Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparation of a graphene-based composite aerogel and the effects of carbon nanotubes on preserving the porous structure of the aerogel and improving its capacitor performance

A graphene-based aerogel is a promising candidate to be used as a novel supercapacitor due to its unique three dimensional interconnected porous structure and high specific surface area. However, the rolling press process is generally applied in the fabrication of a supercapacitor, in order to reduce contact resistance and upgrade specific volume capacitance. This process tends to deform or destroy the porous structure, and significantly prevents the obtained supercapacitor from achieving its expected performance. In order to improve the pressure resistance of graphene-based aerogels during the rolling press process, a carbon nanotube supported graphene-based composite aerogel (GCA/CNT) with a high specific surface area of 811.5 m2 g−1 was fabricated using a facile two-step process. It was found that the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into the graphene-based aerogel can effectively enhance its pressure resistance and significantly reduce the deformation of the porous structure, especially in the mesoporous region. Furthermore, the resulting GCA/CNT composite aerogel exhibited a remarkably improved electrical conductivity and subsequent superior rate performance due to the formation of a graphene/carbon nanotube three dimensional conductive network.
Universal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and utility in the immunodiagnosis of Salmonellosis

The aims of this research are confirming the feasibility of hybrid immunoglobulin-binding reagents, its used in ELISAs for IgG/IgY detection and detecting specific antibodies against an infectious microorganism (Salmonella spp) in various animal species using a universal diagnostic ELISA. Hybrid immunoglobulin-binding bacterial proteins (IBP) including recombinant protein LA, recombinant protein LG, and recombinant protein AG have been produced for improvement of their binding affinity to a much larger number of immunoglobulins. This hybrid bacterial protein thus represents a powerful tool for binding, detection, and purification of immunoglobulins and their fragments. However, SpLA-LG-peroxidase and SpLAG-anti-IgY-peroxidase were produced by the periodate method. They have shown to be effective reagents. Their binding affinity to immunoglobulins surpasses previous hybrid IgG-binding proteins reported, including the most known SpAG, SpLA and SpLG. The IgY fraction was isolated from the egg yolks of a variety of birds including species of chicken, bantam hen, guinea hen, quail, goose, duck, wild and domestic pigeon, parakeet, cattle egret, pheasant, and ostrich. The IgY fraction was isolated by the chloroform-polyethylene glycol (PEG) method. An ELISA for anti-Salmonella spp antibodies was employed with some modifications to determine the presence of antibodies in humans, laying hens, geese, quails, and pigeons. Salmonella are motile, flagellated rod-shaped zoonotic pathogens which may survive with or without oxygen. They belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae and is implicated with typhoid fever and food-borne illnesses. This pathogen is associated with several diseases, which may become fatal and negatively impact the health of individuals and various economies globally. The poultry industry is most impacted and vulnerable to the onslaught of this pernicious microbe.
Latent Semantic Scaling: A Semisupervised Text Analysis Technique for New Domains and Languages

ABSTRACT Many social scientists recognize that quantitative text analysis is a useful research methodology, but its application is still concentrated in documents written in European languages, especially English, and few sub-fields of political science, such as comparative politics and legislative studies. This seems to be due to the absence of flexible and cost-efficient methods that can be used to analyze documents in different domains and languages. Aiming to solve this problem, this paper proposes a semisupervised document scaling technique, called Latent Semantic Scaling (LSS), which can locate documents on various pre-defined dimensions. LSS achieves this by combining user-provided seed words and latent semantic analysis (word embedding). The article demonstrates its flexibility and efficiency in large-scale sentiment analysis of New York Times articles on the economy and Asahi Shimbun articles on politics. These examples show that LSS can produce results comparable to that of the Lexicoder Sentiment Dictionary (LSD) in both English and Japanese with only small sets of sentiment seed words. A new heuristic method that assists LSS users to choose a near-optimal number of singular values to obtain word vectors that best capture differences between documents on target dimensions is also presented.
Logistic regression combined with ROC curve model to predict risk of critically ill-patients with COVID-19

Objective: To build a model to predict critically ill-patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and provide a new idea for the rapid identification of clinical progression in the early stage of critically ill-patients Methods: A retrospective analysis of the general data of 152 general patients and 323 critically ill-patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from Jan 17th, 2020 to Feb 25th, 2020 in Wuhan Third Hospital was carried out;At the same time, the differences in fever, blood routine, liver and kidney function, coagulation function, C-reactive protein (CRP), and nucleic acid reagent testing results from the day of admission were statistically analyzed Factors with statistical significance were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis to obtain independent relevant factors that affect the critical ill-patients with COVID-19 Then a prediction model was built based on these factors and its accuracy was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve Results: The sensitivities of age, fever, neutrophil ratio, lymphocyte ratio, serum creatinine (Scr) and combined diagnosis were 0 664, 0 671, 0 607, 0 669, 0 302 and 0 710, respectively;The specificities were 0 669, 0 585, 0 795, 0 685, 0 895 and 0 802, respectively;The area under the curve (AUC) were 0 725, 0 628, 0 721, 0 681, 0 590 and 0 795, respectively;The AUC of combined diagnosis was higher than that of single diagnosis (P < 0 05) Conclusion: The logistic regression and combined with ROC curve model based on multi-factors, including age, fever status, neutrophil ratio, lymphocyte ratio, and Scr, can play a good role in predicting the occurrence of critically ill-patients with COVID-19, which is worthy of further promotion and application
Particle Size Distribution Analysis of Chemical Oxygen Demand Fractions with Different Biodegradation Characteristics in Black Water and Gray Water

The study investigated the particle size distribution of major organic pollutants in black water and gray water fractions of domestic sewage. Particle size distribution was assessed by means of a filtration/ultrafiltration sequence together with laser diffraction. Emphasis was placed upon the correlation between the size distribution of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and its biodegradation characteristics obtained by respirometric analysis. Particle size distribution analysis provided specific fingerprints for COD, total organic carbon (TOC), carbohydrates, proteins, and color for black water and gray water: Aside from significant difference between COD contents, the more concentrated COD was predominantly in particulate form in black water, whereas soluble COD accounted for nearly 60% of the total in gray water. TOC and carbohydrate exhibited a similar pattern. Size distribution of particulate matter yielded different characteristics for the two fractions and indicated that settleable matter should be considered as a significant portion in assessing biodegradation. Particle size distribution of COD, although not directly related, gave an accurate image of biodegradation, indicating that particle size was basically the main parameter for differentiating and predicting major COD fractions with different biodegradation characteristics. It explained the dual hydrolysis mechanism associated with the black water based on the existence of a significant settleable COD fraction.
Effects of Some Plant Growth Regulators and Phloroglucinol on Micropropagation of SP-2 (Prunus spinosa) Clonal Rootstock

Bu calisma, 2017 yilinda bazi oksin, sitokinin ve phloroglucinol konsantrasyonlarinin in vitro kultur kosullarinda SP-2(Prunus spinosa) klon anacinin rejenerasyon ve koklenme olasiliklari uzerine etkilerini arastirmak amaciyla yurutulmustur. Materyal olarak ½ MS besin ortami ve farkli IBA kombinasyonlari (0.1-0.5-1.00 mg L-1), NAA (0.25 mg L-1), BA (0.5-1.00-2.00 mg L-1), Kinetin (0.5-1.00-2.00 mg L-1), Phloroglucinol (30-60-90-120 mg L-1) ve MSK-0 (herhangi bir hormon icermeyen normal ½ MS) kullanildi. Calismanin sonunda eksplant basina maksimum surgun uzunlugunun MSK-7 kombinasyonunda (25.11 mm) oldugu tespit edildi. Ayrica, en yuksek kok uzunlugu MSK-2 ( 176.74 mm), en yuksek kok sayisi MSK-5 (2 adet/explant) kombinasyonlarinda gozlendi. Bu calisma sonucunda kontrol kombinasyonu (MSK-0) dagilimin alt kisimlarinda kalirken, en iyi koklenme degeri MSK-2 ve MSK-3 kombinasyonlarinin kullanildigi bitkilerde gorulmustur. Bu calismanin sonucuna gore, Phloroglucinol (PG), klonal anac adaylari SP-2'nin (Prunus spinosa) in vitro cogaltiminda olumlu bir etkiye sahip oldugu belirlenmistir.
Effect of Performance-based Financing on the Coverage of Antenatal Care and Immunization Services in Buea Health District, Cameroon

Introduction and Aim: Financing healthcare is a major factor in our society today which affects access to quality healthcare. The MDGs reached their deadline in 2015 but progress has been insufficient with reducing the morbidity and mortality rates of diseases. The healthcare system of Cameroon is characterized by low coverage for preventive care services. Innovative ways must be identified to fast track the coverage of MCH services. Lack of incentives affects the coverage of ANC and immunization services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of PBF on the coverage of ANC and immunization services. Methods: An experimental study design was used and health facilities in the Buea Health District were randomly selected and assigned to one of four groups, three intervention groups (T1, C1 and C2) and one control group (C3). Using multistage sampling, a total of 434 postpartum mothers and 474 children participated in the study. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used and data was analyzed using EPI Info version 3.5. 4 and STATA version 10.1 statistical software. Results: The mean age of the 434 postpartum mothers was 26.03. Supervision alone had significant effect on the four or more ANC visits (p=0.04). Both financing and supervision had statistically significant effect on the four or more ANC visits (p=0.003) and immunization. Financing and fixed per capita budgetary supplement did not have a significant effect on the coverage of ANC and immunization services. Conclusion: Both Financing and enforced supervision is necessary in order to improve the coverage of ANC and immunization services thus accelerating progress towards improving MCH.
Reliability Evaluation of Four Leg Current Source Inverter Based Transformerless Grid Connected System

To meet increasing energy demand, depleting fossil fuel and environmental problems caused by conventional power generation, renewable energy sources such as Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal, Tidal are becoming more attractive alternatives to replace conventional generation. Solar photo voltaic (PV) system is a popular technology due to its contributions in clean energy generation. This paper presents the generalized reliability model of Solar PV generation system and inverters. The methods given in Military Handbook-217F are used to calculate the reliability of solar power unit and inverters. The reliability analysis of these grid feeding inverters are carried out for solar systems. It was observed that the reliability of current source inverters (CSI) is more than that of voltage source based solar inverters (VSI) due to reduced dc-link capacitor requirement. Conventional CSI requires an isolation transformer for grid connection in order to suppress the injected high earth leakage current. Use of this transformer increases cost, size, make the system bulky. To overcome these limitations improved CSI topology is proposed. The comparative reliability analysis of conventional CSI and proposed Transformer-less CSI is carried out in this paper and it is found that proposed transformer-less grid feeding CSI is more reliable over Conventional CSI.
What are the essential components of a self-management program designed to help workers with chronic low back pain stay at work? A mapping review

Abstract Purpose For many workers suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP), the main challenge after a disabling episode is not returning to work in itself, but rather sustaining this reinstatement. The goal of this study was to identify key elements that should be included in a self-management (SM) program in order to facilitate a sustainable return to work for patients suffering from LBP. Materials and methods We conducted a mapping review to examine the current evidence surrounding this issue in four databases (CINAHL, PudMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library). Key content elements of SM programs, as well as facilitators/barriers associated with sustainable RTW were extracted and analysed. Results Only three studies that met our eligibility criteria. Results from these studies suggest that, in the context of RTW, the two most valuable components of an SM program are educational materials and strategies specifically tailored to the work context. Conclusions Among this admittedly scarce evidence, we were able to identify valuable elements that should be included in SM programs in order to promote a sustainable RTW. Additional studies assessing the effectiveness of both current SM programs and programs developed based on our recommendations will be called for to further support our results.
Pharmacological and pharmacognostical aspect of Prosopis juliflora: A review

Prosopis juliflora also called as mesquite or Velayati babul, found all over the world specially in semiarid and arid areas. It is a competitive weed and has been declared as noxious in several countries. WHO found that herbal medicines are used traditionally for the treatment of diseases, nearly 80% of the population utilize plants due to their less side effects and easy availability as compared to allopathic systems of medicine. Prosopis juliflora belongs to family Leguminosae and also has an effective role as traditional medicine. Every part of this species contains a large number of phytoconstituents mainly flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics, terpenes and saponins. The plant possesses some pharmacological activity like antibacterial, anti-pustule, antitumor, larvicidal, anthelminthic, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antioxidant, antimalarial activities. Despite of its various uses, it is a serious invasive weed and is cytotoxic in nature. Due to ingestion of Prosopis juliflora pods, a neurological disorder “Cara-torta” is most common in the ruminant animals like goats which directly affect mitochondria of nerve cell. So, this article is an aggregate of all the details and information of Prosopis juliflora plant published in different books and journals.
Taste Thresholds of Phenolic Extracts of French and American Oakwood: The Influence of Oak Phenols on Wine Flavor

The concentration of the total phenol fraction in extracts of both green and seasoned oakwood from Ohio in the USA and from the Limousin and Vosges regions and the Troncais forest in France was measured by both UV absorbance at 280 nm and by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The concentration of phenols in both white wine and model wines stored in barrels made from the same wood samples was also measured. Taste thresholds of the aroma-stripped extracts in a white wine and in a model wine were determined by duo-trio difference testing. The concentration of the phenolic fraction in the extracts varied with oak source, but not with seasoning ( i.e. , wood drying). Taste thresholds varied with both of these parameters. The concentration of phenols in the barrel-aged wines was near to or below their sensory thresholds, indicating that the contribution of oak polyphenols to the taste of a wine is likely to be no more than a subtle one and to depend on the training and sensory acuity of an individual observer. The sensory thresholds of extracts containing aroma volatiles were much lower than those of the aroma-stripped extracts, suggesting that it is the oak-derived volatiles that provide the primary sensory cue that a wine has received oak-treatment.
Small Palm Oil Plantation as Political Arena: Environmental Narratives Among Workers and NGOs in Aceh, Indonesia

This contribution examines the different environmental visions surrounding small palm oil plantations in the province of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. How are natural resources conceptualized by small-scale owners, workers and local environmentalists? How is the small palm oil plantation a political space? Which narratives take place in/on small palm oil plantations? From one point of view, workers and small owners tend to read the small palm oil plantation as a place of possibilities for the future, and it is configured as a place in which individual and collective agencies are negotiated continuously. From another point of view, environmentalists and NGO activists describe workers through the stereotyped lens of ignorance, rebellion and project appropriation. In Aceh, environmental awareness is strongly shaped by class, age, residency and educational background. Starting from an analysis of Italian public discourses about palm oil in 2015/2016, the author spent 4 months, from August to November 2016 getting rid of an ethnographic research in the province of Aceh. Through observations, data collection, questionnaires, and structured and semi-structured interviews, the author was able to explore and illustrate the characteristics of small oil plantations as a political arena and the daily life of small-scale owners, workers and environmentalists.
Evaluating Zr/Rb Ratio From XRF Scanning as an Indicator of Grain‐Size Variations of Glaciomarine Sediments in the Southern Ocean

The ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio derived from X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning holds potential as a high‐resolution tracer for grain‐size variations of glaciomarine sediments, and hence current strength. To evaluate this approach, we conducted high‐resolution grain‐size measurements, together with Rb and Zr measurements by XRF core scanning and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), on a series of sediment cores from different regions of the Southern Ocean. Downcore changes of the ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio from XRF core scanning are consistent with Zr/Rb concentration ratios derived from ICP‐MS analyses, even though Rb and Zr counts deviate significantly from concentrations due to specimen and matrix effects. The ln(Zr/Rb) count ratio displays discrepancies with the bulk mean grain‐size, but correlates well with the mean grain‐size of the sediment fractions that do not include unsorted sand delivered by ice‐rafting. These observations are supported by evidence from a grain‐size separation experiment, which indicates that Zr and Rb are concentrated in different grain‐size fractions. Consistent with its lack of sensitivity to coarse grain‐size fractions derived from ice‐rafting, the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio records similar trends to the sortable silt percent (SS%) and sortable silt mean ( SS¯ ) grain‐size. Universal gradients exist in plots of SS% versus ln(Zr/Rb), and SS¯ versus ln(Zr/Rb), such that the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio provides a convenient way to estimate the magnitude of changes in SS% and SS¯ . Overall, our results support the use of the ln(Zr/Rb) ratio as an indicator of bottom current strength in cases where the sediment is current‐sorted.
Implementation and validation of a closed form formula for implied volatility

Introduction: Implied volatility is one of the most commonly used estimator to predict future stock market behaviours. Accordingly, millions of option prices are used to compute the implied volatility in the stock market frequently. Traditionally, this is calculated by inverting Black-Scholes option prices with iterative numerical methods but this associates high computational cost. Objectives: This research was mainly focused on implementing and validating an explicit closed-form formula for the implied volatility by using market observed call option prices. Methods: In order to obtain the explicit formula, the Taylor series of the Black-Schole call option price with respect to the volatility around a pre-determined initial value was obtained using the operator calculus and the Faa’ di Bruno’s formula. Taylor series of the implied volatility was acquired using the Lagrange inversion theorem. Here, all the coeﬃcients were explicitly determined using known functions and constants. Findings: The developed equation was tested using real time market call option prices with the corresponding market listed implied volatilities for options were used as the initial values. Numerical examples illustrate a signiﬁcant accuracy of the formula. Novelty : It is a closed form formula where the coeﬃcients are explicitly determined and free of numerical iterations making it suitable for industrial implementations and adaptation.
Enhancing CSR Disclosure through Foreign Ownership, Foreign Board Members, and Cross-Listing: Does It Work in Russian Context?

Abstract This paper examines whether foreign shareholders, foreign board members, and cross-listing, are related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in Russia. A sample of 223 Russian listed companies is analyzed for the period 2012–2015. In line with legitimacy theory and agency theory, our empirical results demonstrate that foreign board members and cross-listing help companies to raise their accountability through increased CSR disclosure. At the same time we report that foreign ownership does not enhance CSR disclosure, as the majority of foreign shareholders of Russian companies are registered in offshore domiciles that are used for more efficient tax allocation.
Assessment of Genetic Diversity of the Wild Rice (Oryza longistaminata) Populations in Tanzania Using Microsatellite Markers

The genetic diversity of 132 samples of the perennial wild rice (Oryza longistaminata) populations from selected districts (Bagamoyo, Kibaha, Kilombero and Mbarali) in Tanzania was evaluated using twenty eight microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was extracted using standard protocols. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was carried out in a total reaction volume of 10 μL, using Touchdown protocol. It was found that all 28 microsatellite markers generated polymorphic patterns, with average Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value of 0.631. Moreover, a total of 243 alleles were detected by the 28 markers, with average of 8.68 alleles per marker. The percentages of genetic variations among and within populations were 10% and 90%, respectively, implying that there was more gene flow among populations than within populations. Furthermore, the O. longistaminata population from Kilombero had highest genetic diversity followed by population from Mbarali, while the lowest genetic diversity was recorded in the population from Kibaha. Generally the populations from Kilombero, Mbarali and Bagamoyo were found to have relatively high genetic diversity, hence have potential to be used in rice breeding. In situ conservation of this species is recommended, and it can be achieved by conserving all areas which harbour populations with high levels of genetic diversity. Keywords: Genetic diversity; Microsatellites; SSR Markers; Oryza longistaminata; Wild rice;