Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DeFiniTionS oF TeRMS ReLATinG To ReACTionS oF PoLyMeRS AnD To FunCTionAL PoLyMeRiC MATeRiALS

The document defines the terms most commonly encountered in the field of polymer reactions and functional polymers. The scope has been limited to terms that are specific to polymer systems. The document is organized into three sections. The first defines the terms relating to reactions of polymers. Names of individual chemical reactions are omitted from the document, even in cases where the reactions are important in the field of polymer reactions. The second section defines the terms relating to polymer reactants and reactive polymeric materials. The third section defines the terms describing functional polymeric materials.
Peningkatan Kualitas Tepung Jali (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) melalui Fermentasi Menggunakan Bakteri Amilolitik-Selulolitik dan Bakteri Asam Laktat Terseleksi

Adlay (Coix Lacryma-jobi L.), is a kind of grain plants (cereals) from parts of tropical cereals (Poaceae). Adlay contains starch in a high amount, therefore it has the potential to be used as raw material for making flour. The aim of this study is to produce adlay flour by submerged fermentation of amylolytic-cellulolytic bacteria Bacillus amiloliquifaciens B7 and phytic acid hydrolyze lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum SU-LS537. The turbidity (OD) λ 600 nm, Total Plate Count (TPC), content water, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, whiteness, gluten, phytic acid, vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, calcium, pH, final weight, essential and non-essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and non-essential of submerged fermentation of adlay was determined in this study. The results show that with fermentation there was quite an increase of the nutritional quality compared to without fermentation of the content (ash, protein, and carbohydrates), dietary fiber, calcium, essential amino acids and non-essential, essential fatty acids and nonessential.
External acoustic control of the laminar vortex shedding past a bluff body

This paper deals with the active control of the compressible flow past a bluff-body by means of external acoustic sources. We successfully suppress the transition leading to the von-Karman vortex street. The derived adjoint-based framework allows the determination of the corresponding acoustic sources for generic bluff-body shapes. In particular, we determine the optimal spatial position for the control, i.e. where the acoustic source is most efficient, and the associated temporal signal. For the proposed example, a two-dimensional cylindrical body, the resulting acoustic actuation is anti-symmetric and harmonic. We found that the limits of our control approach are related to the limits of linear acoustics. The methodology and the results proposed in this paper can be used to design a control strategy coupled with a continuation procedure able to obtain the unstable solutions beyond the critical threshold.
Synthesis and Property of Polyurethane Acrylates Modified Graphene Oxide

The graphene oxides were synthesized form graphite by ultrasonic dispersion in water, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF), acetone and dimethylbenzene, and the polyurethane acrylates containing the reactive NCO (PACN) were prepared. Then the polyurethane acrylates modified graphene oxide synthesized by ultrasonic dispersion in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF), acetone were prepared by NCO of PACN reacting with the hydroxyl groups of the graphene oxides. The polyurethane acrylates modified graphene oxide was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectra. The FTIR spectra showed that the NCO of PACN reacted with the hydroxyl groups of graphene oxide synthesized by ultrasonic dispersion. The measurement of SEM and Raman spectra showed that the polyurethane acrylates modification didn't change the structure and surface morphology of graphene oxide.
FUENTES PROTEICAS DE BAJA DEGRADACIÓN RUMINAL Y SU EFECTO EN LA PRODUCCIÓN DE METANO EN BOVINOS DE CARNE

La producción pecuaria ha sido estigmatizada en función de la producción de gases efecto invernadero (GEI), principalmente de gas metano (CH4). Sin embargo, la mayoría de la población desconoce las cifras reales que aporta cada sector económico a la producción de estos gases en el mundo. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) estima que la población mundial llegará a ser de 8,6 billones en 2030 y de 9,8 billones en 2050; consecuentemente habrá necesidad de aumentar la producción de alimentos para el consumo humano y consecuentementeanimal.Dentro de las estrategias de mitigación de producción de CH4, la manipulación de las dietas se concibe como un enfoque simple y práctico, que puede garantizar una mejor productividad, además de ayudar a reducir las emisiones de CH4 hasta en un 40%. Es posible clasificar la proteína de la dieta con respecto al lugar de aprovechamiento por el animal, es decir, puede ser denominada como proteína degradada en el rumen (PDR) o proteína no degradable en el rumen (PNDR). Por otro lado, se conoce que a partir de la fermentación ruminal de carbohidratos y de proteínas ocurre la producción de CH4 entérico por los bovinos, así, el uso de PNDR podría limitar el crecimiento de los microorganismos metanogenicos debido a la baja disponibilidad de grupos H2 y metilo en el rumen para su metabolismo, reduciendo consecuentemente las emisiones de Ch4. El objetivo de esta revisión se basó en exponer los detalles del metabolismo ruminal y resultados de estudios recientes, utilizando fuentes de PNDR para reducción de las emisiones de CH4 en rumiantes.
Enzyme Therapy for Patients with Celiac Disease - An Update

Enzyme therapy as a management tool for patients with celiac disease (CD) or gluten intolerance is gaining acceptance around the world. Gluten has multiple side effects and limitations of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in management of CD are evident and mainly related to the presence of hidden gluten or cross-contamination of meals in restaurants. The present paper discusses enzyme therapy with caricain, namely Gluteguard, in light of various approaches searching for a treatment or an effective management of CD. Regular users of the supplement Gluteguard report a high level of satisfaction with the product. This indicates that enzyme therapy based on caricain has its place as a safeguard when the gluten-free meals are prepared outside the control of the patients.
Comparative Studies on Flotation Performance of Saturated Fatty Acids and Unsaturated Fatty Acids Separated from Hogwash Oil

Low flotation recovery, high pulp temperature, and large dosage of reagents are the typical disadvantages when using mixed fatty acids (MFA) prepared from hogwash oil for flotation directly. To determine the type of fatty acid that yields poor flotation performance, flotation performance and adsorption characteristics of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) separated from the MFA were studied in our work. GC-MS, FT-IR, iodine value detection and melting point measurement showed that UFA contained –(CH=CH–CH2)n- groups and had much lower melting point. Quartz flotation tests were used to compare the flotation performance of UFA and SFA, which showed that UFA had excellent low-temperature floatability, and the flotation recovery of UFA was 35 percentage points higher than that of SFA at 20 °C and pH = 11.5. Zeta potential, FT-IR and XPS analysis indicated that UFA and SFA could adsorb onto the surface of activated quartz through chemisorption and hydrogen bonding. However, the adsorption of UFA was much stronger and more favorable; thus, the reason MFA have poor flotation performance was the presence of SFA.
Lemon Balm and Dandelion Leaf Extracts Synergistically Protect against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice

Lemon balm and dandelion are commonly used medicinal herbs exhibiting numerous pharmacological activities that are beneficial for human health. In this study, we explored the protective effects of a 2:1 (w/w) mixture of lemon balm and dandelion extracts (MLD) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury in mice. CCl4 (0.5 mL/kg; i.p.) injection inhibited body weight gain and increased relative liver weight. Pre-administration of MLD (50–200 mg/kg) for 7 days prevented these CCl4-mediated changes. In addition, histopathological analysis revealed that MLD synergistically alleviated CCl4-mediated hepatocyte degeneration and infiltration of inflammatory cells. MLD decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transferase activities and reduced the number of liver cells that stained positive for cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, suggesting that MLD protects against CCl4-induced hepatic damage via the inhibition of apoptosis. Moreover, MLD attenuated CCl4-mediated lipid peroxidation and protein nitrosylation by restoring impaired hepatic nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 mRNA levels and its dependent antioxidant activities. Furthermore, MLD synergistically decreased mRNA and protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in the liver. Together, these results suggest that MLD has potential for preventing acute liver injury by inhibiting apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
Enablers of Augmented Reality in the Food Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

ABSTRACT The food industry represents one of the most critically important sectors of the economy. Food is a basic necessity for human life and requires specialized handling, preparation, and logistics to be safe for human consumption. Moreover, food supply chains have become more globalized, fragmented, and complex. Food industry stakeholders are forced to reconsider conventional ways of managing food chains and coping with the latest technology innovation trends. As technology unlocks several opportunities in supply chains, food businesses have a vested interest in exploring Augmented Reality (AR). AR denotes the technology of overlaying virtual objects upon the real-world environment. Despite being a well-established technology, AR possibilities in the food supply chain remain an unexplored research area. Therefore, to fill this knowledge gap and capture the latest developments in this field, we conducted a systematic literature review. Fifty-one (51) publications were thoroughly analyzed to identify the enablers of AR in the food industry. Findings revealed five main areas where AR potentially offers substantial business value. These include food process efficiencies, food decision-making, food marketing, food training, and food safety. Finally, research contributions, trajectories and limitations were highlighted.
REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF HATCHERY-BRED, WILD-CAUGHT BROODSTOCK, AND THEIR OUTBREED OF THE AFRICAN CATFISH Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

This study was conducted to evaluate the reproductive performance of hatchery-bred and wild-caught broodstock of Clarias gariepinus. Thirty pairs of each hatchery-bred and wild-caught broodstock (15 females and 15 males) was used for the study. Induced breeding was carried out in four groups with three replications at a ratio of 1:1 by hypophysation method. Group A: hatchery-bred male and hatchery-bred female (HBM m + HBF f); B: wild-caught male and wild-caught female (WCM m + WCF f), C: hatchery-bred female and wild-caught male (HBF f+ WCM m) and D: wild-caught female and hatchery-bred male C. gariepinus (WCF f + HBM m). Results showed that egg diameter, sperm motility, sperm density, and male GSI were not significantly different (P>0.05) whereas ovary weight, sperm volume, fecundity, female GSI, and percentage fertilization were significantly higher (P<0.05) in hatchery-bred broodstock than wild-caught broodstock. Hatchability was significantly higher (P<0.05) in Group C and D than A and B. In conclusion, a better reproductive performance in C. gariepinus with an economic advantage could be recorded through the combination of wild-caught and hatchery-bred broodstock.
Exurbia East and West: Responses of Bird Communities to Low Density Residential Development in Two North American Regions

Exurban development is a prevalent cause of habitat loss and alteration throughout the globe and is a common land-use pattern in areas of high natural amenity value. We investigated the response of bird communities to exurban development in two contrasting North American regions, the Adirondack Park (New York) in the eastern US, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Montana) in the Rocky Mountain West. We combined social and ecological data collection methods to compare the effects of exurban development on avian communities between the two landscapes, and, in exurban residential areas within them, to compare the relative roles of habitat structure, resource provisioning, and human disturbance in influencing avian habitat use. Contrasting with an earlier pilot study, we found differential effects of exurban development in the two regions, with birds generally more responsive in the Adirondack Park. Characteristics of habitat context and structure had larger influences on bird habitat use than human-associated resource provisioning or disturbance in both landscapes. The smaller magnitude and high variability in the responses of birds to landowner stewardship and/or disturbance suggest that broader geographical factors are highly important and that careful siting of developments on the landscape may be more successful at protecting wildlife communities than attempts to influence the behaviors of their inhabitants once built.
Phytoplankton Communities of Temporary Ponds Under Different Climate Scenarios: Experiments on Vernal Pool Microcosms

Temporary water bodies, especially vernal pools, are the most sensitive to climate change, yet the least studied aquatic environments. Their functioning largely depends on the phytoplankton communities structure. This study aimed to determine how temperature and photoperiod length (simulating inundation in different parts of the year under six climate scenarios) affect the succession and the structure of phytoplankton communities soon after inundation. For longer photoperiods and at lower temperatures in vernal pool microcosms (simulating a cold spring after a warm snowless winter), the phytoplankton community evolved into chlorophytes and cryptophytes. At short photoperiod (inudation in winter, followed by freezing of the water surface) the communities evolved into the euglenoids. Medium temperatures and long photoperiods (late inundation during cool spring) promoted the development of chlorophytes, with high total phytoplankton abundance as well as species richness and diversity. The lack of cyanobacteria dominance, suggests that they will not be the leading group in vernal pools in the temperate zone with progressive global warming. Our study shows that climate change will result in the seasonal shifts of the species abundance or even in their disappearance, and finally in strong changes in the biodiversity and food web of aquatic ecosystems in the future.
DNA Markers and Molecular Breeding in Pear and Other Rosaceae Fruit Trees

Pear ( Pyrus spp.) is one of the most important edible fruits belonging to the family Rosaceae. DNA markers, molecular genetics and genomics, and molecular breeding of pear have greatly progressed over the last few decades. The development of reliable DNA markers, such as simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms, has allowed DNA profiling of pear accessions, assessment of the genetic diversity within pear species, and analyses of phylogenetic relationships among pear species. Reference genetic linkage maps and genome-wide molecular markers have enabled practical marker-assisted selection for resistance to black spot and/or pear scab diseases, self-compatibility, harvest time, and fruit skin color in Japanese pear breeding programs. Molecular breeding has been shown to more than triple the selection efficiency of practical breeding compared with conventional breeding. Furthermore, breeding programs using two novel genomics-based approaches—genome-wide association studies and genomic selection—focusing on fruit quality and texture, and quantitative traits for breeding, are in progress. Co-linearity and functional synteny have been identified between pear and apple ( Malus × domestica Borkh), and have been used to efficiently predict the function of a gene of interest and develop selection markers in related species.
A Corpus based analysis of the application of “concluding transition signals” in academic texts

Abstract This corpus-based study aimed at investigating Concluding Transition Signals’ (CTS) frequency, functions, and grammatical formula within the academic texts. Accordingly, nine CTSs were taken based on thetaxonomy described in the introduction section. Then, 400 different samples of CTSs were selected and analyzed within the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) both qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings revealed that the frequency of concluding terms were varied based on both the nature of the CTSs and the genre in which they were employed. The first three most widely used CTSs were “thus,” “finally” and “in short” with a high frequency of occurrence in “Geography” and “Social Sciences” genres. Moreover, the analysis indicated that these nine terms can have diverse textual functions from which “summarizing of the paper’s main points,” “suggesting the results or consequences” and “evoking a vivid image of the discussion” were the most prevailing ones. Furthermore, the results implied that CTSs were mostly used in the initial position of the main clause rather than within the subordinate clauses. Comparing to subordinate or relative clauses coming after the concluding terms, main clauses are also preferred to be used by the authors. The study includes some extracts from the academic texts and provides implications regarding the academic writing instructions.
Effects of matrine and oxymatrine on the proliferation and the apoptosis of A549 cells

Objective To observe the effects of matrine and oxymatrine on the proliferation and the apoptosis of A549 cells. Methods The morphological changes of A549 cells after treatment with different concentrations of matrine and oxymatrine were observed. The proliferative ability, the DNA breakage, and the apoptosis of A549 cells were detected by MTT method, in situ TUNEL method, and flow cytometry, respectively. Results The proliferation of A549 cells was remarkably inhibited by 0.5 g/L matrine. Strong positive DNA breakage was detected by TUNEL and the apoptotic peak was detected by flow cytometry in A549 cells after treatment with 1.0 g/L matrine. Nevertheless, oxymatrine at the same concentrations had no obvious inhibitory effect on the proliferation of A549 cells. When the concentration of oxymatrine was increased as high as 10 times, the proliferation of A549 cell was inhibited, and weakly positive DNA breakage was detected, but the apoptotic peak was not detected. Conclusion Matrine can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of A549 cells at some concentration, but oxymatrine at the same concentration has no inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation, and can not induce the cell apoptosis even at the concentration as 10 times as that of matrine.
Hardening effect in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Ecologically sustainable development of piezoelectric ceramics has been the primary target of the community over the past 20 years. While the development of “soft” lead-free piezoelectric ceramics has been of high maturity, the understanding of “hard” lead-free piezoelectric ceramics is still far from satisfactory, leading to a limited chance for high-power applications. The review starts with an introduction of loss mechanisms and the hardening effect in piezoelectric ceramics, including three different models mainly developed based on the lead zirconate titanate system. Then, studies on the hardening behavior of BaTiO3-based, (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-based, and (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics are summarized with emphasis on the approaches to enhance mechanical quality factor. Meanwhile, three different characterization methods of high-power performances are introduced: the constant-voltage method, constant-current method, and transient (or burst) method. Finally, the state-of-the-art lead-free ultrasonic transducer applications are highlighted. This paper concludes with the remaining challenges for the development of “hard” lead-free piezoelectric ceramics for high-power piezoelectric applications.
Effect of polarity‐reversal voltage on charge accumulation and carrier mobility in silicone rubber/silicon carbide composites

Polarity-reversal voltage in high-voltage direct current transmission system would cause serious electric ﬁeld distortion, accelerating charge injection. The effect of polarity reversal on charge transport characteristics in silicone rubber (SiR)/silicon carbide (SiC) composites with nonlinear conductivity at different temperatures is studied. The charge transport characteristics of silicone rubber/silicon carbide composites under unipolarity voltage and polarity-reversal voltage at 30 ◦ C, 70 ◦ C and 90 ◦ C are obtained by the isothermal surface potential decay method, and the carrier mobility and trap characteristics of the composites are further calculated. Studies have shown that a large amount of hetero-charge remains in silicone rubber materials under polarity-reversal voltage, which in turn leads to intensive charge neutralisation and severe electric ﬁeld distortion. The silicon carbide doped composites exhibit excellent performance in suppressing the accumulation of residual charges and weakening the charge neutralisation under polarity-reversal voltage. In addition, high temperature enhances the conductivity of silicone rubber/silicon carbide composites and reduces the accumulation of residual charges, which restrains the distortion of the local electric ﬁeld under polarity-reversal voltage. This research shows that the application of non-linear conductivity material is an effective measure to solve the problem of cable insulation under polarity-reversal voltage.
LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY–MASS SPECTROMETRY/MASS SPECTROMETRY METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF LAPATINIB IN RAT PLASMA: APPLICATION TO PHARMACOKINETIC STUDIES IN WISTAR RATS

Objective: The objective of the study was to develop and validate a simple, accurate, and sensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)/MS method for the determination of lapatinib a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor in rat plasma using gefitinib as internal standard. Methods: An Inertsil ODS column (50 mm×4.6 mm×5 μm) was used for separation with isocratic elution of 10 mM ammonium formate-acetonitrile (5:95 v/v). Analyte and internal standard were extracted from 50 μl of plasma using tertiary butyl methyl ether followed by subsequent reconstitution in a mixture of water-acetonitrile. Results: The extraction recoveries were 95% and 98% for lapatinib and gefitinib, respectively. The lower limit of quantification was 5 ng/ml with a precision of 6.2% and accuracy of 108%. The response was found to be linear over the range of 5–1000 ng/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The intraday and interday precision expressed as relative standard deviation was <15%. Conclusion: This validated method was applied to the pharmacokinetic study in Wistar rats. The proposed bioanalytical LC–MS/MS method for lapatinib is a simple, sensitive, and accurate to quantify the concentrations in rat plasma.
Branchial Chamber and Gastrointestinal Tracts Parasites of Fish Species in Rivers Niger and Benue at Lokoja, North Central, Nigeria

Agatha Eleojo Onoja-Abutu Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba Martin Abdubala Okpanachi Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba Clement Ameh Yaro (  yaro.ca@uniuyo.edu.ng ) University of Uyo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9214-6095 Omaima Nasif King Saud University College of Medicine Sulaiman Ali Alharbi King Saud University College of Science Gaber El-Saber Batiha Damanhour University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine