Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation between Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin and Burn Severity: A Pilot Study

The severity of an initial burn injury is critical for determining the treatment plan and prognosis of burn patients. Here, we measured serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels to determine whether NGAL can be used as a biomarker for severity of burn injuries. A study of the demographic, clinical, and laboratory markers for various organ damage was performed at Bestian Burn Center (n = 10 healthy people, n = 31 patients). NGAL and organ damage marker levels were measured in 31 patients with severe burns within 2 - 3 days following their admission to the intensive care unit. Serum NGAL level of the expired patients was 788.5 (685.0 - 998.0) pg/mL, whereas that of the discharged patients was 421.2 (356.2 - 480.6) pg/mL, showing that the initial serum NGAL level can be used to estimate mortality. We also determined the correlation between serum NGAL level and the currently used severity markers (total body surface area burned and abbreviated burn severity index) and confirmed that serum NGAL level could be used as a severity marker. We also found that serum NGAL level was correlated with damage of organs such as the liver, kidney, heart, and respiratory organs in patients with severe burns.
How do Transformational Leaders Transform Organizations? A Study of the Relationship between Leadership and Entrepreneurship

The aim of this study is to discover the relationship between different leadership styles and alternative entrepreneurial strategies in the not-for-profit public school system. We develop a conceptual framework for understanding various strategies of corporate entrepreneurship. Accordingly, we hypothesize that transformational leadership can promote a "vigorous entrepreneurial strategy" that encourages radical change, whereas monitoring leadership can only promote limited change by means of an incremental "calculated entrepreneurial strategy. " Passive-avoidant leadership restricts organizational entrepreneurship to the boundaries of existing constraints, mainly using a "conservative strategy. " These relationships were tested using a sample of 1,395 teachers working under 140 elementary school principals. The results partially support the expected relationships. It was found that although transformational leadership provides the most accommodating managerial background for radical entrepreneurship, the relationship is complex. We discuss the implications of these findings for both theory and practice.
PRiMMA: Privacy Rights Management for Mobile Applications Funded by the EPSRC (EP/F024037/1)

The age of Ubiquitous Computing is approaching fast: most people in the UK over the age of 8 carry mobile phones [5], which are becoming increasingly sophisticated interactive computing devices. Location-based services are also increasing in popularity and sophistication [6]. There are many tracking and monitoring devices being developed that have a range of potential applications, from supporting mobile learning to remote health monitoring of the elderly and chronically ill. However, do users actually understand how much of their personal information is being shared with others? In a recently released report from the UK Information Commissioner [7], we are warned that the UK in particular is ‘sleepwalking into a surveillance society’, as ordinary members of the public give up vast amounts of personal information with no significant personal or societal advantage gained. In general, there will be a trade off between usefulness of disclosing private information and the risk of it being misused. This project will investigate techniques for protecting the private information typically generated from ubiquitous computing applications from malicious or accidental misuse. Consider the following two mobile learning scenarios:
Volatile flavor components of cooked rice.

Volatile flavor components of cooked rice were studied. Steam distillate of cooked rice was extracted with methylene chloride and the extract was separated into four fractions: acidic, weak acidic, basic and neutral fractions. The neutral fraction was further separated into hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds by column chromatography. All fractions were analyzed by a combination of glass capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.One hundred constituents, including 13 hydrocarbons, 13 alcohols, 16 aldehydes, 14 ketones, 14 acids, eight esters, five phenols, three pyridines, six pyrazines, and eight other compounds, were identified. Of these, 92 were newly identified volatile flavor components of cooked rice.
Relation between oral health and socioeconomic variables among schoolchildren aged 12 in the City of Manaus - AM

Studies have shown that the age of 12 was determined as the age of global monitoring of caries for international comparisons and monitoring of disease trends. The aimed was to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries, fluorosis and periodontal condition and their relation with socioeconomic factors among schoolchildren aged twelve in the city of Manaus, AM. This study with a probabilistic sample of 661 children was conducted, 609 from public and 52 from private schools, in 2008. Dental caries, periodontal condition and dental fluorosis were evaluated. In order to obtain the socioeconomic classification of each child (high, upper middle, middle, lower middle, low and lower low socioeconomic classes), the guardians were given a questionnaire. The mean decayed teeth, missing teeth, and filled teeth (DMFT) found at age twelve was 1.89. It was observed that the presence of dental calculus was the most severe periodontal condition detected in 39.48%. In relation to dental fluorosis, there was a low prevalence in the children examined, i.e., the more pronounced lines of opacity only occasionally merge, forming small white areas. The study showed a significant association of 5% among social class with dental caries and periodontal condition. In schoolchildren of Manaus there are low mean of DMFT and fluorosis, but a high occurrence of gingival bleeding.
The Probability Distribution of Sea Surface Wind Speeds

The statistical structure of sea surface wind speeds is considered, both in terms of the leading-order moments (mean, standard deviation, and skewness) and in terms of the parameters of a best-fit Weibull distribution. An intercomparison is made of the statistical structure of sea surface wind speed data from four different datasets: SeaWinds scatterometer observations, a blend of Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) satellite observations with ECMWF analyses, and two reanalysis products [NCEP–NCAR and 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40)]. It is found that while the details of the statistical structure of sea surface wind speeds differs between the datasets, the leading-order features of the distributions are consistent. In particular, it is found in all datasets that the skewness of the wind speed is a concave upward function of the ratio of the mean wind speed to its standard deviation, such that the skewness is positive where the ratio is relatively small (such as over the extratropical Northern Hemisphere), the skewness is close to zero where the ratio is intermediate (such as the Southern Ocean), and the skewness is negative where the ratio is relatively large (such as the equatorward flank of the subtropical highs). This relationship between moments is also found in buoy observations of sea surface winds. In addition, the seasonal evolution of the probability distribution of sea surface wind speeds is characterized. It is found that the statistical structure on seasonal time scales shares the relationships between moments characteristic of the year-round data. Furthermore, the seasonal data are shown to depart from Weibull behavior in the same fashion as the year-round data, indicating that non-Weibull structure in the year-round data does not arise due to seasonal nonstationarity in the parameters of a strictly Weibull time series.
Engaging Families at the Secondary Level: An Underused Resource for Student Success.

Parent engagement in education has been shown to have positive effects on students’ academic and social/emotional success. However, much of the research has focused on younger students. Less attention has been given to parent engagement at the secondary level, especially with respect to how parents choose to engage and how adolescents perceive this engagement. This article reviews the literature on parent engagement at the secondary level, focusing on its importance to academic achievement, high school completion rates, and social–emotional functioning. Factors influencing parents’ decisions to become engaged are discussed, including parental self-efficacy, role construction, and specific invitations from the child. Parent engagement remains important at the secondary level, though parent behaviors appear to change to match the developmental needs of students. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
On Scalability and Performance of Permissioned Blockchain Systems

Blockchain systems have emerged as the backbone of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Even though considerable research has been made towards Proof of Work based blockchain systems, the scalability of systems based on Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) protocols is still limited. This work aims to suggest BFT consensus protocols for scalable blockchain systems that allow reconfiguration. At the same time the participants of the system are considered rational and incentive mechanisms are adopted in the blockchain ecosystem.
Cycloheximide and its effect on Impatiens Pollen Elongation in Relation to the “ Central Dogma ” of Biology

Impatiens pollen germination and pollen tube elongation are driven by the central-dogma of biology (M. Olaveson, 2005). Cycloheximide is a protein synthesis inhibitor that inhibits the production of certain proteins required for such process, thus the presence of such chemical will likely result in fewer pollen germinations and shorter pollen tubes. The purpose of this laboratory was to test this hypothesis using statistical methods involving t-tests. The data was obtained by comparing Impatiens pollen growth in two cultures, one contained the chemical cycloheximide and the other acting as control with no chemicals. The observation from did agree with the hypothesis and prediction that the presence of cycloheximide will decrease the production of proteins needed for pollen growth thus result in fewer germination, this is further supported by the t-test which succeeded in rejecting the Null hypothesis which stated that cycloheximide has no effects on pollen germination and growth.
The Healthy Migrant Phenomenon1 Katherine Fennelly2 Forthcoming in Walker and Barnett (Editors): Immigrant Medicine: A Comprehensive Reference for the Care of Refugees and Immigrants, Elsevier Press, Philadelphia

A growing body of literature describes what has come to be know as the ‘healthy migrant’ phenomenon—the fact that immigrants to the United States and Western European countries are often healthier than native-born residents in their new countries of residence. Over time many immigrants lose this health advantage for reasons that are not fully understood. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the literature on the health of first generation immigrants and on post-immigration experiences that may lead to tangible stresses that compromise health and well-being. We end with a series of recommendations regarding steps that providers can take to help immigrants maintain their initial health advantages.
6 Parameters Influencing on Sensitivities of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Measured by Shimadzu GCMS-QP 2010 Ultra

S. Pongpiachan1,2,*, P. Hirunyatrakul3, I. Kittikoon3 and C. Khumsup3 1NIDA Center for Research and Development on Disaster Prevention and Management, School of Social and Environmental Development, National Institute of Development, Administration (NIDA), Sereethai Road, Klong-Chan, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 2SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEECAS), Xi’an, 3Bara Scientific Co., Ltd., Bangkok, 1,3Thailand 2China
The Effects of Oocyte Exposure to Bisphenol A On Early Bovine Embryo Development

THE EFFECTS OF OOCYTE EXPOSURE TO BISPHENOL A ON EARLY BOVINE EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT Nina Kahlon Co-advisors: University of Guelph, 2016 Dr. Neil MacLusky & Dr. Laura Favetta Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical that can have detrimental effects on oocytes and subsequent embryo development. BPA is one of the highest volume chemicals produced worldwide and can be found in a wide range of everyday products including plastic containers and cans. In this study, bovine oocytes were matured in vitro under various treatment conditions namely no-treatment control, vehicle (1% ethanol), 0.005 mg/mL, 0.05 mg/mL, and 0.5 mg/mL BPA. Cleavage and blastocyst rates decreased in the BPA treated groups. The expression levels of specific survival, stress and epigenetic markers were assessed. HSP70 mRNA and protein expression levels remained unchanged in the oocyte and blastocyst. There was a significant decrease in DNMT1 protein expression at the oocyte level, however a significant increase was seen in the mRNA expression in the blastocysts. BPA exposure during oocyte maturation in vitro can therefore decrease developmental parameters and affect DNA methylation.
Effects of genetic polymorphisms on egg production in indigenous Noi chicken.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic potential of candidate genes involved in egg yield of Noi chicken, a popular backyard chicken breed in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam with limited egg production. A total of 130 hens were individually stalled for daily egg record in 20 weeks. Feather samples were collected for DNA extraction and genotyping was carried out using PCR-RFLP method. Five genes, namely DRD2 (Dopamine receptor 2), IGF-I (Insulin-like growth factor I), NPY (Neuropeptide Y), VIP (Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) and VIPR-1 (Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 1) were used in the present work. It was shown that allele frequencies of DRD2/BseGI, VIP/VspI and VIPR-1/HhaI polymorphisms were of great discrepancy in Noi chicken population and there were significant associations between genotypes and egg numbers (P<0.05). Furthermore, chickens carrying DD (NPY/DraI), CC (VIPR-1/TaqI) and CC (VIPR-1/HhaI) genotypes had highest egg production with 50.9, 49.8 and 50.4 eggs/hen/20 laying weeks, respectively. These results provide an alternative for breeding selection of Noi chicken towards improving egg production. Nguyen Trong Ngu 1,* , Nguyen Hong Xuan 2 , Chau Thanh Vu 1 , Nguyen Trong An 3 , Tran Nhan Dung 4
A Computational NMR Study for Chemisorption of Oxygen-doped on the Surface of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In this study computational Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) study and chemisorptions are performed to investigate the electronic structure properties of arm-chair (4, 4) and zig-zag (5, 0) Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). First-principles of Density Function Theory (DFT) have applied in calculations on properties of molecular oxygen-doped (O-doped) SWCNTs. The results show dramatic differences between two types, (5, 0) zigzag and (4, 4) arm chair, of carbon nano-tubes. Structural models are optimized and chemisorption energies are obtained to investigate the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) parameters for Odoped (5, 0) zigzag and (4, 4) armchair single-walled carbon nanotubes based on calculations using DFT. The chemical-shielding (F44) tensors were converted to isotropic chemical-shielding (iso) and anisotropic chemicalshielding ()F) and asymmetric (:j) parameters of O and C atom for the optimized structures. We found that introduction oxygen does significantly change the structure of the SWCNT and thus the bonding mode of the structure is remarkably altered. Comparing the results of the zigzag and armchair models and calculated chemical shielding, electric filed gradient tensors at the sites of carbon reveal that O2 chemisorption has a dramatic effect on the electronic structure of SWCNTs.
Adaptive Autonomy in a Search and Rescue Scenario

Adaptive autonomy plays a major role in the design of multi-robots and multi-agent systems, where the need of collaboration for achieving a common goal is of primary importance. In particular, adaptation becomes necessary to deal with dynamic environments, and scarce available resources. In this paper, a mathematical framework for modelling the agents' willingness to interact and collaborate, and a dynamic adaptation strategy for controlling the agents' behavior, which accounts for factors such as progress toward a goal and available resources for completing a task among others, are proposed. The performance of the proposed strategy is evaluated through a fire rescue scenario, where a team of simulated mobile robots need to extinguish all the detected fires and save the individuals at risk, while having limited resources. The simulations are implemented as a ROS-based multi agent system, and results show that the proposed adaptation strategy provides a more stable performance than a static collaboration policy.
Morphofunctional Characteristics of Erythrocyte Membrane at the Exacerbation of Cytomegalovirus Infection during Pregnancy

Objective: To study the indicators of cellular immunity at the exacerbation of Cytomegalovirus Infection (CMVI) in the third trimester of gestation and to reveal the violations of erythrocyte membrane protein structure on cytomegalovirus contact with erythrocyte membrane receptor – glycophorin at 28-30 weeks of gestation. Methods: Pregnant women who had delivery at 37-38 weeks were included into the prospective case-control study. A total of 205 pregnant women were examined including 105 CMV-seropositive at the exacerbation of CMV-infection at 25-28 weeks of gestation with IgG antibody titer to CMV 1:1600 at the time of the study and 60 CMV-seronegative at the same stage of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 40 pregnant women. The study was conducted at the Obstetric Department of Pathology of Pregnancy and in the Laboratory of Mechanisms of Etiopathogenesis and Recovery Processes of Respiratory System during the period from 2012 to 2016. Protein spectrum content in erythrocyte membrane was determined by means of vertical disk-electrophoresis in gradient polyacrylamide gel (7.5-10%) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.1%) according to U. Laemmli method. Microviscosity of erythrocyte membranes was measured by lateral diffusion of hydrophobic fluorescent probe pyrene on spectrophotometer “Hitachi” (Japan). Erythroсyte membrane density was measured using digital camera Bio Vision Lucenko M.T1*, Andrievskaya I.A1 and Mironenko A.G1 1Far Eastern Scientific Center of Physiology and Pathology of Respiration, Blagoveshchensk, Russian Federation *Corresponding author: MT Lucenko, Far Eastern Scientific Center of Physiology and Pathology of Respiration, Blagoveshchensk, Russian Federation, Email: lucenkomt@mail.ru Published Date: September 30, 2016
Effects of Replacement of Soybean Meal with Rapeseed Meal on Organs Weight , Some Blood Biochemical Parameters and Performance of Broiler Chicks

Experiment was designed to investigate the possibility of using rapeseed meal in the diet of broiler chicks. The rapeseed meal was replaced to soybean meal with the levels of 0 (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent for the periods of starter (1-21 d), grower (21-42 d) and finisher (42-49 d) feeding systems. The rate of body weight gain was lower in the 100% treatment during the starter, grower and total feeding periods, while there was no difference between the control and 25% treatments. The feed conversion ratio of 100% replacement for the starter and grower feeding periods were statistically different (P<0.05) from the control and 25% treatment and between control and 25% treatment no difference was found. At the age of 49 days, the lowest concentration of gamma glutamyltransferase, triiodothyronine hormone and ratio of triiodothyronine to thyroxin in blood serum of chicks were seen in 100% treatment (P<0.05). The size of liver and relative weight of gallbladder increased (P<0.05) with increasing dietary rapeseed meal. The lowest weight of abdominal fat pad, carcass and whole body were seen in 100% treatment (P<0.05) and the highest ratio of carcass to whole weight was seen in 25% treatment which was significantly (P<0.05) different from other treatments. Chemical analysis of the rapeseed meal showed that the amount of the aliphatic glucosinolates were higher than canola meal. It can be concluded that 25% of soybean meal can be replaced with rapeseed meal in the diet of broiler chicks. For higher levels of replacement, further investigations and better quality meals are required.
Toward High Performance Nanocarbon Fibers

High performance carbon fibers (CFs) have been a commercially available since their commercial boom in the 1970s, and are generally produced via carbonization of poly (acrylonitrile) (PAN). More recently, carbon nanomaterials like graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been discovered and have shown excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties due to their sp 2 carbon repeating structure. Graphene and CNTs can both be organized into macroscopic fibers using a number of different techniques, resulting in fibers with promising mechanical performance that can be readily multifunctionalized. In some cases, the two materials have been combined, and the resulting hybrid fibers have been shown to display synergistically enhanced mechanical properties. The incredible intrinsic properties of graphene and CNTs has never been fully realized in their fiber assemblies, so part of the aim of this work is to discover methods to improve upon the performance of nanocarbon based fibers. Carbon nanomaterials can be difficult to work with because of the difficulty in processing them into commercially viable materials, and the challenges associated with scalable production techniques. So, the main goal of this work is to prepare hybrid graphene and CNT based fibers with optimal mechanical performance using simple, cost-effective methods. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First off, I would like to thank my primary advisor, Dr. Shanju Zhang for mentoring me and for always pushing me to excel. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Ray Fernando for introducing me to the Polymers & Coatings program, and Dr. Phillip Costanzo for his continued advisement regarding both research and future opportunities. I want to thank everyone in my group. Particularly, I would like to thank past members Grace Luo, Greg Braggin, and Alix Stevenson for their contributions to this project, and to my training. I would also like to thank current group members Karina Reynolds for preparing all of the precursor materials, and Mackenzie Kirkpatrick for continuing work on this project. In the chemistry department, I want to thank all of the professors and students who assisted me with instrumentation.