Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversification dynamics of cheilostome bryozoans based on a Bayesian analysis of the fossil record

Cheilostomata is the most diverse and ecologically dominant order of bryozoans living today. We apply a Bayesian framework to estimate macroevolutionary rates of cheilostomes since the Late Jurassic across four datasets: (I) manually curated genus ranges; (II) published text‐mined genus ranges; (III) non‐revised Paleobiology Database (PBDB) records; (IV) revised and augmented PBDB records. All datasets revealed increased origination rates in the Albian, and a twin K–Pg and Danian extinction rate peak. High origination rates in the Late Selandian–Ypresian in Dataset I indicate the onset of an ascophoran‐grade radiation. Lineage‐through‐time plots confirm the macroevolutionary lag preceding the radiation of cheilostomes in the middle Cretaceous, and their renewed diversification in the late Paleocene and Eocene. A multivariate birth–death model indicates that origination rates are shaped by diversity‐dependent dynamics coupled with a positive correlation with sea surface temperature, while extinction rates negatively correlate with sea level. Text‐mined data provide broadly similar rate dynamics as manually curated data, although discrepancies could be attributed to the omission of key literature in Dataset II, and the inclusion of new published and unpublished data, and revised ranges in Dataset I. Revision and augmentation of PBDB occurrences were necessary to generate rate profiles akin to those of Datasets I and II and highlight the risks of using unedited occurrence data. Our results support the widely held assumption that diversification dynamics are controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors, and pave the way for integrating fossils with molecular phylogenies to study these processes in more detail.
Analyzing the Popularity of Zoom Video Communications Using Marketing Mix Theory

Due to the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, many organizations are now turning to remote video conferencing to conduct their daily work. Zoom Video Communications is one of the video conferencing companies that rise to prominence during Covid-19. This paper uses the ‘product’ and ‘price’ from Marketing Mix Theory to analyze Zoom’s product-Zoom Video Business and compare it to another video conferencing platform, Google Meet. The conclusions drawn from this paper are that Zoom is popular during the pandemic since they meet the customers’ capacity requirements like participants and licenses. In addition, Zoom’s basic features, such as cloud storage and privacy setting, also satisfy the needs of customer. In the future, although Covid-19 may become better and the number of customers may decrease, people will still be willing to use Zoom as their “work at home” video conferencing platform compared with other platforms.
“Sincere White people, work in conjunction with us”: Racial minorities’ perceptions of White ally sincerity and perceptions of ally efforts

Social justice movements often consist of both targets of bias (e.g., Black people) and nontarget allies (e.g., White people). However, little is known about what factors shape minorities’ perceptions of allies and their ally behaviors. Across four studies, we investigated Black participants’ perceptions of Whites’ motives to engage in ally behaviors. In Study 1, we found that Black participants perceived nontarget allies as both highly internally and externally motivated, suggesting ally motives may be ambiguous to Black perceivers. Studies 2–4 examined the effect of Black participants’ suspicion of Whites’ motives on perceptions of White allies’ sincerity and support for their ally efforts. As predicted, suspicious Black participants perceived White ally protestors, confronters, and political candidates as less sincere than similar Black targets and, in turn, were less supportive of White allies’ efforts. Discussion focuses on how perceived motives of White allies impact perceptions of allies and their ally efforts.
Photocatalytic mediated remediation of synthetic dyes effluent using zero-valent iron: a comparative study

In the present investigation, the zero-valent iron (ZVI) was synthesized using ferrous sulfate for the degradation of synthetic textile effluent. The process variables such as initial dye concentration, ZVI dose, contact time, pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and temperature, artificial and solar light intensities were optimized for maximum remediation of synthetic dyes effluent. The maximum degradation (68.64%) of synthetic dyes effluent was obtained at its concentration of 0.02% at pH = 8, ZVI dose 0.1 g mL–1, 75 min reaction time, temperature = 40°C, while degradation efficiency of synthetic dyes effluent was raised to 76.74% using the artificial light intensity of 2,500 lux and 83.43% in solar light during noon timings. The catalytic efficiency of the studied method was assessed using chemical oxygen demand (86.7%) and total organic carbon (87.2%) measurements, which declared the degradation of synthetic dyes effluent. Our study results disclosed that ZVI has the capability and promising potential to decolorize and degradation of other toxic dyes present in wastewater.
Generation-dependent functional and numerical responses of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Acari: Phytoseiidae) long-term reared on almond pollen

ABSTRACT It is important to know how the quality of predators changes during different generations of rearing. Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) reared on almond pollen for 30 generations (G1-G30) was evaluated for searching efficacy and ovipoisition behaviour on Tetranychus urticae Koch as prey. The functional and numerical responses were determined every ten generations by offering a range of prey densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 nymphs) under standard conditions (25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% RH, and a photoperiod of L16:D8 h). In all generation tested N. cucumeris exhibited a type II functional response. The attack rate and handling time declined until G20, but increased from then onwards. The highest estimated maximum predation rate (T/Th ) was in G20 (86 prey/day), while the lowest was in G1 (53 prey/day). The quality of mass-reared predators did not decline against T. urticae prey after different periods of rearing on pollen. Mites reared for an extended period on almond pollen were equivalent or even better than mites reared for a short period because of higher predation and oviposition rates at each prey density. Based on this study and those we have already conducted, we propose almond pollen is a good candidate for the mass rearing of N. cucumeris for use in augmentative biological control programmes.
Biophysical methods used to generate tolerance to drought stress in seeds and plants: a review

*Corresponding author e-mail: clauhaj@yahoo.com A b s t r a c t. Drought stress has serious repercussions for agriculture, affecting crop growth with low yield effects concerning food production and food security. The main objective of this research is to conduct a scientific literature review of the physical methods used to generate tolerance to water stress in crops. (i) The most widely applied physical method to counteract the effects of drought stress is UV radiation, magnetic field application (18%), He-Ne and CO2 laser (18%), gamma radiation (9%) and plasma (6%). (ii) Treatments with ultraviolet light and magnetic fields have been applied mainly in cereals, vegetables, legumes, medicinal plants, and trees. Also, He-Ne, CO2 laser, and plasma in seeds in cereals and medicinal plants in the pre-sowing stage to seed level. Finally, gamma radiation has been applied to plants and seeds (grass, flowers, sugar plant). (iii) The reported physical methods can increase or decrease the biochemical variables under water stress depending on the physical method and radiation parameters applied, as well as the crop, level of drought and the environment in which the plants develop. Thus, UV radiation, magnetic fields, gamma radiation, and He-Ne and CO2 lasers are physical methods that produce seed and plant improvement effects. K e y w o r d s: physical methods, drought stress, seed conditioning, tolerance to water stress
Discrete equilibrium optimizer combined with simulated annealing for feature selection

This paper proposes a binary adaptation of the recently proposed meta-heuristic, Equilibrium Optimizer (EO), called Discrete EO (DEO) to solve binary optimization problems. A U-shaped transfer function has been used to map the continuous values of EO into the binary domain. To further improve the exploitation capability of DEO, Simulated Annealing (SA) has been used as a local search procedure and the combination has been named as DEOSA. The proposed DEOSA algorithm has been applied over 18 well-known UCI datasets and compared with a wide range of algorithms. The results have been statistically validated using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. In order to test the scalability and robustness of DEOSA, it has been additionally tested over 7 high-dimensional Microarray datasets and 25 binary Knapsack problems. The results clearly demonstrate the superiority and merits of DEOSA when solving binary optimization problems.
Immunization of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Broodstock with Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) Inactivated Vaccines Elicits Protective Antibody and Passive Maternal Antibody Transfer

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV), a major pathogen of farmed tilapia, is known to be vertically transmitted. Here, we hypothesize that Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) broodstock immunized with a TiLV inactivated vaccine can mount a protective antibody response and passively transfer maternal antibodies to their fertilized eggs and larvae. To test this hypothesis, three groups of tilapia broodstock, each containing four males and eight females, were immunized with either a heat-killed TiLV vaccine (HKV), a formalin-killed TiLV vaccine (FKV) (both administered at 3.6 × 106 TCID50 per fish), or with L15 medium. Booster vaccination with the same vaccines was given 3 weeks later, and mating took place 1 week thereafter. Broodstock blood sera, fertilized eggs and larvae were collected from 6–14 weeks post-primary vaccination for measurement of TiLV-specific antibody (anti-TiLV IgM) levels. In parallel, passive immunization using sera from the immunized female broodstock was administered to naïve tilapia juveniles to assess if antibodies induced in immunized broodstock were protective. The results showed that anti-TiLV IgM was produced in the majority of both male and female broodstock vaccinated with either the HKV or FKV and that these antibodies could be detected in the fertilized eggs and larvae from vaccinated broodstock. Higher levels of maternal antibody were observed in fertilized eggs from broodstock vaccinated with HKV than those vaccinated with FKV. Low levels of TiLV-IgM were detected in some of the 1–3 day old larvae but were undetectable in 7–14 day old larvae from the vaccinated broodstock, indicating a short persistence of TiLV-IgM in larvae. Moreover, passive immunization proved that antibodies elicited by TiLV vaccination were able to confer 85% to 90% protection against TiLV challenge in naïve juvenile tilapia. In conclusion, immunization of tilapia broodstock with TiLV vaccines could be a potential strategy for the prevention of TiLV in tilapia fertilized eggs and larvae, with HKV appearing to be more promising than FKV for maternal vaccination.
Influence of Cobalt and Different Organic Fertilizers on Chickpea Production

Two field experiments were carried out to study the efficiency of cobalt and different organic fertilizers. Experiments were conducted at Agricultural Experimental Station of the National Research Centre at Nubaria, Beheira Governorate Egypt, in two successive seasons 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 under drip irrigation system. The obtained results are summarized in the following: The greatest chickpea growth and yield parameters were attained in plants with treated with chicken manure followed by farmyard manure while agriculture compost was the lowest ones. Application cobalt at 12 ppm to all studied organic fertilizers enhancing chickpea nodulation rate, growth and seeds yield quantity and its quality. The superior chickpea growth and yield parameter were attained in plants which supplied with cobalt at 12 ppm with chicken manure followed by farmyard manure while cotton compost resulted the lowest ones.
Comprehensive comparison of carotid endarterectomy primary closure and patch angioplasty: A single-institution experience

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an effective intervention for the treatment of high-grade carotid stenosis. Technical preferences exist in the operative steps including the use patch for arteriotomy closure. The goals of this study are to compare the rate of postoperative complications and the rate of recurrent stenosis between patients undergoing primary versus patch closure during CEA. Methods: Retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who underwent CEA at single institution. Vascular surgeons mainly performed patch closure technique while neurosurgeons used primary closure. Patients’ baseline characteristics as well as intraprocedural data, periprocedural complications, and postprocedural follow-up outcomes were captured. Results: Seven hundred and thirteen charts were included for review with mean age of 70.5 years (SD = 10.4) and males representing 64.2% of the cohort. About 49% of patients underwent primary closure while 364 (51%) patients underwent patch closure. Severe stenosis was more prevalent in patients receiving patch closure (94.5% vs. 89.4%; P = 0.013). The incidence of overall complications did not differ between the two procedures (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence intervals = 0.82–1.85; P = 0.353) with the most common complications being neck hematoma, strokes, and TIA. Doppler ultrasound imaging at 6 months postoperative follow-up showed evidence of recurrent stenosis in 15.7% of the primary closure patients compared to 16% in patch closure cohort. Conclusion: Both primary closure and patch closure techniques seem to have similar risk profiles and are equally robust techniques to utilize for CEA procedures.
New silver loaded calcium phosphate bone cement: Characterization and phase composition

Abstract We have synthesized a new composition of calcium phosphate bone cements (CPCs) and silver loaded calcium phosphate bone cements (Ag-CPCs) based on α–tricalcium phosphate, brushite, and hydroxyapatite phases. Cement powders with an atomic ratio of Ca/P equal to 1.38 and Ag/Ca = 0 and 0.05 were used in this study. The silver was introduced into the cement matrix by means of Ag3PO4 powder, already prepared. The significant effects of the introduction of silver in the solid phase as silver phosphate on setting time, morphology, and phase composition of the final cements were evaluated. With the addition of silver, the final setting time increased by ̴ 25%. XRD shows that the crystalline composition of cement changes and the cement pattern demonstrates peaks of whitlockite for silver loaded cement samples. FTIR spectroscopy shows the presence of the pyrophosphate phase. Graphical Abstract
Accurate Direction-of-Arrival Estimation Method based on Space-Time Modulated Metasurface

A metasurface-based Direction of Arrival (DoA) estimation method is presented. The method exploits the properties of space-time modulated reflective metasurfaces to estimate in real-time the impinging angle of an illuminating monochromatic plane wave. The approach makes use of the amplitude unbalance of the received fields at broadside at the frequencies of the two first-order harmonics generated by the interaction between the incident plane wave and the modulated metasurface. Here, we first describe analytically how to generate the desired higher-order harmonics in the reflected spectrum and how to realize the breaking of the spatial symmetry of each order harmonic scattering pattern. Then, the one dimensional (1D) omnidirectional incident angle can be analytically computed using +1st and -1st order harmonics. The approach is also extended to 2D DoA estimation by using two orthogonally arranged 1D DoA modulation arrays. The accuracy of 1D DoA estimation is verified through full-wave numerical simulations. Compared to conventional DoA estimation methods, the proposed approach simplifies the computation and hardware complexity, ensuring at the same time estimation accuracy. The proposed method may have potential applications in wireless communications, target recognition, and identification.
Communication Skills Profile of Elementary Teacher Education Students in STEM-based Natural Science Online Learning

This study aimed to determine the communication skill profile of Elementary Teacher Education (ETE) students enrolled in natural science online learning-based STEM. Pre-experimental research with a one-shot case study design was used in this study. The study's sample consisted of 25 ETE students from a university in Cimahi. Observation and documentation were the techniques used in this study. The paired sample t-test was used to analyze the data. The descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing with the t-test were used to check the data validity. The findings of this study revealed that (1) there is an effect of STEM-based online science learning on ETE students' communication skills, (2) that most students are still in the Intermediate category for written communication and "does not meet the Standards" for oral communication skills, and (3) that students' communication skills in STEM-based science online learning still need to be optimized. The study's findings suggest that ETE lecturers in Indonesia should broaden their knowledge and perspectives in STEM-based learning and communication management. Second, ETE lecturers in Indonesia must take the assessment of communication skills more seriously. Last but not least, the government, with the help of researchers, must devise an excellent assessment system to overcome time constraints. The results of this study revealed that STEM-based online science learning is being implemented.
State-owned banks in credit stimulus: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This paper studies the role of the four largest, traditional, state-owned banks (Big Four SOBs) during China’s nationwide credit stimulus years (2009—10). We find that cities with a larger share of branches owned by the Big Four SOBs experienced larger local lending growth in credit stimulus. While the industrial/tradable sector was hit hardest by the global financial crisis, Big Four SOBs only fostered the expansion of the tertiary sector, which further led to temporary GDP growth. Consistently, we find that listed companies in cities with greater Big Four branch density also received more loan funding and invested more, yet their profitability showed no improvement in both the short and long run.
Prognostic value of tumor mutation burden and the relationship between tumor mutation burden and immune infiltration in HER2+ breast cancer: a gene expression-based study.

Background Whether tumor mutation burden (TMB) correlated with improved survival outcomes or promotion of immunotherapies remained controversy in various malignancies. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of TMB and the relationship between TMB and immune infiltration in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC). Methods We downloaded somatic mutation data and clinical information for 216 HER2+ BC patients from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cBioPortal databases. Patients were divided into high- and low-TMB groups through TMB calculation. Cox regression analysis was used to establish an immune- and mutant-related risk model based on 5-hub genes. The relationship between 5-hub genes mutants and the level of immune infiltration, as well as the relationship between the risk model and the immune microenvironment were analyzed by "TIMER" database. Results TMB was negatively correlated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and high TMB may inhibit immune infiltration in HER2+ BC. Furthermore, risk score classified effectively patients into low- and high-risk groups in training and validation cohorts. The infiltration of CD4+ T cells and NK cells and the levels of immune checkpoint pathway genes were lower in the high-risk group, which indicated a poor prognosis. Conclusions Higher TMB correlated with poor survival outcomes and might inhibit the immune infiltrates in HER2+ BC. The 5-hub TMB-related signature conferred lower immune cells infiltration which deserved further validation.
A national dose analysis of guided tumor destruction: influence of sex, age, localization and destruction technique used.

Background Percutaneous destructions of tumor lesions by ablation (microwave, radiofrequency or cryoablation) under computed tomography (CT) guidance allow high efficiency with minimally-invasive techniques, and acute needle placement and follow-up during procedure. This study investigated the impact of patient and technique parameters on the dose delivered during these procedures under CT guidance. Methods Data were extracted from a previous nationwide retrospective study. Patients who underwent percutaneous destruction of bone lesions, abdominal and lung tumors were included. Univariate and multivariate linear regression of the dose length product (DLP) log were performed, according to patient's gender, age, lesion location, destruction technique, adjusted to the participating center. Results A total of 822 patients (556 men), of mean age 62±14 years, were included: 150 patients had bone lesions, 463 abdominal and 209 thoracic tumors. The mean DLP was 991.6±979.0 mGy·cm for patients with bone lesions, 2,130.7±2,051.8 mGy∙cm for abdominal tumors and 825.2±545.4 mGy·cm for lung tumors. In multivariate analysis, the age was significantly associated with higher DLP for bone (P=0.0082) but not for abdominal and thoracic lesions; the DLP was significantly higher in men for abdominal tumors (P<0.0001) while sex had no impact on the dose for bone and thoracic lesions. The dose depended on the lesion location only for bone (P<0.0001) percutaneous destructions. The technique was not correlated to DLP for all lesions. Conclusions Patient and tumor characteristics such as sex, age and lesion location impacted on the dose delivered during percutaneous destructions of bone, abdominal and thoracic lesions, but not the destruction technique used. Further studies are needed to propose sharper reference dose levels.
Enhancement of Faba Bean (Vicia faba) Growth and Yield Grown in New Reclaimed
Sandy Soil by Treatment with Benzyladenine or Yeast Extract

Two field experiments were carried out at the Research and Production Station of National Research Centre, Nubaria region, Behira Governorate, Egypt, during two winter seasons 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. This work aimed to study the enhancement of foliar application of benzyladenine (BA) at 25, 50, 75 mg/L or the bio-stimulant (yeast extract at 1, 2, 3 g/L) on growth and quantity and quality of the yield of two cultivars of faba bean (Cvs Misr 3 and Nubaria 2) under sandy soil condition. Data showed that the two used growth regulators compound increased vegetative characters (i.e. shoot length, number of branches and leaves as well as photosynthetic pigments. Treatment with BA or yeast extract concentrations increased number and weight of pods and seeds as well as the biochemical constituents of seeds. The most positive effects were attained by application of highest concentrations of BA (75 mg/L) and yeast extract (3g/L) for variant Nubaria 2 and surpassed variant Misr 3 by the same concentrations. Application of BA at concentration 75 mg/l to Misr 3 exhibits the least amount of anti-nutritional compound vicine as well as the highest percentage of reduction.