Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagrams in Systems Analysis and Design

Models play an important role in systems analysis and design (SAD). A diagrammatic model is defined as a mapping from a domain to a visual representation in such a way that relevant information is preserved to meet a specific goal. So far, cognitive research on diagram criteria in relation to task performance has been fragmented. The aim of this paper is to (1) consolidate research on the cognitive processing steps involved during understanding and task performance with diagrams, (2) consolidate corresponding criteria for such diagrams to best support cognitive processing, and (3) demonstrate the support effective diagrams provide for performing SAD tasks. Addressing the first aim, we develop a theoretical cognitive framework of task performance with diagrams called CogniDia. It integrates different cognitive theories from research on diagrams in software engineering and information systems. Regarding the second aim, we review the literature to organize criteria for effective cognitive processing of diagrams. We identify research gaps on verbal and task processing. Regarding the third aim, we use the theoretical cognitive framework to investigate how diagrams support the SAD process effectively.
PHOTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF CESTRUM SPECIES (FAMILY SOLANACEAE)

The Cestrum species (Solanaceac) are ornamental plants with sporadic reports of their medicinal uses, C. diurnum, C. nocturnum and C. parqui, C. diurnum and C. nocturnum are cultivated in the gardens in Pakistan whereas C. aurunatiacum and C. parqui are naturalized in the Abottabad region only. The present thesis describes the isolation and structure elucidation of five new saponins namely nocturnoside A, nocturnoside B, diurnoside 1, parquisoside A and parquisoside B, as well as a known saponin karatavioside A. A known sapogenin, yuccagenin was isolated in its native form. The aglycone of the two saponins parquisoside A and parquisoside B is also a new sapogenin. It is a 24 B-hydroxy diosgenin and we have named it parquigenin. Nocturnoside, A nocturnoside B, karatavioside A and yuccagenin were isolated from the leaves and stems of C. nocturnum. Diurnoside I was isolated from the leaves and stems of C. diurnum. Parquisoside A and parquisoside B were isolated from the aerial parts of C. parqui. The plant parts of each of the species were extracted in methanol and evaporated to semi-dryness. These were partitioned between water and ethyl acetate, and then water and butanol. The ethyl acetate extract of C. nocturnum yielded yuccagenin. Butanolic extracts contained the saponins. The saponins were purified by vacuum liquid chromatography, column chromatography and finally by high pressure liquid chromatography through semi-preparative RP-18 column or preparative thin-layer chromatography using procated silica gel, glass plates. The structures of the compounds were elucidated with the help of chemical as well as spectroscopical analysis of each compound. The latter included extensive studies of various ID and 2D NMR spectral data. Diverse pharmacological properties of the crude extracts or pure saponins were also investigated. The chemical names and structures of the six saponins and the sapogenin are given below:.
Matching Supply and Demand in Collaborative Additive Manufacturing

Due to an increasing individualization of products, additive manufacturing is often seen as a solution to cater for more sophisticated customer requirements. In order to fulfill customer needs, manufacturers have to rely on collaboration to distribute risk and improve the utilization of their resources. In this paper, we used qualitative interviews to define requirements for a marketplace that allows the automatic exchange of additive manufacturing capacities. From these requirements, we derived a conceptual model that matches orders to sales offers while taking specific product requirements, such as quality, into account. Additionally, we implemented a demonstrator to evaluate the model with potential buyers and sellers of additive manufacturing capacities. Our research showed that most requirements could be implemented in a marketplace. However, we could show specific limitations for particular requirements.
Morphological and molecular identification of Cladosporium sphaerospermum isolates collected from tomato plant residues

Fungi exist in all environmental systems and have different effects between them as well as with the other organisms (Engelthaler & Litvintseva, 2020). Cladosporium sphaerospermum was first described by Albert Julius Otto Penzig in 1886 after isolating from the rotting leaves and branches of citrus (Citrus aurantium) (Bensch et al., 2010). C. sphaerospermum is a cosmopolitan fungus and present in many internal and external environments because of its airborne and rapid spread nature (Zalar et al., 2007; Bensch et al., 2010). C. sphaerospermum was isolated from very salty environments in Mediterranean and tropical as well as from temperate climates (Zalar et al., 2007). Abstract This study was conducted at the Agriculture College University of Karbala, Iraq to isolate and morphologically and molecularly diagnose thirteen Cladosporium isolates collected from tomato plant residues present in desert regions of Najaf and Karbala provinces, Iraq. We diagnosed the obtained isolates by PCR amplification using the ITS1 and ITS4 universal primer pair followed by sequencing. PCR amplification and analysis of nucleotide sequences using the BLAST program showed that all isolated fungi belong to Cladosporium sphaerospermum. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the identified C. sphaerospermum isolates 2, 6, 9, and 10 showed a genetic similarity reached 99%, 98%, 99%, and 99%, respectively, with those previously registered at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBl). By comparing the nucleotide sequences of the identified C. sphaerospermum isolates with the sequences belong to the same fungi and available at NCBI, it was revealed that the identified C. sphaerospermum isolates 2, 6, 9, and 10 have a genetic variation with those previously recorded at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBl); therefore, the identified sequences of C. sphaerospermum isolates have been registered in GenBank database (NCBI) under the accession numbers MN896004, MN896107, MN896963, and MN896971, respectively.
The utility of a dual-phase, dual-energy CT protocol in patients presenting with overt gastrointestinal bleeding

Background Due to their easy accessibility, CT scans have been increasingly used for investigation of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Purpose To estimate the performance of a dual-phase, dual-energy (DE) GI bleed CT protocol in patients with overt GI bleeding in clinical practice and examine the added value of portal phase and DE images. Materials and Methods Consecutive patients with GI bleeding underwent a two-phase DE GI bleed CT protocol. Two gastroenterologists established the reference standard. Performance was estimated using clinical CT reports. Three GI radiologists rated confidence in GI bleeding in a subset of 62 examinations, evaluating first mixed kV arterial images, then after examining additional portal venous phase images, and finally after additional DE images (virtual non-contrast and virtual monoenergetic 50 keV images). Results 52 of 176 patients (29.5%) had GI bleeding by the reference standard. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the CT GI bleed protocol for detecting GI bleeding were 65.4%, 89.5%, 72.3%, and 86.0%, respectively. In patients with GI bleeding, diagnostic confidence of readers increased after adding portal phase images to arterial phase images (p = 0.002), without additional benefit from dual energy images. In patients without GI bleeding, confidence in luminal extravasation appropriately decreased after adding portal phase, and subsequently DE images (p = 0.006, p = 0.018). Conclusion A two-phase DE GI bleed CT protocol had high specificity and negative predictive value in clinical practice. Portal venous phase images improved diagnostic confidence in comparison to arterial phase images alone. Dual-energy images further improved radiologist confidence in the absence of bleeding.
The effect of sensory discrimination training on sensorimotor performance in individuals with central neurological conditions: A systematic review

Objective The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the efficacy of sensory discrimination training (SDT) on sensorimotor performance in individuals with a neurological condition affecting the central nervous system. Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, CENTRAL, PsychINFO, Scopus, OT Seeker, PEDro, ETHOS, Web of Science and OpenGrey were systematically searched for appropriate randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Included studies were assessed for risk of bias, and the quality of the evidence was rated using the GRADE approach. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017055237). Results Six RCTs met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. All studies used manual tactile discrimination to retrain somatosensation. Somatosensory effect sizes (0.12–0.92) and motor function effect sizes (0.12–10.39) ranged from trivial to large with narrative analysis revealing some between-group difference in favour of the intervention group. However, the total sample size (n = 220) was relatively small, and the quality of the included studies was low. Conclusions SDT may have potential to be an efficacious treatment option for improving sensorimotor performance in individuals with neurological disease. However, at present there is limited evidence on which to base any firm clinical recommendations.
Electrochemical C–H functionalization and subsequent C–S and C–N bond formation: paired electrosynthesis of 3-amino-2-thiocyanato-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives mediated by bromide ions

An efficient paired electrosynthesis involving C–H functionalization and subsequent C–S and C–N bond formation for the assembly of valuable 3-amino-2-thiocyanato-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives has been developed. In the paired electrolysis, the amino and thiocyanato moieties originate from a single reagent or a combination of ammonium acetate and potassium isocyanate. The chemistry proceeds in a simple undivided cell employing a sub-stoichiometric amount of NH4Br that serves both as an inner sphere type redox catalyst and a supporting electrolyte; in this manner an additional conducting salt is not required. The reaction also works using a catalytic amount of NH4Br. Cyclic voltammetry and the results of control experiments demonstrate that the reaction proceeds via an anodically initiated C–H functionalization of the 1,3-dicarbonyl substrates that occurs via the electrochemical oxidation of bromide and simultaneous cathodic reduction of ammonium ions.
Characterization of the scavenger cell proteome in mouse and rat liver

Abstract The structural-functional organization of ammonia and glutamine metabolism in the liver acinus involves highly specialized hepatocyte subpopulations like glutamine synthetase (GS) expressing perivenous hepatocytes (scavenger cells). However, this cell population has not yet been characterized extensively regarding expression of other genes and potential subpopulations. This was investigated in the present study by proteome profiling of periportal GS-negative and perivenous GS-expressing hepatocytes from mouse and rat. Apart from established markers of GS+ hepatocytes such as glutamate/aspartate transporter II (GLT1) or ammonium transporter Rh type B (RhBG), we identified novel scavenger cell-specific proteins like basal transcription factor 3 (BTF3) and heat-shock protein 25 (HSP25). Interestingly, BTF3 and HSP25 were heterogeneously distributed among GS+ hepatocytes in mouse liver slices. Feeding experiments showed that RhBG expression was increased in livers from mice fed with high protein diet compared to standard chow. While spatial distributions of GS and carbamoylphosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) were unaffected, periportal areas constituted by glutaminase 2 (GLS2)-positive hepatocytes were enlarged or reduced in response to high or low protein diet, respectively. The data suggest that the population of perivenous GS+ scavenger cells is heterogeneous and not uniform as previously suggested which may reflect a functional heterogeneity, possibly relevant for liver regeneration.
Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and its applications in microfluidics-based biological analysis

Abstract Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic systems have been gaining popularity in various applications, particularly for biological analyses because of their non-toxicity, easy fabrication, practical scalability, optical transparency, and low cost. However, because of the inherent hydrophobicity of PDMS-based material, biological samples easily and strongly interact with PDMS surfaces in biological environments, which prevents the immediate use of PDMS-based microfluidics without any surface processing. To date, various surface modification methods and different materials have been utilized to improve the repelling properties of the PDMS surface and to introduce new functional groups. Based on the recent advances in this field, we outline the main strategies utilized in PDMS surface modification in this review. We also present several applications of modified PDMS surfaces in biological analysis, such as biomolecule separation, immunoassay, cell culture, and DNA hybridization.
Innovation Management to Sustain Competitive Advantage: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study

The importance of new product development (NPD) and innovative capabilities in marketing, innovation, and business strategy has been recognized by management and researchers. Knowledge management and organizational capabilities have also been explored and evaluated by researchers and practitioners. However, the current literature shows a lack of connection between NPD, innovative capabilities, integrated shared knowledge, and organizational capabilities. Also, there is limited knowledge on the impact and the contribution of the integrated shared knowledge and the organizational capabilities to the firm's success, performance, and sustainability. This study aimed to determine if there is a link between NPD and innovative capabilities, integrated shared knowledge, and the organization's capability. The purpose of the research is to explore how shared knowledge and the organization's capabilities influence and contribute to NPD, innovative capabilities, and innovative management. A qualitative, multi-site case study through one-on-one, in-depth interviews with primary decision-makers from technology and innovative companies located in Texas State in the USA is employed. The primary research question that guided the project is: How do shared knowledge and the organizational capabilities that influence NPD and innovative capability contribute to the firm's success, performance, and sustainability? Respondent interviews have been imported and analyzed through NVivo qualitative data analytics software. Findings have been determined using NVivo 11 through theme analysis. A key finding is that shared knowledge and the organization's capabilities are linked and critical for NPD's success and innovative capabilities. A set of recommendations for future researchers is proposed.
Wastewater Decontamination from Microorganisms by Electrospraying Corona Discharge

A novel water treatment technique, based on a combination of electrospraying and pulsed corona discharge, has been used for bio-decontamination of wastewater. The electrospraying process has been found to increase the surface area of the treated wastewater, and hence increases the efficiency of the corona treatment process. The phase diagram of the discharge, which characterizes the discharge regimes, has been identified experimentally. The survival ratio of the microorganisms has been investigated experimentally as a function of the applied voltage and the numbers of treatment runs using air and oxygen as working gases. Microorganism surface has been examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), which enabled in understanding the decontamination mechanisms of the treated microorganism. A complete decontamination has been achieved after only one run for an applied voltage higher than 16 kV when the discharge system was operated in oxygen gas. Optical emission spectrum of the electrosprayed water confirmed the existence of OH-radicals responsible for decontamination process.
Multicolor In Vivo Imaging of Upconversion Nanoparticles with Emissions Tuned by Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) based on sodium yttrium fluoride (NaYF4) nanocrystals are synthesized, functionalized with an amphiphilic polymer, and loaded with fluorescent and quenching molecules by physical adsorption. The formed supramolecular UCNP−dye complexes show tuned visible emission spectra owing to the luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) from nanoparticles to the organic dyes under near-infrared (NIR) excitation, and can be well separated in multicolor imaging after spectral decovolution. Our work provides a facile and flexible method to modulate the upconversion luminescence (UCL) spectra of UCNPs for in vivo multicolor UCL imaging in animals.
A Probabilistic-Based Portfolio Resampling Under the Mean-Variance Criterion

Abstract An abundant amount of literature has documented the limitations of traditional unconstrained mean-variance optimization and Efficient Frontier (EF) considered as an estimation-error maximization that magnifies errors in parameter estimates. Originally introduced by Michaud (1998), empirical superiority of portfolio resampling supposedly lies in the addressing of parameter uncertainty by averaging forecasts that are based on a large number of bootstrap replications. Nevertheless, averaging over resampled portfolio weights in order to obtain the unique Resampled Efficient Frontier (REF, U.S. patent number 6,003,018) has been documented as a debated statistical procedure. Alternatively, we propose a probabilistic extension of the Michaud resampling that we introduce as the Probabilistic Resampled Efficient Frontier (PREF). The originality of this work lies in addressing the information loss in the REF by proposing a geometrical three-dimensional representation of the PREF in the mean-variance-probability space. Interestingly, this geometrical representation illustrates a confidence region around the naive EF associated to higher probabilities; in particular for simulated Global-Mean-Variance portfolios. Furthermore, the confidence region becomes wider with portfolio return, as is illustrated by the dispersion of simulated Maximum-Mean portfolios.
How Does Being Solo in Nature Affect Well-Being? Evidence from Norway, Germany and New Zealand

Background: Solo—being intentionally solitary in nature—is receiving growing attention as a valuable outdoor education program component. Its practice and history have been researched in the context of experiential learning, but few studies have explicitly examined how solo experiences can affect dimensions of well-being. This study investigated a broad range of well-being pathways provided by being solo, based on data from Norway, Germany, and New Zealand. Methods: Using qualitative content analysis (QCA), the solo debrief responses of 40 participants (26 females, age: 19–64 years) were analysed, applying the PERMA-V framework (emotions, engagement, relationship, meaning, achievement, and vitality). Variations in the reports were explored as a function of the national sample, gender, age, prior solo experiences and expectations. Results: The study suggests that hedonic and eudemonic well-being pathways, represented by the six PERMA-V pillars, interrelate strongly. The experience of a range of positive emotions and connecting process during solo highlights two of the most frequent findings related to well-being pathways. The secondary findings suggest minor variations in the well-being pathways for the different national samples, gender and age. Expectations and prior experiences with solo were identified as context factors with minor impact. Further, the data-driven analysis identified specific physical activities, landscape features, sense-activation, perception of time and ‘good’ weather as relevant to the specific experience. Conclusions: Solo experiences provide for well-being-related pathways in a multitude of ways, which highlights the well-being potential of solo implementation across practical fields beyond outdoor education, such as wilderness therapy, and environmental and planetary health initiatives. Future studies should continue to explore solo’s well-being potential in different settings, especially in the context of non-Western samples.
Determination of cadmium in edible fungi by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Objective:To investigate the detection method of cadmium in edible fungi,and test Cd in 32 edible fungi samples.Methods: Using the matrix modifier,Cd in edible fungi was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.Results: ① The proper conditions for determining Cd were ashing temperature 350℃ and atomizing temperature 1300℃ with NH4H2PO4 as a matrix modifier;② The recoveries of Cd were from 98.0% to 100.2% and the limit of detection was 0.070 ng/ml;③ Cd content in 44% of 32 samples was over 0.2 mg/kg.Conclusion: This method is accurate and sensitive.It can meet the practical determination requirements.
Modelling Time-varying Risk of Natural Resource Assets: Implications of Climate Change

A multivariate GARCH model of natural resources is specified to capture the effects of time-varying portfolio risk. A special feature of the model is the inclusion of realized volatility for natural resource assets that are available at multiple frequencies as well as being sensitive to sudden changes in climatic conditions. Natural resource portfolios under climate change are simulated from bootstrapping schemes as well as being derived from global climate model projections. Both approaches are applied to a multi-asset water portfolio model consisting of reservoir inflows, rainwater harvesting and desalinated water. The empirical results show that while reservoirs remain the dominant water asset, adaptation to climate change involves increased contributions from rainwater harvesting and more frequent use of desalinated water. It is estimated that climate change increases annual water supply costs by between 7% and 44% over a 20-year forecast horizon.
Word Embedding and String-Matching Techniques for Automobile Entity Name Identification from Web Reviews

With the huge popularity of Internet, various types of information on a wide range of domains are floating over different social media platforms. To extract this information for using in diverse natural language processing applications, identifying the names is prerequisite. A study is presented here, to identify automobile names from noisy web reviews by exploring two widely used machine learning algorithms, Conditional Random Field and Support Vector Machine. The accuracy of machine learning classifiers radically rely on size and quality of training data which has been prepared manually by extracting discussion forum corpus; the task is time consuming and laborious; hence to leverage this word embedding is adopted. Though it enhances the system’s performance but is unable to spot noisy names which occur in web reviews. Next, a gazetteer based string matching technique is proposed, it recognizes a new set of noisy automobile entities, resulting considerable improvement in accuracy.