Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Caesalpinia gilliesii (Hook) leaves: antimicrobial activity and in vitro cytotoxic effect against BJ-1 and MCF-7 cells -

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Caesalpinia gilliesii (Hook) leaves extract (70% MeOH) for the first time as a reducing agent were investigated for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity (using the MTT assay). After exposing the silver ions to C. gilliesii leaves extract, rapid reduction is observed leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles in the solution. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by using UV-visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The prepared silver nanoparticles demonstrated promising antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens than hydroalcoholic extract. Cell viability by using the MTT assay demonstrated cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgNPs with C. gilliesii against normal skin fibroblast (BJ1) and human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) with IC50= 80.1 and 36.5 𝜇g/mL at 48h incubation, respectively. Depending on the phenolic and flavonoid content, C. gilliesii could be used for simple, nonhazardous, eco-friendly, cost-effective and efficient synthesis of AgNPs that can be used for large-scale production in the field of medicine.
Nutritional Approach of Pediatric Patients Diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract Congenital heart defects are among the most frequent anomalies present at birth, representing a heterogeneous group of malformations, both in terms of pathogenesis and clinical significance of the lesion. Failure to grow is well documented in infants with complex congenital heart defects; the presence of associated chromosomal abnormalities, cyanosis, and cardiac failure adds to the complexity and challenge. Malnutrition etiology can be grouped into the following three categories: inadequate intake, inefficient absorption and utilization, and/or increased energy needs. The consequences of malnutrition are both short and long term, timely nutritional intervention being necessary in order to maintain an adequate nutritional state. Because there are several types of congenital heart defects and multiple mechanisms by which they produce failure to thrive, no single strategy will be adequate to treat all cases. Medical complications such as chylotorax, necrotizing enterocolitis, laryngeal and neurological dysfunction play a major role in the requisite nutrition therapy in infants with congenital heart defect; limited access to human milk and parenteral concerns, as well as stress about feeding are also factors that can contribute to poor outcomes concerning nutrition and growth. Protocols are being considered and designed, and a systematic approach is always needed. The quality of life for patient and family, as well as getting the child back on track for age-appropriate development are always at the fore-front of each care plan.
Factors that influence employees ’ security policy compliance behavior : an Awareness-Motivation-Capability ( AMC ) perspective

Information Security Policy (ISP) plays an important role in information security management. Past research investigated various factors from General Deterrence Theory (GDT), Protection and Motivation Theory (PMT), and Rational Choice Theory (RCT). However there is no unifying foundation/framework that can examines all of those factors in a harmonic way so that the research findings can guide the information security practice and research in the employees’ ISP compliance management. This study proposes a research model based on the Awareness-Motivation-Capability (AMC) framework to unify the factors to predict employees’ ISP compliance intention. We believe that a harmonic approach in managing employees’ ISP compliance can create optimal outcomes.
Production of agaro- and carra-oligosaccharides by partial acid hydrolysis of galactans

Agaro- and carra-oligosaccharides were produced by partial acid hydrolysis of commercial agarose and kappa-carrageenan. Di- and tetrasaccharides were purified by gel filtration chromatography and characterized by NMR (1D and 2D) spectroscopy and ESIMS. The following oligosaccharides were obtained: agarobiose, agarotetraose, kappa-carrabiose and kappa-carratetraose. Agarobiose and agarotetraose were used as standards to develop a high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) method which was utilized to study the hydrolysis rate of agarose and oligosaccharide production. Six hours of hydrolysis (0.1 M TFA, 65 oC) produced mainly di- and tetrasaccharides. The methodology for oligosaccharide production and evaluation developed in the present work shows good potential for the production of bioactive oligosaccharides.
Reliability of COP Measures in Healthy and Low Back Pain Subjects During a Dynamic Task

Study design. A test–retest design. Objectives: To study the reliability of the postural stability measures during whole body dynamic conditions in healthy and low back pain (LBP) subjects. Summary of Background Data: Postural control is an essential prerequisite for dynamic motions such as lifting, lowering, and repetitive trunk bending tasks. Test retest reliability of center of pressure (COP) measures is well documented in static conditions but such results may not be applicable to dynamic conditions. To the authors knowledge this has not been investigated in dynamic conditions. Methods: Twenty four subjects (12 healthy and 12 LBP) performed repeated trunk bending in two different conditions of high and low speed in sagittal plane. All measurements were repeated and recorded with an interval of 7-10 days later. COP data were used to calculate standard deviation of amplitude, standard deviation of velocity in anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions, mean total velocity and path length. Relative reliability was assessed using intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) and absolute reliability using standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MMDC) and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: Results in both groups revealed that mean total velocity and standard deviation of amplitude in anteriorposterior direction have an acceptable good to an excellent reliability with ICC range of 0.61-0.89. In healthy group the rest of others parameters also demonstrated an acceptable good to excellent reliability (range 0.6-0.97). In LBP subjects, in addition to standard deviation of amplitude in anterior posterior direction and mean total velocity, standard deviation of velocity in A-P in high pace condition also showed good reliability (ICC=0.69). Research Article
DRAFT — PLEASE DO NOT CITE Measuring time to pregnancy in HIV-positive women : Results from Demographic and Health Surveys

Abstract: The exact mechanisms of HIV infection on biological fecundity are not fully understood, but epidemiological evidence provides support for the hypothesis that HIV-positive women have lower pregnancy rates, take longer to become pregnant, and experience higher rates of fetal loss. However, these studies often fail to disentangle behavioral and biological responses to HIV acquisition on reproduction. The present study attempts to isolate the biological effects of HIV infection on fecundity by employing a time-to-pregnancy (TTP) study design. Using contraceptive calendar and HIV serostatus information from 9 Demographic and Health Surveys, we use cox proportional hazard models to assess the relative TTP among HIV-negative and HIVpositive women who desire children. Our analysis demonstrates that HIV-positive women who desire a child have reduced fecundability. The findings from this study can inform reproductive and maternal health program strategies for HIV-positive women, which include ensuring future integration of fertility awareness education, and providing subfertility and infertility diagnostic and management services.
Controlling atmospheric forcing parameters of global ocean models: sequential assimilation of sea surface Mercator-Ocean reanalysis data

Abstract. In the context of stand alone ocean models, the atmospheric forcing is generally computed using atmospheric parameters that are derived from atmospheric reanalysis data and/or satellite products. With such a forcing, the sea surface temperature that is simulated by the ocean model is usually significantly less accurate than the synoptic maps that can be obtained from the satellite observations. This not only penalizes the realism of the ocean long-term simulations, but also the accuracy of the reanalyses or the usefulness of the short-term operational forecasts (which are key GODAE and MERSEA objectives). In order to improve the situation, partly resulting from inaccuracies in the atmospheric forcing parameters, the purpose of this paper is to investigate a way of further adjusting the state of the atmosphere (within appropriate error bars), so that an explicit ocean model can produce a sea surface temperature that better fits the available observations. This is done by performing idealized assimilation experiments in which Mercator-Ocean reanalysis data are considered as a reference simulation describing the true state of the ocean. Synthetic observation datasets for sea surface temperature and salinity are extracted from the reanalysis to be assimilated in a low resolution global ocean model. The results of these experiments show that it is possible to compute piecewise constant parameter corrections, with predefined amplitude limitations, so that long-term free model simulations become much closer to the reanalysis data, with misfit variance typically divided by a factor 3. These results are obtained by applying a Monte Carlo method to simulate the joint parameter/state prior probability distribution. A truncated Gaussian assumption is used to avoid the most extreme and non-physical parameter corrections. The general lesson of our experiments is indeed that a careful specification of the prior information on the parameters and on their associated uncertainties is a key element in the computation of realistic parameter estimates, especially if the system is affected by other potential sources of model errors.
Crustal fissuring on the crest of the southern East Pacific Rise

[ 1 ] Fissure densities and widths have been mapped along the axial zone of the superfast spreading southern East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 17 (cid:1) 15 0 –40 0 S with the near-bottom DSL-120 and Argo II imaging systems. We observe that the youngest lava flows (on a relative age scale) are sparsely fissured and that there is a cumulative increase in fissure abundance with time that produces a strong positive correlation between fissure density and relative age of lava flows. Average fissure widths were used to estimate fissure depths. In the 17 (cid:1) 15 0 –40 0 S area, calculated fissure depths are estimated to extend below the seismic layer 2A/2B boundary, and fissures are widest/deepest where lava flows are youngest. We interpret these wide fissures in relatively young flows to be eruptive fissures. Relatively young lava flows combined with high average fissure widths south of 17 (cid:1) 25 0 S suggest that there may have been recent dike propagation along the ridge crest in this area. In comparison to the northern EPR at 9 (cid:1) –10 (cid:1) N the density of fissuring on the southern EPR is significantly higher, due in part to the higher occurrence of relatively older, more areally restricted pillow lava flows. I
Mostly Pointless Spatial Econometrics?

We argue that identification problems bedevil most applied spatial research. Spatial econometrics solves these problems by deriving estimators assuming that functional forms are known and by using model comparison techniques to let the data choose between competing specifications. We argue that in most situations of interest this, at best, achieves only very weak identification. Worse, in most cases, such an approach will simply be uninformative about the economic processes at work rendering much applied spatial econometric research ‘pointless’, unless the main aim is simply description of the data. We advocate an alternative approach based on the ‘experimental paradigm’ which puts issues of identification and causality at centre stage.
Green synthesis of mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activities

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) materials have been the focus of many promising applications due to their low-cost, availability and biocompatible properties. In this study, mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesised using a green chemistry approach. This visible-light active photocatalyst was prepared via a simple and solvent free precipitation method at low temperatures using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as a precursor and soluble starch as the template. The effect of initial solution pH and concentration of TTIP on surface morphology and photocatalytic activities of TiO2 nanoparticles were evaluated. Based on the results obtained, the TiO2 nanocatalyst prepared using 0.01 mol of TTIP under basic conditions revealed the best photocatalytic activity. The as-synthesised nanoparticles were further characterised using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption analysis (NAA). The XRD spectrum confirmed that the catalyst was composed of anatase tetragonal TiO2 phase. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 81.59 m2 g−1 proved the presence of mesopores (average pore size = 8.7 nm) which partially contributed to and catalysed the photodegradation process of methylene blue (MB) solution under sunlight. The effects of various parameters such as initial dye concentration, catalyst dosage and recyclability of the catalyst were evaluated to determine the best conditions. Results obtained suggest that TiO2 nanoparticles synthesised through the green chemistry approach under optimum conditions exhibited an effective photodegradation process of MB solution under sunlight.
An Analysis of Hybrid Layered Classification Algorithms for Object Recognition

Several classification algorithms have been developed as there is potential growth in image data. Each classifier has its own strengths and shortcomings. Hybridization of classifiers with one another has the potential to combine the strengths and to overcome the shortcomings. This paper presents a study of various Hybrid Classification algorithms as KNN and SVM with Genetics Programming, Decision trees with Artificial Neural Network, Naïve Bayes with Decision Trees and Decision tree with K-means.
New approach for calibration of pixelated scintillation detectors of intraoperative gamma cameras

Introduction:SURGEOSIGHT is a dedicated intra-operative hand-held gamma camera designed and manufactured by our team to be used for lymphoscintigraphy. Although conventional gamma cameras are widely used, they lack the capability of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) imaging in the operation room. Like conventional gamma cameras it is necessary to calibrate SURGEOSIGHT for linearity distortion, energy and flood correction. Our main objective in this study is to develop and implement three techniques for linearity, energy and uniformity corrections. Methods: The camera is made up of a pixelated cesium iodide (sodium-activated) (CsI(Na)) scintillation crystal with 1 × 1 mm2 element size along with a Hamamatsu H8500 flat-panel multi-anode (64 channels) photomultiplier tube. All triple corrections required lookup tables (LUTs). To generate all three LUTs, one uncalibrated acquisition is necessary. Linearity distortion correction was based on localization of physical pixels of crystal and thin plate spline interpolation to estimate the amount of distortion. Energy correction LUT was simply a photo-peak map of incoming events which was estimated using self-organizing map technique. Results: The results showed improvements qualitatively and quantitatively. The extrinsic energy resolution was enhanced from 50% to about 20.6%. Integral uniformity and the differential uniformity, after uniformity correction, in useful field-of-view (UFOV) was measured 9.5% and 4.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Results substantiated that the correction techniques guarantee uniform and accurate output of the SURGEOSIGHT which is desirable for intra-operative localization of the sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer and also for imaging of other superficial tumors.
The role of expectations in the FRB/US macroeconomic model

In the past year, the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System began using a new macroeconomic model of the U.S. economy referred to as the FRB/US model. This system of mathematical equations, describing interactions among economic measures such as inflation, interest rates, and gross domestic product, is one of the tools used in economic forecasting and the analysis of macroeconomic policy issues at the Board. The FRB/US model replaces the MPS model, which, with periodic revisions, had been used at the Federal Reserve Board since the early 1970s. A key feature of the new model is that expectations of future economic conditions are explicit in many of its equations. Because of this clear delineation of expectations, the FRB/US model can be used to study issues that would be difficult or impossible to study with the MPS model. For example, the new model can show how the economy's response to specific events, such as a reduction in defense spending, may vary considerably with the speed at which the public recognizes that the event has occurred or will occur.
Collaborative design processes: An active- and reflective-learning course in multidisciplinary collaboration

Collaborative Design Processes (CDP) is a capstone design course where graduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Florida learn methods of collaborative design in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry enhanced by the use of information technology. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to collaborate from remote locations via the Internet on the design of a facility. Team members from structural engineering, architecture and construction management generate designs, schedules and budgets while experimenting with different work practices to take maximum advantage of information technology using commercially available software. An innovation of this course compared to previous efforts is that students also develop process designs for the integration of technology into the work of multidisciplinary design teams. The course thus combines both active and reflective learning about collaborative design and methods. The course is designed to provide students the experience, tools, and methods needed to improve design processes and better integrate the use of technology into AEC industry work practices. This paper describes the goals, outcomes and significance of this new, interdisciplinary course for distributed AEC education. Differences from existing efforts and lessons learned to promote collaborative practices are discussed. Principal conclusions are that the course presents effective pedagogy to promote collaborative design methods, but faces challenges in both technology and in traditional intra-disciplinary training of students.
New Method for Non-Paraxial Beam Propagation

A new method for solving the wave equation is presented, which is nonparaxial and can be applied to wide-angle beam propagation. It shows very good stability characteristics in the sense that relatively larger step-sizes can be taken. An implementation using the collocation method is presented, in which only simple matrix multiplications are involved and no numerical matrix diagonalization or inversion is needed. The method is, hence, faster and is also highly accurate. OCIS Codes:130.2790, 230.7370, 350.5500
Association of Different Genetic Variants of Alpha S2-Casein Gene (CSN1S2) with Milk Production Traits in Cattle

The present experiment has been planned to study the association of different genetic variants of αS2-Casein gene (CSN1S2) with lactation length (days), fat (%) and protein (%) in Malvi, Nimari, Sahiwal and HF crossbred cattle. The analysis of variance for different genotypes of αS2-casein gene in four breeds of cattle was found significant (P<0.01) for lactation length (LL) trait. Significantly higher LL was recorded in AA genotype of HF crossbred, while, the lowest LL was noticed in AB genotype of Nimari. The mean LL between AA and AB genotype of Malvi, Sahiwal and HF crossbred cattle showed nonsignificant difference. The higher mean fat (%) was noticed for AA genotype than AB genotype of Malvi and Nimari, however, in HF crossbred higher fat (%) was observed for AB genotype. The mean fat (%) between AA and AB genotypes showed nonsignificant difference in Malvi, Sahiwal and HF crossbred cattle but the mean protein per cent was significantly higher in Malvi and Nimari and non-significantly higher in HF crossbred for AB genotype as compared to AA genotype. Among the different genotypes of all four breeds of cattle, significantly higher protein per cent was recorded in Nimari for AB genotyped animals.
Coordination Challenges in Global Software Development

Global Software Development (GSD) approach is becoming a trend in software industries and by adopting it, literature shows that they are able to produce a better quality software with shorter development time and lesser cost. GSD software projects are geographically distributed where their tasks are collocated and distributed. Due to these distribution, software organizations are suffering in terms of coordination. Coordination is one of the mechanism that is considered as the most basic element in GSD, the glue that holds the organization together. This paper presents the challenges of coordination in GSD that usually cause problems for developers, clients, vendors and other stakeholders who are involved. It also discuss several coordination frameworks in GSD context and also suggest some measures to overcome these challenges.
Selective Potentiometric Sensor for Isoniazid Ultra-Trace Determination Based on Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Modified Carbon Paste Electrode (Fe3O4/CPE)

Significant effects of magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles on the potentiometric behavior of carbon paste electrode for bio determination of Isoniazid aromatic drug (INH) were studied. The electrochemical performance of modified Fe3O4/CPE was investigated. The constructed Fe3O4/CPE showed high precision, sensitivity and selectivity, for successfully determination of ultra-trace concentration of INH samples. In this research, pH effects, optimal condition for electrode and interfering Ions, on electrode response were investigated. The best potential response for Fe3O4/CPE was obtained with electrode composition of 0.012 g magnetic NPs, 0.006 g silicon oil and 0.060 g graphite powder at pH 6.5 and showed such a low detection limit as 3.09×10−13 mol L−1 INH.