Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reclamation of water polluted by pesticides (priorority and preferential substances) with high potential leaching through solar heterogeneous photocatalysis

Modern agriculture depends to a large degree on the use of pesticides. Once a pesticide is introduced into the environment, it can be influenced by three major processes (adsorption, mobility and degradation), those which determine the fate of the pesticide by affecting its persistence and movement. Pesticides can enter in water bodies via diffuse or via point sources. Diffuse pesticide input paths into groundwater are leaching through the soil and unsaturated zone and infiltration through riverbanks and riverbeds. The contamination of water bodies with agricultural pesticides can pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and drinking water resources. Concretely, Europe confronts enormous groundwater pollution problems with agriculture being the biggest polluter. The majority of Europeans (about 60–65 %) rely on groundwater for drinking water purposes, and its use is threatened by the leaching of pesticides and nitrates from agriculture. Conventional biological treatments of water offer some advantages such as their low cost and easy operation although they are not very effective for pesticide removal due to their low biodegradability. Thus, numerous studies have demonstrated that pollutants can be removed from water by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as O 3 /UV, H 2 O 2 /UV, H 2 O 2 /O 3 /UV, homogeneous photo-Fenton, and heterogeneous photocatalysis. AOPs have been broadly defined as near ambient temperature treatment processes based on highly reactive radicals, especially the hydroxyl radical ( • OH), as the primary oxidant while the other radical and active oxygen species are superoxide radical anions (O 2 •− ), hydroperoxyl radicals (HO 2 • ), triplet oxygen ( 3 O 2 ), and organic peroxyl radicals (ROO • ). Clearly, the • OH radical ( E 0 = 2.8 V) is among the strongest oxidizing species used in water and wastewater treatment and offers the potential to greatly accelerate the rates of pollutant oxidation. Among AOPs, heterogeneous photocatalysis is a process of great potential for pesticide residues abatement in water. The basic principles of this process have been extensively reviewed in the recent literature. In this view, the aim of this research was to assess the photoactivity of TiO 2 and ZnO on the degradation of different pesticides, included as Priority Hazardous Pollutants by the EU, under sunlight irradiation at pilot plant scale. For this purpose, we have previously studied their leaching potential through the soil and the role of the most important operating parameters (proportion of anatase/rutile in TiO 2 samples, catalyst loading, effect of the addition of an electron acceptor, pH, light intensity, initial concentration of pollutants, and interfering substances) on the photooxidation of the studied pesticides.
Traditional uses, chemistry and pharmacological activities of Leea indica (Burm. f.) Merr.(Vitaceae): A comprehensive review

Plants have been used for various purposes of humans including medicinal purposes since time immemorial. Plants are an integral part of traditional medicine. Leea indica (Burm.f.) is a large shrub and belongs to the family Vitaceae. The plant L. indica is used traditionally in various countries of the world such as India, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, and Indonesia. The plant is used as a remedy for ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, bone fracture, body ache, fever, and wound treatment. Phytochemical groups such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, saponins, and steroids and compounds, namely, quercetin, gallic acid, lupeol, β-sitosterol, ursolic acid, mollic acid arabinoside, and mollic acid xyloside have been identified in various parts of the plant. Literature survey carried on biological activities of L. indica revealed that the plant showed bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, enzyme inhibitory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antidiarrheal activity. The observed bioactivities of the plant might be related to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents as compounds such as gallic acid, quercetin, mollic acid arabinoside, and mollic acid xyloside are known to exhibit marked pharmacological activities.
Nanoporous Gold—Testing Macro-scale Samples to Probe Small-scale Mechanical Behavior

Nanoporous gold made by dealloying exemplifies how the exciting mechanical properties of nanoscale objects can be exploited in designing materials from which macroscopic things can be formed. The homogeneous microstructure and the possibility of adjusting the ligament size, L, between few and few hundred nm, along with the high deformability and reproducible mechanical behavior predestine the material for model studies of small-scale plasticity using reliable macroscopic testing schemes on mm- or cm-size samples. Such experiments tend to agree with the Gibson-Ashby scaling relation for strength versus solid fraction, while suggesting an essentially scaling of the local strength of the ligaments. By contrast, the elastic compliance is dramatically enhanced compared to the Gibson-Ashby relation for the stiffness. Contrary to intuition, the anomalously compliant behavior of the nanomaterial goes along with a trend for more stiffness at smaller L. This article discusses surface excess elasticity, nonlinear elastic behavior and specifically shear instability of the bulk, network connectivity, and the surface chemistry as relevant issues which deserve further study.
Correlation between Seismic and Volcanic Activity at a Large Spatial Scale in Italy: Examples from the Neapolitan Volcanic District (Vesuvius Volcano, Southern Italy)

The time correlation between the eruptions of Mt Vesuvius and the occurrence of strong earthquakes in Italy has been revised using new and improved catalogs and data made available in the last decade. It has been shown that this correlation is statistically signifi - cant and involves also the earthquakes located very far from the volcanic edifice (hun dreds of kilometers). In particular, the earthquakes and the Vesuvius’ eruptions agree on a transient of accelerated activity between 1600 and 1900. A similar correlation has been found between the seismicity and the uplift episodes at the nearby Campi Flegrei caldera occurred in the last 70 years: there is strict similarity between the two cycles, the first one centered around 1970–1980 and the second one started on 2004 and still continuing and involving recent strong earthquakes (2009 L’Aquila earthquake, 2012 Emilia earthquake and 2016 Central Italy earthquake). The synchronization to such a long distance has sug- gested the occurrence of large-scale climatic processes controlling both the earthquakes and the volcanism. The comparison with climatic indexes like the global surface tempera- ture and the extension of glaciers in western-central Europe has indicated a possible role of climatic parameters in controlling volcanism and seismicity. caldera, Italian seismicity, event synchronization, Ripley’s K-function
Innovation and firm collaboration: An exploration of survey data

Recent literature on firm innovation emphasize the importance of combinations of different knowledge sources in innovation processes. Moreover, the literature on firm collaboration has evolved stepwise: (1) knowledge networks tend to be geographically bounded, and (2) proximity in other dimensions than physical distance, such as cognitive and organisational proximity, may influence the evolution and influences of networks. The results from this empirical study support these ideas by indicating that firms’ probability to innovate is enhanced when they collaborate. However, not all types of collaborations are as important. By using data from a survey on innovation and collaboration of 636 firms in the county of Jonkoping, Sweden, we find that extra-regional collaboration matters the most for the innovation performance of these firms. Moreover, collaborations tend to be most favourable for innovation when the collaborators involved has some organisational or cognitive proximity. Collaborations that imply vertical linkages in the value added chain appear to more important than horizontal linkages.
Microwave-acoustic phasoscopy for tissue characterization

In this letter, we present a method named microwave-acoustic phasoscopy (MAPC) by collecting both scattered microwave energy and microwave-induced thermoacoustic wave energy for tissue characterization. Different from conventional amplitude and spectrum analysis, we propose to evaluate the microwave-acoustic phase for tissue characterization. Theoretical analysis and experiment verification are performed to show a good agreement. Four different biological tissues are well differentiated in phase region using the proposed MAPC. This attempt of exploring intrinsic relationship between scattered microwave and induced thermoacoustic signals simultaneously provides phase contrast for tissue characterization, showing significant potential in developing phase-contrast imaging prototype based on MAPC theory.
Fabrication and characterization of graphene-on-silicon schottky diode for advanced power electronic design

In this study, graphene-on-silicon process technology was developed to fabricate a power rectifier Schottky diode for efficiency improvement in high operating temperature. Trench-MOS-Barrier-Schottky (TMBS) diode structure was used to enhance the device performance. The main objective of this research was to study the effect of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) deposited on silicon surface for Schottky barrier formation and heat transfer in Schottky junction. The study showed RGO deposited on silicon as a heat spreader could help to reduce the effect of heat generated in the Schottky junction that leads to a leakage current reduction and efficiency improvement in the device. With comparison to the conventional metal silicide (titanium silicide and cobalt silicide), the leakage reduced by two-orders of magnitude when tested under high operating temperature (>100°C). TMBS rectifier diode that uses graphene-based heat spreader could produce highly reliable product able to withstand high temperature operating condition.
DIFFUSING ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE STRATEGY

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a tool used by organizations to align strategy, business processes, and information technology (IT). Unfortunately, enterprise-level strategy is often not adequately encompassed by EA in such a way that it facilitates strategic IT alignment. Without such strategic orientation, EA may not provide benefits anticipated by firms using EA, such as enhanced levels of interand intra-organizational collaboration, agility, and performance. In this study, we examine organizational-level factors that might contribute to the degree to which EA embodies firm strategy from a diffusion of innovation perspective. Based on extant innovation routinization literature, we propose a model consisting of formal guidance addressing EA, EA training, funding to support EA, and EA strategic orientation. We show that organizations can dramatically enhance the level their EA embodies firm strategy and potentially, their bottom line, by employing formal guidance addressing EA, increasing EA training, and providing resources in support of EA.
Compulsory Education and Teenage Motherhood

Teenage motherhood is widely regarded as an important socio-economic issue. The topic garners frequent government and media attention in the UK, which is reported to have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Western Europe. This paper utilises data from the largest UK household-level survey to investigate the impact of an exogenous increase in mandatory schooling on tempo fertility over the teenage years. The results suggest a non-monotonic impact of the reform over the individual teenage years, and a postponement of fertility, with the eect of the reform dissipating by age 22. The ndings indicate strong evidence that the schooling reform induced both incarceration and beyond incarceration eects on fertility.
Nursing Interns’ Perception Regarding Patients’ Rights and Patients’ Advocacy

The role of patient advocacy is not new for nurses, but an advocate is a “supporter, believer, sponsor, promoter, backer, or talk person. Advocate is someone you trust who is apple to action on your behalf as well as someone who can work well with other members of your health team as your medical staff and nurses. [5][6][3][7] emphasized that advocacy is very important nursing role specifically when nurses involved in actions. Lack of patients and nurses supports leads to improper consequences for both. Also, student nurses need an appropriate chance to experience, express their thoughts, emotions and their moral values.
The Spatial Diffusion of a Knowledge Base—Laser Technology Research in West Germany, 1960-2005

We analyze the spatial diffusion of knowledge in laser technology in West Germany from 1960, when this technology began, until 2005. Laser technology research has been nearly exclusively conducted in regions that are home to a university with a physics or electrical engineering department, an indication of the science-based character of the technology. Early adoption of laser knowledge was especially prevalent in large agglomerations. While we cannot detect knowledge spillovers from adjacent regions, geographic proximity to the center of initial laser research was conducive to early adoption of laser research; however, the effect is small. The earlier a region embarked on this type of research, the higher the level of laser research later, indicating the accumulation of knowledge generated in previous periods. Our results highlight the role of a region's absorptive capacity for commencing and conducting research in a new technological field. In the case of laser technology, it was more the level of existing tacit knowledge than an interregional transfer of tacit knowledge that played an important role.
Sensitivity Analysis of Efficiency Scores: How to Bootstrap in Nonparametric Frontier Models

Efficiency scores of production units are generally measured relative to an estimated pro-duction frontier. Nonparametric estimators (DEA, FDH,Â·Â·Â·) are based on a finite sample of observed production units. The bootstrap is one easy way to analyze the sensitivity of efficiency scores relative to the sampling variations of the estimated frontier. The main point in order to validate the bootstrap is to define a reasonable data-generating process in this complex framework and to propose a reasonable estimator of it. This paper provides a general methodology of bootstrapping in nonparametric frontier models. Some adapted methods are illustrated in analyzing the bootstrap sampling variations of input efficiency measures of electricity plants.
SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN SOILS AND CROPS DUE TO SLUDGE-AMENDMENT:Some preliminary results

The paper gives a preliminary analysis of intensively sampled soil and wheat plant tissue in the field in order to determine spatial properties of some selected heavy metals in a sludge-applied agricultural soil in northern Tunisia. A preliminary geostatistical analysis shows that both soil and plant metal contents have a spatial structure with a range of less than about 10 m. The sludge application has affected mainly Cu contents of both soil and plant tissue.
Effects of soy isoflavone genistein on orthodontic tooth movement in guinea pigs

Background: Osteoblast and osteoclast are the important factor in periodontal tissue remodeling for the orthodontic treatment success. Resorption process takes place in compression area by osteoclast and apposition in the tension area by osteoblast. In general hormone condition and age affect remodeling process. Estrogen has a high contribution in remodelling process and decreased in elderly individual such as menopausal women. Soybean contains isoflavone genistein which has similar structure and activity to estrogen. Many researchers indicate that isoflavone genistein not only has an inhibitor effect in osteoporosis but also has estrogenic and antiestrogenic effect as well. Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the effect of soybean isoflavone genistein administration on osteoblast and osteoclast cells number in orthodontic tooth movement of young and old guinea pigs. Method: The research was quasi-experimental study with post test only with control design. The experimental animals were 24 male guinea pigs that divided into: young guinea pigs (±4 months old) and old guinea pigs (±2.5 years old). Each group was divided into 4 subgroups for receiving the treatment namely; control, orthodontic treatment, genistein treatment and orthodontic+genistein treatment. All of the subjects were sacrificed at day 7 and the specimens were histologically analyzed using tartrate resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP) and hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and observed using microscope that connected to obtilab and an image raster program . Result: U Mann-Whitney statistical analysis showed there were significant differences in osteoblast cell numbers; between orthodontic treatment and orthodontic+genistein treatment in the old guinea pigs (p=0.004); between orthodontic treatment in the young guinea pig and orthodontic+genistein treatment in the old guinea pig (p=0.016); between orthodontics treatment and orthodontic+genistein treatment in the young guinea pigs (p=0.025). U Mann-Whitney statistical analysis showed there were significant differences in osteoclast cell numbers: between the orthodontic treatment in the old guinea pig and orthodontics+genistein treatment in the young guinea pigs (p=0.007); between orthodontic treatment group in the young guinea pigs and orthodontics+genistein treatment in the old guinea pigs; between orthodontic treatment and orthodontic+ genistein treatment in the young guinea pigs (p=0.007). All groups administered by genistein the numbers of osteoblast in the surrounding of the tension sites increased, while in the surrounding of the compression sites had less osteoclasts; even, there were no osteoclasts found in some samples. Conclusion: Soybean isoflavone genistein administration on orthodontic tooth movement increased osteoblast numbers in the tension sides and decreased osteoclast numbers in the compression sides.
NORMALIZED SI CORRECTION FOR HUE-PRESERVING

We examine the issue of color distortion after enhancement in this study and proposed an algorithm named normalized SI correction to correct intensity and saturation components based on their relationship. Unlike previous research, this paper wants to emphasize on a general correction method suitable for different kind of enhancement. We start with a general introduction to the HSV color space. Next, we go deep into the relationship between intensity and saturation. Based on the relationship we conclude, we propose our algorithm in detail and test the algorithm with different kind of images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can correct the color distortion caused by the enhancement without reducing the visual effect and it is especially useful for images with rich colors and local high component values.
Catholic and Muslim Politics in Comparative Perspective

The contemporary global discourse on Islam as a fundamentalist antimodern and undemocratic religion shows striking similarities with the old discourse on Catholicism that predominated in Anglo-Protestant societies, particularly in the United States, from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. The essay draws some comparisons between old Catholic and current Muslim politics at three different levels: (1) at the level of the transnational structures of Catholicism and Islam as world religions; (2) at the level of religious political parties and movements in national politics; and (3) at related issues of immigrant incorporation of Catholics in Anglo-Protestant societies in the past and of Muslims in ”secular-Christian” Western societies today.
Integral sliding mode based finite-time trajectory tracking control of unmanned surface vehicles with input saturations

In this paper, subject to input saturations and unknown disturbances, finite-time trajectory tracking control of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is addressed by integral sliding mode control and homogeneous disturbance observer. A smooth function is employed to adaptively approximate the input saturation nonlinearity, and leaves the approximation residual as bounded uncertainty. The lumped unknown dynamics are exactly estimated in a short time by developing a homogeneous disturbance observer. Theoretical analysis reveals that the entire closed-loop tracking system with input saturations and external disturbances is globally finite-time stable. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach.
An Exploration of Nature of Guidance and Counseling Services in Selected Secondary Schools in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya

The aim of this paper is to examine the nature of Guidance and Counselling services in secondary schools based on a survey conducted in Eldoret Municipality of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study specifically looked into areas that ranged from the issues for which students sought Guidance and Counselling, to whether the units enjoyed administrative support or not. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design. The target population was all secondary schools in the Municipality where a sample was obtained by both random and stratified sampling techniques. A total of 204 secondary school students (103 girls and 101 boys), from nine secondary schools, 41 teachers (14 male and 27 female) and the officer in Charge of Guidance and Counselling in the District constituted the sample. All categories of schools were considered, that is, boarding and day; single sex and co-educational; public and private. The research methodology for the study involved the use of structured questionnaires (open- and closed-ended) to collect the data. The data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical techniques for analysis and interpretation. The study findings revealed that lack of physical and human resources characterized the nature of Guidance and Counselling services in the area. The services delivered, within these units were also varied. Although most schools tried to adhere to the objectives of Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) in their service provision, most teachers including the head teachers were not aware of the MOEST guidelines. It is thus recommended that the MOEST should have a revised Guidance and Counselling curriculum, which should be followed by all schools. More teachers should also be trained in Guidance and Counselling and more than one posted per school.