Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Ionic Block Copolymer Templated Calcium Phosphate Nanocomposites

Self-assembling thermo-reversibly gelling anionic and zwitterionic pentablock copolymers were used as templates for precipitation of calcium phosphate nanostructures, controlling their size and ordered structural arrangement. Calcium and phosphate ions were dissolved in a block-copolymer micellar dispersion at low temperatures. Aging at ambient temperature produced inorganic nanoparticles, presumably nucleated by ionic interactions. The self-assembled nanocomposites were characterized by small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 1H−31P NMR with 1H spin diffusion from polymer to phosphate proved the formation of nanocomposites, with inorganic particle sizes from ∼2 nm, characterized by 1H−31P dipolar couplings, to >100 nm. TEM analysis showed polymer micelles surrounded by calcium phosphate. SAXS attested that a significant fraction of the calcium phosphate was templated by the polyme.
Hepatoprotective effect of calyces extract of Physalis peruviana in hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 in wistar rats

Background: Physalis peruviana (“uchuva”, Solanaceae) is a widespread species of the South American Andes and widely used in traditional medicine. Its fruits are consumed as food and for the treatment of diabetes. The juice of Physalis peruviana fruits is topically applied in the eyes for pterigyum treatment. Previous works reported that the fruit extracts has modulating activity of oxidative stress in experimental diabetes models induced by streptozotocin. It has been attributed antipyretic, antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties to the calyces enveloping the fruit. Reported literature demonstrates in vivo and in vitro that different calyx’s extracts have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Objectives: To evaluate the in vivo hepatoprotective effect of the extract of Physalis peruviana calyces, involving inflammation and oxidative stress models at hepatic level. Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced by single oral administration of CCl4 (2 mL / Kg in olive oil) in Wistar rats. Physalis peruviana extract (250 mg/Kg) and silymarin (200 mg/Kg), used as control drug, were administrated twice a day for five days. At the end of the experiment, animals were euthanized and the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were measured as well as some parameters of hepatic antioxidant status like superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation. Results: Extract of Physalis peruviana calyces inhibited significantly (p < 0.001) liver oxidative stress caused by CCl4, maintaining superoxide dismutase and catalase activities close to normal. Studied extract also reduced significantly liver enzymes levels increased by CCl4 administration. Conclusion: It was suggested that the extract of Physalis peruviana calyces presents a hepatoprotective effect related to its antioxidant activity, especially regarding to lipid peroxidation inhibition.
Pulsed Supersonic Beams from High Pressure Source: Simulation Results and Experimental Measurements

Pulsed beams, originating from a high pressure, fast acting valve equipped with a shaped nozzle, can now be generated at high repetition rates and with moderate vacuum pumping speeds. The high intensity beams are discussed, together with the skimmer requirements that must be met in order to propagate the skimmed beams in a high-vacuum environment without significant disruption of the beam or substantial increases in beam temperature.
Models of the pharmacophoric pattern and affinity trend of methyl 2-(aminomethyl)-1-phenylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate derivatives as σ1 ligands

Sigma-1 (σ1) affinities of methyl 2-(aminomethyl)-1-phenylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate (MAPCC) derivatives were modelled by the genetic algorithm with linear assignment of hypermolecular alignment of datasets (GALAHAD) and the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA)/comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) methods. GALAHAD was used for deriving the 3D pharmacophore pattern that encompasses the most potent σ1 ligands within this series. Five MAPCC derivatives with a high σ1 affinity were used for deriving this model. The obtained model included a nitrogen atom, the hydrophobes and the hydrogen bond acceptor features; it was able to identify other potent σ1 ligands. On the other hand, CoMFA and CoMSIA methods were used for deriving quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models. All QSAR models were trained with 17 compounds, after which they were evaluated for predictive ability with additional five compounds. The best QSAR model was obtained by using CoMSIA, including steric, electrostatic and hydrophobic fields, and had a good predictive quality according to both internal and external validation criteria. In general, the models described herein provide meaningful information relevant for the rational design of new σ1 ligands.
Monte Carlo studies of the melt–vacuum interface of a lattice polymer

A film of polymer on a five way cubic lattice is adsorbed on a smooth solid surface with one face exposed to the vacuum. The properties of the film are examined using a Monte Carlo algorithm which employs a combination of reptative and pseudokinetic ‘‘movements. ’’ The film which forms exhibits three distinct layers, with two interfacial regions sandwiching a central region. The polymer in that central region is shown to have characteristics of the bulk melt. The density of beads, the density of ends, and the density of the centers of mass of individual chains are all calculated for a number of temperatures. The densities of beads and ends decrease monotonically across the melt–vacuum interface, but the center‐of‐mass density shows pronounced peak structure near both interfaces. Analysis of the conformations of the polymer in the neighborhood of the interfaces shows the chains to be asymmetrically flattened at both surfaces. The structural features near the melt–vacuum interface are not found to scale in a.
The Lithium Industry and Analysis of the Beta Term Structure of Oil Companies

According to a statement made in the BP Energy Outlook report in 2017, most of the world’s liquid fuel (petroleum) is being consumed by the transportation industry. The mechanisms used to stimulate changes in the energy markets are affected by government policies that act in more ambitious ways than purely market-driven forces; different governments have promoted incentives involving electric mobility, especially in urban areas. The substitution for crude oil by renewable energy inputs in the transport sector is a major concern for oil producers. Among the different types of clean energies, lithium (Li) is currently assuming an increasingly strategic role. The goals of this paper are two-fold: First, we study the dynamics of the lithium industry and then the beta risk behavior of the 10 largest oil companies in the world for the time period between 11 February 2008 and 10 January 2019. We use an approach based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) method. The results indicate that there is a period of dependence between late 2013 and 2016 that occurs in the long-run frequencies of between 32 and 198 days for all cases, except for in the case of PetroChina, thereby demonstrating that the beta term is time-varying. We also find evidence that the beta term reflects and advances oil companies’ responsiveness to movements in the lithium market. In the second part of the paper, we study the dynamics of the beta series by using long-run dependence approaches. The results indicate that the betas are highly persistent, with the order of integration found to be significantly above 1 in all cases.
“Do knowledge, perceived usefulness of halal label and religiosity affect attitude and intention to buy halal-labeled detergent?”

Purpose Despite the high research interest regarding Halal products, most studies on Halal products focused on food and cosmetics. This study aims to examine the factors that affect the attitude and purchase intention of non-food Halal products in a limited context of detergent products. This study is derived from the theory of reasoned action. It incorporates knowledge, religiosity and perceived usefulness of Halal label as antecedents of attitude. Design/methodology/approach This study applied a self-administered online questionnaire. Data were collected through an online survey with a non-probability sampling technique (convenience sampling). The study retained a total of 264 valid responses. The respondents mainly consisted of Muslim consumers from the 18–24 age group (62.5%), followed by the 25–31 age group (29.2%). Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that attitude toward Halal-labeled detergent is affected by the perceived usefulness of the Halal label, and knowledge of Halal. Consequently, attitude toward Halal-labeled detergent positively affects intention to buy Halal-labeled detergent. This study also suggests that religiosity has a positive effect on the perceived usefulness of the Halal label and purchase intention of Halal detergent. Originality/value This study is among the few studies that discuss the antecedents and consequences of attitude toward Halal products in the context of detergent, a non-food Halal product category besides cosmetics. Muslim consumer responses toward Halal label were mostly researched in food and cosmetics contexts, while in some countries such as Indonesia, Halal labeling on all products has recently become mandated by legislation. Hence, this study provides some insights regarding Muslim consumer’s attitudes toward Halal-labeled products besides food and cosmetics.
Characterizing the robustness of power-law networks that experience spatially-correlated failures

Knowing the ability of networked infrastructure to maintain operability following a spatially distributed hazard (e.g. an earthquake or a hurricane) is paramount to managing risk and planning for recovery. Leveraging topological properties of the network, along with characteristics of the hazard field, may be an expedient way of predicting network robustness compared to more computationally-intensive simulation methods. Prior work has shown that the topological properties are insightful for predicting robustness, considered here to be measured by the relative size of the largest connected subgraph after failures, especially for networks experiencing random failures. While this does not equate to full engineering-based performance, it does provide an indication of the robustness of the network. In this work, we consider the effect that spatially-correlated failures have on network robustness using only spatial properties of the hazard and topological properties of networks. The results show that the spatial properties of the hazard together with the mean nodal degree, mean clustering coefficient, clustering coefficient standard deviation and path length standard deviation are the most influential factors in characterizing the network robustness. Using the results, recommendations are made for infrastructure management/owners to consider when improving existing systems, or designing new infrastructure. Recommendations include examining the known possible locations of potential hazards in relation to the system and considering the level of redundancy within the system.
Fundamentals of neuromarketing: What is it all about?

Neuromarketing has become a central marketing issue in the new global economy. The term neuromarketing is a combination of neuroscience and marketing. This new concept provides new insights and powerful techniques in marketing research, especially on consumer analysis. The central concept of neuromarketing is strongly related to brain activities, understanding the consumers' subconscious mind, explaining consumers' preferences, motivations, and expectations, and predicting consumers' behavior. Neuromarketing is not to replace traditional marketing methods, but rather to provide unique and complementary insights. This paper focuses on the growing field of neuromarketing and aims to explain the fundamental concepts of neuromarketing to ensure that its unexplored practical usefulness can positively contribute to the field of marketing. Therefore, this review will help researchers to develop effective approaches further, to provide better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of scientific methods to understand how consumers respond to marketing campaigns.
Wettability of Petroleum Pipelines: Influence of Crude Oil and Pipeline Material in Relation to Hydrate Deposition

Pipeline plugging by gas hydrates causes problems during petroleum production. In the present work, various solid surfaces and crude oils have been used to study the effect of material and crude oil composition on the wettability of pipeline-mimicking surfaces. The subsequent effect on deposition of hydrates to the pipeline wall is discussed. The results show that both the pipeline wall material and crude oil composition influence the wettability of the system. The surfaces with the lowest surface free energy represent the most oil-wet systems, with the lowest adhesion energy between water and the solid surface in crude oil. To study the influence of crude oil composition on wettability, several compositional parameters have been combined using multivariate data analysis. Nonplugging oils, suggested to create oil-wet hydrates, also create oil-wet solid surfaces, indicating that the same components influence both the hydrate and pipeline surface. The compositional feature most significantly indicating nonp.
Influence of internal friction on transport properties in sheared granular flows

The effect has been studied of the internal friction coefficient of particles on transport properties of sheared granular flows. Experiments were performed in shear cell devices under four different internal friction coefficients of the particles and five different solid fractions. The motions of the granular materials were recorded by a high-speed camera. By using image processing technology and the particle tracking method, we measured and analyzed the distributions of the average velocity, fluctuation velocity, and particle self-diffusion coefficient. Three bi-directional stress gages were used to measure the normal and shear stresses along the upper boundary. According to the experimental results, the stresses and the self-diffusion coefficients of the particles were inverse proportional to the internal friction coefficients. In the same conditions, the normal stresses were apparently higher than the shear stresses. The fluctuation and the self-diffusion coefficients in the streamwise direction were obviously higher than those in the transverse direction. The normal and shear stresses were found to increase with the solid fraction, but the diffusion coefficients were greater in a more dilute flow system. In addition, the deviations of self-diffusion coefficients in the low solid fraction condition were much greater than those in the high solid fraction condition. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Physiological and Biochemical Behaviors of Date Palm Vitroplants Treated with Microbial Consortia and Compost in Response to Salt Stress

The main challenge of the agricultural sector is to develop new ecological technologies that increase the yields and the tolerance of crops to abiotic constraints, especially in arid areas. The objective of this study was to test the potential roles of biofertilizers, namely, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a native AMF consortium (AMF1) and an exotic AMF strain (AMF2); plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR); and compost (comp), applied separately or in combination, in improving the tolerance of date palm vitroplants to salt stress. Plants were grown under non-stressed (0 mM NaCl) or stressed conditions (120 and 240 mM NaCl). Salt stress negatively affected growth and physiological parameters. However, biofertilizers used alone or in combination increased these traits in either the presence or absence of salinity. The two tripartite combinations PGPR+AMF1+Comp and PGPR+AMF2+Comp efficiently increased plant height compared to the controls, with respective enhancements of 47% and 48% under non-stressed conditions (0 mM), 44% and 43% under 120 mM NaCl and 42% and 41% under 240 mM NaCl. Moreover, under 240 mM NaCl level, the PGPR, AMF1+Comp and PGPR+AMF1+Comp treatments improved the shoot dry weight by 128%, 122% and 113% respectively compared to the stressed control plants submitted to 240 mM NaCl. The tripartite combinations PGPR+AMF1/AMF2+Comp improved salt stress tolerance of plants by increasing plant growth, accumulation of osmotic adjustment compounds and antioxidant enzyme activity compared to control plants and the other treatments.
Does Innovation Type Influence Firm Performance? A Dilemma of Star-Rated Hotels in Ghana

Innovation, which leads to process changes and product development, tends to increase the sustenance of companies and helps firms to expand faster and more effectively, eventually more profitably than non-innovators. Innovation is commonly seen as a key source of sustainable competitive advantage in a changing environment. However, the success of the hospitality industry relies a lot on how well they gear their innovations towards preserving the natural and cultural attractions that make tourist/customers to visit their destinations. This study, therefore, is empirically designed to explore how innovation types, which include process, product, marketing, and organizational innovation, impact performance of hotel firms in Ghana. With top-level managers being our target respondents, 680 star rated hotels were purposely sampled from the hospitality industry, among which 550 hotel firms provided valid and accurate responses. Data obtained from the survey through the administration of a well-structured questionnaire was analyzed through SPSS statistical package. Through the estimation of series of regression models using the Hierarchical regression method of analysis, we witnessed that process, product, marketing, and organizational innovation employed as innovation types have palpable and statistically significant liaison with performance of hotel firms in Ghana. We, therefore, conclude that, for hotels to achieve high firm performance, personnel within the firm should be encouraged and empowered to develop innovative mentalities and abilities. In addition, hotel firms and the industry at large should be abreast of current trends of sustainability and endeavor to gear their innovation operations towards a more sustainability-oriented firm since incorporating sustainable innovative strategies into firms’ operations will not only create a good image and reduce cost but would also safeguard the natural attractions that guests patronize.
Numerical analysis on fiber-nonlinearity compensation for 4ASK 100-km SSMF transmission by using electrical butterfly operation for received signal sidebands

We investigated a novel demodulation technology based on our proposed electrical butterfly operation scheme which compensates for optical nonlinear distortion of conventional single-sideband (SSB) signals. In the scheme, phase-conjugated twin signals are transmitted as lower sideband (LSB) and upper sideband (USB) components of a dual sideband (DSB) signal modulated by a simple Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM). The performance was evaluated by numerical simulation of 4-ary amplitude shift keying (4ASK) signals transmitted over a 100-km standard single mode fiber (SSMF). The error vector magnitude (EVM) was improved by about 20% when the input power was 10 dBm, compared with a conventional SSB-4ASK signal.
Relationship among the Urban and Rural Students’ Cooperative Attitude, Creative Task Engagements and Competition Value in Participating a STEAM Co-creation Contest

Cooperative learning has been proven to enable learners to have a meaningful learning progression, but research on cooperative learning based on competitive situations is still rare. Therefore, based on the social interdependence theory, this research proposed six research hypotheses and a research model, and conducted a verification analysis through the structural equation model to explore the relationship between cooperative attitude, creative task engagement, and competition value. In order to achieve the research purpose, this study adopted the intentional sampling method, and invited the participants who had participated in the STEAM co-creation contest for urban and rural students in 2019 to complete the questionnaire. After deleting the invalid data, there were 163 active participants, including 114 males (69.9%), 49 females (30.1%), 58 urban school students (35.6%), and 105 rural school students (64.4 %). The mean age was 11.83 years (standard deviation was 1.26 years). The research results showed that the cooperative attitude was positively correlated with the three types of creative task engagement, including behavioral engagement, emotional engagement and cognitive engagement, and the three types of creative task engagement were also positively related with the competition value. From the research results, it could be seen that the STEAM competition in which urban and rural students work together could bring good benefits. In addition to strengthening the communication between students in urban and rural areas, they could also give them a good investment in creative tasks. Based on this, it is suggested that education authorities could increase the cooperative learning opportunities for urban and rural students to participate in this type of STEAM co-creation contest.
Bio-Inspired Facile Synthesis of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites: Elucidation of Antimicrobial and Biofilm Inhibitory Potential against Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria

Herein, a new and simple biogenic method for the preparation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and their reduced graphene oxide based nanocomposites (Au-RGO) by using microwave irradiation method for antimicrobial and biofilm inhibition against foodborne pathogenic bacteria was reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed that the AuNPs with face centered cubic (FCC) structure were indeed anchored onto the RGO sheets. Ultraviolet-Vis (UV-VIS) spectrum showed a shifting and broadening of absorption peaks of AuNPs when attached on the surface of RGO sheets. The effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of Au-RGO nanocomposites on biofilm formation in five foodborne pathogens was assessed. Au-RGO nanocomposites reduced the formation of biofilm by 75%, 78%, 68%, 80% and 79% in L. monocytogenes, MRSA, E. coli, S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Exopolysaccharides (EPS), a vital component of the biofilm was also inhibited significantly and pre-formed mature biofilms were also reduced considerably. Further, this study demonstrated that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced in bacterial cells as a result of Au-RGO treatment could be the plausible mechanism for biofilm inhibitory action. The tested concentrations were found non-toxic to human embryonic kidney cell lines (HEK-293). The investigation highlights the broad-spectrum biofilm inhibitory properties of Au-RGO nanocomposites that could be exploited in the food industry to prevent biofilm-based food contamination.