Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photocatalytic properties of ZnO thin film with different morphologies from seed, array to grass

ZnO thin film with different morphologies from seed, array to grass was grown by simple aqueous solution method under room temperature. The morphologies, structure, optical properties and photocatalytic properties of the samples were characterised by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence spectrometer, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and photocurrent response. The results showed that the ZnO arrays and grassy ZnO were both hexagonal wurtzite with uniform distribution and regular growth on the glass substrate. ZnO thin film with different morphologies affected the utilisation efficiency of the ultraviolet light. Multiple light reflections inside the grassy ZnO greatly increase the light efficiency. The methyl blue degradation rate of grassy ZnO photocatalyst was superior under the UV light compared to the other ZnO morphologies. Grassy ZnO showed favourable stability after five cycles. The comparison of the ZnO semiconductor in different dimensions is helpful for further research on other photocatalysts as well as their potential application.
Blood Drive Day-Related Factors Affecting University Student Blood Donation in Grenada, West Indies: A Case-Control Study

Title Blood Drive Day-Related Factors Affecting University Student Blood Donation in Grenada, West Indies: A Case-Control Study Authors(s) Hewitt, S.N. ; Messam, Locksley L. McV. Publication date 2018-11-27 Publication information West Indian Medical Journal, 67 (3): 218-225 Publisher The University of the West Indies Item record/more information http://hdl.handle. net/10197/10361 Publisher's statement From January 2019, articles in West Indian Medical Journal are published in open access under a Creative Commons Attribution International licence (CC BY). Publisher's version (DOI) 10.7727/wimj.2017. 222
Alternative food networks and opportunities for transformation towards a sustainable and resilient urban food system

Food systems are suffering from pressures related to population growth, increased urbanisation, climate change, and resource scarcity. These pressures are exacerbated by globalisation, with consumers concentrated in urban areas while producers are dispersed across rural areas that are often remote or even in different countries. To address these challenges and create a more sustainable and resilient future, many local governments have embraced the idea of urban food systems. The literature identifies a range of sustainable and resilient outcomes for urban food systems but finding effective transition pathways remains a challenge. Alternative food networks have emerged with the goal of being more environmentally sustainable and socially just. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify how alternative food networks can contribute to achieving sustainable and resilient urban food systems. The analysis of 50 international case studies showed that alternative food networks may be able to create a food provision system that contributes to: the generation, transfer, and appropriate use of food knowledge and skills; the protection of surrounding ecosystems; more participative decision processes; improved local food supply; and, increased connectivity between urban and rural areas. Social justice and product diversity, however, are issues that remain a challenge. The paper concludes with insights for supporting Australian alternative food networks, including: the further evaluation of alternative food networks capacity of reducing green-house gas emissions and food loss and waste; the inclusion of alternative food networks as a possible climate change adaptation strategy for urban food supply; and an analysis of how governance arrangements can better support these initiatives.
Challenges and opportunities in establishing an Health Examination Survey

In Italy, the last 30 years witnessed the implementation of cross-sectional surveys providing baseline data on numerous risk factors collected from random samples of the adult general population. In order to support those groups who would like to implement an health examination survey (HES), according to the experience of the CUORE Project surveys, the objective of this paper is to describe some information related to the organization of a survey (examination sites and sampling, selection of analytic laboratory, coordination and personnel involved, sample selection, recruitment and appointment scheduling, informative notice and informed consent, participation rate, non-participation bias, quality assurance, survey data, long term storage of the samples, internal quality control, external quality assessment, feedback to participants, error checking, correction and documentation of the data, transfer and storage of the data, statistical analyses and interpretation of results, dissemination of results), usually shortly described in scientific papers but relevant when an HES is planned.
Both novice and expert? How apprentices develop vocational competence in workplaces where technology is continuously changing: Examples from the Norwegian media graphics programme

This article explores how young apprentices develop vocational competence through apprenticeship in workplaces where technology is continuously changing. The article draws on results from a longitudinal study that followed seven apprentices enrolled in the media graphics programme in Norway through their two-year apprenticeships. The results showed how the apprentices developed vocational competence in the community of practice in the workplaces by taking an active part in the daily production, experimenting with different solutions, reflection, and by advice and discussions with their instructors and co-workers. However, the apprentices also had to deal with work tasks where the solutions were not yet known in the workplace. The article shows how the apprentices combined learning from colleagues with learning from other resources such as software courses and use of the internet. The results showed how the apprentices’ competence development can be a resource for the co-workers and can facilitate the development of the enterprise. Furthermore, these results provide new perspectives on competence development in the community of practice. The study showed that the apprenticeship has an innovative potential and is an essential way for young people to develop vocational competence in a world of work where technology is continuously changing.
Effect of Chloramphenicol on Rabbit Doe Fertility and Prenatal Development

Chloramphenicol (CP) is a synthetic antibiotic with large spectrum, mostly used in human and veterinary medicine to fight against diverse infections. In the present study the effects of this antibiotic on some does reproductive parameters were evaluated on 24 nulliparous, sexually mature female (6 months). The animals were divided into 4 groups of 6 does each, comparable in terms of body weight. To each group was randomly attributed by gavage 25, 50 and 75mg of CP/kg of body weight 30 days before mating (6 females for 1 male) and during the whole gestation period. After sacrifice of the does on the 28th day post-coitum, the organs (ovaries, liver, and kidneys) and fetus were collected and were examined to detect eventual anomalies. The main results showed a non-significant increase (P>0.05) of the relative weight of the liver and kidneys and a non-significant decrease (P>0.05) of that of the ovaries with increase in the dose of CP. No abortions were registered no matter the dose of CP. Gestation index, the rate of fetal mortality and of fetal viability were not significantly affected by the dose of CP used. A decreasing (P 0.05) of the average weight of the fetus and their body measurement, the number of corpus luteum and the sex-ratio (M/F) were registered from treated animals in relation to the control animals. A dose-dependent increase (P<0.05) of number of pre and post-implantation resorptions were noted. The only anomaly registered was the insufficient fusion of the cranial bones at the dose 50 and 75mg/kg of CP. A significant decrease (P<0.05) of the level of proteins in the serum and ovaries were noted in animals treated in relation to those of the control group. It was concluded that CP administered at doses of 25, 50 and 75 mg/kg bw to pre and post-coital rabbit does, negatively affects fertility but has no significant teratogenic effects. Its use should therefore be limited or prohibited in husbandry.
Molecular characterization of salt regulatory genes in Oreochromis niloticus andOreochromis mossambicus

Polymorphisms in microsatellite DNA loci located in the salt regulatory genes have been found toshow variations in salinity tolerance and growth in fish. Five microsatellite loci located in the salt regulatorygenes prolactin 1 (Prl1), transferrin-A (TFA) and transferrin-B (TFB)have been characterized in Oreochromisniloticus and O. mossambicus. The microsatellite markers were amplified from a total of 78 fish bypolymerase chain reaction and genotyped by polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoresis. The Prl1 (L-K),PrlI-MS01, TFA and TFB loci in O. niloticus and Prl I-MS01, TFA lociinO. mossambicus were found to bepolymorphic. The average observed (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) values in O. niloticus were higherthan the values in O. mossambicus. Except locus Prl1(L-K) in O. niloticus, the FIS values were negative in allother cases which indicates that both the two populations (O. niloticus and O. mossambicus) had excess ofheterozygosity. The loci Prl I-MS01 and TFA were both in O. mossambicus and O. niloticusand Prl1(L-K) inO. niloticus were found to be significantlydeviated from Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Polymorphismsdetected in four loci in O. niloticus can be used for studying association of polymorphisms with salt toleranceand selection of salt tolerant individuals of this species through marker assisted selection.
A Distributed Framework for Task Offloading in Edge Computing Networks of Arbitrary Topology

An important issue in an edge computing (EC) network is to increase the utilities of the end users concurrently accessing the computation resources. In this paper, we consider the task offloading in EC-enabled networks where the end users efficiently utilize the dispersed computation and communication resources in a multi-path multi-hop manner. We propose a binary optimization framework that generalizes multi-hop wireless EC task offloading as jointly making decisions of server selecting and traffic routing in networks of arbitrary topology (JoSRAT). We further develop an approximation algorithm JoSRAT that enables for a fully distributed implementation together with the worst-case performance guarantees. Interestingly, our proposed distributed algorithm achieves nearly optimal in the numerical evaluations, significantly outperforming the worst-case guarantees. The proposed algorithm also outperforms a widely-used heuristic, i.e., First Fit, in terms of computational time complexity, indicating the superior capability of the proposed framework.
Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with substance use disorder: A hospital-based study

Background: Pattern of substance use, profile of substance users, and treatment-seeking differ across cultures and continents. These differences could potentially affect the pattern and perhaps prevalence of dual diagnosis. However, the study of dual diagnosis from de-addiction clinics in India is limited in number and methodology. In this study, we report the prevalence and patterns of psychiatric disorders in subjects attending a de-addiction clinic in a teaching hospital in Srinagar, Kashmir. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 300 subjects (>18 years of age) seeking treatment for substance use disorders were screened with Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus for the presence of psychiatric comorbidity. Subjects were assessed after 4 weeks of complete abstinence from psychoactive substances. Results: Cannabis (26%) was the most common single-use substance. It was followed by polysubstance use (22.3%) and opioids (21.3%). Among the 300 subjects assessed for the purpose of the study, 174 (58%) were found to have dual diagnosis. Psychotic disorders (34%) were the most common psychiatric comorbidity, and it was followed by major depressive disorder (16%) and bipolar affective disorder (16%). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was present in 20 (11.5%) subjects. When the groups with or without dual diagnosis were compared, cannabis and benzodiazepine dependence was found to be significantly common in the dual diagnosis group. Conclusions: A high prevalence of dual diagnoses, especially psychotic disorders and also PTSD, in our predominantly cannabis-using subjects attending hospital located in a distinct sociocultural setting in India, highlights the importance of taking into consideration the sociocultural context in which substance use as well as dual diagnoses should be understood.
Design by numerical simulation of an in situ alpha spectrometer operating at ambient air pressure

Alpha emitters are usually identified and quantified by alpha spectrometry measurements in a vacuum chamber performed in laboratory environments. This study shows that transuranic elements can be distinguished under ambient conditions using a grid collimator. The aim of this work was to use numerical simulations with the MCNP6 code to design a grid with a resolution high enough to differentiate the same radionuclide combinations as alpha spectrometry in a vacuum chamber, namely 239Pu + 240Pu, 241Am + 238Pu and 244Cm. Results show that a compromise is required to obtain the best performances in terms of energy resolution and detection efficiency, leading to the choice of two hexagonal grid collimators. The first has a collimation height of 0.5 cm and an apothem of 1 mm. Laboratory tests on electrodeposited sources show that the target radionuclides can be identified without prior deconvolution, with an energy resolution of about 70 keV and a detection efficiency of 0.74% at incident energies of 5–6 MeV. The second grid has the same collimation height but a coarser mesh with an apothem of 2 mm. In this case, the alpha peaks are still distinguishable, but with a lower resolution of 125 keV. The detection efficiency is three times higher however.
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN LANGUAGE CLASS OF ARCHITECTURE – A CASE STUDY

Arousal of intellectual curiosity enhances the desire to learn. When students apply reasoning and use evidence to solve problems, they start working in the cognitive and metacognitive realms. This may lead to an organized and focused inquiry followed by questions and divergent views. English classrooms have ample opportunities to improve the quality of thought when tasks are designed using reading and listening materials. While concentrating on language skills, emphasis is given to critical thinking. Moving away from factual knowledge, the students will have opportunities to make intellectual moves, reason well and offer solutions to the problems. Using a listening or a passage, the task should be designed which would combine ideas and information in a new way that would lead to discussions based on the 4Cs communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thought. The paper focuses on the need of inculcating ‘thinking' in the 21 st century learners. Article visualizations:
China vs. U.S.: is co-skewness risk priced differently?

ABSTRACT We investigate the role of co-skewness in pricing stock returns in the Chinese and U.S. markets. In both markets, co-skewness is priced with a negative premium. The annualized factor-adjusted co-skewness effect is −7.98% in China and −3.53% in the U.S. The negative co-skewness effect coexists with other higher-moment-related pricing effects. Through two natural experiments in the Chinese and U.S. markets, we find that an improvement in the information environment greatly enhances the co-skewness pricing effect in both markets. Furthermore, we find that the governance structure and the efficiency level are the main determinants of the co-skewness premium in the Chinese market.
Changes on executive functions before and after quitting smoking: Pilot study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine differences in executive function between “healthy” patients smokers and nonsmoker’s and also determine the differences in executive functions before and after a period of 6 months without smoking. Materials and Method: 22 healthy smokers (aged 45 ± 12) and nonsmoker’s (aged 42 ± 11) were evaluated from 344 smoking subjects after excluding those with systemic diseases (diabetes, COPD, high blood pressure, etc.), lower than high school education, and those undergoing neuro-pharmacological treatment. The Delis–Kaplan Executive Performance Test was used for the neuropsychological evaluation. Findings: Significant differences were found in the baseline evaluation between smokers and nonsmoker’s on the working memory (p = 0.028), verbal fluency (0.028 and 0.016), and inhibition (0.034 and 0.023) subtests. After 6 months of quitting smoking were found changes in deductive thinking (p = 0.02), working memory (p = 0.021), and planning (p 0.016, p 0.053). Conclusions: Smokers without co-morbidities show differences on executive functions tasks and improve after a period of at least 6 months of abstinence from tobacco.
Background Calibration of Bit Weights in Pipelined-SAR ADCs Using Paired Comparators

This brief presents a background calibration technique for pipelined successive-approximation-register (pipelined SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), which resolves the errors from capacitor mismatches and inaccurate interstage gain errors. The dither signal is injected in the capacitor digital-to-analog converter (DAC), while its residue voltage increment is neutralized through paired comparators with opposite polarity offsets, thereby relaxing the design requirement of the residue amplifier. While one of the comparators is generating the residue signal, the other one is detecting the signal range and helping to obtain the bit weights. This brief also introduces the circuit design of paired comparators with opposite offsets. The background calibration technique is verified in a 5b + 8b pipelined SAR ADC. Simulation results show that the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) and the signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) are improved from 54.5 to 94 dB and 49 to 68.9 dB, respectively. The mean value of the voltage swing increment is 34 mV with noise sources, offset, gain error, and capacitor mismatches.
Covariance Regression Models for Studying Treatment Effect Heterogeneity Across One or More Outcomes: Understanding How Treatments Shape Inequality

Causal analyses typically focus on average treatment effects. Yet for substantive research on topics like inequality, interest extends to treatments’ distributional consequences. When individuals differ in their responses to treatment, three types of inequality may result. Treatment may shape inequalities between subgroups defined by pretreatment covariates, it may induce more inequality in one subgroup than another, or it may polarize people across multiple dimensions of well-being. We introduce a model, called a covariance regression, that captures all three types of inequality via the means, variances, and correlations between multiple outcomes. The model can test for heterogeneous treatment effects, quantify the heterogeneity, and explain its structure using covariates. Finding that a treatment creates inequalities could drive theoretical refinement and inform policy decisions (targeting groups where payoffs will be most predictable). We illustrate the utility of covariance regressions by analyzing the effects of sharing information about income inequality on redistributive preferences.
Membership and seismic analysis of red giants in open clusters, a study of M67, Ruprecht 147 and NGC2158.

Star clusters form via the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds, hence the stars they contain are dynamically linked. Stellar clusters provide an insight into star formation, an important question in astrophysics, as most stars are formed in this environment. The initial conditions of a star-forming region determines the evolution of the stars. Observations show that the angular momentum of the cloud while forming stars is disturbed by turbulence. Recent studies show that the alignment of the inclination angles of stars’ spin axis relative to our line of sight in an open cluster is evidence that the signature of turbulence of the cloud from which they formed has been retained. Red giants are bright stars which can be easily observed and hence make an excellent target for such studies. The aim of this project was to analyse the stellar populations of three open clusters in the Milky Way and to link these to the initial conditions of the molecular cloud they originally formed from using asteroseimological analysis. For the population analysis of the clusters, we use data from the Gaia mission to compute the probability for each star, if the probability is greater than two standard deviations (2σ), that star is said to be a member of the respective cluster. We select three clusters; M67, Ruprecht 147 and NGC 2158, all are more than one gigayear old and red giant rich. We find that M67 has 540 members with 29 red giants, Ruprecht 147 has 96 members with 7 red giants and NGC 2158 has 338 members with 11 red giants. With data from the Kepler space telescope, an asteroseismological analysis of the light curves of red giants in the old open clusters was performed. The light curves were processed using two different methods. Method A consisted manually removing trends and background contamination and Method B used the flux provided by the Kepler pipeline. We find that the frequency resolution for the second Kepler mission (K2) does not have the frequency resolution to identify individual oscillation modes, due to its loss of fine pointing. This means that the inclination angles for these cluster cannot be determined using K2 data. We conclude that M67 and R147 are excellent candidates to study star formation as they are relatively close and are red giant rich.
Genetics of human malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Abstract Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are heterogeneous, highly aggressive tumors with no widely effective treatment other than surgery. Genomic architecture of MPNST is similar to other soft tissue sarcomas, with a relatively modest burden of single nucleotide variants and an elevated frequency of copy-number alterations. Recent advances in genomic studies identified previously unrecognized critical involvement of polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) core components SUZ12 and EED in transition to malignancy. Notably, somatic changes in NF1, CDKN2A/B, and PRC2 are found in most MPNST regardless of their etiology (e.g. neurofibromatosis type 1-associated vs. sporadic vs. radiation-induced), indicating that similar molecular mechanisms impact pathogenesis in these neoplasms. The timing and specific order of genetic or epigenetic changes may, however, explain the typically poorer prognosis of NF1-associated MPNSTs. Studies that reveal genes and regulatory pathways uniquely altered in malignancies are essential to development of targeted tumor therapies. Characterization of MPNST molecular profiles may also contribute to tools for earlier detection, and prediction of prognosis or drug response. Here we review the genetic discoveries and their implications in understanding MPNST biology.