Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Inhibitory Effect on Streptococcus mutans by Oleanolic Acid

Among endogenous oral microflora, Streptococcus mutans plays a critical role in dental plaque formation, which mainly contributes to the development of caries and periodontal disease. Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds that have been studied as beneficial nutrients to human health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of phytochemicals against S. mutans. Among them, oleanolic acid (OA) and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (HF) from Thomson seedless raisins were tested for anti-microbial effects against various clinically important bacteria. OA inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, but not Gram-negative bacteria. However, HF did not display any antibacterial effect against any of the strains tested. OA also exhibited inhibitory effects in surface adherence and biofilm formation of S. mutans. The results suggest that OA can be utilized as a potential anti-plaque and anti-caries agent by controlling the physiological characteristics of S. mutans on teeth.
Assessment Of Blending Local And Imported Aggregates On Properties Of Their Asphalt Concrete Mixtures

Environmental conditions in the State of Qatar together with lack of good­ quality aggregates seem to severely reduce the service lives of constructed pavements. The current practice of road construction agencies in Qatar is to utilize Marshall method of mix design to arrive at the best combination of aggregates, commonly crushed local limestone or imported Gabbro as coarse and fine aggregates and a mineral filler, and the 60170 pen. grade bitumen. Little effort was undertaken to investigate the possibility of blending the local limestone and imported Gabbro aggregates and/or utilizing a harder bitumen grade, such as the 40/50 pen. , to improve the properties of produced asphalt concrete mixtures. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect(s) of using a blend of 50% Gabbro, 50% limestone as an aggregate on the performance of the respective bituminous concrete mixtures utilizing the 40/50 and 60170 pen. grade asphalt cements as binders, respectively. Results of the study indicate that a better Marshall stability could be obtained by blending limestone and Gabbro aggregates. However, the 40/50 pen. concrete mixtures did not exhibit superior qualities to those of the commonly used 60170 pen. Asphalt concrete mixtures utilizing Gabbro aggregates alone showed better mix density and were less affected by water soaking.
Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Bimorph Piezoelectric Cantilever

Vibration energy harvesting with piezoelectric material can currently generate up to 300 microwatts per cubic centimeter, making it a viable method of powering low-power electronics. A problem in piezoelectric unimorph energy harvesting is to generate the most power with limits in system mass. This paper studies the effect of a piezoelectric bimorph cantilever beam harvester shape on its electromechanical performance. A semi-analytical mechanical model was developed using Rayleigh–Ritz approximations for piezoelectric energy harvester with tapered bimorph cantilever beam. A coupled field simulation model for the harvester is constructed using MATLAB and ABAQUS software to study the effect of varying the length and shape of the cantilever beam to the generated voltage and verification study is performed. Design optimization on the shape of the harvester is done to maximize output power. It is shown that tapered beams lead to a more uniform strain distribution across the piezoelectric material and increase the harvesting performance.
Effects of fishing disturbance on benthic communities and secondary production within an intensively fished area

Demersal fishing alters seabed habitats and affects the structure and functioning of ben- thic invertebrate communities. At a critical level of disturbance, such communities may approach an equilibrium disturbed state in which a further increase in disturbance has little additional impact. Such arguments have been used to suggest that an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) should protect lightly fished areas and deflect fishing activity into areas that are already intensively fished. In this study, the effects of variation in fishing disturbance on the secondary pro- duction, species diversity, abundance, biomass, and community structure of benthic infauna were examined in a region of the German Bight (North Sea) that has been intensively trawled for decades. Variation in fishing disturbance across the study area was determined using automated position reg- istration and vessel monitoring through satellite. Even in such a heavily fished area, linear regression analyses revealed that biomass, species richness, and production decreased significantly with increasing fishing intensity. Although redundancy analyses (RDA) showed that sediment character- istics were influential in determining the structure of the infauna community, partial RDA revealed that fishing continued to have an impact on community structure in terms of biomass. These results suggest that, in implementing an EAFM, managers will need to consider the possibility that, even in areas with high chronic fishing disturbance, further increases in fishing activity may still cause addi- tional damage to benthic invertebrate communities.
Shear Strength of Soft Clay Reinforced with Single Encased Bottom Ash Columns

Stone column is one of the most commonly used in soil improvement technique around the world which capable to increase the bearing capacity of soft clay and reduce settlement of structure constructed on them. Due to its higher value of strength and stiffness, it can sustain larger proportion of the applied load which improves the performance of foundation beds. Meanwhile, the substantial amount of bottom ash disposed in the landfills have causes a serious environment pollution. As the bottom ash is part of the residue of combustion of coal and also the by-product produced in a furnace of the power plant. Hence, by reutilize the bottom ash as granular material in vertical granular column, the cost of construction can be reduced and able to achieve more strength of soft clay after being reinforced with a single bottom ash column which been encased with geotextile. Remolded specimens of 50 mm in diameter and 100 mm in height soft kaolin clay installed with single encapsulated bottom ash columns with 10 mm and 16 mm diameter was subsequently tested under Unconfined Compression Test. It can be concluded that the shear strength parameters shows some significant improvement on encased and non-encased bottom ash columns and were affected by the diameter and height of the column.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the spermatogenic and Leydig cell activity in stallions with impaired semen quality after treatment with equine somatotropin. Experiments were performed using 18 adult clinically healthy stallions with poor semen qual-

spermatogenic and Leydig cell activity in stallions with impaired semen quality after treatment with equine somatotropin. Experiments were performed using 18 adult clinically healthy stallions with poor semen quality which did not pass breeding soundness evaluation. The animals were randomly divided into a treatment (n = 9) and a control (n = 9) group. Over a period of 90 days, nine stallions received a daily intramuscular injection of 10 mg recombinant equine somatotropin (EquiGen®, BresaGen Limited, Adelaide, Australia) and 9 control animals were injected with the same amount of physiological saline solution. During and until 2 months after treatment, semen characteristics and daily sperm output as well as plasma testosterone concentrations were determined monthly in all stallions. In addition, testosterone concentration measurement after stimulation with hCG was performed in all animals immediately before and at the end of the treatment period as well as 2 months later. Our results demonstrate that equine somatotropin (EquiGen®) given daily in a dose of 10 mg per animal during 90 days had no significant effect neither on plasma testosterone concentrations and hCG-induced testosterone release nor on semen quality parameters in adult stallions with poor semen characteristics.
Decomposition of dissolved DMSP and DMS in estuanne waters: dependence on temperature and substrate concentration

Dimethylsulfide (DMS) is an important trace gas which is emitted from seawater to the atmosphere. DMS is believed to be derived primarily from the plant osmolyte 3-(dimethylsulfonium)propionate (DMSP). This study examined the decomposition of dissolved DMSP (DMSPdiss), the production of DMS from DMSPdiss, and the consumption of DMS in estuarine waters near Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA. Rate of DMSPdiSs disappearance from seawater was directly proportional to the concentration of DMSPd,,,, over the range of concentrations tested (20 to 100 nM), and was a function of temperature; rates were very low at 4 "C and increased progressively at 16, 23 and 30 "C. At 49°C the rate of DMSPdi,, metabolism was substantially lower. The production of DMS from DMSPdi,, displayed similar concentration and temperature dependence. However, a mass balance of total DMSP during dark incubations indicated that < 30 'I/" of the DMSP consumed during the experiments was converted to DMS, even when chloroform (500 1tM) was included to prevent DMS consumption. Chloroform did not affect DMSP decomposition or DMS production from this compound. Thus, we conclude that DMS is not the major sulfur product of DMSP metabolism in estuarine waters. An alternative route for DMSP metabolism, possibly involving demethylation, is suggested. Rate of DMS consumption was directly dependent on DMS concentration and incubation temperature. DMS metabolism was strongly inhibited by chloroform (500 1tM) and azide (0.25 %). Results suggest that DMS production and consumption may be closely coupled in natural seawater since both these processes displayed similar concentration and temperature dependence. The characteristics (kinetic parameters) of the enzyme systems involved in DMS production and consumption are likely to play a major role in controlling the concentration of DIMS in seawater.
Connecting the pieces of the puzzle toward sustainable organizations : a framework integrating OM principles with GSCM

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework integrating the Hart and Milstein (2003) strategies for organizational sustainable development (SD) with the ideas of Kleindorfer et al. (2005) on sustainable operations management (SOM), which requires guidance of green supply chain management (GSCM). Design/methodology/approach – The construction of the framework was based on previous studies that discussed synergies between operations management principles with environmental bias and studies on adoption of GSCM practices. Findings – The proposed framework guides managers to reconcile operations management practices/principles that are already being implemented in organizations with an environmental perspective because these practices sustain organizations to simultaneously reach SOM and SD. Originality/value – The paper presents a framework that provides guidance on how organizations can seek sustainability in their operations, considering that articles on the topic of sustainability have not been developed with this specific focus.
Face Detection Using The Embedded System

This paper based on the face detection framework proposed by Viola and Jones 2001. There are three key contributions. The first is the introduction of a new image representation called the “Integral Image” which allows the features used by oue detector to be computed very quickly. The second is a learning algorithm, based on AdaBoost, which selects a small number of critical visual features and yields extremely efficient classifier. The third is embedded system. This converts a non-embedded system into a embedded system.
Application of combined ultrasound and cellulase preparation to guava (Psidium guajava) mash treatment in juice processing: optimization of biocatalytic conditions by response surface methodology.

In this study, guava mash was preliminary treated by ultrasound and then by cellulase preparation for juice processing. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the conditions of the biocatalytic treatment. The optimal conditions of cellulolytic treatment were enzyme concentration of 0.12% (w/w) and treatment time of 57 minutes. Under these conditions, the extraction yield achieved maximum of 65.7% and this value was 21.2% higher than that in the control sample. In addition, the guava juice quality was improved. The levels of total sugars and phenolics were increased 13.5% and 16.4%, respectively in comparison with those in the control sample. Guava mash treatment by ultrasound and cellulase preparation reduced the ascorbic acid content in the obtained juice but its antioxidant activity increased 19.7% (evaluated by 2,2’ -azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid method) and 11.5% (evaluated by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power method) compared to that in the control sample.
Virtualization : A Novice Approach

Virtualization provides many benefits - greater efficiency in CPU utilization, greener IT with less power consumption, better management through central environment control, more availability, reduced project timelines by eliminating hardware procurement, improved disaster recovery capability, more central control of the desktop, and improved outsourcing services. With these benefits, it is no wondered that virtualization has had a meteoric rise to the 2008 Top 10 IT Projects! This white paper presents a brief look at virtualization, its benefits and weaknesses, and today's "best practices" regarding virtualization. I. INTRODUCTION Virtualization, in computing, is a term that refers to the various techniques, methods or approaches of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as a virtual hardware platform, operating system (OS), storage device, or network resources. Virtualization addresses IT's most pressing challenge: the infrastructure sprawl that compels IT departments to channel 70% of their budget into maintenance, leaving scant resources for business-building innovation. The difficulty stems from the architecture of today's X86 computers: they're designed to run just one operating system and application at a time. As a result, even small datacenters have to deploy many servers, each operating at just 5% to 15% of capacity—highly inefficient by any standard.
A Method for Forecasting Regional Logistics Demand Based on BP Neural Network

Regional logistics demand forecast is an important part of the regional economy which can be developed well and fast, the regional economy is the decisive force to the regional logistics development, so it is feasible to predict the regional logistics demand by regional economic index. In this paper, we build the BP neural network model based on regional economic indices to forecast the regional logistics demand. The simulation results show that the model can reflect the nonlinear relationship between the regional logistics and regional economy, which causes the regional logistics demand forecast results are more reasonable.
Multiple-scattering theory for three-dimensional periodic acoustic composites

We present results for acoustic wave propagation in periodic composites consisting of solid spheres in a fluid host. We show that for solid scatterers in fluid host material combinations the extensively used plane-wave method is inadequate to produce accurate results and a new approach is required. Our band-structure results are obtained by using a multiple-scattering approach based on an extension of the well-known Korringa-KohnRostoker method. @S0163-1829~99! 04841-9#
Evaluation of cation exchange membrane performance under exposure to high Hg0 and HgBr2 concentrations

Abstract. Reactive mercury (RM), the sum of both gaseous oxidized Hg and particulate bound Hg, is an important component of the global atmospheric mercury cycle, but measurement currently depends on uncalibrated operationally defined methods with large uncertainty and demonstrated interferences and artifacts. Cation exchange membranes (CEMs) provide a promising alternative methodology for quantification of RM, but method validation and improvements are ongoing. For the CEM material to be reliable, uptake of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) must be negligible under all conditions and RM compounds must be captured and retained with high efficiency. In this study, the performance of CEM material under exposure to high concentrations of GEM (1.43×106 to 1.85×106 pg m−3) and reactive gaseous mercury bromide (HgBr2 ∼5000 pg m−3) was explored using a custom-built mercury vapor permeation system. Quantification of total permeated Hg was measured via pyrolysis at 600 ∘C and detection using a Tekran® 2537A. Permeation tests were conducted over 24 to 72 h in clean laboratory air, with absolute humidity levels ranging from 0.1 to 10 g m−3 water vapor. GEM uptake by the CEM material averaged no more than 0.004 % of total exposure for all test conditions, which equates to a non-detectable GEM artifact for typical ambient air sample concentrations. Recovery of HgBr2 on CEM filters was on average 127 % compared to calculated total permeated HgBr2 based on the downstream Tekran® 2537A data. The low HgBr2 breakthrough on the downstream CEMs (< 1 %) suggests that the elevated recoveries are more likely related to suboptimal pyrolyzer conditions or inefficient collection on the Tekran® 2537A gold traps.
Bank Customer Profitability Management

The goal of the present article is to investigate and assess the directions of customer profitability management of the Latvian commentarial banks, which are aimed at promoting bank customer centricity. To achieve the goal, the authors initially conducted content analysis of scientific literature on customer centricity. Based on the results of the content analysis, the following tasks were completed: 1) a survey questionnaire was developed, which was used in polling the customers of Latvian commercial banks with regard to bank customer centricity; 2) a model refocusing product-centric customer segmentation to customer-centric segmentation was elaborated; 3) customer bank account statements were analyzed; 4) customer ecomap was developed. As a result of the survey conducted, it was concluded that customer centricity of the Latvian commercial banks is at the average level. In turn, the analysis of customer bank account statements, which was focused on customer centricity, demonstrated that bank customers can be classified according to these principles. As a result, three customer segment groups were identified. In the conclusion, the authors suggest elaborating ecomaps for the profitable customer segment group.
Experimental Investigation on Bonding Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymeric Plates to Concrete Substrate

Various researches have been carried out in the recent past years with the aim of demonstrating the feasibility of strengthening structures by means of composite materials. Thus, the use of externally bonded fiber reinforced polymeric composites (FRP), composite system for strengthening concrete structures became one of the most common application of FRP composites in civil engineering and has received a great amount of research attention. Bond behaviour between FRP and concrete has emerged as a major issue, being essential in shear and flexural applications. A great deal of the success of externally reinforced elements depends on the surface preparation, thus appropriate specifications regarding this matter will be also presented. The experimental work consists in testing concrete specimens strengthened with different types of carbon fiber reinforced polymeric (CFRP) plates and subjected to double shear test. The empirical results obtained during the tests provide an adequate characterization of the interfacial region regarding bond strength, the bond – slip behaviour, as well as the types of failure.
Channel-predictive link layer ARQ protocols in wireless networks

CHANNEL-PREDICTIVE LINK LAYER ARQ PROTOCOLS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS by Huseyin Dogukan Cavdar Communication performance over a wireless channel should be considered according to two main parameters: energy and throughput. The reliable data transfer is a key to these goals. The reliable node-to-node data transfer is performed by link layer protocols. One prominent approach is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol. The traditional ARQ protocols attempt to recover the erroneously transmitted frames by retransmitting those frames, regardless of the channel state. Since this channel state unaware behaviour may cause unnecessary retransmissions, traditional ARQ protocols are expected to be energy inefficient. Some ideas have been proposed such as stochastic learning automaton based ARQ, and channel probing based ARQ. However, these algorithms do not attempt to estimate the channel's existing condition. Instead, the retransmission decision is made according to a simple feedback, on whether the previous frame was successful. This thesis presents four proposed algorithms, which incorporates the channel state estimate in the feedback process to judiciously select a frame (re)transmission timing instant. Algorithms have been applied on Stop-and-Wait (S-W) ARQ, and the performance have been compared with respect to simple S-W ARQ, and probing based S-W ARQ. In probing based ARQ, when the channel deteriorates, transmitter starts probing channel periodically, but the periodicity is chosen arbitrarily, regardless of the fading state. In contrast, the proposed algorithms estimate the channel's existing condition by using feedbacks, and the probing interval is chosen according to the Average Fading Duration (AFD) of received signal. Simulations are performed with Rayleigh Fading Channel. The performance results show that at the cost of some additional delay, significiant gain on energy saving and throughput performance can be achieved when AFD based intelligent probing is done. CHANNEL-PREDICTIVE LINK LAYER ARQ PROTOCOLS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS by Huseyin Dogukan Cavdar A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Diagnosis of the Auditory System of a CCD Case Treated Surgically and Orthodontically

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) represents a rare genetic disease characterized by disturbances in osseous structures, face dysmorphia, hypoplasia or aplasia of clavicles and numerous supranumerary teeth causing permanent teeth impaction. The study aimed at presenting a case of 12-year-old girl with CCD at the phase of active orthodontic treatment, involving successive extraction of multiple supranumerary teeth and repositioning of additional teeth using elastic traction. The patient was also subjected to a complex auditory examination which detected a hearing loss. Patients with CCD from their youngest years should be covered by a broad diagnosis and therapy, involving a comprehensive collaboration of multiple specialities.