Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term North–South Asymmetry of the Heliospheric Current Sheet

In this paper, we evaluate the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) north–south asymmetry using the ecliptical sector structure of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) reconstructed since the second half of the 19th century. During the last five solar cycles, the inferred IMF polarities fairly reproduce the observed dominance of the sectors with the polarity of the northern solar hemisphere, i.e., the prolonged southward shift of the HCS. For the presatellite era, we found that the northward shift of the HCS was more common in cycles 10, 15, and 17–19, and the southward HCS shift was more common in cycles 9, 11–14, and 16. We also analyzed the north–south asymmetry in sunspot group numbers since 1749 and found that the northern hemisphere dominated in cycles 2–3, 7–9, and 15–20, and the southern hemisphere activity was stronger in cycles 4, 9–14, and 21–24. Moreover, other solar phenomena bear similar long-term asymmetry variations. The regularity of these variations is not clear. According to the available proxies of the solar data, the dominance of the northern hemisphere is found in the ascending phase of the secular solar cycle, and the dominance of the southern hemisphere coincides with the descending phase.
Infrared Spectral Energy Distributions and Dust Masses of Sub-solar Metallicity Galaxies at z ∼ 2.3

We present results from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.2 mm continuum observations of a sample of 27 star-forming galaxies at z = 2.1–2.5 from the MOSFIRE Deep Evolution Field survey with metallicity and star formation rate measurements from optical emission lines. Using stacks of Spitzer, Herschel, and ALMA photometry (rest frame ∼8–400 μm), we examine the infrared (IR) spectral energy distributions (SED) of z ∼ 2.3 subsolar-metallicity (∼0.5 Z ⊙) luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). We find that the data agree well with an average template of higher-luminosity local low-metallicity dwarf galaxies (reduced χ 2 = 1.8). When compared with the commonly used templates for solar-metallicity local galaxies or high-redshift LIRGs and ultraluminous IR galaxies, even in the most favorable case (with reduced χ 2 = 2.8), the templates are rejected at >98% confidence. The broader and hotter IR SED of both the local dwarfs and high-redshift subsolar-metallicity galaxies may result from different grain properties or a harder/more intense ionizing radiation field that increases the dust temperature. The obscured star formation rate (SFR) indicated by the far-IR emission of the subsolar-metallicity galaxies is only ∼60% of the total SFR, considerably lower than that of the local LIRGs with ∼96%–97% obscured fractions. Due to the evolving IR SED shape, the local LIRG templates fit to mid-IR data overestimate the Rayleigh–Jeans tail measurements by a factor of 2–20. These templates underestimate IR luminosities if fit to the observed ALMA fluxes by >0.4 dex. At a given stellar mass or metallicity, dust masses at z ∼ 2.3 are an order of magnitude higher than z ∼ 0. Given the predicted molecular gas fractions, the observed z ∼ 2.3 dust-to-stellar mass ratios suggest lower dust-to-molecular gas masses than in local galaxies with similar metallicities.
Corrections to scaling in geometrical clusters of the 2D Ising model

We study the scaling of the average cluster size and percolation strength of geometrical clusters for the two-dimensional Ising model. By means of Monte Carlo simulations and a finite-size scaling analysis we discuss the appearance of corrections to scaling for different definitions of cluster sets. We find that including all percolating clusters, or excluding only clusters that percolate in one but not the other direction, leads to smaller corrections to scaling for the average cluster size as compared to the other definitions considered. The percolation strength is less sensitive to the definitions used.
Online Learning: Yea or Nay?

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the education system in Indonesia from conventional offline classes to online classes. This sudden change has influenced the process of learning both positively and negatively. To some extent, online learning is considered advantageous; however, for prolonged use, it has some evident drawbacks. The pros and cons of online learning are also experienced by the students of English Literature at UNARS. Accordingly, a survey was conducted among 62 students to see how they perceived online learning. This research also examined how online learning has affected the students’ study of English. The results showed that even though online learning was considered to not be as pleasant as offline learning, online learning was rated as somewhat enjoyable by 45.2% of the students.
Automated auditory brainstem responses with CE-Chirp ® at different intensity levels Potencial evocado auditivo de tronco encefálico automático com o estímulo CE-Chirp ® em diferentes intensidades

Purpose: To study the results from the Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) using the CE-chirp ® stimulus at 30 and 35 dBHL. Methods: The AABR was conducted in 40 newborns with and without risk indicators for hearing loss using both clicks and CE-chirp ® stimuli at 30 and 35 dBHL. The diagnostic ABR was also performed, as goldstandard procedure. “Pass/refer” results were analyzed, and validation values and response detection times were determined. Results: The “pass” results were more frequent with the CE-chirp ® AABR, at both intensities tested. However, this difference was significant only for the left ear, at 30 dBHL. There was no significant difference between the two intensities for the “pass/fail” results obtained with CE-Chirp ® and click stimuli. The mean response detection time was lower for the CE-chirp ® stimulus at both intensities. This finding was significant at 35 dBHL for both ears, and at 30 dBHL for the right ear. Significant differences were found between intensities for the right ear. Conclusion: The CE-Chirp
Effect of guardrail on reducing fatal and severe injuries on freeways: Real-world crash data analysis and performance assessment

ABSTRACT Although guardrail systems are designed to reduce crash impacts for errant vehicles, the actual effects of in-service guardrail on reducing crash severity have been rarely validated and quantified. This article uses real-world guardrail and crash data to assess the effectiveness of guardrail systems in reducing fatal and severe injury crashes. A roadway departure crash severity model is developed using binary logit model, and statistical proportion tests are conducted to compare roadway departure crash severity with and without guardrail hits. Both methods suggest that hitting guardrail could reduce the probability of fatal and severe injury by about 45% to 50% and that the reduction is statistically significant. A unique approach of this article is to pair each roadway departure crash hitting a guardrail with the corresponding guardrail inventory using advanced spatial analysis technique so that the effects of different guardrail types on crash severity can be explored. The results indicate that strong post W-Beam guardrail results in significantly more fatal and severe crashes as compared with the low tension cable system. The findings of this article provide practical values for developing data-driven and risk-based guardrail investment and cross-asset resource allocation strategies.
Development of a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on Purified Recombinant Viral Protein 7 for Serological Diagnosis of Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease in Camels

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) is a member of the Orbivirus genus in the Reoviridae family, and it is the etiological agent of an arthropod-transmitted disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants. Due to its significant economic impact, many attempts have been done in order to develop diagnostic immunoassays mainly based on the use of the viral protein 7 (VP7), that is, the immunodominant serogroup-specific antigen. In this work, a recombinant VP7 (recVP7) of EHDV serotype 2 was produced in a baculovirus system, and after purification using ion metal affinity chromatography, we obtained a high yield of recombinant protein characterized by a high degree of purity. We used the purified recVP7 as reagent to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (c-ELISA), and we tested the presence of EHDV antibodies in 185 dromedary camel serum samples. The c-ELISA showed good performance parameters in recognising positive sera of naturally EHDV-infected dromedary camels; in particular, our developed test reached 85.7% of sensitivity, 98.1% of specificity, 93% of accuracy, and a high agreement value with results obtained by the commercial ELISA kit (Cohen's kappa value of 0.85) that we adopted as the reference method. This c-ELISA could be a useful screening test to monitor the virus spread in camels that are sentinel animals for endemic areas of disease.
Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 proteinopathy in oligodendrocytes revealed using an induced pluripotent stem cell model

Abstract Oligodendrocytes are implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis and display transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) pathological inclusions. To investigate the cell autonomous consequences of TDP-43 mutations on human oligodendrocytes, we generated oligodendrocytes from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell lines harbouring mutations in the TARDBP gene, namely G298S and M337V. Through a combination of immunocytochemistry, electrophysiological assessment via whole-cell patch clamping, and three-dimensional cultures, no differences in oligodendrocyte differentiation, maturation or myelination were identified. Furthermore, expression analysis for monocarboxylate transporter 1 (a lactate transporter) coupled with a glycolytic stress test showed no deficit in lactate export. However, using confocal microscopy, we report TDP-43 mutation-dependent pathological mis-accumulation of TDP-43. Furthermore, using in vitro patch-clamp recordings, we identified functional Ca2+-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor dysregulation in oligodendrocytes. Together, these findings establish a platform for further interrogation of the role of oligodendrocytes and cellular autonomy in TDP-43 proteinopathy.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of Decisional Conflict Scale in Chinese Young Women Making HPV Vaccination Decisions

Purpose The Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) is a well-known scale for measuring personal decisional conflict, particularly when a person feels uninformed about the risks/benefits of choices, is unclear about personal values, and feels unsupported in making a choice. Higher scores of DCS indicate higher decisional conflict. In the present study, we aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the DCS among Chinese young women making HPV vaccination decisions. Methods A total of 107 HPV-unvaccinated Chinese women aged 18–26 completed the survey assessing decisional conflict, knowledge and decision of HPV vaccination. Factorial validity, construct validity, and reliability of the DCS were examined. Results The mean score of the DCS-16 was 41.5 (SD=20.0). Principal component analysis extracted a 3-factor model of DCS containing 13 items (DCS-13), but both the original DCS-16 and extracted DCS-13 showed poor factorial validity. An alternative DCS-10 revealed a good fit to the data with Cronbach’s alpha 0.86. Some subscales of the three versions of DCS showed inconsistent correlation. Conclusion The DCS-10 demonstrated good model fit to the data. By using the DCS-10 total score rather than sub-scores to measure Chinese young women’s HPV vaccination decisional conflict a more valid assessment can be obtained.
How does team diversity relate to the willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers? It depends on the diversity dimensions investigated and boundary conditions

The successful integration of asylum seekers into the labor market is among the most pressing issues of refugee-receiving countries. We construe co-workers’ willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers as a crucial factor for integration and investigate its antecedents. Linking Allport’s contact theory with team diversity theories, we propose that a work team’s diversity affects team members’ willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers. We thus investigated the effects of different facets of objective (national, migration background, age, and gender) and perceived diversity in work teams on team members’ willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers. In doing so, we also tested whether asylum seekers’ status in the team hierarchy (superior vs. colleague), task interdependence, and pro-diversity team norms moderate these effects. Multi-level regression analyses based on 470 participants nested in 106 teams showed that, overall, team diversity played a small role in explaining the willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers. Age diversity was negatively associated with the willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers, especially when asylum seekers were considered to take a post as a superior rather than a colleague. In teams with high task interdependence, migration background diversity and willingness to collaborate with asylum seekers were positively associated. Pro-diversity norms did not moderate team diversity effects. Overall, our findings demonstrate that team diversity can have beneficial, harmful, and no substantial consequences for the willingness to work with asylum seekers, depending on the considered type of diversity and boundary conditions.
An Eluate of the Medicinal Plant Garcinia kola Displays Strong Antidiabetic and Neuroprotective Properties in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

Materials and Methods G. kola methanolic extract was fractionated using increasingly polar solvents. Fractions were administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice until marked motor signs developed in diabetic controls. Fine motor skills indicators were measured in the horizontal grid test (HGT) to confirm the prevention of motor disorders in treated animals. Column chromatography was used to separate the most active fraction, and subfractions were tested in turn in the HGT. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was used to assess the components of the most active subfraction. Results Treatment with ethyl acetate fraction and its fifth eluate (F5) preserved fine motor skills and improved the body weight and blood glucose level. At dose 1.71 mg/kg, F5 kept most parameters comparable to the nondiabetic vehicle group values. GC-MS chromatographic analysis of F5 revealed 36 compounds, the most abundantly expressed (41.8%) being the β-lactam molecules N-ethyl-2-carbethoxyazetidine (17.8%), N,N-dimethylethanolamine (15%), and isoniacinamide (9%). Conclusions Our results suggest that subfraction F5 of G. kola extract prevented the development of motor signs and improved disease profile in an STZ-induced mouse model of diabetic encephalopathy. Antidiabetic activity of β-lactam molecules accounted at least partly for these effects.
Prp19 Facilitated p21-Dependent Senescence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Introduction Evidence suggests that the role of senescence in the development of cancer is context-dependent. An orthologue of human pre-mRNA processing factor 19 (Prp19) attenuates the senescence of human endothelial cells. Prp19 has been reported to be involved in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This work aims to investigate the effect of Prp19 on the senescence of HCC. Materials and Methods Senescence of L02 cells and HCC cells under different stimuli was detected through cell cycle analysis, SA-β-gal staining, and senescence associated secretory phenotype analysis. The relationship between Prp19 and senescence-related proteins was evaluated using real-time RT-PCR, western blot assay, and immunohistochemistry. Subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice were used to evaluate the role of Prp19 on senescence in vivo. Data analysis was carried out using GraphPad Prism 6. Results Prp19 facilitated the senescence of L02 cells and HCC cells under different stresses. Prp19 positively modulated p21 expression in the mRNA level. Downregulation of Prp19 promoted the growth of subcutaneous xenograft tumors generated by HCC cell lines. Conclusions Prp19 may promote senescence of HCC cells via regulating p21 expression.
Register-based information on thyroid diseases in Europe: lessons and results from the EUthyroid collaboration

Objective Registers of diagnoses and treatments exist in different forms in the European countries and are potential sources to answer important research questions. Prevalence and incidence of thyroid diseases are highly dependent on iodine intake and, thus, iodine deficiency disease prevention programs. We aimed to collect European register data on thyroid outcomes to compare the rates between countries/regions with different iodine status and prevention programs. Design Register-based cross-sectional study. Methods National register data on thyroid diagnoses and treatments were requested from 23 European countries/regions. The provided data were critically assessed for suitability for comparison between countries/regions. Sex- and age-standardized rates were calculated. Results Register data on ≥1 thyroid diagnoses or treatments were available from 22 countries/regions. After critical assessment, data on medication, surgery, and cancer were found suitable for comparison between 9, 10, and 13 countries/regions, respectively. Higher rates of antithyroid medication and thyroid surgery for benign disease and lower rates of thyroid hormone therapy were found for countries with iodine insufficiency before approx. 2001, and no relationship was observed with recent iodine intake or prevention programs. Conclusions The collation of register data on thyroid outcomes from European countries is impeded by a high degree of heterogeneity in the availability and quality of data between countries. Nevertheless, a relationship between historic iodine intake and rates of treatments for hyper- and hypothyroid disorders is indicated. This study illustrates both the challenges and the potential for the application of register data of thyroid outcomes across Europe.
Measurement of physical activity and sedentary behavior in national health surveys, South America

ABSTRACT Objectives. To characterize how physical activity and sedentary behavior have been measured in national health surveys in South American countries. Methods. An extensive search was made for national health surveys from all 12 South American countries through health websites, national statistical offices, and contact with researchers and policy-makers. The following eligibility criteria were used to select surveys: conducted in a South American country; used a nationally representative sample ≥ 18 years; coordinated by the public, private or mixed private–public sector; and assessed physical activity and/or sedentary behavior. Data were extracted on general information about the surveys, specific details about the physical activity and sedentary behavior assessment, and additional questions related to activity behavior. Results. In total, 36 surveys were included, two of which were multicountry surveys; all surveys assessed physical activity and 27 assessed sedentary behavior. Most surveys (23/36; 64%) were based on previously validated international questionnaires, but 13 (57%) of these deviated from the reference tools, introducing changes and adaptations. Sedentary behavior was assessed mostly through questions on screen time and/or daily sitting time in the same physical activity questionnaires. No survey used device-based measures to generate data on these behaviors. Conclusions. Differences between instruments used and modifications limit the comparability of data across countries. This highlights the importance of standardizing assessment within South America for physical activity and sedentary behavior sections in national surveys, with the broader aim of contributing to establishing a standardized strategy for the surveillance of physical activity and sedentary behavior in South America.
Disagreement between STI and STIPA Measurements Due to High Level, Discrete Reflections

Objective measures of intelligibility, speech transmission index (STI) and speech transmission index for public address systems (STIPA), often form the basis for sound system verification. The reported work challenges the accuracy of both measures when encountering high level, discrete reflections. Tests were carried out in an anechoic environment with artificial reflections added between 0 and 500ms. Discrepancies were found to occur above 80ms due to synchronisation between modulation frequencies and reflection arrival times. Differences between STI and STIPA of up to 0.1 were found to occur for the same delay condition. Results suggest STIPA should be avoided in acoustic environments where high level, discrete reflections occur after 80ms and STI should only be used alongside other verification methods.
Oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural with a novel aryl alcohol oxidase from Mycobacterium sp. MS1601

Bio‐based 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) serves as an important platform for several chemicals, among which 2,5‐furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has attracted considerable interest as a monomer for the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a potential alternative for fossil‐based polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This study is based on the HMF oxidizing activity shown by Mycobacterium sp. MS 1601 cells and investigation of the enzyme catalysing the oxidation. The Mycobacterium whole cells oxidized the HMF to FDCA (60% yield) and hydroxymethyl furan carboxylic acid (HMFCA). A gene encoding a novel bacterial aryl alcohol oxidase, hereinafter MycspAAO, was identified in the genome and was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli Bl21 (DE3). The purified MycspAAO displayed activity against several alcohols and aldehydes; 3,5 dimethoxy benzyl alcohol (veratryl alcohol) was the best substrate among those tested followed by HMF. 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural was converted to 5‐formyl‐2‐furoic acid (FFCA) via diformyl furan (DFF) with optimal activity at pH 8 and 30–40°C. FDCA formation was observed during long reaction time with low HMF concentration. Mutagenesis of several amino acids shaping the active site and evaluation of the variants showed Y444F to have around 3‐fold higher kcat/Km and ~1.7‐fold lower Km with HMF.