Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Economic Peace Revisited: Coercion and Democracy

Scholars have argued whether democratic peace also holds in the realm of economic sanctions — whether there is an economic peace. Substantial amounts of evidence have been gathered both for and against economic peace and findings have been extremely sensitive to changes in research design. This article provides a new insight, with the use of the updated TIES data set and improved methodology, into the topic of economic peace. It find that democracies are more likely to issue economic sanctions and that there is no economic peace. In fact, democracies are more likely to sanction one another. The article indicate that lack of economic peace is consistent with the public choice approach to economic sanctions. It also argue that the exercise of power among democracies has been rechannelled to economic coercion.
Evolution of cation ordering and crystal defects controlled by Zn substitutions in Cu2SnS3 ceramics

The microstructures of a series of Cu2ZnxSn1-xS3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15,0.20) ceramic samples are investigated by a combination of selected area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-angle annular dark-field imaging (HAADF) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The pure Cu2SnS3 sample takes the monoclinic structure with the ordering of eight 3Cu-Sn and four 2Cu-2Sn clusters, which obey the octet rule. With the increase of Zn substitution, unique mosaic-type nanostructures comprising well-defined cation-disordered domains coherently bonded to a surrounding network phase with semi-ordered cations are formed in the matrix grains. The atomic structures of the semi-ordered phases are revealed as CuInS2–like phase (Zn < 5 atom%), Cu6ZnSn3S10 (Cu2SnS3: ZnS = 3:1) and Cu4ZnSn2S7 (Cu2SnS3: ZnS = 2:1), respectively. These ordered structures derive from the zinc blende structure (201) superlattice of -(Cu−S)2(Zn−S)(Sn−S)- in the kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (Cu2SnS3:ZnS = 1:1). Meanwhile, point defects, dislocations, stacking faults, and finally Cu2-xS nanoprecipitates are formed sequentially to compromise the excessive Cu ions when the Zn contents increase from 5 atom% to 20 atom%. Understanding of the concurrence and evolution of the cation ordering and crystal defects are important to tailor their microstructures and physical properties in the Cu-Zn-Sn-S quaternary system.The microstructures of a series of Cu2ZnxSn1-xS3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15,0.20) ceramic samples are investigated by a combination of selected area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-angle annular dark-field imaging (HAADF) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The pure Cu2SnS3 sample takes the monoclinic structure with the ordering of eight 3Cu-Sn and four 2Cu-2Sn clusters, which obey the octet rule. With the increase of Zn substitution, unique mosaic-type nanostructures comprising well-defined cation-disordered domains coherently bonded to a surrounding network phase with semi-ordered cations are formed in the matrix grains. The atomic structures of the semi-ordered phases are revealed as CuInS2–like phase (Zn < 5 atom%), Cu6ZnSn3S10 (Cu2SnS3: ZnS = 3:1) and Cu4ZnSn2S7 (Cu2SnS3: ZnS = 2:1), respectively. These ordered structures derive from the zinc blende structure (201) superlattice of -(Cu−S)2(Zn−S)(Sn−S)- in the kesterite C.
The Effect of Injected Air Bubble Size on the Thermal Performance of a Vertical Shell and Helical Coiled Tube Heat Exchanger

In the present study, the effect of injecting air bubble size on the thermal performance of a vertical counter-current shell and coiled tube heat exchanger is experimentally investigated. The experiments were accomplished in a cylindrical shape heat exchanger with a 50 cm height and 15 cm outer diameter. Copper coil with 3.939 m equivalent length and 0.6 cm outer diameter was used to carry the hot fluid (water). Four different cold fluid (shell side) flow rates ðQs 1⁄4 2; 4; 6 and 8 LPMÞ under laminar flow conditions (316 ≤ Re ≤ 1223), constant hot (coil side) flow rate fluid rates ðQh 1⁄4 1 LPMÞ, four different injected air flow rates ðQa 1⁄4 0:5; 1; 1:5 and 2 LPMÞ, invariant temperature difference (ΔT = 20°C), and constant bubble’s number (1400) were tested. To demonstrate the effect of bubble size, a sparger with orifice diameters of 0.1, 0.8, and 1.5 mm was manufactured and used in the study. The overall heat transfer coefficient (U), NTU, effectiveness, and pressure loss were invested. The experimental results clearly showed that the heat exchanger’s thermal efficiency significantly improved with increasing the shell side flow rate and the injected air flow rate. The maximum improvement in U, NTU, and effectiveness was 153%, 153%, and 68%, respectively. The thermal performance of the heat exchanger was shown to be improved with increasing the bubble size. Although the latter finding agrees with recent CFD published results, more studies need to be confirmed.
Risk Factors of Gastric Premalignant Lesion in Gastritis Patients

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality and the fourth most common cancer globally. Gastric premalignant lesions are well known risk factors for the development of gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of gastric premalignant lesion. This cross-sectional study observed gastritis patients at Adam Malik General Hospital, Permata Bunda General Hospital, Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital, all located in Medan, Indonesia. A total of 120 gastritis patients were included in this study. Patients were interviewed with a questionnaire to obtain demographic data, alcohol intake, smoking status, high salt diet and NSAID use. Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection was made using positive results of the carbon-14 urea breath test (14C-UBT), rapid urease test, and/or immunohistochemistry. Endoscopy and biopsy were conducted to diagnose gastric premalignant lesion. Gastric premalignant lesion diagnosis was made when one or more of the following were present: Chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, or dysplasia. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. There were 35/120 (29.2%) of gastritis patients having gastric premalignant lesion. Multivariate analysis has shown that H. pylori infection, patients with family history of gastric cancer, alcohol consumption and Batak ethnic have increased risk to develop gastric premalignant lesion (p<0.05). All these results implied that risk factors of gastric premalignant lesion were H. pylori infection, family history of gastric cancer, alcohol intake and Batak ethnic.
Cumulus cells protect the oocyte against saturated free fatty acids

Abstract In the cow a major characteristic of metabolic stress is an elevated level of plasma free fatty acid, due to increased lipid mobilization from adipose tissue. Elevated levels of free fatty acids in blood (complexed to albumin) are associated with increased lipotoxicity in non-adipose tissue. An overview is provided on the negative impact of free fatty acids and the metabolic stress imposed on the oocyte and early embryo and thus on bovine fertility. There is increasing evidence that in vitro as well as in vivo the elevated levels of free fatty acids in blood during metabolic stress can severely hamper oocyte and embryo development. However, fatty acids do also form an essential nutrient source for the oocyte and embryo, which indicates that these good and bad effects of fatty acids should be in subtle balance to optimize the developmental competence of the oocyte and embryo.
Culture-Dependent Analysis of 16S rRNA
Sequences Associated with the Rhizosphere
of Lemna minor and Assessment of Bacterial
Phenol-Resistance: Plant/Bacteria System
for Potential Bioremediation – Part II

In this work, we demonstrate that the rhizosphere of common duckweed (Lemna minor) is inhabited with various phenol-resistant bacterial strains. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing, we have identified 60 rhizosphere-associated bacterial isolates belonging to 10 different bacterial genera (Pseudomonas, Hafnia, Serratia, Enterobacter, Micrococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Xanthomonas, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Klebsiella). All isolates have been tested for phenol resistance and ability to utilize phenol as the sole carbon source. 70% of all isolates survived high doses of phenol (≥200 mg/L) and at least 27% can be potentially acclimatized by gradual increase of phenol concentration. Finally, based on high phenol resistance, ability to utilize phenol as the sole carbon source and documented low pathogenicity, we propose 5 strains as potentially excellent candidates for bioremediation. These 5 strains taxonomically correspond to Klebsiella sp. , Serratia sp. , and Hafnia sp. , respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to assess decontamination capacity of Serratia nematodiphila and Hafnia sp. in the context of bioremediation of phenol-contaminated aqueous media. Although additional analyses are needed, interaction between the common duckweed and the selected bacterial strains may be utilized in future bioremediation strategies.
Germination of Psidium friedrichsthalianum (O. Berg) Nied. seeds under different temperature and storage conditions

Abstract: Psidium friedrichsthalianum is a species whose fruit can be used to make juices, jellies/jams and sweets, and its seedlings serve as rootstocks with resistance to Meloidogyne spp. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of seeds of this species at different germination temperatures, and to verify the effects of different moisture levels on their storage in two experiments. In the first, six germination temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 ºC) were evaluated, and in the second, seeds with different moisture levels (15.4, 9.8, 9.0, 8.4, and 8.2%) were stored in sealed containers at 20 °C for 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Seed germination was favored by temperatures of 20 ºC and 25 ºC, reaching 93% and 87%, respectively, along with the highest germination speed indexes (2.582% day1 and 2.568% day-1) and shortest germination times (37.9 and 36.9 days). Temperatures of 30 °C and 35 °C maintained the seeds quiescent, while 40 °C was lethal. In storage, the seeds tolerated desiccation to 8.2% moisture content and could be stored in sealed containers at 20 ºC for 12 months, with germination higher than 70%.
Synthesis of Ni(OH)2 by template homogeneous precipitation for application in the binder­free electrode of supercapacitor

Nickel hydroxide is widely used as the active material for hybrid supercapacitors. The most electrochemically active is α-Ni(OH) 2 , synthesized using template homogeneous precipitation. The disadvantage of template homogeneous synthesis is the inclusion of the template into the composition of nickel hydroxide and the necessity of its removal. In order to reverse this disadvantage, it was proposed to study the possibility of using the remaining template as an inner binder for the preparation of a highly effective pasted supercapacitor electrode, without an external binder. Samples of Ni(OH) 2 were prepared by means of template homogeneous precipitation, with polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose ester Culminal C8465 with the concentration of 0.05 % and 0.5 %. Structural properties of the samples were studied by means of X-ray diffraction analysis, particle size and morphology — by means of scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical properties of nickel hydroxide were evaluated by means of galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling of the pasted electrode prepared without a binder, in the supercapacitor regime. It was discovered , that the use of PVA results in significantly higher crystallinity and lower agglomerate formation. Increasing PVA concentration by 10 times had no effect on these characteristics. For Culminal C8465, the crystallinity is significantly lower, but it increases with template concentration. Higher concentration of Culminal C8465 also leads to significant particle aggregation. Different behavior of PVA and Culminal C8465 has been revealed. PVA behaves like a weak binder and Culminal C8465 shows strong binding properties. Complex analysis of electrochemical characteristics of pasted electrodes prepared without a binder confirmed the possibility of using the remaining template as an inner binder. The highest specific capacity for the electrode without an external binder was 197 F/g when Culminal C8465 was used as a template. It is recommended to conduct the selection of a water-soluble compound that would play the role of a template during the synthesis of nickel hydroxide and would also serve as a binder for the preparation of pasted electrode
LAHAN BASAH BUATAN SEBAGAI PENGOLAH LIMBAH CAIR DAN PENYEDIA AIR NON-KONSUMSI

Pencemaran air telah menjadi issu global terutama di kota-kota besar. Instalasi pengolah air limbah konvensional membutuhkan biaya tinggi. Lahan basah buatan yang lebih fleksibel dan ekonomis mulai banyak diterapkan sebagai teknologi hijau untuk mengolah limbah cair. Tulisan ini menguraikan tipe dan komponen lahan basah buatan dan menyajikan hasil uji eksperimen pengolahan limbah cair jenis greywater. Lahan basah buatan dalam studi ini menggunakan media filter pasir dan kerikil serta tanaman air jenis Cyperus papyrus. Pengolahan greywater terhadap parameter TSS, pH, BOD, COD, Minyak & Lemak, dan Deterjen menghasilkan prosentase penyisihan berkisar antara 95,47% – 99,89%. Besaran konsentrasi polutan di oulet , yang merupakan hasil pengolahan greywater , memenuhi standar baku mutu Peraturan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup no. 5 tahun 2014, dan Peraturan Pemerintah no. 82 tahun 2001 kelas IV sebagai air untuk mengairi tanaman dan atau peruntukan lain yang mensyaratkan mutu air yang sama dengan kegunaan tersebut. Kata kunci: lahan basah buatan, greywater, penyediaan air, teknologi hijau
Estimating and Forecasting Time‐Varying Groundwater Recharge in Fractured Rock: A State‐Space Formulation With Preferential and Diffuse Flow to the Water Table

Rapid infiltration following precipitation may result in groundwater contamination from surface contaminants or pathogens. In fractured rock, contaminants can migrate rapidly to points of groundwater withdrawals. In contrast to the temporal availability of groundwater quality chemical indicators, meteorological and groundwater level observations are available in real‐time to estimate time‐varying recharge, which can act as a surrogate to identify periods of rapid infiltration that may indicate contamination susceptibility. Estimating recharge using methods, such as base‐flow recession, unsaturated infiltration models, or water‐table fluctuations (WTF), cannot capitalize on currently available technologies and telecommunication infrastructure to conduct real‐time recharge estimation at scales relevant to characterizing rapid infiltration. We present a linear, physics‐based state‐space (SS) model of one‐dimensional infiltration to estimate recharge, which includes preferential and diffuse‐flow to the water table. The model can take advantage of real‐time data for water‐table altitude, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. Model parameters are calibrated over an observation period, and the Kalman Filter (KF) is subsequently applied to continuously update the observed (water‐table altitude) and unobserved (groundwater recharge) system states and predict future states as new data become available. The SS/KF algorithm is demonstrated at the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site in Pennsylvania, USA and comparisons are made with recharge estimates from WTF methods. Model results indicate that the frequency of observations (daily vs. sub‐daily) dictates the allocation between preferential and diffuse flow. Additionally, because infiltration processes encompass many nonlinearities, model parameters estimated from observation periods need to be updated at least seasonally to account for changing recharge conditions.
QbD APPROACH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORAL LYOPHILISATES WITH IBUPROFEN FOR PAEDIATRIC USE

Quality-by-Design (QbD) concept in drug formulation and development was introduced in order to achieve and ensure an adequate product quality through a good process understanding. By identifying the variability sources that influence the product features, the quality of the product can be built from the development phase. Applying the concept, in the current work it was intended to develop and characterize orodisperable lyophilisates (OLs) for paediatric use. The drug model used was ibuprofen and following risk assessment evaluation, twenty-five experimental formulations were prepared. With a Doptimal experimental design with six factors and two levels, the influence of the formulation factors on the desired quality target product profile was assessed (QTPP, the quality characteristics of a product that is intended to be achieved considering the aspects related to the safety and efficacy of the product): disintegration time, wetting time, mean dissolution time, texture and bio-adhesive features of the OLs were studied. During this experiment, it was observed that the type of the matrix forming and bio-adhesive agent influenced the disintegration time. All formulation factors influenced the wetting time, while no significant influence was observed for the bio-adhesive properties of the OLs. The hardness and rigidity of the OLs was increased by gelatine, while the methylcellulose and xanthan gum conducted to opposite results. The fracturability of the OLs was influenced only by the quantitative factors, respectively the percentage of the matrix forming agent and the bio-adhesive agent. The dissolution profile was slightly influenced by the type of bio-adhesive agent. The design space has been defined based on the obtained results. The QbD approach was successfully applied within this study and OLs with ibuprofen for paediatric use with desired pharmaceutical characteristics may be successfully obtained by lyophilisation.
Random Forests Highlight the Combined Effect of Environmental Heavy Metals Exposure and Genetic Damages for Cardiovascular Diseases

Heavy metals are a dangerous source of pollution due to their toxicity, permanence in the environment and chemical nature. It is well known that long-term exposure to heavy metals is related to several chronic degenerative diseases (cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, neurodegenerative syndromes, etc.). In this work, we propose a machine learning framework to evaluate the severity of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) from Human scalp hair analysis (HSHA) tests and genetic analysis and identify a small group of these clinical features mostly associated with the CVD risk. Using a private dataset provided by the DD Clinic foundation in Caserta, Italy, we cross-validated the classification performance of a Random Forests model with 90 subjects affected by CVD. The proposed model reached an AUC of 0.78 ± 0.01 on a three class classification problem. The robustness of the predictions was assessed by comparison with different cross-validation schemes and two state-of-the-art classifiers, such as Artificial Neural Network and General Linear Model. Thus, is the first work that studies, through a machine learning approach, the tight link between CVD severity, heavy metal concentrations and SNPs. Then, the selected features appear highly correlated with the CVD phenotype, and they could represent targets for future CVD therapies.
Computer simulation studies of anisotropic systems: VIII. The Lebwohl-Lasher model of nematogens revisited

The Lebwohl-Lasher model of a nematogen provides a simple system with which to study the order-disorder transition and to examine the properties of the nematic phase. We have investigated the model containing 203 particles over a small temperature range characteristic of that for real nematogens using the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the internal energy, the heat capacity and the second rank orientational order parameter. Our results are in reasonable agreement with those of other simulations and are compared with the predictions of theories based on a cluster expansion of the free energy. The temperature dependence of the order parameter is used to investigate the validity of the singlet orientational distribution function predicted by the Maier-Saupe theory. The potential of mean torque is found to be linear in the order parameter as required by the theory although the orientational free energy is in error. The simulated properties are in reasonable but not complete accord with those of a real nematog.
The importance of E-commerce adoption and entrepreneurship orientation for sustainable micro, small, and medium enterprises in Indonesia

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the importance of e-commerce adoption and entrepreneurial orientation in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME)’s performance. A purposive sampling procedure was employed to recruit 150 MSME’s entrepreneurs from three districts of Jambi province, Indonesia. The findings show that e-commerce adoption significantly affects the sustainability of MSME business performance, while entrepreneurship orientation moderates these two variables. The findings could be used to identify and map customers’ preferences of e-commerce adoption and entrepreneurship orientation in order to improve MSME’s performance. Furthermore, these findings could be a source of information for the government in formulating policy concerning the MSME.
Agrupamento e caracterização anatômica da madeira de espécies nativas da Floresta Ombrófila Mista

Resumo Na Floresta Ombrófila Mista adicionalmente à diversidade florística, estudos sobre a diversidade anatômica da madeira de espécies nativas são interessantes pois permitem ampliar nosso conhecimento sobre a flora local. Portanto, este trabalho objetivou caracterizar anatomicamente e avaliar as similaridades e as principais características anatômicas que variam entre a madeira de 14 espécies nativas da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, de acordo com IAWA (1989). Foram utilizadas 14 variáveis anatômicas para aplicar os métodos de similaridade de Manhattan e Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA). Como resultados, pode-se observar que as espécies apresentam características comuns, como a porosidade difusa e pontoações intervasculares alternas. Além disso, a presença de fibras septadas e parênquima axial escasso em 50% das madeiras, foram características marcantes para as espécies da região. Quanto à similaridade, observou-se a divisão das mesmas pelas dimensões dos raios, vasos e pontoções. No PCA, destacaram-se o diâmetro do vaso, largura e altura do raio, a altura do raio em número de células, as pontoações intervasculares e raio-vasculares. Pode-se concluir que, mesmo com a grande diversidade anatômica é possível diferenciar a madeira das espécies da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, que ocorrem naturalmente na região do Planalto Catarinense.