Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental research on expansive soil improved by soda residue

By laboratory test,the potential use and effectiveness of soda residue as an additive for improving expansive soil are evaluated.The tests research the features of the basic physico-mechanical properties and expansibility of soda residues treated soil.The result shows that the increase of blending residue ratio has made the viscous composition decreased while the percentage of coarse granule increases so that the plasticity index,liquid limit,relative density,free swell index,load swell index are reduced significantly with the increase of soda residue.The test indicates that the soda residue has significant impact on the improvement of the expansibility of expansive soil.The range of compaction water content for soda residues treated soil is larger than expansive soil’s.It brings great convenience for the construction of soda residues treated soil roadbed.After 7 days conservation,there is a remarkable increase in unconfined compression strength and shear strength.Furthermore,a peak appears when the blending ratio of residue has come up to 30%. The remarkable increase in cohesion reflects the shear strength enhancement.However,the angle of internal friction changes little.
Effect of alcohol on the central nervous system to develop neurological disorder: pathophysiological and lifestyle modulation can be potential therapeutic options for alcohol-induced neurotoxication

The central nervous system (CNS) is the major target for adverse effects of alcohol and extensively promotes the development of a significant number of neurological diseases such as stroke, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Excessive alcohol consumption causes severe neuro-immunological changes in the internal organs including irreversible brain injury and it also reacts with the defense mechanism of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which in turn leads to changes in the configuration of the tight junction of endothelial cells and white matter thickness of the brain. Neuronal injury associated with malnutrition and oxidative stress-related BBB dysfunction may cause neuronal degeneration and demyelination in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, the underlying mechanism still remains unknown. To address this question, studies need to be performed on the contributing mechanisms of alcohol on pathological relationships of neurodegeneration that cause permanent neuronal damage. Moreover, alcohol-induced molecular changes of white matter with conduction disturbance in neurotransmission are a likely cause of myelin defect or axonal loss which correlates with cognitive dysfunctions in AUD. To extend our current knowledge in developing a neuroprotective environment, we need to explore the pathophysiology of ethanol (EtOH) metabolism and its effect on the CNS. Recent epidemiological studies and experimental animal research have revealed the association between excessive alcohol consumption and neurodegeneration. This review supports an interdisciplinary treatment protocol to protect the nervous system and to improve the cognitive outcomes of patients who suffer from alcohol-related neurodegeneration as well as clarify the pathological involvement of alcohol in causing other major neurological disorders.
DeMoS: Dense Module based Gene Signature Detection through Quasi-Clique: An Application to Cervical Cancer Prognosis

Background: Gene signature is useful to represent the molecular alternation in the disease genomes at specified conditions and is often used to distinguish samples into various groups for better research prospective as well as better clinical treatment. There is lack of efficient techniques that can take into account the complex gene expression profile and able to identify the most relevant signatures. Methods: In this article, we presented a new framework to identify Dense Module based gene Signature (DeMoS) and their targeting miRNAs through Quasi-Clique detection algorithm and their application in prognosis survival study. Here we applied a cervical cancer data repository with prognosis clinical data to conduct our experiment. We first performed Empirical Bayes test using Limma method to identify dysregulated genes (or, miRNAs). MiRNA-mediated dysregulated target genes had been extracted from those dysregulated miRNAs. Thereafter, We detected dense co-expressed modules using Quasi-Clique identification technique. The average correlation coefficient was then computed for each resultant module. The module containing the highest correlation was formulated as the resultant gene signature. Next, We applied three well-known classifiers (SVM, PAM and Random Forest (RF)) using 10-fold cross-validation, and obtained AUC. Finally, we performed survival prognosis study for the resultant gene signature. Results: The resultant signature consisted of ten genes, FGF9, FGF18, PPP1R9A, ERBB4, DCDC2, TOX3, ARMC3, DNALI1, RGL3 and ENPP3. In addition, We identified a total of eight dysregulated miRNAs that targeted the aforementioned gene signature. Hsa-mir-34c was found to be strongly associated with the genes signature since its out-degree centrality score was highest. On the other hand, the p-value of the Cox regression in the prognosis study for the resultant gene signature was found to be significant (=4.2e-02). Finally, DeMoS evaluated the highest AUC values (viz., 0.95 for SVM, 0.955 for RF, 0.955 for PAM) for our resultant gene signature in compared to the other state-of-the-art techniques. Conclusions: Our framework estimated most promising gene signature that could classify multiple groups/subtypes of samples with higher AUC as well as statistically significant p-value in regression based prognosis analysis. Our method is useful to determine signature for any RNA-seq profile. Code is available at https://github.com/sahasuparna/DeMoS.
Bletilla striata Polysaccharides: Structures and Functional Activities

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f. is a species of genus Bletilla (Family Orchidaceae) and it is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Bletilla striata polysaccharides (BSPs) were extracted from the tuber of Bletilla striata. Herein, we reviewed the extraction and purification methods of BSPs, compared the advantages and disadvantages of different methods comprehensively, and analyzed molecular weights and structural characterization of BSPs systematically. In addition, we analyzed hemostasis, anti-oxidation, anti-aging and other functional activities of BSPs to provide scientific basis for further study of BSPs.
Türkiye’nin Kalkınmasında Bir Adım Olarak Teknoparkların Etkin İşleyişi

Technoparks are economic public policy tools. Their success depends on government-backed support mechanisms, incentives and legislation, and the services and programs provided by the management companies. Today in Turkey, it might not be easy to measure the effectiveness of technoparks in nation’s growth and development since there are too many parameters involved. This article elaborates on the effectiveness of technoparks in generating the desired benefits within the framework of the current technology and innovation policies and the potentials of the resident companies. The hypothesis is that, despite the involvement of complex public management aspects, the capacity and the potential of the technopark companies appear as the most critical parameters. Nevertheless, the performance of the companies will determine the value that the technoparks shall add to economic growth and development.
DETEKSI PENGGUNAAN MASKER MENGGUNAKAN XCEPTION TRANSFER LEARNING

Covid-19 telah membawa dampak dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan. Hal tersebut menjadi landasan bagi pemerintah untuk mengambil langkah penerapan protokol kesehatan dalam aktivitas yang dilakukan di luar rumah. Salah satu bagian dari protokol kesehatan adalah kewajiban menggunakan masker pada saat keluar rumah. Saat ini, masih banyak masyarakat yang tidak menggunakan masker saat beraktivitas di luar rumah. Selain itu, terdapat beberapa kalangan yang menggunakan masker namun tidak sesuai dengan standar. Pada penelitian ini akan dilakukan deteksi penggunaan masker dengan menggunakan pendekatan deep learning. Metode yang digunakan yaitu Xception dengan transfer learning . Model yang dikembangkan dapat mendeteksi tiga tipe penggunaan masker yaitu penggunaan masker sesuai dengan standar, penggunaan masker yang tidak sesuai dengan standar, dan tidak menggunakan masker sama sekali. Model yang telah dilatih memperoleh tingkat akurasi sebesar 97%. Hasil penelitian ini diharapkan dapat dintegrasikan dengan perangkat lain untuk pengembangan sistem deteksi penggunaan masker secara menyeluruh. Kata Kunci: Masker; Transfer Learning ; Xception;
Assessment of Moisture Absorbing Power of Iron Oxide Pigments by pH Metry Method

The urgency of the problem concerning the rapid assessment of moisture absorbing power of powdery substances is discussed in the given article. The theoretical prerequisites for the determination of moisture absorbing power by an acid-base interaction in the system “solid body-water” are considered. The advantages of the pH analytic signal of aqueous suspension are shown. Some practical recommendations of the new experimental data processing and interpretation by pH metry used for the assessment of moisture absorbing power of powdery substances are developed. It is shown that the velocity of mass transfer analytic signal undergoes changes with time depending on functional groups of the surface. These functional groups are initially predetermined by the inner structure of the object of the research. The explanation of the deceleration mechanism of acid-base reaction interaction in the system “solid body-water” is supplied. It allows examining the hydrophilic behavior (hydrophobic behavior) of the surface of the polycrystalline substance.
Brain Exercising Games With Consumer-Grade Single-Channel Electroencephalogram Neurofeedback: Pre-Post Intervention Study

Background The aging population is one of the major challenges affecting societies worldwide. As the proportion of older people grows dramatically, so does the number of age-related illnesses such as dementia-related illnesses. Preventive care should be emphasized as an effective tool to combat and manage this situation. Objective The aim of this pilot project was to study the benefits of using neurofeedback-based brain training games for enhancing cognitive performance in the elderly population. In particular, aiming for practicality, the training games were designed to operate with a low-cost consumer-grade single-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) headset that should make the service scalable and more accessible for wider adoption such as for home use. Methods Our training system, which consisted of five brain exercise games using neurofeedback, was serviced at 5 hospitals in Thailand. Participants were screened for cognitive levels using the Thai Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Those who passed the criteria were further assessed with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) computerized cognitive assessment battery. The physiological state of the brain was also assessed using 16-channel EEG. After 20 sessions of training, cognitive performance and EEG were assessed again to compare pretraining and posttraining results. Results Thirty-five participants completed the training. CANTAB results showed positive and significant effects in the visual memory (delayed matching to sample [percent correct] P=.04), attention (median latency P=.009), and visual recognition (spatial working memory [between errors] P=.03) domains. EEG also showed improvement in upper alpha activity in a resting state (open-eyed) measured from the occipital area (P=.04), which similarly indicated improvement in the cognitive domain (attention). Conclusions Outcomes of this study show the potential use of practical neurofeedback-based training games for brain exercise to enhance cognitive performance in the elderly population.
Genetic characteristics and diversity of Korean Jeju Black cattle by whole genome SNP markers

Background Conservation and genetic improvement of cattle breeds requires to know the information about genetic diversity and population structure of animals. This study investigated the genetic diversity and population structure among the three breeds raised in Korean peninsula. Three popular breed found in Korea , i.e. Jeju Black, Hanwoo, Holstein with other six breeds such as Angus, Hereford, Brown Wagyu, Black Wagyu, Brahman and Nellore was examined in this study. Genetic diversity within the cattle breeds was analyzed using the popular measures of genetic diversity namely minor allele frequency (MAF), observed and expected heterozygosity (H O and H E ), inbreeding coefficient (F IS ) and past effective population size (N E ). Molecular variance and population structure were performed among the nine cattle breeds using model-based clustering (ADMIXTURE) analysis. Genetic distances between breed pairs were evaluated using Nei’s genetic distance (D A ) and with Weir and Cockerham’s F ST . Results This study revealed that Jeju Black cattle had lowest level of heterozygocity (HE = 0.21) among the studied taurine cattle breeds ranging from 0.25 to 0.30, and low MAF of 0.16, while other breeds have MAF ranging 0.11~0.21. The level of inbreeding was -0.076 in case of Jeju Black as compared to other breed (-0.018 ~ -0.118). PCA analysis and neighbor-joining (NJ) tree showed a clear separation of Jeju Black cattle from other local and exotic cattle breeds. Model-based clustering also revealed a distinct pattern of admixture of Jeju Black cattle having no clustering with other studied populations. The F ST value between Jeju Black cattle and Hanwoo was 0.106, which was lowest across the breeds ranging from 0.161 to 0.274, indicating some degree of genetic closeness of Jeju Black cattle with Hanwoo. The N E of Jeju Black cattle was 38, whereas Hanwoo was 209 in the most recent 13 generation ago. Conclusion This study indicates an alarming trend of reducing effective population size in Jeju Black cattle. Thus, a sustainable breeding policy should be implemented to increase the population of Jeju Black cattle for the genetic improvement and future conservation.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education and Educational Technology – Part 1

As COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, UNESCO (2020a) reminds us that, at the peak of the crisis, school doors were closed to 1.6 billion students, from kindergarten to university. This represents 94% of the entire student population, in over 190 countries. Now that the second wave is rolling over us, schools are turning to remote learning once again. It seems that remote learning is here to stay, at least for the next several months.
Influence of wet chemical processing conditions on structure and properties of magnetic hydroxyapatite nanocomposites

Nanostructured composites containing iron oxide and hydroxyapatite (m-HA) were prepared by two wet chemical methods (single-step and double-step process) having different order of magnetite and HA precipitations. The phase composition, crystal size and lattice constants of the prepared composites were determined by XRD, the functional groups by FTIR and the structure, morphology and elemental composition by TEM. The magnetic susceptibility values and the colour indexes of each composite were also determined. Biocompatibility testing was performed in simulated body fluid. The results show that the composites produced by different (single-step and double-step) co-precipitating methods show different chemical and phase composition, average particle size, and therefore different superparamagnetic properties and bioactivities, with possibilities for different applications.
Black and Asian Women’s Conceptualisations of Psychosis and Compulsory Admission within an Early Intervention Service

Aims: To explore the experiences of women from Black and Asian backgrounds, detained under the Mental Health Act (1983; 2007), on their journeys to accessing care for a First Episode Psychosis diagnosis. Background: Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups are sectioned under the Mental Health Act at significantly higher rates than White ethnic groups. BME groups are also more likely to be diagnosed with psychosis – a presentation primarily understood in services within the medical model of ‘mental illness’, and related to stereotypes of ‘dangerousness’. While quantitative research highlights the inequalities impacting Black men, BME women who show similar trends are often overlooked. Additionally, limited data exists about the lived experience of coercive pathways to psychosis care for these groups. Methodology: A critical realist research framework was used to qualitatively explore experiences of psychosis and services with Black and Asian women. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with women accessing Early Intervention for psychosis Services (EIS) and previously sectioned. Results: A thematic analysis identified three themes and six sub-themes: ‘Sense of Mistrust’; ‘Navigating Unsafe Systems’; and ‘Impact of Adversity’. Psychosis was characterised as feeling unable to trust others, and yourself. Initial interactions with services, particularly the police, were experienced as unfair, re-traumatising and potentially racialised. Trauma-informed and spiritual models to explain psychosis, felt neglected by services in favour of the medical model. However, social and psychological aspects of care offered by services, were described as unexpectedly helpful by the participants. Conclusion: It is proposed potentially unhelpful wider societal discourses, such as 'the Angry/Strong Black Woman', 'the Meek Asian Woman' and ‘psychosis is dangerous’ have an impact on experiences of accessing care for First Episode Psychosis. Recommendations discussed include: a systems-wide approach to tackling bias, acknowledging intersectionality, accommodating multiple beliefs in practice, and potential alternatives to detention under the Mental Health Act.
Three way authentication technique using User Defined Graphical Authentication System

In the field of data security, user authentication is extremely important. To enforce the security of information, passwords were introduced. User authentication is one of the important topics in information security. A strong text-based password scheme provides some degree of security. However, the very fact that strong passwords are difficult to memorize often leads their owners to write down them on papers or maybe save them during a file. A text-based password may be a popular authentication method used from the past. Text-based passwords tend to various attacks such as dictionary attacks, guessing attacks, brute force attacks and social engineering attacks, etc. An alternative solution to text-based authentication is graphical password authentication. In recent years, computer systems and Internet-based environments used graphical authentication technique for his or her user’s authentication. Numerous graphical password schemes are proposed thus far because it improves password usability and security. This paper proposed the existing graphical password techniques, which are categorized into four techniques as recognition-based, pure recall-based, cued-recall based and hybrid-based.
Highly Efficient and Stable Cadmium Chalcogenide Quantum Dot/ZnO Nanowires for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Generation

Although cadmium chalcogenide quantum dot-sensitized photoanode can utilize the whole visible region of the solar spectrum, its poor photochemical stability owing to hole-induced anodic corrosion remains a major problem for the application in photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation systems. Here, modification with IrOx·nH2O, a well-known water-oxidation catalyst substantially improves the photochemical stability of the quantum dot-sensitized photoanode. Moreover, it induces an increased photocurrent and a cathodic shift of the onset potential. This is the first example that an oxygen-evolution catalyst is employed on a quantum dot-sensitized electrode system, and it shows 13.9 mA cm–2 (at 0.6 V) and −0.277 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which are the highest photocurrent density and the lowest onset potential attained with a ZnO-based electrode, respectively. An average hydrogen evolution rate of 240 μmol h–1 cm–2 at 0.6 V vs RHE has been achieved on a IrOx·nH2O modified electrode, with al.
Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of B. oleracea var. italica

Backgrounds: Broccoli (Brassica. oleracea var. italica L.) is known as one of the most nutritionally rich vegetables, as well as rich in functional components that benefit to health. The main purposes of this research were sequencing, assembling and annotation of chloroplast genome of broccoli based on Illumina HiSeq2500 sequencing platform. Results: The size of the broccoli cp genome is 153,364 bp, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,197 bp each, separated by a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,834 bp and a large single copy (LSC) region of 83,136 bp. The GC content of the complete genome is 36.36%, while those of SSC, LSC, and IR are 29.1%, 34.15% and 42.35%, respectively. It harbors 134 functional genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs, with 31 duplicates in the IRs. The most abundant amino acid in the protein-coding genes is leucine, while the least is cysteine. Codon usage frequency showed bias for A/T-ending codons in the cp genome. In the repeat structure analysis, a total of 34 repeat sequences and 291 simple sequence repeat (SSRs) were detected in the work. Although cp genomic structure and size are highly conserved, the SC-IR boundary regions are variable between the 7 cp genomes. The phylogenetic relationships based on complete cp genome from 9 species suggest that B. oleracea var. italica is closely related to Brassica juncea. Conclusions: The complete cp genome sequence was obtained and annotated for broccoli for the first time. The information acquired from this research will be useful for further species identification, population genetics and biological research of broccoli.
Impact of Public Expenditure and Quality of Institutions on Private Investment in CEMAC’s Countries

Private investment as a vehicle for growth and employment has been a major concern in recent years. This article analyzes the impact of public spending and the quality of institutions on private investment in CEMAC. The results of an econometric analysis using a spatial Durbinmodel (SDM) with random effects show that public investment expenditure, consumption and the quality of institutions have a positive impact on private investment in CEMAC.These results have made it possible to reformulate the implications of economic policies that go in the direction of strengthening public expenditure and improving the quality of institutions.
Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility Expenditures on Financial Performance in Banking Sector of Bangladesh

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to a company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment in both social and ecological. CSR activities have positive impact on firm’s performance with banking sector no exception to it. Companies have their own choice of areas/fields for such CSR investments in order to have desired performance outcome. This research aimed at finding out the relationship between CSR expenses and financial performances of banking sector of Bangladesh. The financial performance measured by Return on Asset (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Earning per Share (EPS) and price Earnings Ratio (PER) have been considered as dependent variable where as Expenditures is CSR activities in Donation (DN), Social Welfare (SW), Education (EDU), Health and Hygiene (HH) and Environmental Protection (EP) have been considered as independent variables. Independent variables explain 57.42% of ROA, 66.1% of ROE, 77.8% of EPS and 58.01% of PER.