among sales trainers: mediating effect of self-efficacy

The concept of spiritual intelligence is gaining increasing popularity in the field of management literature. This concept is looked at by scholars, academicians, and practitioners to solve modern-day challenges in organizations. The effectiveness of the components of spiritual intelligence in improving the quality of work-life, while fostering behavioral skills like self-efficacy, is a fairly new concept in the intersection of organizational settings and psychological studies of the workplace literature, particularly among the sales professionals in the context of a developing nation which has not been given much emphasis. The present study addresses the research gap by exploring the concept of spiritual intelligence among sales trainers to empirically analyze the relationship between spiritual intelligence and quality of work-life through the mediating effects of self-efficacy. The relationship between these variables is investigated through mediation analysis. Drawing on a survey conducted among a sample of 233 sales trainers working in the sales department of various organizations in Bengaluru, the study successfully augments literature by suggesting that self-efficacy significantly mediates the relationship between spiritual intelligence and quality of work-life. Spiritual intelligence was reported to significantly influence self-efficacy, which in turn, has a significant positive influence on the quality of work-life. Thus, these findings shed new light on the importance of developing spiritual intelligence among sales trainers to increase their quality of work-life through improving their self-efficacy.
Evaluation of the heavy metal content in the muscle tissue of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) reared in groundwater in Basrah province, Iraq

Article history: Received January 03, 2020 Accepted January 20, 2020 Available online November 1, 2020 The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Hg, Pb, and Cd) in the muscles of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) reared in groundwater in Khor Al-Zubair, Basrah province (in the south of Iraq) were assessed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. XRF is a powerful technique for element analysis in different environmental samples with many advantages compared with conventional laboratory methods. The mean concentration of the studied metals in the edible parts of the fish (Cr= 11.42, Ni= 2.75, Hg=1.53, Pb= 1.93, and Cd=4.42 mg/ kg dry weight) exceeded the recommended maximum acceptable levels proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO), The commission of the European Communities (EC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The results suggest that the tested fish muscle tissue was not safe for human consumption and that the groundwater in the Khor al-Zubair area is possibly contaminated with heavy metals, mainly owing to industrial activity.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Gh, Ghr, Ghsr and Insulin Candidate Genes in Chicken Breeds of Vietnam

The aim of this study is to evaluate genetic potential in chicken breeds raised in Vietnam. They include local chicken breeds (Noi and Tau Vang giving good health and meat quality traits but they are not intensively studied yet) and a commercial breed (Cobb 500 giving high growth performance and meat yield in industrial poultry production system in the world, including Vietnam). Therefore, candidate genes GH, GHR, GHSR and insulin related to these traits were investigated for identifying their single nucleotide polymorphisms by using PCR-RFLP method across different populations of chicken. The results provide basic foundation to continuously study the effects of genetic polymorphisms in the candidate genes on performance and meat quality traits of local Vietnamese chickens.
Mechanisms of Dual-Targeting Arabidopsis HEMERA to the Chloroplasts and Nucleus

Mechanisms of Dual-Targeting Arabidopsis HEMERA to the Chloroplasts and Nucleus by Patrick Andrew Nevarez Program in Genetics and Genomics Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Meng Chen, Supervisor ___________________________ Philip N. Benfey, Chair ___________________________ David R. Sherwood ___________________________ Tai-ping Sun ___________________________ Pei Zhou An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Program in Genetics and Genomics in the Graduate School of Duke University 2016 Copyright by Patrick Andrew Nevarez 2016
An Active CMOS NMR Field Probe with Custom Transceiver and ΣΔ Modulator ASICs and an Optical Link

In this paper, we present a CMOS-based miniaturized magnetic resonance (MR) system for magnetic field and trajectory mapping incorporating an electromagnetic interference (EMI) robust optical link. The system consists of a custom-designed, CMOS-based active NMR field probe, a custom-designed, single-bit ΣΔ modulator and a commercial optical link. The low-IF architecture of the transceiver ASIC, reduces the required bandwidth in the digitizer to a few hundred kilohertz, enabling the use of a single-bit ΣΔ modulator, whose high frequency, one bit data stream is ideally suited for feeding the following optical link. The custom ΣΔ modulator uses a third order loop filter and employs a 12-tap FIR DAC to increase its robustness against clock jitter. It is manufactured in a 0.18 μm CMOS technology and achieves an SNDR of 72.19 dB over a Nyquist bandwidth of 800 kHz. In the proposed setup, the 1-bit output stream of the ΣΔ modulator directly feeds the driver of a commercial optical fiber link to transmit the NMR data from inside the NMR magnet to the remotely located digital signal processing unit with a very high robustness against EMI. In-situ NMR experiments with a 1.45 T benchtop magnet using a silicone sample demonstrate the very good performance of the overall system, achieving a frequency resolution of 12.6 Hz or 200 ppb in the estimation of the sample's NMR resonance frequency. This corresponds to an effective magnetic field resolution of 290 nT.