Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time to Conquer Fungal Infectious Diseases: Employing Nanoparticles as Powerful and Versatile Antifungal Nanosystems against a Wide Variety of Fungal Species

The development of novel antifungal agents and, in particular, the widespread use of these medications over the course of the past two decades, has had a significant impact on the treatment of fungal infectious diseases. This has resulted in a complete transformation of the treatment of fungal infectious diseases. However, the widespread development of antibiotic resistance has masked the significance of such breakthroughs. Antifungal infection treatment with nanoparticles has been shown to be effective. As a result of their unique characteristics, these substances, in contrast to antibiotics in their purest form, are able to exhibit an increased anti-proliferative capacity while requiring a lower concentration than traditional drugs do in order to achieve the same effect. Decreased drug effectiveness, minimal tissue penetration throughout tissue, restricted tissue penetration, decreased bioavailability, poor drug pharmacokinetics, and low water solubility are some of the major factors contributing to the employment of antifungal medicines in delivery systems. Because of this, one of the primary goals of incorporating antifungal medications into varying sorts of nanoparticles is to reduce the negative effects of the drugs’ inherent qualities. This article provides an overview of the many types of nanoparticles, such as metal, metal oxide, and non-metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanofibers, antifungal peptides, composites, and ZnO quantum dots, that can be used as antifungal drug delivery systems, as well as the benefits that these nanomaterials have over purified medications.
Investigation of Glyphosate Removal from Aqueous Solutions using Fenton-like System Based on Calcium Peroxide

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine], an organophosphate broad-spectrum herbicide, is a serious environmental contaminant that poses a significant threat to humans. It can be detected as a contaminant in water; thus, effective procedures for its removal are urgently required. The present study investigated the performance of glyphosate removal from aqueous solutions using a Fenton-like system. Calcium peroxide (CaO2) was used as a source of hydroxyl free radicals with Fe2+ as a catalyst to trigger the Fenton reaction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and potassium permanganate titration were carried out for characterization of calcium peroxide. The effect of operating parameters such as pH, the molar ratio of Ca2+:Fe2+, the initial dosage of calcium peroxide, and the initial glyphosate concentration on the removal efficiency was studied, respectively. The maximum total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were 94.50% and 68.60%, respectively, within 120 min under optimal conditions (pH = 3.0, initial glyphosate concentration = 50 ppm, initial CaO2 dosage = 0.5 g, molar ratio of Ca2+:Fe2+ = 6, room temperature). Experimental data were analyzed using zero-order, first-order, second-order, and Behnajady, Modirshahla, and Ghanbary (BMG) kinetics models. The degradation kinetics of glyphosate could be mostly fitted with the BMG kinetics model. This study demonstrated that calcium peroxide could be considered an effective oxidant for glyphosate wastewater treatment.
Screening of magnetic moment at Co impurity in Cu host

Cobalt impurity located in the bulk copper is described making use of the multi-orbital Anderson impurity model that is parametrized to match the electronic structure from the local density approximation, and solved using the Lanczos method. We concentrate on the many-body description of the ground state and excitation spectra. The calculations yield a nonmagnetic ground state for the impurity atom. The computed spectral densities are in a good agreement with those obtained using the quantum Monte Carlo method.
STOCHASTIC GRAVITATIONAL WAVE BACKGROUND FROM NEUTRON STAR r-MODE INSTABILITY REVISITED

We revisit the possibility and detectability of a stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background produced by a cosmological population of newborn neutron stars (NSs) with r-mode instabilities. The NS formation rate is derived from both observational and simulated cosmic star formation rates (CSFRs). We show that the resultant GW background is insensitive to the choice of CSFR models, but depends strongly on the evolving behavior of CSFR at low redshifts. Nonlinear effects such as differential rotation, suggested to be an unavoidable feature which greatly influences the saturation amplitude of the r-mode, are considered to account for GW emission from individual sources. Our results show that the dimensionless energy density ΩGW could have a peak amplitude of ≃(1–3.5) × 10−8 in the frequency range (200–1000) Hz, if the smallest amount of differential rotation corresponding to a saturation amplitude of order unity is assumed. However, such a high-mode amplitude is unrealistic as it is known that the maximum value is much smaller and at most 10−2. A realistic estimate of ΩGW should be at least four orders of magnitude lower (∼10−12), which leads to a pessimistic outlook for the detection of the r-mode background. We consider different pairs of terrestrial interferometers (IFOs) and compare two approaches to combine multiple IFOs in order to evaluate the detectability of this GW background. Constraints on the total emitted GW energy associated with this mechanism to produce a detectable stochastic background (a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.56 with 3 year cross-correlation) are ∼10−3 M☉c2 for two co-located advanced LIGO detectors, and 2 × 10−5 M☉c2 for two Einstein telescopes. These constraints may also be applicable to alternative GW emission mechanisms related to oscillations or instabilities in NSs depending on the frequency band where most GWs are emitted.
Assessment of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Physical Schemes Parameterization to Predict Moderate to Extreme Rainfall in Poorly Gauged Basin

Incomplete hydro-meteorological data and insufficient rainfall gauges have caused difficulties in establishing a reliable flood forecasting system. This study attempted to adopt the remotely sensed hydro-meteorological data as an alternative to the incomplete observed rainfall data in the poorly gauged Kuantan River Basin (KRB), the main city at the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. Performance of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) schemes’ combinations, including eight microphysics (MP) and six cumulus, were evaluated to determine the most suitable combination of WRF MPCU in simulating rainfall over KRB. All the obtained results were validated against observed moderate to extreme rainfall events. Among all, the combination scheme Stony Brook University and Betts–Miller–Janjic (SBUBMJ) was found to be the most suitable to capture both spatial and temporal rainfall, with average percentage error of about ±17.5% to ±25.2% for heavy and moderate rainfall. However, the estimated PE ranges of −58.1% to 68.2% resulted in uncertainty while simulating extreme rainfall events, requiring more simulation tests for the schemes’ combinations using different boundary layer conditions and domain configurations. Findings also indicate that for the region where hydro-meteorological data are limited, WRF, as an alternative approach, can be used to achieve more sustainable water resource management and reliable hydrological forecasting.
Possible origins and implications of the shoulder in reactor neutrino spectra

We analyze within a nuclear database framework the shoulder observed in the antineutrino spectra in current reactor experiments. We find that the ENDF/B-VII.1 database predicts that the antineutrino shoulder arises from an analogous shoulder in the aggregate fission beta spectra. In contrast, the JEFF-3.1. 1 database does not predict a shoulder for two out of three of the modern reactor neutrino experiments, and the shoulder that is predicted by JEFF-3.1. 1 arises from $^{238}$U. We consider several possible origins of the shoulder, and find possible explanations. For example, there could be a problem with the measured aggregate beta spectra, or the harder neutron spectrum at a light-water power reactor could affect the distribution of beta-decaying isotopes. In addition to the fissile actinides, we find that $^{238}$U could also play a significant role in distorting the total antineutrino spectrum. Distinguishing these and quantifying whether there is an anomaly associated with measured reactor neutrino signals will require new short-baseline experiments, both at thermal reactors and at reactors with a sizable epithermal neutron component.
Early cosmology constrained

We investigate our knowledge of early universe cosmology by exploring how much additional energy density can be placed in different components beyond those in the ΛCDM model. To do this we use a method to separate early- and late-universe information enclosed in observational data, thus markedly reducing the model-dependency of the conclusions. We find that the 95% credibility regions for extra energy components of the early universe at recombination are: non-accelerating additional fluid density parameter ΩMR < 0.006 and extra radiation parameterised as extra effective neutrino species 2.3 < Neff < 3.2 when imposing flatness. Our constraints thus show that even when analyzing the data in this largely model-independent way, the possibility of hiding extra energy components beyond ΛCDM in the early universe is seriously constrained by current observations. We also find that the standard ruler, the sound horizon at radiation drag, can be well determined in a way that does not depend on late-time Universe assumptions, but depends strongly on early-time physics and in particular on additional components that behave like radiation. We find that the standard ruler length determined in this way is rs = 147.4 ± 0.7 Mpc if the radiation and neutrino components are standard, but the uncertainty increases by an order of magnitude when non-standard dark radiation components are allowed, to rs = 150 ± 5 Mpc.
The Safe Campus Project— Resilience of Academic Institutions during the COVID-19 Crisis

In this study, we describe how to keep a campus safe and “open” by implementing a proactive, as opposed to reactive, strategy (the Green Zone strategy). The pillars are leadership, clear communication, clean air, vaccination campaigns, and intense efforts in mass testing. Over a period of 12 months, about 277,000 pooled real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) samples and lateral flow tests (LFTs) were collected, and 201 people were identified as COVID-19-positive. For the PCRs, we use the Lollipop technique, combined with nose swabs and gargle samples, to minimize sample-collection efforts. Importantly, not only staff, students, and contractors, but also their family members, friends, and partners; daycare centers; and local sports and arts teams, etc., were invited and participated. This outreach made it possible to propagate the tests more widely and monitor a larger network. At times of larger social gatherings—most prominently, on 23 December 2021 before Christmas (during the rise of the Omicron wave)—testing capacities were increased. The results not only demonstrate the great power of mass testing in providing an open-but-safe work environment, even if the surroundings are highly infectious (red zone), but also the strength and resilience of a university. It shows how the unique pillars of science, infrastructure, students, and independency make it possible to maneuver a community, even through unpredictable times.
Wetting of soap bubbles on hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces

Wetting of sessile bubbles on solid and liquid surfaces has been studied. A model is presented for the contact angle of a sessile bubble based on a modified Young equation - the experimental results agree with the model. A hydrophilic surface results in a bubble contact angle of 90 deg whereas on a superhydrophobic surface one observes 134 deg. For hydrophilic surfaces, the bubble angle diminishes with bubble radius - whereas on a superhydrophobic surface, the bubble angle increases. The size of the Plateau borders governs the bubble contact angle - depending on the wetting of the surface.
Optimal Caching Designs for Perfect, Imperfect, and Unknown File Popularity Distributions in Large-Scale Multi-Tier Wireless Networks

Most of the existing caching solutions for wireless networks rest on the ideal assumption that the file popularity distribution is perfectly known. In this paper, we consider optimal random caching designs for perfect, imperfect, and unknown file popularity distributions in a large-scale multi-tier wireless network. First, in the case of perfect file popularity distribution, we formulate the successful transmission probability (STP) optimization problem, which is nonconvex. We propose an efficient parallel iterative algorithm to obtain a stationary point based on parallel successive convex approximation (SCA). Then, in the case of imperfect file popularity distribution, we formulate the worst-case STP maximization problem. To solve this challenging robust optimization problem, we transform it into an equivalent complementary geometric programming (CGP) and propose an efficient iterative algorithm to obtain a stationary point based on the SCA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work explicitly considering the estimation error of file popularity distribution in the optimization of caching design. Next, in the case of unknown file popularity distribution, we formulate the stochastic STP (i.e., the STP in the stochastic form) maximization problem. This is a challenging nonconvex stochastic optimization problem, and we propose an efficient iterative algorithm to obtain a stationary point based on stochastic parallel SCA. As far as we know, this is the first work considering stochastic optimization in a large-scale wireless network. Finally, by numerical results, we show that the proposed solutions achieve notable gains over existing schemes in all three cases and reveal the values of the robust caching optimization and stochastic caching optimization in the cases of imperfect file popularity distribution and unknown file popularity distribution, respectively.
Nonreciprocal propagation of surface acoustic wave in Ni/LiNbO3

We have investigated surface acoustic wave propagation in Ni/LiNbO$_3$ hybrid devices. We have found the absorption and phase velocity are dependent on the sign of wave vector in a device, which indicates the nonreciprocal propagation characteristic of systems with time reversal and spatial inversion simultaneously broken symmetries. The nonreciprocity is reversed by the 180$^\circ$ rotation of magnetic field. Nonreciprocity seems largely dependent on the shape of ferromagnetic Ni film. The origin of these observations is ascribed to film shape dependent magnetoelastic coupling.
Glioblastoma-Specific Strategies of Vascularization: Implications in Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Resistance

Angiogenesis has long been implicated as a crucial process in GBM growth and progression. GBM can adopt several strategies to build up its abundant and aberrant vasculature. Targeting GBM angiogenesis has gained more and more attention in anti-cancer therapy, and many strategies have been developed to interfere with this hallmark. However, recent findings reveal that the effects of anti-angiogenic treatments are temporally limited and that tumors become refractory to therapy and more aggressive. In this review, we summarize the GBM-associated neovascularization processes and their implication in drug resistance mechanisms underlying the transient efficacy of current anti-angiogenic therapies. Moreover, we describe potential strategies and perspectives to overcome the mechanisms adopted by GBM to develop resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy as new potential therapeutic approaches.
Polyphasic Identification of Distoseptispora with Six New Species from Fresh Water

Twelve new specimens of sporidesmium-like taxa were collected from freshwater habitats in China and Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis of nuc 28S rDNA (LSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) and second-largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) sequence data, combined with morphological data, revealed that they are Distoseptispora species. Among them, six new species, including D. aqualignicola, D. aquamyces, D. crassispora, D. curvularia, D. nonrostrata and D. pachyconidia, are introduced. Two new combinations, D. adscendens and D. leonensis, are transferred from Ellisembia. A new habitat and geographical record are reported for D. clematidis, collected from a freshwater habitat in China. New RPB2 sequence data for D. dehongensis are provided.
Assessment and Feedback as Predictors for Student Satisfaction in UK Higher Education

: Assessment and feedback mechanisms are essential components towards effective teaching in higher education and are continuously monitored. The annual student satisfaction survey in UK higher education collects students’ perception on those dimensions and issues results to assist institutions identify their weaknesses and amend their strategies and improve their teaching effectiveness. This study explores assessment and feedback as predictors for overall student satisfaction. It focuses on business schools mainly and uses the officially published dataset. Following a regression analysis approach, it can be concluded that there is evidence to support the claim that assessment and marking can be used as predictors for overall student satisfaction in this subdomain. The significance of the study lies in the fact that universities consider assessment and feedback as of key importance for improving student experience. It is thus critical for the institutions to gain a better understanding on whether those factors can be safely used as predictors of overall student satisfaction, something that is related to university ranking tables. Results in the study, demonstrate some important aspects of this and indicate that improved quality in marking and feedback can have a positive effect in student satisfaction. A more comprehensive study can unfold additional dimensions of the survey and shed light on how students perceive marking, assessment and feedback in higher education in general.
Being Cared for in the Context of Crisis: Austerity, COVID-19, and Racialized Politics

Abstract:This article presents an investigation into the racialized and gendered dynamics of the intensifying crisis in care for older people in the United Kingdom. Deploying a feminist political economy framework, we reveal how the care crisis is an intersectional crisis of social reproduction worsened by both austerity and COVID-19. We do this through an analysis of a small set of interviews with South Asian older women with care needs, conducted during the first period of UK national lockdown in 2020. This was a pilot study, focusing on the challenges faced in accessing formal and informal care during this period of the pandemic. The experiences, fears, and vulnerabilities that came through in the interviews are located within a broader analysis of the racialized care crisis—one that reveals the long-term harms that austerity, including “austerity Islamophobia,” generated for these older women and their families as they struggled to provide and access un/paid care.
On the Simplicity of some Cuntz-Pimsner Algebras

Conditions are given on a $C^*$-correspondence $E$ over a $C^*$-algebra that guarantee that the associated Cuntz-Pimsner algebra $\mathscr{O} (E)$ is simple. Our findings generalize earlier results of Cuntz[5], Paschke [14], and Boyd, Keswani and Raeburn [2].
Challenges and Problems of Reading Comprehension Experienced by EFL Learners

The study aims to (a) explore reading comprehension problems that EFL learners encounter in an Intensive English Program and (b) ascertain any significant differences between male and female learners regarding these challenges at the University of Bisha, KSA. The study followed a quantitative paradigm in which the researchers distributed an online questionnaire pertinent to reading difficulties to 301 male and female Saudi EFL students. It consisted of two parts: the first was students' background information, and the second was on reading comprehension challenges (language, reading process, and psycholinguistic challenges). The results showed that most students have the same problems, i.e., lack of vocabulary and recognition of the words. Vocabulary is one of the biggest problems when trying to work out the meaning and general idea of the text. Findings also exhibited that male and female EFL learners experienced challenges in a similar way which shows that all students of both genders face identical problems when reading English. The study concluded that healthy intervention is needed to help students improve their reading comprehension in particular and English language in general.
Reconstruction of dark energy and expansion dynamics using Gaussian processes

An important issue in cosmology is reconstructing the effective dark energy equation of state directly from observations. With few physically motivated models, future dark energy studies cannot only be based on constraining a dark energy parameter space, as the errors found depend strongly on the parameterisation considered. We present a new non-parametric approach to reconstructing the history of the expansion rate and dark energy using Gaussian Processes, which is a fully Bayesian approach for smoothing data. We present a pedagogical introduction to Gaussian Processes, and discuss how it can be used to robustly differentiate data in a suitable way. Using this method we show that the Dark Energy Survey - Supernova Survey (DES) can accurately recover a slowly evolving equation of state to sigma_w = +-0.04 (95% CL) at z=0 and +-0.2 at z=0.7, with a minimum error of +-0.015 at the sweet-spot at z~0.14, provided the other parameters of the model are known. Errors on the expansion history are an order of magnitude smaller, yet make no assumptions about dark energy whatsoever. A code for calculating functions and their first three derivatives using Gaussian processes has been developed and is available for download at this http URL .
MAXI/GSC Discovery of the Black-Hole Candidate MAXI J1305–704

We present the first results on the new black hole candidate, MAXI J1305-704, observed by MAXI/GSC. The new X-ray transient, named as MAXI J1305-704, was first detected by the MAXI-GSC all-sky survey on 2012 April 9 in the direction to the outer Galactic bulge at (l,b)=(304.2deg,-7.6deg). The Swift/XRT follow-up observation confirmed the uncatalogued point source and localized to the position at (13h06m56s.44,-70d27'4".91). The source continued the activity for about five months until 2012 August. The MAXI/GSC light curve in the 2--10 keV band and the variation of the hardness ratio of the 4-10 keV to the 2-4 keV flux revealed the hard-to-soft state transition on the the sixth day (April 15) in the brightening phase and the soft-to-hard transition on the ~60th day (June 15) in the decay phase. The luminosity at the initial hard-to-soft transition was significantly higher than that at the soft-to-hard transition in the decay phase. The X-ray spectra in the hard state are represented by a single power-law model with a photon index of ~2.0, while those in the soft state need such an additional soft component as represented by a multi-color disk blackbody emission with an inner disk temperature ~0.5--1.2 keV. All the obtained features support the source identification of a Galactic black-hole binary located in the Galactic bulge.