Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction of the potential energy barrier and resistance at wafer-bonded n-GaAs/n-GaAs interfaces by sulfur passivation

Sulfur passivation and subsequent wafer-bonding treatments are demonstrated for III–V semiconductor applications using GaAs–GaAs direct wafer-bonded structures. Two different sulfur passivation processes are addressed. A dry sulfur passivation method that utilizes elemental sulfur vapor activated by ultraviolet light in vacuum is compared with aqueous sulfide and native-oxide-etch treatments. The electrical conductivity across a sulfur-treated 400 - °C-bonded n-GaAs/n-GaAs interface significantly increased with a short anneal (1–2 min) at elevated temperatures (500–600 °C). Interfaces treated with the NH4OH oxide etch, on the other hand, exhibited only mild improvement in accordance with previously published studies in this area. TEM and STEM images revealed similar interfacial microstructure changes with annealing for both sulfur-treated and NH4OH interfaces, whereby some areas have direct semiconductor–semiconductor contact without any interfacial layer. Fitting the observed temperature dependence of ze.
Gel Network Structure of Methylcellulose in Water

Thermal gelation was studied for aqueous gelling solutions of a methylcellulose. An attempt was made to elucidate the gel network structure and the validity of scaling laws. Thermal gelation was observed on heating, and it reverted to the liquid state on cooling. The thermoreversibility was a heating/cooling rate dependent process. For isothermally stabilized samples, 42.5 °C was found to be the critical temperature differentiating the weak gels from the strong gels. Below 42.5 °C, the gel elasticity evolved by following a scaling law with temperature as Ge ∼ [(T − Tc)/Tc]2.93 where Ge is the equilibrium modulus of the gel and Tc is the critical temperature of 42.5 °C. In contrast, no single scaling laws could be found for Ge when the temperature was above 42.5 °C. In the temperature range from 42.5 to 70 °C, it was observed that the elasticity evolution was a linear function of temperature and the mean bridge length between junctions was independent of temperature. On the basis of the experimental result.
International Journal of Instruction

This paper sheds some light on the extent to which the teaching and learning process in the primary school context has met the characteristics of 21st-century learning, and factors affecting it. This case study research garnered the data from 120 elementary school teachers of 40 primary schools, 20 of which were municipal primary schools, while the other half were peripheral. The data, collected through observation and interview, were analyzed using the interactive model and quantitatively descriptively presented. The empirical evidence showed that the process of teaching and learning performed by more than half of the primary school teachers did not feature the 21st century learning. Most of the instruction adopting teacher-centered learning (59,17%), use of conventional methods (59.17%) resulting in less development of students’ high-order thinking (HOT), the absence use of technologies in teaching and learning (100%), and disconfirm of students’ learning development at primary level (53,33%). However, the teachers were found to have some strength in terms of content mastery (95%) who could explicitly and completely deliver the materials in the class. The absence of the digital infrastructure in the schools and lack of pedagogical and technological knowledge and understanding of students’ development remained the challenges in catering to the characteristics of 21st century learning in the classrooms. The implication of this condition is that students in Indonesia lag behind other countries in mastering science and technology.
Theoretical Investigation of Al K-edge X-ray Absorption Spectra of Al, AlN and Al2O3

High-resolution X-ray absorption spectra of Al, AlN and Al 2 O 3 are measured at the Al K-edge, which have revealed a chemical shift in the threshold energy and significant differences in the spectral fine structures amongthe three compounds. In order to interpret the chemical shift and the fine structures of these spectra, first-principles calculations using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the density functional theory are carried out, taking into account the core-hole effect. The resultant theoretical spectra quantitatively reproduce both the chemical shift and the spectral fine structures of the experimental ones. The dependence of the theoretical spectra on the supercell size is also examined.
Stabilization Heights in Lifted Methane-Air Jet Diffusion Flames Diluted with Nitrogen

Abstract Abstract– Measurements of stabilization heights in lifted turbulent methane-air jet diffusion flames are performed in order to test a theory on local quenching of dilfusion flamelets. The global residence time (d/u0 the nozzle diameter, u0, the nozzle exit velocity) is scaled with Zq the instantaneous scalar dissipation rate at quenching. This quantity had been identified before to be charncteristic for the extinction of diffusion flamelets. Values for Zg, are deduced from measurements of laminar diffusion flames in a counter flow geometry. The scaling is performed for constant values of Zq the conserved scalar variable at sioichiometric conditions. Both the fuel and the air stream are diluted to obtain constant values of Zq. Scaling with Zq makes the curves for different residence times collapse into one curve with however, considerable experimental scatter. From this is concluded that Zq, is the essential kinetic parameter describing quenching effects in turbulent diffusion flames.
Telling the Public What to Think About

In 1972, two journalism professors at University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw, published an article in Public Opinion Quarterly that proved to be the genesis of a new research tradition in mass communications . Known as the Chapel Hill study, McCombs and Shaw demonstrated that the mass media could influence audiences in ways only previously speculated . Using a simple but innovative methodology, they first conducted a content analysis of both the press and television newscasts in order to identify what issues the media were emphasizing during the 1968 presidential election, and then surveyed 100 undecided voters in the Chapel Hill area to find out what issues they felt to be the most important . By performing a simple rant:-order correlation, the authors found some stunning results : an almost perfect correlation (as high as .97) between the two sets of issue salience (figure 5.1) . It appeared that issue salience, or what the public considered to be the most important issues of the day, was being shaped by the mass media . McCombs and Shaw labeled this phenomenon "agenda-setting," observing that "the mass media set the agenda for each political campaign, influencing the salience of attitudes toward the political issues" (1972, p . 177) . While the term "agenda-setting" and its branch of research can be traced to the McCombs and Shaw article of 1972, the notion of a media capable of determining what the public deems important
Pesticide application and health hazards: implications for farmers and the environment

This study investigated unsafe work practices, health hazards, and the association between pesticide residues with environmental problems in six communities in the largest vegetable producing province in the Philippines. Tools used were a structured questionnaire encompassing the work exposure assessment of 542 farmers engaged in vegetable production. The majority of the farmers were pyrethroid users, followed by users of organophosphate and then carbamate. The risk factors noted in the study were use of incomplete personal protective equipment, wiping sweat with a piece of residue‐contaminated fabric, re‐entering recently sprayed area, dermal contact with spills from leakage of backpack sprayers, and other spills while mixing pesticides. Organophosphate use was significantly associated with the symptom of skin itchiness (r = 0.74). The study showed that farmers used unsafe work practices and were exposed to health hazards related to pesticide use. Pesticide use should be governed by standards for occupational exposure and environmental health.
Effect of structural uncertainties on seismic performance of moment frame rehabilitated with steel shear wall

In performance-based engineering, conservatism in acceptance criteria at structural performance levels has increased the cost of retrofitting. When simulating structure response in the presence of uncertainties, seismic demand and structural capacity cannot be expressed certainly, though the possible range of these can be predicted. In the seismic rehabilitation of structures, uncertainties have been studied on existing structures and rehabilitation guidelines have been implemented on these uncertainties by reliability index. Adding a secondary system to rehabilitate existing structure may increase uncertainties and may be effective for results of reliability. Therefore, in this study, reliability of rehabilitated a structure with steel shear wall has been discussed with the aim of quantifying uncertainties. Also, the parametric study of reliability index has been performed on probabilistic variables considered for steel shear wall. The selected structure is a three-storey structure of SAC steel moment frame, which was rehabilitated by steel shear wall. For modeling and analyzing the structure, OpenSees software was used. The structure was subject to incremental dynamic analysis before and after of rehabilitation, with probabilistic variables considered for steel shear wall.
Aluminium atom density and temperature in a dc magnetron discharge determined by means of blue diode laser absorption spectroscopy

Diode laser absorption studies of aluminium atoms produced in a direct current (dc) magnetron discharge with argon as well as argon/nitrogen and argon/oxygen mixtures as working gas are reported. The measured Al atom density increases with increasing discharge power. The observed temperature being in the range of 340–420 K rises with increasing power but shows little pressure dependence. A small admixture of oxygen gas leads to a complete disappearance of the absorption signal, a result which is not yet fully understood.
A new approach to the problem of noniterative corrections within the coupled-cluster framework

Noniterative corrections to the coupled-cluster (CC) method with singles and doubles (CCSD) due to triple and higher excitations in the cluster operator are investigated. The derivation is based on the standard procedure for evaluating contributions coming from higher excitation rank cluster operators into the CC equations for singles and doubles. The noniterative nature of the approach leads to a direct modification of the CCSD energy through a posteriori corrections, however, unlike previous derivations, we take into account the coupling between the energy and cluster amplitudes in the CC equations. The coupling is not present in the fully iterative CC schemes due to the linked diagram theorem which makes the cluster amplitude equations energy independent. We show, however, that if the problem of unlinked contributions is re-examined in the context of noniterative approaches, then their complete cancellation does not occur. This leads to a partial restoration of the energy dependence. The energy dependence then gives the cluster amplitudes more flexibility in adjusting to the energy changes within the noniterative approach which is especially important in quasidegenerate situations when the standard energy corrections become large. The resulting modifications introduce disconnected contributions to the energy so size-extensivity is no longer preserved. This approach provides a new hierarchy of CC corrections in which the standard corrections, like CCSD[T] or CCSD(T), appear as a natural first step in the derivation. Some of the corrections can be easily identified as analogous to those recently proposed by Kowalski and Piecuch in the context of the method of moments of CC equations. We also suggest new approximations.
Autopoietic Self-Reproduction of Fatty Acid Vesicles

Conditions are described under which vesicles formed by caprylic acid and oleic acid in water are able to undergo autopoietic self-reproduction-namely an increase of their population number due to a reaction which takes place within the spherical boundary of the vesicles themselves. This is achieved by letting a certain amount of the neat water-insoluble caprylic or oleic anhydride hydrolyze at alkaline pH: the initial increase of the concentration of the released acidcarboxylate is extremely slow (several days to reach the conditions for spontaneous vesicle formation), but afterwards, the presence of vesicles brings about a rapid second phase leading to more and more vesicles being formed in an overall autocatalytic process. The catalytic power of the caprylic acid and oleic acid vesicles toward the hydrolysis of the corresponding anhydride is documented in a set of independent experiments. In these experiments, the hydrolysis was carried out in the presence of vesicles at a pH corresponding approximately to the pK of the acid in the vesicles. The process of autopoietic self-reproduction of caprylic acid and oleic acid vesicles is studied as a function of temperature: by increasing temperature (up to 70 “C), the exponential time progress of vesicle formation tends to become steeper while the long initial slow phase is significantly shortened. The caprylic acid and oleic acid vesicles are characterized by electron microscopy and by determining their internal volume. The question whether and to what extent these vesicles form a classic chemical equilibrium system-in which namely the free surfactant is in equilibrium with the aggregates-is also investigated.
Two simple interface designs for capillary electrophoresis–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry†

The design and implementation of two different interfaces for capillary electrophoresis–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CE–ICP-MS) are described. These interfaces will allow for on-line analysis of CE effluents with ICP-MS detection. One interface is based on a concentric tube nebulizer and the other on a standard cross-flow nebulizer. These systems were investigated in parallel and their performances, under various experimental conditions, were compared. Each interface possesses a unique set of advantages and shortcomings. Recognizing that typical sample flow rates for ICP-MS are of the order of ml min–1 and that the flow rates for CE are a few nl min–1, some difficulties in flow compatibility are encountered. Aspects discussed include interface considerations, flow compatibility and the influence of flow rates on the overall sensitivity. Several guidelines are provided for workers interested in implementing a CE–ICP-MS instrument for elemental speciation. The Cd detection limits in rabbit metallothionein were 2.36 and 0.21 µg ml–1 for the concentric and cross-flow nebulizers, respectively.
Improved Survival Outcome and Access to Cancer Screening from Hemorrhoid in Patients with Rectal Cancer

Background The interventions for hemorrhoid increase access to rectal cancer screening and thus might reduce cancer death. We aimed to examine the impact of hemorrhoid on survival outcomes in rectal cancer. Methods We identified 510 patients with stage I to III rectal cancer from a prospectively collected database. Patients were divided into hemorrhoid and non-hemorrhoid group. The primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Hemorrhoid group had significantly more stage I-II diseases in comparison to nonhemorrhoid group (71.1% vs. 55.9%, P = 0.049). The hemorrhoid group had significantly better DFS and OS compared to nonhemorrhoid group, the hazard ratios (HRs) of which were 0.39 (95% CI 0.17-0.88, P = 0.018) and 0.33 (95% CI 0.12-0.92, P = 0.034), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that hemorrhoid was independently associated with DFS [adjusted HR 0.43 (95% CI 0.17-0.95, P = 0.045)]. A nomogram for predicting DFS outcome was generated based on hemorrhoid history, with a concordance index of 0.71 (95% CI 0.66-0.75, P < 0.001). Conclusions There may exist a screening effect and survival benefit from hemorrhoid in rectal cancer, which supports the significance of rectal cancer screening in lowering its mortality.
Differential Regulation of Drought Responses in Two Phaseolus vulgaris Genotypes

Drought is probably the most harmful stress affecting common bean crops. Domestication, worldwide spread and local farming practices has entailed the development of a wide variety of common bean genotypes with different degrees of resistance to water stress. In this work, physiological and molecular responses to water stress have been compared in two common bean accessions, PHA-0683 and PMB-0220, previously identified as highly and moderately resistant to water stress, respectively. Our hypothesis was that only quantitative differences in the expression patterns of key genes should be found if molecular mechanisms regulating drought resistance are similar in the two accessions. However, results presented here indicate that the resistance to drought in PMB-0220 and PHA-0683 common bean accessions is regulated by different molecular mechanisms. Differential regulation of ABA synthesis and ABA signaling related genes among the two genotypes, and the control of the drought-induced senescence have a relevant contribution to the higher resistance level of PHA-0683 accession. Our results also suggest that expression patterns of key senescence-related transcription factors could be considered in the screening for drought resistance in common bean germplasm collections.
Effect of Massage on the TLR4 Signalling Pathway in Rats with Neuropathic Pain

This study set out to investigate the effect of massage on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling pathway in the dorsal root ganglia of rats that had undergone spinal nerve ligation (SNL), with the hypothesis that massage could be used as an analgesic. Forty female SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: the control group, sham-operated group, model group, sham massage group, and massage group. There were 8 rats in each group. SNL rat models were established in the model group, sham massage group, and massage group. Rats in the sham-operated group underwent surgery to expose the vertebral nerves, but no further procedures were performed. The control group consisted of intact animals. The rats in the massage group underwent massage using a massage simulation machine once a day for 14 d in succession; the hind limbs of the rats in the sham massage group were gently touched with a cloth bag once a day for 14 continuous days. The rats in the control group, the sham-operated group, and the model group did not receive any intervention and were observed for 14 d. Paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) and paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) of rats in each group were detected 1 d before modelling and at 1, 3, 7, and 14 d after modelling. Fourteen days after modelling, the expression levels of TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6, TNF-α, and IL-6 were detected in all rats. The PWTL and PWMT of SNL rats were decreased, while these parameters were elevated after massage. SNL rats showed higher levels of TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6, IL-6, and TNF-α, and massage effectively lowered the expression levels of these molecules. Inhibiting activation of the TLR4 signalling pathway, which can reduce the release of inflammatory factors, may be one mechanism by which massage treats neuropathic pain.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Therapeutic Agents and Novel Carriers for the Delivery of Candidate Genes in Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by a dramatic increase in serum creatinine. Mild AKI may merely be confined to kidney damage and resolve within days; however, severe AKI commonly involves extrarenal organ dysfunction and is associated with high mortality. There is no specific pharmaceutical treatment currently available that can reverse the course of this disease. Notably, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show great promise for the management of AKI by targeting multiple pathophysiological pathways to facilitate tubular epithelial cell repair. It has been well established that the unique characteristics of MSCs make them ideal vectors for gene therapy. Thus, genetic modification has been attempted to achieve improved therapeutic outcomes in the management of AKI by overexpressing trophic cytokines or facilitating MSC delivery to renal tissues. The present article provides a comprehensive review of genetic modification strategies targeted at optimizing the therapeutic potential of MSCs in AKI.
Assessment of Knowledge about First Aid Methods, Diagnosis, and Management of Snakebite among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Palestine

Background Snakebite is a serious and important medical emergency encountered in many parts of the world. The estimated number of victims of venomous snakebites in Palestine is about 100 to 150 annually, with death occurring in 2 to 3 of them. This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge on the diagnosis and management of snakebites among nursing students in Palestine, as well as their attitude towards snakebites. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey that took place at An-Najah National University. Two hundred nursing students were asked to fill a questionnaire that was developed to assess the participants' knowledge and attitude regarding snakebite's diagnosis and management. Different knowledge scores were calculated, and the relationships between students' knowledge and their characteristics were calculated by implementing the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis test. The statistical significance limit of p values was set at 0.05. Results The majority of the participants (57%) were fourth-year students with an average age of 20.7 ± 1. Areas of knowledge and the participants' mean scores on them were as follows: Vipera palaestinae snake, 5.1/13; signs and symptoms, 9.6/16; laboratory investigations, 6.1/10; anti-venom, 4.2/11; and first aid, 6.6/15. The only statistically significant differences in knowledge were between male and female students on Vipera palaestinae (male students scored higher, p value = 0.004) and between different types of residence (village dwellers scored the highest, p value = 0.041). Conclusions We found knowledge gaps in many aspects of snakebite's diagnosis and management among nursing students in Palestine. Based on the results of this study, we suggest integrating more materials on this topic in the curriculum of Palestinian nursing schools, as well as more practical training, which will positively reflect on the care for snakebite victims.