Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Upper Limits on the Presence of Central Massive Black Holes in Two Ultra-compact Dwarf Galaxies in Centaurus A

The recent discovery of massive black holes (BHs) in the centers of high-mass ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) suggests that at least some are the stripped nuclear star clusters of dwarf galaxies. We present the first study that investigates whether such massive BHs, and therefore stripped nuclei, also exist in low-mass (M < 107 M⊙) UCDs. We constrain the BH masses of two UCDs located in Centaurus A (UCD 320 and UCD 330) using Jeans modeling of the resolved stellar kinematics from adaptive optics data obtained with the SINFONI integral field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT/SINFONI). No massive BHs are found in either UCD. We find a 3σ upper limit on the central BH mass in UCD 330 of M• < 1.0 × 105 M⊙, which corresponds to 1.7% of the total mass. This excludes a high-mass fraction BH and would only allow low-mass BHs similar to those claimed to be detected in Local Group globular clusters. For UCD 320, poorer data quality results in a less constraining 3σ upper limit of M• < 1 × 106 M⊙, which is equal to 37.7% of the total mass. The dynamical mass-to-light ratios of UCD 320 and UCD 330 are not inflated compared to predictions from stellar population models. The non-detection of BHs in these low-mass UCDs is consistent with the idea that elevated dynamical mass-to-light ratios do indicate the presence of a substantial BH. Although no massive BHs are detected, these systems could still be stripped nuclei. The strong rotation (v/σ of 0.3–0.4) in both UCDs and the two-component light profile in UCD 330 support the idea that these UCDs may be stripped nuclei of low-mass galaxies whose BH occupation fraction is not yet known.
Relation Between Sustainability‑Related Communication and Competitiveness in the Chemical Industry

Interests of companies in the sustainability‑related communication have risen considerably in recent years. This paper focuses on the current state of sustainability‑related reporting in chemical industry companies registered in the Association of Chemical Industry in the Czech Republic. It deals with the form and the content of reporting, the importance of different stakeholders in this process as well as benefits of the sustainability‑related communication and its impacts on competitiveness of the company. This paper summarizes the results of a research executed in the year 2014. The results of the research showed that chemical industry companies were aware of the significance of sustainability‑related communication and they utilized various types of sustainability‑related reports for this communication. Companies prefer to report on the environmental and social aspects of their activities primarily in their annual reports, or they issue separate environmental reports. The research verified the relationship between the sustainability‑related communication and competitiveness. A suitable established high quality system of communication that provides sufficient information and meets the information requirements of the key stakeholders may significantly contribute to reputation improvement, to increased attractiveness of the company as an employer and thereby to maintain, to improve respectively, the level of a company’s competitiveness.
Change during psychotherapy: the perspective of children and adolescents who have been sexually abused

The aim of this research was to identify the meanings of psychotherapeutic change of children and adolescents who have suffered sexual abuse and were in psychotherapy. In order to do this, a qualitative study was carried out in which in-depth interviews complemented with drawings were conducted with 10 children and adolescents, aged between 6 and 16 years, who were taking part in psychotherapy due to sexual abuse. The interviews took place between 6 and 10 months after the start of the therapy and before it ended. Thematic narrative analysis was used for the interviews and visual narrative analysis for the drawings. The main findings showed that children and adolescents visualized psychotherapeutic change as a process in which gradual progress is made. The participants notice changes from an initial state of sadness and distress, mainly describing a positive shift in terms of emotional well-being. In addition, in this phase of the therapy only a few participants identified changes in their feelings regarding the abusive experience. The participants identified aspects of the therapy and supportive relationships with significant others as elements that foster these changes. In their view, hindering elements include changes of therapist, legal factors, and not being believed by their family. It is discussed the importance of knowing the children and adolescents’ perspective regarding psychotherapeutic change while participating in therapy processes, using multiple methodologies, to generate interventions that suit the needs of this population and match the pace of children and adolescents’ change.
Biomass and Bioenergy Potential of Brown Midrib Sweet Sorghum Germplasm

Public appetite for fossil fuels continues to drive energy prices and foment the build-up of intractable environmental problems. Ethanol (ETOH) production from lignocellulosic biomass grown in marginal lands offers a sustainable alternative without diverting arable land from food and feed production. The quantity and quality of lignocellulosic biomass can be enhanced by the abundant genetic diversity for biomass production as well as stem sugar and lignin composition in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). The objective of this study was to assess yield and quality of lignocellulosic biomass enhancement for ethanol production potential in a population of sorghum derived from two cultivars with contrasting biomass yield and compositional traits. We tested 236 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) of sorghum in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications for lignocellulosic biomass performance and determined hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin concentrations through detergent fiber analysis (DFA). The stover compositional values were used to estimate theoretical ethanol yield (ETOH on a mass basis) and production (ETOH on an area basis). Results showed that RIL carrying the brown midrib mutation had significantly higher theoretical glucose recovery (released glucose from cellulose, > 200 g kg-1). Those carrying both mutations, had high theoretical ethanol yield (>400 L ton-1) and high theoretical ethanol production (>14,500 L ha-1). Lignin concentration was determined as most reliable predictor (R2 = 0.67) for glucose recovery. Lignin and stem sugar concentrations (R2 = 0.46 and 0.35, respectively) were good predictors for ethanol yield. Stover yield traits (R2 = 0.89) were most important determinants for ethanol production. Our findings suggest that careful breeding of sorghum for genetic enhancement of biomass quantity and quality could double lignocellulosic ethanol yields.
GENETIC VARIABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH ANALYSIS OF RICE GENOTYPES IN RAINFED CONDITION AT LAMJUNG, NEPAL

An experiment on eleven rice genotypes was designed at field of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung, under randomized complete block design with three replications from June-October, 2018 to study genetic variability and character association. Analysis of variance showed significant difference among the genotypes for all the characters studied except for grain yield and fertility percent which indicates the existence of sufficient genetic variability and potential for selection and further improvement. Grain yield was significantly positively correlated with panicle length while positively and non-significantly correlated with days of flowering, leaf area and straw yield except for plant height, SPAD60, fertility percent, thousand grain weight and effective tillers. Leaf area had maximum positive direct effect on grain yield followed by panicle length, thousand grain weight and effective tillers which indicates help for selection and improvement of rice genotypes. The higher value of correlation between panicle length and grain yield is due to the direct effect of panicle length which exhibit true relationship between them. The variability study showed that there was high genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for thousand grain weight. High heritability estimates coupled with high genetic advance as per percentage of mean (GAM) was found for thousand grain weight, days of flowering, leaf area and effective tillers which indicate the control of additive gene of action and a greater scope of selection for crop improvement. The results revealed considerable phenotypic and genotypic variance among the genotypes for the traits under consideration. The value of GCV was high for thousand grain weight, moderate for leaf area, effective tiller, straw yield, grain yield, panicle length and days of flowering and low for plant height, chlorophyll and fertility percent. The value of PCV was high for thousand grain weight, leaf area, effective tiller, straw yield and grain yield and moderate for panicle length, days of flowering, PH and chlorophyll and low for fertility percent. High GCV and PCV indicate that there is possibility of traits improved through selection. Low value indicates that there is need for creation of variability either by hybridization or mutation followed by selection
The Impact of Voluntary IAS/IFRS Adoption on Medium Italian Private Entities: Implications for the Adoption of IFRS for SMEs

The EU Regulation 1606/2002 enhanced the financial statement comparability by requiring the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) mandatory application. In Italy, the implementation of EU regulation stated that listed firms are required to prepare their financial statements in accordance with IFRS, then extended to private entities on a voluntary basis. The study examines the extent to which the change from Italian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to IFRS has affected Italian small and medium-sized entities (SMEs). The results suggest that profit and equity reported under IFRS is higher than that reported under Italian GAAP and that the most relevant and frequent impacts are caused by the adoption of IAS 38, IAS 16, IAS 19, IAS 17, IAS 39, and IAS 18. This study can inform companies and policy makers of the consequences of IFRS adoption in those countries which intend to expand the application of IFRS more widely to smaller companies. Moreover, comparing the similarity and differences between full IFRS and IFRS for SMEs, this study supports the opinion that SMEs regulation cannot provide significant simplification especially designed for the needs of SMEs.
Use of Basalt Fibers for Soil Improvement

Soil reinforcement with natural and man-made fibers is one of the techniques to improve a number of mechanical and physical properties of soils. Although basalt originated fibers are currently being used for concrete, it is not an easy task to find a source in literature concerning the use of basalt fibers for soil improvement. In this study, basalt fibers have been used for this new aim. This study is an investigation into evaluation of the increase in soil strength, which is reinforced, in different percentages, by basalt chopped fibers. A silty soil sample has been chosen for this study and has been mixed, with 6, 12, and 24 mm long basalt fiber at varying contents. The unconsolidated undrained triaxial tests show that the addition of 24 mm long fibers into soil gives the maximum improvement in strength and the optimum fiber content (by dry weight of soil) is 1.5%.
Two new records of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

ABSTRACT Despite their importance as potential biological control agents, only two species of family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) have so far been recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Euseius finlandicus (Oudemans) and Phytoseius macropilis (Banks). Here, we report native populations of Amblyseius andersoni (Chant), a widely used predator in biological control programs around the world, and Neoseiulella tuberculatus (Wainstein), from Bosnia and Herzegovina. These species are briefly re-described and illustrated based on female specimens, as some morphological features show small variations. Dorsal setae z4, used to separate species groups in Amblyseius, are somewhat longer in Bosnian specimens of A. andersoni than those of previous reports. The length of this seta is as long as 2/3 distance between its base and that of setae s4. In addition, asymmetry is observed in a female specimen of N. tuberculatus in terms of insertion of pre-anal setae ZV2 (out of shield in right side). Setae J2, Z1, Z4, Z5, S2, S4, and S5 arise on very small tubercules in the specimen of N. tuberculatus.
G ROUND-MOTION PREDICTION EQUATIONS FOR SOUTHERN S PAIN AND SOUTHERN N ORWAY OBTAINED USING THE COMPOSITE MODEL PERSPECTIVE

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Production, characterization and evaluation of in vitro digestion of phytases, xylanases and cellulases for feed industry

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the biotechnological potential for producing phytase, xylanase and cellulose enzymes by the fungi, Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634 and Aspergillus japonicus URM 5633. Additionally, the effects of temperature, pH and simulation of digestion in vitro, under enzymatic stability, were investigated. Six fermentation systems were produced using the agro-industrial wastes palm extract, inner bark bran of cassava and water from maceration of corn (corn steep liquor) as sources of nutrients. A. tamarii URM 4634, the greatest producer, presented a production profile of 1104.18, 485.87 and 226.51 U/mg for phytase, xylanase and cellulase, respectively. In general, after 180 min at 80°C, cellulase showed lower thermal stability with a residual activity of 44.4%, while xylanase had greater stability with a residual activity of 73.5%. Maximum residual activity values for pH stability of phytase and xylanase occurred at pH 7.5, with 74.6% and 91.9%, respectively, after 180 min. For cellulase, pH 5.0 resulted in the maximum values of residual activity (82%). In the simulation of gastrointestinal digestion, phytase and cellulase were resistant, having maximize their activities throughout the enteric digestion process (149.8 and 221.5%); however, xylanase was greatly affected by pepsin, which reduced its activity to 78%. This knowledge with respect to the effect of temperature, pH and simulated gastrointestinal digestion helps to optimize the use of these enzymes in the form of multi-enzymatic complexes in the feed industry. Key words: Aspergillus, monogastric, multi-enzymatic complex, production, characterization.
Consumers' knowledge of and attitudes toward the role of oak in winemaking.

Oak plays an important role in the production of some white wines and most red wines. Yet, consumers’ knowledge of the use of oak in winemaking and their preference for oak-related sensory attributes remains unclear. This study examined the knowledge and attitudes of 1,015 Australian wine consumers toward the use of oak in winemaking. Consumers who indicated a liking of oak-aged wines (n=847) were segmented according to their knowledge of the role of oak in wine production. Four distinct consumer clusters were identified, with significantly different preferences for wine sensory attributes and opinions regarding the use of oak alternatives for wine maturation. One segment comprised more knowledgeable consumers, who appreciate and value traditional oak maturation regimes, for which they are willing to pay a premium price. However, a segment comprising less knowledgeable wine consumers was accepting of the use of oak chips, provided wine quality was not compromised. Winemakers can therefore justify the use of oak alternatives to achieve oak-aged wines at lower price points. The outcomes of this study can be used by winemakers to better tailor their wines to the specific needs and expectations of consumers within different segments of the market.
Top‐Ranked Priority Research Questions for Soil Science in the 21st Century

Soils provide critical support essential for life on earth, regulate processes across diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and interact with the atmosphere. However, soil science is constrained by a variety of challenges including decreasing funding prospects and a declining number of new students and young professionals. Hence, there is a crucial need to revitalize the impact, relevance, and recognition of soil science as well as promote collaboration beyond traditionally defined soil science research disciplines. Such revitalization and collaboration may be fostered by a shift from discipline-focused soil science research to cross-disciplinary research approaches and issue-driven research. In this paper, we present the outcomes of an initiative to identify priority research questions as a tool for guiding future soil science research. The collaborative approach involved four stages including (i) survey-based solicitation of questions; (ii) criteria-based screening of submitted candidate questions, (iii) criteria-based ranking of screened questions, and (iv) final revision of top ranked questions. The 25 top ranked research questions emerged from 140 submitted candidate questions within five predetermined thematic areas that represent current and emerging research areas. We expect that the identified questions will inspire both existing and prospective researchers, enhance multi-disciplinary collaboration both within and outside soil science, draw the attention of grant-awarding bodies, and guide soil science research to address pressing societal, agricultural, and environmental challenges. Furthermore, we hope that the approach and findings presented in this paper will advance soil sciences by fostering improved collaboration among soil science practitioners and researchers, as well as with other sciences, policy experts, and emerging professionals (including students) to meet societal needs.
Characterization of Vibrio cholerae’s Extracellular Nuclease Xds

The Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae encodes two nucleases, Dns and Xds, which play a major role during the human pathogen’s lifecycle. Dns and Xds control three-dimensional biofilm formation and bacterial detachment from biofilms via degradation of extracellular DNA and thus contribute to the environmental, inter-epidemic persistence of the pathogen. During intestinal colonization the enzymes help evade the innate immune response, and therefore promote survival by mediating escape from neutrophil extracellular traps. Xds has the additional function of degrading extracellular DNA down to nucleotides, which are an important nutrient source for V. cholerae. Thus, Xds is a key enzyme for survival fitness during distinct stages of the V. cholerae lifecycle and could be a potential therapeutic target. This study provides detailed information about the enzymatic properties of Xds using purified protein in combination with a real time nuclease activity assay. The data define an optimal buffer composition for Xds activity as 50 mM Tris/HCl pH 7, 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM MgCl2, and 20 mM CaCl2. Moreover, maximal activity was observed using substrate DNA with low GC content and ambient temperatures of 20–25°C. In silico analysis and homology modeling predicted an exonuclease domain in the C-terminal part of the protein. Biochemical analyses with truncated variants and point mutants of Xds confirm that the C-terminal region is sufficient for nuclease activity. We also find that residues D787 and H837 within the predicted exonuclease domain are key to formation of the catalytic center.
Effects on the Forward Bias Characteristics of Neutron Irradiated Si and GaAs Diodes

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects on forward bias characteristics of neutron radiation on various commercially available silicon and GaAs diodes. The diodes were irradiated using the Pneumatic Transfer System (PTS) facility in Malaysian Nuclear Agency with neutron fluences up to 10 12 neutron/cm 2 . s for an exposure time of 1, 3 and 5 min. The Forward Bias (FB) current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and doping profiles of the diodes were recorded before and after irradiation. It is observed that the FB leakage current of the silicon and GaAs diodes increases after irradiation. The increase in leakage current is interpreted as being due to an increase of generation-recombination traps created in the band gap after radiation. The doping concentration of GaAs diodes in FB is observed to decrease while the series resistance increases after irradiation which may be attributed to changes in doping concentration due to carrier removal by the defects produced.
Normalization by Valence and Motivational Intensity in the Primary Sensorimotor Cortices (PMd, M1 and S1)

Our brain’s ability to represent vast amounts of information, such as continuous ranges of reward spanning orders of magnitude, with limited dynamic range neurons, may be possible due to normalization. Recently our group and others have shown that the sensorimotor cortices are sensitive to reward value. In order to determine if normalization plays a role in the sensorimotor cortices when considering non-sensorimotor variables, such as valence and motivational intensity, we had two non-human primate (NHP) subjects (one male bonnet macaque and one female rhesus macaque) make cued grip-force movements while simultaneously cueing the level of possible reward if successful, or time-out punishment if unsuccessful. We recorded simultaneously from 96 electrodes in each the somatosensory, motor and dorsal premotor cortices (S1, M1, PMd). We utilized several normalization models for valence, and motivational intensity in all three regions. We found three types of divisive normalized relationships between neural activity and the representation of reward and punishment, linear, sigmodal and hyperbolic. The hyperbolic relationships resemble receptive fields in psychological affect space, where a unit is particularly sensitive to a small range of the valence/motivational space. We found that these cortical regions have both strong valence and motivational intensity representations. Significance Statement Brain machine interfaces (BMIs) are likely to make their way into the clinical setting in the future. Increasing stability of brain derived control of such BMI systems is one essential aspect towards user acceptance, and stability must be maintained no matter the emotional state of the user. However, it is well known that we move faster for rewards of higher magnitude, indicating that emotions influence the motor control system, where BMI control signals come from. Here we report widespread affective modulation of the sensorimotor regions (PMd, PMv, M1 and S1) by cued levels of possible reward if successful and time-out punishment if unsuccessful in non-human primates, and that affect divisively normalizes these regions activity.