Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular insight into cellulose regeneration from a cellulose/ionic liquid mixture: effects of water concentration and temperature

Cellulose regeneration from a cellulose/ionic liquid (IL) mixture is investigated using molecular simulation. The IL considered is 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([BMIM][Ac]). Water is added as an anti-solvent into the cellulose/[BMIM][Ac] mixture to regenerate cellulose. The simulated structural properties demonstrate that cellulose interacts more strongly with the anion [Ac]− than with the cation [BMIM]+. With increasing water concentration, the cellulose–[Ac]− interaction strength diminishes. The addition of water leads to the destruction of the cellulose–[Ac]− hydrogen-bonds (H-bonds), and the subsequent formation of cellulose–cellulose and [Ac]−–water H-bonds. On this basis, a mechanism for cellulose regeneration is proposed. The torsional angle distributions of hydroxymethyl groups in regenerated cellulose chains are substantially different from those in cellulose crystals, implying that the regenerated cellulose is amorphous, as is also observed in the experiment. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on regeneration is investigated. At a higher temperature, the cellulose–cellulose interaction is enhanced and regeneration is increased. On a microscopic level, this simulation study provides a useful insight into the structural and energetic properties in cellulose/[BMIM][Ac]/water mixtures, and reveals that H-bonding is the key factor governing cellulose regeneration.
Voronoi tessellation of packings of spheres: Topological correlation and statistics

Abstract We describe three-dimensional froths obtained by the Voronoi tessellation of monosize packings of spheres at different packing fractions C from C = 0 toC = 0·58. The packings are built numerically. The distribution p(f) of the number f of faces of a cell is well approximated by a Gaussian. The average number m(f) of faces of the neighbours of a f-faceted cell follows the three-dimensional equivalent of the Aboav-Weaire law. The Lewis and the Deschlaws can be generalized to the three-dimensional case to describe the metricproperties of the froths. The distribution of the volumes of the cells is wellfitted by a gamma law at low packing fractions but becomes narrower and more symmetric at higher concentrations.
β-Sitosterol-D-glucopyranoside isolated from Desmostachya bipinnata mediates photoinduced rapid green synthesis of silver nanoparticles

In this work, we report a completely green chemistry approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the compound β-sitosterol-D-glucopyranoside (BS) isolated from the Indian sacred grass Desmostachya bipinnata, using natural sunlight as the initiator. BS synthesizes the AgNPs, in a free radical exchange process involving reactive oxygen species. The possible mechanism of the influence of BS on the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs is also discussed. The optical properties and morphology of the AgNPs were characterized by absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These bio-inspired AgNPs exhibited good catalytic activity during the catalytic degradation of environmentally hazardous organic dyes like methylene blue, methyl red, Congo red and acridine orange, in aqueous media.
Durability of Angiosperm Heartwood: The Importance of Extractives

Analysis of osage orange (Maclura pomifera) heartwood extractives showed that two compounds were present at much higher levels than previously reported, the flavanonol dihydromorin (2.51%) and the stilbene oxyresveratrol (2.65%). All compounds present in osage orange heartwood that were tested had low activity against wood-decaying fungi. The agar plate test showed no synergistic effect, but the soil block test usinh white-rot fungi suggested synergism. The high durability of osage orange heartwood may be due to the large amounts of oxyresveratrol and dihydromorin. High levels of one or two monomeric compounds may also explain the exceptionally good durability of black locust and red mulberry heartwood
Scattering matrix theory of transport in heterostructures

A scattering matrix formalism is developed for the transport of electrons in heterostructures. It is shown how the approach may be used to calculate transport properties in superlattices and non-periodic devices. The formalism is applied, within an empirical pseudopotential model, to the calculation of tunnel junction fluxes through a GaAs/AlAs double barrier structure. When a comparison of the analysis to a conventional one-band effective-mass model is made, significant deviations between the two approaches are found to result.
Neuroimaging in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Purpose of review Neuroimaging research on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues growing in extent and complexity, although it has yet to become clinically meaningful. We review recent MRI research on ADHD, to identify robust findings, current trends and challenges. Recent findings We identified 40 publications between January 2019 and September 2020 reporting or reviewing MRI research on ADHD. Four meta-analyses have presented conflicting results regarding across-study convergence of functional and resting-state functional (fMRI and R-fMRI) studies on ADHD. On the other hand, the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis international consortium has identified statistically robust albeit small differences in structural brain cortical and subcortical indices in children with ADHD versus typically developing controls. Other international consortia are harnessing open-science efforts and multimodal data (imaging, genetics, phenotypic) to shed light on the complex interplay of genetics, environment, and development in the pathophysiology of ADHD. We note growing research in ‘prediction’ science, which applies machine-learning analysis to identify biomarkers of disease based on big data. Summary Neuroimaging in ADHD is still far from informing clinical practice. Current large-scale, multimodal, and open-science initiatives represent promising paths toward untangling the neurobiology of ADHD.
Digital health in stroke medicine: what are the opportunities for stroke patients?

Purpose of review The European Stroke Organisation published a European Stroke Action Plan (SAP-E) for the years 2018–2030. The SAP-E addresses the entire chain of care from primary prevention through to life after stroke. Within this document digital health tools are suggested for their potential to facilitate greater access to stroke care. In this review, we searched for digital health solutions for every domain of the SAP-E. Recent findings Currently available digital health solutions for the cerebrovascular disease have been designed to support professionals and patients in healthcare settings at all stages. Telemedicine in acute settings has notably increased the access to tissue plasminogen activator and thrombectomy whereas in poststroke settings it has improved access to rehabilitation. Moreover, numerous applications aim to monitor vital signs and prescribed treatment adherence. Summary SAP-E with its seven domains covers the whole continuum of stroke care, where digital health solutions have been considered to provide utility at a low cost. These technologies are progressively being used in all phases of stroke care, allowing them to overcome geographical and organizational barriers. The commercially available applications may also be used by patients and their careers in various context to facilitate accessibility to health improvement strategies.
Role of Cu on the electrical properties of CdTe∕CdS solar cells: A cross-sectional conductive atomic force microscopy study

The authors have studied the electrical properties of CdTe∕CdS solar cells using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) applied to cross sections of the device. This novel technique uses the sharp tip of an atomic force microscope to contact the sample and apply an electrical potential, allowing the study of device properties with spatial resolution second to none. The CdTe∕CdS∕SnO2/substrate structures were treated with CdCl2 and etched with bromine/methanol or nitric/phosphoric acid solution. Finally, a Cu-containing back contact was applied to the surface of the device. The C-AFM analysis showed the existence of high-conductivity regions in CdTe close to the film surface, while the regions close to the junction with CdS remain resistive. The width of the conductive area in general varied laterally and, occasionally, reached the junction in some spots, causing microshunts in the devices. By analyzing the fracture of the cross sections, they observed that the conductive areas are concentrated at grai.
Convex Synthesis of Accelerated Gradient Algorithms

We present a convex solution for the design of generalized accelerated gradient algorithms for strongly convex objective functions with Lipschitz continuous gradients. We utilize integral quadratic constraints and the Youla parameterization from robust control theory to formulate a solution of the algorithm design problem as a convex semi-definite program. We establish explicit formulas for the optimal convergence rates and extend the proposed synthesis solution to extremum control problems.
Biomarkers and the Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Preeclampsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To systematically review the performance of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in predicting adverse outcomes in women with preeclampsia. DATA SOURCES We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Emcare databases from 1989 to March 2019 to identify studies correlating sFlt-1, PlGF, and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio with the occurrence of adverse outcomes in women with preeclampsia. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION Two independent reviewers screened 3,194 studies using Covidence. Studies were included if they examined the performance of sFLT-1, PlGF, or the sFLT-1/PlGF ratio in predicting adverse outcomes in women with suspected or confirmed preeclampsia. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS We extracted contingency tables with true-positive, false-positive, true-negative, and false-negative results. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratios, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (area sROC) through a bivariate mixed-effects meta-analysis. Our literature search identified 3,194 articles, of which 33 (n=9,426 patients) were included. There was significant variation in the included studies with regard to the biomarkers and outcomes assessed. As such, few studies (n=4-8) were included in the meta-analysis component with significant heterogeneity between studies (I=33-99). Nonetheless, both PlGF and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio demonstrated area sROC values between 0.68 and 0.87 for the prediction of composite adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, preterm birth and fetal growth restriction. CONCLUSION Placental growth factor and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio show prognostic promise for adverse outcomes in preeclampsia, but study heterogeneity limits their clinical utility. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO, CRD42019136207.
Biomarkers in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article provides an overview of protein biomarkers for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and their potential use in future clinical trials. RECENT FINDINGS The protein biomarkers studied as indices of biological processes involved in the pathogenesis of ARDS may have diagnostic and/or prognostic value. Recently, they also proved useful for identifying ARDS phenotypes and assessing heterogeneity of treatment effect in retrospective analyses of completed clinical trials. SUMMARY This article summarizes the current research on ARDS biomarkers and provides insights into how they should be integrated as prognostic and predictive enrichment tools in future clinical trials.
Decomposition of pinacyanol chloride dye using several manganese oxide catalysts

The decomposition of the cyanine dye, pinacyanol chloride, has been studied using hydrogen peroxide and several mixed valent manganese oxide catalysts in aqueous, alkaline solution at room temperature. These catalysts belong to a class of porous manganese oxides known as octahedral molecular sieves (OMS). The most active catalysts were those of Fe3+-, Cr3+-, and Co2+-doped OMS-2. Rates of reaction were found to be first-order with respect to the dye. The highest reaction rates were observed when no H2O2 was present. Reactions were studied at pH = 6−11, which caused variations in the catalytic activity. The decomposition of the dye was examined using varying amounts of the catalysts, which showed the dye decomposing activity to be proportional to the amount of catalyst. X-ray diffraction studies showed that no changes in the catalyst structure occurred, implying that these reactions are surface controlled.
Management of Small Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

Unruptured intracranial aneurysms measuring <7 mm in diameter have become increasingly prevalent due to advances in diagnostic imaging. The most feared complication is aneurysm rupture leading to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Based on the current literature, the 3 main treatments for an unruptured intracranial aneurysm are conservative management with follow-up imaging, endovascular coiling, or surgical clipping. However, there remains no consensus on the best treatment approach. The natural history of the aneurysm and risk factors for aneurysm rupture must be considered to individualize treatment. Models including population, hypertension, age, size of aneurysm, earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage from a prior aneurysm, site of aneurysm score, Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm Treatment Score, and advanced neuroimaging can assist physicians in assessing the risk of aneurysm rupture. Macrophages and other inflammatory modulators have been elucidated as playing a role in intracranial aneurysm progression and eventual rupture. Further studies need to be conducted to explore the effects of therapeutic drugs targeting inflammatory modulators.
Greenhouse gas emissions from European soils under different land use: effects of soil moisture and temperature

In order to estimate potential greenhouse gas flux rates from soils under different land use and climate, and to particularly assess the influence of soil temperature and soil moisture, we measured fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from intact soil cores obtained from 13 European sites under controlled laboratory conditions. The soils covered the different climates of Europe and included four different land‐use types: croplands, forests, grasslands and wetlands. In a two‐factorial experimental design, the soil cores were incubated under four temperatures (5–20°C) and water contents (20–80% water‐filled pore space). We found a non‐linear increase of N2O, NO and CO2 emissions with increasing temperature. Nitrous oxide emissions were positively correlated with soil moisture, while NO emission and CH4 oxidation rates were negatively correlated with soil moisture. Maximum CO2 emissions occurred at intermediate soil moisture.
Comparison of the Postoperative Outcomes of Posterior Layer Advancement and Modified Iliff Suturing to Correct Involutional Lower Lid Entropion

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract Involutional lower lid entropion is treated surgically with either incision or rotational suturing. The authors have obtained good results with the modified Iliff suture (MIS) procedure. Here, the authors compare the efficacy and postoperative outcomes of MIS and posterior layer advancement. This study included Japanese patients with a normal snap-back test, who underwent primary surgery for correcting involutional lower lid entropion, performed by the same surgeon, from April 2009 to March 2017, and who were followed up for at least 24 months postoperatively. Posterior layer advancement was performed on 50 eyelids of 48 patients (19 men, 29 women; mean age 74.1 ± 8.7 years) and MIS was performed on 50 eyelids of 40 patients (16 men, 24 women; mean age 77.3 ± 7.5 years). The authors compared the postoperative follow-up duration, recurrence rate, and operating time between groups. Postoperative follow-up duration was 34.5 ± 7.4 months in the posterior layer advancement and 32.3 ± 8.1 months in the MIS group (P = 0.180). Recurrence rate was 6% (3 cases) in the posterior layer advancement group and 4% (2 cases) in the MIS group (P > 0.999). Operating time was significantly shorter in the MIS group (5.8 ± 1.1 minutes) than in the posterior layer advancement group (31.6 ± 4.1 minutes, P < 0.001). Modified Iliff suture is less invasive than posterior layer advancement and has similar postoperative outcomes; thus, it is useful for treating involutional lower lid entropion.
Unraveling the Reasons for Efficiency Loss in Perovskite Solar Cells

The effect of the presence of unreacted PbI2 on the perovskite solar cells efficiency is reported. N,N‐Dimethylformamide vapor treatment is introduced to study the influence of complete conversion to a power conversion efficiency of the device. It is discovered that the optimized morphology of the PbI2 under layer is essential to form a dense perovskite layer preventing recombination by direct contact between TiO2 and a hole transporting layer, and to increase the charge collection efficiency. The present findings provide an insight into the morphology and growth mechanism of perovskite layer, the correlation between the device performance, and the film deposition process.
DIELECTRIC RESPONSE MEASUREMENTS AS LIFE ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE FOR INSULATION SYSTEMS

The dielectric behaviour of an insulation system gives some information concerning the change of the insulation system. These changes can be caused by humidity, ageing, chemical reaction etc. and can be evaluated by different measuring procedures like polarisation/depolarisation current measurement (PDC), frequency domain spectroscopy (FDC), recovery voltage measurement (RVM) and loss factor measurement (tan δ) or in general by the change of the mentioned measured parameters.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance of Listed Industrial Goods Companies in Nigeria

Article History Received: 15.10. 2018 Accepted: 24.10. 2018 Published: 30.12. 2018 Abstract: The growing concern for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and the importance of communication between organization and its stakeholders has led firms to become more committed and responsible to shareholders. The concern about how CSR activities positively and negatively affects shareholders perceptions has forced many companies to consider not only their financial performance but also their environmental and social impact on the society . This study, therefore, examines the impact of CSR activities on financial performance of Listed Industrial Goods Companies in Nigeria. The data were collected from the annual reports and accounts of the sampled companies for the period of ten years from 2005 to 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression via the use of STATA version 12.00. A panel data regression technique is employed. It was found that charitable donation, education and skills acquisition expenditure have positive and significant impact on the financial performance of listed industrial goods companies in Nigeria. Thus, the study recommends that industrial goods companies in Nigeria should increase their spending on donation and education and skills acquisition since they have positive impacts on their financial performance.
Effect of Seed Source on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Heinsia

Seed germination and early growth rates of Heinsia crinita from four sources in Nigeria were conducted. Seeds of H. crinita were collected from Benin, Port Harcourt, Umuahia and Calabar and examined for variation in germination performance and early seedling growth attributes. A total of 400 seeds (4 replicate of 100 seeds) per location were sown and germination was monitored every day from the date of sowing for 30 days or until there was no further germination for a few days. Following germination, fifty (50) seedlings at uniform height from each location were selected and transplanted into polythene bags filled with topsoil collected from forest floor. The growth parameters such as root and shoot length, leaf area, leaf production and seedling biomass were assessed at six months after planting. Analysis of variance revealed significant difference (p < 0.05) in germination of seeds from the different sources as well as significant differences (p < 0.05) in all studied growth attributes of the seedlings from the different seed sources after 6 months of growth. Seeds from Calabar gave the highest germination percentage (92%), followed by seeds from Umuahia (86%) while the lowest germination percentage (54%) was recorded for seed from Benin City. Commencement of germination was earliest (8 days after sowing) in Calabar seed source, which was closely followed by seeds from Umuahia that commenced germination 10 days after sowing. Seedlings from Calabar seed source had the highest mean values for all the seedling growth attributes investigated. There was significant difference in the dry weight seedlings from the different seed sources at 0.05 significant level. Seedlings from Calabar seed source produced the largest amount of dry weight (3.34 g plant-1), while seedlings from Benin City seed source had lowest dry weight of 1.67g plant-1. Seed sources with higher longitude tend to perform better in terms of germination and produce seedlings with better growth attributes. The study has shown that the choice of an appropriate seed source is an important process in restoration and domestication of the plant species.
Interpreting the eight-hour national ambient air quality standard for carbon monoxide

There are two principal approaches to the 8-hour carbon monoxide standard: (1) 8-hour moving averages that culminate with every clock hour, and (2) nonoverlapping averages for consecutive 8-hour intervals. Examination of 1972 data for three example sites (Newark, NJ, Camden, NJ, and Spokane, WA) shows that the maximum and the “second high” control values derived from moving averages can be at least 20% higher than corresponding values detected by the consecutive 8-hour intervals. The natural fluctuation in the time of day when the maximum occurs and the variability in episode length make it doubtful that any framework of consecutive 8-hour intervals can adequately portray the essential characteristics of CO exposure. Prudence recommends choice of the moving 8-hour average as more sensitive to actual maximum levels and to short episodes, more faithful to the body’s integrating response to CO exposure, and more equitable in presenting comparisons among stations with differing patterns of daily variation.
Standard equivalent chain length values of monoenic and polyenic (methylene interrupted) fatty acids

The equivalent chain length (ECL) values of the methyl esters of 83 defined fatty acids (FAs) have been determined by gas chromatog-raphy (GC) on three fused silica DB-WAX and three DB-1 columns. ECL values of further 46 FAs were calculated by different methods. Conditions of chromatography, methods of ECL values calculation and differences between ECL values on individual columns and between trans- and cis-isomers of corresponding FAs are also discussed.