Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Highlight Induced Transcriptional Priming against a Subsequent Drought Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

In plants, priming allows a more rapid and robust response to recurring stresses. However, while the nature of plant response to a single stress can affect the subsequent response to the same stress has been deeply studied, considerably less is known on how the priming effect due to one stress can help plants cope with subsequent different stresses, a situation that can be found in natural ecosystems. Here, we investigate the potential priming effects in Arabidopsis plants subjected to a high light (HL) stress followed by a drought (D) stress. The cross-stress tolerance was assessed at the physiological and molecular levels. Our data demonstrated that HL mediated transcriptional priming on the expression of specific stress response genes. Furthermore, this priming effect involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent responses, as also supported by reduced expression of these genes in the aba1–3 mutant compared to the wild type. We have also assessed several physiological parameters with the aim of seeing if gene expression coincides with any physiological changes. Overall, the results from the physiological measurements suggested that these physiological processes did not experience metabolic changes in response to the stresses. In addition, we show that the H3K4me3 epigenetic mark could be a good candidate as an epigenetic mark in priming response. Overall, our results help to elucidate how HL-mediated priming can limit D-stress and enhance plant responses to stress.
Prevention of Dry Socket with Ozone Oil-Based Gel after Inferior Third Molar Extraction: A Double-Blind Split-Mouth Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Tooth extraction is followed by a sequence of elaborate local changes affecting hard and soft tissues. Dry socket (DS) can occur as intense pain around and in the extraction site, with an incidence from 1–4% after generic tooth extraction to 45% for mandibular third molars. Ozone therapy has gained attention in the medical field because of its success in the treatment of various diseases, its biocompatible properties and its fewer side effects or discomfort than drugs. To investigate the preventive effect of the sunflower oil-based ozone gel Ozosan® (Sanipan srl, Clivio (VA), Italy) on DS, a double-blind split-mouth randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted according to the CONSORT guidelines. Ozosan® or the placebo gel were put in the socket, and the gels were washed off 2 min later. In total, 200 patients were included in our study. The patient population comprised 87 Caucasian males and 113 Caucasian females. The mean age of the included patients was 33.1 ± 12.4 years. Ozosan reduced the incidence of DS after inferior third molar extraction from 21.5% of the control to 2% (p < 0.001). Concerning the dry socket epidemiology, the incidence was not significantly correlated with gender, smoking or mesioangular, vertical or distoangular Winter’s classification. Post hoc power calculation showed a power of 99.8% for this data, with alpha = 0.001.
Performance Study for Improving Throughput in Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain Platform

Hyperledger Fabric (HLF) is a blockchain platform that supports immediate finality of transactions and can be used in various application domains such as Supply chain, Health etc. Researchers have reported significant improvement in throughput, in HLF v1.0, based on experiments carried out with certain optimizations when Kafka is used as a consensus mechanism. In our paper, we supplement the above study with a few more guidelines that improve the throughput. The guidelines have been derived on top of HLF platform v2.2. 3 with Raft and SmartBFT consensus mechanisms and with different Tx sizes. Our experimental study has shown 3 to 5 times improvement when compared to default configuration settings of HLF v2.2. 3 in the case of Raft.
Accounting, slavery and the slave trade: A multi-continental perspective

As in other disciplines, the Atlantic slave-trade and New World slavery have assumed an increasingly contentious role in accounting history. In her Accounting for Slavery, Rosenthal has recently located many current business practices in the nexus between accounting, capitalism and slavery. Other accounting historians have explored slave-trading ventures from Africa, the role of accounting and slavery in New World colonisation, and in accounting and managerial practices in the slave-estates of the Americas. Absent from the extant literature are studies that explore the nexus between accounting, capitalism and slavery from a multi-continental perspective that considers Atlantic slavery as an integrated whole. This study, by drawing on the Trans-Atlantic Slave-trade Database, seeks to fill this gap, examining the correlations between Atlantic slavery and African demographic and social regression, European prosperity and New World accounting and managerial practices. In doing so, it argues that accounting played a fundamentally different role in the slave economy to that which it undertook in emerging systems of industrial capitalism.
Heartwood formation and its relationship with basic density and green moisture content of young small-leaf mahogany trees

Swietenia mahogani (L.) Jacq. is one of Indonesia’s commercially valuable timbers. We investigated the time or age at which heartwood formation begins, and observed and determined whether the occurrence of heartwood formation was affected by age or diameter. The presence of heartwood from the bottom to the top (at various axial positions) of the stem was observed, and the basic density (BD) and green moisture content (GMC) were measured. The area of heartwood and sapwood was determined based on the colour differences in the cross-section. The results showed that the formation of the heartwood begins when the tree is four years old. In the axial position, the heartwood can be found in up to 65% of the tree height. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test showed that heartwood proportion was determined more by diameter than by age. Therefore this can be a consideration for tree breeding programmes to select trees with larger diameters. Harvesting of young, fast-growing mahogany trees with large diameters from tree breeding can be expected to produce wood with good beauty and durability. Furthermore, BD in the heartwood was lower than in the sapwood, although there was a positive correlation between the proportion of heartwood and BD.
Development of New Targeted Nanotherapy Combined with Magneto-Fluorescent Nanoparticles against Colorectal Cancer

The need for non-invasive therapies capable of conserving drug efficiency and stability while having specific targetability against colorectal cancer (CRC), has made nanoparticles preferable vehicles and principal building blocks for the development of complex and multi-action anti-tumoral approaches. For that purpose, we herein report the production of a combinatory anti-tumoral nanotherapy using the production of a new targeting towards CRC lines. To do so, Magneto-fluorescent NANO3 nanoparticles were used as nanocarriers for a combination of the drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and ofloxacin (OFLO). NANO3 nanoparticles’ surface was modified with two different targeting agents, a newly synthesized (anti-CA IX acetazolamide derivative (AZM-SH)) and a commercially available (anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Cetuximab). The cytotoxicity revealed that only DOX-containing nanosystems showed significant and even competitive cytotoxicity when compared to that of free DOX. Interestingly, surface modification with AZM-SH promoted an increased cellular uptake in the HCT116 cell line, surpassing even those functionalized with Cetuximab. The results show that the new target has high potential to be used as a nanotherapy agent for CRC cells, surpassing commercial targets. As a proof-of-concept, an oral administration form of NANO3 systems was successfully combined with Eudragit® enteric coating and studied under extreme conditions.
The effect of substance uses on antiretroviral treatment adherence in primary health care

Background Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the primary factor determining how an individual responds to their treatment. Unfortunately, individuals who use substances experience suboptimal adherence to their treatment, but little is known about the exact effects of their use on ART adherence in primary health care settings. Methods The authors used a prospective cohort study to evaluate substance use’s effects on ART adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH) who attend primary health care services in the Mthatha region of South Africa. Results During the study period, 601 PLWH were followed up for 6 months. The participant’s mean age was 38.5 (standard deviation [s.d.] = 11) years, with a mean CD4 count of 491.7 (s.d. = 241). Suboptimal ART adherence and default rates were 20.2% and 9.3%, respectively. Among the substance users, suboptimal adherence to ART was statistically significantly higher than non-users (24.6% and 15.9%, respectively, p = 0.007). The authors also observed suboptimum ART adherence among people who presented with clinical comorbidities. Conclusion Substance use has negatively affected ART adherence among PLWH who attend primary health care services in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Therefore, an integrated substance use management strategy in primary health care is recommended to achieve optimal adherence to ART. Contribution Substance use disorder significantly affected the adherence to ART in primary health care. This is important since primary care is the gateway to the HIV care continuum. The study highlighted the role of integration of substance use management in primary care.
Effect of Abiotic Conditions on Growth, Mycotoxin Production, and Gene Expression by Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex Strains from Maize

Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) strains are a major concern for food quantity and quality due to their strong ability to synthesize mycotoxins. The effects of interacting conditions of water activity, temperature, and incubation time on the growth rate, toxin production, and expression level of biosynthetic genes were examined. High temperature and water availability increased fungal growth. Higher water activity was in favor of toxin accumulation. The maximum amounts of fusaric acid (FA) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were usually observed at 20–25 °C. F. andiyazi could produce a higher content of moniliformin (MON) in the cool environment than F. fujikuroi. The expression profile of biosynthetic genes under environmental conditions varied wildly; it was suggested that these genes might be expressed in a strain-dependent manner. FB1 concentration was positively related to the expression of FUM1, while a similar correlation of FUB8 and FUB12 with FA production could be observed in F. andiyazi, F. fujikuroi, and F. subglutinans. This study provides useful information in the monitoring and prevention of such toxins entering the maize production chain.
Come Together: Far-Right Parties and Mainstream Coalitions

While far-right parties tend to receive a small minority of votes in national elections, their presence in ruling coalitions is becoming much more common. In this article, I ask under what conditions mainstream parties are willing and interested in forming a coalition with a far-right party, given the potentially high costs associated with having such a partner in government. I characterize such moves as the co-optation of a growing political rival in an effort to minimize electoral threat. That is, as far-right parties become more threatening to the electoral success of a mainstream party, they will invite the party into their government, in an effort to stave off said threat. This characterization borrows from the literature of authoritarian co-optation to build on our current understanding of parliamentary coalition-building. Quantitative analysis utilizing cross-national, survey and spatial data is employed to support this theory.
Generation of Nano-Bubbles by NaHCO3 for Improving the FO Membrane Performance

Thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide membranes have a wide range of applications in forward osmosis, but tuning the water flux remains a significant challenge due to concentration polarization. The generation of nano-sized voids within the polyamide rejection layer can change the roughness of the membrane. In this experiment, the micro-nano structure of the PA rejection layer was adjusted by adding sodium bicarbonate to the aqueous phase to generate nano-bubbles, and the changes of its roughness with the addition of sodium bicarbonate were systematically demonstrated. With the enhanced nano-bubbles, more and more blade-like and band-like features appeared on the PA layer, which could effectively reduce the reverse solute flux of the PA layer and improve the salt rejection of the FO membrane. The increase in roughness raised the area of the membrane surface, which led to a larger area for concentration polarization and reduced the water flux. This experiment demonstrated the variation of roughness and water flux, providing an effective idea for the preparation of high-performance FO membranes.
SXRF for Studying the Distribution of Trace Metals in the Pancreas and Liver

Transition metals such as iron, copper and zinc are required for the normal functioning of biological tissues, whereas others, such as cadmium, are potentially highly toxic. Any disturbances in homeostasis caused by lack of micronutrients in the diet, pollution or genetic heredity result in malfunction and/or diseases. Here, we used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, SXRF, microscopy and mice with altered functions of major antioxidant enzymes to show that SXRF may become a powerful tool to study biologically relevant metal balance in the pancreas and liver of mice models with disturbed glucose homeostasis.
Investigating the overlap and predictive validity between Criterion A and B in the alternative model for personality disorders in DSM-5

Abstract The Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) consists of level of personality functioning (Criterion A) and maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B). The brief scale versions of these are understudied, while often being used by clinicians and researchers. In this study, we wanted to investigate the overlap and predictive validity of Criterion A and B. Participants (N = 253) were measured on level of personality functioning (LPFS-BF) and maladaptive personality traits (PID-5-BF), as well as internalizing outcomes such existential meaninglessness (EMS) and externalizing outcomes such as substance and behavioral addictions (SSAB). Data analysis was conducted with principal component analysis (PCA) and regression analyses. The results showed over 50% overlap between the brief versions of Criterion A and B, while Criterion B slightly outperformed Criterion A in outcomes of EMS and SSAB. We discuss the potential redundancy and usefulness of personality functioning and maladaptive personality traits.
Effect of organisational justice on workplace deviance in Nigerian public universities

Orientation: Universities in Nigeria every so often experience the challenges of workplace deviant behaviour (WDB). These acts among university’s staff could be detrimental to the attainment of the fundamental objectives of tertiary education; hence, it is vital that drastic measures are taken to curb such behaviours.Research purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of organisational justice (OJ) on WDB in Nigerian public universities.Motivation for the study: Although ample studies exist on organisational behaviour, not many empirical studies have been conducted to examine the role of organisational factors such as OJ (perception of fairness) on employee’s deviant behaviour in universities, especially in Nigeria.Research design, approach and method: This quantitative design employed a positivist research paradigm in achieving its objectives. A survey, using a structured close-ended questionnaire, was conducted among 572 employees of selected public universities in South-West Nigeria. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effect or OJ on WDB.Main findings: The findings revealed that procedural justice has significant and increasing effect on both organisational and interpersonal deviance. Conversely, interpersonal justice has a significant reducing effect on organisational deviance, while informational and distributive justice do not determine WDB.Practical/managerial implications: Based on the finding of this study, managers of public universities must pursue interpersonal justice as a way out of organisational deviance.Contribution/value-add: The study’s findings contribute to justice-deviance literature in Nigeria and highlight the need for government and management alike to emphasise interactional justice in the workplace if deviant acts are to be curbed.
Credit risk pricing in a consumption‐based equilibrium framework with incomplete accounting information

We present a consumption‐based equilibrium framework for credit risk pricing based on the Epstein–Zin (EZ) preferences where the default time is modeled as the first hitting time of a default boundary and bond investors have imperfect/partial information about the firm value. The imperfect information is generated by the underlying observed state variables and a noisy observation process of the firm value. In addition, the consumption, the volatility, and the firm value process are modeled to follow affine diffusion processes. Using the EZ equilibrium solution as the pricing kernel, we provide an equivalent pricing measure to compute the prices of financial derivatives as discounted values of the future payoffs given the incomplete information. The price of a zero‐coupon bond is represented in terms of the solutions of a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) and a deterministic PDE; the self‐contained proofs are provided for both this representation and the well‐posedness of the involved SPDE. Furthermore, this SPDE is numerically solved, which yields some insights into the relationship between the structure of the yield spreads and the model parameters.
Dependence of the 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 11/2 induced-emission cross section for Nd 3+ on glass composition

Systematic studies of spectral intensities using the Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory for crystal-field-induced electric-dipole transitions demonstrate that Nd-doped glasses can be tailored for specific laser applications by proper selection of the glass constituents. Variations with glass composition are reported for the following properties: induced-emission cross section, peak fluorescence wavelength, effective fluorescence bandwidth, radiative lifetime, transition probabilities, and fluorescence branching ratios. Both glass network formers and network-modifier ions were changed. In these studies the induced-emission cross section for the Nd3+,4 F_{3/2} \rightarrow 4 I_{11/2} laser transition was varied by more than a factor of 4 by changing the glass host.
A highly collimated outflow in the core of OMC-1

The paper reports the discovery of a 120 arcsec long jet of CO in OMC-1. The feature, which is redshifted up to 15 km s-1 from the ambient CO gas, was presumably ejected from CS3/FIR4 60 arcsec southwest of the Trapezium and 110 arcsec south of IRc2. It might be related to a local bipolar source recently found there in SiO. The jet has very narrow width (not greater than 8 arcsec) and shows no sign of angular divergence; its axis is a straight line. The matter is accelerated all along, with the largest accelerations observed on the central axis. Lower velocity material envelops the high-speed core. Halfway along the jet, there is a sharp break at which the higher velocities terminate abruptly. Beyond the break, acceleration continues without change of direction or strength; the flow's final disappearance might be caused by accelerative dilution. The jet is probably denser than the ambient cloud; its temperature (about 45 K) approaches ambient values. Blueshifted emission of narrow lateral extent is seen over the full length of the redshifted jet. 15 refs.
Enhancing the Interface Behavior on Polycarbonate/Elastomeric Blends: Morphological, Structural, and Thermal Characterization

A systematic study was performed to provide better understanding of the effect of elastomeric materials on the behavior of polycarbonate blends (PC). Thus, blends of PC with different amounts of elastomers, such as copolyether ester elastomer (COPE), acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS), maleic anhydride-grafted ABS (ABS-g-MA), and styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS-g-MA) were prepared in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. The materials were characterized by an electronic microscopy (SEM), an infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal (DSC) and thermo-mechanical (DMA) techniques. The incorporation of elastomeric phases was observed by changes in the FTIR band’s intensity, whereas a new shoulder of the ester band of COPE at 1728 cm−1 indicates the occurrence of a transesterification reaction. Unmodified and modified ABS (5% and 10%) did not affect the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PC, while 1% SEBS-g-MA slightly increased this value. PC/10% COPE showed that a decrease in Tg of 25 °C has a result of better compatibilization between both phases, which is visible via SEM. SEM analysis identified three main toughening mechanisms, depending on the type of elastomer. Unlike any other study, this work deepens the knowledge, in a comparative way, to understand the elastomeric effect at the interface and consequently, on the mechanical behavior of PC systems.
Variational Formulations of Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

Thermodynamical functions for classical and quantum systems are expressed in terms of the one‐particle density n1 and the two‐particle correlation matrix C12 (or quantities in direct relation to them). Use is made of topological relations valid for the diagram representations of the grand partition function expansions. The result considered as a functional of n1 and C12 is stationary under independent variations δn1 and δC12. In particular, the entropy functional of a classical system no longer contains any reference to the equilibrium parameters (or to the interactions) and the second functional derivative is a negative definite matrix. The entropy functional of a quantum system conserves traces of the equilibrium parameters in the Lee‐Yang formulation; the Green's function formulation does not, but in this case the second functional derivative is no longer a negative definite matrix.
Hurricane track prediction using a statistical ensemble of numerical models

Abstract A new statistical ensemble prediction system for tropical cyclone tracks is presented. The system is based on a statistical analysis of the annual performance of numerical track prediction models, assuming that their position errors are systematic and depend on storm structure, location, and motion. For a given tropical cyclone advisory and given model forecasts of a particular storm at any base date and time, the statistical analysis of the model performances in the year preceding the base date and time can be used to produce a track prediction and geographical maps of strike probability distributions at all prediction times. The statistical ensemble prediction system was developed using tropical cyclone advisories, model predictions, and best-track positions of all Atlantic hurricane seasons between 1996 and 2000. Track predictions were carried out in each individual year between 1997 and 2000. The 24-, 48-, and 72-h mean position errors, averaged over the whole time period 1997–2000, were foun.