Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Carbon Isotope‐Based Source Apportionment and Light Absorption Properties of Water‐Soluble Organic Carbon in PM2.5 Over China

Water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC) makes up a large fraction of organic carbon, which has attracted considerable attention due to its light absorption properties and effects on human health. However, the poorly constrained sources and light absorption properties of WSOC give rise to large uncertainties in its effects on climate and health, especially in regions with high pollutant loading. Here, we investigated the sources and light absorption properties of WSOC in 10 cities across China by dual carbon isotope analysis and UV−visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Despite a dominant contribution of nonfossil sources, the fossil source contribution to WSOC was higher in China than in other regions of the world. The average mass absorption efficiency of WSOC at 365 nm (MAE365) the fossil source contribution of WSOC were 1.13 ± 0.37 m2/gC and 39.9 ± 9.4%, respectively; both values were higher in northern than southern China. The nonfossil source contribution and δ13C of WSOC exhibited significant seasonal variations, with higher values in cold seasons, likely in association with enhanced corn residue burning. In addition, higher MAE365 in the cold seasons (fall and winter) was strongly related to enhanced biomass burning emissions. However, the fossil source contribution of WSOC showed a positive relationship with MAE365 in the cold seasons. This may be because the primary fossil WSOC emitted directly by coal combustion and the secondary fossil WSOC generated under the high NOx conditions in the cold seasons would enhance the color of the entire WSOC. To limit the impacts of WSOC on regional climate and human health, it is suggested that mitigation strategies should consider spatiotemporal variation in WSOC sources, its light absorption properties, and the various formation pathways.
Understanding vulnerability to COVID-19 in New Zealand: a nationwide cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT COVID-19 can affect the entire population, but it poses an increased risk for particular population groups. Socioeconomic and demographic factors, as well as long-term health conditions, can make populations vulnerable to adverse health outcomes and mortality related to COVID-19. This study uses geospatial methods to visualise metrics of vulnerability to COVID-19 in New Zealand. Based on Ministry of Health guidelines, nationwide data on risk factors included age, ethnicity, population density, socioeconomic deprivation, smoking, long-term health conditions (cancer, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, renal conditions, and respiratory illnesses), and health service awareness. Data were sourced from the Census (2018), the New Zealand Deprivation Index (NZDep2018), and the National Minimum Dataset (2011–2016). Factor analysis and bivariate mapping were used to identify areas of high vulnerability. Results demonstrate the unequal social and spatial vulnerabilities to COVID-19 across New Zealand. While some major cities were highlighted many areas also occurred outside of the major cities in smaller communities, which also typically have less access to healthcare and fewer resources. This study has generated data that may help mitigate potential inequality in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, or indeed for future pandemics.
Household’s Overindebtedness during the COVID-19 Crisis: The Role of Debt and Financial Literacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is to prepare one’s own financial budget for the unexpected loss of income. In this dimension, the financial education of the society plays an invaluable role. It allows us to account for events that may adversely affect personal finances in our budget management decisions. Therefore, the aim of the article is to check whether households with a higher level of financial and debt literacy have better management skills from the perspective of a household’s budget, which in the face of a crisis reduces the risk of individuals not paying their liabilities. Thus, at the turn of June and July 2020, we conducted surveys among 1300 Polish citizens. Using the multinomial logistic regression, we show that people with a higher financial and debt literacy are less affected by overindebtedness. During the crisis, people who have a higher debt literacy are better prepared to manage credit liabilities; in this situation, financial literacy is less important. In addition, the type of credit experience turned out to be significant. Respondents who have experience with consumer loans (potentially high-margin products) are more likely to have debt repayment problems than those with mortgage loans experiences.
The dynamic behavior of nucleating aerosols in constant reaction rate systems: Dimensional analysis and generic numerical solutions

ABSTRACT Aerosol particles are formed by chemical transformations in diverse systems including the atmosphere, fossil fuel combustors, aerosol synthesis reactors, and semiconductor processing equipment. This article discusses solutions to the aerosol population balance equations that account for nucleation, coagulation, wall deposition, scavenging by preexisting particles, and dilution with particle-free air in spatially homogeneous systems when a condensing species is produced by gas phase reactions at a constant rate. Two nucleation mechanisms are considered: classical nucleation due to competing rates of condensation and evaporation, and chemical nucleation due to acid-base reactions. The equations, which apply to a single component system (two components, the acid and base, are included for acid-base nucleation), are cast in a dimensionless form. This leads to dimensionless parameters (dimensionless rate constants) that characterize the importance of each process. When these parameters are sufficiently small, the corresponding process (scavenging by pre-existing particles, wall deposition, dilution, and cluster evaporation) has an insignificant effect and nucleation approaches the collision-controlled limit. Because the dimensionless parameters vary inversely with the square root of the reaction rate, the collision-controlled limit is reached for any chemical system provided the reaction rate is high enough. The numerical solutions quantify the effects of each process for low rates of gas-to-particle conversion where the dimensionless parameters become sufficiently large. They also illustrate how data for sub 10 nm number distributions can provide insights into the nucleation process. © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research
The Effects of TGF-ß3, 17-ß Estradiol and Bisphenol A on Osteoprotegerin Production in Osteoblasts

Bone metabolism is a complicated and challenging issue in both physiological and pathological states. The homeostasis of the tissue is majorly being managed by the competing activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a decoy receptor for RANKL and it inhibits osteoclast differentiation by binding RANKL and being produced primarily by osteoblasts. The decrease in OPG level causes excessive osteoclast activation which results in high bone resorption that overcomes new bone formation. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of OPG production and identify its regulators. In this study, it was aimed to address the effects of TGF-ß3, 17-ß estradiol and bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter, on OPG production from osteoblasts. For this purpose, hfOB cells were treated with TGF-ß3, 17-ß estradiol and BPA for 48 hours both alone and in combinations. The effects of these agents were evaluated by sandwich-ELISA. The analysis showed that TGF-ß3 and 17-ß estradiol treatment causes an increase in OPG levels when used in combination. It was also discovered that BPA exhibits antagonistic effect on OPG production when used along with TGF-ß3 and 17-ß estradiol.
Perception of the difficulties of international postgraduate students writing research proposal

International postgraduate candidates of Universities in Nanjing come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. These students face several problems, especially in writing the research proposals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of postgraduate students in writing the research proposal. The quantitative research design was used, which involved the use of online questionnaires. A sample of 320 international postgraduate students and 20 supervisors selected at random from Universities in Nanjing were used for the study. Study findings pinpoint towards the general problems to international postgraduate students' research proposal writing skills. Grounded on the results, the researcher concludes that identifying research gaps, reviewing and criticizing literature, and finding enough evidence to support the research proposal are significant problems for most postgraduate students in writing the research proposal. The study further concludes that these problems are due to lack of research materials, time constraints, low level of engagement with supervisors, and supervisors' hostile attitude. Understanding the language and concept of research is not a reason for postgraduate difficulties in a research proposal as identified by other literature. In this regard, the solutions to these problems for postgraduate students are effective supervision, students cultivating the habit of reading sufficient literature, supervisors giving equal attention to international postgraduate students, ample time for research, timely feedback, and supervisors' availability.
Health-related Quality of Life Outcomes of Adalimumab for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Korea

Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune disorder that impairs patients’ overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) In this study, we evaluated the effect of adalimumab in Korean patients with active RA on HRQOL. Methods Patients included in the study had moderate to severe active RA that did not respond to conventional drugs with a Disease Activity Score of 28 joints >32 and were biologics-naïve All patients received adalimumab 40 mg subcutaneously every other week and were followed for 24 weeks The primary endpoint was the change in baseline Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score at week 24 Secondary endpoints were changes in the EuroQol 5-dimension 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) baseline score and Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) domain scores at weeks 12 and 24 and change in baseline HAQ-DI score at week 12. Results In total, 91 Korean patients were included Ninety-three percent of patients were in high disease activity with a baseline mean DAS28 value of 61 within all patients The mean change from baseline in HAQ-DI scores were −046 at week 12 and∼067 at week 24 (p<00001) Additionally, EQ-5D-3L score at weeks 12 and 24 had significantly improved (p<00001) compared to baseline SF-36 at weeks 12 and 24 had significantly improved (p<00001, p=00001) compared to baseline. Conclusion Treatment with adalimumab resulted in significant improvement in HAQ-DI, EQ-5D-3L, and SF-36 scores at 12 and 24 weeks in Korean RA patient.
Molecular models for water vapor flows in silica nanopores

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
A long-term field study of the ability to predict thermal cracking of asphalt mixtures tested by the Bending Beam Rheometer

If an asphalt mixture's low-temperature performance is evaluated before its application on a pavement, the costs and carbon footprint of materials in pavement maintenance and rehabilitation during cold seasons can be reduced significantly. This goal is met in this long-term study by conducting two experiments that spanned eight years. The Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) was used in this study by following the AASHTO TP125–16 procedure. The first stage consists of documentation of in-field pavement performance and development of a ‘limit criterion’ of the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures on a modified Black Space diagram. The second stage shows the application of this criterion on different asphalt mixtures obtained from seven construction projects in Utah, United States, during the 2018–19 construction season. This evaluation technique helps select proper materials during the decision-making process and serves as a quality acceptance tool during construction.
Participation in organized leisure among Czech children: sociocultural and ecological contexts and outcomes

ABSTRACT Organized leisure activities constitute an important source of experience for school-age children in the Czech Republic. Based on data collected in a longitudinal study, the aim of this paper is to explore two issues. Firstly, to what extent is children's participation in extracurricular activities (EAs) influenced by individual level factors that are determined by family's social status (parental education). Our approach extends this question by asking whether and how ecological factors influence EAs participation by both the opportunity structure (i.e. the volume of school-based EA offerings and the proximity to the nearest leisure centre for children) and the type of residential environment (i.e. settlement types signifying socio-spatial dis/advantages). Secondly, it accesses whether the participation in EAs in first grade has effects on subsequent success in the first semester of fifth grade. The findings revealed that parents’ education was the main factor and the residential environment was the second one. These results suggest that not only schools but also the local community may encourage children to engage in EAs. Moreover, we found a positive effect of early participation in EAs on subsequent achievement. However, among seven types of EAs, only the effect of engagement in intellectually stimulating activities was confirmed.
The Realm of Federalism: Appreciation to a Prospective Shift on the Form of Philippine Government

The current administration of the Republic of the Philippines is seen as an ardent advocate of federalism. This research study purports to explore the appreciation and understanding of the youth – specifically the Liberal Arts students in higher educational institutions who have the knowledge on the government forms, laws, and history of our system of government as regards a possible shift in the system of government. This study utilized descriptive qualitative design through Collaizi’s method of data analysis. Findings show that informants having perceived the possible shift on the system of government of the Philippines, have led to three clustered themes namely: (1) federalism defined, (2) benefits of federalism, and, (3) possible challenges during the transition period. Moreover, it is concluded that informants defined federalism as a system of government where powers are being decentralized to the local government and the latter being independent from the national / central government. Standardized local legislation, increased economic status, and responsive local government were identified as the benefits of federalism. Lack of proper knowledge, constitutional proceedings and amendments, and, costly and time-consuming were cited as the possible challenges during the transition period on the shift in our system of government. We suggest that, in order to actualize federalism, there is a need to enhance governance capabilities through transparency and accountability and a clearer definition of local autonomy should be observed.
Surface modification of hollow glass microsphere with different coupling agents for potential applications in phenolic syntactic foams

Modified hollow glass microsphere (HGM) particles have been prepared by surface treatment. Coupling agents such as γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), di(dioctylpyrophosphato) ethylene titanate (NDZ-311), and glutaraldehyde (GA) were used as modifiers to improve the hydrophobicity of HGM. Compared with pristine HGM, the modified HGM, especially the particles coupled with APTES-GA, show better properties on flexural strength, fracture toughness, and dynamic mechanical properties of phenolic syntactic foams. It is revealed that the coupling agent coating layer grafted onto the surface of HGM reduces the polarity of particles, avoiding agglomeration of HGM in phenolic matrix and exhibiting good interfacial interaction between HGM and phenolic matrix. The remarkable improvement of interfacial adhesion between APTES-GA modified HGM and phenolic matrix is mainly due to the covalent linkage with phenolic resin while the physical entanglement of molecular chains dominates the linkage between other modified HGM and phenolic matrix. APTES-GA treatment is a more appropriate surface modification method for inorganic particle reinforced phenolic matrix composites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44415.
Multi-classification of alzheimer disease on magnetic resonance images (MRI) using deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) approaches

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most popular cause of dementia. Dementia refers to a continuous decline in mental ability. The developmental stages of this neuropsychiatric symptom are usually examined using medical images of the brain. Cutting edge technologies, including computer algorithms have been applied to the diagnosis and treatments of AD, especially in the area of detection and classification. These technologies have eased up the work of medical experts and provided faster ways of medical delivery. This study was aimed at advancing AD image classification with deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) involving convolutional neural network (CNN) and transfer learning (Visual Geometry Group (VGG)16 and VGG19) using magnetic resonance images (MRI) and extend the evaluation metrics since limitations and capacity of algorithms cannot be revealed by few metrics. The objectives of this research are to classify AD images into four known classes by neurologists and results of the finding are subjected to many evaluation metrics. This research used computer algorithms majorly DCNN and transfer learning to classify AD. Six metrics were used for the evaluation; accuracy, area under curve (AUC), F1-score, precision, recall and computational time. VGG-19 was the best in three, CNN was the best in two and VGG-16 was the best in one. Conclusively, this study has proven that computer algorithms are capable of classifying AD into four classes known to medical experts.
Comparison of the Oxidative Stress Response of Two Aspergillus fumigatus Strains Isolated from Polluted Soils against Combined Heavy Metal Toxicity

Abstract Heavy metal polluted soils are major sources of fungi exhibiting high tolerance toward metal toxicity. These fungi use various defense mechanisms to survive under extreme conditions. But, a little is known about the role of antioxidant response in the fungal tolerance to varied concentrations of mixture of metal ions. The aim of present study was to compare the cell response of two Aspergillus fumigatus strains, isolated from heavily polluted soils, against multi-metal (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn ions) treatment. Both strains demonstrated high tolerance to increasing concentrations of multi-metal systems. The data confirmed a relationship between oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity. The treatment with multi-metal mixture declined fungal growth, glucose uptake and extracellular protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Combination of heavy metal ions in diverse concentrations induced an increase in the levels of carbonylated-damaged proteins and changes in glycogen and trehalose content. Our results showed a distinct profile of antioxidant enzymes. While the SOD activity was stimulated by metal containing solutions, CAT activity tended to decrease. Comparison between both strains revealed that A. fumigatus G showed higher tolerance than A. fumigatus 3-2 with increasing concentrations of multi-metal systems due to more active antioxidant defence.
Sharp lifespan estimates for subcritical generalized semilinear Tricomi equations

In this paper, we investigate the Cauchy problem of the subcritical semilinear generalized Tricomi equations with dimension n ≥ 3. Under the assumption that the initial data are smooth and compactly supported, the Cauchy problem is shown to be locally well‐posed and the lower bound estimate of the lifespan is established. We also obtain the upper bound of the lifespan with the same scale; hence, the sharp lifespan is determined. The proof is based on the improved versions of the weighted Strichartz estimates.
Viticulture in Portugal: A review of recent trends and climate change projections

Aim: The winemaking sector in Portugal is of major socio-economic relevance, significantly contributing to the national exports and sustaining many wine-related activities, including oenotourism. Portuguese viticultural regions present a wide range of edaphoclimatic conditions with remarkable regional specificities, thus contributing to the individuality of their wines. Owing to the strong influence of climate and weather factors on grapevines, climate change may drive significant impacts on Portuguese viticulture.Methods and results: Climatic projections for the next decades in Portugal highlight an overall warming and drying trend of the grapevine growing season, potentially resulting in modifications in phenology, growth, development, yields and eventually wine characteristics and typicity. Furthermore, the current viticultural suitability of each region is projected to undergo significant changes, suggesting a reshaping of the optimal conditions for viticulture throughout the country. In order to sustain high quality levels and affordable yield regularity, cost-effective, appropriate and timely adaptation measures must be implemented by the sector.Conclusion: The most recent scientific studies covering the potential impacts of climate change on Portuguese viticulture are herein presented.Significance and impact of the study: Possible adaptation measures against these threats are also discussed, foreseeing their integration into decision support systems by stakeholders and decision-makers.
Reduced quality parameters in adult Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) after pupal irradiation and transportation

Sterile insect technique is an effective tool to manage a range of pest insects, including the true fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). As part of the process, pupae are dispatched from a mass‐rearing facility for several hundred km to a rearing out centre typically located near the release sites. Transportation of Queensland fruit fly (Qfly), Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), pupae from mass production facilities to field release sites is known to negatively affect fly quality. To determine which quality parameters are affected, we assessed adult emergence, flight ability, and rate of fliers between irradiated and non‐irradiated flies that were or were not transported long distance. Pupal weight was not affected by irradiation or transport. We found that transportation and irradiation of pupae resulted in a decrease in percentage fly emergence, flight ability, and fliers. Transportation and irradiation both resulted in 8% reduction in emergence of flies. Additionally, we found that transportation resulted in an increase in the rate of deformity by 65% and irradiation could increase deformity by 75%. Compounding these losses, both transportation and irradiation resulted in the decline of number of fliers by approximately 23% each.