Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crystal structure of cobalt-substituted calcium hydroxyapatite nanopowders prepared by hydrothermal processing

A series of cobalt-exchanged hydroxyapatite (CoHAp) powders with different Ca/Co ratios and nominal unit-cell contents Ca10−xCox(PO4)6(OH)2, x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0, were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of a precipitate at 473 K for 8 h. Based on ICP (inductively coupled plasma) emission spectroscopy analysis, it was established that the maximum amount of cobalt incorporation saturated at ∼12 at. % under these conditions. The effects of cobalt content on the CoHAp powders were investigated using ICP emission spectroscopy, particle size analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analyses as well as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) including Rietveld analysis. According to XRPD, all the materials are single-phase HAp and CoHAp of low crystallinity. Rietveld analysis shows that Co enrichment causes the c cell parameter to decrease at a faster rate than the a cell parameter. A microstructural analysis showed anisotropic X-ray line broadening due to crystallite size reduction. In CoHAp there is significant crystal elongation in [001], and the average size decreases with increasing cobalt content. The crystallite morphology transforms from rod-like for the pure HAp to lamellae at the highest degree of Co substitution. The results of Rietveld refinement (symmetry, size and morphology of the crystallites) were confirmed by TEM and HRTEM analysis.
Mineralogy and geochemistry of rare earth elements in the Moyil Valley alteration zones, Meshkinshahr (northwest Iran)

Abstract Sabalan Mountain (northwest Iran) witnessed intense volcanic activity during the Cenozoic (Plio-Pleistocene). The result of this manifests itself in the conical geometry of the Sabalan stratovolcano and ahigh hydrothermal gradient around it, which can be detected by geological phenomena such as hot springs, smoke gases and steam outlet pores. The high hydrothermal slope and upward migration of hot water in this area have caused extensive alteration zones in the host rocks. A mineralogical study of alteration zones in thewells drilled in the Moyil Valley to the northwest of Sabalan Mountain has revealed the presence of phyllic, argillic, calcitic and propylitic alterations in volcanic rocks (trachyandesite) and alteration phyllic and propylitic ones in monzonite rocks. In chondrite-normalised rare-earth-element diagrams, trachyandesite rocks exhibit an HREEs enrichment when compared to MREEs and LREEs in propylitic and calcitic alteration zones. This result can be explained by the acidic nature of hydrothermal fluids containing complex ions such as (SO-2, Cl-). The (La/Yb)cn, (La/Sm)cn and (Tb/Yb)cn ratios for argillic, phyllic, propylitic and calcitic alteration zones have revealed that they are higher in fresh rocks compared to altered rocks, suggesting the enrichment of HREEs in comparison to LREEs and MREEs. The anomalies of Eu do not change remarkably in the argillic and propylitic alteration zones of trachyandesite rocks; apparently, alteration hadno effect on them. Such behaviour reflects the presence of gold cations in Eu+3 formed at temperatures below 250°C. Eu anomalies increased in propylitic alteration zones in monzonite rocks and calciticand phyllic alteration zones in trachyandesiterocks.
Methanol conversion over TiO2-anatase supported oxomolybdate catalysts: an integrated operando – DFT modeling approach

TiO2-supported molybdenum oxide has been studied through a combination of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and Raman operando spectroscopy. XANES gives insights on the electronic structure of the molybdenum embedded in the active phase, while Raman spectroscopy probes the structure of the oxomolybdate phase at the molecular level. These paired experiments have also been complemented by density functional theory calculations to better refine the resulting structure and make it possible to further understand the structure–activity correlations. In line with the approach, we show that the reactivity of the supported oxomolybdate phase is strongly dependent on the molybdenum loading of the catalyst. Indeed, low molybdenum content catalysts exhibit isolated tetrahedrally coordinated molybdenum centers that are not reducible and show a very low activity in methanol conversion. On the other hand, high molybdenum loading catalysts present reducible molybdenum centers that are rather active in methanol conversion. This change in the behavior of the supported phase is found to be related to a change in the oxygen coordination spheres: high loading induces molybdenum oxide clusters of higher nuclearity where the molybdenum atoms are surrounded by five or six oxygen atoms.
Coordination of Axial Trunk Rotations During Gait in Low Back Pain. A Narrative Review

Abstract Chronic low back pain patients have been observed to show a reduced shift of thorax-pelvis relative phase towards out-of-phase movement with increasing speed compared to healthy controls. Here, we review the literature on this phase shift in patients with low back pain and we analyze the results presented in literature in view of the theoretical motivations to assess this phenomenon. Initially, based on the dynamical systems approach to movement coordination, the shift in thorax-pelvis relative phase with speed was studied as a self-organizing transition. However, the phase shift is gradual, which does not match a self-organizing transition. Subsequent emphasis in the literature therefore shifted to a motivation based on biomechanics. The change in relative phase with low back pain was specifically linked to expected changes in trunk stiffness due to ‘guarded behavior’. We found that thorax-pelvis relative phase is affected by several interacting factors, including active drive of thorax rotation through trunk muscle activity, stride frequency and the magnitude of pelvis rotations. Large pelvis rotations and high stride frequency observed in low back pain patients may contribute to the difference between patients and controls. This makes thorax-pelvis relative phase a poor proxy of trunk stiffness. In conclusion, thorax-pelvis relative phase cannot be considered as a collective variable reflecting the orderly behaviour of a complex underlying system, nor is it a marker of specific changes in trunk biomechanics. The fact that it is affected by multiple factors may explain the considerable between-subject variance of this measure in low back pain patients and healthy controls alike.
Lactobacillus Spp. strains isolation, identification, preservation and quantitative determinations from the intestinal content and faeces of weaned piglets

Abstract The study aimed to isolate, identify, preserve and evaluate the quantitative level of the Lactobacillus strains from gut content and faeces of weaned piglets, 30-107 days old; to test the viability of these strains preserved at 4°C and room temperature. Lactobacillus strains were isolated, phenotypically identified and preserved from gut content and faeces of 20 weaned piglets. Identification was performed by morphological, cultural and biochemical character examination, using apiwebTM and ABIS online software. Lactobacillus spp. from intestinal content and faeces (106 – 109 CFU/g) and the viability of strains preserved at 4°C and at room temperature were also determined (from 38 days to 4 months). Twenty-six strains of L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. plantarum, L. salivarius and L. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii, from gut content and faeces of weaned piglets were isolated, phenotypic identified and preserved. Of these, L. fermentum, L. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii and L. acidophilus biotype 2 isolates were technologically and ecologically suitable for continuing the testing of probiotic traits.
Picture-Based Recognition of Smokers: A Novel Visual Method

Abstract It is important to obtain a deeper understanding of the social context of smoking, which may support finding new ways to hinder the development of a smoker’s identity. The authors developed the Picture Based Recognition of Smokers (PBRS) method in order to understand the identity markers of the social and visual contexts related to adolescent smoking. The differences in identifying non-smokers and smokers between traditional text-based questionnaires and PBRS were compared in a discriminatory analysis conducted by comparison clouds and correlograms. The ability of these methods to predict adolescent smokers was tested with a regression model combined with permutation analysis. The result of word clouds confirmed that interpretations of the visual identity markers of pictures differ between non-smokers and smokers. PBRS had a better success rate of predictions than the text-based questionnaires. This approach develops preventive interventions which do not stigmatize the intervention group.
Size tailoring of TiO2 anatase nanoparticles in aqueous medium and synthesis of nanocomposites. Characterization by Raman spectroscopy

Nanoparticles of anatase with mean size in the range 5–10 nm were prepared by precipitation of TiCl4 in aqueous medium in the range 2 ≤ pH ≤ 6. Hydroxylation of TiCl4 at room temperature leads instantaneously to an amorphous titanium oxyhydroxide phase which crystallizes as anatase upon aging at 60 °C in suspension. Small amounts of brookite or rutile are concurrently obtained depending on the acidity. The size of anatase particles was characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The latter was also used to determine the particle size and to characterize the crystallinity of particles through the phonon confinement effect. The particle size, dependent on the acidity, is closely related to the electrostatic surface charge density of particles. The size variation was interpreted as resulting from a lowering of the interfacial tension due to the protonation of particle surface groups. Composite materials were synthesized by polymerisation of silica in aqueous sols of anatase. The dispersed anatase nanoparticles are stable against the transformation to rutile up to 1000 °C.
Characterization of dissolved lignins from acetic acid Lignofibre (LGF) organosolv pulping and discussion of its delignification mechanisms

Abstract Birch chips were cooked by means of the Lignofibre (LGF) organosolv process in acetic acid (AA) and phosphinic acid (H3PO2) at 150°C. The delignification rate and structure of the dissolved lignin was followed as a function of time. The degree of delignification increased steadily up to 88% during the 120 min treatment time. The dissolved lignins were precipitated from the spent liquor (SL) by water addition, washed, and purified for the analyses. Elemental analysis, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were applied for the structural elucidation. It was found that the cleavage of the β-aryl ether linkages is the main reaction leading to delignification, accompanied by the formation of free phenolic hydroxyl groups and reduction in the content of aliphatic hydroxyl groups. The structure of the dissolved lignin remained the same after the drastic changes at the early stages of cooking (up to 30 min cooking time), indicating that secondary reactions (e.g., condensation) do not take place to a significant extent. H3PO2 probably enhances the acidolysis reaction via an ester derivative that both boosts the cleavage reaction and prevents the formation of the carbocation intermediate that induces condensation. Homolytic cleavage reactions may take place parallel to the acidolytic reactions.
Electrically Conductive Polystyrene/Polypyrrole Nanocomposites Prepared via Emulsion Polymerization

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles in polystyrene (PS) matrix were synthesized by emulsion polymerization using ferric sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and n-amyl alcohol as an oxidant, emulsifier and dopant, and co-emulsifier, respectively. The content of PPy nanoparticles in the composites varied from 14.11 to 34.63 wt%, as calculated from elemental analysis. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy images showed spherical nanopartciles of PPy with diameters of 30–74 nm were well dispersed in PS matrix. It was found that the thermal stability and electrical conductivity of PS/PPy composites increased with increasing content of PPy nanoparticles.
Environmental migrants and social-movement participation

The displacement of people due to climatic changes (environmental migration) presents major societal and governance challenges. This article examines whether and how climate-induced rural-to-urban migration contributes to social-movement participation. We argue that the mainly forceful nature of relocation makes environmental migrants more likely to join and participate in social movements that promote migrant rights in urban areas. Using original survey data from Kenya, we find that individuals who had experienced several different types of severe climatic events at their previous location are more likely to join and participate in social movements. This finding has important policy implications. National and local authorities should not only provide immediate assistance and basic social services to environmental migrants in urban settings, but also facilitate permanent solutions by fostering their socio-economic and political integration in order to prevent urban conflict.
Natural hazards, internal migration and protests in Bangladesh

Does internal migration following natural hazards increase the likelihood of protests in migrant-receiving areas? To address the question, this study first looks at the extent to which experiencing different forms of natural hazards contributes to a household’s decision to leave their district of residence. In a second step, the article explores whether that internal migration flow increases the number of protest events in migrant-hosting districts. In doing so, it contributes to the existing debate on the extent to which natural hazards impact the likelihood of social contention, and the role of migration as a linking pathway in that relationship. The impact of climate-related shocks may erode household assets and therefore adaptive capacity in ways that can eventually influence decisions to migrate to larger urban centres. Although migrants are agents of economical and technological change, urban environments may impose challenges to recently arrived migrants and their host communities, affecting the motivations and mobilization resources of urban social groups to protest. As a consequence, the probability of urban unrest in these locations is expected to increase. To test this, I use geo-referenced household-level data from Bangladesh for the period 2010–15, which records households’ experiences of different forms of natural hazard and internal migration flows, available from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey. It combines this with data on protests, derived from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. Findings suggest that flood hazards in combination with loss of assets increase the likelihood of internal migration, but unlike other types of domestic mobility, hazard-related migration does not increase the frequency of protests in migrants’ districts of destination.
Lay Conceptions of Modesty in China: A Prototype Approach

We investigated lay conceptions of modesty in China (谦虚) using a prototype approach. First, a sample of Chinese participants spontaneously listed the characteristics of modest persons. Independent coders then edited these into 112 exemplars, and further grouped them into 34 categories (Study 1). Categories that subsumed more frequently occurring items were deemed more prototypical. Second, another sample of Chinese participants directly rated these categories for how well they corresponded with the concept of modesty (Study 2). Thereafter, frequencies and ratings were algorithmically integrated, permitting categories to be ranked into three broad divisions: central, peripheral, and marginal. Finally, the ordinal validity of divisions was confirmed by having a third sample of Chinese participants rate the modesty of individuals exhibiting traits from within each division (Study 3). Lay conceptions of modesty in China only partly corresponded to those in previous Western samples. Among those categories that were shared, some were central in both China and the West (FRIENDLY, NOT CONCEITED), others only in China (LOW-KEY, POLITE, EASYGOING, AUTHENTIC). Furthermore, several central categories were unique to China (TAKES-CRITICISM, STEADY, CAUTIOUS, ASPIRING). Our findings inform ongoing conceptualizations of modesty in a cross-cultural context.
Depression-/Anxiety-Like Behavior Alterations in Adult Slit2 Transgenic Mice

Background: Slit2 is a member of the Slit family of secreted glycoproteins that plays highly conserved roles in neuronal axon guidance and cellular migration. Our previous experimental results showed Alzheimer's disease-like alterations and increased permeability of the blood–brain barrier in Slit2-overexpressing transgenic (Slit2-Tg) mice aged 8–9 months. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about behavioral alterations in adult Slit2-Tg mice (2–6 months of age). To observe the age-related behavioral effects of Slit2 overexpression in adult mice, we performed a battery of behavioral tests with adult Slit2-Tg mice at 2–6 months of age. Results: The body weight of Slit2-Tg mice was lower than that of the wild-type mice from 15 weeks of age. Compared with the control mice, depression-like behaviors were found in Slit2-Tg mice from 15 to 21 weeks of age in the sucrose preference test, although Slit2-Tg mice were hyperactive in the tail suspension test. The anxiety-like behaviors were found in Slit2-Tg mice in the open field test, as well as increased locomotor activity. The anxiety-like behaviors were also found in adult Slit2-Tg mice in the elevated plus maze. Compared to wild-type mice at 23 weeks old, impairment of the hippocampal neurons were found in Slit2-Tg mice at the same age in hematoxylin–eosin staining (H&E), including some eccentric dispersion and expansion of neuronal bodies. In addition, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of TNF-α was elevated in the hippocampus of adult Slit2-Tg mice. Conclusions: Slit2 overexpression causes depression-/anxiety-like behaviors in adult mice that may be related to an increase in inflammatory factors and damage to hippocampal neurons.
Acute Stroke Biomarkers: Are We There Yet?

Background: Distinguishing between stroke subtypes and knowing the time of stroke onset are critical in clinical practice. Thrombolysis and thrombectomy are very effective treatments in selected patients with acute ischemic stroke. Neuroimaging helps decide who should be treated and how they should be treated but is expensive, not always available and can have contraindications. These limitations contribute to the under use of these reperfusion therapies. Aim: An alternative approach in acute stroke diagnosis is to identify blood biomarkers which reflect the body's response to the damage caused by the different types of stroke. Specific blood biomarkers capable of differentiating ischemic from hemorrhagic stroke and mimics, identifying large vessel occlusion and capable of predicting stroke onset time would expedite diagnosis and increase eligibility for reperfusion therapies. Summary of Review: To date, measurements of candidate biomarkers have usually occurred beyond the time window for thrombolysis. Nevertheless, some candidate markers of brain tissue damage, particularly the highly abundant glial structural proteins like GFAP and S100β and the matrix protein MMP-9 offer promising results. Grouping of biomarkers in panels can offer additional specificity and sensitivity for ischemic stroke diagnosis. Unbiased “omics” approaches have great potential for biomarker identification because of greater gene, protein, and metabolite coverage but seem unlikely to be the detection methodology of choice because of their inherent cost. Conclusion: To date, despite the evolution of the techniques used in their evaluation, no individual candidate or multimarker panel has proven to have adequate performance for use in an acute clinical setting where decisions about an individual patient are being made. Timing of biomarker measurement, particularly early when decision making is most important, requires urgent and systematic study.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Its Effect on Teaching and Learning Process in the Higher Educational Institutions

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, most of the higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe have replaced conventional teaching with online teaching. However, the technological preparedness of countries of varied nature differs significantly. In this context, the purpose of the study is to answer the following research question: how are the HEIs mitigating the difficulties that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate online teaching–learning process? The study is carried out based on a cross-sectional study from 281 academic professionals who are employed in HEIs in India and Ethiopia. The findings from this comparative study highlight that digital divide and lack of institutional preparedness are found to be major problems that constrained the effective implementation of online teaching/learning. Besides, this study also found that training programmes for the faculty members to utilize web resources and facilitate online teaching were found to be limited in both the countries. The article concludes by offering suggestions and policy advice to minimize the digital divide and for successful implementation of online teaching in HEIs.
Autonomic Characteristics of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy in Children—A Systematic Review of Studies and Their Relevance to the Management of Epilepsy in Rett Syndrome

Aim: To systematically identify and critically appraise studies that investigate the autonomic characteristics of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in the pediatric population. We also wanted to explore how this information would be relevant to the management of epilepsy in patients with Rett Syndrome. Method: Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science databases was performed to identify eligible studies. After extracting data from the included studies, a thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes. A quality appraisal was also done to assess the quality of the included studies. Results: The systematic search revealed 41 records, and 15 full-text articles on the autonomic characteristics of SUDEP in children were included in the final analysis. Following thematic analysis, three themes were identified (I) modulation in sympathovagal tone, (II) pre- and post-ictal autonomic changes, and (III) other markers of autonomic dysregulation in children with epilepsy. Modulation in sympathovagal tone emerged as the theme with the highest frequency followed by pre- and post-ictal autonomic changes. While the themes provide additional insight into the management of epilepsy in the Rett Syndrome population, the quality of evidence concerning the autonomic characteristics of SUDEP in the pediatric population was low and underscores the importance of much needed research in this area. Conclusion: The mechanism of SUDEP in the pediatric population is complex and involves an interplay between several components of the autonomic nervous system. While direct clinical inferences regarding pediatric SUDEP could not be made, the thematic analysis does suggest that in vulnerable populations such as Rett Syndrome, where there is already a pervasive autonomic dysregulation, pro-active surveillance of the autonomic profile in this patient group would be useful to better manage epilepsy and reduce the SUDEP risk.