Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategies of ultraviolet‐B protection in microscopic algae

Different species of microalgae show a wide range of susceptibility to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. To identify factors responsible for the UV-B tolerance of some of the algae, we compared 8 species that are highly tolerant to UV-B to 8 species that are highly susceptible. The tolerant species contained substantial amounts of an acetolysis-resistant residue. The residue consists of sporopollenin, a biopolymer of variable chemical composition that occurs in the algal cell walls and absorbs UV-B radiation. The susceptible species contained little or no sporopollenin. We propose that sporopollenin provides protection to the tolerant species by screening the incident UV-B radiation. Previous studies showed that the mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA) also act as effective UV-B screens. Our data indicate that sporopollenin provides a constant protection while MAA are induced by radiation stress and occur with some delay. The tolerant species also differ from the susceptible species in their capacity to repair the reaction centers damaged by UV-B. The tolerant algae became vulnerable to UV-B when protein synthesis needed for repair was blocked by streptomycin. In the susceptible species, streptomycin had no effect during the UV-B stress. The repair deficiency in the susceptible species can be explained either by relatively less effective protein synthesis or by an inhibition of the protein synthesis by UV-B. In the tolerant species, the structures needed for protein synthesis are protected by UV-B screening of sporopollenin and MAA.
Use of Multiensemble Track Clustering to Inform Medium-Range Tropical Cyclone Forecasts

Tropical cyclone ensemble track forecasts from 153 initialization times during 2017–18 are clustered using regression mixture models. Clustering is performed on a four-ensemble dataset [ECMWF + GEFS + UKMET + CMC (EGUC)], and a three-ensemble dataset that excludes the CMC (EGU). For both datasets, five-cluster partitions are selected to analyze, and the relationship between cluster properties (size, ensemble composition) and 96–144-h cluster-mean error is evaluated. For both datasets, small clusters produce very large errors, with the least populous cluster producing the largest error in more than 50% of forecasts. The mean of the most populous EGUC cluster outperforms the most accurate (EGU) ensemble mean in only 43% of forecasts; however, when the most populous EGUC cluster from each forecast contains ≥30% of the ensemble population, its average cluster-mean error is significantly reduced compared to when the most populous cluster is smaller. Forecasts with a highly populous EGUC cluster also appear to have smaller EGUC-, EGU-, and ECMWF-mean errors. Cluster-mean errors also vary substantially by the ensembles composing the cluster. The most accurate clusters are EGUC clusters that contain threshold memberships of ECMWF, GEFS, and UKMET, but not CMC. The elevated accuracy of EGUC CMC-excluding clusters indicates the potential utility of including the CMC in clustering, despite its large ensemble-mean errors. Pruning ensembles by removing members that belong to small clusters reduces 96–144-h forecast errors for both EGUC and EGU clustering. For five-cluster partitions, a pruning threshold of 10% affects 49% and 35% of EGUC and EGU ensembles, respectively, improving 69%–74% of the forecasts affected by pruning.
Who Gets to Wield Academic Mjolnir?: On Worthiness, Knowledge Curation, and Using the Power of the People to Diversify OER

1In many academic fields Western/white/male/cishetero2/abled perspectives are often centered, while other perspectives are presented as “other. ” Implicitly, this sends messages to students that success looks like one type of person, knowledge is generated in one kind of way, and their background is not worth being centered. While open educational resources (OER) are often marketed as a tool for social justice, due to their ability to neutralize class-based differences (e.g., Okamoto 2013), there is no evidence that OER are any better than commercial texts at addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (see Mishra 2017 for a discussion of context). However, OER do present a good opportunity for diversification, due to the relatively simple nature of updating the content. This project takes a crowdsourcing approach to diversify OpenStax Psychology (OpenStax College 2014), an OER for Introductory Psychology courses. Contributors were asked to read areas of the textbook they were comfortable with and make suggestions to diversify the content. The author then used some of the suggestions to create modified chapters and conducted a study investigating the impact of the revisions. Participants read either the original chapter or the diversified chapter and completed a questionnaire assessing their sense of belongingness in the classroom/on campus. Overall, first-generation students had a reduced sense of belonging related to their financial circumstances. However, this effect was ameliorated for first-generation students who read the diversified chapter, compared to those who read the original chapter.
Analysis of combining ability in experimental hybrids of Sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)

The GCA and SCA variance in combining ability analysis among the crosses involving 11 sweet corn inbreds was significant for all the traits studied. The additive and non-additive gene effects were found predominant for all the traits. Inbred lines IPSA-8761, IPSA-8761, IPSA-8752, IPSA-8757 and IPSA-8754 were identified as good general combiners for different traits. Specific crosses namely, IPSA-8753 x IPSA-8755, IPSA-8753 x IPSA-8761, IPSA-8754 x IPSA-8758 and IPSA-8756 x IPSA-8758 had significant SCA effects and were identified for various flowering and maturity traits whereas IPSA-8755X IPSA-8758 and IPSA-8754X IPSA-8757 showed significant SCA effect for ear weight with husk, without husk and sugar content. The hybrid IPSA-8753 x IPSA-8759 also showed significant SCA effect for the main sweet corn traits referring to green ear weight without husk and sugar content. These findings could serve as crucial inputs required for improvement of sweet corn.
Production of Salmon Oil from Filleting Byproducts—Effects of Storage Conditions on Lipid Oxidation and Content of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Filleting byproducts (heads, frame bones, skin, and down-graded gutted fish) from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were separated into a solid/aqueous phase and a lipid phase (oil) using a scraped-surface heat exchanger (90 C to 95 °C) and a decanter centrifuge (33 °C). Effects of storage temperature (4 °C and 23 °C), attnoosphere (air and N g ), and time (0 to 180 d), as well as an additional process step-a separator introduced after the decanter centrifuge, were investigated on the quality and storage stability of the produced oil. Samples were analyzed for the quality parameters peroxide (PV), anisidine (AV), and Totax value (TxV), content of free fatty acids (FFA), content of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), especially the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenois acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic add (DHA) and degradation of EPA and DHA related to the content of hexadecanoic acid (HDA) (ratios EPA/HDA and DHA/HDA). Storage tempreature had significant effect on all the investigated quality parumeters, especially on AV, PV, and TxV where a high storage temperature (23°C) caused a 10-fold, 2.5-fold, and 4-fold increase in AV, PV, and TxV, respectively. Storage atmosphere had significant effect on all the investigated parameters, except on the DHA/HDA ratio, where storage ander an N 2 atmosphere significantly preserved the quality of the oil compared with storage in air. Generally, no significant effect of storage time on the investigated quality parameters was observed before 120 d of storage. No effect on quality was observed when introducing an additional processing step (separator) after the decanter centrifuge. Salmon oil is a stable product, and even more so when stored at appropriate conditions (under nitrogen atmosphere at refrigerated temperatures).
Development of social skills during middle childhood: Growth trajectories and school-related predictors

ABSTRACT This study examined the development of social skills across five measurement points from 4th through 7th grade, and the influence of child gender and school-related factors on the level and growth of social skills, in a large sample of normally developing children in Norway (N = 2,076). On average, children’s social skills scores increased slightly, girls received higher scores than boys, and individual order stability was fairly high over time. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) identified three distinct trajectory classes, one with stable average scores over time (72%), and two (14% each) with high initial and declining scores and low initial and increasing scores, respectively. The school-related factors (e.g., student–teacher relationships) predicted social skills development differently within the trajectory classes.
Does Foreign Direct Investment Enhance Economic Growth? Evidence from 30 Leading Global Economies

Investment expenditure is a major component of aggregate macroeconomic variables in any economy, irrespective of the development status. This article employed relevant econometric methodology on panel data environment to analyze the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on economic growth of 30 leading global economies during the period between 1998 and 2017. Other variables considered in the analysis were domestic credit to private sector (DCPS), gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), inflation–consumer prices index (INFPC), trade openness (TOPNESS), and youth unemployment (UEMPYT). The results showed mixed growth effects of the variables in general. Specifically, FDI exerted positive and significant effect on economic growth of the countries during the period. Therefore, this article concluded that FDI inflows enhanced economic growth and emphasized the need to foster more FDI-attracting policies as well as adequate GFCF to complement FDIs for sustainable economic growth potentials. JEL Classification: C23, C33, C51, F21, F43, O47.
META-ANALYSIS OF CO-INFECTIONS IN TICKS

Microbial infections typically do not occur in isolation but co-occur within diverse communities of bacteria, fungi, protozoans, and viruses. Co-infections can lead to increased disease severity, lead to selection for increased virulence, and complicate disease diagnosis and treatment. Co-infections also occur in disease vectors, and represent one source of co-infections in hosts. We examined patterns of co-infections in ticks (Order Acari), which vector diverse human and wildlife pathogens, and asked whether the frequency of microbial co-infections deviated significantly from independent associations. Most published data were from Ixodes species and reported infection and co-infection frequencies of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A total of 18 datasets representing 4978 adult ticks met our criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Significant deviations from independent co-infection were detected in eight of the 18 populations. Five populations exhibited a significant excess of A.
The most common plant species in temperate Europe based on frequency of occurrences in the national grid mapping projects

The lists of the top 100 most common plant species in the floras of nine regions (northern Scotland, southern England, southern Germany, northern Germany, Poland, Estonia, Vladimir Oblast (Russia) with Norway and Switzerland forming an outer group) were analyzed. These lists are based on either national or regional floristic grid mapping projects. The general ranking of species within the united list is based on two criteria – the number of floras where the species is one of the top 100 most common species and the sum of ranks within these floras. Trifolium repens, Achillea millefolium, and Urtica dioica should be regarded as the most common native species all over temperate Europe, while Matricaria discoidea and Erigeron canadensis are the most successful aliens here. The alien plant species contribute significantly less in the European flora and vegetation rather than the most successful natives.
Induction of Apoptosis and Anoikis by Bit1 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive disease with a very high mortality rate among all human cancers. The poor prognosis is in part due to intrinsic resistance to the apoptosis-inducing effects of radio- and chemotherapy. To find alternative cell death pathways that can bypass the apoptotic resistance of pancreatic cancer cells, we examined the role of the novel anoikis effector Bit1 (Bcl-2 inhibitor of transcription) in the survival and apoptotic resistance of pancreatic cancer cells. Bit1 is a mitochondrial protein that induces a caspase-independent apoptosis upon its release into the cytosol following loss of integrin-mediated attachment to extracellular matrix (anoikis). In this report, we observed that ectopic expression of Bit1 in the cytosol reduced viability and induced caspase-independent apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cell lines, Miapaca-2 and PANC-1. While increased expression of mitochondrial Bit1 in these cells did not induce apoptosis under attached conditions, detachment significantly induced higher level of apoptosis in mitochondrial Bit1-transfected cells than in control transfected cells. Conversely, downregulation of endogenous Bit1 in PANC-1 cells further enhanced their anoikis resistance. Furthermore, exogenous expression of mitochondrial Bit1 in Miapaca-2 cells inhibited their anchorage-independent growth and enhanced their sensitivity to etoposide-mediated apoptosis. Mechanistically, we found that the Bit1 apoptosis function is in part dependent on the groucho related Amino-terminal Enhancer of Split (AES) expression and is abrogated by the transcriptional corepressor TLE1 protein. Consistent with our in vitro findings that Bit1 is an effector of apoptosis in pancreatic tumor cells, we find that Bit1 is significantly downregulated in a fraction of advanced stages of human pancreatic carcinoma tissues. Taken together, these findings indicate that the Bit1-apoptotic pathway can be targeted to trigger cell death in pancreatic cancer cells and implicate Bit1 as a novel therapeutic agent in attenuating pancreatic chemoresistance.
Dispersal of Caulerpa racemosa Fragments in the Mediterranean: Lack of Detachment Time Effect on Establishment

Abstract The importance of thallus fragmentation in the recruitment of the invasive, introduced alga Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål) J. Agardh at the margins of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile beds was studied. A multifactorial experiment was designed to estimate the importance of detachment time on the seasonality of establishment of vegetative fragments and whether this pattern was consistent at different temporal and spatial scales. The approach consists of dispersing drifting fragments of Caulerpa racemosa, detached from substratum 0, 5 and 10 days before, along the margin of a bed of Posidonia oceanica and recording the number of fragments established after 1 month. The results showed that a large number of fragments became established in this habitat and that the greatest number of fragments were found during summer. Surprisingly, the time of detachment from substrate was not found to influence the probability of success in establishment. The results of this study indicated that dispersal by fragmentation is likely to contribute to the wide spread of this alga in the Mediterranean Sea. The spread of this alga via fragmentation is predicted to be the greatest during summer when the largest proportion of fragments are re-established. Geographical patterns of dispersal can thus be interpreted on the basis of this reproductive strategy, of hydrographic studies and experimental evaluation of resistance of fragments to desiccation and drift. The results obtained in this study, together with those obtained at another site using the same experimental approach for Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh, suggest that vegetative fragmentation plays a large role in the dispersal of rhizophytic introduced fast-spreading species in the Mediterranean Sea. This reproductive strategy would be in accordance with invasive and fast-spreading abilities exhibited by members of the Bryopsidales.
The Road to the Baccalaureate

International students are increasingly enrolling in U.S community colleges as a starting point to their higher education. However, limited research examines the factors contributing to their successful transfer to a 4-year institution and bachelor degree attainment. Utilizing longitudinal transcript data from a large community college district in Texas, this study uses hierarchical logistical regression to compare college experiences and transfer outcomes based on region of origin. Findings demonstrate that while Sub-Saharan African students have a significantly higher probability of transfer than Asian and Latin American students, the majority of bachelor degree recipients were Asian students graduating in STEM fields. Delayed enrollment into college and academic preparedness in math were negatively associated with transfer for Latin American and Caribbean students.
Design of the Rainfall Index Crop Insurance Program for Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage

This article considers three possible issues about the design of the Rainfall Index Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (RI-PRF) crop insurance program: (i) how well the rainfall index matches actual rainfall, (ii) whether the county base values can be made more accurate using spatial smoothing, and (iii) optimal choices of RI-PRF crop insurance alternatives for producers and reducing the number of choices that producers have to make. Based on the results, we conclude that the RI-PRF crop insurance program needs to reduce the number of choices and provide suggestions for restricting the choices.
Slope stability prediction of road embankment on soft ground treated with prefabricated vertical drains using artificial neural network

<p><span lang="EN-US">This paper presents the slope stability for road embankment constructed on the soft ground treated with prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs). The slope stability was evaluated based on the factor of safety (FOS) through numerical analysis and modeled with an artificial neural network (ANN). The permeability ratio of the smear effect was verified based on a comparative analysis between field data and numerical simulation to develop the datasets used in ANN model training. A total of 75 datasets generated from numerical simulations were randomly selected into three groups for training, testing, and validation. The coefficient of determination (</span><em><span lang="EN-US">R<sup>2</sup></span></em><span lang="EN-US">) and root mean square error (RMSE) were considered to evaluate the performance ANN model. It was found that the developed ANN model showed strong potential for predicting slope stability within the accepted range. </span></p>
Experimental determination of sediment transport capacity of concentrated water flow over saturated soil slope

Sediment transport capacity (STC) is an important variable for characterising soil erosion on hillslopes. STC also determines the capability of sediment delivery and solute transportation. An experimental methodological strategy was developed in this study to measure the STC in eroding rills on a saturated soil slope. The STC was ensured by using a slope‐raised flume section to feed sufficient amounts of sediments into the water flow, and a flume section was used to stabilize the water flow and produce sediment concentration at the STC level for measurement. Experiments under four slope gradients of 5°, 10°, 15° and 20° and three unit‐width flow rates of 0.33, 0.67 and 1.33 × 10−3 m3 s−1 m−1 were conducted to measure the STCs on saturated soil slopes, with the experiments on STCs on non‐saturated soil slopes as control treatments. The measured STCs range from 0.16 to 1.41 kg s−1 m−1 over the saturated loess slopes. The STC measurement method for saturated soil slopes was verified as feasible by the small SDs of the measured STCs and the agreement between the trend of rill sediment delivery rate and the STC values at the slope gradient of 20° and three unit‐width discharges. The relationships between STC and slope gradient and those between STC and unit‐width flow rate over saturated soil slopes matched well with the power and linear functions, respectively. Furthermore, the STC values correlated well with the flow velocity. The STC value on the saturated loess slope was approximately 25% larger than that on the non‐saturated loess slope. An empirical power function of slope gradient and unit‐width flow rate was found to predict the STC on saturated loess slopes effectively. Therefore, the measurement method for soil erosion from saturated soil slopes can help to estimate the STC and obtain key parameters for the soil erosion prediction model.
Intrasample variation and the effect of storage delay on faecal metabolite concentrations in the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons)

Faecal hormone metabolite analysis offers a non-invasive alternative to blood sampling that is particularly relevant to wild animal populations. It has been used for reproductive and adrenal hormone monitoring in captive wombats, but no information exists on its accuracy when sample storage is delayed or on whether variation exists within samples. This study aimed to quantify the effect of storage delay and intrasample variation on faecal metabolite concentrations of testosterone, progesterone and corticosterone in southern hairy-nosed wombats. For all metabolites, intrasample variance was 15% or less of total variance. Delays in storage significantly changed metabolite concentrations, with progesterone showing a progressive decrease over time (0–72 h: t24 = 2.14, P = 0.05), testosterone showing a significant increase after 6-h delay (0–6 h: t21 = 2.83, P = 0.01), and corticosterone showing an initial increase (0–6 h: t48 = 3.60, P = 0.001), followed by a reduction to original concentrations by 72 h (0–72 h: t48 = 0.91, P = 0.38). Although changes caused by storage delays may not obscure large hormonal fluctuations, this study outlines the importance of immediate storage and consistent sampling to allow the most accurate results to be obtained.
Critical Success Factors of Sustainable Leadership: Evidence from High-achievement School

This study aims to identify critical success factors of sustainable leadership success. A total of 629 teachers were involved in answering the questionnaires that were distributed. Meanwhile, 4 school principals and 8 teachers were involved in semi-structured interviews to support quantitative findings. The findings showed that all factors of sustainable leadership namely; Focus on Pupils, Lateral Capacity Building Through Networks, Sustain Work Positive Environment, Deep Learning, Intelligent Accountability and Vertical Relationships, and Commitment to Changing Context at All Levels, were practiced at high levels in the schools. Meanwhile, the qualitative findings support three critical success factors in sustainable leadership which are Sustain Work Positive Environment, Commitment to Changing Context at All Levels and Deep Learning. Thus, this study provides information to stakeholders and contribution to the academic research field.