Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping of Terrestrial Radioactivity Levels in Surface Soil. A Case Study of Damaturu L.G.A, Yobe State, Nigeria.

Communication in Physical Sciences 2019, 4(2): 95-102 Authors: Habu Tela Abba, Miftahu Gambo Idris and Jibrin Suleiman Yaro Received 15 November 2019/Accepted 14 December 2019 Preliminary measurement of the natural radioactivity levels due to terrestrial radionuclides in surface soil samples withinDamaturu L.G. A in Yobe state was carried out. To estimate the radioactivity levels of unsampled locations, geostatistical analysis, using IDW interpolation method was used to plot maps for the spatial distribution of the radionuclides for the entire study area using ArcGIS software. Activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were determined in 55 soil samples by gamma spectroscopy. The activity concentrations were calculated to range from 7 to 227 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra, 21 to 463 Bq kg−1 for 232Th and 20 to 1035 Bq kg−1 for 40K. The mean values of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were found to be 37.2, 45.3, and 185 Bq kg−1, respectively. The results obtained are slightly higher than the worldwide average values (except for 40K) recommended by UNSCEAR (2000). The result could be useful in evaluating gamma radiation exposure to the general public living in the area.
Data-driven approaches to reducing the training burden in pattern recognition based myoelectric control

Advancements in EMG pattern recognition have enabled intuitive gesture recognition of upper limb motions for use in human computer interfaces. Whether it be to control a prosthesis, a drone, or a virtual reality environment, all current implementations rely on the acquisition of representative training data from the end-user before use. This requirement has been reported as frustrating for users and a limitation to the broader adoption of EMG-based controllers. Consequently, this thesis aims to address the burden of the training protocol for EMG pattern recognition using datadriven approaches and cross-user models. Two exploratory studies were conducted to assess the impact and degree of inter-subject variability and difference in EMG information content between user groups. Based on observed subject differences, an adaptive domain adversarial neural network (ADANN) was subsequently developed to adapt a previously trained model to a new user using minimal training data. The proposed ADANN cross-subject model significantly outperformed the current state-of-the-art canonical correlation analysis (CCA) cross-subject model for both intact-limb and amputee populations (with 9.4% and 22.4% absolute improvement, respectively). Finally, a generative adversarial network architecture, SinGAN, was adopted as a novel alternative for reducing the amount of EMG data needed for training. SinGAN was able to generate synthetic EMG signals based on a single subject-supplied motion repetition, significantly improving accuracy compared to training with the single motion alone.
Effect of Iron Deficiency on the Increased Blood Divalent Metal Concentrations

The apical divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and the iron exporter ferroportin 1 (FPN1) are responsible for the absorption of iron and other divalent metals (manganese, lead, and cadmium). Thus, an iron-deficient diet can lead to excess absorption of manganese, lead, and cadmium, and high blood concentrations of these metals. Relative to males, females of childbearing age have higher blood concentrations of manganese because of their lower blood concentrations of ferritin. Moreover, relative to premenopausal women, menopausal women have lower blood manganese levels because their higher concentrations of ferritin. There is also a significant increase in the whole blood manganese level throughout pregnancy due to the upregulation of iron absorption at this time. Several previous studies reported a temporal relationship between iron deficiency and increased blood lead concentrations in children. However, this association does not occur in postmenarcheal or postmenopausal women because estrogen promotes bone mineralization and redistributes blood lead into the bone, overshadowing the effect of ferritin on blood lead level. Although blood cadmium concentrations are higher in females of childbearing age because of their lower ferritin concentrations, there is no association of blood cadmium and iron levels in infants and postmenopausal women.
$\Gamma$-graphic delta-matroids and its applications

For an abelian group $\Gamma$, a $\Gamma$-labelled graph is a graph whose vertices are labelled by elements of $\Gamma$. We prove that a certain collection of edge sets of a $\Gamma$-labelled graph forms a delta-matroid, which we call a $\Gamma$-graphic delta-matroid, and provide a polynomial-time algorithm to solve the separation problem, which allows us to apply the symmetric greedy algorithm of Bouchet to find a maximum weight feasible set in such a delta-matroid. We present two algorithmic applications on graphs; Maximum Weight Packing of Trees of Order Not Divisible by $k$ and Maximum Weight $S$-Tree Packing. We also discuss various properties of $\Gamma$-graphic delta-matroids.
A Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Project: Development of an Autonomous Rover For Mars Exploration

professor Mechanical Engineering University Columbia. His research interests are Micro/Nanoscale materials for thermal Transport and Energy Conversion, Mechanical Design, Water Treatment techniques, and Multi-scale simulation. His research National Science Foundation, U.S. Army Research ofﬁce, Ofﬁce of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Geological Survey. His research interests include the application of wireless sensor networks in biomedical and environmental domains and performance analysis of communication systems over fading channels. Abstract Few problems in engineering can be solved with a single tool. According to the Washington Accord [1], skills to solve complex problems in engineering are important to include in the curriculum of engineering education programs. To provide more experiential learning experience, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is modernizing its curricula by offering complex engineering training to its students through curricular and extracurricular activities. The design of autonomous vehicles requires a collaborative effort from nearly all STEM fields and hence provides an excellent opportunity for engineering students of various backgrounds to collaborate on. During the Summer of 2018, a group of students from Electrical, Mechanical, Civil and Computer Science departments at UDC were recruited to work on an interdisciplinary project: design and develop an autonomous rover for Mars exploration. This group of students were supervised by two faculty members from Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. The team explored solving problems of Martian planetary exploration from the perspectives of mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering. In this project, a multidisciplinary group of students were offered a unique opportunity to work closely on a tightly integrated system: an autonomous rover was designed, powered by solar energy, and a custom lithium-ion battery array was used to power a primary electric motor, microcontrollers, a steering motor, a linear actuator and a variety of sensors; to emulate the type of data an interplanetary rover may collect, the vehicle was outfitted with VOC and CO 2 gas, humidity and temperature, and proximity sensors. Proximity sensors were included for safety, to signal the need for automatic braking, as the most critical aspect of an autonomous driving system is to prevent collision. Sensor data was transmitted to an onboard computer via an XBee DigiMesh radio module. Two robotic arms powered by lithium ion batteries, and compatible with an Arduino platform, were installed on each side of the rover and the robotic arms were programmed to maneuver remotely. A customized housing for the proposed sensors, robotic arms, and solar panel were designed using computer-aided design software. as
Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation (ERAD)

The newly synthesized proteins are kept in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) until their maturation is completed. The accurate protein folding is vital for homeostasis, but this process is error-prone since it is chemically complicated. Aberrant folding may result in aggregates having a toxic gain of function or may lead to a loss of protein function; therefore, protein misfolding can lead to several pathologies. The ER protein quality control mechanism monitors the fidelity of protein folding. Those proteins that fail to fold or assemble properly are subjected to degradation via a process known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Besides clearing proteins having folding problems, ERAD is also known to regulate the levels of some physiological proteins including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzymeA reductase (HMGR) catalyzing the rate-limiting step of cholesterol bio-synthesis. ERAD is a complex, multistep process starting with the recognition and targeting of substrates, followed by ubiquitination, retrotranslocation and proteasomal degradation. A large number of ERAD factors functioning in different molecular machineries increases the complexity of mammalian ERAD. ERAD is fundamental for human health and there is increasing evidence linking ERAD with various diseases. Here, the different modules/machineries of the ERAD process together with its tight regulation will be discussed. Multiple interactions of rad23 suggest a mechanism for ubiquitylated substrate delivery
Control of Aflatoxicosis in Poultry Using Probiotics and Polymers

An important approach to prevent aflatoxicosis in poultry is the addition of non-nutritional adsorbents in the diet to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the gastrointestinal tract. These adsorbents are large molecular weight compounds that are able to bind the mycotoxin, forming a stable complex adsorbent-mycotoxin, which can pass through the gastrointestinal tract. In this chapter, we evaluate the use of polymers and probiotics to reduce AFB1 toxic effects in poultry. Our results on the efficacy of polymers and probiotics in sequestering mycotoxins are highly promising, although this field is still in its infancy and further research is needed. Furthermore, in vivo studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of these materials against AFB1 toxic effects, since results in the past have indicated that there is great variabil- ity in the efficacy of adsorbing materials in vivo , even though the compounds may show potential adsorption capacity of the mycotoxin in vitro .
Touch position identification based on a flexible array-less supercapacitive tactile sensor

Flexible tactile sensors with simple structures, minimal peripheral electric connections and straightforward data processing will benefit the human-machine interactions in which the contact information is crucial. However, it is still hard to balance the easy fabrication, full flexibility, large measurement area and minimal electric connection in existed tactile sensing systems. This study introduces an innovative positioning method based on a flexible supercapacitive tactile sensor. A 100 mm×100 mm prototype sensor, which contains two layers of flexible electrodes and a layer of ionic gel membrane in the middle to construct electrostatic double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), is developed to study the underlying physical principles. Following the established method, minimized electric connections are needed to achieve the mm-scale touch position/movement trace identification. Under the touch pressure, the formation of supercapacitors around the touch area leads to re-distribution of electric potential within the sensor. The electrical voltage variation is gauged at four points, and the data are calculated to estimate the touch positions following a two-step protocol. The developed method demonstrates high accuracy of position identification (around 5% in the 100 mm×100 mm flexible sensor), superior anti-disturbance capability (more than ∼104 variation of capacitance) and fast response (∼ms level). At the same time, it has no dependency on complex fabrication, redundant electric circuit or sensing unit arrays. These promising characteristics can benefit various application fields, such as intelligent robotics, biomedical devices and wearable equipment.Flexible tactile sensors with simple structures, minimal peripheral electric connections and straightforward data processing will benefit the human-machine interactions in which the contact information is crucial. However, it is still hard to balance the easy fabrication, full flexibility, large measurement area and minimal electric connection in existed tactile sensing systems. This study introduces an innovative positioning method based on a flexible supercapacitive tactile sensor. A 100 mm×100 mm prototype sensor, which contains two layers of flexible electrodes and a layer of ionic gel membrane in the middle to construct electrostatic double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), is developed to study the underlying physical principles. Following the established method, minimized electric connections are needed to achieve the mm-scale touch position/movement trace identification. Under the touch pressure, the formation of supercapacitors around the touch area leads to re-distribution of electric potential within t.
Ayudan las evaluaciones aplicadas en el aula a mejorar el aprendizaje

La evaluación es una actividad con diversas funciones, se aplica a una variedad de acciones y objetos sociales, incluyendo a la actividad educativa y, por supuesto, a la enseñanza y al aprendizaje en particular. La idea de que es posible mejorar este último por medio de la evaluación, es decir, utilizándola formativamente, surgió al final de la década de 1960 (Scriven, 1967). 1 Desde entonces, los sistemas educativos que atienden a alumnos de todos los niveles han adoptado esa perspectiva, junto con otras finalidades que previamente se le habían atribuido, como la de clasificar estudiantes según sus necesidades de aprendizaje y verificar el cumplimiento de los objetivos de los programas educativos (Thorndike, 1913; Tyler 1952; en Shepard, 2006). Hoy es impensable la actividad docente sin algún tipo de acción evaluativa. El Modelo Educativo Institucional de esta universidad señala que la evaluación estará integrada al aprendizaje y a la enseñanza para reorientar esos procesos, buscando mejorarlos; también para ajustar objetivos curriculares y la práctica misma de la evaluación, esto por medio de metodologías y técnicas diversas que promuevan especialmente el control del progreso en el aprendizaje por el propio alumno, con el apoyo de estrategias como la autoy coevaluación (UAA, 2006).
The role of the state in Sino-Ghanaian relations: The case of Bui hydroelectric dam

Abstract This article critically examines the dominant role of the state at the level of institutions and policies with China to leverage and shape the developmental outcomes of the current relationship. The new win–win relationship has sparked intense debates, which have attracted the reflections of academics and policy makers and Sino-Africa relations in recent decades. Firstly, that China’s African intervention serves as a catalyst for the continent’s transformation and hence provides the continent opportunity for self-determination. Secondly, that China’s increasing presence in Africa is self-centred due to excessive focus on resource extraction and market expansion, reminiscent of neo-colonial strategies and less developmental. The paper argues that these simplistic narratives produce a discourse that overly amplify China’s actions and rarely analyse how African states can harness the opportunities the relationship entails. It focuses on how to rescue the relationship from being supposed to be one-way street and provides a framework for evaluating the outcomes of the relationship based on African state interventions. The article deploys Ghana’s Bui hydroelectric dam heuristically as a soft power instrument in an attempt to explicate poor Ghanaian state institutional capacity and the weaknesses of its actors in their interactions with Chinese players thus far in building the developmental capacity to sustain economic progress.
Zn3P2 Twinning Superlattice Nanowires Grown on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Glass Substrates

Zn3P2 twinning superlattice nanowires with diameters of 100–300 nm were grown under Sn catalysis on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass by physical vapor transport. The nanowires grew along the [101] direction with nonparallel {101} side facets. The Zn3P2 twinning superlattices had no noticeable crystallographic defects except periodic twin defects. A nonlinear relationship between the twin plane spacing and nanowire diameter was observed. The twin plane formation energy (4.0 × 10–2 to 4.3 × 10–2 J/m2) was estimated by fitting the relationship from the nucleation model with a hexagonal nucleus with monolayer height at the triple-phase boundary. The unexpected nonlinear behavior despite the relatively high twin plane formation energy was ascribed to the strong interaction of P atoms dissolved in Sn droplets with the growth interface. P atoms in the droplets may have acted as a surfactant to reduce the liquid–solid surface energy.
Crystal structure and antitumor activity in cardiac myxoma of two novel coordination polymers

Abstract Two new coordination polymers, namely {[Cu(oba)(dpt)0.5](DMF)2}n [1, H2oba = 4,4′-oxybis(benzoic acid), dpt = 3,6-di(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine] and {[Zn7(TPA)6(OH)4(H2O)4(EtOH)2](NO3)4(DMF)3}n (2, Htpa = 4-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)phenylacetic acid, DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide) have been successfully constructed under solvothermal conditions. The structures of the two complexes have been successfully determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, in vitro antitumor activity of compounds 1 and 2 on three human cardiac myxoma cells (H9C2, HOS and HBSMC) was further determined and the results show that the two compounds showed promising activity.
Unique Osteoblast-Specific Cell-Surface Antigen Useful for Odontoblast Ontology and Dentin Regeneration

Aim: To obtain suitable immunological tool to identify the terminal differentiation of odontoblasts and for enrichment and purification of functional odontoblasts useful for dentin regeneration. Methods: A panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) recognizing cell-surface of rat osteoblastic cell line was prepared by utilizing the B cell hybridoma technology. Among MAbs recognizing osteoblasts specifically, odontoblast-reactive MAb was selected for immunofluorescence staining of cryosections of rat mandibles followed by observation by use of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results: Molecular size of the antigen recognized by A7 MAb (A7 antigen) was revealed to be around 45 KDa by western blot analysis. A7 antigen was expressed on cell-surface of unfixed osteoblasts in culture. Immunofluorescence staining and confocal laser analysis demonstrated that A7 antigen is specifically expressed in mature odontoblasts in a typical membrane expression pattern. Conclusions: A7 antigen was revealed to be a unique cell-surface antigen expressed on osteoblasts and odontoblasts. This novel MAb-A7 should be a quite useful immunological tool for enrichment and purification of functional odontoblasts directly from dental pulp tissues in regenerative dental medicine.
Protective Effect of K201 on Isoproterenol-Induced and Ischemic–Reperfusion-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias in the Rat

Aim: Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) is a risk for sudden death. Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) degenerating to ventricular fibrillation occurs subsequent to the prolongation of the QT interval following administration of catecholamines under Ca2+ loading. Fatal VA also occurs in ischemia and ischemic–reperfusion. We compared the suppressive effect of K201 (JTV519), a multiple-channel blocker and cardiac ryanodine receptor-calcium release channel (RyR2) stabilizer, with that of diltiazem, a Ca2+ channel blocker, in 2 studies of isoproterenol-induced (n = 30) and ischemic–reperfusion-induced VAs (n = 38) in rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were administered 12 mg/kg/min calcium chloride (CaCl2) for 20 minutes and then 6 μg/kg/min isoproterenol was infused with CaCl2 for a further 20 minutes. In other rats, the left coronary artery was ligated for 5 minutes followed by reperfusion for 20 minutes. K201 or diltiazem (both 1 mg/kg) was administered before infusion of the isoproterenol or induction of ischemia. Results: After administration of isoproterenol under Ca2+ loading, fatal VA frequently occurred in the vehicle (9 of 10 animals, 90%) and diltiazem (8 of 10, 80%) groups, and K201 significantly suppressed the incidences of arrhythmia and mortality (2 of 10, 20%). In the reperfusion study, the incidence and the time until occurrence of reperfusion-induced VA and mortality were significantly suppressed in the K201 (2 of 15 animals, 13%) and diltiazem (1 of 9 animals, 11%) groups compared to the vehicle group (8 of 14 animals, 57%). Significance: Induction of VA in an experimental model was achieved with a low dose of isoproterenol under Ca2+ loading. K201 markedly suppressed both the isoproterenol-induced and the reperfusion-induced VAs, whereas diltiazem did not suppress the isoproterenol-induced VA. The results suggest that both VAs are related to early after depolarization (EAD) and indicate that K201 has the potential to suppress EAD by stabilizing RyR2 to mediate Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and acting as a multiple-channel blocker.
Calcium Alginate Polysaccharide Dressing as an Accelerated Treatment for Burn Wound Healing

Patients with burn injuries suffer from pain and an inflammatory response; however, treatment methods are still not satisfactory and remain challenging. Due to the long stage of burn wound rehabilitation, which contributes to the long-term sensory problems, an effective treatment must begin at the outset of burn wound care. The functionalized wound dressing is expected to be a great treatment strategy over the commercialization wound dressing products and engineered skin substi-tutes nowadays. Some studies revealed the use of calcium alginate polysaccharide (CAPS) as an “ active ” dressing due to its calcium richness for wound healing and scar tissue formation. The outstanding outcome of CAPS dressing for severe burn injuries was indicated by natural wound healing and less scarring formation, minimum bacterial infection, cytokine enhancement regulation, and appropriate inflammatory response and pain regulation. These advantages affirmed the phyto-polysaccharide dressing as the next generation of wound dressing materials with highly desirable properties.
Leaching Chalcopyrite Concentrate with Oxygen and Sulfuric Acid Using a Low-Pressure Reactor

This article presents a copper leaching process from chalcopyrite concentrates using a low-pressure reactor. The experiments were carried out in a 30 L batch reactor at an oxygen pressure of 1 kg/cm2 and solid concentration of 100 g/L. The temperature, particle size and initial acid concentration were varied based on a Taguchi L9 experimental design. The initial and final samples of the study were characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and particle size distribution. The mass balance showed that 98% of copper was extracted from the chalcopyrite concentrate in 3 h under the following experimental conditions: 130 g/L of initial sulfuric acid concentration, temperature of 100 °C, oxygen pressure of 1 kg/cm2, solid concentration of 100 g/L and particle size of −105 + 75 μm. The ANOVA demonstrated that temperature had the greatest influence on copper extraction. The activation energy was 61.93 kJ/mol. The best fit to a linear correlation was the chemical reaction equation that controls the kinetics for the leaching copper from chalcopyrite. The images obtained by SEM showed evidence of shrinking in the core model with the formation of a porous elemental sulfur product layer.