Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchically structured porous materials: synthesis strategies and applications in energy storage

Abstract To address the growing energy demands of sustainable development, it is crucial to develop new materials that can improve the efficiency of energy storage systems. Hierarchically structured porous materials have shown their great potential for energy storage applications owing to their large accessible space, high surface area, low density, excellent accommodation capability with volume and thermal variation, variable chemical compositions and well controlled and interconnected hierarchical porosity at different length scales. Porous hierarchy benefits electron and ion transport, and mass diffusion and exchange. The electrochemical behavior of hierarchically structured porous materials varies with different pore parameters. Understanding their relationship can lead to the defined and accurate design of highly efficient hierarchically structured porous materials to enhance further their energy storage performance. In this review, we take the characteristic parameters of the hierarchical pores as the survey object to summarize the recent progress on hierarchically structured porous materials for energy storage. This is the first of this kind exclusively to survey the performance of hierarchically structured porous materials from different porous characteristics. For those who are not familiar with hierarchically structured porous materials, a series of very significant synthesis strategies of hierarchically structured porous materials are firstly and briefly reviewed. This will be beneficial for those who want to quickly obtain useful reference information about the synthesis strategies of new hierarchically structured porous materials to improve their performance in energy storage. The effect of different organizational, structural and geometric parameters of porous hierarchy on their electrochemical behavior is then deeply discussed. We outline the existing problems and development challenges of hierarchically structured porous materials that need to be addressed in renewable energy applications. We hope that this review can stimulate strong intuition into the design and application of new hierarchically structured porous materials in energy storage and other fields.
Individual empathy levels affect gradual intonation-meaning mapping: The case of biased questions in Salerno Italian

The paper investigates the interplay between intonational cues and individual variability in the perceptual assessment of speakers’ epistemic bias in Salerno Italian yes-no questions. We present a perception experiment in which we manipulated pitch span within the nuclear configuration (both nuclear accent and boundary tone) to predict degree of perceived positive bias (i.e., expected positive answer) to yes-no question stimuli. Our results show that a wider pitch span within the nuclear region predicts a higher degree of perceived positive bias, while negative bias is predicted by narrow pitch span. Crucially, though, two interacting sources of listener variability were uncovered, i.e., prolonged exposure to a non-native dialect as well as degree of empathy (i.e., Empathy Quotient, EQ). Exposure to non-native phonological systems was found to affect the way pitch span is mapped onto perceived epistemic bias, through category interference, though mediated by EQ levels. Specifically, high-empathy listeners were more affected by degree of non-native dialect exposure. EQ scores were hence found to have an effect on gradual span manipulation by interacting with the dialect exposure effect. These results advance our understanding of the intonation-meaning mapping by taking into account both the impact of gradual phonetic cues on meaning processing as well as uncovering sources of cognitive variability at the perceiver’s level.
Neutron Brillouin scattering and 
ab initio
 simulation study of the collective dynamics of liquid silver

We present a thorough investigation of the collective dynamics of liquid Ag combining neutron Brillouin scattering and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) determinations of the dynamic structure factor S ( Q ,ω ). The main scope of this work is not only to provide experimental results for some important dynamical properties of this liquid metal in the wave-vector range 4 < Q < 16 nm − 1 , but also to inquire about the scarce detectability of shear waves apparently characterizing two elements of group IB, differently from other metals. In fact, as in the case of Au, a transverse-like dynamics is not deducible from the experimental S ( Q ,ω ) of Ag, despite the indisputable quality of the neutron data collected on the BRISP spectrometer at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble. However, the signiﬁcant agreement between experiment and AIMD calculations allowed for an in-depth study of the simulated S ( Q ,ω ) in a Q range overlapping and extending the experimental one. A multimode analysis, already proven very successful in the description of various dynamical properties of ﬂuid systems, is shown to be extremely effective also to analyze the intermediate scattering function predicted by AIMD at the various Q values, and eventually enables a reliable determination of both longitudinal and transverse branches in the dispersion curve of this liquid. Throughout the paper we highlight the importance of referring to theoretically well-founded models for S ( Q ,ω ) and of imposing physical constraints in a ﬁt-based analysis: These ensure that the used models obey fundamental properties of the dynamic structure factor.
Variation and correlation analysis of polyphenolic compounds in Malus germplasm

ABSTRACT To clarify the variation and characteristics of polyphenolic compounds in Malus germplasm, and also to provide a theoretical basis for the application of apple landraces in China, polyphenolic compounds and concentrations were analysed in 103 Malus accessions from China using ultra performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The apple landraces of North China, which should have undergone more artificial selection than those of Northwest China and Northeast China, are used as table fruit, or as parents for breeding table varieties with high polyphenolic concentrations from. Wild species have been appropriated as parents for historical hybridisation of new genetic resources with high polyphenolic concentrations. The apple landraces ‘Bandayulenggunzi #1’ and ‘Duanzhigunzi’ possess the greatest concentrations of total polyphenols detected, and so could be used as table fruit by consumers directly, or as parents for breeding varieties with high polyphenolic concentrations from by breeders. The apple landraces originating from North China, Northwest China and Northeast China, are significantly separated by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and the wild species and apple landraces are evidently discriminated by LDA as well. Hierarchical cluster analysis of polyphenolic compounds of Malus accessions resulted in clusters derived from closely-related biochemical pathways.
Measuring professionals’ perceptions about collaborative consultation in early childhood intervention

ABSTRACT We investigated the reliability and construct validity of the Professionals’ Perceptions about Collaborative Consultation in Early Childhood Intervention Scale (ProPerCECIS), a rating scale developed to measure collaborative consultation in early childhood intervention (ECI). ProPerCECIS was completed by 427 professionals from 78 ECI teams. The full sample was randomised into sample A, 170 participants, for conducting an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) – and sample B, 257 participants, for performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Multiple-group analysis, with the overall sample, was conducted. The EFA final solution comprised three correlated factors, with acceptable to very good internal consistency: Intervention, Context, and Planning. The CFA supported the three-factor structure. Results supported configural invariance and partial metric invariance, but partial scalar invariance did not hold. Results supported the conceptual framework of collaborative consultation in ECI and suggest that ProPerCECIS can be a useful measure of professionals’ perceptions about collaborative consultation practices in ECI. ProPerCECIS seems to be particularly suited to assess collaborative practices within services providing routines-based family-centred interventions. Importantly, because the factor structure for ProPerCECIS holds up for different professional groups, it might be used by transdisciplinary ECI teams. Keywords: collaborative consultation, early childhood intervention, rating scale, reliability, construct validity.
Students’ technological awareness at the College of Education, Qatar University

"Technology at the level of university education has become an important basis for designing educational curricula, and it is considered one of the most essential elements of teaching in our time, especially creative teaching based on employing critical thinking skills and problem-solving method. The use of technological applications and their use in managing the educational process and organizing it within institutions Is considered one of the most critical foundations of quality standards. Still, instead, it is a component of the quality of the educational process. This study seeks to confirm the extent of the technological awareness of students at the College of Education at Qatar University before going on to training in the field by adopting a descriptive method to measure the students' technological awareness levels. The study was applied to all students of the College of Education at Qatar University distributed on eight specializations. The number of students in the college for the academic year 2020/2020, in which the questionnaire was, applied 2063, 17.9 %responded to the study instrument, equivalent to 371 students. The results of the study showed that the general level of both the emotional and cognitive fields of technological awareness is high, and the level of awareness of the skill field was average. The results revealed that there are no differences in all dimensions of Technology about sex, specialization, or nationality. While the study found technological awareness increases with the number of years of study and the level of academic performance. A set of recommendations was proposed in light of the study results, Such as the College of Education holding workshops and seminars specializing in Technology, adding a course in educational technology for students in the secondary education program in particular, and providing courses in Technology first-year students. Keywords: Technology; teaching; learning; awareness; Qatari students
Spatio-temporal analysis of forest modeling in Mexico

Hay consenso de que las acciones antropogenicas estan degradando los ecosistemas a un ritmo alarmante. La modelacion y las nuevas tecnologias, como las tecnologias de la informacion y de la comunicacion (TIC), se utilizan en modo creciente para tomar decisiones sobre el manejo y la conservacion de los recursos naturales. En este trabajo se analizaron la evolucion temporal y la distribucion espacial de la produccion cientifica en modelacion forestal en Mexico. De 1980 a 2015, 454 autores participaron en la publicacion de 259 articulos en 37 revistas (84 % mexicanas), de las cuales 28 estan indizadas en el Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Los trabajos sobre manejo forestal han sido los mas relevantes, aunque tienen una importancia relativa a la baja, mientras que los de servicios ambientales y distribucion potencial van ganando importancia. Los autores pertenecen a 89 instituciones, de las cuales 65 % son mexicanas. Durante el periodo analizado, el numero de autores (y las colaboraciones) y publicaciones incrementaron 12 y nueve veces, respectivamente. Estos incrementos coinciden con la evolucion de las politicas normativas y el establecimiento y apoyo del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores. Las colaboraciones en la red actual de modelacion forestal aun tienen gran potencial de crecimiento
Optimizing extraction and targeted capture of ancient environmental DNA for reconstructing past environments using the PalaeoChip Arctic-1.0 bait-set

Abstract Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) has been established as a viable biomolecular proxy for tracking taxon presence through time in a local environment, even in the total absence of surviving tissues. SedaDNA is thought to survive through mineral binding, facilitating long-term biomolecular preservation, but also challenging DNA isolation. Two common limitations in sedaDNA extraction are the carryover of other substances that inhibit enzymatic reactions, and the loss of authentic sedaDNA when attempting to reduce inhibitor co-elution. Here, we present a sedaDNA extraction procedure paired with targeted enrichment intended to maximize DNA recovery. Our procedure exhibits a 7.7–19.3x increase in on-target plant and animal sedaDNA compared to a commercial soil extraction kit, and a 1.2–59.9x increase compared to a metabarcoding approach. To illustrate the effectiveness of our cold spin extraction and PalaeoChip capture enrichment approach, we present results for the diachronic presence of plants and animals from Yukon permafrost samples dating to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and discuss new potential evidence for the late survival (~9700 years ago) of mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) and horse (Equus sp.) in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada. This enrichment approach translates to a more taxonomically diverse dataset and improved on-target sequencing.
NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF KENYAN SORGHUM-PIGEON PEA INSTANT COMPLEMENTARY FOOD

An instant complementary food product was developed by blending flours from two improved sorghum varieties, Gadam and Seredo, a local variety (kivila kya ivui) and one improved pigeon pea variety KAT 60/8. The effects of fermentation, germination and dehulling techniques on nutritional and anti-nutrient composition of the food were determined. Malted sorghum, fermented sorghum and steam cooked dehulled pigeon pea flours were prepared by appropriate processes. The flours were blended at three different ratios of 1:1, 2:1 and 5:1 (w/w, sorghum: pigeon pea). Untreated flour of both crops was also prepared and blended at the same ratios and used as control. Fermentation and malting increased the crude protein content significantly (P <0.05). Fermented sorghum flour blend was found to be the highest with 14.11%. Crude protein content differed significantly among the formulations; flour blended at the ratio of 1:1 had the highest with 14.91%. The antinutrients content of the instant complementary food was significantly reduced by fermentation and malting. The tannin and phytate content was least in fermented and malted food which had 2.25 mg/100g and 207.5 mg/100g respectively. Blending flours at the ratio of 1:1 was found to be the most effective at reducing the antinutrients contents. The macro elements (Ca and Mg) were found to be highest in formulation 1:1 which had 29.81mg/100g and 44.86 mg/100g respectively. Micro element (Fe) Iron was found to be highest in food formulated at the ratio of 5:1 which had 11.87 mg/100g. The results suggest that fermentation, as a processing technique and blending sorghum and pigeon pea flours at the ratio of 1:1 using Gadam variety, can be used to effectively enhance the nutritional status of sorghum- pigeon pea instant complementary food with concomitant reduction of its anti-nutritional factors.
Dual-Energy X-ray Medical Imaging with Inverse Compton Sources: A Simulation Study

It has been long recognized that dual-energy imaging could help to enhance the detectability of lesions in diagnostic radiology, by removing the contrast of surrounding tissues. Furthermore, X-ray attenuation is material specific and information about the object constituents can be extracted for tissue characterisation, i.e., to assess whether lesions represent a malignant or benign process. However, a true separation between the low and high energy components is not possible with conventional sources because of their broad X-ray spectrum, and the artifacts produced in the subtracted image can be only partially removed. Finally, dose issues have also prevented so far the application of dual-energy techniques within the clinical context. Very recently, a new intense and monochromatic X-ray source was proposed to fill the gap between a synchrotron radiation facility and the standard X-ray tube. Indeed, inverse Compton scattering (ICS) sources, which are based on the interaction of a powerful laser beam and a bright beam of relativistic electrons, are among the most promising innovative sources of monochromatic X and gamma radiation. In this contribution, we review the main features that allow an ICS source to meet the requirements of a medical imaging application. Specific examples of K-edge subtraction are then provided, to show the potential of ICS in clinical applications that require intravenous injection of a contrast medium.
Free Markets to Fed Markets: How Modern Monetary Policy Impacts Equity Markets

Abstract The US Federal Reserve doubled its balance sheet during the COVID-19 pandemic in the most aggressive unconventional monetary policy on record. I show that the scale and scope of these actions substantially impacted stock markets, explaining at least one-third of their rebound. The impact occurs predominantly through bond yields (discount rates) and expectations of future macroeconomic conditions (future cash flows). I find while the Fed’s balance sheet expansions are more rapid than its contractions, the stock market is more sensitive to contractions. The findings have implications for possible impacts of central banks unwinding the positions accumulated during the pandemic.
Impact of Government Subsidies on Manufacturing Innovation in China: The Moderating Role of Political Connections and Investor Attention

Although government subsidies have gradually become a crucial means of endorsing public innovation policies, there remains no unified conclusion on the mechanism of their role in enterprise sustainable innovation investment. Employing sample data of listed Chinese manufacturing companies between 2011 and 2019, this study aims to discuss the incentive effect of government subsidies on enterprise innovation investment based on different enterprise ownership. With the combination of resource dependency theory and stakeholder theory, the findings suggest that the intensity of government subsidies exerts an incentive effect on corporate innovation investment; however, the incentive effect is different under the influence of political connections and investor attention. In particular, political connections inhibit the incentive effect and investor attention promotes the incentive effect. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence for the rational allocation of resources by the Chinese government and the acquisition of innovation investment by enterprises of different ownerships and the development of innovation capabilities.
The Effects of ROS and DNA Repair on Methylmercury-initiated Neurodevelopmental Deficits

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental toxin to which we are exposed through the consumption of seafood. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the mechanism of toxicity, and in vitro studies in our laboratory have implicated DNA oxidation, particularly the DNA repair enzyme oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1). My studies determined the effects of in utero exposure to MeHg on fetal brain DNA oxidation and postnatal neurodevelopmental deficits, and the role of ROS-mediated oxidative DNA damage using the free radical spin trap, α-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN), and DNA repair-deficient ogg1 knockout mice. While neither MeHg nor PBN altered DNA oxidation in fetal brain, MeHg caused cognitive deficits in passive avoidance and novel object recognition, the latter of which was blocked by PBN pretreatment, suggesting ROS involvement. Preliminary longevity studies following one litter from each treatment group to 16 months suggest that in utero MeHg treatment may shorten lifespan. Endogenous DNA oxidation was increased in the brains of ogg1 knockout fetuses compared to wild-type littermates, although this was not enhanced by MeHg. However, OGG1-deficient animals exhibited cognitive deficits in passive avoidance after MeHg treatment, suggesting a role for DNA damage. Furthermore, ogg1 iii knockout female mice exhibited a passive avoidance deficit compared to wild-type females regardless of treatment, corroborating a role for oxidative DNA damage in neurodevelopmental deficits. MeHg increased apoptosis in the hippocampal region of fetal brain, and may cause DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), evidenced by enhanced phosphorylation of histone 2AX (γH2AX). Ogg1 knockout progeny exhibited increased cellular proliferation or migration in the developing hippocampal region, which was blocked by MeHg. My results provide the first evidence that: (1) MeHg may decrease lifespan; (2) PBN protects against some postnatal neurodevelopmental deficits caused by in utero exposure to MeHg; and (3) DNA repair-deficient progeny are more susceptible to postnatal cognitive deficits caused by in utero MeHg exposure, suggesting that ROS-mediated DNA oxidation plays a role in MeHg-initiated neurodevelopmental deficits.
Inclusion of Different Levels of Eucalyptus Oil: An In Vitro Trial to Study the Effect on Sheep Rumen Methanogenesis and Fermentation Processes

An in vitro trial was conducted in fermentation vessels under anaerobic conditions using composite feed-1 and composite feed-2 with inclusion of different levels of Eucalyptus oil (EO) along with buffered rumen liquor of sheep to observe the effects of oil on rumen methanogenesis and fermentation. The CF-1 consisted of 40% of concentrate and CF-2 had 25 % of concentrate. The various concentrations of EO used in present study were 0.5,1 and 2 µl/ml. During the present investigation it was observed that on increasing concentration of EO in CF-1 and CF-2 resulted in linear decrease in total gas production up to 74.26% in CF-1; and 31.01% by inclusion of EO in CF-2, respectively. The findings suggest that decrease in total gas production and methane concentration was highly pronounced in CF-1 compared to CF-2. The rumen digestibility in CF-1 and CF-2 also decreased significantly (p < 0.01) from control. A significant decrease in NH3 -N compared to control was also documented. As EO in both the feeds was found to inhibit deamination activity, the ammonia production decreased with increase in the efficiency of protein utilization. The inclusion of the oil decreased the Total Volatile Fatty Acids (TVFA) concentration significantly (p < 0.01). The A:P ratio increased by inclusion in CF-2 but not in CF-1. The pH was effected on inclusion of EO in CF-2 whereas inclusion of EO in CF-1 exhibited non significant effect. Therefore, the difference in Volatile Fatty acids (VFA) pattern due to essential oil might be because of different diets and pH in different experiments. The inclusion of EO decreased the protozoa number significantly (p < 0.01). EO was found to decrease fermentation in a manner that even at 0.5 µl/ml concentration there was a significant decrease in GP, ME, SCFA, TDDM and MBP. It could therefore be envisaged that increasing the proportion of concentrate in diets and using EO as a feed additive increases the rumen efficiency by reducing the methane concentration and gas production.