Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactive Effects of Remittances and Financial Sector Development on Economic Growth in Nigeria

A well-developed and efficient financial sector together with remittances can serve as a transmission mechanism to ensure well-rounded economic growth because extant literature shows that remittances alone may not be sufficient to promote the desirable level of economic growth. Therefore, this study investigated the interactive effects of remittances and financial sector development on economic growth in Nigeria for the period 1977-2017. The data for this study was obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicator (WDI) Database. The data were analysed using the Instrumental Variable Generalised Method of Moments (IV-GMM) estimator. The findings of this study showed that remittances alone had a negatively significant effect on economic growth at 1% significance level but when interacted with financial sector development, they enhance economic growth as revealed by the positive coefficient of the interactive term which is also significant at 1% level. The study concluded that Nigeria’s economy profits from migrants’ remittances in terms of economic growth through the existence of a developed financial sector. This study recommended among other things that the interaction of remittances and financial sector development should be used as an avenue to encourage more savings from remittances by lowering transaction costs and increasing payment of deposits’ interest on remitted funds. Besides, bank financial institutions should find a better match for these savings (in terms of investment opportunities) in order to neutralise the negative effects of remittances on economic growth caused by recipients’ consumption smoothing drive.
The Correlation between Bulimia Nervosa and Depression in Period of Adolescence

Background: Eating disorders are a group of mental health concerns characterized by disturbance in eating behavior that including: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and other types of disordered eating. In the period of puberty adolescents are becoming increasingly vulnerable to eating disorders. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of possible eating disorder (bulimia nervosa) and depression in the period of puberty . Methods : Participants in this study were 233 8 th -grades Basic General Education Student (Secondary), of whom 128 were boys and 105 girls, with an average mean age of 14 years. The Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) were applied to the entire study population. Also we calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI: a parameter defines as the ratio of human body weight and height. Results: According to the EAT, 73 (32%) students had a EAT score indicating a possible diagnosis of bulimia nervosa. But on the other hand we found that 188 (81%) students had emotional symptoms of depression Correlation results indicated that depressed mood scores positively correlated with bulimia scores. Conclusions: We observed high prevalence of bulimia nervosa and depression in the period of puberty. Key words : adolescents, BMI, bulimia nervosa, depression
Photocatalytic Destruction of Methylene Blue on Ag@TiO2 with Core/Shell Structure

A series of Ag@TiO2 catalysts with core-shell structure were successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method. The samples were prepared by a sol-gel method using silver nitrate, hydrazine, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and titanium tetra-isopropoxide as the starting materials. The catalysts were characterized by ICP-MS, XRD, TEM, HRTEM and XPS. The results indicated that the silver core was in metallic state and the TiO2 shell was in anatase state. The size of Ag nanoparticles in core was about 5 and 10 nm, and the shell size of titanium dioxide was 10 and 20 nm. The core was single crystalline Ag nanoparticle and the shell was made up of many TiO2 nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of Ag@TiO2 was much higher than that of bare TiO2. Large amounts of hydroxyl groups were present on the surface of TiO2. The catalysts which were treated by hydrothermal method had the higher lattice oxide percentage and higher photocatalytic activities. The core-shell structure can prevent Ag from aggregation.
Zinc Trisulphonated Phthalocyanine Used in Photodynamic Therapy of Dysplastic Oral Keratinocytes

Photodynamic therapy is an alternative antitumoral procedure that requires the use of a photosensitiser anda light source emitting radiation with an adequate wavelength, suitable for activating the photosensitiser;the most common photosensitisers are porphyrins and porphyrin-related substances. Phthalocyanines aremacrocyclic chemical compounds structurally related to the porphyrins, as they both feature four linkedpyrrole-like subunits, therefore possessing the potential of acting as good photosensitisers; metallo-substituted sulphonated phthalocyanines are novel chemical compounds that revealed promising resultswhen used in PDT. Activated photosensitisers can lead to the destruction of the tumoral cells through productionof reactive oxygen species and the induction of apoptosis. The present study aims to assess, via proteinmicroarray analysis, the main molecular pathways involved in the apoptosis of dysplastic oral keratinocytesfollowing photodynamic therapy using zinc tri-sulphonated phthalocyanine.Keywords: apoptosis, Zinc-trisulphonated phthalocyanine, photodynamic therapy
Mechanical Interlocking of Adhesive Bonds to CCA-Treated Southern Pine—A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study

New adhesively bonded products made from lumber, veneer, flakes, and fibers that are protected from biological deterioration can play a prominent role in the marketplace if difficulties in bonding preservative-treated wood can be overcome. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that bonds of extraordinary integrity can be developed in southern pine treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative if a durable adhesive penetrates deeply enough to mechanically interlock within the cellular structure of the wood. Scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis by energy dispersive spectrometry were used to explore the interfacing of adhesive with the cellular structure of wood treated with CCA preservative. The surfaces of cell lumens were thoroughly covered with hemispherically shaped deposits consisting of mixtures of chromium, copper, and arsenic. The micrographs support physicochemical theories of bonding of metals to microfibrils in cell walls. The presence of insoluble metallic deposits was so pervasive that most opportunities for molecular forces of attraction to act between normally polar wood and adhesive were physically blocked. Our results nevertheless show that adhesion by mechanical interlocking of a phenolic adhesive deep in the cellular structure of CCA-treated southern pine can produce delamination-resistant bonds even after severe cyclic aging.
The broken promises of social mix: the case of the Cabrini Green/Near North area in Chicago

Public policies of social mixing have been enacted as the reversal of what segregation and concentrated poverty are presumed to have produced: intensified social problems (i.e., “neighborhood effects”). In addition, the pervasive discourses of diversity have provided more support for the idea of social mixing. Studies on planned and unplanned diverse neighborhoods have shown how certain diverse patterns can emerge and endure over time. Yet these studies have failed to explain how such demographic diversity becomes integration. In this article, I draw on a multidimensional perspective of socio-spatial integration to present a qualitative case study of the Cabrini Green/Near North area in Chicago—a neighborhood with a long history of segregation and recent socially engineered diversity. The case shows how contentious this new coexistence has been, and how segregation has been shifting its mechanisms of enforcement from housing to other spheres of life. I conclude with reflections on four dimensions of socio-spatial integration, and on the troubling policy and theoretical implications of the “social mix” paradigm.
Control of Wind Turbine Driven Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator

Nowadays renewable energy sources are playing a major role in power sector where power generation from major conventional ways is impractical. Among these wind power system is a better choice for its own advantages like it requires less land to install wind turbines, the land near it can be used for agriculture and most important it can be used for wide range of power generation. For small scale power generation PMSG is most popular due to its better efficiency. Here the excitation for rotor (field) is provided using a permanent magnet rather than a coil which leads to many advantages but one demerit is that the field flux cannot be controlled. Absence of field coils leads to reduction in copper losses and it can be coupled directly to generator without any gear box as it can be operated with more number of poles. In this work one machine side converter is designed which is used to maximize power taken by the turbine taken from wind at different wind speed which will enhance the efficiency of turbine. This control will be done by adjusting the duty ratio of DC-DC converter which will make the turbine to rotate at its optimum speed according to the variation in wind speed. As the system is needed to be connected to utility grid and the grid voltage and frequency is constant so accordingly we need a grid side control system which will regulate the dc voltage output of converter and will make the grid side voltage constant. For grid connected operation of renewable energy systems the accurate determination of grid phase angle is needed which can be done by using a phase locked loop technique (PLL) and harmonics can be minimized using this control system. A grid voltage oriented vector control scheme is implemented here for the reactive power compensation, harmonic reduction and grid synchronization.
Thioglycol in extender improves the post-thaw quality of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bull spermatozoa.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of thioglycol in extender on post-thaw quality of Nili-Ravi buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bull spermatozoa. Semen from three buffalo bulls was collected at weekly intervals (three replicates; two ejaculates per bull per replicate) and qualifying ejaculates (n=18) were cryopreserved in extenders containing thioglycol at 0.0 or 0.5 or 1.0mM. Sperm motility (%; visually), plasma membrane integrity, (%;supravital hypo-osmotic swelling test), viability (%;dual staining technique using Trypan blue and Giemsa stains) and DNA integrity (%;acridine orange test) was assessed at 0, 2 and 4 hour post-thaw. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and viability of buffalo bull spermatozoa were improved in a dose dependent manner with the supplementation of thioglycol at 0.5 mM and 1.0mM compared control. Sperm DNA integrity was similar (P>0.05) in extenders containing 0.5 mM and 1 mM thioglycol that remained higher (P < 0.05) than the values of DNA integrity in control. It is concluded that 1.0mM thioglycol in extender improved the motility, plasma membrane integrity, viability and DNA integrity of buffalo bull spermatozoa.
The Social Structure of Consecration in Cultural Fields: The Influence of Status and Social Distance in Audience–Candidate Evaluative Processes

Building on sociological research that examines the allocation of rewards in peer evaluations, we argue that the recognition of cultural producers’ work varies with their status and social distance from the audience members who evaluate them. We study the influence of these two mechanisms within the context of the Norwegian advertising industry. Specifically, we looked at how cultural producers’ status and social distance from jury members affect their chances of being honored in “The Silver Tag” – one of the main digital advertising award contests in Norway – during the period 2003–2010. While our findings provide support for status-based rewards allocation, the positive effects of status may be more circumscribed than previously thought. When accounting for the existence of previous connections between audience members and cultural producers, we find that cultural producers are more or less likely to receive an accolade depending on their degree of separation from the audience members. By exposing network-based determinants of consecrating decisions, and suggesting that the positive effects of status may be more circumscribed than previously thought, our findings shed important light on the social foundations of evaluation and, more broadly, the mechanisms of reward allocation in cultural fields.
Binderless Fiberboard Made from Primary and Secondary Pulp and Paper Sludge

Pulp and paper sludge is valuable in fiberboard manufacturing because primary sludge (PS) contains fibers and secondary sludge (SS) has adhesive properties. We evaluated properties of binderless fiberboard made from conventional pulp and paper mill sludge sources using a factorial design in which the factors were SS:PS ratio (1:9, 2:8, and 3:7) and pulping process (thermomechanical [TMP], chemical-thermomechanical [CTMP], and kraft). Sludge was collected, refined, dried, and characterized for chemical composition and fiber length. Internal bond strength of CTMP panels increased 90% and thickness swell of TMP panels improved 92% with increasing SS content from 10-30%. IR Fourier transform and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were conducted to better understand these results. Increased bonding was attributed to presence of proteins and lignin on the sludge fiber surface, which enhanced adhesion during hot pressing, whereas surface contamination decreased bonding efficiency. The TMP formulation at SS:PS ratio 3:7 met the ANSI requirement for basic hardboard. All other formulations were not dimensionally stable enough to meet the standard. The CTMP source resulted in the highest mechanical properties, and thickness swell was similar for the TMP and CTMP pulping processes. The kraft source produced low-integrity and dimensionally unstable panels.
The Effect of Financial Deepening on Economic Growth in Nigeria (1985 -2014)

This research work examines financial deepening and economic growth in Nigeria from 1985 to 2014. It focused on the impact of stock market and bank deepening variables such as money supply, market capitalization, private sector credit and financial savings have on economic growth of Nigeria. Stock market provides the avenue through which long term fund could be raised for investment project. It is reputed to perform critical functions, which promote economic growth and prospects of the economy. The study adopted the supply leading hypothesis. The study used annual time series data for 1985 to 2014 obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin. The ordinary least square (OLS) econometric techniques were employed in which variations in the dependent variable, economic growth, measured by gross domestic product growth rate were regressed on money supply ratio to gross domestic product, private sector credit ratio to gross domestic product, market capitalization ratio to gross domestic product and financial saving ratio to gross domestic product using time series data from 1985 to 2014. The result of the analysis reveals that both bank based and stock market financial deepening proxies has significant and positive effect on economic growth and that the banking sector and stock market in Nigeria has an important role in the process of economic growth. Based on the findings there should be improvement by encouraging more participation in the stock market. Easing restrictions on international capital and entry into stock market to ensure more companies are listed.
Efficient Evaluation of the Field Functions of Soft Objects Using Interval Tree

We present an algorithm to evaluate the field function of a soft object efficiently. Instead of using a global field function that is defined by the sum of all local field functions, we consider only the set of local field functions that affects a point at which we want to evaluate the field function. To find the affecting local field functions efficiently, we exploit a data structure called interval tree based on the bounding volume of the component corresponding to the primitives (skeletons) of a soft object. The bounding volume of each component is generated with respect to the radius of a local field function of the component, threshold value, and the relations between the components and other neighboring components. The proposed scheme of field function evaluation can be used in many applications for soft objects such as modeling and rendering, especially in interactive modeling process.
Computational investigations of cellular functions: Three cases on membrane morphogenesis, organization and assembly of a multi-protein complex, and the molecular origin of muscle elasticity

In this article, three biological inquiries on cellular functions investigated through a combination of theoretical and computational methods are discussed: the morphology of the biological membrane, assembly of a multiprotein complex, and the molecular origin of elasticity in muscle protein. In the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides, light is absorbed by membranebound light-harvesting proteins LH1 and LH2. LH1 directly surrounds the reaction center (RC) and, together with PufX, forms a dimeric (RC-LH1-PufX)2 protein complex known as the photosynthetic core complex. In LH2-deficient Rba. sphaeroides mutants, core complex dimers aggregate into tubular vesicles with a radius of ∼25-55 nm, making core complex dimer one of the few integral membrane proteins known to actively induce membrane curvature. A three-dimensional electron microscopy density map showed that the Rba. sphaeroides core complex dimer exhibits a prominent bend at its dimerizing interface. To investigate the curvature properties of this highly bent protein, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to fit an all-atom structural model of the core complex dimer within the electron microscopy density map. The simulations reveal how the dimer produces a membrane with high local curvature, the curvature matching the size of the tubular vesicles containing only core complex dimers. To understand the molecular basis of the bent geometry of the Rba. sphaeroides core complex dimer, the PufX protein was subject to further investigation. To date, no high resolution structure is available for the entire Rba. sphaeroides core complex dimer. In particular, the location of PufX within the core complex dimer is debated. Placement of PufX has direct implication on the dimerizing mechanism and the self-assembly process of the Rba. sphaeroides core complex dimer. We have constructed and tested via molecular dynamics a model of PufX dimer based on the Glycophorin A (GlyA) dimer. The PufX dimer model was shown to be structurally stable both in its monomeric and dimeric states, and the residues participating in PufX helix-helix interactions in the dimeric state were identified. The dimerized PufX helices display a stable GlyA-like crossing angle, which, during the self-assembly process, possibly results in the highly bent and V-shaped structure of core complex dimer responsible for inducing local membrane curvature in the photosynthetic membrane.
Searching for chemical signatures of brown dwarf formation

Recent studies have shown that close-in brown dwarfs in the mass range 35-55 M$_{\rm Jup}$ are almost depleted as companions to stars, suggesting that objects with masses above and below this gap might have different formation mechanisms. We determine the fundamental stellar parameters, as well as individual abundances for a large sample of stars known to have a substellar companion in the brown dwarf regime. The sample is divided into stars hosting "massive" and "low-mass" brown dwarfs. Following previous works a threshold of 42.5 M$_{\rm Jup}$ was considered. Our results confirm that stars with brown dwarf companions do not follow the well-established gas-giant planet metallicity correlation seen in main-sequence planet hosts. Stars harbouring "massive" brown dwarfs show similar metallicity and abundance distribution as stars without known planets or with low-mass planets. We find a tendency of stars harbouring "less-massive" brown dwarfs of having slightly larger metallicity, [X$_{\rm Fe}$/Fe] values, and abundances of Sc II, Mn I, and Ni I in comparison with the stars having the massive brown dwarfs. The data suggest, as previously reported, that massive and low-mass brown dwarfs might present differences in period and eccentricity. We find evidence of a non-metallicity dependent mechanism for the formation of massive brown dwarfs. Our results agree with a scenario in which massive brown dwarfs are formed as stars. At high-metallicities, the core-accretion mechanism might become efficient in the formation of low-mass brown dwarfs while at lower metallicities low-mass brown dwarfs could form by gravitational instability in turbulent protostellar discs.
Long‐Term Effects of Biosolids on Revegetation of Disturbed Sagebrush Steppe in Northwestern Colorado

A study was conducted to evaluate the long‐term effects of biosolids amendment on restoration of disturbed sagebrush steppe habitat in northwestern Colorado. Twenty‐four years after biosolids amendment, soil fertility and plant community development were studied in replicated plots receiving various biosolids amendments on two different substrates. The two substrates used were a subsoil, determined to have low initial fertility, and a topsoil over retorted shale substrate, determined to have relatively high initial fertility. Results suggest that biosolids amendments have long‐lasting effects on soil fertility and plant community composition, but these effects vary between the two substrates that were utilized. Within the plots established on subsoil, the long‐term effect of biosolids was a reduction in plant species diversity and dominance by perennial grasses. On the topsoil substrate, there was a decrease in perennial grasses and an increase in shrub dominance with increasing biosolids. Results demonstrate the importance of considering initial soil conditions, seed mixture, and biosolids application rate when using biosolids for restoration of disturbed sagebrush steppe habitat. The long‐term effects of the biosolids treatments at this site demonstrate the need to consider restoration treatment effects over longer and more ecologically meaningful time frames.
Analysis of a Compact and Superdirective Metamaterial-Inspired Monopole Antenna

The directivity of a metamaterial-inspired compact (0.145λ0) monopole antenna was investigated. The proposed structure is composed of a split-ring resonator (SRR) parasitic element placed in the vicinity of a monopole antenna. Two configurations denoted by A1 and A2 were considered depending on the position of the slot in the SRR element. By analyzing simulated and measured results, the superdirectivity (7.5 dBi for A1 and 9 dBi for A2) of the structure was discussed. It is found that the monopole-SRR and/or ground plane-SRR coupling effects may be responsible for the superdirectivity of the structure.