Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Kinetics and Mechanism of the One-Pot Formation of 3,4,5-Substituted Furan-2(5H)-Ones in the Presence of Lactic Acid: Effect of Different Substituents

The kinetics of the reaction between para-substituted anilines and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) with derivatives of benzaldehyde for the one-pot formation of 3,4,5-substituted furan-2(5H)-ones in the presence of lactic acid as a catalyst have been studied spectrophotometrically at different temperatures. A mechanism involving four steps was proposed for the reactions, all of which followed second-order kinetics. The partial orders with respect to substituted aniline and DMAD were one and one and the reactions revealed zero-order kinetics for benzaldehyde and its derivatives. Changing of substituents on benzaldehyde left rates of reaction unaffected. However, various substituents on aniline showed that para electron-withdrawing groups decreased the rate of reaction. According to investigation of an isokinetic relationship, a common mechanism exists for all studied substituents and a general mechanism can be formulated. Kinetic values (k and Ea) and associated activation parameters (ΔG‡, ΔS‡ and ΔH‡) of the reactions were determined.
A review for using swarm intelligence in architectural engineering

Swarm intelligence algorithms are natural-inspired computational methods that mimic the social interaction between creatures to solve certain problems. Swarmative computational architecture (SCA) is a novel nomenclature proposed by the authors to present the use of various swarm algorithms in solving architectural problems. It includes three main aspects: form generation/adaptation, performance evaluation, and optimization. This study provides a systematic review and comparative analysis for the major publications within the review scope. The correspondence between dynamic subjects and the objective functions for the optimization process is presented. Particularly, dynamic subjects such as building formation parameters and objective functions such as occupant comfort and energy consumption. The main results and criteria are categorized into the design approach, case study, form generation/adaptation, and performance evaluation/optimization. Finally, this review presents the current trends and highlights the gaps in the use of swarm algorithms to solve architectural engineering problems.
Influence of Bending Vibration on the Vertical Vibration Behaviour of Railway Vehicles Carbody

The topic of reducing structural vibrations in the case of flexible carbodies of railway vehicles has been intensively studied, but it is still an active research topic thanks to the importance of the perspective of improving the ride comfort. However, no study has been identified in the specialty literature to feature the contribution of the vibration structural modes upon the vibration behaviour of the railway vehicle carbody. The structural vibration modes of the flexible carbodies are particularly complex; however, the first vertical bending mode holds great significance in terms of the ride comfort. This paper analyses the influence of the first vertical bending mode on the vibration behaviour in three reference points of the railway vehicle carbody in correlation with the carbody flexibility, the vehicle velocity and the suspension damping. This study relies on comparisons between the results of the numerical simulations obtained for a ‘flexible carbody’ type model of the vehicle and the ones obtained for a ‘rigid carbody’ type model. The first part of this study analyses the characteristics of the vertical vibrations behaviour of the flexible carbody based on the dynamic response of the vehicle and expressed as the acceleration power spectral density. In the second part, the influence of the vertical bending on the vertical vibrations level of the carbody is analysed using the root mean square of the vertical acceleration.
Climate Change and Children’s Mental Health: A Developmental Perspective

Climate change is a major global public-health challenge that will have wide-ranging impacts on human psychological health and well-being. Children and adolescents are at particular risk because of their rapidly developing brain, vulnerability to disease, and limited capacity to avoid or adapt to threats and impacts. They are also more likely to worry about climate change than any other age group. Drawing on a developmental life-course perspective, we show that climate-change-related threats can additively, interactively, and cumulatively increase psychopathology risk from conception onward; that these effects are already occurring; and that they constitute an important threat to healthy human development worldwide. We then argue that monitoring, measuring, and mitigating these risks is a matter of social justice and a crucial long-term investment in developmental and mental health sciences. We conclude with a discussion of conceptual and measurement challenges and outline research priorities going forward.
Thermodynamic Characteristic of Methane Sorption on Shales from Oil, Gas, and Condensate Windows

High-pressure methane sorption isotherms at 40–101 °C and pressures up to 25 MPa were measured on Jurassic lacustrine and Silurian marine shales from China. Shale samples span a thermal maturity range from low mature (oil window) to overmature (dry gas window). Low-pressure CO2 and N2 adsorption techniques were used to quantify specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distributions. The thermodynamic characteristic of methane sorption on shales was assessed based on the experimental multitemperature isotherms. The effects of physical and chemical properties of shales on thermodynamic properties were analyzed and discussed. Finally, standard enthalpy of sorption was first introduced to evaluate the sorption affinity of methane on shales, and a general pattern describing the evolution of methane sorption as a function of thermal maturity was proposed. The Langmuir sorption capacity of these shales varies from 0.09 to 0.16 mmol/g. The low total organic matter carbon, clay-rich lacustrine shales have.
Gall bladder Wall Thickness as Non-invasive Predictor of Oesophageal Varices in Cirrhotic Patients

Submit Date 2021-06-15 21:18:20 Revise Date 2021-09-14 14:34:42 Accept Date 2021-09-20 11:41:04 ABSTRACT Background: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of oesophageal varices OV and the recommended investigation for screening all cirrhotic patients for the presence of OV. Endoscopic screening of patients with liver cirrhosis adds a major burden to patients and also to endoscopic units. Non-invasive detection of OV helps to decrease the necessity of endoscopy as a screening method. Aim of the study: To assess the usage of the measurement of noninflammatory gall bladder wall thickness (GBWT) as a noninvasive predictor of the presence and size of OV and also to compare it with platelet count to splenic diameter. Patients and Methods: the current study was a cross-sectional study performed on 100 cirrhotic patients who attended the hepatology and gastroenterology unit of the Internal Medicine department, Benha University Hospital, Egypt. Abdominal ultrasound was done to measure GBWT, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy was done in detection of OV, and blood tests were done. Patients were divided according to the presence of OV into two groups, Group I: included 50 cirrhotic patients with no OV (Non-OV group). Group II: included 50 cirrhotic patients with OV who were subdivided into two other subgroups, Group IIa: included 22 patients with small-sized O.V, and Group IIb: included 28 patients with large-sized O.V. Statistical analysis of the collected data was done. Results: GBWT was significantly higher in OV patients compared to the Non-OV group (mean: 4.2 mm vs. 2.7 mm, p < 0.001), GBWT at cut-off ≥ 3.35 mm, had a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 78% respectively Conclusion: GBWT could be used as a non-invasive method in the prediction of OV.
Meta-morphomic patterns in North Germanic

Abstract The paper presents examples of meta-morphomes (a kind of morphomic patterns, involving syncretisms) in North Germanic. There has been some debate over the notion of such patterns, and the aim is therefore to present relatively clear cases. Five cases are presented, involving inflection in verbs, nouns and adjectives. The syncretisms are all ‘unnatural’; they do not make much sense for syntax, semantics or phonology. While patterns that are obvious to the linguist are not necessarily obvious to speakers, the paper presents diachronic evidence that these morphomic patterns have been noticed by speakers. At least some criticism against ‘morphomic’ analyses is based on implausible premises: An analysis in terms of features is not automatically preferable only by being possible; the idea of ‘taking morphology seriously’ is untenable; the claim that the morphomic approach is a mere enumeration of facts may involve a self-contradiction.
Cybernetics Approach Using Agent-Based Modeling in the Process of Evacuating Educational Institutions in Case of Disasters

In the context of an emergency, evacuating people from a location in the shortest possible time is essential, as is the high degree of safety that people should expect when evacuating. Lately, in Romania there have been more and more fire events generated by different causes. This article will use agent-based modeling to simulate an emergency evacuation model in NetLogo. The model has been used to perform and analyze various scenarios. With the help of NetLogo, we managed to perform 400 simulations with the evacuation of 180 people (students, teachers, and non-teaching staff) based on which we developed several recommendations to streamline the evacuation process in order to reduce the possibility of death. The present research will help to identify the evacuation times from a school, but it will also highlight certain aspects that may occur during the evacuation. The model that was used in this research took into account the individual particularities of the people taking part in the evacuation, emphasizing the effects that form in a crowd of people when evacuating; effects such as the funnel effect, which is caused by the formation of bottlenecks around narrow areas. All these things are part of the analysis of the measurement of entropy of the exhaust system, a problem that has captured all of the specialists’ attention. Finally, solutions have been proposed to improve evacuation time in case of disasters.
Enhanced transport of two interacting quantum walkers in a one-dimensional quasicrystal with power-law hopping

We study the effects of interparticle interactions and power-law tunneling couplings on quantum walks executed by both a single one and a pair of hard-core bosons moving in clean and disordered one-dimensional lattices. For this purpose, we perform exact diagonalization to explicitly evaluate the short and long time probabilities of finding the walkers within a surveillance area. Our main conclusions, summarized in phase diagrams in the disorder-power-law and interaction-disorder spaces, allowed us to discern two different scenarios for the single and two quantum walkers dynamics. While in the single particle case the transition to localized and extended regimes is identified for well defined values of the disorder amplitude and power law hopping, those frontiers are replaced by diffuse contours in the interacting two particle case. In fact, counterintuitive transport regimes as diffusion enhanced by disorder, and space constrained dynamics assisted by both interactions and short tunneling range are found. Our results are of direct relevance for quantum systems with long-range interactions that are currently realized in the laboratory.
Assessing the survival and ability of Lactobacillus strains in coconut neera to bolster its suitability as a functional beverage after storage

Coconut neera is a translucent liquid sap that comprises sugar, fat, minerals, vitamins, and proteins, which render it a suitable substrate for microbial growth. The objective of this study is to observe the survival of Lactobacillus casei AP and Lactobacillus plantarum strains in coconut neera along with their ability to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The survival test was conducted by measuring the total plate count, and SCFAs were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Lactobacillus casei AP and L. plantarum could grow in the neera from about 6 log CFU/mL to up to 7.86 and 6.40 log CFU/mL after 9 hrs of inoculation, respectively. Additionally, they can survive at 4°C in storage for 14 days. These Lactobacillus strains could produce SCFAs in the form of butyrate. Therefore, the inoculation process of Lactobacillus strains can present an alternative to developing new functional beverages from coconut neera.
Genetic analysis of reproductive efficiency in Spanish goat breeds using a random regression model as a strategy for improving female fertility

Abstract This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters of reproductive efficiency over a wide age range of females using a random regression model (RRM) in Spanish goat breeds. A total of 138,139 and 64,638 reproductive records from the first to the sixth parities from Florida and Payoya, respectively, were included in the analysis. Random regressions on Legendre polynomials of standardised age were included for permanent environmental and additive genetic effects. Estimation of the covariance components was based on the Bayesian inference using the GIBBS3F90 software. Differences among genetic variance components for reproductive efficiency were observed over the animal’s lifetime. The estimates of heritabilities were moderate, ranging from 0.21 to 0.32 for Florida and from 0.25 to 0.35 for Payoya, while the fractions of phenotypic variance explained by the permanent environmental effect were high, varying between 0.45–0.68 and 0.58–0.71 for Florida and Payoya, respectively. The correlations for permanent environmental effect over age ranged from 0.37 to 0.99, while the genetic correlations between the different ages varied from 0.36 to 0.98 for Florida and from 0.80 to 0.99 for Payoya. The results from this study support the validity of using an RRM to genetically analyse reproductive efficiency in Spanish dairy goats following the changes in variances and the genetic correlations different from unity over the animal’s lifetime. Moreover, reproductive efficiency is a highly heritable trait that is expressed early in a female’s life, and it could be used as a precocious selection criterion to improve female fertility in Spanish dairy goats. Highlights Reproductive efficiency (RE) has been proposed as a trait to improve female fertility in dairy goats. RE was genetically analysed using an RRM over a range of ages in females from the Florida and Payoya breeds raised under different production systems. Variance components for RE were not constant over age, while the genetic correlations between RE in the different ages were different from unity. The use of RRM for RE is therefore justified in both goat breeds.
Preparation and Application of Carboxymethylated Xylan as a Flocculant for Ethyl Violet Dye in Aqueous Systems

Hemicellulose is one of the most abundant renewable biopolymers on earth. Xylan is the main hemicellulose of hardwood species, but it is under utilized. In this work, carboxymethylated xylan (CMX) with the maximum degree of substitution (DS) of 0.95 and charge density of −4.57 mmol/g was produced. Fourier transmittance infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses confirmed the success of carboxylemthylation reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that CMX was less thermo-stable than xylan. Furthermore, the CMX was applied as a coagulant for removing cationic ethyl violet dye from a simulated dye solution. The results showed that more than 95% of dye was removed from the solution. The theoretical and experimental values for the removal of the dye were close confirming that the charge neutralization was the main mechanism for interaction of dye and CMX. The impact of salt in the coagulation efficiency of CMX was also analyzed.
Dry Reforming of Methane on Single-Site Ni/MgO Catalysts: Importance of Site Confinement

Single-site catalysts (SSCs) have drawn considerable attention, because of their superior behaviors in catalysis. However, the origin of promoting the effect of a single site is not well understood. Here, we take the single-atom Ni1/Mg(100) and single-site Ni4/Mg(100) catalysts as a case study to elucidate their behaviors under the complex dry reforming of methane (DRM, CO2 + CH4→ 2CO + 2H2) reaction by combining theoretical modeling (density functional theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation) and experimental studies. The synergy between single Ni atom and MgO is found to improve the binding property of MgO; yet, it is not enough to dissociate CO2 and CH4. It can be achieved by the single-site Ni4/MgO(100) catalyst, enabling the formations of CO, H2, and H2O under the DRM conditions. During this process, coking, as observed for bulklike Ni particles, is eliminated. By confining the reaction to occur at the isolated Ni sites in the SSC, the Ni4/MgO(100) catalyst is able to balance the CO2 and CH4 activa.
Family caregivers’ experience in the process of caring for older adults: a qualitative synthesis

In this review, the main goal was to answer the question: What are the family caregivers’ experiences in the process of providing care to older people? To do so, a systematic literature review was carried out by consulting the MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Lilacs databases. Two reviewers selected the studies independently, and discrepancies were sorted out by a third reviewer. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, and thematic analysis was applied to synthesize the results. The analytical themes addressed in the synthesis were developed through researchers’ interpretations and new constructs. Confidence in the findings was reviewed using GRADE-CERQual. The study adhered to Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research guidelines. Eighteen studies were included in the synthesis. Three analytical themes emerged: "Mixed feelings", "You have no life. Your own life gets put on hold”, and "The need for increasing coping strategies". Several conflicting feelings emerged in the process of care, showing the complexity of the caregivers’ experience. Either way, the caregivers put their lives on hold to provide care and sought coping strategies, such as formal and informal support and spirituality. Therefore, both health professionals and policymakers must ensure comprehensive care for the older adults and their families, so that caregivers do not compromise their own lives and health in order to take care of others.
TRZENJE VISOKOSOLSKEGA PROGRAMA NA PODLAGI ODNOSOV MED PONUDNIKOM - VISOKOSOLSKIM ZAVODOM IN UPORABNIKOM STORITEV - STUDENTOM

Trzenje na podlagi odnosov je lahko uporabljeno kot vir konkurencneprednosti vsake izobraze- valne organizacije. Pri tem predstavlja povezanost trzenja na podlagi odnosov s teorijo virov kot osnovo razvoja dejavnikov konkurencnih prednosti. Izobrazevalne organizacije, ki prepoznavajo osnovne sestavine trzenja na podlagi odnosov kot vire konkurencne prednosti, dosegajo tudi vecjo prepoznavnost, obstoj in uporabo le-teh na trgu, obenem pa tudi vecjo dobickonosnost. Visokosolski zavodi, ki zelijo preziveti v trzno naravnanem okolju, bodo morale spremeniti svoj odnos do uporabnikov njihovih storitev - studentov.
Automated Security Assessment Framework for Wearable BLE-enabled Health Monitoring Devices

The growth of IoT technology, increasing prevalence of embedded devices, and advancements in biomedical technology have led to the emergence of numerous wearable health monitoring devices (WHMDs) in clinical settings and in the community. The majority of these devices are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled. Though the advantages offered by BLE-enabled WHMDs in tracking, diagnosing, and intervening with patients are substantial, the risk of cyberattacks on these devices is likely to increase with device complexity and new communication protocols. Furthermore, vendors face risk and financial tradeoffs between speed to market and ensuring device security in all situations. Previous research has explored the security and privacy of such devices by manually testing popular BLE-enabled WHMDs in the market and generally discussed categories of possible attacks, while mostly focused on IP devices. In this work, we propose a new semi-automated framework that can be used to identify and discover both known and unknown vulnerabilities in WHMDs. To demonstrate its implementation, we validate it with a number of commercially available BLE-enabled enabled wearable devices. Our results show that the devices are vulnerable to a number of attacks, including eavesdropping, data manipulation, and denial of service attacks. The proposed framework could therefore be used to evaluate potential devices before adoption into a secure network or, ideally, during the design and implementation of new devices.
Phase evolution, structural characteristics and mechanism of vesicle formation from a synthetic amphiphile: Controlled morphology by tuning solution phase parameters

Abstract We report herein, the aggregation behavior of 3, 4-di(dodecyloxy)benzoic acid-4-hydroxy phenyl ester (DDBE), a synthetic amphiphile and a true non-ionic surfactant system as per the geometrical considerations. The true surfactant nature of the system stems from its hydrophilic-lipophilic-balance (HLB = 4.7), comparable to that of Span-60, also a true non-ionic surfactant. This compound undergoes spontaneous vesicle formation in THF:water binary solvent mixtures which further underwent fission at lower DDBE concentrations and fusion at higher concentrations, leading to giant vesicles of the order of 3000 nm. These vesicles are sensitive to the polarity of their environment. The predominant mode of interaction as observed from the molecular dynamics simulations were found to be π-π stacking with the phenyl rings of the molecule. Further, the system, upon complete extraction into water, formed spherical aggregates of size 50 nm based on the good solvent-poor solvent combination as the necessary condition for the vesicle formation.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Functionality of spray-dried strawberry powder: effects of whey protein isolate and maltodextrin

ABSTRACT The effectiveness of two drying agents, namely whey protein isolate (WPI) and maltodextrin (MD), was evaluated during spray-drying of strawberry puree. With the increase of WPI substitution in the feed material, the surface tension of strawberry puree decreased, and powder recovery increased. Powder recovery (Rp) increased from 39.2 ± 2.3% (S:MD:WPI = 60:40:0) to 56.5 ± 2.8% when MD was replaced by WPI (S:MD:WPI = 60:39:1). Surface morphology of powders showed that the addition of WPI resulted in shrunken particle surface, which gave rise to smaller DB and particle size. The particles were not spherical, and even with the addition of 0.5% WPI, the particle morphology was altered. The surface shrinkage of strawberry powder increased with increase in WPI from 0.5% to 10%. The production efficiency of strawberry powder could be greatly improved when MD was replaced by 1% WPI.