Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Composition and cycling of natural organic matter: Insights from NMR spectroscopy

To my Family iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank several people who helped make this dissertation possible. First, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Ellery Ingall for his guidance, mentorship, and support at all stages of my doctoral research. Ellery's enthusiasm for science and a unique sense of humor has helped me through the ups and downs of research. I would like to thank Dr. Ron Benner for his valuable suggestions and advice. My interactions with him have helped improve the quality of my research. Dr. Rodney Weber supported me during the summer of 2004 and gave me the opportunity to work with atmospheric aerosols. It was a pleasure to work with him and Amy Sullivan. Dr. Martial Taillefert and Dr. Andrew Stack are also thanked for serving on my committee, their comments and suggestions have added to the quality of this dissertation. My sincere thanks go out to Dr. Johannes Leisen of the Georgia Tech NMR center, for training me in the use of solid-state NMR spectrometers, helping with data interpretation, and allowing me ready access to the NMR lab. Dr. Les Gelbaum, director of the NMR center, has also been very helpful, especially during my occasional forays into solution NMR. Karl Kaiser at the University of South Carolina, carried out the molecular-level analyses used in this dissertation and also assisted with sample collection. I would like to thank the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences for providing me with teaching assistantships and conference travel support, when needed. have helped in various administrative issues. Patrick and Amy have not only been great to work with, but also a lot of fun to be around. Thanks are also due to Sameer and Mamta for their unwavering friendship over the years, and my family for always being there for me. Last, but definitely not the least, I would like to thank my husband Manuj for his friendship, love and support. He has spent countless iv hours helping me with any and all computer related issues. His suggestion to write this dissertation using L A T E Xsignificantly eased the writing process.
Experimental study on the effect of nanosized carbon particles on fatigue resistance of asphalt binders

ABSTRACT The present research study investigates the fatigue resistance of asphalt binders modified with carbon nanoparticles. Three different modified bitumens containing three different dosages of carbon nanoparticles were tested to capture fatigue properties under the concept of viscoelastic continuum damage mechanics through frequency sweep and linear amplitude sweep tests. Results show that adding carbon nanoparticles can enhance the fatigue life of neat asphalt binders.
The use of sol-gel method for biomaterials preparation

The paper refers to the field of biomaterials preparation by the sol-gel method. After the description of the process (general remarks and alkoxide, respectively aqueous routes presentation), its advantages are underlined. Further on, the study is dedicated to a -special class of materials, respectively nanocomposites, emphasising the importance of bio-composites, especially of the enzymes-based ones. Some examples of sol-gel entrapped enzymes applications from the literature are given. The last part of the paper presents some original results regarding the preparation of enzymes-based biomaterials by the sol-gel method. It starts with the studies concerning the preparation of the amorphous silica matrices for enzymes encapsulation. Then, the results obtained entrapping two different classes of enzymes are presented. Glucose oxidase- and mixtures of proteases-based biomaterials with possible applications in the medical domain, respectively in the textile industry, have been obtained. All the presented compositions are original, none of them was taken from the literature.
Distribution of Phytochemicals and Bioactivity in Different Parts and Leaf Positions of Stevia Rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni- a Non-caloric, Natural Sweetener

Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni (Asteraceae) is a small perennial herb which is widely cultivated for its sweet leaves and possesses 250-300 times the sweetness than sucrose due to the presence of steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside). It is commonly known as candy leaf, sweet leaf and sugar leaf. Even though, this plant has been studied extensively for its sweetness, information on therapeutically important active components presence in stevia is scattered or lacking. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the distribution of Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of different parts and different leaf positions of S. rebaudiana. Leaf fresh weight, dry weight and leaf area at different leaf positions were recorded. The TAC, TPC and TFC were determined using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP), modified Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and calorimetric method respectively. Leaf fresh weight and leaf dry weight were increased with the maturity. All tested plant parts demonstrated the presence of TPC, TFC and TAC. The significantly higher TPC, TFC and TAC were reported in leaves than other parts of plant. The order of increase of active components was leaf>flower>stem>branch>root. TPC, TFC and TAC of different leaf positions revealed that TAC, was decreased gradually from immature to mature leaf (1st leaf>2nd leaf>3rd leaf>4th leaf>5th leaf). Moreover, all tested phytochemicals (phenolics and flavonoids) and antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in extracts prepared from the first leaf. Interestingly, a strong significant correlations were observed between TAC and tested secondary metabolites (TFC, R2=0.85). The results of the present study are vital important in cultivation, harvesting and quality control aspects of S. rebaudiana.
Combined thermotherapy and cryotherapy: an effective method for the eradication of three common viruses in cultivated apples

Background Apple virus disease is a serious problem affecting apple quality and crop production efficiency, and solutions are being actively and urgently explored. In particular, the cultivation of virus-free seedlings is being increasingly explored as an important technical method for facilitating the virus-free breeding of excellent apple cultivars. In this study, the apple cultivars ‘Ruiyang’, ‘Ruixue’, ‘Rui Xianghong’, and ‘Qinyue’ were used as source materials to compare the effectiveness of thermotherapy and combined thermo- and cryotherapy in eradicating apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), and apple stem pitting virus (ASPV). Results Viral presence in the in vitro shoots of the four apple cultivars was detected using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. All four cultivars were found to carry ASGV and ACLSV, and ‘Rui Xianghong’ and ‘Qinyue’ additionally carried ASPV. In vitro shoots of the four cultivars were subjected to varying periods of thermotherapy (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks). Shoot tips were then removed and half were cultured directly, and the remainder were cultured after cryotherapy treatment; their survival and regeneration rates were then evaluated to determine the efficiency of virus eradication after 8 months of subculture. We showed that the eradication of viruses in each of the cultivars and their survival rate are both the highest after 4 weeks of thermotherapy. When combined with cryotherapy, application of this period of thermotherapy achieved a 100% eradication of ASPV and ACLSV, and over 50% of ASGV. Conclusions This study demonstrated an effective methodology for developing both new virus-free plant materials and new apple cultivars that will support sustainability of the apple production industry in China and globally.
Deep learning approach for attack detection in controller area networks

As autonomous driving technologies evolve, an in-vehicle network connecting numerous sensors, actuators, and electric control units (ECUs) has become increasingly important and has led to the critical need for ensuring the security of these networks. These ECUs and vehicle components in an in-vehicle network require a more reliable and fast data transport protocol than those in ordinary computer communication. To meet these requirements, the controller area network (CAN) protocol is used in which a CAN frame containing a small payload related to the state and control of a vehicle is sent. Because the CAN protocol broadcasts unencrypted messages to the bus, it is exposed to many security threats and vulnerabilities. In particular, a network can be easily compromised by attacks such as denial-of-service (DoS), fuzzy attacks, and spoofing as long as the attacker can access the CAN network. In this study, we develop a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)-based attack detection technique for CAN. Specifically, we use two key characteristics that can be obtained by observing CAN traffic flows. The first is the statistical distribution of CAN frame appearances per unit time, and the second is the average interarrival time (IAT) of the CAN frames. These characteristics are measured at different levels of time granularity and are aggregated to constitute traffic samples for DCNN-based attack detection. By processing these samples and inputting them into the DCNN, we can determine the presence or absence of an attack during each time interval in real time. Because the proposed method utilizes statistical characteristics at different levels of time granularity, it can effectively detect attacks performed in both wide and narrow time intervals.
Does frailty predict postoperative outcomes in geriatric patients receiving surgery for colorectal cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Surgery remains the mainstay of colorectal cancer (CRC) and substantially reduces cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Preoperative assessment for frailty in geriatric patients is critically important in risk stratification and clinical decision-making. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to quantitatively summarise the effect of frailty on postoperative outcomes in geriatric patients receiving surgery for CRC. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane and EMBASE from inception to 30 April 2020. Fully published articles reporting risk estimate(s) of frailty on postoperative complication(s), readmission and/ or mortality in patients aged ≥65 years who received surgery for CRC were eligible for qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results Across 10 articles of 9 unique studies (n = 69332) that were eventually included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, overall prevalence of frailty was 23.0% (95% CI: 11–43%, I 2 = 100%). Odds ratios (ORs) on overall and severe postoperative complications were respectively increased by 2.36- (95% CI: 1.66–3.35, P <0.01; I 2 = 12%) and 2.35-fold (95% CI: 1.30–4.27, P <0.01; I 2 = 72%) in frail patients compared to non-frail counterparts. On pooled analysis, frailty was significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative readmission (OR:1.91; 95% CI: 1.35–2.70, P <0.01; I 2 = 6%). Whilst a significantly higher risk of frailty on mortality during 12 months after CRC surgery was observed (OR: 5.52; 95% CI:4.40–6.92, P <0.01; I 2 = 89%), the summary OR on 30-day/ inpatient mortality crossed the null line (OR: 1.65; 95% CI: 0.56–4.93, P = 0.37; I 2 = 55%). Funnel plot and Duval-Tweedie’s trim and fill test did not reveal significant publication bias. Conclusions In the studies reviewed, frailty appeared to be associated with increased risks for postoperative complications, readmission and mortality during 12 months in patients aged ≥65 years who received surgery for CRC. Nevertheless, no significant association between frailty and 30-day/ inpatient postoperative mortality was observed.
Pengembangan Aplikasi Pengenalan Aksara Komering Menggunakan Metode Deep Learning Berbasis Android

Penggunaan aksara Komering dari waktu ke waktu mulai ditinggalkan di kalangan masyarakat suku Komering dengan banyaknya budaya luar masuk ke Indonesia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melestarikan dan menghidupkan kembali aksara Komering beserta bahasanya dengan menggunakan pemanfaatan teknologi Deep learning yang dibenamkan kedalam aplikasi android. Teknologi DL yang merupakan suatu sub ilmu dari bidang Machine Learning yang dikembangkan atas dasar cara berfikir dari struktur otak manusia sehingga dapat menghasilkan klasifikasi yang lebih baik. Salah satu algoritma dari DL yang terkenal baik dalam mengenali gambar ialah Convolutional Neural Network. Pada penelitian ini percobaan pengklasifikasian gambar aksara Komering dilakukan dengan data sebanyak 1540 gambar, 29 class. Hasil yang didapatkan dari data testing dengan data asli yaitu 58%, sedangkan untuk testing data augmented 80%. Persentase dalam pengujian aplikasi android melalui kamera 84,14%, galeri 87,58% dan penulisan 93,79%
Adsorption and Co-Adsorption of Polyaldehyde Dextran Nanoparticles and Nonionic Surfactant at an Air–Water Interface: Potential Implications for Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Measurements of dynamic surface tension were carried out in aqueous systems (water or 0.1 mM Triton X-100) comprising nanoparticles formed from chemically modified polyaldehyde dextran (PAD). The nanostructures, considered as potential drug carriers in aerosol therapy, were obtained from biocompatible polysaccharides by successive oxidation and reactive coiling in an aqueous solution. The dynamic surface tension of the samples was determined by the maximum bubble pressure (MBP) method and by the axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA). Experiments with harmonic area perturbations were also carried out in order to determine surface dilatational visco-elasticity. PAD showed a remarkable surface activity. Ward-Tordai equation was used to determine the equilibrium surface tension and diffusion coefficient of PAD nanoparticles ( D = 2.3  10 -6 m 2 /s). In a mixture with Triton X-100, PAD particles showed co-adsorption and synergic effect in surface tension reduction at short times (below 10 s). Tested nanoparticles had impact on surface rheology in a mixed system with nonionic surfactant, suggesting their possible interactions with the lung surfactant system after inhalation. This preliminary investigation sets the methodological approach for further research related to the influence of inhaled PAD nanoparticles on the lung surfactant and mass transfer processes in the respiratory system.
The Impact of China's Lockdown Policy on the Incidence of COVID-19: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Background Policy changes are often necessary to contain the detrimental impact of epidemics such as those brought about by coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In the earlier phases of the emergence of COVID-19, China was the first to impose strict restrictions on movement (lockdown) on January 23rd, 2020. A strategy whose effectiveness in curtailing COVID-19 was yet to be determined. We, therefore, sought to study the impact of the lockdown in reducing the incidence of COVID-19. Methods Daily cases of COVID-19 that occurred in China which were registered between January 12th and March 30th, 2020, were extracted from the Johns Hopkins CSSE team COVID-19 ArcGIS® dashboards. Daily cases reported were used as data points in the series. Two interrupted series models were run: one with an interruption point of 23 January 2020 (model 1) and the other with a 14-day deferred interruption point of 6th February (model 2). For both models, the magnitude of change (before and after) and linear trend analyses were measured, and β-coefficients reported with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the precision. Results Seventy-eight data points were used in the analysis. There was an 11% versus a 163% increase in daily cases in models 1 and 2, respectively, in the preintervention periods (p ≤ 0.001). Comparing the period immediately following the intervention points to the counterfactual, there was a daily increase of 2,746% (p < 0.001) versus a decline of 207% (p = 0.802) in model 2. However, in both scenarios, there was a statistically significant drop in the daily cases predicted for this data and beyond when comparing the preintervention periods and postintervention periods (p < 0.001). Conclusion There was a significant decrease the COVID-19 daily cases reported in China following the institution of a lockdown, and therefore, lockdown may be used to curtail the burden of COVID-19.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Factors Among Medicaland Surgical Outpatients of University of Gondar Specialized Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Alcohol use disorders increase the risk for physical harm, mental or social consequences for patients and others in the communities. Studies on alcohol use disorder and associated factors among medical and surgical outpatients in Ethiopia are limited. Therefore, this study is meant to provide essential data alcohol use disorder and associated factors among medical and surgical outpatients for future interventions. Methods:An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using the systematic random sampling technique. Alcohol use disorder was assessed using the World Health Organization’s 10-item Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant in the multivariate analysisand the strength of association was measured using AOR at a 95% confidence interval.Results: The prevalence of alcohol use and use disorder were 322(68.50%) and 111(34.5%), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, male sex (AOR=3.33, 95%CI: 1.40, 7.93), history of mental illness (AOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.12, 6.38), drinking for relaxation (AOR=1.88, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.48) and history of lifetime tobacco use (AOR=5.64, 95%CI: 1.95, 16.29) were significantly associated with the disorders. Conclusions: The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among medical and surgical outpatients was found to be high. Male sex, history of mental illness, use of alcohol for relaxation and tobacco smoking need further attention in the assessment of the disorder.
Degrafting of Poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) Brushes from Planar and Spherical Silicon Substrates

Densely grafted, hydrophilic polymer brushes produced via surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization have been shown to undergo degrafting upon exposure to aqueous media. This degrafting process has been proposed to involve swelling-induced, mechanochemically facilitated hydrolysis of bonds located at the brush–substrate interface. While a number of reports have described degrafting of hydrophilic polymer brushes, only little is known about the key structural parameters of these thin films that dictate this process. Using a series of PPEGMA and PPEGMEMA brushes produced by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP), this report investigates the influence of three parameters: (i) the chemical structure of the ATRP initiator, (ii) the molecular weight of the surface-grafted polymer chains, and (iii) surface curvature. Studies performed with PPEGMA and PPEGMEMA brushes grown from substrates modified with different ATRP initiators indicated that hydrolysis of both siloxane as we.
The bacteriostatic effect and mechanism of berberine on Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro

Background: To observe the bacteriostatic effect of berberine (BBR) and BBR combined with gentamicin (GEN), levofloxacin (LEV) and amikacin (AMI) on Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while also exploring the bacteriostatic mechanism of BBR on MRSA. Results: The MICs range of BBR on 26 strains of MRSA was 32-256 µg/mL. BBR combined with GEN, LEV and AMI had obvious bacteriostatic effect on MRSA. After co-culturing MRSA with BBR at 512 µg/mL, 64 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL, respectively, the electrical conductivity increased, compared with the control group, by 8.14%, 13.08% and 12.01%, respectively. Using transmission electron microscopy, we found that low concentration of BBR (8 µg/mL; 1/8 MIC) caused no significant damage to MRSA, and the bacterial structure of MRSA remained intact, while high concentration of BBR (512 µg/mL; 8 MIC) induced the destruction and dissolution of MRSA cell wall structure and the leakage of bacterial contents, leading to bacterial lysis. RNA-sequencing results showed that there were 754 differentially expressed genes in the high concentration group compared with the normal control group. Compared with the low concentration group, there were 590 differentially expressed genes in the high concentration group. Compared with the control group, only 19 genes were differentially expressed in the low concentration group. The up-regulated genes are mainly related to the cell wall hydrolysis regulatory genes, while the down-regulated genes are mainly related to the serine protease family. Conclusions: BBR displayed an excellent bacteriostatic effect on MRSA. BBR combined with GEN and AMI significantly enhanced the bacteriostatic effect on MRSA, while BBR combined with LEV showed no significant change in the bacteriostatic effect on MRSA. BBR inhibited bacteria by destroying and dissolving the structure of MRSA cell wall. RNA-sequencing results further demonstrated that the expression of cell wall hydrolysis genes ssaA, lytM and virulence factor serine protease genes were significantly differentially expressed when high concentration BBR treated on MRSA.
The non-targeted metabolomic profiling of liver reveals the molecular perturbations underlying clonorchiasis

Background: Clonorchiasis is a common food-borne parasitic disease worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interaction has not been illustrated. Given the parasite could influence host metabolism, the hepatic metabolic profiling will be useful for exploring the pathogenic mechanism of clonorchiasis.Results: The global hepatic metabolic profile of male Wistar rats at 4 and 8 weeks post infection with Clonorchis sinensis were investigated using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analysis. Multivariate analysis including principal components analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, were applied to clearly separated the metabolites of infected and control rats. These metabolites included lipids, hormones, peptides, alkaloids and amino acids. Metabolic pathways, such as purine and pyrimidine metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism were perturbed during the infection process.Conclusions: These findings showed significant systemic metabolic perturbations of the liver in clonorchiasis. It also provided a new insight into the pathogenesis from the metabolic level, which might be helpful for making treatment strategies and prevention of clonorchiasis.
Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Metal oxides include materials with a wide range of properties and applications. When the size of these materialsis broughtdown tothe nanometerregime, anumberofsize-dependent properties ariseprimarily asa result of surface chemistry. This field of nanoscience is facilitated by the fact that many of the systems of interest have been extensively studied in the bulk form and therefore provide ready comparisons with the nanoparticulate systems.