Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New technologies and their application in the milk industry.

In recent years, interest has focused on trace components and other new materials of milk origin, based on research on infant formula and aimied at simulating human milk. In the manufacture of infant formula, various membrane separation techniques are being employed, such as ion-exchange membrane electrodialysis, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. Furthermore, lactulose and other oligosaccharides, lactoferrin and hydrolysed milk proteins are being utilised with the anticipated advantages of promoting the formation of bifidobacterial flora, protection against infection, easy digestibility and low antigenicity. Here, the functions of these materials are introduced. Among these materials, lactoferrin has attracted interest recently as a physiologically active substance playing an important role in host defence. The antibacterial action, cell proliferation promoting action, iron absorption regulating action and immunomodulating action of lactoferrin are discussed. In addition, the preparation of electrolytically prepared chlorine water using a non-diaphragm cell is introduced. The process yields water with a minimal chlorine smell and superior disinfecting effects, and it is used to improve the sanitary condition of food processing plants.
Using Hydrofluoric Acid to Enhance Titanium Surface Topography

Purpose: The aim was to explore the effect of different concentrations of HF acid etch on titanium surface topography (with different time interval). Materials and Methods: Pure polished titanium discs were subjected to various concentration of HF acid etch(0.2 wt % and 0.5 wt %) for for four time intervals of 1.5 min, 2 min, 2.5 min and 3 min. at room temperature. After etching the discs were rinsed immediately with distilled water. Polished titanium surfaces were used as a control. Surface roughness was measured using profilometry. Topography was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: Etching of titanium discs with 0.2 wt% or 0.5 wt% HF acid had a clearly visible effect on polished titanium surfaces. For etching with 0.5 wt% HF, a steady increase in Ra value with etching time was observed reaching a maximum value of 0.147 μm at 3 min. Highly significant differences were found between Ra value in 3 min etching and both 1.5 and 2 min etching given in P= 0.001. For etching with 0.2 wt% of HF, a relatively different pattern was observed. The Ra values increased for 1.5 and 2 min acid exposure then slightly decreased at 2.5 min acid exposure before increasing again for a 3 min etching period. Highly significant differences were found between the 1.5 min group and both 2 min and 3 min group given P = 0.004, 0.001 respectively. SEM picture shows grain pattern (A honeycomb pattern) of the titanium surface following treatment with 0.5 wt % HF acid etching. Conclusions: This research showed that a slight difference in concentration, or duration have significant impact on titanium surface topography. Titanium is an amenable material for designing of implant and it is possible to modify the surface using a variety of protocols. Roughness resulting from HF acid etching varied according to acid concentration, duration of acid etching procedure and original surface roughness of the substrate. Keyword: Dental implant, titanium, surface modification, hydrofluoric acid, roughness
Hyperuricemia and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in experimental renal insufficiency

Background and Aims – Hyperuricemia is associated with renal insufficiency and may predispose to Na retention and hypertension. Whether hyperuricemia plays a causal role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease remains controversial. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of hyperuricemia on circulating and renal components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in experimental renal insufficiency. Methods – Three weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy (NX) or sham-operation, rats were put on 2.0% oxonic acid diet (Oxo) for 9 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) was monitored using tailcuff, and blood, urine, and kidney samples were taken, as appropriate. Kidney angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE, ACE2), and angiotensin II receptors (AT1R, AT2R) were examined using real-time RT-PCR and autoradiography, while plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone were determined using radioimmunoassay. Results – Oxo increased plasma uric acid as expected, while BP was elevated only in hyperuricemic NX rats. Creatinine clearance was reduced by 60% in both NX groups, and by 25% in hyperuricemic Sham rats. The NX group showed over 90% suppression of PRA, whereas Sham+Oxo group showed over 1.2-fold and NX+Oxo group over 2.3-fold increases in both PRA and plasma aldosterone. Hyperuricemia increased K and decreased Na excretion in Sham and NX rats, leading to over 1.6-fold increase in urine K to Na ratio. No changes in kidney ACE, ACE2, AT1R or AT2R were detected that could explain the hyperuricemia-induced alteration in Na-K balance. Conclusions – As oxonic acid diet increased PRA, plasma aldosterone, and urine K to Na ratio, these changes may play a significant role in the harmful cardiovascular actions of hyperuricemia.
Effect of high temperature on albumin and globulin accumulation in the endosperm proteome of the developing wheat grain q

The accumulation of KCl-soluble/methanol-insoluble albumins and globulins was investigated in the endosperm of developing wheat (Triticum aestivum, L. cv. Butte 86) grain produced under a moderate (24 C/17 C, day/night) or a high temperature regimen (37 C/28 C) imposed from 10 or 20 days postanthesis (dpa) until maturity. Proteins were separated by 2-DE and developmental profiles for nearly 200 proteins were analyzed by hierarchical clustering. Comparison of protein profiles across physiologically equivalent stages of grain fill revealed that high temperature shortened, but did not substantially alter, the developmental program. Accumulation of proteins shifted from those active in biosynthesis and metabolism to those with roles in storage and protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Few proteins responded transiently when plants were transferred to the high temperature regimens, but levels of a number of proteins were altered during late stages of grain development. Specific protein responses depended on whether the high temperature regimens were initiated early or mid development. Some of the heat responsive proteins have been implicated in gas bubble stabilization in bread dough and others are suspected food allergens. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Efficient Ab Initio Auxiliary-Field Quantum Monte Carlo Calculations in Gaussian Bases via Low-Rank Tensor Decomposition.

We describe an algorithm to reduce the cost of auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) calculations for the electronic structure problem. The technique uses a nested low-rank factorization of the electron repulsion integral (ERI). While the cost of conventional AFQMC calculations in Gaussian bases scales as O(N4) , where N is the size of the basis, we show that ground-state energies can be computed through tensor decomposition with reduced memory requirements and subquartic scaling. The algorithm is applied to hydrogen chains and square grids, water clusters, and hexagonal BN. In all cases, we observe significant memory savings and, for larger systems, reduced, subquartic simulation time.
Assessing climate change impacts on sorghum and millet yields in the Sudanian and Sahelian savannas of West Africa

Sub-Saharan West Africa is a vulnerable region where a better quantification and understanding of the impact of climate change on crop yields is urgently needed. Here, we have applied the process-based crop model SARRA-H calibrated and validated over multi-year field trials and surveys at eight contrasting sites in terms of climate and agricultural practices in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The model gives a reasonable correlation with observed yields of sorghum and millet under a range of cultivars and traditional crop management practices. We applied the model to more than 7000 simulations of yields of sorghum and millet for 35 stations across West Africa and under very different future climate conditions. We took into account 35 possible climate scenarios by combining precipitation anomalies from −20% to 20% and temperature anomalies from +0 to +6 °C. We found that most of the 35 scenarios (31/35) showed a negative impact on yields, up to −41% for +6 °C/ − 20% rainfall. Moreover, the potential future climate impacts on yields are very different from those recorded in the recent past. This is because of the increasingly adverse role of higher temperatures in reducing crop yields, irrespective of rainfall changes. When warming exceeds +2 °C, negative impacts caused by temperature rise cannot be counteracted by any rainfall change. The probability of a yield reduction appears to be greater in the Sudanian region (southern Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, northern Togo and Benin), because of an exacerbated sensitivity to temperature changes compared to the Sahelian region (Niger, Mali, northern parts of Senegal and Burkina Faso), where crop yields are more sensitive to rainfall change. Finally, our simulations show that the photoperiod-sensitive traditional cultivars of millet and sorghum used by local farmers for centuries seem more resilient to future climate conditions than modern cultivars bred for their high yield potential (−28% versus −40% for the +4 °C/ − 20% scenario). Photoperiod-sensitive cultivars counteract the effect of temperature increase on shortening cultivar duration and thus would likely avoid the need to shift to cultivars with a greater thermal time requirement. However, given the large difference in mean yields of the modern versus traditional varieties, the modern varieties would still yield more under optimal fertility conditions in a warmer world, even if they are more affected by climate change.
Water, salt water, and alkaline solution uptake in epoxy thin films

As a means of characterising the diffusion parameters of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites within a relatively short time frame, the potential use of short term tests on epoxy films to predict the long-term behaviour is investigated. Reference is made to the literature to assess the effectiveness of Fickian and anomalous diffusion models to describe solution uptake in epoxies. The influence of differing exposure conditions on the diffusion in epoxies, in particular the effect of solution type and temperature, are explored. Experimental results, where the solution uptake in desiccated (D) or undesiccated (U) thin films of a commercially available epoxy matrix subjected to water (W), salt water (SW), or alkali concrete pore solution (CPS) at either 20 or 60 °C, are also presented. It was found that the type of solution did not significantly influence the diffusion behaviour at 20°C and that the mass uptake profile was anomalous. Exposure to 60°C accelerated the initial diffusion behaviour and appeared to raise the level of saturation. In spite of the accelerated approach, conclusive values of uptake at saturation remained elusive even at an exposure period of 5 years. This finding questions the viability of using short-term thin film results to predict the long-term mechanical performance of FRP materials.
Study of Classification Algorithm in Data Mining

Classification is a model finding process that is used for portioning the data into different classes according to some constraints . In other words we can say that classification is process of generalizing the data according to different instances. In this paper we present the basic classification technique. Several major kind of classification method including K-nearest neighbor classifier, Naïve Bayes, Apriori Algorithm, Decision tree induction, Support vector machine[SVM].
A Comparative Analysis of RF and PSO based Feature Selection Techniques and their Effect on the Plant Leaf Image Classification

To understand the digital images, it involves understanding the pattern of millions of pixels with respect to their intensity and contrast values, which distinguish them from one digital image from the other. To understand and display these pixel patterns, the concept of feature selection not only reduces the dataset understudy, it helps in understanding the data pattern, but also improves the automatic classification of digital images. In the present study, the plant leaf image texture features have been extracted using Gabor filter and then these feature sets have been subjected to random forest based ensemble technique for feature selection and PSO based feature selection techniques. The classification results for the feature sets prepared using these two techniques have been subjected to Random Forest classification algorithm. This work has utilised both the dorsal and ventral leaf images for discrimination of plants on the basis of digital images. This work has analysed the accuracy results for dorsal and ventral leaf images for plant classification.
Do Investors Really Value Corporate Governance? Evidence from the Hong Kong Market

To examine the relation between corporate governance and firm value, we develop an instrument to assess the corporate governance practices of listed companies in Hong Kong. Based on the Revised OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (OECD) and the Code of Best Practices (HKEx), we construct a corporate governance index (CGI) for Hong Kong listed companies. Unlike measures used in other studies, the CGI score reflects the presence of good corporate governance practices as well as variation in the quality of corporate governance practices. Empirical evidence shows that a company's market valuation is positively related to its overall CGI score, a composite measure of a firm's corporate governance practices. We also find that the transparency component of the CGI score drives the relation with market valuation. In summary, this study provides supporting evidence for the notion that, in Hong Kong, good corporate governance practices are consistent with value maximization.
Determinants of Financial Distress in U.S. Large Bank Holding Companies

With a sample of 354 U.S. large bank holding companies, this paper investigates the determination of financial distress in financial institutions. We find that: (1) the house price index is consistently significant and positively associated with the Distance-to-Default (DD) measure in the U.S. banking market; (2) all the three major banking risk characteristics i.e. non-performing loans, short-term wholesale funding, and the credit-risk indicator are reliable factors behind DD determination; (3) for the two alternative measures of BHC activity diversification, non-interest income is positively related with BHCs’ DD whereas off-balance-sheet activity is negatively associated to the financial distress measure; and (4) Relevant capital requirements indicators including Tier I Risk-Based Capital Ratio, Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio, Tier I Leverage Ratio should be taken in regulatory assessment of BHCs’ financial distress.
Career Commitment , Satisfaction with Life , and Work-Family Interaction Among Workers in Information and Communication Technologies

Technostress occurs when individuals experience negative psychosocial effects of technology usage and also demonstrate negative valence associated with ICT use. It is composed of four dimensions (Disbelief, Fatigue, Anxiety, and Ineffectiveness), which describe two aspects of technostress (Technoanxiety and Technofatigue). This study aimed to investigate the relation between technostress dimensions, career commitment, life satisfaction, and work-family interactions among ICT professionals. Variables including gender, age and length of employment were also considered. The sample was composed of 234 Brazilian individuals. It was found that work-family and family-work conflicts were associated with increased technofatigue and technoanxiety, and decreased career resilience. Age and gender differences were also identified. These differences emphasize the role of organizations and society in what refers to reduce inequalities in workplace and to support better preventive actions.
Diversity and Distribution of Aquatic Insects in Aghanashini River of Central Western Ghats , India

Freshwater insects play important role in ecosystem functioning viz. nutrient cycling, primary production, decomposition and materials translocation. This study deals with diversity and distribution of aquatic insects from nine stations in the Aghanashini River of South-west India. The aquatic insects were sampled systematically and randomly in station-wise habitats, using standard protocols. Genera level diversity varied from station to station. Ephemeropteran (Mayflies) and Coleopterans (beetles) indicative of good water quality were most diverse. Different functional feeding groups such as shredders, scrapers, collector-gatherers and predators have important roles in stream nutrient cycling. Functional feeding groups dominated with scrapers followed by collectors, predators and shredders respectively. Presence of pollution intolerant genera like Petersulla, Isonychia, Isca, Clypeocaenis, Helicopsyche etc. highlights the good quality of river water. The abundance of organic pollution tolerant Baetis and Hydropsyche in some downstream stations, nearer to human settlements, is a disconcerting factor. Probably members collected of genera Isonychia and Platybaetis from tributary streams are likely to be new species, as these genera hitherto were not assigned to any species in India. Routine biomonitoring of hill streams and rivers using aquatic insect indicators will facilitate better conservation of environment.
Drowsiness Detection and Rescue System

: The Drowsy Detection and RescueSystem that has been developedusing a disruptive approach. The system is essentiallydeveloped to detect drivers drowsiness at night time driving. The system utilize a infra-red night vision camera that points directly towards the driver’s face and monitors the driver’s eyes in order to detect fatigue. In such a casean alarm is issued when fatigue is detected, to alert the driver. If the eyes are found to be closed for a certain number of consecutive frames then the driver is alerted with a warning signal. The vehicleis automatically parked to the left side of the street if drowsiness of the driver is detected.
The role of dispositional aggressiveness and organizational injustice on deviant workplace behavior.

A field study of 262 hospital employees examined relationships between dispositional aggressiveness, three types of organizational injustice perceptions (distributive, procedural, interactional), and two forms of workplace deviance (interpersonal, organizational). First, it investigated whether perceptions of injustice mediate the relationship between dispositional aggressiveness and workplace deviance. It explored the psychological mechanisms that may underlie the aggressiveness injustice deviance relationships by illuminating the social-cognitive processes involved among these variables. Second, it focused on the sources of evocative stimuli that may trigger deviant responses in aggressive individuals to better specify the likely targets of this destructive behavior. It assessed two distinct categories of workplace deviance and the differential effects of aggressiveness and injustice perceptions on those deviance categories. Third, it employed measures for data collection purposes that differed from past research. Dispositional aggressiveness was assessed with the conditional reasoning measurement system and organizational injustices were measured via self-report instruments. Deviant workplace behaviors were evaluated with 985 ratings provided by supervisors, coworkers, subordinates, and customers. Findings indicated that dispositional aggressiveness was positively related to all forms of organizational injustice and workplace deviance, and maintained a relationship with workplace deviance after controlling for injustice perceptions. Perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional injustice were positively related to interpersonal deviance, but not to organizational deviance. Furthermore, the relationship between dispositional aggressiveness and interpersonal deviance was partially mediated by perceptions of distributive injustice. Overall, these findings specify the important role that individual differences play in the appraisal of workplace events as unfair and in choices of behavioral responses.
Neuro-Knowledge Model Based on a PID Controller to Automatic Steering of Ships

Despite this upward pace of discovery of different possibilities, it has been impossible up to now to derail relatively popular techniques, such as the "traditional" PID control. Since the discovery of such regulators by Nicholas Minorsky in the area of automatic steering of ships [3, 4] since 1922 by now, many studies on this regulator are made. It should be noted that there are numerous usual control techniques for the process in any field, where innovations were introduced, for example thanks to the inclusion of artificial intelligence in this area, [5]. Despite this, the vast majority of its implementation uses PID controllers, raising the utilization rate up to 90% [6], according to different authors. Their use continues to be very high for different reasons such as ruggedness, reliability, simplicity, error tolerance, etc.
CPU and GPU Implementations for High Frequency Trading in Algorithmic Finance

Today algorithmic trading and High Frequency Trading (HFT) account for a dominant part of overall trading volume in financial markets. The trade execution time has grown from daily trading to microseconds and nanoseconds. A modern GPU allows hundreds of operations to be performed in parallel, leaving the CPU free to execute other jobs. The main objective of this research was to test the possibility and quantify how much higher speedups the use of GPUs can bring in calculations of HFT statistical arbitrage algorithms. In the research MATLAB software was applied for GPU application and computations. The statistical arbitragepair trading algorithm was parallelized in order to adapt it to GPU application. The effectiveness was measured according to time CPU and GPU did spent working on historical data using pair trading strategy. In the paper the final results of the research are presented and discussed. The results have proven up to 30% increase in computational speed with the application of statistical arbitrage algorithm in HFT. Keywords— high frequency trading; statistical arbitrage; GPU; high performance computing; parallel computing.