Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contamination and treatment of highway runoff

One and a half year long field sampling was established in order to evaluate the contamination of storm water runoff. The event means (EMC) total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) concentration of the runoff was a function of the actual traffic intensity and the rainfall depth. It was concluded that this TPH, of which dominant component is the engine-oil (characteristically C28) does not form an ‘oil-in-water’ type emulsion in the condition of normal motorway-operation, but is interlocked to asphalt, rubber and soot particles of maximum some ten microns size. This condition influences the possibility, way and extent of separation alike. The separation equipments and their sizing applied so far are not suitable to achieve efficient surface water protection. Practical prevention method of accidental type environment pollution was also suggested. On the basis of the international literature evaluation, technical solutions capable to decrease the runoff pollution were summarized. Among these, useful calculation me.
Nanomechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of rubber–wood–plastic composites

Abstract This article presents the assessment of bulk and in situ mechanical properties of rubber–wood–plastic composites (RubWPC) and their correlations, aiming to obtain a thorough understanding of mechanical behaviour of RubWPC, which is an essential prerequisite in realising their optimal design and applications. Dynamic mechanical analysis results showed that the composites treated with multiple coupling agents (combination of maleic anhydride polyethylene [MAPE] and bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide and combination of MAPE and vinyltrimethoxysilane) exhibited greater storage modulus than both the untreated and single coupling agent treated composites owing to their superior interfacial bonding quality. The shift of relaxation peak and T g towards higher temperatures observed in the treated composites confirmed the enhancement of interfacial interaction and adhesion. Nanoindentation analysis suggested that the composite with optimised interface (MAPE and Si69 treated) possessed better nanomechanical property (elastic modulus) due to the resin penetration into cell lumens and vessels and the reaction between cell walls and coupling agents. Graphical abstract
Hematological Parameters and Lipid Profile Changes in Albino Rats due to Administration of Ethanol Extract of Ipomea batatas Leaves

Leaves of I. batatas have been implicated in both the hematopoietic process and in the management of hyperlipidemia in man. The current study evaluated the hematopoietic potentials and the lipid profile stabilizing potential of ethanol leaf extract of I. batatas in albino rats. The study was carried out at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, between March 2019 and October 2019. The determination of the phytochemical composition of the leaves was carried out. Sixteen albino rats weighing between 100-150g were randomly distributed into 4 groups of 4 rats each. Animals in group 1 served as the control while animals in groups 2, 3, and 4 served as the test groups and were administered 200, 300 and 400g/kg body weight respectively of ethanol leaf extract of I batata for fourteen days following standard procedures. The extract contained terpenoids in high amount, flavonoids and alkaloids in moderate amounts, while glycosides, phenolic, and steroids were present in low amounts. WBC counts increased significantly across the test groups compared to the control. PLT decreased significantly (P = 0.05) in all the test groups when compared to the control group. MCV increased significantly (P = 0.05) in all the test groups when compared to the control group. MCH increased significantly (P = 0.05) in group 2 but decreased significantly in groups 3 and 4 when compared to the control group. The lipid profile parameters; triglycerides (TAG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) showed no significant changes but HDL-C decreased significantly in group 4 compared to the control. The outcome of this study revealed that the ethanol leaves extract of I. batatas may possess a hematopoietic effect but may not be effective in the management of hyperlipidemia.
4-Dialkylamino-2,5-dihydroimidazol-1-oxyls with Functional Groups at the Position 2 and at the Exocyclic Nitrogen: The pH-Sensitive Spin Labels

Local acidity and electrostatic interactions are associated both with catalytic properties and the adsorption activity of various materials, and with the vital functions of biomolecules. The observation of acid–base equilibria in stable free radicals using EPR spectroscopy represents a convenient method for monitoring pH changes and the investigation of surface electrostatics, the advantages of which are especially evident in opaque and turbid samples and in porous materials such as xerogels. Imidazoline nitroxides are the most commonly used pH-sensitive spin probes and labels due to the high sensitivity of the parameters of the EPR spectra to pH changes, their small size, and their well-developed chemistry. In this work, several new derivatives of 4-(N,N-dialkylamino)-2,5-dihydrioimidazol-1-oxyl, with functional groups suitable for specific binding, were synthesized. The dependence of the parameters of their EPR spectra on pH was studied. Several showed a pKa close to 7.4, following the pH changes in a normal physiological range, and some demonstrated a monotonous change of the hyperfine coupling constant by 0.14 mT upon pH variation by four units.
Analysis of apparent resistivity in a multi-layer earth structure

An expression for the apparent resistivity in an earth structure with an arbitrary number of layers is derived for the Wenner four-electrode method. The expression is arrived at by performing an analysis of apparent resistivity in a multilayer structure as an extension of studies that have concentrated on the two-layer model. Applying a series of parameter data to this expression enabled the preparation of rho -a curves for such a multilayer structure, and these curves were compared with actual rho -a curves obtained from two case studies. The results showed good agreement, indicating that the proposed expression and parameter estimation technique could be practically applied to ground design problems. In particular, earth parameters for a multilayer structure obtained through the proposed method can be used for calculating the ground resistance required by deep-driven rods in a particular geologic formation. >
7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2022.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes. org/SOC.
Lead-free flip chip process development

With environmental concerns increasing, the electronics industry is focusing more attention on lead free solder alternatives. One challenge is to find an alternative solder that is as manufacturable, reliable and cost effective as the industry standard eutectic tin-lead or high lead solders. This study details the process development for a flip chip assembly using one of these alternative lead-free solders. Specifically, three flip chip fluxes and five underfills were used to assemble flip chip parts while keeping the no-lead solder, die passivation and substrate solder mask constant. Solder wetting characteristics were observed optically after cross sectioning the assemblies. The compatibility of different flux and underfill types, defined as no underfill voiding after assembly, was determined via acoustic microscopy. Assembled parts were subjected to JEDEC Level 3 moisture preconditioning. Post JEDEC preconditioning electrical and adhesion data helped identify one or more compatible flip chip material sets to be used for further lead free solder development work.
GA-SVR Based Bearing Condition Degradation Prediction

A genetic algorithm-support vector regression model (GA-SVR) is proposed for machine performance degradation prediction. The main idea of the method is firstly to select the condition-sensitive features extracted from rolling bearing vibration signals using Genetic Algorithm to form a condition vector. Then prediction model is established for each feature time series. And the third step is to establish support vector regression models to obtain prediction result in each series. Finally, the condition prognosis can be obtained through combing all components to form a condition vector. Vibration data from a rolling bearing bench test process are used to verify accuracy of the proposed method. The results show that the model is an effective prediction method with a higher speed and a better accuracy.
Induced reprogramming of adult murine cardiomyocytes to pluripotency in vivo

Partial cell reprogramming has been demonstrated in certain mouse tissues by in situ overexpression of Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2 and cMyc (OKSM) transcription factors, and can trigger rejuvenation and/or augment regeneration of aged or injured tissues. In vivo reprogramming of adult mouse cardiomyocytes has been elusive, but success could overcome the lack of endogenous cardiomyocyte turnover that contributes to the poor resolution of heart disease. Here, we exploited cell type-specific Cre recombination and conditional, doxycycline-inducible, control of gene expression to generate cardiomyocyte-specific, inducible, reprogrammable mice. Eighteen days of doxycycline-induced OKSM expression in this model established a gene expression program characteristic of the pluripotent state and triggered the generation of teratomas of confirmed cardiomyocyte origin. These findings confirm that OKSM reprograms adult mouse cardiomyocytes to pluripotency and will enable studies of the contribution of reprogrammed cardiomyocytes to cardiac regeneration.
Influence of electron mobility modeling on DC I-V characteristics of WZ-GaN MESFET

We report on the drift-diffusion based simulation of a wurtzite (WZ) GaN MESFET. The main emphasis is put on the influence of electron mobility modeling on DC current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the WZ-GaN MESFET. Two different analytical expressions are used for the electron mobility as a function of electric field. The first model is based on a simple saturation of the steady-state drift velocity with electric field (conventional three-parameter model). The other model is more realistic since it well reproduces the drift velocity-field characteristics obtained by Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, revealing the peak drift velocity with subsequent saturation at higher electric fields. Thus, it should be implemented in the drift-diffusion model for a following device simulation. However, the MC electron transport data for WZ-GaN are influenced by the specific choice of the material and band structure parameters, resulting in a variation of drift velocity-field characteristics. In addition, it should be noted that the MC simulation also neglects crystal defects in GaN, which, for example, might lead to uncontrolled electron compensation and additional electron scattering. In the present study we show that the DC I-V characteristics of the WZ-GaN MESFET are strongly affected by the MC-like electron mobility model, in particular by the peak steady-state velocity and the shape of the velocity-field characteristics even for the same drift velocity saturation level.
Dynamic response of a rectangular plate to a shock load, with application to portable electronic products

The ability to predict and possibly minimize the adverse consequences of dynamic loading on electronic equipment is especially important for portable electronic products, both because they can be easily dropped and because the minimum displacement (stopping distance) in such products, when subjected to shock loads, has to be made very short. This leads to high accelerations and, as a consequence of that, to elevated dynamic stresses, and can possibly result in failures of vulnerable elements. In this analysis, we examine the dynamic response of an element having a shape of a rectangular plate (e.g., liquid crystal display), and packaged in a "double box" system, (e.g., a chassis and a cabinet). The analysis is carried out, assuming that the outer box (cabinet) does not rebound. The purpose of the analysis is to evaluate the effect of the masses (weights) of the element itself and the inner box (chassis), as wed as the effect of the spring constants of the cushionings, on the maximum displacement and the maximum acceleration of the plate's support contour. On the basis of the performed analysis, we developed engineering guidelines for the preliminary selection of the spring constants of the cushionings, so that not to compromise the dynamic stability of the package, e.g., to keep the induced displacements and accelerations at a sufficiently low level. We show that this stability can be ensured by designing the package in such a way that the lower natural frequency of vibrations of the two-degree-of-freedom dynamic system in question (plate/chassis assembly) differs considerably from its higher frequency. For the given masses of the plate element and the inner box (chassis), this can be achieved by making the inner cushioning (gasket) substantially stiffer than the outer one (grommet). We show also that the strength of the plate element can be improved, if it is made thick enough and is clamped by the support contour. Finally, we demonstrate that a probabilistic approach can be successfully applied to design a package with a low probability of failure. >
Towards A Modular Robotic Architecture

Despite the seemingly dramatic differences in the con-figuration of individual robots, all mobile platforms are required to perform the same basic tasks and gather certain basic types of information about their environment. In recognition of this fact, work has been initiated on a high-level robotic control and integration architecture known as the Generic Robotic Processing Architecture (GRPA). GRPA is designed to provide a flexible, standard interface between users and a wide variety of robotic processing sys-tems. Under GRPA, the user is able to "compile" a hardware description of a particular robot into data struc-tures used by its Virtual Systems Interface (VSI). Through the VSI disparate types of sensors and actuators can be addressed in a consistent manner. Changing a data object in the VSI initiates a corresponding change in the physical world. On top of the VSI are Teleoperated, Supervisory, Autonomous and Reflexive control levels. Within each con-trol level, GRPA provides standardized, device independent routines which interact with the the VSI to affect changes in the robot.
Influencia de la rodilla en la amortiguación de vibraciones sobre plataforma oscilante Influence of the knee in vibration damping on oscillating platform

The use of vibrating platforms both in sport and clinical contexts has become much more common, but studies on their safety and efficacy are still scarce. In this cross-sectional study, acceleration in the vertical axis for the head was recorded for 22 healthy subjects (23.7 ± 3.7 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.08 m, mass = 71.63 ± 14.5 kg) who had a low/moderate physical activity level, while standing on an oscillating platform at three different knee angles (180o, 150o and 120o), with three different vibrating frequencies (5, 16, and 27 Hz) and constant amplitude (3 mm). The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the position of the knee on the transmission of vibration from the platform to the head. The absorption of the vibration energy from the platform to the head was calculated for the different positions and vibrating frequencies under study. The absorption of the vibration energy increased with every knee flexion angle increment; the higher the vibrating frequency, the more influence the position exerted (p < 0.001). These results suggest that complete knee extension needs to be avoided for a safe physical exercise execution while standing on an oscillating platform that vibrates at a high intensity.
Is Foundational Movement Skill Competency Important for Keeping Children Physically Active and at a Healthy Weight?

This longitudinal study examines the associations between foundational movement skills (FMS) competency, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and weight status among children (n = 75) attending preschools in deprived areas from early to late childhood. Twelve FMS were assessed using the Children’s Activity and Movement in Preschool Motor Skills Protocol and video analysis. Physical activity was measured via hip-mounted accelerometry. Data was collected over a five-year period, with Baseline Follow Up data collected between 2010 and 2015. There was an overall pattern of increase for total, object-control and locomotor scores between Baseline and Follow-Up. Conversely, there was an overall pattern of decline for MVPA among participants. There was a positive significant (p < 0.05) association between total and locomotor scores and MVPA at Baseline. However, these associations weakened over time and no significant associations were found at Follow-Up. Baseline competency failed to predict Follow-Up MVPA or weight status. Likewise, Baseline MVPA was not found to be a predictor of Follow-Up FMS competency. Further longitudinal research is required to explore these associations among children from highly deprived areas. Future interventions may require a more holistic approach to improving FMS competency and increasing PA in order to account for the number of variables that can affect these outcomes.
Development of “Quadrello di Ovino”, a Novel Fresh Ewe’s Cheese

This work was performed to produce a new soft ewe’s milk cheese, namely “Quadrello di ovino” (QdO) cheese, to enlarge ewe’s dairy product portfolio of South Italy, barely limited to Pecorino cheese typology. Cheese making was performed applying the technology for “Crescenza” cheese typology with some modifications. In particular, pasteurized ewes’ milk was inoculated with two commercial starter formulations (SF1 and SF2) of Streptococcus thermophilus to obtain two different productions (QdO-P1 and QdO-P2, respectively). Plate counts demonstrated the ability of both starter formulations to drive the fermentation process, since S. thermophilus counts reached 109 CFU/g in both productions. Generally, the two starter formulations did not affect the chemical composition of QdO cheeses that contained, on average, 64.08% dry matter of which approximately 54.99% were fats and 36.39% proteins. Among chemical parameters, significant differences were registered for secondary lipid oxidation state (significantly lower for QdO-P2), fatty acids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the differences registered among cheese VOCs from were not perceived by the panelists who recognized both cheese productions highly similar, although QdO-P2 cheeses were mostly appreciated by the judges. This study allowed to produce a novel fresh ovine cheese with specific chemical and sensorial characteristics well appreciated by consumers.
Investigating the Impact of Speed on the Performance of Position Based Routing Protocols in Mobile Ad hoc Networks

The dynamic topology of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) poses real challenges in routing and maintaining packets between mobile nodes (MNs) in MANETs. The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors speed and node degree, which has a fundamental impact on the performance of position based routing protocols in MANETs. A comparative study of major position based routing protocols and mobility models (MMs) are presented here. Both Independent Entity and Dependent Group MMs have been utilized in this study. This paper analyses the effect of speed on the performance of protocols under each of the chosen MMs, identifying and defining meaningful metrics for assessing the performance of MANET protocols. Using OPNET simulations, the different protocols proposed in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) were evaluated under various MMs.
UB LOGO-SHAPED ULTRA-WIDEBAND MICROSTRIP ANTENNA

We proposed an UB Logo-Shaped microstrip antenna for Ultra Wideband Frequency (UWB) applications. The antenna is fabricated using FR-4 Epoxy material with dielectric constant (er) of 4.4 with the thickness of the material is 1 mm. From simulations and measurements,t he antenna performances results VSWR less than 2 at frequency range 2.2 GHz to 10.8 GHz and has circular polarization in several frequencies range. Keyword: ultra-wideband antenna, UB icon, microstrip.
Cross-transfer of motor control in visuomotor tasks. Systematic review

Introduction: The term “cross-education” describes the perfomance improvement, both in motor control and strength, of a limb after training the opposite. Despite its current interest, there is no consensus on many concepts of the transfer of a visuomotor skill. The aim of the present research was to review the current literature on the phenomenon of cross-education in visuomotor skills in order to determine the magnitude of transference and its relationships with the context of the intervention. Results: A literature search was conducted during December 2019 in the databases Pubmed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, SPORTdiscus and Scopus. The descriptors “Motor ability” and “Motor skill” were used, in addition to the keywords “Motor control”, “skill”, “Task”, “cross over effect”, “cross exercise”, “contralateral learning”, “inter limb transfer “,” cross transfer “,” cross education “. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 19 articles were obtained for analysis. Of these articles, 12 are RCTs, 4 crossover clinical trial, 2 are non-randomized trials and only 1 lacks a control group. Most of the articles consist of a short-term intervention. Only 5 studies are of a duration of between 4 and 6 weeks. Conclusion: the cross-education phenomenon occurs in visuomotor skills. However, the magnitude of transference and its relation to the amount of learning of the trained member seems to be very variable depending on the context of the intervention. Likewise, the scarce consensus and the methodological differences in the studies make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the effects of the context on the transference.
On the FinFET extension implant energy

The need of an ultrashallow junction technology for the extension of p-FinFETs has been investigated by integrated process and device simulations. For devices with 60 nm physical gate length, whose extensions are activated in a low thermal-budget process (spike anneal), it is found that the I/sub off/-I/sub on/ performance is invariant with respect to the extension implant energy. Nevertheless, the short-channel behavior worsens. This can be remedied by adding spacers to both sides of the gate before the extension implant, resulting in virtually identical dc characteristics and speed. Devices with gate lengths of 18 nm and below require dopant activation with negligible diffusion. Under those circumstances the short channel behavior of the FinFET is limited by the lateral straggle of the ion implant. Spacers may remedy what is otherwise poor short channel behavior due to a relatively high energy extension implant. However, this comes at the price of drastically worse drive current at a fixed off-current.