Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human peripheral γδT cell phenotypic and functional shift in response to stimulation with E.coli

It is known that γδT cells provide immune-surveillance and host defense against infection and cancer. Our understanding of γδT cell functionality and antimicrobial immunity, however, remains poor. Limited data suggests that γδT cells can phagocytose particles and act as professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs). In order to examine γδT cell bacterial interactions, an ex vivo co-culture model of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) responses to Escherichia coli was employed. Following PBMC stimulation with E.coli, Vγ9Vδ2 cells underwent rapid T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent proliferation and functional transition from cytotoxic, inflammatory cytokine immunity, to cell expansion with diminished cytokine but increased costimulatory molecule expression, and capacity for professional phagocytosis. Phagocytosis was augmented by IgG opsonization, and inhibited by TCR-blockade, suggesting a licensing interaction involving the TCR and FcγR. Vγ9Vδ2 cells displayed potent cytotoxicity through TCR-dependent and independent mechanisms. Vγ9Vδ2 cell cytokine responses and cytotoxicity further presented with variable sensitivity to blocking of host butyrophilin 3A (BTN3A), in response to both, self and non-self, stimuli. We conclude that i) Vγ9Vδ2 T cells transition from early inflammatory cytotoxic killers to myeloid-like pAPCs in response to infectious stimuli, and that ii) Vγ9Vδ2 T cell recognition of targets is predominantly governed by TCR recognition of self stress markers in a BTN3A-dependent manner.
Bank Information Production Over the Business Cycle

The information banks have about borrowers drives their lending decisions and macroeconomic outcomes, but this information is inherently difficult to analyze because it is private. We construct a novel measure of bank information quality from confidential regulatory data that include banks’ private loan-level risk assessments for US corporate loans. We show that our measure of information quality improves as local economic conditions deteriorate, particularly among loans with greater information sensitivity. To alleviate endogeneity concerns, we also use unexpected snowfall as an exogenous shock to local economic conditions. Taken together, our results provide support for theories in which economic conditions and security design decisions drive information production in credit markets. Our findings also suggest that policies designed to stimulate macroeconomic activity through the banking sector may be less effective in recessions.
Broadband Functional Metasurfaces: Achieving Nonlinear Phase Generation toward Achromatic Surface Cloaking and Lensing

Generalized law of refraction and reflection has enabled a tremendous amount of degrees of freedom for full vectorial electromagnetic manipulation with metasurfaces. However, owing to the fundamental limitations of bandwidth and efficiency, the implementation of such principle is still far from perfect as truly achromatic efficient wavefront manipulation has not been realized. Here, a design principle based on the generalized Gires–Tournois interference model and catenary electromagnetics theory is proposed that can achieve desired broadband dispersion engineering regardless of the incident polarizations. As a proof of concept, a surface cloak is fabricated and demonstrated with a large fractional bandwidth of more than 40%. An achromatic lens antenna is also designed with focal shift deviation ratio less than 2% across X band to Ku band. Both of the devices show great advances versus traditional approaches by at least one order of magnitude. Besides, this conceptually new design is also applicable to other scenarios, such as beam splitters, vortex beam generators, or metasurface holograms. Considering their compact profiles and simple topologies, it is believed that such functional metasurfaces are promising in practical applications such as beam control, camouflage, and space communications.
Cryoprotective eﬀect of sorbitol on the muscle microstructure of yamú (Brycon amazonicus) during storage at 2 and -18 °C

Although freezing is generally used to preserve the sensory and nutritional quality of fish and their products, it cannot mitigate physicochemical changes of the fish meat during storage. This study aimed to determine the cryoprotective effect of sorbitol incorporated into the yamu muscle ( Brycon amazonicus ), subjected to different storage times and temperatures. The methodology consisted of analyzing microstructural changes, protein profile, and physicochemical properties (texture, water holding capacity and pH) of the yamu’s meat under two temperatures (2±2 and -18±2 °C), two storage times (24 and 48 h) and the incorporation or not of 5% (w/w) of a 60% sorbitol solution. The microstructural changes were analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the protein profile was analyzed by SDS PAGE electrophoresis. The physicochemical properties evaluated in yamu’s meat were affected mainly by the interaction between temperature and storage time. The myofibrillar proteins underwent a partial degradation, and changes in the connective tissue were observed concerning the loss of texture especially when the meat was not treated with sorbitol at freezing temperature (-18 °C). The use of sorbitol minimized the negative effects of freezing on the characteristics of the yamu muscle, maintaining the integrity of the muscular microstructure and generating a cryoprotective effect in comparison to untreated meat.
Exploring the Validity of the Engineering Design Self-Efficacy Scale for Secondary School Students (Research To Practice)

Eunsil Lee is a postdoctoral associate at Florida International University in the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education. She received a B.S. and M.S. in Clothing and Textiles from Yonsei University (South Korea) with the concentration area of Nanomaterials and Biomaterials in Textiles. She began her Ph.D. study in Textile Engineering but shifted her path toward Engineering Education, earning her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Arizona State University. Her research interests center on inclusion in engineering with focuses on students’ sense of belonging, faculty and peer interactions, diversity in citizenship, and engineering doctoral education. Prior to her Ph.D., She worked as a research associate at the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Carbon Composite Materials Research Center.
Multiplex Real-Time PCR Detection of Respiratory Viruses in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Children

Acute respiratory infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. Several new respiratory viruses have been identified and co-detection of multiple viruses is commonly reported. This is part of a prospective study which aims to detect respiratory viruses by multiplex molecular method and conventional methods. Nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens were taken from hospitalised children aged less than 5 years with lower respiratory tract infections. These were tested using viral culture, immunofluorescence and Seegene Anyplex™ II RV16 real-time polymerase chain reaction. From 102 samples, 69 (67.6%) were positive by PCR, 12 (11.8%) positive by culture method and 13 (12.7%) positive by IF. A single viral pathogen was detected in 48 samples (47.1%), while 21 samples (20.6%) had co-detection of 2 to 4 viral pathogens. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was most common, detected in 17 samples (16.7% of all samples), followed by adenovirus and rhinovirus in 16 (15.7%), respectively. Bocavirus was detected in 15, enterovirus in 15, influenza A in 8 and parainfluenza-4 in 4 samples, with highest occurrences in co-detection (12/15, 10/15, 5/8 and 3/4, respectively). RSV was the least likely detected in co-detection (3/17). In PCR-positive samples, 54/69 (78.3%) were patients aged up to 24 months. Molecular methods detect more viral aetiologies than conventional methods, with simultaneous detection of multiple respiratory viruses. More sensitive, specific and rapid tools to determine aetiological agents could be incorporated into diagnostic algorithms of respiratory tract infections. Interpretations, significance, and applicability in clinical practice could be further explored, particularly for patients up to 2 years old.
The Scholar-Practitioner: Problems of Practice Identified by Aspiring School Leaders.

Principal preparation programs must work to develop scholar-practitioners. This will help to ensure that school leaders are able to use research methodologies to examine problems of practice, make critical data-based decisions toward positive change, and effectively implement research-based practices to drive school improvement. With this in mind, we examined 44 aspiring school leaders’ final projects within a master’s-level research course in which they were asked to identify a problem of practice in education and write a research proposal that delineated how they could potentially study that problem of practice. Through a content analysis, five themes were identified: (a) Let’s Collaborate, (b) Improve Student Achievement, (c) Create a Safe Learning Environment, (d) Use a Diversity Lens, and (e) Enhance Leadership Behavior. Within these themes, unique distinctions were evidenced between male and female aspiring school principals. A discussion of these findings and distinctions is provided, along with implications for principal preparation programs.
Note on the analysis of Orr-Sommerfeld equations and application to boundary layer stability (Mathematical Analysis of Viscous Incompressible Fluid)

This note is about the stability of Prandtl boundary layer expansions, in the context of the two‐dimensional Navier‐Stokes equation. We explain the main arguments behind the recent analysis of [5], which shows an optimal Gevrey stability result for expansions of shear flow type. The core of the reasoning is a resolvent estimate for the fourth order Orr‐Sommerfeld equation, which is derived by an iterative process reminiscent of splitting methods in numerical analysis. This iteration is explained here in an abstract setting, that might be helpful to other applications.
Effect of Yeast and Acetic Fermentation on Phytochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Jackfruit Pulp(Artocarpus heterophyllus L.)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) is one of the important tropical fruits in Malaysia, mainly used for fresh consumption because of its good source of energy, deliciously sweet in taste, proteins, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. To date, there is lack of fermentation study reported on jackfruit. Hence, the aim of this work is to evaluate the phytochemical content and antioxidant properties of fermented jackfruit which was subjected to acetic acid bacteria and yeast fermentation individually for a duration of 7 days. The changes in the pH value, brix value, total reducing sugar content, total phenolic and total flavonoid content were examined for both yeast and acetic acid fermented jackfruit samples. Few antioxidant activities such as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value and 2,2-diphenyl -1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity were also analyzed to determine the differences in the respective properties of jackfruit pulp after being subjected to yeast or acetic acid fermentation. There is a slight change on brix value and DPPH free radical scavenging activity (31.05-33.17% radical scavenging activity) for both yeast and acetic acid fermented samples. However, acetic acid fermented jackfruit exhibited higher total reducing sugar content (23.24 mg glucose/mL) and total phenolics content when compared to yeast fermented jackfruit sample. Both yeast and acetic acid fermented jackfruit samples showed higher FRAP value (0.435 -0.48 mg ascorbic acid/mL) than unfermented jackfruit sample (0.372 mg ascorbic acid/mL) except for total flavonoid content which exhibited a decreasing trend after fermentation.
The effects of alkyl polyglucosides on the formation of CH4 hydrate and separation of CH4/N2 via hydrates formation

ABSTRACT Alkyl polyglucosides have attracted great research interests as environmental-friendly biological surfactants. Consequently, we investigated the effects of n-hexyl polyglucoside and octyl-decyl polyglucoside on the formation thermodynamics and kinetics of CH4 hydrate, and experimented the separation of CH4/N2 via hydrates formation with n-hexyl polyglucoside and octyl-decyl polyglucoside, respectively. The results show that both of them could increase the hydrate formation rate and shorten the reaction time. As a result, the separation efficiency of CH4/N2 via hydrates formation is enhanced significantly. The employ of alkyl polyglucosides in hydrate could promote the development and industrial application of hydrate-based separation method.
SINIF ÖĞRETMENİ ADAYLARININ MATEMATİK VE MATEMATİK ÖĞRETİMİNE İLİŞKİN ALGILARI

Bu calismanin amaci, sinif ogretmeni adaylarinin matematik ve matematik ogretimi yonelik algilarini metaforlar araciligiyla incelemektir. Arastirmanin modeli, nitel arastirma desenlerinden olgubilim deseninde bir calismadir. Arastirmaya, 2016-2017 akademik yilinda bir devlet universitesinin Sinif Egitimi Anabilim Dalinda ogrenim gormekte olan 73 ucuncu sinif ogrencisi katilmistir. Ogretmen adaylarindan “Bana gore matematik …… gibidir. ” Cunku; “…. ” ve “Bana gore matematik ogretimi …… gibidir. ” Cunku; “. …. ” cumleleri yoneltilerek matematik ile matematik ogretimi hakkinda bir metafor gelistirmeleri ve gerekcelerini aciklamalari istenmistir. Arastirmanin verilerinin analizinde icerik analizi yontemi kullanilmistir. Elde edilen sonuclara gore, matematik kavramina yonelik “hayat, zekâ kupu, oyun, bulmaca, bilgisayar” metaforlarinin siklikla kullanildigi belirlenmistir. Matematik kavramina ait metaforlar analiz edildiginde; ogretmen adaylarinin matematik kavramina iliskin algilarinda “surec” ve “gereklilik” temalari one cikmaktadir. Matematik ogretimi kavramina yonelik ise “oyun, labirent, makine” metaforlarinin siklikla kullanildigi belirlenmistir. Matematik ogretimi kavramina ait metaforlar analiz edildiginde; ogretmen adaylarinin matematik ogretimi kavramina iliskin algilarinda ise “altyapi/kaynak”, “gereksinim/vazgecilmezlik” ve “emek/caba” temalari one cikmaktadir.
Solid and Solid‐Like Composite Electrolyte for Lithium Ion Batteries: Engineering the Ion Conductivity at Interfaces

The development of solid composite electrolytes or solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) consisting of an ionic conductor and a dielectric matrix offers an elegant strategy to enhance the ionic conductivity of electrolytes by engineering the interface conduction. At the conductor/matrix interface, the ionic conductivity can be enhanced by the enriched charge carrier concentration and/or the changed molecular structure of the ionic conductor. This review deals with the interfacial ion conduction mechanisms of the inorganic particle‐based SCE, polymer‐SCE, and ionic liquid electrolyte‐based SCE (ILE‐SCE). In the first part of this review, an overview is given of the space‐charge theory developed to describe the increased vacancy concentration at the interface of inorganic particle‐based SCE. In the second part, the proposed interface interactions and structural changes associated with interface conduction for the polymer‐SCE and ILE‐SCE are reviewed. For the ILE‐SCE, the preparation methods and interface characterization are discussed together with the proposed conductivity models. The use of mesoporous matrix materials with high internal surface area for ILE‐SCE is reviewed here for the first time.
Impact of Biomass Burning in South and Southeast Asia on Background Aerosol in Southwest China

Biomass burning (BB) in Southeast Asia is particularly pronounced during the dry season. However, the complex topography and long-range transport inherent to Southeast Asia have limited local research on pollution resulting from BB. In this study, the monthly variation in aerosol optical properties at six sites in Southeast Asia (Chiang Mai, Mukdahan, Bac-Lieu, Penang, Singapore, and Bandung) and the fire-point distribution have been analyzed in detail. The Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model was used to simulate the 72-hour back-trajectory from the Shangri-La atmospheric background station in Yunnan Province, China. Our results showed that BB was more common on the Indochinese Peninsula from March to May, whereas it was more common on the Malay Archipelago from August to October due to the latitudinal difference and crop harvest season. Significant BB activity on the Indochinese Peninsula in March resulted in a high surge in extinction (AODt440nm = 1.32 ± 0.69, AODf440nm = 1.24 ± 0.59) by particles with a smaller diameter (AE = 1.68 ± 0.13) in Chiang Mai. Mapping the long-range transport of BB aerosols reveals that Shangri-La’s pollution was primarily affected by emissions from northern-central India (accounting for 45.2%), and Bangladesh and northern Myanmar (accounting for 38.7%), which indicates that the aerosol pollution on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in springtime could have originated on the southern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau. The results also indicate that BB emission in Southeast Asia had a limited impact on pollution in Southwest China but a relatively large effect on local areas. This study is the first to analyze the trend of aerosols produced from BB in Southeast Asia via ground-based observation, which deepens our understanding of the potential effects of BB aerosols transported long-range from outside Southwest China.
Capsicum annuum var. annuum under macronutrients and boron deficiencies: Leaf content and visual symptoms

Abstract This study aims to describe macronutrient and boron deficiencies in pepper grown in a hydroponic system in the presence of a substrate during the vegetative and fruiting phases. The experiments were carried out into a greenhouse, and consisted of a randomized block design with eight treatments: complete solution (control) and nitrogen (-N), phosphorus (-P), potassium (-K), calcium (-Ca), magnesium (-Mg), sulfur (-S) and boron (-B) deficient solutions, with four repetitions for each assay. Visual diagnoses of certain macronutrient and boron deficiencies can be applied by farmers to aid in soil management, since they are observed in leaves, while N, P, Ca, S and B deficiencies led to roots symptoms. Pepper fruits showed nutritional deficiency symptoms when grown under N, K, Ca, Mg, S and B deficits. The appearance of nutrient deficiency symptoms in pepper plants occurs in the following order: N, K, P, Mg, S, Ca and B. Graphical Abstract
Chemical study on the leaves of Cyphostemma digitatum

Phytochemical study on the leaves of Cyphostemma digitatum obtained from Sanaâ€™a has been conducted. The separations of the chemical components were carried out by different chromatography techniques and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods such as mass spectrometry (MS), 1H and 13C NMR and by comparison with those of previously reported data. Four compounds were isolated and identified as follows, triterpenes which was identified as Lupeol, Dioxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid and Longistylin A, Piceid as a stilbenoid glucoside.
Nutritional Quality of Edible Marine Bivalves from the Southern Coast of Italy, Mediterranean Sea

The marine molluscs are important for marine ecology and play an important role in human’s diet, since they are a good source of nutrients. High quality of protein, minerals, low lipid content, and especially high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterize the mollusc fl esh, contributing to their nutritional value and organoleptic characteristics [Orban et al., 2007]. PUFAs are considered as essential fatty acids that humans cannot synthesize and must be provided with food. Recent studies have clearly shown the importance of PUFAs and their nutritional value for human health. A particular emphasis is placed on the n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acid and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid that can be associated with several health benefi ts. DHA plays a role in the development and function of the brain, the photoreception, and the reproductive system [Kris-Etherton et al., 2003; Sidhu, 2003]. EPA is the precursor of a family of prostaglandins, which control blood clotting and other arterial functions. This may be important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, decrease in mild hypertension, prevention of certain cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death [Kris-Etherton et al., 2003]. EPA and DHA also lower blood triglyceride concentrations and are substrates
M-banking barriers in Pakistan: a customer perspective of adoption and continuity intention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine barriers jeopardizing the adoption and usage intention of mobile banking (M-banking) in Pakistan and provide deeper insights to fix such deteriorating factors. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected in countrywide regional headquarters to mark the utmost generalizability of the results, which included seven largest cities of Pakistan. SEM path analysis was used to analyze data collected from Pakistan’s top 5 bank customers incorporating both users and non-users. Findings Results revealed that lack of awareness, initial trust and compatibility and perceived risk were the core barriers that stood out as obstacles to the adoption and usage of M-banking in Pakistan. It was also approved that having fixed these core barriers would outcome in existing users’ continuity intent besides raising new users’ inclination toward M-banking. Originality/value The study has unveiled the core barriers that have so far impeded the adoption and usage of M-banking. There is not a unified position concerning adoption and usage blockades. Factors differ with contexts, markets, time and kinds of innovations. However, this study is unlike past studies that merely studied students within a specified institute in a restricted jurisdiction. This is the first study to have nationally explored adoption and usage issues; thus, it is anticipated to potentially contribute to the prevailing literature especially in Pakistani context where a few studies prevail, addressing M-banking adoption and usage barriers.