Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
β-Lactoglobulin-Modified Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: A Promising Carrier for the Targeted Delivery of Fenbendazole into Prostate Cancer Cells

The clinical utilization of fenbendazole (FBZ) as a potential anticancer drug has been limited due to its low water solubility, which causes its low bioavailability. The development of a drug nanoformulation that includes the solubilizing agent as a drug carrier can improve solubility and bioavailability. In this study, Mobil Composition of Matter Number 48 (MCM-48) nanoparticles were synthesized and functionalized with succinylated β-lactoglobulin (BLG) to prevent early-burst drug release. The BLG-modified amine-functionalized MCM-48 (MCM-BLG) nanoparticles were loaded with FBZ to produce the drug nanoformulation (FBZ-MCM-BLG) and improved the water solubility and, consequently, its anticancer effects against human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. The prepared FBZ-MCM-BLG was characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, drug loading capacity, morphology, thermal and chemical analyses, drug release, cellular uptake, cell viability, cell proliferation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cell migration. The results demonstrated that the FBZ-MCM-BLG nanoparticles have a spherical morphology with a size and zeta potential of 369 ± 28 nm and 28 ± 0.4 mV, respectively. The drug loading efficiency of the new nanoformulation was 19%. The release of FBZ was pH-dependent; a maximum cumulative release of about 76 and 62% in 12 h and a burst release of 53 and 38% in the first 0.5 h was observed at pH 1.2 and 6.8, respectively. The prepared FBZ-MCM-BLG formulation demonstrated higher cytotoxicity effects against PC-3 cells by 5.6- and 1.8-fold, respectively, when compared to FBZ and FBZ-MCM nanoparticles. The new formulation also increased the production of ROS by 1.6- and 1.2-fold and inhibited the migration of PC-3 cells when compared to the FBZ and FBZ-MCM nanoparticles, respectively. Overall, FBZ-MCM-BLG nanoparticles improved FBZ delivery to PC-3 cells and have the potential to be evaluated for the treatment of prostate cancer following a comprehensive in vivo study.
Converting to online conversations in COVID-19: People with aphasia and Students’ experiences of an online Conversation Partner Scheme

ABSTRACT Background A Conversation Partner Scheme (CPS) can provide an opportunity for students to learn about acquired communication disorders, develop skills to support adults in conversations and reflect on their personal attitudes about communication disability. It can also enhance communication, facilitate social inclusion and participation and increase well-being for CPS partners with acquired communication disabilities. The format of a CPS generally includes conversation-training workshops followed by face-to-face supported conversations. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health guidance necessitated the transition of all components of the scheme (training and conversations) to an online format. Aims The aim of this case study was to investigate the feasibility of an online CPS and explore the participants’ experience of this format. Methods & Procedures A case study design was undertaken with feasibility objectives examining Implementation, Practicality, Adaption, Integration and Acceptability of the online CPS. Data was gathered from students using questionnaires. Online semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven persons with aphasia (PwA) who participated as CPS partners. Technical challenges, duration of conversations and topics of conversations were also recorded. Results and Conclusions Twenty-seven speech and language therapy students and 14 CPS partners took part in the CPS. Eighty-five online conversation sessions were carried out. All seven PwA and many of the students (87.5%) perceived an online format as suitable for CPS conversations. However, many students highlighted the value of in-person contact and reported that the online format constrained the use of some communication ramps. The PwA repeatedly commended their student conversation partners and noted the CPS provided an opportunity for increased social interaction during the public health restrictions. The online CPS provided a timely opportunity for students to practice supported communication skills and was perceived to be important for student training and communication skills development.
Automatic recognition of historical buildings in Valletta using smartphone technology

Building classification is a widely researched area in computer vision. In this research project a smartphone application is developed which uses computer vision techniques. The idea is introduced by pointing out several advantages and disadvantages of such a system. The application allows the user to take a picture of historical buildings, and then it automatically classifies it and gives information about the building. The technical terms that are used in this project, are described in the following chapter, and previous work from the literature is highlighted. Building recognition is ultimately an object recognition problem, so in the second chapter we look at different approaches to object recognition algorithms applied to various building datasets. An overview of the system is described next, and the design of how the system is implemented is highlighted. The section describes how the user can upload a photo, receive information regarding the respective building and give back feedback to the system. In the same chapter there is also a description of the process to create three distinct datasets using data from thirteen Maltese buildings. Furthermore, an ”Unknown” category was included to make the project more realistic. The implementation is discussed in the fourth chapter, and the system to recognise a building is described in detail. The full operation is discussed in detail, i.e. uploading the image, recognising the building, sending back the data to the user, and the user sends back feedback to the system. A flowchart is also drawn to show the full process to recognise the building in a query image. Next, several experiments were implemented, such as using different image processing techniques, or applying the algorithm on various datasets. The application is also distributed to users for evaluation. Results show that the proposed system is very effective. The algorithm gained also an accuracy which is equal to the state-of-the-art on the Zurich Building benchmark dataset. Finally, ideas are discussed to further improve the application, such as implementing augmented reality, and using deep learning algorithms.
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems: Themes of Public Perception—A Case Study

Climate adaptation measures address the challenges that densification and climate change impose on the urban environment. Sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) constructs include the introduction of natural elements, such as riparian buffers, vegetative filters, rain beds, water spills, watermark filters, retainers and dams, and are an integral part of these climate adaptation measures. SUDS are commonly undertaken at a municipal level in Norway but, unfortunately, the implementation of SUDS projects has lagged behind expectation. Norway is a normative and egalitarian society, where public resistance to local projects is a factor in the delayed adoption of SUDS. That is why a greater understanding of public perceptions and priorities is needed to build consensus and support for these climate adaptation measures. This research looked at the Blaklibekken SUDS case study in Trondheim, Norway. A cross-section of interviews with the municipality and users was undertaken to establish themes within local perceptions of the project. Themes of environmental benefit, child-related activities, maintenance of the site and funding were established to provide a better understanding of public expectations and what aspects of the project correlated with public acceptance or resistance. This work provides a starting point for further research to establish public ‘themes of interest’ that can provide decision makers greater insight into public priorities.
Sports fans, wagering, and concussion knowledge: implications for injury nondisclosure

Abstract Objective: Athletes perceive sports fans as a source of concussion nondisclosure pressure. Sports fans are exposed to injury depictions from the media that could lead them to underestimate its seriousness. This study examined the concussion knowledge of non-sports fans, sports fans, and wagering sports fans, as knowledge is a modifiable factor that can influence injury disclosure. Setting and participants: A convenience sample of 443 Australian adults completed an online survey. Design: Cross-sectional. Main measures: Self-rated and actual concussion knowledge (the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey; RoCKAS). Results: There was no significant difference in the concussion knowledge of self-identified sports (n = 157) and non-sports (n = 286) fans; but sports fans rated their knowledge as significantly higher than non-sports fans (p < .05). Wagering sports fans (n = 24) had significantly less concussion knowledge than non-wagering sports fans (η2 = .03, small effect). Discussion: Athletes who feel nondisclosure pressure from sports fans may be influenced by people with incomplete concussion knowledge, particularly wagering sports fans. Sports fans over-estimated their knowledge, and this could contribute to the nondisclosure pressure felt by athletes. Programmes to increase injury disclosure by athletes should take these factors into consideration.
Selling them Short? Differences in News Coverage of Female and Male Candidate Qualifications

We draw on research from gender stereotypes and mass communication to develop and test an innovative theoretical framework of implicit and explicit gender framing. This framework delineates how and when coverage in newspapers will report on female candidates differently than male candidates. Implicit gender frames subtly draw on masculine stereotypes to reinforce patriarchal power structures through their coverage of political candidates. Explicit gender frames are the overtly sexist “hair, hemlines, and husband” coverage women receive more frequently relative to men. We argue that the print news media will be more likely to rely on implicit gender frames to elucidate differences between women and men running for political office. Using an exhaustive content analysis of Senate campaign news coverage, we find important differences in the coverage of women and men running against one another. We also find the use of explicit gender frames to be especially common in all-female races. These differences in coverage, especially in all-women contests, can perpetuate stereotypic beliefs that women lack the qualifications needed for political office among voters, and stymie women’s progress toward parity in representation.
The Developmental Trajectory of a Decade of Research on Mental Health and Well-Being amongst Graduate Students: A Bibliometric Analysis

The journey of graduate students through academia can be a difficult road plagued with several roadblocks due to several intersectional factors. These difficulties often impact the students’ mental health with severe consequences on their well-being and personal and academic achievements. There is a critical need for researchers to conduct studies in response to the positive mental well-being for this group of trainees, considering their peculiar role in the scholarly environment. This study aimed to explore the scientific research on the health and well-being of graduate students; typify the scientific landscape and development trajectory, cooperation networks, and fundamental research areas; and identify areas of needed research in this field. A bibliometric analysis of articles indexed in Scopus and published in the past decade (2012 to 2021) was undertaken. The results revealed that the research on graduate students’ mental health and well-being has increased over the years, significantly in the past two years, probably owing to the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns around remote learning. The highest number of publications was from the United Kingdom (U.K.) and United States (U.S.), while the organizational affiliations were mainly from universities. The most prominent source type of publications was journal articles. The result also shows a weak collaboration across countries and organizations. The study identifies other areas of useful research, collaboration, intervention strategies, and policy review.
PARASITES OF LITHOBATES MONTEZUMAE TADPOLES FROM THE “JARDÍN BOTÁNICO EXTERIOR”, PEDREGAL DE SAN ÁNGEL ECOLOGICAL RESERVE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO

Three parasite taxa, Trichodina hypsilepis , T. koloti and Parapharyngodon sp. , were collected from a sample of tadpoles of the species Lithobates montezumae from the Pedregal de San Ángel Ecological Reserve, belonging to the National Autonomous University of Mexico. These taxa are new records for the host species and their presence is documented for the first time for anurans in Mexico. This work presents the first morphological characterization for trichodinid ciliates from Mexican amphibians and contributes to the knowledge of parasite fauna of wild species inhabiting in an urban ecological reserve.
A Triple Human-Digital Twin Architecture for Cyber-Physical Systems

With the development of information and communication technology and the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) era, cyber-physical system (CPS) is becoming the trend of products or systems. The deep integration and real-time interaction between the physical world and the virtual world expand system functions. Although there are some CPS implementation guidelines, the virtual world is still relatively abstract compared to the concrete physical world that can be touched through the IoT. Besides that, human is a non-negligible CPS endogenous interactive intelligent component. In this paper, we propose a triple human-digital twin architecture, where the physical objects and the digital twins that are the projections of the physical entities establish the cornerstone of human functioning together. And the hierarchically distributed digital twins grow dynamically with the physical entities along the lifecycle. Furthermore, the interaction and collaboration among the physical objects, the digital twins, and the humans in their respective worlds (the expected world, the interpreted world, and the physical world) integrate the full value chain of the products in anticipation of seamless synergy. Finally, we present a power management digital companion platform for the lunar probe to demonstrate the efficacy of the architecture.
Bank Efficiency and Oil Price Volatility: A View from the GCC Countries

The study investigates the banks' efficiency in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries' members (GCC). The efficiency of the banking sector is a cornerstone in the financial development of a country. It has also become a prominent label in both economic and financial lexicons due to the lucid importance of the financial intermediation function it provides. The banking industry is considered the backbone of the financial system in oil exporting countries of the GCC region. In general, the advancement and stability of the banking sector are inextricably related to the total economic output as measured by the GDP and to the stability of the financial system in particular. This study aims to evaluate how efficient banking is in the six countries of the GCC bloc, and to assess the effect of the oil price shock in 2014 on the bank’s efficiency in these countries. This study employs the 2-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology for this aim. This model assigns efficiency scores for GCC banks over a period of time from 2008 to 2016 in the first stage. The second stage of the model regresses the aforementioned efficiency scores against a variety of financial and macroeconomic variables to depict the main determinants of bank efficiency and to assess the banking sector's resilience to global shocks as well as to macroeconomic conditions. The empirical outcomes of this study indicate that the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008 and the oil price shock in 2014 had a significant negative impact on the efficiency scores of the GCC banks. The findings also show that domestic macroeconomic indicators have a greater impact on bank efficiency than institutional or bank-specific variables.JEL Classifications: E6, E44, Q4, G21 Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-03-07 Full Text: PDF
Theoretical and applied research on bistable dual-piezoelectric-cantilever vibration energy harvesting toward realistic ambience

Pink noise, which is similar to realistic ambient noise, is normally used to simulate ambience where a piezoelectric energy harvesting system (PEHS) is set up. However, pink noise with standard spectral representation can only be used to simulate excitations assumed to possess constant intensity, whereas realistic ambient noise normally appears with a random spectrum and varying intensity in terms of different locations and time. The output performance of conventional bistable magnetic repulsive energy harvesters is significantly affected by the ambience intensity. Considering this fact, a model bistable dual-piezoelectric-cantilever energy harvester (DPEH) is developed in this study to achieve optimal broadband energy harvesting under a varying-intensity realistic circumstance. We utilized various realistic ambient conditions as excitations to obtain the DPEH energy harvesting performance for theoretical and applied study. The elastically supported PEHS has been proven to be more adaptive to realistic ambience with significant or medium intensity variation, but is less qualified for realistic ambience with constant intensity compared with the rigidly supported PEHS (RPEHS). Fortunately, the dual-piezoelectric-cantilever energy harvesting system is superior to the RPEHS under all circumstances because the dual-piezoelectric cantilevers are efficiently utilized for electromechanical energy conversion to realize optimal energy harvesting.
Identifying plagiarised programming assignments based on source code similarity scores

ABSTRACT Background and Context Source code plagiarism is a common occurrence in undergraduate computer science education. Many source code plagiarism detection tools have been proposed to address this problem. However, such tools do not identify plagiarism, nor suggest what assignment submissions are suspicious of plagiarism. Source code plagiarism detection tools simply evaluate and report the similarity of assignment submissions. Detecting plagiarism always requires additional human intervention. Objective This work presents an approach that enables the automated identification of suspicious assignment submissions by analysing similarity scores as reported by source code plagiarism detection tools. Method Density-based clustering is applied to a set of reported similarity scores. Clusters of scores are used to incrementally build an association graph. The process stops when there is an oversized component found in the association graph, representing a larger than expected number of students plagiarising. Thus, the constructed association graph represents groups of colluding students. Findings The approach was evaluated on data sets of real and simulated cases of plagiarism. Results indicate that the presented approach can accurately identify groups of suspicious assignment submissions, with a low error rate. Implications The approach has the potential to aid instructors in the identification of source code plagiarism, thus reducing the workload of manual reviewing.
Through-air drying of tissue and towel grades

A computer model that simulates the sheet drying part of through-air drying of tissue and towel grades has been developed. Empirical relationships for heat and mass transfer coefficients show that a simple, single relationship covering a wide range of through-drying conditions is not adequate. However, several empirical relationships, each covering a narrow range of process conditions, are more accurate. Experimental data that represent commercial operating conditions are critical in developing a comprehensive system simulation. Results to date indicate that, under the conditions studied, the sheet temperature quickly warms up to the saturation temperature and remains constant for a long time before beginning to rise at the end. The sheet drying rate primarily consists of an increasing rate period and a falling rate period. Application : a computer model could be used to evaluate ways to reduce energy consumption in new through-drying systems.
An Overview of Cell Membrane Perforation and Resealing Mechanisms for Localized Drug Delivery

Localized and reversible plasma membrane disruption is a promising technique employed for the targeted deposition of exogenous therapeutic compounds for the treatment of disease. Indeed, the plasma membrane represents a significant barrier to successful delivery, and various physical methods using light, sound, and electrical energy have been developed to generate cell membrane perforations to circumvent this issue. To restore homeostasis and preserve viability, localized cellular repair mechanisms are subsequently triggered to initiate a rapid restoration of plasma membrane integrity. Here, we summarize the known emergency membrane repair responses, detailing the salient membrane sealing proteins as well as the underlying cytoskeletal remodeling that follows the physical induction of a localized plasma membrane pore, and we present an overview of potential modulation strategies that may improve targeted drug delivery approaches.
Inertia Estimation of the 60 Hz Japanese Power System From Synchrophasor Measurements

This paper proposes a new approach to estimate the inertia of the 60 Hz Japanese power system from the background signals of phasor measurement units. Regarding the constraint boundaries, the entire system is divided into two control areas, which can be represented by an equivalent two-generator model based on small-signal stability analysis. The ambient inertia of each area, including both generation and demand sides can be estimated by measuring the corresponding phase difference and interchange power with respect to the extracted proportions of the frequency response, inter-area oscillation, and synchronizing power. Then, the sum of the estimated inertia for each area gives the total inertia of the entire 60 Hz system. The method was validated on the benchmark model of the Japan transmission network, and its sensitivity is evaluated by conducting various system operations on generator control effects. The efficiency and robustness were verified through real measurements under diverse system conditions. The results confirm that the developed approach can accurately estimate the system inertia during normal operation, enabling nearly continuous inertia tracking trajectory.