Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Osteoconductivity and biodegradability of collagen scaffold coated with nano-β-TCP and fibroblast growth factor 2

Nanoparticle bioceramics have become anticipated for biomedical applications. Highly bioactive and biodegradable scaffoldswould be developed using nanoparticles of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). We prepared collagen scaffolds coated by nano-β-TCP and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and evaluated the effects on new bone augmentation and biodegradation. The collagen sponge was coated with the nano-TCP dispersion and freeze-dried. Scaffold was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, compressive testing and cell seeding. Subsequently, the nano-β-TCP/collagen scaffold, collagen sponge, and each material loaded with FGF2 were implanted on rat cranial bone. As a control, no implantation was performed. Nano-TCP particles were found to be attached to the fibers of the collagen sponge by SEM and TEM observations. Scaffold coated with nano-TCP showed higher compressive strength and cytocompatibility. In histological evaluations at 10 days, inflammatory cells were rarely seen around the residual scaffold, suggesting that the nano-TCPmaterial possesses good tissue compatibility. At 35 days, bone augmentation and scaffold degradation in histological samples receiving nano-β-TCP scaffold were significantly greater than those in the control. By loading of FGF2, advanced bone formation is facilitated, indicating that a combination with FGF2 would be effective for bone tissue engineering.
Air Pollution in the Gulf of Mexico

An integral analysis of Air Pollution in the Gulf of Mexico was made considering pollutants emissions assessment and diagnosis; air pollution monitoring; and modeling of air pollution dispersion. Combustion sources considered in this work were: thermoelectric power plants and open flares; and pollutants considered were sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxides, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), Total suspended particles (TSP) and carbon monoxide (CO). This study made evident a lack of more recent information and a homogenization in emissions factors in order to know the conditions of air pollution in the Gulf of Mexico in a more reliable way.
Health Impact Assessments in Adolescence Girls Studying Intermediate in Andhra Pradesh Corporate Colleges and Government Colleges: A Prospective Study

In the present study a combined survey and interview study was conducted to validate a categorical on 1569 adolescent girls who are at the age group of 15-18 years. This prospective data analysis was done in corporate and government intermediate college in Andhra Pradesh. The data analysis results provided that most of the students are with low levels of Nutrition (vitamin and minerals), decline in Physical and health Changes (irregular and improper menstrual cycle). Most of the students showed depressive symptoms and perceived obesity. Results provide support for certain etiologic theories of obesity, including the affect regulation model. The fact that self-reported, weight-control behaviours identified girls at risk for obesity implies that high-risk youths are not engaging in effective weight-control methods and suggests the need to promote more effective strategies. The frequency rates of these Symptoms in corporate colleges are observed as 95% and 10 % in Government colleges respectively.
Overexpression of aspen sucrose synthase gene promotes growth and development of transgenic Arabidopsis plants

In plants, sucrose synthase (SUS) enzymes catalyze conversion of sucrose into fructose and UDP-glucose in the presence of UDP. To investigate the impact of overexpression of heterologous SUS on the growth and development of Arabidopsis, we transformed Arabidopsis plants with an overexpression vector containing an aspen SUS gene (PtrSUS1). The genomic PCR confirmed the successful integration of PtrSUS1 transgene in the Arabidopsis genome. PtrSUS1 expression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants was confirmed by RT-PCR. The SUS activity was dramatically increased in all transgenic lines examined. The three selected transgenic PtrSUS1 lines exhibited faster growth and flowered about 10 days earlier compared to untransformed controls, and also possessed 133%, 139%, and 143% SUS activity compared to controls. Both fresh weights and dry biomass yields of the whole plants from these three selected transgenic lines were significantly increased to 125% of the controls. Transgenic PtrSUS1 lines also had a higher tolerance to higher concentration of sucrose which was reflective of the increased SUS activity in transgenic versus wild-type plants. The growth differences between wild-type and transgenic plants, either in root and hypocotyl length or in fresh and dry weight of whole plant, became more pronounced on the media containing higher sucrose concentrations. Taken together, these results showed that the early flowering, faster growth and increased tolerance to higher sucrose in transgenic lines were caused by the genome integration and constitutive expression of the aspen PtrSUS1 gene in transgenic Arabidopsis.
Effect of Molybdenum Trioxide Nanoparticles (MoO3 NPs) on Thyroid Hormones in Female Rats

Background: In recent years, nanoparticles have been increasingly used in industries. However, there is a serious lack of information concerning their impact on human health and the environment. This study was investigated the effect of MoO 3 NPs on thyroid hormones in female rats. Methods: In this study, 21 female Wistar rats were selected and divided into three groups of untreated control, sham and treatment group with seven rats in each group. During 28 days the sham group received normal saline and treatment group received 5 mg/kg (MoO 3 NPs) in normal saline. After the final injection, blood samples were collected and serum levels of total thyroxine (T 4 ), triiodothyronine (T 3 ), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured and groups were compared together. Results: The results showed that the serum levels of T 4 decreased significantly in group of 5 mg (MoO 3 NPs) in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). However, there was insignificant difference observed in T 3 levels when compared with the control group (p>0.05). The serum levels of TSH increased significantly in group of 5 mg/kg (MoO 3 NPs) when compared with the both groups of sham and control (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that MoO 3 NPs exposure induces the risk of thyroid dysfunction.
Relationships among service quality, corporate image, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intention for the elderly in high speed rail services

This article reports on a study the evaluated the special needs of Taiwan’s elderly citizens regarding transportation services. The authors note that recent improvements in Taiwan High Speed Rail operations provide excellent services in terms of speed, convenience, environmental concerns and comfort. However, the aging Taiwanese population may not be able to access the high speed rail system without some accommodations. The authors contend that efforts to redesign the traffic system and maintain transportation safety are essential considerations. They conducted a study to evaluate the transportation needs and demands of elderly passengers in Taiwan, particularly regarding the high speed rail transportation service. The study further examined the relationships among service quality, corporate image, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intention. The authors analyzed questionnaire results from a survey distributed to passengers over age 65 (n = 341), during a one-week period in 2009. They determined that passenger satisfaction directly affected travel behaviors, while service quality and corporate image played indirect roles. In addition, service quality plays a significant role as a component of satisfaction. The authors conclude that, based on their study, greater accessibility and security as well as fewer barriers are key directions for the management of Taiwan high speed rail to examine further.
High CO 2 Prolongs Postharvest Life of Strawberry Fruit by Reducing Decay and Cell Wall Degradation

Extending postharvest life of fruit, particularly strawberry, is a challenge due to rapid loss of firmness and freshness during ripening. To overcome this problem, short-term high CO2 treatment has been widely used to maintain firmness and reduce decay. Previous studies of high CO2 treatment have mostly been related to the issue of proper treatment concentration and time. However, the mechanism of the high CO2 treatment to maintain fruit firmness is still unclear. Therefore, the objective is to understand postharvest physiological mechanism by high CO2 in strawberry fruit after harvest. In this study, harvested strawberry fruit was stored at 10C after 3 h of treatment with 30% CO2 or air. The effect on the cell wall and lipid metabolism was examined through pectin analysis and cell wall degradationrelated gene expression. The high CO2 treatment maintained higher pectin content
Phytotoxic effects of Heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Mn and Zn) on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seed Germination and Seedlings growth in Black Cotton Soil of Nanded, India

To assess the phytotoxicity of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) to wheat, experiments were carried out in Black Cotton soil (of Nanded city, India) fed with different aqueous concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg/L) of aforementioned metal ions over the period of eight consecutive days. The phytotoxic effects on seed germination, root, shoot, seedling growth, seedling vigor index, tolerance indices of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were studied. All results, when compared to control, show heavy metals adversely affecting the normal growth of plants by reducing seed germination and decreasing root and shoot length. The toxic effects of selected heavy metals to seed germination can be arranged in the rank order of inhibition as: Zn>Cd>Mn>Cr. The toxicity of all heavy metals to young seedlings was found similar to seeds and their effects on seedlings increase with their increased concentrations in the aqueous medium or soil ecosystem. The present results thus exemplify a model system to screen for various concentrations of heavy metals for their phytotoxic effects and also screen for the seeds able to counteract the deleterious effects of such heavy metals in various types of irrigation waters and agricultural soils.
How to write a great paper in agricultural development and get it published

Research in agriculture, agricultural economics and rural development is essential if we are to find ways to feed the increasing population and reduce poverty. Yet much of this research goes unpublished. This paper proposes an effective way to increase publication productivity, based on regularly scheduled writing and a systematic method. It first explains how to schedule 25% of your working time for writing. It then describes the method, breaking down the writing task into five practical steps: develop a story line to describe new and important research; mold the story into a short outline, according to the basic structure of a scientific paper; assemble the evidence for a convincing case in relevant and well-organized tables and figures; write the first draft of the story; and, finally, rewrite and edit the draft for style and language. With careful targeting of good journals, and some luck in the reviewing process, the proposed method should lead to several publications each year.
Feasibility of Linking Molecular Genetic Markers to Real-World Social Network Size Tracked on Smartphones

The study of individual differences in human social behavior has a long tradition in (personality) psychology focusing on traits such as extraversion linked to vividness and assertiveness. The study of molecular genetic underpinnings of individual differences in social behavior produced many genetic association studies with only few genetic variants, robustly associated with individual differences in personality. One possible reason for non-replication of findings might be the different inventories used to assess human social traits. Moreover, self-report methods to assess personality and social behavior might be problematic due to their susceptibility to different biases such as social desirability or poor abilities in self-reflection. We stress the importance of including recorded behavior to understand the molecular genetic basis of individual differences in personality and linked social traits. We present preliminary data linking oxytocin genetics to individual differences in social network size derived from smartphones. Here, the genetic variation rs2268498, located in the adjacent area of the promoter of the gene coding for the oxytocin receptor (OXTR), was linked to the number of active contacts and incoming calls, tracked on the smartphone for 12 days (note that these results became a bit weaker when age was controlled for). Although the present empirical findings should only be seen as a proof of concept study, this work demonstrates the feasibility to combine molecular genetic variables with real world behavior. If this approach keeps its promises, the field of personality research might experience a boost in psychometric quality in the near future.
Investigation of Salinity Effect on Compressive Strength of Reinforced Concrete

This study adopt laboratory controlled experiment approach, in order to induce the worst scenario of concrete mix and determine the consequent effect on reinforced concrete element; a mix ratio of 1:3:6 was adopted for the experiment. Reinforced concrete elements were cast using both lagoon and ocean water while fresh water was used as a control experiment. These samples were buried at a depth of 1.5m below the ocean and lagoon bed soil characteristics and observed for a period of 150 days. Both the ocean and the lagoon samples increases in compressive strength from 10.65N/mm2 and 10.57N/mm2 on 7th day to 17.05N/mm2 and 18.04N/mm2 on the 21st day respectively as against the 14.20N/mm2 on 7th day to 17.05N/mm2 and 18.04N/mm2 fresh water sample. On 14th day fresh water sample has 17.48N/mm2 as against 12.10N/mm2 and 12.55N/mm2 recorded for both ocean and lagoon water samples. The findings revealed that concrete sample cast and cured with fresh water gained appreciable compressive strength over 150 days period while sample cast and cured with ocean and lagoon water slowly increase in strength but lower when compared with fresh water reinforced concrete element. Therefore the study recommended that a rich mix other than 1:3:6 and 1:3:5 be strictly enforced on construction sites for concrete under saline attack, increase concrete cover be used for protection against corrosion, and that non destructive test be carried out on all formworks under vertical loads like slabs and beams before they are stripped.
On the Autocorrelation Properties of Long‐Memory GARCH Processes

Abstract. This paper derives the autocorrelation function of the squared values of long‐memory GARCH processes. Such processes are of much interest as they can produce the long‐memory conditional heteroskedasticity that many high‐frequency financial time series exhibit. An empirical application illustrating the practical use of our results is also discussed.
Optimum design of bandpass lters using coupled open- and short-ended resonators

In this paper, an optimum design method is developed for bandpass lters composed of open- and short-ended coupled resonators. The design procedure is based on a matrix representation of the resonator lter conguration for the derivation of its scattering parameters. They are used for the construction of an error function, which depends on the geometrical dimensions of the lter. Its minimization leads to the optimum design of the lter. The implementation of the proposed method, full-wave simulation software results, fabrication, and measurement data indicate that the proposed method obtains an eective performance with this lter structure, such as the broad band width for the passband lter, suppression of higher harmonics, low insertion loss in the passband, deep attenuation in the stopbands, and sharp transition bands. The proposed design procedure also incorporates impedance matching between dierent arbitrarily specied input and output impedances.
An Extended Macro-Finance Model with Financial Factors

Abstract This paper extends the benchmark macro-finance (MF) model by introducing, next to the standard macroeconomic factors, additional liquidity-related and return-forecasting factors. Liquidity factors are obtained from a decomposition of the money market spread, while the return-forecasting (risk premium) factor is extracted by imposing a single-factor structure on the 1-period expected excess holding return. The model is estimated on U.S. data using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. Two findings stand out. First, the model significantly outperforms most structural and nonstructural MF yield curve models in terms of the cross-sectional fit of the yield curve. Second, financial shocks have a statistically and economically significant impact on the yield curve.
Current sharing between superconducting film and normal metal

A two-dimensional model is introduced that describes DC current sharing between the superconducting and normal metal layers in a configuration typical of YBCO-coated conductors. The model is used to compare the effectiveness of a surround stabilizer and a more conventional one-sided stabilizer. When the resistance of the interface between the superconductor and the stabilizer is low enough, the surround stabilizer is less effective than the one-sided stabilizer in stabilizing a hairline crack in the superconducting film.
Enhanced high temperature thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped c-axis oriented Ca3Co4O9 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Ca3−xBixCo4O9 (x=0–0.4) thin films were deposited on single-crystal sapphire (0001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural characterizations indicated that these thin films exhibited perfect c-axis orientation and were well crystallized. Surface chemical states analysis confirmed Bi-substitution for Ca in the thin films with x<0.4. For the thin film with x=0.4, excessive Bi were found isolated within the film. Due to their perfect orientation, in-plane electrical properties of these thin films measured from 300 to 740 K were found to be comparable to those of the single crystals. Furthermore, Bi-substitution was noted for the reduced electrical resistivity and enhanced Seebeck coefficient. The above superior properties resulted in a high power factor of 0.81 mW m−1 K−2 at 740 K for thin film Ca2.7Bi0. 3Co4O9, which was about 29% improvement as compared to that of pure Ca3Co4O9 thin film. The results suggested that Bi-doped Ca3Co4O9 thin films could be a promising candidate for thermoelectric app.
Random Cutouts of the d-Dimensional Balls with i.i.d. Centers

Consider the random open balls Bn(ω) with their centers ωn independently and uniformly distributed over the d-dimensional unit cube [0, 1]d and with their radii rn decreasing to zero. In this paper, we show that with probability one Hausdorff dimension of the random cut-out set [0, 1]d − ∞n=1 Bn(ω) is at most d − β(d)c d p and frequently equals d− β(d)cd p when rn = c np for some 0 < c < d √ β(d) and pd = 1. Key–Words: Fractal, Random fractal, Random measure, Random cut-out set
Eenvoudige modellen en Big Data troeven slimme modellen af

Big Data – of het beter allitererende “Grote Gegevens” – is een term die sinds het begin van deze eeuw wordt gebruikt om gegevensverzamelingen aan te duiden die moeilijk verwerkt konden worden met behulp van de software van die tijd, verzamelingen van vele terabytes of petabytes in grootte. Technieken om zulke enorme verzamelingen gegevens te kunnen verwerken en analyseren werden met name ontwikkeld door Google. Het uitgangspunt van Google: Zet heel veel goedkope machines bij elkaar in grote datacentra, en gebruik slimme gereedschappen zodat applicatieontwikkelaars en gegevensanalisten het hele datacentrum kunnen gebruiken voor hun gegevensanalyses. Het datacentrum is de nieuwe computer! De slimme gereedschappen van Google raken veel kernelementen van de Informatica: bestandssystemen (Google File System), nieuwe programmeerparadigma's (MapReduce), nieuwe programmeertalen (bijvoorbeeld Sawzall) en nieuwe aanpakken voor het beheren van gegevens (BigTable), allemaal ontwikkeld om grote gegevensverzamelingen gemakkelijk toegankelijk te maken. Deze technieken zijn inmiddels ook beschikbaar in open source varianten. De bekendste, Hadoop, werd voor een belangrijk deel ontwikkeld bij Googles concurrent Yahoo. Aan de Universiteit Twente worden de technieken sinds 2009 onderwezen in het masterprogramma Computer Science.
Il mercato italiano dei fondi di investimento socialmente responsabili

Dall'analisi del profilo di eticita dei fondi socialmente responsabili emerge lapresenza sia di fondi che limitano i criteri di selezione alla esclusione di impreseoperanti in settori non etici e alla inclusione di aziende che adottano politiche ambientali sostenibili, sia di fondi che applicano criteri di inclusione completi, ovvero che tengono in considerazione la qualita delle relazioni con tutti gli stakeholders. In base a quanto indicato nei prospetti informativi sembrerebbe dunque che sul mercato italiano esistano prodotti in grado di soddisfare le attese espresse dai sottoscrittori di fondi etici di investire il proprio patrimonio in imprese socialmente responsabili. Vi e tuttavia da rilevare che tale analisi si basa su quanto indicato dalle societa di gestione nei prospetti informativi e dunque non tiene conto della effettiva accuratezza con cui tali criteri vengono poi applicati per selezionare le imprese. In altri termini nessun riscontro e possibile sulla qualita dei processi interni e sul modo in cui tali criteri vengono effettivamente applicati.
Stack Overflow Question Retrieval System

In this paper, various approaches were presented to match the most similar question to a user’s query. This is a two-step process, wherein the tags/topics of the questions are identified using k-means clustering and topic modeling respectively. U ser’s query is then matched with the most similar question in the corpus using k-means, topic modeling and ensemble models. Our motivation is to improve the developer’s productivity by presenting the top 10 most relevant questions similar to the users’ query. Our study is focused on answering Python (windows) specific technical programming related questions using the Stack Overflow dataset. The models are built using k-mean classification, topic modelling and ensemble of the two approaches, to find similar questions. These three approaches were chosen because the tags provided by the dataset were too generic to contextualize the question – which may result in irrelevant answer queries for future questions. Recall is the metric used to evaluate the models. Based on the results, we concluded that NMF and ensemble method outperformed k-means, with recall for NMF and Ensemble being 67% and recall for k-means being 50%.
Wish You Were Here: A Psychological Analysis Using Atkinson-Shiffrin Memory Mode

Graham Swift’s last novel Wish You Were Here carries many sad memories that threaten Jack’s present life and changes its direction. Vera’s, the dog’s and Tom’s death, all have their far-reaching effects in Jack’s life. Jack is a man who feels unable to assert himself. The novel is the slow, repetitive unfolding of Jack’s life leading up to this point. It shows the instability of truth and the complexity of memory are tiresome, and may stand in the way of what is crucial. Here Swift applies a node that comfortably portrays memory on the move—a voice that accomplishes in catching the second thoughts and equivocations. The first-person narration tries to either suppress for the reason of clarity or indulges at the cost of clarity. The paper will shed light on the effect of the memories of one’s life depending on the Atkinson-Shiffrin model. The Atkinson-Shiffrin model is a multi-store model that asserts that human memory has three separate components.