Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inter-Laboratory Comparison of Extracellular Vesicle Isolation Based on Ultracentrifugation

Background/Aims: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles and exosomes, deliver bioactive cargo mediating intercellular communication in physiological and pathological conditions. EVs are increasingly investigated as therapeutic agents and targets, but also as disease biomarkers. However, a definite consensus regarding EV isolation methods is lacking, which makes it intricate to standardize research practices and eventually reach a desirable level of data comparability. In our study, we performed an inter-laboratory comparison of EV isolation based on a differential ultracentrifugation protocol carried out in 4 laboratories in 2 independent rounds of isolation. Methods: Conditioned medium of colorectal cancer cells was prepared and pooled by 1 person and distributed to each of the participating laboratories for isolation according to a pre-defined protocol. After EV isolation in each laboratory, quantification and characterization of isolated EVs was collectively done by 1 person having the highest expertise in the respective test method: Western blot, flow cytometry (fluorescence-activated cell sorting [FACS], nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: EVs were visualized with TEM, presenting similar cup-shaped and spherical morphology and sizes ranging from 30 to 150 nm. NTA results showed similar size ranges of particles in both isolation rounds. EV preparations showed high purity by the expression of EV marker proteins CD9, CD63, CD81, Alix, and TSG101, and the lack of calnexin. FACS analysis of EVs revealed intense staining for CD63 and CD81 but lower levels for CD9 and TSG101. Preparations from 1 laboratory presented significantly lower particle numbers (p < 0.0001), most probably related to increased processing time. However, even when standardizing processing time, particle yields still differed significantly between groups, indicating inter-laboratory differences in the efficiency of EV isolation. Importantly, no relation was observed between centrifugation speed/k-factor and EV yield. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that quantitative differences in EV yield might be due to equipment- and operator-dependent technical variability in ultracentrifugation-based EV isolation. Furthermore, our study emphasizes the need to standardize technical parameters such as the exact run speed and k-factor in order to transfer protocols between different laboratories. This hints at substantial inter-laboratory biases that should be assessed in multi-centric studies.
Analysis of the Role Cikidang Fish Landing Port (PPI) Towards Fishermen's Socio-Economy in Pangandaran District, Indonesia

This research was conducted in Pangandaran District, precisely at the Fish Landing Port (PPI) Cikidang Pangandaran. This PPI Cikidang is included in the type D fishing port of the Fish Landing. The research method used is a case study with data analysis using a Likert Scale. The aim of this research is to describe the role of PPI Cikidang through basic port facilities on the socio-economic characteristics of Pangandaran fishermen who work at PPI Cikidang. Based on observations and interviews through questionnaires, some of the main port facilities are still not optimal in their development and function. This affects the catches of fishermen and the activities of fishermen at the port. Some basic facilities that are still not optimal make fishermen more independent in activities without having to wait for facilities to be repaired or developed. The main facilities that have not been optimal are the pier, harbor ponds and fish markets. At the docks and port ponds there needs to be improvement by dredging the bottom of the water so that it can get inside, the Original Research Article Syakuro et al.; AJFAR, 7(4): 1-7, 2020; Article no.AJFAR. 58748 2 tides can be conditioned. In the fish market, its function is still less than optimal because it is only used as a canteen. The improvement is to re-socialize the function of this fish market and try to carry out its function properly by increasing the fisheries business budget around PPI Cikidang.
Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical and Surface Properties of Sub-Micron Carbon Spheres

This study investigates the mechanical and surface properties of spherical carbon particles. Sub-micrometer carbon spheres were previously used as oil additives to improve the tribological performance of oils, and as anode material to enhance the storage of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. In the current work, internal structure and chemical analysis of these carbon sphere particles was conducted via focus ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and the results revealed that the carbon sphere particles are pure carbon particles with a solid internal structure. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nano-indenter were utilized to explore the mechanical properties (hardness and elastic modulus) of carbon sphere particles. The obtained results showed that the carbon spheres have an elastic modulus in the range of 10 to 42 GPa, while their hardness is in the range of 0.5 to 2.6 GPa. Besides, the AFM scans confirmed that the carbon particles are entirely separated and devoid of agglomeration. These results support the viable use of carbon sphere particles in various engineering applications.
The third person gap in adnominal pronoun constructions

The lack of third person adnominal pronouns in English-type languages (*they linguists) is argued to be an effect of contextually conditioned allomorphy between the exponents of the definite article and third person pronouns within a pronominal determiner structure. A crosslinguistic survey of 82 languages finds that the third person gap is crosslinguistically relatively rare and may be restricted to Europe and surrounding areas. The survey also suggests a potential interaction between the third person gap and the availability of distinct articles, as expected on the proposed analysis. The paper also discusses issues raised by the third person gap for alternative analyses, including those advocating an NP-analysis.
Dry Cupping Therapy for Improving Subcutaneous Hemodynamics and Pain Associated With Nonspecific Neck Pain.

CONTEXT Dry cupping therapy is a noninvasive treatment commonly used to reduce pain and promote the healing process in various populations, including those with nonspecific neck pain; however, no data are available to support most of this method's true physiological benefits. OBJECTIVE To determine if dry cupping therapy decreased pain and increased subcutaneous blood flow compared with sham cupping and control conditions. DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. SETTING Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 32 participants (age = 22.5 ± 2.8 years, height = 173.3 ± 10.1 cm, mass = 76.6 ± 18.7 kg) with self-reported nonspecific neck pain. INTERVENTION(S) We used dry cupping and sham cupping interventions and a control condition. For the dry cupping intervention, 1 stationary cup was placed directly over the most painful area for 8 minutes. The sham cupping intervention followed the same procedures as the dry cupping intervention except a sham cup was applied. For the control condition, participants received no treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Subjective pain intensity (visual analog scale); pain-pressure threshold; subcutaneous hemodynamics, including superficial and deep oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total hemoglobin levels; and tissue saturation index;. RESULTS We observed differences in the visual analog scale score and the superficial and deep oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels (P values ≤ .002) immediately postintervention compared with baseline. Post hoc tests revealed that the dry cupping group had less pain than the sham cupping and control groups and higher superficial and deep oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels (P values ≤ .008). No differences were found between baseline and 24 hours postintervention. CONCLUSIONS A single session of dry cupping therapy may be an effective short-term treatment method for immediately reducing pain and increasing oxygenated and total hemoglobin levels in patients with nonspecific neck pain.
Dielectric and lattice dynamical properties of molecular crystals via density functional perturbation theory : implementation within a first principles code

Organic molecular crystals form a condensed solid phase offering a rich vein of physical phenomena which are open to investigation. The desire to harness these properties for technological and biological purposes has led to extensive experimental and theoretical investigations. The naturally occurring ɑ-amino acids form molecular crystals in the solid state; to date there have been very few studies of these systems. The work in this thesis is concerned with attempting to understand the relationship between the properties of the molecular crystal, and how these relate to the properties of the constituent molecules in isolation. To this end, density functional calculations of the structural and electronic properties of amino acids in both the crystalline and gaseous states are performed, and the results reported. The bonding mechanisms responsible for the crystal being stable are elucidated, and used to explain the zwitterionisation of the molecules upon formation of the solid state. In order to investigate the lattice dynamical and dielectric properties, the implementation of a variational density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) scheme within the plane wave pseudopotential formalism is described in detail. This scheme is fully self-consistent, and its computational cost is comparable to that of a single-point self-consistent total energy calculation. The long wave method is used to alleviate well-known problems associated with the application of homogeneous fields to crystal systems, viz. that such fields break the crystal symmetry, and the adequate treatment of electronic screening. Calculation of the first order perturbed wavefunctions and the second order change in the Kohn-Sham functional allows properties such as the polarisability, dielectric matrix, dynamical matrix and Born effective charge tensors to be determined. The treatment of crystalline symmetries is described in detail. The DFPT formalism is extended to allow IR absorption spectra to be obtained. The lattice dynamical and dielectric behaviour of the isolated molecules and the molecular crystals are obtained; calculation of the IR spectra facilitates an insight into the effects of the crystalline environment and zwitterionisation upon the lattice dynamics. Results indicate the importance of the molecular shape and structure upon the intermolecular interactions, and hence the crystal structure formed. It is these intermolecular interactions that are found to play the major part in modification of the lattice dynamical and dielectric behaviour.
Birth Sibling Relationships after Adoption: Experiences of Contact with Brothers and Sisters Living Elsewhere

We examined how adoptive families manage and respond to contact with children’s birth siblings living elsewhere within a nationally representative sample of 96 families who adopted a child between 01 July 2014 and 31 July 2015. We harnessed prospective, longitudinal data to determine the extent to which plans for contact between adopted children and birth siblings living elsewhere materialised over time. We present adoptive parents’ views and experiences of the contact over four years, together with an analysis of factors that were thought to have prevented, hindered and/or enabled contact between adopted children and their birth siblings. The information shared by the adoptive families illustrates the challenges they faced in promoting sibling contact; in weighing up the complexities associated with managing contact in the short term against the anticipated benefit for their child in the longer term; of balancing a commitment to sibling contact with the psychological needs of their child; and of organising contact within the context of interactions with other families involved and social work professionals. On the basis of these findings, we make recommendations pertaining to the management of both letterbox and face-to-face contact and life story work, and underscore the importance of investing in sibling relationships.
Life table of Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) reared on Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Chrysoperla externa is a widely distributed and highly adaptable predatory insect. In order to evaluate its capacity as a natural enemy of the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, its life table when reared on M. sacchari was inferred. The biological cycle lasted an average of 29.5 ± 6.2 d from egg to adult. The embryonic and larval period duration was 5.1 ± 0.3 and 13.8 ± 4.5 d, respectively. The pupa stage was completed in 10.6 ± 1.4 d, whereas adults lived 63.5 ± 26.7 d after eclosion. The mortality rate showed the highest values in the egg stage (qx = 0.17). The greatest survival rate appeared in the third instar (93.7 %). The period prior to reproduction was 6.5 ± 3.1 d. The average fecundity was 228.3 ± 139.1 eggs. The life table parameters were Ro = 113.2, T = 28.9, rm = 0.163 and λ = 1.17. According to the results, it is possible to infer that C. externa is capable of accomplishing its life cycle feeding only on M. sacchari.
Clumped planting arrangements improve seed production in a revegetated eucalypt woodland

The arrangement of plants within revegetated sites is rarely considered an important characteristic of these communities. However, in natural systems, plant spatial arrangements can influence a range of ecological processes, including pollination and seed set. Pollinators tend to preferentially visit larger and/or more closely spaced populations, with plants in these populations generally receiving more outcrossed pollen, resulting in increased seed set and better quality seed. Similar trends may occur in revegetated populations, but little is known about the influence of planting arrangement on seed production in restored systems. Here, we quantified the effect of plant abundance (number of conspecifics within 100 m) and distance to nearest reproductive conspecific on the level of seed set for six eucalypt species (n = 422 trees in total) in 1 year and for one of these species (Eucalyptus leucoxylon), across three additional years. Seed number per fruit was highly variable both between individuals and within individuals across years. Despite this variability, there was a consistent trend of higher seed production (seed number per fruit) when another reproductive conspecific was within 20 m. In contrast, plant abundance had little influence on seed production. Further investigation of nearest neighbor arrangements found the distance to either the first, second, third, or fourth reproductive neighbors were the key predictors of seed production. Therefore, revegetation designs that consider plant spacing and aggregation, rather than only planting to overall density criteria (i.e. trees/ha), at least for the eucalypts studied here, has the potential to improve seed production in revegetated populations.
Effect of Purified prodigiosin from Serratia Marcescens on the Inhibition of Breast Cancer (MCF-7 and CAL-51 Cell Line)

The prodigiosin pigment was extracted from Serratia marcescens bacteria by using different methods such as by using ethyl acetate and acetone and purified by using column cahromatography , Detection and characterization of the pigment was done by using Thin layer chromatography and ? max, The purified Prodigiosin was dissolved in DMSO solvent and prepared in four concentration (1000, 500, 250, 125) µg/ ml at exposure time 24 hrs so it was used in treating MCF7 and CAL-51 cell line, the result showed that the inhibition ratio against MCF-7 was significant (p < 0.001) and maximum ratio of inhibition was 83% at conc. of 1000 µg/ml , 78% at 500 µg/ml , 73% at 250 µg/ml and 72% at 125 µg/ml while inhibition ratio against CAL-51 was also significant (p < 0.001) and 78% inhibition ratio was seen at conc. of 1000 µg/ml , 61% at 500 µg/ml , 27% at 250 µg/ml and 14% at 125 µg/ml , effect of the solvent DMSO on tumor cells also was studied and compared to the effect of prodigiosin and result showed that there was no effect or slightly effect of the solvent DMSO on MCF-7 tumor cells. (Inhibition was 6% ,13% ,16% , 22% for conc. 125 , 250 , 500 , 1000 µg/ml respectively) also there was no effect or slightly effect of the solvent DMSO on tumor CAL-51 cells. (Inhibition was 2% , 8% , 21% , 26% for conc. 125 ,250,500, 1000 µg/ml respectively) .
Nonparametric Bayesian Modeling and Estimation of Spatial Correlation Functions for Global Data

We provide a nonparametric spectral approach to the modeling of correlation functions on spheres. The sequence of Schoenberg coefficients and their associated covariance functions are treated as random rather than assuming a parametric form. We propose a stick-breaking representation for the spectrum, and show that such a choice spans the support of the class of geodesically isotropic covariance functions under uniform convergence. Further, we examine the first order properties of such representation, from which geometric properties can be inferred, in terms of Hölder continuity, of the associated Gaussian random field. The properties of the posterior, in terms of existence, uniqueness, and Lipschitz continuity, are then inspected. Our findings are validated with MCMC simulations and illustrated using a global data set on surface temperatures.
A block encryption algorithm based on exponentiation transform

Abstract This paper proposes a new block encryption algorithm for cryptographic information protection. It describes a new transformation method EM (Exponentiation Module), which is part of the algorithm, and a method of S-box obtaining. The paper also considers an optimization technique to advance the efficiency of key selection and calculation. We discuss the possibility to obtain good results by applying the peculiar properties of cryptographic primitives in the Galois field. To increase the strength and speed of the encryption algorithm, we used a nonpositional polynomial notation and an indexed view for the Galois field. The paper provides for statistical properties of the ciphertext obtained with the developed algorithm. We also present the results of differential and linear cryptanalysis of the S-box used.
Parametric analysis of a Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Energy Management System

Fuel cell hybrid vehicles are a viable alternative to traditional internal combustion vehicles. In order to improve its driving range, this research provides an energy management strategy for the power distribution system of hybrid electric vehicles. The system architecture consists of the main energy source, which is a fuel cell connected to the load via a power converter, and the secondary energy source, which is a battery connected in parallel to the load. Both energy sources provide the power to move the vehicle. In this paper, the first goal is to analyze the influence of several parameters in the energy management optimization. Those parameters are the fuel cell power range, internal resistance and open-circuit voltage; the power converter efficiency; and the internal resistance and open-circuit voltage of the battery. The second goal is to analyze the feasibility of using simplified models of the battery open-circuit voltage and the fuel cell internal variable resistance. Every analysis is developed within an energy management optimization process, which minimizes the total energy losses in the fuel cell and battery over a working day (8 hours).
Examining the Efficiency, Labor and Investment Wedges in Africa

Cross-country differences in per capita income are known to be high among Sub-Saharan Africa’s economies (Nigeria, South Africa and Angola), and North Africa’s economies (Egypt, Algeria and Morocco). The aim of this paper is hence to examine the phenomenon of income discrepancies in Africa for periods 1990-2013 and then apply the combined methodologies of Development Accounting (Caselli (2005) and Konya (2013)) as well as Business Cycle Accounting (Chari, Kehoe and McGrattan (2007)) in a standard neoclassical, small open economy model. Our main finding is that although efficiency wedge plays an important role in explaining income differences in Africa, labor wedge and investment wedge are also important for understanding income differences in these economies.
Rapid Determination of Wood and Rice Husk Pellets’ Proximate Analysis and Heating Value

Biomass pellets are a potential renewable and clean energy source. With the advantages of perfect combustion performance and easy storage and transport, biomass pellets have gradually replaced fossil fuels and become widely used. Rapid and accurate determination of biomass pellets’ quality is critical to efficient energy use. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with chemometric methods were utilized. The gross calorific value (CV) and ash content (Ash), volatile matter (VM) and fixed carbon (FC) were firstly measured and analyzed. LIBS spectra and their corresponding elements of biomass pellet samples were analyzed. Three quantitative analysis models for quality indexes including partial least-squares regression (PLSR), least squares-support vector machines (LS-SVM), extreme learning machines (ELM) were further built. All models performed well, especially the LS-SVM model which obtained the best determination results, with all R2 values over 0.95. Concurrently, the modeling performance of ash was slightly better than that of the other three quality indexes, which further confirmed the feasibility of using relevant elements to predict biomass quality indexes. The overall results indicated that LIBS coupled with suitable chemometrics could be an alternative promising method to determine quality indexes of biomass pellets and further improve energy utilization by using biomass materials with better quality.