Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Evaluation of Chitosan Particle Based Antigen Delivery Systems for Enhanced Antigen Specific Immune Response

Particle-based vaccine delivery systems are under exploration to enhance antigen-specific immunity against safe but poorly immunogenic polypeptide antigens. Chitosan is a promising biomaterial for antigen encapsulation and delivery due to its ability to form nanoand microparticles in mild aqueous conditions thus preserving the antigenicity of loaded polypeptides. The objective of this work is to develop a chitosan particle based antigen delivery system for enhanced vaccine response. Chitosan particle sizes, which ranged from 300 nm to 3 μm, were influenced by chitosan concentration, chitosan molecular weight and addition rate of precipitant salt. The composition of precipitant salt played a significant role in particle formation with upper Hofmeister series salts containing strongly hydrated anions yielding particles with a low polydispersity index (PDI) while weaker anions resulted in aggregated particles with high PDIs. Sonication power had minimal effect on mean particle size, however, it significantly reduced polydispersity. Protein loading efficiencies in chitosan nano/microparticles, which ranged from 14.3% to 99.2%, was inversely related to the hydration strength of precipitant salts, and protein molecular weight and directly related to the concentration and molecular weight of chitosan. Protein release rates increased with particle size and were generally inversely related to protein molecular weight. In vitro studies showed that the uptake of antigen loaded chitosan particles (AgCPs) by dendritic cells and macrophages was found to be dependent on particle size, antigen concentration and exposure time. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that compared to soluble antigen, uptake of AgCPs enhanced upregulation of surface activation markers on APCs and increased the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Lastly, antigen-specific T cells exhibited higher proliferative responses when stimulated with APCs activated with AgCPs versus soluble antigen. These data suggest that encapsulation of antigens in chitosan particles enhances uptake, activation and presentation by APCs with 1 μm mean particle size being optimal. Similarly, in vivo studies showed that immunizing mice with AgCPs enhanced both humoral and cell mediated immune response. Compared to PLGA nanoparticle and standard alum adjuvants, AgCPs induced more potent humoral immune responses as evidenced by the high total antigen specific IgG titer.
The Effect of Profitability, Liquidity, and Asset Structure on Capital Structure with Firm Size as Moderating Variable

The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of profitability, liquidity, and asset structure on capital structure with firm size as a moderating variable. The population of this study was all property and real estate companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2014-2016. The number of samples used was 39 companies with the audit of analysis of 117. This study used secondary data taken from the annual financial statements. The method of data analysis was descriptive analysis and Moderated regression analysis by difference absolute value test. The data analysis used was IBM SPSS Statistics 21. The result of the study showed that profitability, liquidity, and asset structure had negative and significant effects on capital structure. Firm size was able to moderates significantly the effect of liquidity on capital structure, but it is not able to moderate the effect of profitability and asset structure on the capital structure. The study concludes that capital structure is influenced by profitability, liquidity, and liquidity that moderated by firm size. Keywords: Profitability; Liquidity; Asset Structure; Capital Structure; Firm Size
Reform of Bureau of Public Services in Framework of Prevention & Eradication of Corruption in Indonesia

Corruption in Indonesia decreases public trust, especially in the case of public services where there are still many irregularities, such as a long time, convolution and a lot of costs, so that public service bureaucracy reform is needed to realize good governance. This study aims to identify and describe the reform of the public service bureaucracy in the context of preventing and eradicating corruption in Indonesia. This study uses a normative juridical approach, which is descriptive analytical. The data used is secondary data obtained through the research library, which is then analyzed qualitatively. The result of this research is that public service bureaucratic reform in the context of preventing and eradicating corruption in Indonesia is carried out by improving the quality of public services, which aims to create equal distribution of public service quality at all levels, both at the ministry / agency level to the regional level. Bureaucratic reform in public services emphasizes the importance of improving the quality of public services, with a focus on public interests, and upholding accountability and transparency.
Encouraging the resumption of economic activity after COVID-19: Evidence from a large scale field experiment in China

As the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end, governments find themselves facing a new challenge: motivating citizens to resume economic activity. What is an effective way to do so? We investigate this question using a field experiment in the city of Zhengzhou, China immediately following the end of the city's COVID-19 lockdown. Using self-reports and GPS trajectory data from participants' phones, we assessed the effect of providing information about the proportion of participants' neighbors who have resumed economic activity. We find that informing individuals about their neighbors' plans to visit restaurants increases the fraction of participants visiting restaurants by 12 percentage points (37%), amongst those participants who underestimated the proportion of neighbors who resumed economic activity. Those who overestimated did not respond by reducing restaurant attendance, so the intervention yielded no `boomerang' effect. We explore moderators, risk perceptions, and a placebo intervention for parks. All of these analyses suggest our intervention worked by reducing the perceived risk of going to restaurants.
The Influence of Principal Leadership and Work Motivation on Teacher Work Discipline

This study aims to determine the effect of principal leadership and work motivation on teacher work discipline. As for the formulation of the problem: (1) is there an influence between the principal's leadership on teacher work discipline? , (2) is there an influence between work motivation on teacher work discipline? , (3) is there a significant influence between principal leadership and work motivation jointly on teacher work discipline? This research uses descriptive analysis method. The method used by researchers to get a view of the principal's leadership, work motivation and teacher work discipline. The sample in this study amounted to 108 teachers. From the results of the descriptive statistical analysis of the principal's leadership, the very good data category was chosen by 8 out of 108 (9.6%) respondents. While the good category was chosen by 21 respondents (25.3%). The sufficient category was chosen by 30 respondents (36.1%). 19 (23.0%) respondents chose the less category. For the very less category chosen by 5 (6.0%) respondents. If it is related to the mean value on the discipline questionnaire, which is 74.4819, then the average respondent chooses the sufficient category.
A ten-step behavioural intervention to reduce screen time and problematic smartphone use

Problematic smartphone use is rising across the world and has been associated with reductions in concentration and well-being. Few interventions aiming to reduce smartphone use take a multi-faceted approach that balances feasibility and effectiveness. We developed such an intervention with ten simple guidelines that nudge users to reduce their screen time (e.g., disabling non-essential notifications). Two pre-registered studies tested the intervention. Study 1 (N = 51) found reductions in screen time, problematic smartphone use, and depressive symptoms after two weeks. Study 2 (N = 70) found that the intervention caused larger changes in screen time, problematic smartphone use, and sleep quality than a control group of screen time monitoring alone. Our brief intervention reduced screen time by one hour per day and returned problematic smartphone use scores to normal levels for at least six weeks. This intervention provides simple, scalable, and feasible behavioural guidelines to promote healthy technology use.
Technology Transfer, Development, Deployment and Productivity Performance in Pakistan

Productivity (TFP) performance is not only influenced by the direct effects of human capital, R&D (technology development)), embodied and disembodied forms of technology transfer and know-how through capital imports, FDI and use of foreign IPRs (technology transfer activities), but importantly is indirectly affected by components like the interactive effects of machinery and equipment imports, royalties and licenses fee payments, FDI, human capital and technology deployment. In this context, we analyzed internal technology building capabilities, trade-related technology transfer activities and foreign technology absorption capabilities. The ARDL technique demonstrates that stable long-run association exists amongst all the chosen variables. The results indicate that investment in human capital boost the TFP, in addition expenditures on R&D, imports of machinery are crucial determinants of TFP growth. Surprisingly, FDI appears with a negative sign but the indirect effect of FDI through its interaction with human capital is positive. This indicates that FDI in the presence of human capital plays a favourable role in enhancing TFP. Moreover, the imports of machinery directly and indirectly, in association with both human capital and R&D, increase the growth of TFP. These findings provide evidence that internal technology building capabilities enhances the TFP growth significantly; while, embodied form of technology transfer has a positive and significant impact on the growth of TFP; whereas, disembodied technology transfer exerts positive but statistically insignificant impact on TFP growth. Furthermore, the study lends support for the existence of strong foreign technology absorption capabilities.
Malaysian Facebook Users Online Airline Tickets Purchase Intention: Antecedents and Outcome of eWOM

This study aims to identify the antecedents of eWOM in the context of online airline ticket purchase intention by Malaysian consumers. Additionally, this study also seeks to examine the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention. The research model was examined by employing survey questionnaire method obtained from 530 Malaysian consumers through mall-intercept method and data was analyzed using PLS. The findings revealed that information usefulness, source credibility, information accuracy, and information timeliness have a positive and significant relationship with eWOM and involvement moderates the relationships between eWOM and purchase intention. Despite the fact that this study is limited to eWOM in the context of online airline tickets purchasing of Malaysian Facebook users, it is expected to be of value to airline and travel organizations in Malaysia. This study extends the applicability of S-O-R Model and ELM Model to the eWOM domain in the context of social media, with an approach to investigate consumer’s purchase intention.
Enantiopure bicyclic lactams: synthesis and biological evaluation

III Resumo . V Index of figures . IX Index of schemes . XI Index of tables . XIII Index of graphs . XV Abbreviations . XVII Chapter I – Introduction . 1 I.1 Enantioselective synthesis . 2 I.1. 1 Synthesis from the chiral pool . 3 I.1. 2 Resolution of racemates . 4 I.1. 2.1 Kinetic resolution . 4 I.1. 2.2 Direct preferential crystallization . 5 I.1. 2.3 Chromatography . 6 I.1. 3 Asymmetric synthesis . 6 I.1. 3.1 Chiral auxiliaries and chiral reagents . 7 I.1. 3.2 Chiral catalysts and biotransformation . 8 I.2 Importance of enantioselective synthesis . 8 I.3 Synthesis of chiral non-racemic bicyclic lactams . 9 I.4 Neurodegenerative diseases . 10 I.4. 1 Role of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor in neurodegeneration . 10 I.4. 2 Function and structure of NMDA receptor channel . 11 I.4. 3 NMDA receptor antagonists . 13 I.4. 3.1 Competitive antagonists acting at the glycine site . 14 I.4. 3.2 Competitive antagonists acting at the glutamate site . 16 I.4. 3.3 Non-competitive antagonists acting at ion channel . 17 I.4. 3.4 Non-competitive antagonists acting at GluN2B subunit . 19 I.4. 3.5 Oxazolopyrrolidones as NMDA receptor antagonists . 19 I.5 The worldwide problem of cancer . 21 I.5. 1 Indole compounds as antitumor agents . 21 Chapter II – Results and Discussion . 25 II.1 Synthesis of phenylalaninol and tryptophanol-derived bicyclic lactams . 26 II.2 Biological evaluation of phenylalaninol-derived bicyclic lactams . 33
Forage yield components of some tolerant and sensitive grass pea genotype seedlings affected by the salinity stress

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is relatively tolerant to several abiotic stresses such as salinity. Twenty-five grass pea genotypes provided by the Dryland Agricultural Research Institute, Maragheh, Iran, were exposed to four salinity levels (0, 40, 80, 120 mM). Based on the primary screen, 8 tolerant genotypes and 17 sensitive genotypes were selected. Principal components analysis for the sensitive and tolerant genotypes showed that the first four components explained approximately 71-80% of variance. In PCA, the coefficients associated with leaf showed that, in tolerant genotypes, leaf length and leaf number increased but, leaf width decreased. In other words, salinity stress makes the leaves grow larger and longer, but the width of the leaves decreases and angle of the leaf becomes tighter. So, these traits may be used as an index of salinity tolerance in grass pea selection programs. Cluster analysis based on Ward? s algorithm and Euclidean distance measure effectively separated the tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Cut off dendrogram located tolerant genotypes (except one genotype) in the same subgroup. This fact shows that cluster analysis efficiently divided and/or separated semi-tolerant tolerant genotypes. Shoot dry weight had significant negative correlation with pH, plumule length and plantlet length. Path analysis on tolerant genotypes, revealed the direct effects of leaf number and pod number with shoot dry weight. In stepwise regression, two traits including leaf number and pod number were entered into the model. The results showed that leaf number and pod number had the most direct and positive effect on the shoot dry weight, and the plant height had the highest indirect effect through leaf number on the shoot dry weight. About sensitive genotypes, the results showed that leaf number and fruit fresh weight had the most direct and positive effect on the shoot dry weight, and the plant height had the highest indirect effect through leaf number on the shoot dry weight. Several characteristics were identified to explain shoot dry weight during path analysis. The selections based on the identified characters would be more effective in improving yield in the breeding programs of grass pea.
Nutritional comparison of Spirulina sp powder by solid-state fermentation using Aspergillus sp (FNCL 6088) and Lactobacillus plantarum (FNCL 0127)

The Spirulina sp powder contains high levels of protein and Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) improved protein level. The aims of the study was to find the proximate contents in Spirulina sp’s powder fermentation. The experiments were conducted by SSF of Spirulina sp’s powder using fungi Aspergillus sp (FNCL 6088) and lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum (FNCL 0127). SSF was carried out for 10 days at 35% moisture level. The protein contents of Spirulina sp’s powder fermented by L. plantarum were consistently lower (p < 0.05) about 43.28% than compare with the other one about 46.12% (SSF by Aspergillus sp) until the end of fermentation. The Spirulina sp fermented products contained the highest level of protein after 6 days.
Exploring Influence of Virtual Reality-Based English Learning Activities Towards Secondary Students’ English Writing Achievement

The researcher conducted an experimental research of using Virtual Reality as instructional media in form of Virtual Reality-based activities especially in learning English in form of writing skill. This research had two purposes, namely (1) to determine whether there is an effect of Virtual Reality-based English learning activities towards students’ English learning achievement in a public secondary school in North Bali, (2) to find out how VR-based English learning activities affects students’ English learning achievement in form of writing achievement. The research design used in this study was explanatory sequential explanatory mixed methods design. The population was first grade students’ of a public secondary school in North Bali. The result of qualitative data analysis showed that there is an effect of Virtual Reality-based English learning activities towards 10th grade students’ English learning achievement in public secondary school in North Bali. The Effect Size of this quantitative research is in range on low effect size. The result of qualitative data showed that there were strengths and weaknesses of using VR-based English learning activities that affects the result of quantitative data of the students’ English learning achievement in a public secondary school in North Bali in form of writing skill.
The Temporal Trend of Screen-Based Exposure among Chinese Younger Generation from 2004-2015

Background: Media equipment is infiltrating into all areas of daily life, and its potential health outcomes have been a focus. However, the long-time trend of screen exposure among Chinese young generation is unclear. Objec-tive: To examine the changing trend of screen exposure among Chinese young generation from 2004 to 2015. Methods: The temporal trends in screen exposure were examined among participants aged 6 - 24 years who came from five cross-sectional surveys through 2004 (n = 2435), 2006 (n = 1971), 2009 (n = 1934), 2011 (n = 2318) and 2015 (n = 2461) of China Health and Nutrition Survey. Results: Across five surveys from 2004 to 2015, screen time continued to grow from 2004 to 2011, while in 2015, it declined significantly (1.45 hrs/day in 2004, 1.99 in 2006, 2.35 in 2009, 2.47 in 2011, and 1.95 in 2015). The stratification analyses by age, gender, and residential area got the same patterns in most cases. During the same period, the prevalence of overweight/obesity kept increasing from 11.4% to 24.4%. Conclusions: The secular upward trend in young generation’s screen exposure since 2004 reached its apex in 2011, and then there was a fall-off in 2015. By contrast, the prevalence of overweight/obesity kept increasing from 2011 to 2015.
Arbitrary l-Solutions of the Schrodinger Equation in Arbitrary Dimensions for the Energy Dependent Generalized Inverse Quadratic Yukawa Potential

Within the framework of Nikiforov-Uvarov method, we obtained an approximate solution of the Schrodinger equation for the Energy Dependent Generalized inverse quadratic Yukawa potential model. The bound state energy eigenvalues for were computed for various vibrational and rotational quantum numbers. Special cases were considered when the potential parameters were altered, resulting into Energy Dependent Kratzer and Kratzer potential, Energy Dependent Kratzer fues and Kratzer fues potential, Energy Dependent Inverse quadratic Yukawa and Inverse quadratic Yukawa Potential, Energy Dependent Yukawa (screened Coulomb) and Yukawa (screened Coulomb) potential, and Energy Dependent Coulomb and Coulomb potential, respectively. Their energy eigenvalues expressions and numerical computations agreed with the already existing literatures.
Long-term Management Effects on Soil Properties and Yields in a Wheat-Soybean Double-Crop System in Eastern Arkansas

Abstract The sustainability of soil and water resources in regions of highly productive row-crop agriculture depends on long-term implications of agricultural management decisions. Residue management can strongly affect soil organic matter (SOM), soil C, and other near-surface physical and chemical properties in agricultural soils, especially in double-crop systems. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term trends in SOM, soil C and N, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, and Mehlich-3–extractable nutrients in the top 10 cm and yield as affected by alternative residue and water management practices in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) double-crop production system. The field site resides on a loessial soil (fine silty, mixed, active, thermic Glossaquic Fraglossudalf) in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley of eastern Arkansas and has been consistently managed for 13 years between Fall 2001 and Fall 2014. Averaged across all other treatment factors, SOM content did not change (P > 0.05) between 6 and 13 years after conversion to alternative management practices under irrigation, whereas SOM content increased across time (P < 0.05) until approximately 9 years after initial conversion then decreased thereafter under dryland production. Soil C content generally increased, P content generally decreased, and N and Cu contents and soybean yields changed little across time because of irrigation. Across time, SOM and C contents decreased (P < 0.05) under residue burning but increased under nonburning. The results of this study indicate that irrigation management and residue burning were responsible for many of the largest differences in near-surface soil property trends across time. Understanding the long-term effects of alternative, compared with traditional, management practices is critical to developing sustainable agricultural practices in the mid-southern United States.
Blackcurrant pomace from juice processing as partial flour substitute in savoury crackers: dough characteristics and product properties

Summary Berry pomace is a by-product of juice processing that, after drying and milling, may be used as an ingredient in cereal-based products. This, on the one hand, not only reduces losses of edible raw material components, but also increases the nutritional value of the target food because of its high dietary fibre and bioactive compounds content. By using savoury crackers as model, this study analyses how a partial flour replacement by blackcurrant pomace (levels: 10%, 20% or 30%) affects physical properties of the respective dough (dynamic rheology in simulated baking, extensibility and adhesiveness) and characteristics of the baked product (colour, texture and sensory properties). Pomace addition significantly affected both systems. By considering the high moisture absorption capacity of this material through water level adaptation in formulations and by only substituting gluten-free flour (which led to a constant gluten content), it is demonstrated that even a flour replacement of up to 30% leads to acceptable products. A restrained protein development was observed in pomace containing dough, leading to a lower extensibility, and to reduced volume increase and lower breaking force after baking. In contrast, dough handling and sensory acceptance were not corrupted by pomace application even though colour of the final product was changed to a great extent.