Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of the working performance of WO2 nanowire arrays in gated field emission display devices

Tungsten oxide nanowires are integrated into gated wing-type field emission display (FED) devices, which are synthesized at low temperature of 550 °C by catalyzed-growth CVD way. The emission behaviors of the device are testified by transparent anode way to investigate their future application. These WO2 FED devices are found to have a turn-on field of 5.76 V/μm and their emission current density reaches 0.59 mA/cm2 when the applied field is 7.55 V/μm. It suggests that they should have a promising future in field emission applications if their emission uniformity can be further improved.
Chemical Interactions between Different Irrigating Solutions: A Spectrometric Study

The aim of this study was to characterize the by-products formed on interacting different irrigating solution used in Endodontic practice through Hybrid Qudrupole-Orbital Mass Spectrometer. Method: Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (0.16%, 1%, 2.5% and 5.25%) was interacted with Chlorhexidine (CHX) solution, 10% citric acid, 37% phosphoric acid, 7% maleic acid, distilled water, saline solution and ethanol The solutions were mixed in a ratio of 1:1and Hybrid Qudrupole-Orbital Mass Spectrometer were used to characterize the by- products. Results: An orange-brown precipitate is formed on interacting CHX with NaOCl (1%, 2.5% and 5.25%). No precipitate was observed on CHX was associated with 0.16% NaOCl, citric acid, phosphoric acid, maleic acid and distilled water. When associated with ethanol and saline solution, salt precipitaion was formed. Conclusion: The interaction of NaOCl and CHX forms orange-brown precipitate because of oxidizing agent NaOCl. The precipitate formed in association with ethanol and saline solution was due to lower solubility and salting-out process respectively. NaOCl solution on reacting with citric acid and phosphoric acid mainly lead to chlorine formation. Intermediate flushes with distilled water helps to prevent or decrease the formation of precipitate thus preventing the detrimental effect of precipitate.
Practicing Socratic questioning in a blended learning environment: an innovative strategy to promote critical thinking

This study aims to determine if practicing Socratic questioning (SQ) can promote students’ critical thinking (CT). Participants were an intact class of undergraduate students enrolled in a course blog. To expand students’ understanding of using thoughtful questions, the researcher used a systematic step-by-step process to teach SQ in a blended learning environment. The main purpose of face-to-face sessions was to prepare students to practice Socratic discussions on the blog. The study employs a mixed-method design to integrate qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Students’ questions in four Socratic discussions were collected and coded by using a content analysis approach. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X (CCTT-X) was applied to assess students’ CT ability. The results indicate that practicing SQ in a blended learning environment was significantly effective in fostering students’ CT.
Cortical Activity in Relation to Velocity Dependent Movement Resistance in the Flexor Muscles of the Hand After Stroke

Background. The role of spinal networks in spasticity is well investigated, but little is known about possible cortical contributions to hypertonicity across a joint. Objective. The authors hypothesized that there are cortical activation correlates to spasticity in stroke patients with increased muscle tone of the wrist flexors. Methods. Stroke patients and controls were scanned using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during slow and fast passive movements of the hand with simultaneous recording of passive movement resistance (PMR). Results. Control participants had velocity-dependent activity (greater for slow than fast movements) of 2 types, in areas that were also more active in passive movement than rest (eg, relative increase in activation in contralateral S1 and M1 was greater for slow than fast) and in areas that were also more active in rest than passive movement (eg, relative decrease in activation in occipital areas and ipsilateral precentral gyrus was greater for fast than slow). In the patient group, with large interindividual variation of spasticity, we found an association between PMR and the velocity-dependent activity in ipsilateral S1 (area 3b) extending into M1 (area 4a), contralateral cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), Brodmann Area 45 (BA 45), and cerebellum. Post hoc testing also revealed a similar correlation in S1 and M1 bilaterally in controls and showed that patients activated ipsilateral S1 and M1 more than controls in the velocity-dependent condition. Conclusions. The findings suggest the possibility of ipsilateral sensory and motor cortical involvement in spasticity after stroke, which warrant further investigation.
A novel tri-band power divider with coupled-line CRLH unit

A novel tri-band power divider is presented in this paper. A coupled-line composite right/left-handed (CL-CRLH) unit is used to realize the necessary impedance transformation at three selected frequencies. The CL-CRLH unit is studied and the corresponding design equations are obtained to calculate the design parameters of the desired tri-band power divider. Finally, this design concept is demonstrated practically with a 1.0/2.4/5.8 GHz tri-band power divider.
Stages of Retreatment Procedure

re-preparation with rotary or reciprocating files and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI). Twenty maxillary molars were prepared using ProTaper instruments up to F1. The teeth were filled with AH Plus and ProTaper gutta-percha points using the single-cone technique. Thereafter, the specimens were scanned using a micro-computed tomography system (Micro-CT #1). Then, the root canal filling was removed using ProTaper Retreatment files, and a new scan was performed (Micro-CT #2). The specimens were divided into two groups according to the instrument used for re-preparation: ProTaper rotary or WaveOne reciprocating files (Micro-CT #3). Finally, PUI was performed, and a new micro-CT scan was performed (Micro-CT #4). Intragroup and intergroup analyses were performed using Friedman and Dunn’s post hoc test and the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn post hoc tests, respectively. Palatal canal presented the highest volume of residual filling material in all stages of endodontic retreatment (p<0.05). The main reduction of filling volume was achieved after using ProTaper Retreament (p<0.05). The amount of remaining filling material after using ProTaper Retreatment was similar to that achieved with rotary and reciprocating files and after PUI (p>0.05). Rotary and reciprocating files achieved similar removal of the root canal filling (p>0.05). The greatest reduction in filling material was achieved after using ProTaper Retreatment files. Rotary and reciprocating instruments and PUI did not improve the removal of root canal filling materials. Micro-CT Eva luat ion of Root F i l l i ng Remova l a f t e r Th r e e Stages of Retreatment Procedure
SAR range ambiguity suppression via sparse regularization

Range ambiguity in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging primarily arises from scattered energy of bright targets outside the interested region. So to reduce the ambiguity, we need to identify these targets additionally, which yields an ill-posed problem. To find a feasible solution where the range ambiguity can be sufficiently reduced, we propose in this paper a new method using compressed sensing, a theory which tells when sparse signal can be reconstruct from undetermined linear system, by observing that the recognizable targets are approximately sparse in the ambiguous range zones. Therefore, it is possible to reconstruct the main region and identify the ambiguous targets simultaneously. The simulation results demonstrate the validation of the proposed method.
Rehabilitation Issues in Women With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) noncontact injuries occur more frequently in female than in male athletes. Many studies investigated possible predisposing factors such as joint laxity, hormonal influences, lower limb alignment, notch shape and dimension, ligament size, and neuromuscular control. To our knowledge, there are no ACL rehabilitation protocols especially studied for women. Our approach is a time-based and criterion-based progressive rehabilitation protocol, with preoperative, early, and late postoperative phases. Preinjury, preoperative, and postoperative biomechanical quantitative evaluations are used to monitor rehabilitation. Sport-specific epidemiologic observation of noncontact ACL injury mechanism can help in identifying movements and situations that pose a risk to the ACL. These data can be used to modify training and to prevent injuries and re-injuries. In our opinion, it is not necessary to have a gender-specific rehabilitation protocol, but it is necessary to have better sport-specific neuromuscular conditioning, which should include plyometrics, postural balance, and functional agility exercise protocols.
Gerontological Social Workers' Perceived Efficacy for Influencing Client Outcomes

Using a sample of practitioners (n = 269) from the 2004 National Study of Licensed Social Workers, this article employs a quality assurance structure–process–outcome model to examine factors at the practitioner, workplace, and service delivery levels that influence the perceived efficacy of licensed gerontological social workers to affect client outcomes in the context of a highly challenging health care environment. A regression model accounted for 33.9% of the variance (adjusted R 2 = .291) in perceived efficacy with 3 aspects of service delivery satisfaction having significant effects: ability to address complex/chronic care, to influence the design of services, and to help clients navigate the system.
Hydroponics Removal of Wastewater’s Contaminants for the Generation of Commercially Valuable Plants and Environmentally Sound Effluent for The Dead Sea Communities

The purpose of this article is to investigate the applications of hydroponic wastewater management systems (HWMS) as wastewater treatment facilities for the Dead Sea vicinity. In addition, it aims at managing the wastewater through generating commercially valuable plants using a proposed HWMS. A commercial hydroponic system was adapted for studying the potential heavy metals removal from primary treated municipal sewage effluent. The system consisted of five plastic gullies, 3 meters long by 100 mm wide. Primary treated effluent was used to irrigate lettuce in one series, and a commercial nutrient solution was used to irrigate the same type of lettuce in another series as a control, both by Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). Lettuces accumulated heavy metals in leaf tissues at concentrations higher than the maximum recommended levels (As = 6.5, Cd = 3.8, Pb = 20 mg kg-1). The hypothetical hydroponic systems may be suitable for the Dead Sea specific conditions where the plentiful salt tolerant plant species may be utilized to manage effluent that would not be safely applied for crop irrigation.
Dynamic contrast‐enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI accelerated with k‐t sense

In the k‐t sensitivity encoding (k‐t SENSE) method spatiotemporal data correlations are exploited to accelerate data acquisition in dynamic MRI studies. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of applying k‐t SENSE to contrast‐enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI and using the speed‐up to increase spatial resolution. At a net acceleration factor of 3.9 (k‐t factor of 5 with 11 training profiles) accurate representations of dynamic signal intensity (SI) changes were achieved in computer simulations. In vivo, 5× k‐t SENSE was compared with 2× SENSE (identical acquisition parameters except for in‐plane spatial resolution = 1.48 × 1.48 mm2 vs. 2.64 × 2.64 mm2, respectively). In 10 volunteers no differences in myocardial SI profiles were found (relative peak enhancement = 151% vs. 149.7%, maximal upslope = 12.9%/s vs. 13.3%/s for 2× SENSE and 5× k‐t SENSE, respectively, all P > 0.05). Overall image quality was similar, but endocardial dark rim artifacts were reduced with k‐t SENSE. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in the myocardium was greater with 5× k‐t SENSE by a factor of 1.36 ± 0.23 at peak contrast enhancement with the relative yield decreasing with increasing dynamics in the object in accordance to theory. Higher nominal acceleration factors of up to 10‐fold were shown to be feasible in computer simulations and in vivo. Magn Reson Med 58:777–785, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
2D Indoor positioning system using GPS signals

In this paper, we present an indoor positioning system based on GPS repeaters. Each repeater consists of a directional antenna for receiving a non-overlapping set of GPS satellites, a LNA and a power amplifier for compensating the antenna and cable losses, and a transmitting antenna for re-radiating the amplified GPS signals. The proposed system has been shown to be very successful for 1D positioning using a set of two repeaters. Similarly, successful results have been obtained for 2D positioning using three repeaters.
17O and 27Al MAS and 3QMAS NMR Study of Synthetic and Natural Layer Silicates

We report 17O and 27Al NMR results for 17O-enriched synthetic and natural layer silicates with significantly improved resolution of oxygen sites including basal and apical oxygens using 17O 3QMAS NMR spectroscopy. These oxygen sites have well-defined ranges of 17O isotropic chemical shifts (δiso) and quadrupolar coupling constants (Cq). The Cq of basal oxygen ([4]Si−O−[4]Si) range from 4.1 to 5.2 MHz for these phases, and δiso varies from 39 to 55 ppm. The δiso value of the basal oxygen sites increases with increasing Cq. The Cq and δiso values of apical oxygens ([4]Si−O−2[6]Al) are about 3.4 MHz and about 64 ppm, respectively, and are similar among the phases examined. The hydroxyl group (2[6]Al−OH) has the largest Cq (about 7 MHz) among the oxygen sites, as well as the most shielded chemical shift of about 37−44 ppm. Analysis of the 27Al MAS NMR spinning sideband manifolds yields precise NMR parameters for the [6]Al sites. 27Al MAS and 3QMAS NMR spectroscopies at 14.1 T yield excellent quantification of.
HEMOLYSIS OF RABBIT ERYTHROCYTES BY PURIFIED STAPHYLOCOCCAL ALPHA-TOXIN I

Cooper, Louis Z. (New England Center Hospital, Boston, Mass.), Morton A. Madoff, and Louis Weinstein. Hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes by purified staphylococcal alpha-toxin: I. Kinetics of the lytic reaction. J. Bacteriol. 87:127–135. 1964. —The hemolytic activity of purified staphylococcal alpha-lysin was found to be directly proportional to toxin concentration and inversely related to the log concentration of rabbit erythrocytes. Activity was directly proportional to the duration of lysin-red cell incubation until inactivating effects of heat and dilution became significant; this linear relationship was prolonged by incubation at a lower temperature and addition of bovine serum albumin. Study of the time course of hemolysis at different alpha-lysin concentrations revealed a family of sigmoid curves characterized by a prelytic lag phase and a period of rapid linear release of hemoglobin. The duration of prelytic lag varied inversely with the quantity of toxin, but the rate of hemolysis was directly proportional to toxin and red-cell concentrations. The presence of bovine serum albumin decreased the prelytic lag, prolonged the linear phase of the reaction, and increased total hemolysis. In the range of 25 to 46 C, the prelytic lag period became shorter with increase in temperature; at 48 to 52 C, it was markedly prolonged and hemolysis was strikingly diminished. As the incubation temperature was increased from 25 to 52 C, there was a decrease in the degree of maximal hemolysis, presumably due to thermal inactivation of alphalysin. The rate of hemolysis, when measured to 50% hemolysis, was optimal between 34 and 42 C but, when determined to the 10% level, was greatest between 40 and 46 C. The features of the hemolytic reaction suggest that staphylococcal alpha-toxin has the characteristics of an enzyme.
IS Project Escalation in Developing Countries

Although Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) often drives development, there is a lack of ICT induced growth in developing countries. This is particularly interesting because of the different outcomes between the implementation of the same technological initiatives in developed and developing countries. G-bank is a leading Information Technology (IT) driven, Nigerian financial services organization. By focusing on an escalated Management Information Systems (MIS) project in G-bank, this paper identifies the gap between the outcomes in implementation of technology initiatives. It suggests that direct transfer of technology initiatives from industrialized to developed nations, without adaptability to ‘local content’, leads to failure. While Approach Avoidance Theory (AAT) can be used to explain escalation/de-escalation behaviors, it is not adapted to the developing countries context. Additional factors, such as inability to adapt technology to local organizational culture, are identified as influencing outcomes and are among the major causes of escalating projects in developing countries.
Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Trimethoprim-Resistant Dihydrofolate Reductase from a Nosocomial Isolate of Staphylococcus aureus CM.S2 (IMCJ1454)

ABSTRACT A novel gene, dfrG, encoding a trimethoprim (TMP)-resistant dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR, designated S3DHFR) was cloned from a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Escherichia coli expressing dfrG was highly resistant to TMP. Recombinant S3DHFR exhibited DHFR activity that was not inhibited by TMP.
Two new flat species of Gracilaria (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) from Brazil: G. abyssalis sp. nov. and G. brasiliensis sp. nov.

C.F. D. Gurgel, S. Fredericq, J.N. Norris and Y. Yoneshigue-Valentin. 2008. Two new flat species of Gracilaria (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) from Brazil: G. abyssalis sp. nov. and G. brasiliensis sp. nov. Phycologia 47: 249–264. DOI: 10.2216/06-59.1 A recent survey of the Brazilian Gracilariaceae (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) flora aided by molecular-based phylogenetic analyses and comparative morphological data revealed two unidentified flat species of Gracilaria described here: G. abyssalis sp. nov. and G. brasiliensis sp. nov. Gracilaria abyssalis is a deep-water species characterized by a conspicuous holdfast; a long, branched, robust stipe; irregular to sympodial branching of the thallus; occasional presence of midrib; and an extensive range of broad blade morphologies. Gracilaria brasiliensis is a shallow intertidal species characterized by an inconspicuous stipe (< 1 cm), regular dichotomously branched thalli, and narrow blades and rounded apices. DNA sequence analyses of the chloroplast-encoded rbcL gene showed that flat species of Gracilaria in the western Atlantic belong to two distinct lineages. Maximum parsimony results placed G. brasiliensis as a member of the G. mammillaris clade with no support, while Bayesian results identified this species as a disntict new independent lineage. Furthermore, it was found that G. cuneata and G. curtissiae are recently diverged sister species and that rbcL phylogenetic distances among the morphologically distinct G. intermedia and G. yoneshigueana are quite small.
Influence of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation on exercise capacity: Which group of patients benefits most from the intervention?

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters in assessing exercise capacity improvement after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI). Additionally, it aimed to determine if there are any baseline characteristics influencing that change. METHODS AND RESULTS The study comprised 32 patients (mean age 26 ± 9); 53% males; diagnosis: tetralogy of Fallot (n = 18), pulmonary atresia (n = 6), Ross procedure (n = 4), other (transposition of great arteries, pulmonary stenosis, double outlet right ventricle, common arterial trunk type II--n = 4) who underwent successful PPVI due to right ventricular out-flow tract dysfunction (predominant pulmonary regurgitation--n = 17, predominant pulmonary stenosis--n = 15). Treadmill CPET was performed before and a year after PPVI along with clinical evaluation, cardiac magnetic resonance and transthoracic echocardiography. Twelve months post successful PPVI (pulmonary valve competence restoration and pulmonary gradient reduction from 58.8 ± 47.1 to 26.6 ± 10.8 mm Hg) there was a significant decrease in the ventilatory equivalent for CO2 at peak exercise (EQCO₂) (25.3 ± 3.3 to 24.3 ± 3.0, p = 0.04) and oxygen consumption at peak exercise (pVO2) (20.4 ± 5.0 to 22.6 ± 5.3 mL/kg/min, p = 0.04). Improved EQCO2 correlated with an increase in right and left ventricular ejection fraction (respectively R = -0.57, p = 0.002; R = -0.56, p = 0.002). In this study, no baseline factors that might affect improvement in exercise function were found. CONCLUSIONS Successful PPVI leads to an improvement in exercise capacity and hemodynamic response to exercise. The correlation between the improvement in EQCO2 or peak VO2 and baseline characteristics was too weak to reliably identify the group of patients that will benefit from the procedure.
Development and characterization of metal oxide nanoparticles for the delivery of anticancer drug

The aim of the study was to prepare chemotherapeutic agent-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles for the intracellular delivery of drug, for better therapeutic activity. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have inherent anticancer properties, hence it was envisaged that by loading the anticancer drug into zinc oxide nanoparticles, enhanced anticancer activity might be observed. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared using zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide. Starch was used as the stabilizing agent. The nanoparticles prepared were characterized for size, shape, entrapment efficiency, and drug release. Further, cell line studies were performed to evaluate cellular uptake and cytotoxicity profile using MCF-7 cells. A hemolysis study was performed to check the acute toxicity of the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were found to be 476.4 ± 2.51 nm in size, with low PDI (0.312 ± 0.02) and high entrapment efficiency (> 85%). The nanoparticles were stable, and did not form aggregates on storage in the dispersed form. A cytotoxicity study demonstrated that drug-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited higher anticancer activity as compared to either blank zinc oxide nanoparticles and doxorubicin (DOX) alone, or their mixture. A hemolytic test revealed that the prepared zinc oxide nanoparticles caused negligible hemolysis. Thus, it can be concluded that zinc oxide nanoparticles loaded with DOX resulted in better uptake of the chemotherapeutic agent, and at the same time, showed low toxicity towards normal cells.
Double‐blind comparison of fluoxetine and nortriptyline in the treatment of moderate to severe major depression

Background: Depression is an international public health problem. Impairment in social and occupational functioning, increased comorbidity with other psychiatric and medical conditions, and an increased risk of mortality are a few of its consequences. Some psychiatrists have the impression that selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors may not work as well as tricyclic anti‐depressants in severe depression and/or melancholia. On the contrary, there is a general belief that selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors are superior to the tricyclic anti‐depressants in having fewer side‐effects, particularly cardiovascular effects. The objective of this double‐blind study was to compare the efficacy and safety of fluoxetine and nortriptyline in patients with moderate to severe major depression.