Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolite profiling and bioactivity of Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae)

Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr. is a perennial herbaceous plant in the tribe Cichorieae (Lactuceae), Asteraceae family, distributed in the mountainous regions in Europe. In this study, we focused on the metabolite profiling and the bioactivity of C. alpina leaves and flowering heads methanol-aqueous extracts. The antioxidant activity of extracts, as well as inhibitory potential towards selected enzymes, involving in several human diseases, including metabolic syndrome (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and lipase), Alzheimer’s disease, (cholinesterases: AChE, BchE), hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase), and cytotoxicity were assessed. The workflow comprised ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography—high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). UHPLC-HRMS analysis revealed more than 100 secondary metabolites, including acylquinic, acyltartaric acids, flavonoids, bitter sesquiterpene lactones (STLs), such as lactucin, dihydrolactucin, their derivatives, and coumarins. Leaves showed a stronger antioxidant activity compared to flowering heads, as well as lipase (4.75 ± 0.21 mg OE/g), AchE (1.98 ± 0.02 mg GALAE/g), BchE (0.74 ± 0.06 mg GALAE/g), and tyrosinase (49.87 ± 3.19 mg KAE/g) inhibitory potential. Flowering heads showed the highest activity against α-glucosidase (1.05 ± 0.17 mmol ACAE/g) and α-amylase (0.47 ± 0.03). The obtained results highlighted C. alpina as a rich source of acylquinic, acyltartaric acids, flavonoids, and STLs with significant bioactivity, and therefore the taxon could be considered as a potential candidate for the development of health-promoting applications.
Fibrillogenesis and Hydrogel Formation from Fibrinogen Induced by Calcium Salts

Fibrin is considered a highly promising biomaterial for manifold medical applications. Although it is a well-established material in this field, the required enzyme thrombin bears some striking downsides such as high costs and health risks. Current research discovers more and more ways to use fibrin’s precursor fibrinogen as a substitute. Fibrinogen’s full potential is, however, only retained when using it as fibrous gel, as it is the case for fibrin. In our previous work, we introduced such a kind of material for the first time. This material, called pseudo-fibrin, shows striking similarities to fibrin regarding its supramolecular structure and is created in a facile salt-induced process, which we further improved in this study. In particular, we shine light on the role of Ca2+ in pseudo-fibrin buildup, which turned out to drastically improve the outcome. Never before has it been observed that Ca2+ can induce fibrillogenesis and the gelation of native, enzyme-free fibrinogen. Enzyme catalysis was ruled out by the addition of thrombin and factor XIII inhibitors. Even more striking, Ca2+ induces gelation even under physiological conditions, leading again to stable and fibrous hydrogels. Although this latter approach is possibly co-induced by residual factor XIII, the resulting gels are for the first time recognized as promising materials and not discounted as unwanted side effects. The finding that these gels again consist of fibers especially renders a new perspective on the role of factor XIII and fibrinogen’s well-known Ca2+ binding sites. In this study, we aim to provide first insights into this highly feasible material and its characteristics.
Balmer alpha emission in collisions of H+, He+ and He2+ with hydrogen atoms

A crossed-beam technique has been used to determine cross sections for Balmer alpha emission from hydrogen atoms excited by H+ , He+ and He2+ impact within the energy range 2.5-100 keV amu-1 . Results have been compared where possible with Balmer alpha cross sections derived from theoretical predictions of cross sections for excitation of the n=3 sublevels of H.
AN ANALYSIS OF A SEMICONDUCTOR EXPERIMENT USING YIELD AND SPATIAL INFORMATION

Semiconductor yield data is binary by nature since an integrated circuit (IC), or die, can only pass or fail a particular test. Still, many people rely on simple linear regression to analyse this type of data, which can produce incorrect results, e.g. negative yield predictions. We discuss the use of logistic regression for the analysis of yield data, and show that even this approach has to be modified to take into account the phenomenon of overdispersion. We present several approaches to accommodate overdispersion. We also discuss a statistic for measuring the spatial dependence of ICs within a wafer, the spatial log-odds ratio, which provides additional information to complement a yield analysis. These ideas are demonstrated using an example from our manufacturing area.
Current Perspectives on Periodontitis in Systemic Sclerosis: Associative Relationships, Pathogenic Links, and Best Practices

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic, autoimmune, multisystemic disease characterized by aberrant extracellular matrix protein deposition and extreme progressive microvasculopathy. These processes lead to damage within the skin, lungs, or gastrointestinal tract, but also to facial changes with physiognomic and functional alterations, and dental and periodontal lesions. Orofacial manifestations are common in SSc but are frequently overshadowed by systemic complications. In clinical practice, oral manifestations of SSc are suboptimally addressed, while their management is not included in the general treatment recommendations. Periodontitis is associated with autoimmune-mediated systemic diseases, including systemic sclerosis. In periodontitis, the microbial subgingival biofilm induces host-mediated inflammation with subsequent tissue damage, periodontal attachment, and bone loss. When these diseases coexist, patients experience additive damage, increasing malnutrition, and morbidity. The present review discusses the links between SSc and periodontitis, and provides a clinical guide for preventive and therapeutical approaches in the management of these patients.
Linking Beekeepers’ and Farmers’ Preferences towards Pollination Services in Greek Kiwi Systems

Simple Summary Greek kiwi production systems suffer from a Pollination Services (PS) shortage due to the declining number of wild pollinators. This study assesses the barriers towards the implementation of a PS market in Greek kiwi production systems by conducting two separate quantitative surveys, one for beekeepers and one for kiwi producers. The field survey findings corroborate the existence of a strong basis for further collaboration between the two stakeholders, as both of them acknowledge the importance of PS. Moreover, the farmers’ willingness to pay and the beekeepers’ willingness to receive regarding the renting of their hives for PS were examined. Abstract The kiwi is a highly insect-pollinated dependent crop and is the cornerstone of the Greek agricultural sector, rendering the country as the fourth biggest kiwi producer worldwide, with an expected increase in national production the following years. This extensive transformation of the Greek arable land to Kiwi monocultures in combination with a worldwide shortage of pollination services due to the wild pollinators’ decline raises questions for the provision of pollination services, and consequently, for the sustainability of the sector. In many countries, this shortage of pollination services has been addressed by the installation of pollination services markets, such as those in the USA and France. Therefore, this study tries to identify the barriers towards the implementation of a pollination services market in Greek kiwi production systems by conducting two separate quantitative surveys, one for beekeepers and one for kiwi producers. The findings showed a strong basis for further collaboration between the two stakeholders, as both of them acknowledge the importance of pollination services. Moreover, the farmers’ willingness to pay and the beekeepers’ willingness to receive of the beekeepers regarding the renting of their hives for pollination services were examined.
Immunoepigenetic Regulation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current Insights into Novel Epigenetic Modulations of the Systemic Immune Response

The immune system and environmental factors are involved in various diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), through their effect on genetics, which modulates immune cells. IBD encompasses two main phenotypes, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, which are manifested as chronic and systemic relapse-remitting gastrointestinal tract disorders with rising global incidence and prevalence. The pathophysiology of IBD is complex and not fully understood. Epigenetic research has resulted in valuable information for unraveling the etiology of this immune-mediated disease. Thus, the main objective of the present review is to summarize the current findings on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in IBD to shed light on their potential clinical relevance. This review focuses on the latest evidence regarding peripheral blood mononuclear cells and epigenetic changes in histone modification, DNA methylation, and telomere shortening in IBD. The various identified epigenetic DNA profiles with clinical value in IBD could be used as biomarkers for more accurately predicting disease development, treatment response, and therapy-related adverse events. Ultimately, the information presented here could be of potential relevance for future clinical practice in developing more efficient and precise medicine to improve the quality of life for patients with IBD.
Radiative and magnetic properties of solar active regions II. Spatially resolved analysis of O V 62.97 nm transition region emission

Context. Global relationships between the photospheric magnetic flux and the extreme ultraviolet emission integrated over active region area have been studied in a previous paper by Fludra & Ireland (2008, A&A, 483, 609). Spatially integrated EUVline intensities are tightly correlated with the total unsigned magnetic flux, and yet these global power laws have been shown to be insufficient for accurately determining the coronal heating mechanism owing to the mathematical ill-conditioning of the inverse problem. Aims. Our aim is to establish a relationship between the EUV line intensities and the photospheric magnetic flux density on small spatial scales in active regions and investigate whether it provides a way of identifying the process that heats the coronal loops. Methods. We compare spatially resolved EUV transition region emission and the photospheric magnetic flux density. This analysis is based on the O V 62.97 nm line recorded by the SOHO Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) and SOHO MDI magnetograms for six solar active regions. The magnetic flux density φ is converted to a simulated O V intensity using a model relationship I(φ,L) = Cφ δ L λ , where the loop length L is obtained from potential magnetic field extrapolations. This simulated spatial distribution of O V intensities is convolved with the CDS instrument’s point spread function and compared pixel by pixel with the observed O V line intensity. Parameters δ and λ are derived to give the best fit for the observed and simulated intensities. Results. Spatially-resolved analysis of the transition region emission reveals the complex nature of the heating processes in active regions. In some active regions, particularly large, local intensity enhancements up to a factor of five are present. When areas with O V intensities above 3000 erg cm −2 s −1 sr −1 are ignored, a power law has been fitted to the relationship between the local O V line intensity and the photospheric magnetic flux density in each active region. The average power index δ from all regions is 0.4 ± 0.1 and λ = −0.15 ± 0.07. However, the scatter of intensities in all regions is significantly greater than ±3σ from the fitted model. We therefore determine for the first time an empirical lower boundary for the IOV − φ relationship that is the same for five active regions. We postulate that it represents a basal heating. Because this boundary is present in the spatially-resolved data, this is compelling proof that the magnetic field is one of the major factors contributing to the basal component of the heating of the coronal plasma. We discuss the implications for the diagnostics of the coronal heating mechanism.
Clustered tree size analysis of bio-productivity of Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in China

Over various terrain types, natural forests exhibit tree size and biomass variation. We started long- term research that consists of forest vegetation surveys in the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve to comprehensively investigate productivity based on the structure and species composition of China’s forest communities. We grouped the trees into three categories, i.e., as large or mature (DBH > 30 cm), medium-sized or growing (DBH 10–30 cm), and small-sized or regenerating seedlings (DBH < 10 cm). Forest data observations, i.e., species DBH, height, and biomass components (trunk, leaves, branches, above-ground dry weight, and below-ground dry weight) were recorded by use of standard protocols. All recorded observations were statistically analyzed by use of SPSS version 25. To comprehend the connections between the many elements of forest bio-productivity, linear regression analysis was utilized. Total above-ground biomass was 34.19 ± 5.75Kg/tree, but varied results were obtained when the forest was clustered based on DBH. Large-sized trees contributed an average of 2400.54 ± 510.4 kg/tree (93.24%), while medium-sized trees contributed 171.61 ± 25.06 kg/tree, and the least was regenerating seedlings which contributed 3.013 ± 0.07 kg/tree. There were positive linear relationships for all life forms between biomass and DHB, as well as DBH and height. The evergreen broadleaved shrubs were shorter in height (3.06 ± 0.99 m) than palm-leaved life forms (19.29 ± 5.39 m). Height influenced biomass accumulation and hence C gain, where life forms with tall stands had higher biomass. Generalized biomass estimation without clustering based on life forms or size class underestimates biomass components and hence lower C stocks for most forests worldwide. It’s also crucial to remember that trees with big DBH have tall, broad, well-lit crowns, which raise the primary productivity of forests and increase carbon storage. Besides natural disturbance (Typhoon) and climate change, it could be interesting to understand the relationship between soil resources such as nutrient and soil moisture content. These are factors that have direct impact on growth and biomass accumulation.
Lessons learned from three-years operation of TANSO-FTS on GOSAT

To observe the global column concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from space, the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) was launched on January 23, 2009, and has started the operational observation. Thermal and Near Infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation– Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) has been continuously measuring CO2 and CH4 distributions globally, and the retrieved column CO2 and CH4 data have been distributed to the public. Over three-years operational periods, the useful scientific data sets and interesting articles for carbon source/sink evaluation were produced and published, and these results have been supporting to well understanding of carbon cycle. Currently, the importance of space-based carbon observation has been approved and desired the continuous observation in toward. Through the TANSO-FTS operation with the radiometric, geometric and spectroscopic characterizations, we learned how to improve the accuracy of XCO2 and XCH4 based on short-wavelength FTS. The correction procedures for micro-vibration from companion components, non-linear response of analogue and digitizing circuit are key role on the current on-board operating TANSO-FTS. On instrumental aspects, the robustness and improvements will be required on the future mission. To elucidate the carbon cycle more precisely, our experiences have to be summarized and applied in the future missions. In this presentation, the detail of lessons and learned from TANSO-FTS operation will be presented.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Calculations of a Jet in an External Cross Flow: Application to Pollutant Dispersion

We present a three-dimensional numerical simulation of a circular turbulent jet issuing transversely into a uniform air stream. In the first part an air-helium jet is considered and the three-dimensional structure of the flow field is discussed. Then, a comparison between the numerical results of four turbulence closure models (three first-order models and a second-order one) are presented and compared with the experimental data given by Crabb et al. , and Andreopoulos et al.
What are the key drivers to promote continuance intention of undergraduates in online learning? A multi-perspective framework

Introduction/Aim The purpose of this study is to investigate the key predictors of online learning system continuance intention using expectation-confirmation theory and information system success model as the theoretical framework. Methods A total of 537 respondents participated in the questionnaire to measure their self-reported responses to eight constructs (perceived usefulness, interaction, confirmation, satisfaction, continuance intention, information quality, system quality, service quality). Convenience sampling was used to obtain participants in this study. Partial least square structural equation model is used for data analysis. Results The results showed that all the hypotheses were validated except that there was no significant positive relationship between online learning interaction and student satisfaction. Meanwhile, the variance of the continuance intention of the online learning system reached 74.0%, falling within the moderate to substantial. In addition, the multi-group analysis of perceived usefulness, satisfaction and continuance intention showed that there was no significant gender difference in the above two relationships. Discussion Finally, this study also puts forward the theoretical and practical implications of college students’ continuance intention of online learning system.
Energy Harvesting Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for UAV Based on Robust Deep Reinforcement Learning

Integrating unmanned aerial vehicles with RIS (UAV–RIS) can offer ubiquitous deployment services in communication-disabled areas, but is limited by the on-board energy of the UAVs. In this paper, a novel energy harvesting (EH) scheme on top of the UAV–RIS system, called EH-RIS scheme, is developed for the next generation high performance wireless system. The proposed EH-RIS scheme extends the simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) system by splitting the passive reflected arrays on the geometric space for transporting information and harvesting energy simultaneously. However, pedestrian mobility, and rapid channel changes post challenges to efficient resource allocation in wireless systems. Thus, a robust deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based algorithm is developed to improve the proposed EH-RIS scheme for guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) under dynamic wireless environments. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed robust DRL-based EH-RIS system, which not only outperform the existing state-of-the-art solutions but also approach to the performance of the exhaustive search method.
MSATSI: A MATLAB Package for Stress Inversion Combining Solid Classic Methodology, a New Simplified User‐Handling, and a Visualization Tool

Online Material: Figures of complete stress inversion results. The estimation of the stress‐field orientation from focal mechanisms of earthquakes is a relevant tool to understand crustal mechanics and the physics of earthquakes. In global seismology, Formal Stress Inversion (FSI) is a well‐established technique to study tectonic processes associated with the occurrence of large earthquakes (e.g., Hardebeck and Michael, 2004; Yoshida et al. , 2012). Information on the stress‐field orientation is also relevant for the exploitation of hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. Knowledge of the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress ( σ Hmax) is crucial for reservoir development, such as drilling and leakage risk assessment (Terakawa et al. , 2012; Martinez‐Garzon et al. , 2013). Additionally, the FSI technique may be useful for understanding the physics of rupture processes at a microscale in the frame of rock deformation experiments in the laboratory. In seismological practice, the stress tensor is obtained either from inverting earthquake focal mechanisms or directly from first‐motion polarities. Most of the developed FSI methods share two main assumptions: Estimation of stress‐field orientation is a nonlinear inverse problem that can be solved either directly or linearized. When solving the nonlinear inverse problem, the best‐fitting stress tensor to the group of focal mechanisms is obtained using grid‐search algorithms (Gephart and Forsyth, 1984; Gephart, 1990; Arnold and Townend, 2007) or Monte Carlo sampling‐based optimization methods (Angelier, 1984; Xu, 2004). The linearized inversion scheme is solved by a generally less computationally extensive least‐squares technique (Michael, 1984; Hardebeck and Michael, 2006). Because of …
Black Devils in Normandy—Identification of an Unknown Soldier Found in the Polish War Cemetery of Urville-Langannerie (France)

A paper dedicated to the identification of a Polish soldier from the 1st Armoured Division under the command of General Stanisław Maczek, who fell in 1944 in Normandy, during World War II. The remains were found at the Urville-Langannerie Polish War Cemetery. A team from the Department of Forensic Genetics at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture Heritage and Sport, exhumed the remains in order to carry out genetic identification tests. A comprehensive anthropological analysis of the heavily degraded remains was carried out, and biological samples were secured for genetic testing. The identification of Jan Dusza is the first case of restoring the identity of an active combatant from the First Armoured Division. In the case analysis, the analysis of mitochondrial DNA in highly degraded biological material proved crucial. Genetic studies decided to reject the original historical hypothesis No. I at their preliminary stage. Regarding hypothesis No. II, a comprehensive genetic analysis of mitochondrial and autosomal DNA was carried out. Comparative material was obtained from the alleged victim’s sister. Thanks to the analysis of kinship in the maternal line based on the mtDNA haplotype, it was possible to establish that the remains belong to Jan Dusza, who served in the Podhale Rifle Battalion, part of the Polish 1st Armoured Division. The research was co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Heritage and National Culture.
Working from the Ground Up and Participatory Action Research: An old urban neighbourhood in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT This article presents a community-based action research project in a low-income neighborhood in Hong Kong that adopted the Working from the Ground Up (WFGU) model. In the context of the neoliberal turn, the WFGU approach reminds researchers and practitioners to begin with the disadvantaged groups’ perceptions of the neighborhood and priorities for changes. The WFGU and action research process involved four phases: observation, reflection, planning, and actions. The four-year action research project indicates the potential of promoting the participation of tenants of sub-divided units (SDUs), a type of sub-standard housing in Hong Kong. The SDU tenants used Photovoice in community assessment. They critically assessed the causes of neighborhood issues and were committed to making changes collectively.