Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of gold nanoparticles using ceftriaxone sodium as a reducing and stabilizing agent

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles AuNPs was achievedby the reduction of sodium tetrachloroaurate (III) (NaAuCl4) with ceftriaxone sodium (CR) in aqueous solutionswithout the use of other reducing agent. The effect of reactants concentration, temperature and pH on the sizes and morphology of AuNPs were also studied. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by UVvisible spectroscopy, Xray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis. Conjugation of antibiotic with the nanoparticles was characterized by FTIR spectrophotometry.
Selenium-infiltrated metal–organic framework-derived porous carbon nanofibers comprising interconnected bimodal pores for Li–Se batteries with high capacity and rate performance

The rational design of cathode materials for lithium–selenium (Li–Se) batteries is essential to achieve high-performance electrochemical properties with long cycle life and excellent rate capability. In this paper, novel porous carbon nanofibers with bimodal pores (micro/meso), as efficient cathode hosts for Li–Se batteries, were successfully synthesized by carbonization of electrospun zeolitic imidazole framework-8/polyacrylonitrile (ZIF-8/PAN) nanofibers and further chemical activation. Mesopores originated from carbonization of ZIF-8 embedded in the carbon nanofiber, and micropores were further introduced via KOH activation. During the activation step, micropores were introduced to the ZIF-8-derived meso porous carbon cages and within the carbon nanofibers, resulting in the formation of bimodal porous carbon nanofibers with enlarged pore volumes. Owing to their mesopores for easy access of electrolyte and high utilization of chain-like selenium with low-range ordering within the micropore, the selenium-loaded bimodal porous carbon nanofibers exhibited high discharge capacity and superb rate performance. The discharge capacities of the nanofibers at the 2nd and 300th cycle at a current density of 0.5C were 742 and 588 mA h g−1, respectively. The capacity retention calculated from the 2nd cycle was 79.2%. In addition, a discharge capacity of 568 mA h g−1 was obtained at an extremely high current density of 10.0C.
Determinants and Effects of Adolescent Substance Use in Africa: A Systematic Review Protocol

Background: Substance use among adolescents continues to be a growing major public health concern in Africa. Recent studies infer an overall estimated prevalence of 42% among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not adequately documented across many settings in the continent despite known negative health and social consequences on affected individuals and their communities. Little is known about the social context of substance use in Africa among this population. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review to explore determinants and associated factors that influence adolescent substance use and the effects of substance use in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, African Journals Online, Google Scholar, Scopus, Global Health, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and the World Health Organization (WHO) regional databases will be searched for population-based observational studies reporting on the prevalence of substance use of adolescents (age 10 - 19 years) across Africa. Search dates will be from January 2000 to December 2019. Data will be extracted from eligible publications, using a data extraction tool developed for this study. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted to pool determinants and effects (at 95% confidence interval) of estimated substance abuse among adolescents. Alternative visual and statistical approaches will be adopted instead of traditional meta-analytic approaches where necessary.Discussion: This systematic review will describe the range of determinants and associated factors that have been found to significantly influence substance use in this population group over the last two decades. Additionally, the review will also describe the possible effects of substance use among adolescents. Documenting this evidence is important as it can potentially be used to inform comprehensive interventions and treatment programmes that are targeted at adolescents and their parents in these settings.Systematic review registration: registered on PROSPERO; registration number tbc.
Sappanone A inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in cigarette smoke-induced human bronchial epithelial cells through regulating Nrf2/HO-1 and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Sappanone A (SA) is a homoisoflavanone that has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. However, the role of SA in COPD remains unclear. Thus, the present study was aimed to evaluate the beneficial effect of SA on COPD in vitro. The human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to 5% cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) to induce an in vitro model of COPD. Our results showed that SA treatment significantly attenuated the CSE-caused induction of ROS and reduction of SOD and GPx activities in 16HBE cells. In addition, SA inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in CSE-stimulated 16HBE cells. Moreover, the CSE-stimulated cell apoptosis of 16HBE cells were abrogated by SA. Furthermore, we observed that SA treatment greatly promoted the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, as well as inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in CSE-stimulated 16HBE cells. Subsequent rescue assay revealed that the protective effects of SA on CSE-stimulated 16HBE cells were reversed by Nrf2 knockdown or TLR4 overexpression. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that SA inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in CSE-induced human bronchial epithelial cells through regulating Nrf2/HO-1 and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways.
Hematological Picture of Rabbits Immunized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The current study was established to find out the role of immunization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-whole sonicated antigen in adult white fur domestic rabbits. To achieve this goal, fifteen rabbits were allocated into 3 groups, the first group was immunized with P. aeruginosa–whole sonicated antigen and challenged with viable pathogenic P. aeruginosa; the second group (control negative) was treated with phosphate buffer saline and the third group was injected with viable pathogenic P. aeruginosa (control positive). The results demonstrated increasing levels of the measured parameters blood picture (total WBCs, lymphocytes, and granulocytes, RBCs and hemoglobin concentrations) in the first group compared with control negative group (T test was used). In contrast, a sharp fall was noted in total thrombocytes (platelets) count in the first group compared with control negative group. It can be concluded that immunization with P. aeruginosa– whole sonicated antigen may consider as a potent reproducible effective immunogen model for experimental immunological studies in rabbits.
Overall Ranking of the Most Influential Causes and Impacts of Variation Orders in Arab Construction Projects

: Variation order involves adding, omitting, or altering activities from the original scope of work. It has a multitude of negative impacts on the project’s duration and budget. The objective of this research is to investigate the main causes and impacts of variation orders in Egyptian construction projects from the perceptions of contractors, consultants, and owners. The relative importance indices of these factors are computed by analysing thirty-three questionnaire surveys. Furthermore, the rankings of this study are aggregated with other studies to determine the top five factors affecting and resulting from variation orders in many Arab countries. The results showed that the most significant cause and impact of variation orders are change in the country’s economic conditions and delay in project completion, respectively. This study aids project managers and construction practitioners in identifying the root causes of variation orders to mitigate and eliminate their negative impacts on the construction projects.
Colloidal III–V Nitride Quantum Dots

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have attracted intense attention in both fundamental stud- ies and practical applications. To date, the size, morphology, and composition-controlled syntheses have been successfully achieved in II – VI semiconductor nanocrystals. Recently, III-nitride semiconductor quantum dots have begun to draw significant interest due to their promising applications in solid-state lighting, lasing technologies, and optoelectronic devices. The quality of nitride nanocrystals is, however, dramatically lower than that of II – VI semiconductor nanocrystals. In this review, the recent development in the synthesis techniques and properties of colloidal III – V nitride quantum dots as well as their applications are introduced.
Enhanced functional expression of the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene from Cupriavidus necator A-04 using a cold-shock promoter for efficient poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in Escherichia coli

Background: The present study attempted to increase polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by improving the functional expression of the PhaC gene using various types of promoters, and the effects on PhaC activity in terms of PHB productivity, yield coefficient (YP/S) and molecular weights were investigated.Results: Here, the PHB biosynthesis operon of Cupriavidus necator A-04, isolated in Thailand with a high degree of 16S rRNA sequence similarity with C. necator H16, was subcloned into pGEX-6P-1, pColdI, pColdTF, pBAD/Thio-TOPO and pUC19 (native promoter) and transformed into E. coli JM109. To alter the expression of phaCAB biosynthesis genes, we optimized parameters in flask experiments to obtain high expression of soluble PhaCA-04 protein with high YP/S and PHB productivity. pColdTF-phaCABA-04-expressing E. coli produced 2.5±0.1 g/L (90.6±4.3%) PHB in 24 h, similar to pColdI-phaCABA-04-expressing E. coli. The amounts of phaC protein and PHB produced from pColdTF-phaCABA-04 and pColdI-phaCABA-04 were significantly higher than those from other promoters. Cultivation in a 5-L fermenter led to PHB production of 7.9±0.7 g/L with 90.0±2.3% PHB content in the cell dry mass (CDM), a YP/S value of 0.38 g PHB/g glucose and a productivity of 0.43 g PHB/(L×h) using pColdTF-phaCABA-04. The PHB from pColdTF-phaCABA-04 had Mw 5.79×105 Da, Mn 1.86×105 Da and PDI 3.11 and the film exhibited high transparency, Young’s modulus and tensile strength, possibly due to the trigger factor (TF) chaperones. Interestingly, when pColdI-phaCABA-04-expressing E. coli was used to produce PHB from crude glycerol and compared with pUC19-nativeP-phaCABA-04-expressing E. coli, the amounts of PHB were similar, but Mw 1.1×106 Da, Mn 2.6×105 Da and PDI 4.1 were obtained from pUC19-nativeP-phaCABA-04-expressing E. coli, indicating that slow and low expression could prolong and maintain phaC polymerization activity.Conclusions: This is the first report to demonstrate that the cspA promoter in a cold-inducible vector can improve PhaCA-04 expression levels, and TF chaperones show obvious effects on enhancing PhaCA-04 solubility. The high level of PhaCA-04 resulted in a high PHB amount, but the chain termination reaction of PhaC polymerization occurred faster than that with the slowed and low expression of phaCA-04 by the native promoter pUC19, which resulted in a low amount of high-molecular-weight PHB produced from crude glycerol.
Cross-Cultural Differences In Topographic Map Design Perception

T he a pp ro ve d or ig in al v er si on o f t hi s th es is is a va ila bl e in p rin t a t T U W ie n B ib lio th ek . MASTERARBEIT Cross-Cultural Differences In Topographic Map Design Perception Ausgeführt am Department für Geodäsie und Geoinformation der Technischen Universität Wien unter der Anleitung von Univ.Prof. Mag.rer. nat. Dr.rer. nat. Georg Gartner, TU Wien und Univ.Ass. Mag.rer. nat. BA. Silvia Klettner, TU Wien
Synergistic Enhancement in Catalytic Performance of Superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Bacilus subtilis as Recyclable Fenton-Like Catalyst

Novel well-defined superparamagnetic Fe3O4@Bacilus subtilis composite (Fe3O4@B. subtilis SPMC) was synthesized through a facile electrostatic attraction method and used as a recyclable heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst. With the presence of H2O2, Fe3O4@B. subtilis SPMC can remove nearly 87% of the doxycycline at the initial concentration of 50 mg L−1, exhibiting enhanced Fenton-like catalytic performance than pristine Fe3O4. The mechanism study demonstrates the synergistic effect between Bacilus subtilis adsorption and Fenton-like ability of Fe3O4 dominates the enhancement for Fenton-like catalytic efficiency of Fe3O4@B. subtilis SPMC. The obtained composite shows excellent recycling ability, reusability, and stability, which pave a new way for future design on highly efficient Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of organic pollutants.
Effectiveness of Beta Vulgaris L (BIT) Juice To Increase Haemoglobin Levels In Pregnant Women Anemia at Primary Health Care Kotaraja

Anemia is the world's second leading cause of disability and because of that, it becomes one of the most serious global public health problems. Pregnant women who suffer from anemia are at risk of having miscarriage, babies born prematurely, low birth weight babies, and bleeding before and after delivery. This study aims to understand the effectiveness of giving beta vulgaris L (beet) fruit juice in increasing hemoglobin levels for anemic pregnant women. This research is a Quasi Experiment, using the Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The population in this study were 30 pregnant women who came for ANC examinations in October-December 2019. The sampling technique used was the total sampling technique. The data used for this research was the secondary data collected from the profile of the Jayapura City Health Office. Meanwhile, the primary data were collected using observation sheets and a digital haemometer. The analysis technique used was the Dependent T test (Paired Sample Test). This study showed the frequency distribution data before intervention, the level of mild anemia was 46.7% and moderate anemia was 53.3%. Based on the results of the Paired Sample T-Test, the value of p = 0.000 (p <0.05) was obtained. Beta vulgaris L (beet) fruit juice is effective for increasing Hb levels of pregnant women with anemia. Keyword : Anemia, Beta Vulgaris L (Beet) juice, pregnant women, haemoglobin
CMOS Power Amplifier with Adaptive Biasing and a 24.5 dBm OCP1dB

This work presents a 2.45 GHz power amplifier (PA) using cascode topology in a 130 nm CMOS process. The same PA core is tested in two different cases. The first one corresponds to a dual-mode configuration where mode selection is achieved through the external application of bias voltages. In high power mode, this amplifier has an output power at 1 dB compression point (OCP1dB) of 24.4 dBm and power added efficiency (PAE) at OCP1dB of 16.3%. With the objective of improving both the linearity and the efficiency of the circuit, a second topology with an adaptive biasing cell was implemented for one of the amplifier cells. Its output voltage increases as the input power increases, varying between 1.17 V and 2.71 V. As a result, it was possible to obtain an amplifier with OCP1dB of 24.5 dBm and PAE at OCP1dB of 19.0%.
Multidisciplinary Conferences for Radiology Teaching: Why Medical Students Should See the Significance of Imaging and Lifelong Learning

1 Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, University of Muenster, and University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany 2 Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology, Medical Faculty, University of Jena, and University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany 3 Head of Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and MR-Tomography, Klinikum Guetersloh, Guetersloh, Germany, and Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, University of Muenster, and University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
Adult learners and lifelong learning – the e-inclusion agenda

: Recent research states an increasing need to upgrade citizens' digital competences. Some citizens have not yet managed to access digital tools and media effectively. Their inability to use ICT gradually becomes a barrier to social integration. The paper presents research and development, currently in progress, aimed at empowering these adults. Furthermore, the paper concerns adults' motivation for learning to use ICT and their needs to act and communicate in digital environments. In particular, the paper concerns scenarios enabling lifelong learning for adults with short or no further education. These learning scenarios are realized nationwide by the Danish Government. The objective is to prepare for lifelong learning and learn to use digital tools and media effectively .
Performance improvement of perovskite solar cells by employing a CdSe quantum dot/PCBM composite as an electron transport layer

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites have recently attracted considerable interest for application in solar cells due to their low cost, high absorption coefficient and high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, we utilize a CdSe quantum dot/PCBM composite as an electron transport layer (ETL) to investigate the structure, stability and PCE of CH3NH3PbI3−xClx perovskite solar cells. It is found that adsorption of the CdSe/PCBM composite reduces the roughness of the perovskite, leading to a high-quality film with a compact morphology. Density functional theory (DFT) based first-principles calculations show that CdSe enhances the chemical stability of CH3NH3PbI3−xClx involving strong atomic orbital hybridization. Interestingly, an inorganic-terminated perovskite surface has much stronger interaction with CdSe compared to the surface with organic CH3NH3 termination, with noticeable interfacial charge redistribution. Experiments on solar cells incorporating the CdSe/PCBM composite as the ETL show enhanced photocurrent and fill factor, which is related to the in-built electric field between CH3NH3PbI3−xClx and CdSe that greatly facilitates the separation of electron and hole pairs. We show an improved PCE of 13.7% with enhanced device stability in a highly humid atmosphere. These joint theoretical–experimental results may provide a new aspect for improving the structural stability and operating performance of optoelectronic devices based on perovskite structures.
Temporal Analysis of COVID - 19 Pandemic in India and R0 prediction

India now ranks 3rd in the list of countries affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 0.7 million confirmed COVID–19 cases and a gradual withdrawal of nation-wide lockdown, it is expected India may see a further surge in the number of cases. So, predicting the expected number of cases is the need of the hour. Most of the existing methodologies work well for the short term but perform poorly when it comes to predicting the long term. Hence, in this study, we propose a novel strategy for the prediction of COVID–19 cases by employing Multiple Aggregation Prediction Algorithm (MAPA) with two different ways of predictions called the Principal and the Exponential Predictions. Exponential Prediction has been performed using MAPA on the number of cases, derived from predicted R0. From the Principal and Exponential prediction, a third prediction called Mean prediction was derived by averaging both. We have validated this strategy using data of the different states of India and show that Principal, Mean, and the Exponential Predictions together capture a range in which the actual number of cases lies. We have used this strategy to forecast the range of COVID-19 cases for 45 days.
An Ecoacoustic Snapshot of a Subarctic Coastal Wilderness: Aialik Bay, Alaska 2019

I recorded the ambient sounds at three locations in the wilderness of Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska between 25 June and 21 September 2019. My aim was to capture an ecoacoustic snapshot of the coastal soundscape to provide a comparable baseline for evaluating wilderness characteristics defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964. I visually and empirically characterized the Aialik Bay wilderness soundscape using the acoustic metrics of soundscape power (normalized watts/kHz) and Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI) from 5373 five-minute recordings, combined with visual and aural spectral examination of 4386 recordings. Soundscape power exhibited similar patterns across frequency intervals with sound sources primarily occurring in the low-frequency (1–2 kHz) and mid-frequency (2–5 kHz) intervals. Significant differences within frequency intervals between sites suggested the presence of distinct sonotopes. Low-frequency sounds were dominant across all three sites with peak soundscape power values across study days and 24 h timeframes attributed to wind and occasional periods of technophony emitted from commercial tour boats and private boating activities. Low-frequency geophony from wave action was ever present. Technophony exhibited some predictable patterns consistent with the timing of sightseeing boat tours. Peak values of soundscape power at mid-frequencies were attributed to the geophony of rain. Although biophonies were less common than geophonies, the choruses of songbirds were prevalent in July and promptly occurred daily between 0300 and 0600. Biophonies generally declined over the course of the day. All sites displayed negative NDSI values over most study days and consistently negative values over 24 h time frames, indicating a soundscape primarily influenced by low-frequency geophony and periods of technophony. However, NDSI values showed patterns and peaks similar to biophonies at mid-frequency intervals indicating biophony was still a notable contribution to this geophony-dominant soundscape. Despite the acoustic footprint of motorboat noise detected at all sample sites, the soundscape of the Aialik Bay wilderness was dominated by the natural sounds of geophony, biophony, and occasional periods of natural quiet indicative of a wilderness only partially impacted by technophony.
Is there a relationship between EEG and sTMS neurophysiological markers of the putative human mirror neuron system?

The mirror neuron system (MNS) has been theorized to play a neurobiological role in a number of social cognitive abilities and is commonly indexed putatively in humans via interpersonal motor resonance (IMR) and mu suppression. Although both indices are thought to measure similar neuronal populations (i.e., “mirror neurons”), it has been suggested that these methods are unrelated, and therefore, incompatible. However, prior studies reporting no relationships were typically conducted in small and underpowered samples. Thus, we aimed to investigate this potential association in a large sample of neurotypical adults (N = 116; 72 females). Participants underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG) during the observation of videos of actors performing grasping actions in order to index IMR and mu suppression (in beta, lower alpha, and upper alpha bandwidths). A series of linear regressions revealed no associations between IMR and each of the mu suppression bandwidths. Supplementary Bayesian analyses provided further evidence in favor of the null (B01 = 8.85–8.93), providing further support for no association between the two indices of MNS activity. Our findings suggest that these two measures may indeed be unrelated indices that perhaps assess different neurophysiological aspects of the MNS. These results have important implications for future studies examining the MNS.