Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEASONAL VARIATION OF PARTICLE NUMBER COUNT (PNC) AT THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENT IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA USING BOOSTED REGRESSION TREES (BRTS)

The concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM) is often measured as a mass concentration. However, the other way to express particulate matter is by using the Particle Number Count ([PNC]) concentrations. This study aims to analyse the seasonal variation of airborne particulate matter in terms of [PNC] by using R packages and the Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs) technique. The study was conducted at IOES, Universiti of Malaya in Bachok, Kelantan. The monitoring was important to understand the variability of seasonal effects due to different seasons. In this work, only the datasets for three seasons (Inter Monsoon, North East Monsoon and South-West Monsoon) were analysed involving 25,958 data. The air quality monitoring equipment involved was the particle counter Environment Dust Monitor GRIMM Model 180 and a weather station for recording the meteorological parameters. The data analysis was completed by using R software and its package for evaluating seasonal variability and providing the statistical analysis. The relationship between variables was studied by using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) technique. The interaction between independent variables towards the [PNC] in different seasons was discussed. The best setting result of BRT model evaluation R² is 0.22 (North-East Monsoon), 0.87 (Intern monsoon 1), and 0.59 for South West Monsoon which indicated that the model developed is acceptable except for NEM and intern monsoon seasons. Temperature (57 %) and wind direction (67%) were found to be the highest factor influenced by the formation of [PNC] concentrations in this area. Finally, good results indicated that BRT technique is an acceptable way to analysed air pollution data.
LWT based Image Super Resolution

—This paper presents an effective approach to recover a high resolution image from a single low resolution input image. In this technique lifting wavelet transform and stationary wavelet transform is used to increase the spatial resolution . The wavelet domain filters support to model the regularity of natural images while the edge details of image get sharper while up sampling. An iterative back projection method is used to reconstruct the high resolution image in an efficient iterative manner. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is very effective in increasing resolution compared to state-of--art super-resolution algorithms.
Hardware Implementation of a High Efficiency and High-Speed Squaring Architecture

This paper presents the design of a high speed and simple squaring structure based on half adder and full adder. The proposed architecture consists of three main steps; simplification of the squaring structure, calculation and transferring of the carry bit to the next part, and finally, applying the modified Wallace Tree Adder to calculate the summation of the products. The proposed squaring architecture is formed only by 13 half adders and 20 full adders for 8-bit squaring which has the lowest complexity compared to other works. The proposed structure is modeled by using Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and has been successfully synthesized and implemented with Xilinx Spartan-6 and Virtex-4 FPGA. Simulation results show that the proposed structure has high speed and excellent performance with low power consumption while having the lowest propagation delay (3.25 ns) and acceptable hardware utilization compared to existing squaring models. The gate-level design of 8-bit squaring is implemented using Cadence layout tools in 65 nm CMOS technology which has a total area of 0.095 mm2.
Use of Eggshells as Bone Grafts around Commercially Pure Titanium Implant Screws Coated with Nano Calcium Sulfate

Background Implant insertion in regions with poor bone quantity, such as the posterior maxilla, is potentially associated with an increased rate of implant failure. Calcium sulfate can be used as the coating material for commercially pure titanium (CpTi) and as the bone graft material around implants when bound to eggshell powder to enhance the bone quality and quantity of bone defect regions. This study performed a torque removal test to evaluate the effectiveness of eggshell powder as a bone substitute for filling bone defects around CpTi-coated implants coated with nanocrystalline calcium sulfate. Materials and Methods Eighty screw implant designs were used in the tibiae of 20 white New Zealand rabbits. A total of uncoated 20 screws constituted the control group, and the remaining 60 screws coated with nano calcium sulfate nanoparticles were used as the experimental groups as follows: 20 screws coated with nano calcium sulfate were used alone in the tibiae without gaps around them, 20 screws coated with nano calcium sulfate were used with the gaps made around them and filled with eggshell powder as the bone graft material, and 20 screws coated with nano calcium sulfate were used with the gaps made around them left unfilled. Results After 2 to 6 weeks of healing, a significant improvement in bone regeneration and an increase in torque removal values were observed when the bone defect around the CpTi implant coated with nano calcium sulfate was filled with eggshell powder as the bone substitute. Conclusions Nano calcium sulfate particles applied through the dip-coating method can successfully work as the coating material of CpTi implants. These particles work in synergy with eggshell powder to act as the bone graft around the implants.
Euclidean Graphs as Crack Pattern Descriptors for Automated Crack Analysis in Digital Images

Typical crack detection processes in digital images produce a binary-segmented image that constitutes the basis for all of the following analyses. Binary images are, however, an unsatisfactory data format for advanced crack analysis algorithms due to their sparse nature and lack of significant data structuring. Therefore, this work instead proposes a new approach based on Euclidean graphs as functional crack pattern descriptors for all post-detection analyses. Conveying both geometrical and topological information in an integrated representation, Euclidean graphs are an ideal structure for efficient crack path description, as they precisely locate the cracks on the original image and capture salient crack skeleton features. Several Euclidean graph-based algorithms for autonomous crack refining, correlation and analysis are described, with significant advantages in both their capabilities and implementation convenience over the traditional, binary image-based approach. Moreover, Euclidean graphs allow the autonomous selection of specific cracks or crack parts based on objective criteria. Well-known performance metrics, namely precision, recall, intersection over union and F1-score, have been adapted for use with Euclidean graphs. The automated generation of Euclidean graphs from binary-segmented images is also reported, enabling the application of this technique to most existing detection methods (e.g., threshold-based or neural network-based) for cracks and other curvilinear features in digital images.
Machiavellian Medical Students Report More Academic Misconduct: A Cocktail Fuelled by Psychological and Contextual Factors

Purpose Maladaptive personality traits and some psychological functioning indicators have been linked to academic misbehaviour; yet their role is still poorly explored in medical students. This study aims to assess associations of academic misconduct with dark personality traits and psychological well-being. Methods Five hundred and ninety-one medical students attending the first, third and fifth-year at one Portuguese medical school replied to the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scales and an original Academic Misconduct Questionnaire, using a cross-sectional design. Multiple linear regression was performed to assess associations. Results Fifth-year medical students who scored higher in Machiavellianism and psychological well-being and perceived greater peer fraud and lower penalty for cheating reported more academic misconduct. The explanatory power of the model was 16.6%. Machiavellianism showed the strongest associations with cheating, while sex and age were not significant predictors. Conclusion This study offers relevant insights into how maladaptive personalities influence academic misconduct in medical students, and how this relationship is moulded by psychological and contextual factors. These findings can help guide institutional actions to foster academic integrity in future physicians.
D-Cysteine Functionalized Superhydrophobic Nanocomposite Coating with Multiple-Action Antibacterial Property and Enhanced Mechanical Durability

In this study, a durable superhydrophobic antibacterial coating was developed by a facile spraying method. A mixture of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles was sprayed on carbon steel to provide a superhydrophobic substrate. D-cysteine (D-cys) functionalized SiO2/dopamine/silver nanoparticles with multilayer core-shell structure were then sprayed on superhydrophobic substrate to enhance antibacterial performance. The results of morphology observation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated the successful preparation of antibacterial nanoparticles and presented the hierarchical micro/nanostructures of coating surface. The as-prepared coating exhibited superhydrophobicity, with the water contact angle of ~153°. The coating was endowed with good mechanical durability, which maintained the water contact angle of ~150° after 180 cycles in tape-peel tests. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed satisfactory corrosion resistance of this coating during 3 days of immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution. Furthermore, the coating showed excellent antibacterial performances against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which benefited from the synergistic actions of low wettability of superhydrophobic surface, bactericidal behavior of Ag nanoparticles, and biofilm inhibition effect of D-cys.
Changes of Tropical Cyclones Landfalling in China From 1979 to 2018

This study investigates the long‐term changes of tropical cyclones (TCs) that originated over the western North Pacific (WNP) and made landfall in China from 1979 to 2018. The TC best track data sets from the three primary weather agencies, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and the TCs landfall data from the CMA are used in this study. Trend analysis of the mean locations of the TCs' lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) suggests that the locations of the LMI of TCs have moved closer to the coast gradually. This shift may be associated with a landward migration of TC genesis. The changes in TC LMI possibly contribute to the slight increase in the TCs' landfall intensity and the significant growth of TCs' overland duration. Further analyses indicate that all these changes may be mainly due to both dynamic and thermodynamic conditions in the WNP, which tend to be more favorable for the formation and development of TCs, and some of the favorable conditions have shifted toward the land during the 40 years.
In Vitro–In Vivo Relationship in Mini-Scale—Enabling Formulations of Corallopyronin A

In vivo studies in mice provide a valuable model to test novel active pharmaceutical ingredients due to their low material need and the fact that mice are frequently used as a species for early efficacy models. However, preclinical in vitro evaluations of formulation principles in mice are still lacking. The development of novel in vitro and in silico models supported the preclinical formulation evaluation for the anti-infective corallopyronin A (CorA). To this end, CorA and solubility-enhanced amorphous solid dispersion formulations, comprising povidone or copovidone, were evaluated regarding biorelevant solubilities and dissolution in mouse-specific media. As an acidic compound, CorA and CorA-ASD formulations showed decreased solubilities in mice when compared with human-specific media. In biorelevant biphasic dissolution experiments CorA-povidone showed a three-fold higher fraction partitioned into the organic phase of the biphasic dissolution, when compared with CorA-copovidone. Bioavailabilities determined by pharmacokinetic studies in BALB/c mice correlated with the biphasic dissolution prediction and resulted in a Level C in vitro–in vivo correlation. In vitro cell experiments excluded intestinal efflux by P-glycoprotein or breast cancer resistance protein. By incorporating in vitro results into a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, the plasma concentrations of CorA-ASD formulations were predicted and identified dissolution as the limiting factor for bioavailability.
VARIATIONAL FORMULATION OF FRACTIONAL STEP METHODS IN SPH FLUID MECHANICS APPLICATIONS

A fractional step projection method is introduced here to achieve incompressibility in the SPH method. Fractional step method is a popular approach used to solve incompressible fluid dynamics problems in traditional grid based methods and involves a two-step process to achieve incompressibility. Essentially, the velocity update over a time step is split into a component that does not take into account the divergence free condition, plus a pressure correction term which restores the incompressibility of the velocity. This paper mainly focuses on the variational formulation of fractional step method for SPH fluid applications by presenting a detailed description of the formulation of governing equations.
Impact of Whole-Layer Barbed Suture Closure on the Postoperative Effect and Aesthetic Satisfaction with Incision After Knee Arthroplasty

Objective To evaluate the effect of whole-layer barbed suture for incision closure on the clinical outcome and aesthetic satisfaction of patients with the incision following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 94 patients (37 men and 57 women, 50–84 years old) who underwent a first TKA between May 2018 and April 2021. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups according to the suture mode, with 45 cases (group A) receiving closure of the deep tissue with a barbed suture and intradermal suture of the incision with another barbed suture and 49 cases (group B) receiving closure of the deep tissue with absorbable suture and interrupted suture of the incision with nonabsorbable suture. Further comparisons were performed regarding incision length, suture time, postoperative incision complications, Hollander Wound Evaluation Score (HWES), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, American Knee Society (AKS) score, and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). The clinical effects of the two suture modes in TKA and the patients’ aesthetic satisfaction with the incision were also evaluated at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the operation. Results Compared with group B, group A had higher HWES at 2 weeks after the operation (P < 0.05), shorter suture times (P < 0.05) and lower POSAS scores at 3 and 6 months after the operation (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in incision length, complication rate, HSS or AKS scores (P > 0.05). Conclusion Compared with the interrupted suture, the use of whole-layer barbed suture for incision closure after TKA has the advantages of a safe and effective outcome, short operation time, high cosmesis degree of the wound scar and high patient satisfaction.
Against All Odds: How Eindhoven Emerged as a Deeptech Ecosystem

The Brainport-Eindhoven region has developed into a leading location for deeptech entrepreneurship in Europe. Against all odds, it has transformed itself from a region that heavily depended on the multinational company Philips, into a diverse and fast-growing deeptech ecosystem. While this success has not gone unnoticed, there is not yet a clear account of how and why the Eindhoven region emerged as a global hotspot for deeptech innovation and entrepreneurship. Moreover, such an account might provide an exemplary model of a collaborative ecosystem, one that provides an alternative to the “winner-takes-all” entrepreneurial culture of Silicon Valley. This essay explores the performance of the Eindhoven region in terms of three structural conditions. First, the focus on deeptech R&D and entrepreneurship appears to be deeply rooted in the region’s history as well as strong competencies in systems engineering, design thinking, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Second, a collaborative approach to regional policy gives industrial, academic, and governmental actors a correlative position in its “triple helix” governance. Finally, the Eindhoven region benefits from a systemic approach toward co-locating R&D and entrepreneurial activities on five campuses. Overall, the huge complexity of deeptech systems and products apparently requires a truly collaborative approach at all levels of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Role of Soy Isoflavones in the Prevention of Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The aim of the report was to determine the effects of soy isoflavones on lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal women. MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published in English during 1995–2019. Studies were identified and reviewed for inclusion and exclusion eligibility. Weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated for each study and were pooled by using the random effects model. Eighteen randomized controlled trials were selected for meta-analysis. Different types of soy phytoestrogens, i.e., genistein extracts, soy isoflavones extracts, soy protein isolate, and foods containing diverse amounts of isoflavones were used in the studies. The analysis showed that daily intake of 106 (range, 40–300) mg of isoflavones for 6–24 months moderately but statistically significantly positively affects BMD, compared with controls: lumbar spine WMD = 1.63 (95% CI: 0.51 to 2.75)%, p = 0004; femoral neck WMD = 1.87 (95% CI: 0.14 to 3.60)%, p = 0.034; and total hip WMD = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.69)%, p = 0.013. Subgroups analyses indicated that the varying effects of isoflavones on BMD across the trials might be associated with intervention duration, racial diversity (Caucasian, Asian), time after menopause, form of supplements (especially genistein), and dose of isoflavones. Our review and meta-analysis suggest that soy isoflavones are effective in slowing down bone loss after menopause.
Total Phenolic Content, Peroxidase and Polyphenoloxidase Activities in Ganoderma Infected Oil Palm Seedlings – Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF)

Basal stem rot disease caused by Ganoderma boninense is the most predominant disease of oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia. Although an effective method for controlling the disease is elusive, research towards early detection and remedy for disease control measures remains crucial for plantation operation. Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) offers a practical alternative that should be seriously considered and implemented. This study evaluated the enzyme activities (TPC, PPO, PO activity) in oil palm seedlings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and infected with G. boninense. Artificial inoculation was conducted using oil palm germinated seeds in the nursery, and plant responses were analysed at 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks of post-inoculation (WPI). At 20 WPI, the highest accumulation of total phenolic content (TPC) was recorded in T3 (AMF + G. boninense) with 6.09 mg/g compared to T1 (untreated), T2 (G. boninense), and T4 (AMF), which recorded TPC of 3.24 mg/g, 4.19 mg/g and 3.87 mg/g respectively with no significant difference indicating the natural presence of phenol compound in healthy tissue at concentration enough for defense, whether as free compound or in the conjugated form which released after the attack. Both T2 and T3 showed higher peroxidase (PO) levels with 122.8 unit/g tissue and 116.5 unit/g tissue compared to T1 (73.63 unit/g tissue) and T4 (80.6 unit/g tissue). The polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity was also higher in both T2 (142.3 unit/g tissue) and T3 (111.7 unit/g tissue) compared to T1 (55.3 unit/g tissue) and T4 (36.3 unit/g tissue). Seedlings treated with AMF also showed increased plant growth compared to untreated seedlings. It was observed that T3 seedlings with AMF prophylactic treatment showed the highest chlorophyll content even with G. boninense infection.
Scheduling adequate irrigation mitigates postharvest soft scald disorder of Ambrosia™ apples grown in a semiarid eco-zone

Abstract The effect of irrigation on soft scald (SS) disorder in Ambrosia™ apples was surveyed over 4 years in various orchards in Cawston, BC which is located in a valley having a semiarid eco-zone. The observations were further validated by manipulating irrigation programs in a series of experiments in three commercial orchards. Adequate irrigation (AI) was defined as the amount of water application required to maintain sustainable production as defined in the provincial irrigation guide, while deficit irrigation (DI) reduced irrigation to less than 40% of AI at the same site. Records from the survey study indicated that SS incidence was negatively correlated with the amount of watering (r = −0.9). The validation study confirmed that correlation at three different commercial sites. These results suggest that intensive water deficit can cause fruit to be susceptible to SS and that adequate watering during fruit expansion and late season exerts a mitigating effect on SS in Ambrosia™ apples grown in a dry climate region. They also suggest that conducting DI prior to midsummer does not irrevocably cause SS susceptibility in this apple.
Tool and techniques study to plant microbiome current understanding and future needs: an overview

ABSTRACT Microorganisms are present in the universe and they play role in beneficial and harmful to human life, society, and environments. Plant microbiome is a broad term in which microbes are present in the rhizo, phyllo, or endophytic region and play several beneficial and harmful roles with the plant. To know of these microorganisms, it is essential to be able to isolate purification and identify them quickly under laboratory conditions. So, to improve the microbial study, several tools and techniques such as microscopy, rRNA, or rDNA sequencing, fingerprinting, probing, clone libraries, chips, and metagenomics have been developed. The major benefits of these techniques are the identification of microbial community through direct analysis as well as it can apply in situ. Without tools and techniques, we cannot understand the roles of microbiomes. This review explains the tools and their roles in the understanding of microbiomes and their ecological diversity in environments.