Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Cytotoxicity of Metal Nanoparticles Depends on Their Synergistic Interactions

With a steady growth in use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in consumer products the unintended exposure to humans has increased. The risks associated with introduction of NPs in the environment have been widely investigated, but mostly for single type of NPs. Herein, a single NP and NP co‐exposure study is reported: the cellular effects of silver and platinum NPs on the main components of the blood–brain barrier, human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, and human primary astrocytes. The synergy is quantitatively evaluated as per the Chou–Talalay method. NP co‐exposure synergistically inhibits proliferation of both cell types, to a greater extent for endothelial cells. In addition, astrocytes are more tolerant to NPs. The mechanism of synergy with short‐duration incubation time points (up to 30 min) is further explored. Although intracellular trafficking studies and quantitative assessments of NP uptake does not explain the mechanisms of synergistic cytotoxicity, a proteomics analysis suggests that it arises from activation of an immune modulating response and deregulation of the extracellular matrix organization. The substantial synergetic effects in the co‐exposure studies highlight the importance of this work in relation to assessment of the health risks associated with nanomaterials.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Dermestes ater DeGeer (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome of Dermestes ater DeGeer was obtained by high-throughput sequencing method. The genome was a circular molecule with a length of 15,810 bp and an average sequencing depth of 2375.9×, which contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGS), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 1 control region. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA was: A 40.85%, C 15.02%, G 10.04%, and T 34.09%. The phylogenetic analysis upon complete mitogenomics revealed that D. ater DeGeer is most closely related to Dermestes tessellatocollis Motschulsky, with high bootstrap values.
Advanced metameric dimension framework for heterogeneous industrial Internet of things

The heterogeneous industrial Internet of things (HetIoT) is a recent area of research that can change both our perception of fundamental informatics and the effectiveness of future machines. The HetIoT is rapidly used in a variety of industries, including healthcare smart cities, smart mobility, smart transportation, and advanced manufacturing. In industrial settings, outdated machines consume an inordinate amount of energy and time to produce effective output. The efficient functioning of the HetIoT machines plays a vital role in the industrial management. To demonstrate efficiency of the functioning, the continuous monitoring of machines becomes mandatory. To describe the efficiency of updated HetIoT machines, this article introduces the concept of advanced machine‐metameric dimension (AmD) to analyze efficacy, efficiency, and effectiveness. This article proposes a HetIoT framework to identify the real‐time resembling of continuous monitoring of a metameric dimension of the machines. This demonstration of the concept is attempted through the analysis of machine efficiency, efficacy, effectiveness, and so on. The proposed AmD with a HetIoT has achieved higher precision, recall, F1‐Score, and higher purity.
Mitochondrial genome of the freshwater annelid Manayunkia occidentalis (Sabellida: Fabriciidae)

Abstract Here, we report the 15,103 bp mitochondrial genome of the freshwater fabriciid tubeworm Manayunkia occidentalis. We recovered 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA, and 22 tRNA. The gene order is consistent with the conserved pattern observed in most annelids.
Internal Control Quality and Dividend Policy in French Setting: Does Managerial Ownership Concentration Matter?

Purpose: The paper examines the association between internal control quality (ICQ) and dividend policy in the French setting. It also investigates how managerial ownership concentration moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: We measure ICQ by using the framework developed by Michelon, et al. (2015). Findings: Based on a sample of 760 firm-year observations over the period of 2011-2014, we find that ICQ is positively and significantly associated with dividend policy indicating that better controls increase dividend payout ratio. In addition, managerial ownership concentration moderates the association between ICQ and dividend policy since this association becomes non-significant under high percentage of managerial ownership. Originality/value: Our study adds to the internal control literature by focusing on a developed civil law market. With respect to investors, our results also provide substantive evidence that ICQ plays an important role in increasing dividend payout ratio.
Indigenous fishing techniques and their effectiveness as perceived by fishers in Cachar District, Assam, India

The present study investigated traditional fishing devices namely Bundh , Dori and Gori Jal operated by fishers of Cachar District, Assam in rivers and small canals. The study was carried out in Ghagra River and adjoining small canals. Water current as well as indigenous knowledge of fishers on movement of fishes and foraging behaviour of freshwater prawns were found to be utilised to a great extent to catch the target species. Assessment of the effectiveness and rationality as perceived by fishers and experts respectively showed that Bundh fishing was highly effective Mean Perceived Effectiveness Index (MPEI score >2.5) whereas the other two fishing techniques namely Dori and Gori Jal were effective (MPEI score >2). All the three indigenous fishing techniques were found to be rational with a mean score ≥3.
ANALISIS NILAI TAMBAH PENGOLAHAN GULA AREN (Kasus di Desa Gunung Kembang, Manna – Bengkulu Selatan)

Aren ( Arenga pinnata Merr.) merupakan salah satu jenis tumbuhan multifungi yang bagian-bagiannya dapat dimanfaatkan untuk berbagai kebutuhan manusia. Tanaman ini banyak disadap untuk diambil nira yang dapat diolah menjadi gula aren. Usaha pengolahan gula aren skala rumah tangga dilakukan untuk meningkatkan nilai tambahnya. Penelitian ini ber tujuan untuk mengetahui nilai tambah pengolahan gula aren skala rumah tangga di Desa Gunung Kembang, Kecamatan Manna , Kabupaten Bengkulu Selata n. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan November 201 9 . Data yang dikumpulkan adalah input dan output pengolahan gula aren melalui wawancara dengan pengolah dan pengamatan proses produksi gula aren . Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis nilai tambah mengikuti m etode Hayami. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa marjin pemasaran gula aren sebesar Rp. 3.600/kg dengan nilai tambah Rp. 2 . 700 /kg. Rasio nilai tambah pengolahan gula aren sebesar 41%. Kata kunci : nira, gula aren, margin, nilai tambah.
Volunteered Geographic Information Users Contributions Pattern and its Impact on Information Quality

The quality of user generated data through crowdsourcing activities has profound impacts on online mapping projects and VGI based platforms [4,5]. Spatial data quality can be ascertained by examining it through a set of criteria such as positional accuracy, thematic accuracy, timing precision, logical consistency, and completeness. Using these measures, multiple studies have been conducted to assess the quality of VGI data [6-9]. The voluntary nature of VGI contributions by individuals who may be untrained in cartography/GIS raises questions regarding the quality and reliability of these data [10]. Thus, it is necessary to design and implement an effective evaluation system to assess VGI data quality. In this study, we examine VGI participation level in OpenStreetMap through three case study neighborhoods located in three major cities: Tehran, London, and Los Angeles.
Family Background and Its Effect on Pupils’ Transition Rate from Primary to Secondary Schools in Soin/Sigowet Sub-County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of pupils’ family backgrounds on their transition rates from public primary schools to secondary schools in Kenya’s Soin/Sigowet Sub-County. The study adopted mixed methods approach and the research design employed was descriptive survey. It targeted a population of 76 headteachers and 715 teachers from which a sample of 63 headteachers and 250 teachers was used. Clustered random sampling was used to obtain the 63 schools from their zones, simple random sampling to select teachers and purposive sampling on headteachers. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers and interview schedule from headteachers. The two instruments were validated, piloted and a reliable 0.75 Cronbach’s coefficient alpha applied. Quantitative data was analysed and presented in frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data was described alongside the quantitative data. The key findings of this study were: educated parents provided moral and material support to their children, occupation of parents determined their financial ability to educate their children and parental involvement played a crucial role in the performance and progress of their children in education. The study revealed that family challenges which included homelessness, hunger, domestic violence and drug abuse affected the transition of pupils from public primary to secondary schools. The study recommended that education stakeholders in the Sub-County should sensitize parents on the importance of ensuring children proceed from one level of education to another. On further research, the study recommended that the research needed to be replicated in other parts of the country by varying its approach.
Impacts of COVID-19 response actions on air quality in China

An outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. In late January 2020, the Chinese government implemented strict quarantine measures across Hubei Province and other parts of the country to limit the transmission of COVID-19. An effect of these quarantine measures was the reduction in economic activity and associated emissions that contribute to air pollution. In this study, we quantify the spatial extent and magnitude of changes in air pollution concentrations across China by comparing complementary satellite, ground-based, and modeled data from the first two months of 2019 and 2020. We find a 48% reduction in satellite-derived average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in eastern China during a three-week period after the Lunar New Year (LNY) in 2020 compared to 2019, which follows significant declines in the pre-LNY period. We also observe a 49% and 11% decline in post-LNY satellite tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These satellite-based results are in general agreement with data collected from ground monitoring stations across the country, which show a decline in post-LNY PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 concentrations. Our modeling analysis suggests that these observed air quality improvements are driven primarily by the reduction in NO2 emissions, which indicate reductions in transportation and industrial pollution sources during COVID-19, but unfavorable meteorological conditions weaken the role of emissions reduction. Finally, we estimate a reduction by 5%, 14%, and 18% of days in the post-LNY period for 2020 that exceed national PM2.5 air quality targets for the entire country, eastern China, and Hubei Province. As more information becomes available on population characteristics and air pollution exposure patterns, this analysis can be extended to quantify human health related impacts to sudden changes in air pollution in China and other locations around the world.
Molecular Characterization and Detection of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Pseudomonas Species Isolated from Tympanotonus fuscatus

Aim: This was carried out to characterize Pseudomonas species isolated from the West African Mud Creeper (Tympanotonus fuscatus) molecularly and as well detect the possible presence of inducible AmpC gene that mediates resistance to cephalosporins and most penicillins. Sample: Tympanotonus fuscatus (West African Mud Creeper), a gastropod mollusc found in brackish waters of West Africa was used for the study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out between February and August 2019 at the Department of Microbiology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Methodology: Thirty two (32) Pseudomonas species were isolated and identified culturally from T. fuscatus. Pseudomonas species isolates were subjected to a group of ten (10) antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and resistant isolates were screened molecularly for the presence of resistance gene (AmpC). AmpC screening was carried out in a step wise process of DNA extraction, quantification, amplification of ampC gene using appropriate primer and Agarose Original Research Article Sampson et al.; JAMB, 20(6): 37-45, 2020; Article no.JAMB. 57932 38 gel electrophoresis to reveal which DNA extracts had ampC genes amplified. The two most resistant isolates had their 16S rRNA sequenced, identified and were also profiled for plasmids by extracting plasmid DNA. Results: Results revealed that 96.67% of isolates had MAR index greater than 0.2 indicating high a risk source of contamination where antibiotics are often used. Results also showed the presence of ampC gene in seven (7) out of the twelve (12) isolates screened for ampC gene. Molecular characterization via sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of the two (2) most resistant isolates confirmed that both isolates were strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Profiling of plasmids also revealed the presence of plasmid DNA of about 10 kilo base pairs in both isolates profiled. Conclusion: This study has revealed the resistance ability of Pseudomonas and some reasons behind this resistance. Appropriate investigation into antimicrobial resistance is recommended for the administration of drugs for the treatment of food-mediated Pseudomonas infections.
“RIPSSL”: A New Reflective Inquiry Protocol to Lift the Lid on Students’ Significant Extra-Curricular Learning Outcomes from Study Abroad

Education abroad generally has no overarching curriculum outside the formal study component. This paper presents the Reflective Inquiry Protocol for Surfacing Significant Learning (RIPSSL), a new approach for understanding and articulating significant learning from education abroad. Tests of RIPSSL show education abroad students use it to move beyond “it was great” when considering learning from their experiences. Our findings are important for educators and students as they work to recognize and articulate the value of education abroad. RIPSSL provides a reflective educational approach to evidence learning from life experiences by surfacing students’ significant learning in their own words.
Penetrative Convection for Rotating Boussinesq Flow in Tilted f-planes

In this paper, we have performed linear instability analysis of the penetrative convection for the Boussinesq flow on a tilted f-plane. We have discussed the onset of instability as stationary and oscillatory convection. For the stationary convection, it has been shown that the penetration of convection is hindered by the stability of the upper, less unstable layer. For the oscillatory convection, however, the conclusion is different. We have computed the penetrative convection for both prograde and retrograde waves. The result indicates that for the prograde wave, under certain circumstances, the penetrative convection in the upper layer can be more vigorous than that in the lower unstable layer. For the retrograde wave, on the other hand, the stability in the upper layer always has a negative effect on the penetrative convection. Our calculation on the tilted f-plane has reproduced many features, such as teleconvection and multilayer roll convection, previously discovered on the penetrative convection in the spherical geometry. The dependence of penetrative distance on the Ekman number, the Prandtl number, and the stability parameter has been analyzed.
Cultural Distance and Cross-Border Replication of China Multinational Corporations

Abstract The growing research interest in sociocultural issues in relation to global economic activity motivates this article to postulate a set of behavioural mechanisms that contribute to the debate on cultural distance and Multinational Corporations (MNC) cross-border replication production of economic activity. The empirical tests draw on a data base comprising 289 managers (R&D and product development professionals) employed by China MNC (CMNC) subsidiaries operating across 150 countries. First, the results reveal a negative relationship between cultural distance and CMNC cross-border replication. Second, the negative coefficients are moderated by social norms, reciprocity, and prosocial behaviours in cooperation. Finally, in using the moderator and mediator in the analysis, the results demonstrate that the mediator variables (capacity for cross-cultural adaptation, and language) positively lead to CMNC replication, and subsidiary operating years and managerial experience significantly moderate cultural distance. The findings support the model that contributes to the extant literature by demonstrating sociocultural determinants of economic growth.
Effect of Tagetes erecta flower and leaf extract gel on oxidative stress and antioxidant levels in oral ulcer condition

An oral ulcer is described by repeated or painful oral aphthae, in which oxidative stress apparently leads to its pathogenesis. The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the effects of fresh leaves and flowers of Tagetes erecta gel on oxidative stress and antioxidant levels on oral ulcer models in albino Wistar rats. The oral ulcer was induced by incision wound model and then treated with the Tagetes erecta flower and leaf extract gel for 7 days. The antioxidant activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), the levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in rat buccal mucosal tissues. The antiulcer effects of Tagetes erecta leaf and flower extracts (2.5% and 5%) gel were intercompared with the standard drug, Triamcinolone. Ulcer induced rats exhibited elevated levels of MDA and reduced activity of SOD, GSH and CAT when compared to the control rats. The nonequilibrium levels of antioxidant were observed in rat mucosal tissues indicate that body’s antioxidant status was depleted with an oral ulcer. Tagetes erecta leaf and flower gel (5%) has been found to have higher significant antioxidant activity compared with ulcer induced rats by reducing the levels of MDA and by increasing the activities of SOD, GSH and CAT in response to oxidative stress due to induction of oral ulcers in a rat model. The findings thus justify the traditional use of Tagetes erecta to heal oral ulcer by increasing the antioxidant status and decreasing the free radical production.
The first mitochondrial genome of the relic Acanthobdella peledina (Annelida, Acanthobdellida)

Abstract In this study, we assembled a complete mitochondrial genome of the Acanthobdella peledina sample from the Pitea River, Sweden. Thirty-six genes of the mitogenome sequence were identified, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal genes (12S and 16S), 21 transport RNA genes, and 1 control region. The complete mitogenome is 14,640 bp long and A + T biased (70.59%).
The first complete mitochondrial genome of genus Phytomia (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Phytomia zonata was sequenced in this study, it is the first complete mitogenome in the genus Phytomia. The wholly sequence is a circular DNA, and with 15,716 bp in length including 37 typical genes. No gene arrangement was observed in this sequence. The common start and stop codons were ATN and TAA, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was generated based on dataset of 19 complete mitogenomes from hoverflies and two Lauxaniidae species which as outgoup, and shows Phytomia is closer to Eristalis, supports the monophyly of Syrphinae.
Modeling of Nano-carriers for Vascular-targeted Delivery for Blood Clots Treatment

Nanoparticles have become one of the emerging and promising technologies that revolutionized the medical field’s future on which has received much attention from the scientific community and researchers. Nanotechnology-based targeted drug delivery has a high capacity for loading large amounts of anticoagulants drug to dissolve clots in a safe manner without affecting healthy blood vessels. This paper seeks to provide a better understanding of both the anticoagulant drug release process and the coagulation eliminating process by simulating each process using chemical reaction engineering, moving mesh, and convection-diffusion equation modules. This study adds to a growing corpus of research showing that nanotechnology empowers in treating blood clots within 2-4 hours. In addition, these results cast a new light on a better understanding of the anticoagulation drug diffusion from both spheres and multiply-twinned nanoparticles besides the reduction of clots growth and how it dissolved over time.
Nanostructured N doped TiO2 efficient stable catalyst for Kabachnik–Fields reaction under microwave irradiation

Herein, we report nitrogen-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) solid-acid nanocatalysts with heterogeneous structure employed for the solvent-free synthesis of α-aminophosphonates through Kabachnik–Fields reaction. N-TiO2 were synthesized by direct amination using triethylamine as a source of nitrogen at low temperature and optimized by varying the volume ratios of TiCl4, methanol, water, and triethylamine, under identical conditions. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) study showed the formation of a rutile phase and the crystalline size is 10 nm. The nanostructural features of N-TiO2 were examined by HR-TEM analysis, which showed they had rod-like morphology with a diameter of ∼7 to 10 nm. Diffuse reflectance spectra show the extended absorbance in the visible region with a narrowing in the band gap of 2.85 eV, and the high resolution XPS spectrum of the N 1s region confirmed successful doping of N in the TiO2 lattice. More significantly, we found that as-synthesized N-TiO2 showed significantly higher catalytic activity than commercially available TiO2 for the synthesis of a novel series of α-amino phosphonates via Kabachnik–Fields reaction under microwave irradiation conditions. The improved catalytic activity is due to the presence of strong and Bronsted acid sites on a porous nanorod surface. This work signifies N-TiO2 is an efficient stable catalyst for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonate derivatives.
The Use of Cyber Ranges in the Maritime Context

A good defensive strategy against evolving cyber threats and cybercrimes is to raise awareness and use that awareness to prepare technical mitigation and human defence strategies. A prime way to do this is through training. While there are already many sectors employing this strategy (e.g., space, smart buildings, business IT) maritime has yet to take advantage of the available cyber-range technology to assess cyber-risks and create appropriate training to meet those risks. Cyber security training can come in two forms, the first is so security professionals can raise their awareness on the latest and most urgent issues and increase defence skill levels. The second form is directed at non-security professionals (e.g., ship builders, crew) and the general public, who are just as affected by cyber threats but may not have the necessary security background to deal with the issues. Conducting training programmes for both requires dedicated computing infrastructure to simulate and execute effective scenarios for both sets of trainees. To this end, a cyber range (CR) provides an environment for just that. The purpose of this paper is to use studies on the concept of cyber ranges to provide evidence on why the maritime sector should embrace this technology for maritime-cyber training, and envision how they will provide maritime training and risk assessment to combat tomorrow’s threats.