Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facile fabrication of reduced graphene oxide counter electrodes by laser engraver for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

Abstract Exploring alternative Pt-free counter electrode with low cost and high electrocatalytic activity is always a main focus at the frontier of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, a desktop laser engraver was applied to reduce graphene oxide (GO) film on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, and the obtained graphene-based material was further used as counter electrode for DSSC. Additionally, this facile laser-scribing method was also adopted to fabricate a prototype of composite electrode via the combination of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and carbon black (CB) to enhance the specific surface area and active sites. A variety of characterizations including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were conducted to investigate the microstructures and catalytic properties of these carbon electrodes. The findings reveal that both of the DSSCs with laser-scribed carbon electrodes show evidently increasing photovoltaic performance, and the DSSC based on RGO/CB composite electrode even presents a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.49%, comparable to 4.14% of the conventional Pt-based DSSC.
Effects of particle size on oxidative thermal decomposition kinetics and mechanisms of selected waste wood samples

Abstract In this study, the effects of particle size on combustion kinetics, mechanisms, and decomposition characteristics of five wood samples were examined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under air atmosphere and three different heating rates (10, 40, and 80 °C/min). By using the both Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Coats-Redfern methods, the highest activation energies were found to be for the coarse samples except untreated pine samples. Only a few studies in the literature investigated the effect of particle size on both thermal kinetics and responsible mechanisms of solid biomass fuels under oxidative environment. Therefore, the findings can be taken into consideration for highly efficient design and operation of industrial thermochemical processes by using waste lignocellulosic biomass as a fuel. In this study, the average activation energies calculated by Flynn-Wall-Ozawa were 166.57, 153.08, and 171.42 kJ/mol for the smallest, medium and coarse samples, respectively. A similar trend but lower values were also evaluated by Coats-Redfern and it was stated as 131.34, 137.52, 146.22 kJ/mol for the smallest, medium, and coarse samples, respectively. As particle size increased lower combustion performance indexes were also obtained. Therefore, in addition to the particle size, the chemical content of the samples also had an impact on the alteration of the kinetic mechanisms and thermal decomposition properties of the samples.
A Case Study in Adult Discipleship: Stories of Apprenticeship to Jesus at an Urban Anglican (Episcopal) Church

Anglican (Episcopal) churches around the world face a serious problem in discipleship and has called for a season of “intentional discipleship and disciple-making. ” The Anglican Church of Canada renewed its emphasis on discipleship, providing some helpful resources, but there are no studies of how discipleship may be experienced at a congregational level. This study focuses on an Anglican church, identified as a leader in discipleship ministry. Through in-depth interviews and observations of formative events, I sought to discover how this congregation understood discipleship, engaged its Anglican tradition, lived and nurtured its reality in their context.
A Plio–Pleistocene Caspiocypris species flock (Candoninae, Ostracoda) from the Palaeolake Tiberino (Umbria, central Italy)

The Tiberino Basin is a wide Plio–Pleistocene intermountain basin located in central Apennine (central Italy). Its sedimentary infill is made of a thick succession of Pliocene–early Quaternary continental deposits, the oldest of which can be referred to the Fosso Bianco Formation, composed of grey clays deposited in a huge (at least 500 km2) and relatively deep (not less than 50 m) lake, the Palaeolake Tiberino. We analyse the lacustrine ostracod assemblages from the Fosso Bianco Formation and provide descriptions of five new species included in the subfamily Candoninae (Caspiocypris basilicii sp. nov., Caspiocypris perusia sp. nov., Caspiocypris posteroacuta sp. nov., Caspiocypris tiberina sp. nov. and Caspiocypris tuderis sp. nov.)) and one new species included in the subfamily Limnocytherinae (Paralimnocythere umbra sp. nov.)). The five species of Caspiocypris seem to represent a species flock, i.e. Caspiocypris includes a group of closely related species characterized by monophyly, endemism and speciosity, confirming the ‘ancient lake’ nature of the Palaeolake Tiberino during the Piacenzian–Gelasian. The ostracod assemblage points to a relatively deep-water and low energy lacustrine environment marked by a high level of endemism. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BDF228DA-7866-4E9D-B691-6E63C6C182A2
MNFTL

The write constraints of Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash memory make most of the existing flash translation layer (FTL) schemes inefficient or inapplicable. In this article, we solve several fundamental problems in the design of MLC flash translation layer. The objective is to reduce the garbage collection overhead to reduce the average system response time. We make the key observation that the valid pages copy is the essential garbage collection overhead. Based on this observation, we propose two approaches, namely, concentrated mapping and postponed reclamation, to effectively reduce the valid pages copy. Besides, we propose a progressive garbage collection that can well utilize the system idle time to reclaim more spaces. We conduct a series of experiments on an embedded developing board with a set of benchmarks. The experimental results show that our scheme can achieve a significant reduction in the average system response time compared with the previous work.
Total phenolic content and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of Ganoderma amboinense

Background: Ganoderma amboinense is rich in fibers, minerals, and vitamins. This antler-shaped mushroom contains various antioxidant compounds called polyphenols and flavonoids. Antioxidants can counteract or deactivate free radicals in plants and animals by turning them into less reactive compounds. The methods of compound extraction are numerous and with different effects on the concentration of active compounds. Hence, selecting a correct extraction method becomes necessary. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this stuidy is to compare two extraction methods, namely, extraction by maceration and Soxhlet extraction, based on the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extracts (96%) of G. amboinense. Materials and Methods: The ethanol extract was obtained from maceration and Soxhlet extraction. The total phenolic content of 96% ethanol extract of G. amboinense was determined using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry with Folinâ€“Ciocalteu reagent, while the antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. Results: Thin-layer chromatography produces ethanol extracts, from either maceration or Soxhlet extraction, that contain phenolic compounds. The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extracts from maceration and Soxhlet extraction are 26.72 Â± 1.13 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of extract and 23.27 Â± 1.07 mg GAE/g of extract, respectively. The effective scavenging 50% values of gallic acid and ethanol extract are, respectively, 2.476 μg/ml and 197.6 μg/ml. Conclusion: Maceration produces ethanol extract of G. amboinense with higher total phenolic content than Soxhlet extraction. The research findings indicate that the ethanol extract has in vitro antioxidant activity.
Histoarchitecture and histochemistry of the ileum of sheep (Ovis aries).

The ileum was collected from five adult sheep immediately after slaughter. The ileal tissues were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed for light microscopy. The villi of the ileum varied from elongated to blunt with broad bases and were lined by a simple columnar epithelium having few goblet cells. The intestinal glands or crypts of Lieberkuhn were simple branched tubular coiled lined by simple cuboidal to low columnar epithelium. The lamina muscularis mucosa was uniform in thickness. The submucosa had loose irregular connective tissue. The tunica muscularis had an inner circular and an outer longitudinal layer of smooth muscles. Histochemical studies revealed that the goblet cells showed a strong PAS activity, whereas the crypts of Lieberkuhn showed more concentration of acidic muco-polysaccharides. The ileum had lymphoid aggregates in the form of Peyer’s patches.
An Epidemiology of Premarital Sexual Behaviour in India: Exploring Gender Differences

This article analyzes the social context of increasing premarital sex in India in a gender perspective, which affects the overall contexts, patterns and the characteristics of premarital sexual behaviour. The study has been conducted on data collected from 169,814 unmarried women and 40,003 unmarried men, a part of the Indian Demographic Health Survey (DHS), 2015–2016. Gender differences in premarital sex were pronounced, where unmarried men were five times more likely to have premarital sex (16%) as compared to unmarried women (3%). Cox regression portrays that both men and women at younger ages were significantly more likely to initiate premarital sex. Muslim men were significantly more likely (HR = 1.16 times) to have premarital sex at younger ages. Regional variations in the prevalence of premarital sex are pronounced. Findings reveal that unmarried women with higher education, residing in urban areas and who belong to richest wealth quintile and exposed to regular mass media were more likely to have multiple sexual partners in premarital sex. There is a striking regional variation in the low prevalence of condom use in the premarital sex reported by unmarried men as well as women. In fact, unmarried men were more likely to use condom in their first as well as last premarital sexual encounter than their women counterparts. Findings suggest strengthening the empowerment of youth, especially women, through enhancing their reproductive and sexual rights education and promoting safe sexual behaviour in premarital sexual encounters.
The Effect of Octopamine and Aerobic Exerciseand on Genes Affecting Angiogenesis of Visceral Adipose Tissue in Rats Fed with Deep- Fried Oil

Introduction: Changing today's dietary pattern has increased the share of deep-fried oils (DFO) in the daily diet. These DFO appear to have negative effects on the angiogenesis process of visceral adipose tissue. It seems that aerobic training(AT) and the intake of sympathetic mimicry herbal materials by stimulating the process of lipolysis and increasing the utilization of lipids can reduce the negative changes caused by the use of DFO.Present study aimed to review the effects of octopamine (O) and AT on VEGF and HIF-1a gene expression levels in visceral adipose tissue of rats fed with DFO. Methods: In this experimental study rats were divided into 1)HFO + O, 2) HFO + AT, 3) HFO + O + AT, 4) DFO- control and 5) healthy control groups. During 4 weeks the rats were given intra- peritoneal injection of 81 μmol/kg/dayO for 5 days per week. AT was also performed for 5 days per week with moderate intensity on the treadmill.Two- way ANOVA and independent sample t- tests were used for statistical analysis of data (P≤0.05). Results: DFO intake significantly increased visceral fat HIF-1 (P=0.001); While significantly reducedthe VEGF (P=0.021). AT significantly reducedHIF-1 (P=0.01) and increased VEGF (P=0.003). O administration also decreased HIF-1 (P=0.002) and increased VEGF (P=0.002). Osimultaneously with AThad no significant interactive effects on HIF-1 and VEGF (P≥0.05). Conclusions: It appears that O and ATcan improve the angiogenesis process of visceral adipose tissue, which was impaired by DFO and reduce the damage caused by DFO feeding.
Material Decomposition in Spectral CT Using Deep Learning: A Sim2Real Transfer Approach

The state-of-the art for solving the nonlinear material decomposition problem in spectral computed tomography is based on variational methods, but these are computationally slow and critically depend on the particular choice of the regularization functional. Convolutional neural networks have been proposed for addressing these issues. However, learning algorithms require large amounts of experimental data sets. We propose a deep learning strategy for solving the material decomposition problem based on a U-Net architecture and a Sim2Real transfer learning approach where the knowledge that we learn from synthetic data is transferred to a real-world scenario. In order for this approach to work, synthetic data must be realistic and representative of the experimental data. For this purpose, numerical phantoms are generated from human CT volumes of the KiTS19 Challenge dataset, segmented into specific materials (soft tissue and bone). These volumes are projected into sinogram space in order to simulate photon counting data, taking into account the energy response of the scanner. We compared projection- and image-based decomposition approaches where the network is trained to decompose the materials either in the projection or in the image domain. The proposed Sim2Real transfer strategies are compared to a regularized Gauss-Newton (RGN) method on synthetic data, experimental phantom data and human thorax data.
MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM ISOLATES IN OWERRI MUNICIPALITY USING NESTED POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (NPCR)

1. Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. 2. Department of Environmental Health Science, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History Received: 25 June 2020 Final Accepted: 30 July 2020 Published: August 2020
Comparison of single radial immunodiffusion and ELISA for the quantification of immunoglobulin G in bovine colostrum, milk and calf sera

ABSTRACT The overall objective was to compare immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations measured by single radial immunodiffusion (sRID) and ELISA-based methods in samples of bovine colostrum and transition milk from contrasting breed types (Limousin × Friesian (n = 10) and Holstein (n = 10)). Jugular blood samples were collected at 48 h post-birth from beef (n = 10) and dairy (n = 10) calves and sera harvested subsequent to colostrum consumption. Absolute colostrum IgG values determined by ELISA showed poor agreement with mean (SD) IgG values measured using sRID, fixed bias (sRID – ELISA) was 31.89 (±9.84) mg/mL; having wide limits of agreement (12.61–51.17) and a low concordance coefficient (0.26). The agreement between ELISA and sRID when measuring serum IgG was greater than that of colostrum, fixed bias (sRID – ELISA) was 12.36 (±6.60) mg/mL; having narrower limits of agreement (−0.58 to 25.30) and serum IgG concentrations had a greater concordance coefficient (0.44) between samples. Calf sera IgG measured using the indirect zinc sulphate turbidity test showed a strong correlation with the sRID and ELISA methods (P < .001), R2 = 0.78 and R2 = 0.77 respectively. Overall, the ELISA and sRID methodologies had a strong positive association with almost a twofold (1.8) difference between values; therefore, they provide diverse absolute values of IgG concentration.
Primer Note: A novel set of EST-SSR markers in Tamarix: a resource to characterize this genus

Abstract Both the negative and positive ecological impact of Tamarix plants is controversial, and thus a more comprehensive understanding is necessary. Tamarisks are invasive in many countries but the inter-specific transferability that characterizes simple sequence repeats (SSRs) could be harnessed to track the spread of specific genotypes or to study invasive populations. Thirteen polymorphic SSR markers, derived from expressed sequence tag (EST), were identified by first screening 26 samples of T. aphylla, T. jordanis, T. nilotica, and T. tetragyna and then 33 unidentified tamarisks from Yotvata, Israel. The mean number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 14 and the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.415. These EST-SSR markers will undoubtedly be useful in the genetic characterization of the genus Tamarix due to their high cross-species transferability which enables the estimation of the genetic diversity among and within different species, that are adapted to the same desert habitat under severe environmental constraints.
The Validity of Concept Attainment With Multi Representation as an Alternative Learning Model to Improve Students' Mastery of Concepts and Scientific Consistency

The concept attainment tutorial tool with multi representations still needs to be developed. The purpose of this study is to describe the validity of the model and the validity of concept attainment devices with multi representations as alternative learning models to improve students' mastery of concepts and scientific consistency. The development of this tutorial tool uses the design of Plomp which consists of preliminary study phase, prototype stage, and assessment phase. The limited test was conducted on students of the Surabaya Open University in the Basic Science Natural Sciences course (PDGK4103). Research data were collected by the validation method using the model validation sheet instrument and the device validation sheet. Data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The results of the study show that: (1) The concept of attainment model with multi representations developed is included in the valid criteria in terms of content validity and construct validity. (2) The multi-representation tutorial tool developed is included in the valid criteria. Based on the above it can be concluded that the concept of attainment with multi representations developed is valid and appropriate to be used to improve students' mastery of concepts and scientific consistency.
New fixed-time sliding mode control for a mismatched second-order system

A fixed-time sliding mode control (FTSMC) method is proposed for a second-order system with mismatched uncertainties in this paper. A new sliding mode, which is insensitive to the mismatched disturbance, is present to eliminate the effect of mismatched uncertainties by adopting the differentiable nonlinear function, and to obtain the fixed time stability independent of initial conditions by using the fraction-order function. In order to improve the performance of control system, the extended disturbance-observer-based fixed-time sliding mode control (EDO-FTSMC) approach is investigated to obtain the fixed-time stability subject to the mismatched uncertainties. Finally, the performance of the proposed control method is illustrated to compare other control approaches with numerical simulation results and application examples.
Disappearance Rates of a Placebo Bait for the Small Indian Mongoose Across Different Habitats on St. Kitts

Abstract The small Indian mongoose (Urva aurpunctata) is a non-indigenous wildlife reservoir for rabies virus on several Caribbean islands. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has been suggested to prevent the spread of rabies in mongooses, but there are limited data on ORV bait survival in maritime/tropical climates. We compared disappearance rates of an egg-flavored bait block vs. a control (canned tuna) and for bait blocks, we assessed if season, habitat, and day/night would influence the disappearance rate. On the island of St. Kitts, West Indies, we baited 45 stations (n=35 bait blocks, n=10 controls) at dawn and checked them twice daily for 4 consecutive days. This procedure was repeated after a two-day period, for each combination of season (dry and wet) and habitat type (mixed grassland, littoral and dry forest). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate bait survival at 12 and 36 hours after baiting. Across all sites, control baits were removed faster than bait blocks, but by 36 hours, over 90% of all baits had disappeared. For bait blocks only, the disappearance rate was higher during the dry season and in the dry forest habitat compared to the other habitats. There was no difference between diurnal and nocturnal disappearance rates. While the exact species that consumed the baits remain uncertain, we found that mongooses readily remove bait blocks, along with non-native mammals (e.g., dogs and cats) and land crabs in littoral habitats. We suggest that the bait blocks used in this study may be suitable for use as an external bait matrix for ORV baits.
Parasitism and joint incubation of upland goose (Chloephaga picta) nest by yellow-billed pintail (Anas georgica)

Parasitismo y incubación conjunta del nido de Cauquén Común (Chloephaga picta) por Pato Maicero (Anas georgica). Nest parasitism is a relatively uncommon but well-studied reproductive strategy in birds. About 1% of bird species are known to deposit their eggs in the nests of other species (Payne 1977). Intraspecific parasitism, which can be difficult to detect, is even more taxo-Laying eggs in the nests of other birds and exploiting the parental care of other individuals can offer advantages to the parasite, such as enhanced fecundity and the avoidance of predation and energetic costs associated with incubation and brood care, or eliminate constraints associated with building a nest (Sorenson 1992, 1997). Parasitism can also serve as 'best-of-a-bad-job', alternative reproductive strategy when an individual's ability to nest in a typical manner is limited or curtailed by poor environmental conditions (Sorenson 1991, 1993). Additionally, the host may benefit if the cost of raising parasitic young is not great, as is the case in precocial species (Rohwer & Freeman 1989) and the presence of parasitic young in amalgamated broods dilutes preda-tion on the host offspring (Munro & Bedard 1977, Lank et al. 1989, 1991, Eadie & Lumd-sen 1985, Eadie et al. 1988). Nest parasitism has thus been shown to be a regular and flexible feature of the nesting biology of many different species, having evolved in different ecological contexts with various proximate and historical factors (Eadie et al. Here we report the first record of nest parasitism by the Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica), a dabbling duck species endemic to South America. Nest parasitism is common in yet due to a scarcity of studies in the region few records of this type of behavior have been reported for South American waterfowl (Eadie et al. 1988, Yom-Tov 2001; but see Gibson 1920). Our finding also is noteworthy because what initially appeared as a parasitic egg-laying event to the observers was likely a case of joint incubation and competition for the nest site, resulting in the expulsion of partially incubated eggs and cracked eggs within the next bowl. On 1 November 2011, we observed a Yellow billed Pintail and Upland Goose (Chloe-phaga picta) sitting on the same nest bowl (Fig. 1A) in a flooded pasture at Estancia Bella Vista, near Sarmiento, Chubut, Argentina (45.60°S, 68.99°W). Upon approaching the nest, the Yellow-billed Pintail and Upland Goose flushed together for a short period of flight (Fig. 1B). The nest contained …