Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structure and Characterization of Vacuum Arc Deposited Carbon Films—A Critical Overview

Abstr a ct: This critical overview analyzes the relations between deposition conditions and structure for hydrogen ‐ free carbon films, prepared by vacuum arc deposition. The manifold of film structures can be roughly divided into graphitic, nanostructured and amorphous films. Their detailed charac ‐ terization uses advantageously sp 3 fraction, density, Raman peak ratio and the mechanical proper ‐ ties (Young’s modulus and hardness). Vacuum arc deposition is based on energetic beams of carbon ions, where the film growth is mainly determined by ion energy and surface temperature. Both parameters can be clearly defined in the case of energy ‐ selected carbon ion deposition, which thus represents a suitable reference method. In the case of vacuum arc deposition, the relation of the external controllable parameters (especially bias voltage and bulk temperature) with the internal growth conditions is more complex, e.g., due to the broad energy distribution, due to the varying “natural” ion energy and due to the surface heating by the ion bombardment. Nevertheless, some general trends of the structural development can be extracted. They are critically discussed and summarized in a hypothetical structural phase diagram in the energy ‐ temperature plane.
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 modulates HER4 receptor in ovarian cancer cells to influence their sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Aim: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a key component in the cell’s response to oxidative and electrophilic stress and is a transcription factor regulating the expression of a collection of anti-oxidative and cytoprotective genes. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 4 (HER4/erbB4) regulates growth and differentiation in many cancer types. Here, NRF2 and HER4 receptor interactions were investigated in a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines. Methods: Pharmacological [tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and retinoid/rexinoid, bexarotene] and genetic [small interfering RNA (siRNA)] manipulations were used to activate or inhibit NRF2 function in the cell line panel (PE01, OVCAR3, SKOV3). Activity of the HER-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, erlotinib (ERL) and lapatinib (LAP), was evaluated after NRF2 activation. Results: While tBHQ increased the levels of both phosphorylated-NRF2 (pNRF2) and HER4 in PE01, OVCAR3 and SKOV3 cells, bexatorene and NRF2-target siRNA treatment decreased pNRF2 and total HER4 levels. The tBHQ-dependent pharmacological activation of NRF2 attenuated the therapeutic effectiveness of ERL and LAP. Analyses of gene expression data from a HER4 driven reporter system and in vitro or in vivo cancer models, support NRF2 regulation of HER4 expression. Conclusions: These results support the presence of signaling interaction between the NRF2 and HER4 receptor pathways and suggest that intervention modulating this cross-talk could have anticancer therapeutic value.
Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma (1 3 3)- (cid:2) - D -Glucan as Surrogate Markers for Detection and Monitoring of Therapeutic Response in Experimental Hematogenous Candida Meningoencephalitis (cid:1)

The treatment, diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of hematogenous Candida meningoencephalitis (HCME) are not well understood. We therefore studied the expression of (1 3 3)- (cid:1) - D -glucan ( (cid:1) -glucan) in cerebrospinal ﬂuid (CSF) and plasma in a nonneutropenic rabbit model of experimental HCME treated with micafungin and ampho- tericin B. Groups studied consisted of micafungin (0.5 to 32 mg/kg) and amphotericin B (1 mg/kg) treatment groups and the untreated controls (UC). Despite well-established infection in the cerebrum, cerebellum, choroid, vitreous humor (10 2 to 10 3 CFU/ml), spinal cord, and meninges (10 to 10 2 CFU/g), only 8.1% of UC CSF cultures were positive. By comparison, all 25 UC CSF samples tested for (cid:1) -glucan were positive (755 to 7,750 pg/ml) ( P < 0.001). The therapeutic response in CNS tissue was site dependent, with signiﬁcant decreases of the fungal burden in the cerebrum and cerebellum starting at 8 mg/kg, in the meninges at 2 mg/kg, and in the vitreous humor at 4 mg/kg. A dosage of 24 mg/kg was required to achieve a signiﬁcant effect in the spinal cord and choroid. Clearance of Candida albicans from blood cultures was not predictive of eradication of organisms from the CNS; conversely, (cid:1) -glucan levels in CSF were predictive of the therapeutic response. A signiﬁcant decrease of (cid:1) -glucan concentrations in CSF, in comparison to that for UC, started at 0.5 mg/kg ( P < 0.001). Levels of plasma (cid:1) -glucan were lower than levels in simultaneously obtained CSF ( P < 0.05). CSF (cid:1) -glucan levels correlated in a dose-dependent pattern with therapeutic responses and with Candida infection in cerebral tissue ( r (cid:2) 0.842). Micafungin demonstrated dose-dependent and site-dependent activity against HCME. CSF (cid:1) -glucan may be a useful biomarker for detection and monitoring of therapeutic response in HCME.
The Spillover E ﬀ ects of Management Overcon ﬁ dence on Analyst Forecasts

Overconﬁdent CEOs are known to overestimate their ability to generate returns, overpay for target ﬁrms, and take excessive risks. We ﬁnd a CEO’s overconﬁdence can also indirectly aﬀect other market participants, speciﬁcally analysts who issue earnings forecasts. First, ﬁrms with overconﬁdent CEOs are more likely to have analysts issue earnings forecasts that are optimistic relative to actual earnings; that is, the earnings forecasts more fre-quently exceed the actual realized earnings than the reverse. Second, ﬁrms with overconﬁdent CEOs tend to have less dispersed analyst earnings forecasts. And third, smaller analyst forecast errors are associated with ﬁrms that have overconﬁdent CEOs. These ﬁndings demonstrate the importance of CEOs’ behavioral characteristics in shaping the environment in which analysts and other market participants make important ﬁnancial decisions, in some cases improving the information environment.
CHEMICAL CARTOGRAPHY WITH APOGEE: METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS AND THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MILKY WAY DISK

Using a sample of 69,919 red giants from the SDSS-III/APOGEE Data Release 12, we measure the distribution of stars in the [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] plane and the metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) across an unprecedented volume of the Milky Way disk, with radius 3 < R < 15 kpc and height ∣ z ∣ < 2 ? > kpc. Stars in the inner disk (R < 5 kpc) lie along a single track in [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H], starting with α-enhanced, metal-poor stars and ending at [α/Fe] ∼ 0 and [Fe/H] ∼ +0.4. At larger radii we find two distinct sequences in [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] space, with a roughly solar-α sequence that spans a decade in metallicity and a high-α sequence that merges with the low-α sequence at super-solar [Fe/H]. The location of the high-α sequence is nearly constant across the disk; however, there are very few high-α stars at R > 11 kpc. The peak of the midplane MDF shifts to lower metallicity at larger R, reflecting the Galactic metallicity gradient. Most strikingly, the shape of the midplane MDF changes systematically with radius, from a negatively skewed distribution at 3 < R < 7 kpc, to a roughly Gaussian distribution at the solar annulus, to a positively skewed shape in the outer Galaxy. For stars with ∣ z ∣ > 1 ? > kpc or [α/Fe] > 0.18, the MDF shows little dependence on R. The positive skewness of the outer-disk MDF may be a signature of radial migration; we show that blurring of stellar populations by orbital eccentricities is not enough to explain the reversal of MDF shape, but a simple model of radial migration can do so.
Understanding the Changes in the Tourists Perceived Risk after Covid-19

Tourism industry is witnessing a time of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Amidst all the doubts that the industry is experiencing, one certainty is clear: nothing will remain the same after the pandemic outbreak. Tourists have developed new needs that the industry of tourism should be able to understand and fulfill. This study seeks to understand the transformations in tourist consumer behavior caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Thus, based on several assumptions, an explanatory model was developed addressing both the demand side (new consumer preferences) and the supply side (measures and strategies to combat the impacts generated by the perceived risk acquired during the confinement period). The model developed reflects a permanent impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the tourist consumer behavior in terms of accelerating the shift to online services, with a greater emphasis on safety, hygiene and health, as well as environmental and sustainability awareness.
I Kissed Homework Goodbye: Replacing Homework with Online Quizzes

Thomas is Professor of Engineering at Messiah College. He teaches in Civil and Environmental engineering with specialization in storm water, ground water, and water treatment. He performs design and applied research in water systems in rural developing communities. He is a Professional Engineer and a Certiﬁed Ecological Designer. Abstract Do online quizzes with immediate feedback promote better student learning than homework assignments for upper level engineering classes? A junior-level Environmental Engineering class was reworked to use multiple-choice quizzes in a learning management system rather than paper homework. Similar approaches have shown encouraging improvement in student motivation [1], in providing feedback to students [2] and in exam performance [3]. An objective for using this approach in Environmental Engineering was to allow the students to receive immediate feedback on their skills. For example, in calculating the pH of a composite water sample (with some simplifying assumptions), there are common mistakes that students make that will lead them to specific incorrect answers. When they submit their answers for the quiz, the quiz is set up to tell them why they got that wrong answer. Then they make retake the quiz. In addition to the problem-based quizzes, reading-based quizzes with questions based on the assigned reading were used. For some readings, students were assigned to participate in discussion forums where students could see others’ writings and are encouraged to engage with and add to others’ writings. There were a few assignments that did not lend themselves to quizzes. For those, students uploaded a spreadsheet solution to Canvas. Learning improvement was measured by a 50 question multiple-choice final exam, which was identical to the final in the previous offering. The average score improved from 85.5% in the previous offering to 87.9% in the new model. In previous years, problems on reaction kinetics and on chemistry were frequently answered incorrectly and a primary motivation for the new system was to correct this with quizzes that offered feedback. With the new model, the students performed 100% correctly on the five reaction kinetics problems and 86% on the five chemistry questions on the final exam. However, students did poorly on a landfill sizing problem that was similar to a quiz and did poorly on a TMDL question that was only covered in a discussion forum. Students also performed poorly on a problem that was only covered in a lab exercise. Scores on the quizzes themselves were quite high and were not very useful for assessing individual student performance. Feedback from the students on the quiz approach was requested with a survey and overall reaction was positive and encouraging. A drawback of the online quizzes it that it is easier to copy another student’s quiz answers than it is to copy a paper homework. This paper presents observations and assessments of the course.
Title: “Assessing personality using emoji: an exploratory study.” Running Title: “Assessing personality using emoji.”

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Dark Matter: A Brief Review

From astronomical observations, we know that dark matter exists, makes up 23% of the mass budget of the Universe, clusters strongly to form the load-bearing frame of structure for galaxy formation, and hardly interacts with ordinary matter except gravitationally. However, this information is not enough to identify the particle specie(s) that make up dark matter. As such, the problem of determining the identity of dark matter has largely shifted to the fields of astroparticle and particle physics. In this talk, I will review the current status of the search for the nature of dark matter. I will provide an introduction to possible particle candidates for dark matter and highlight recent experimental astroparticle- and particle-physics results that constrain the properties of those candidates. Given the absence of detections in those experiments, I will advocate a return of the problem of dark-matter identification to astronomy, and show what kinds of theoretical and observational work might be used to pin down the nature of dark matter once and for all. This talk is intended for a broad astronomy audience.
Multiple predator risk and prey ontogeny 10 11 Title : Environmental forcing and predator consumption outweigh the nonconsumptive effects of 12 multiple predators on oyster reefs 13 14

The ability to predict how predators structure ecosystems has been shown to depend on identifying both consumptive effects (CEs) and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on prey fitness. Prey populations may also be affected by interactions between multiple predators across life stages of the prey, and by environmental factors such as disturbance. However, the intersection of these multiple drivers of prey dynamics has yet to be empirically evaluated. We addressed this knowledge gap using eastern oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ), a species known to suffer NCEs, as the focal prey. Over four months, we manipulated orthogonally the life stage (none, juvenile, adult, or both) at which oysters experienced simulated predation (CE) and exposure to olfactory cues of a juvenile oyster predator (crab), adult predator (conch), sequentially the crab and then the conch, or none. We replicated this experiment at three sites along an environmental gradient in a Florida (USA) estuary. For both juvenile and adult oysters, survival was reduced solely by CEs, and variation in growth was best explained by among-site variation in water flow, with a much smaller and negative effect of predator cue. Adults exposed 41 to conch cue exhibited reduced growth (an NCE), but this effect was outweighed by a positive CE on growth: surviving oysters grew faster at lower densities. Finally, conch cue reduced larval 43 settlement (another NCE), but this was swamped by among-site variation in larval supply. This research highlights how strong environmental gradients and predator CEs may outweigh the influence of NCEs, even in prey known to respond to predator cues. These findings serve as a cautionary tale for the importance of evaluating NCE processes over temporal scales and across environmental gradients relevant to prey demography.
Comparison of Different Wavelet Sub-Band Features in the Classification of Indonesian Stop Consonants in CV Syllable Context

In the research field of signal processing by using wavelet method there are some factors affecting the accuracy of recognition such as the selection of the sub-band parameter, the selection of suitable mother wavelet or coefficient, and the determination of decomposition level. This paper presents a comparative study of three wavelet-based sub-bands (WBSB) combined with the moving average energy (MAE) features for classification of Indonesian stop consonants in consonant-vowel (CV) context. Three different feature sets used in this study are the MAE of each different wavelet sub-band using mother wavelet of daubechies2. The first feature set is the MAE taken from standard wavelet packet (WP) sub-band at the 4th level of decomposition denoted as WBSB. Whereas the second and third feature sets are the MAE taken from WP which the sub-band is selected based on the previous research denoted as WBSB1 and WBSB2. For the classification of the stops sound signal after feature extraction process, two different classifiers were used, based on multi-layer perceptron and random forest. The experimental result showed that the performance rank of feature extraction method were WBSB, WBSB1, and WBSB2, respectively.
Mixing Times for Random Walks on Finite Lamplighter Groups

Given a finite graph G, a vertex of the lamplighter graph consists of a zero-one labeling of the vertices of G, and a marked vertex of G. For transitive graphs G, we show that, up to constants, the relaxation time for simple random walk in corresponding lamplighter graph is the maximal hitting time for simple random walk in G, while the mixing time in total variation on the lamplighter graph is the expected cover time on G. The mixing time in the uniform metric on the lamplighter graph admits a sharp threshold, and equals |G| multiplied by the relaxation time on G, up to a factor of log |G|. For the lamplighter group over the discrete two dimensional torus of sidelength n, the relaxation time is of order n^2 log n, the total variation mixing time is of order n^2 log^2 n, and the uniform mixing time is of order n^4. In dimension d>2, the relaxation time is of order n^d, the total variation mixing time is of order n^d log n, and the uniform mixing time is of order n^{d+2}. These are the first examples we know of of finite transitive graphs with uniformly bounded degrees where these three mixing time parameters are of different orders of magnitude.
Unwanted sex among young adults in the US: The role of physical disability and cognitive performance

This study examined associations between unwanted sexual experiences and both physical disability and cognitive performance in a nationally representative sample of young adults. We used data from 11,878 participants (ages 26–32) in Waves I, III, and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regressions determined associations between physical disability and level of cognitive performance (using a modified Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) and the odds of experiencing physically forced and non-physically coerced sex. Approximately 24% of females and 4% of males reported unwanted sexual experiences. Compared to respondents without disabilities, females with a physical disability had greater odds of experiencing forced sex (OR=1.49; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.08), while males with a physical disability had greater odds of coerced sex (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.52). Compared to those with average cognitive performance scores, females with scores above 110 had slightly higher odds of coerced sex (OR=1.20; 95% CI: 1.03–1.41). Further research on pathways underlying these associations is needed to inform prevention efforts.
Human 15-lipoxygenase-1 is a regulator of dendritic-cell spreading and podosome formation Human 15-lipoxygenase-1 is a regulator of dendritic-cell spreading and podosome formation.

: Dendritic cells (DCs) involved in proinflammatory immune responses derive mainly from peripheral monocytes, and the cells subsequently mature and migrate into the inflammatory micromilieu. Here we report that suppressing of 15-lipoxygenase-1 led to a substantial reduction in DC spreading and podosome formation in vitro. The surface expression of CD83 was significantly lower in both sh-15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1)-transduced cells and DCs cultivated in the presence of a novel specific 15-LOX-1 inhibitor. The T-cell response against tetanus-pulsed DCs was only affected to a minor extent on inhibition of 15-LOX-1. In contrast, endocytosis and migration ability of DCs were significantly suppressed on 15-LOX-1 inhibition. The expression of 15-LOX-1 in DCs was also demonstrated in affected human skin in atopic and contact dermatitis, showing that the enzyme is indeed expressed in inflammatory diseases in vivo. This study demonstrated that inhibiting 15-LOX-1 led to an impaired podosome formation in DCs, and consequently suppressed antigen uptake and migration capacity. These results indicated that 15-LOX-1 is a potential target for inhibiting the trafficking of DCs to lymphoid organs and inflamed tissues and decreasing the inflammatory response attenuating symptoms of certain immunologic and inflammatory disorders such as dermatitis. H. , analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA by ranks, whereupon post hoc comparisons were made by the Mann-Whitney U test. Correction for multiple comparisons was made by the Bonferroni method. All tests were done by a 2-sided alternative hypothesis. Correlations were calculated using Spearman rank correlation analysis. Student ’ s t test was used for determination of statistical significance in the rest of experiments. All statistical analyses were performed by GraphPad Prism 6.0 software (GraphPad Software, La Jolla, CA, USA).
The pyruvate - tricarboxylic acid cycle node: a focal point of virulence control in the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis*

Background: a the Y. Results: The pyruvate-tricarboxylic acid cycle-node in the carbon core metabolism of Y. pseudotuberculosis is a focal point of its virulence control system . Conclusion: Mutants genetically perturbed at this metabolic control point are less virulent in mice infection studies. Significance: Learning, how pathogenic traits are controlled is crucial to find novel drug targets against the pathogen. ABSTRACT Despite our increasing knowledge of the specific pathogenicity factors in bacteria, the contribution of metabolic processes to virulence is largely unknown. Here, we elucidate a tight connection between pathogenicity and core metabolism in the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
Resting energy expenditure in type 2 diabetes subjects: is obesity important?

Background: Type 2 diabetes is associated with a higher energy expenditure, however, the influence of obesity on resting metabolic rate (RMR) within this subject group is uncertain. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in RMR in type 2 diabetes subjects with (O / DM) and without (DM) obesity. Materials and methods: Body composition and the distribution of adipose tissue was estimated using the body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences and deuterium oxide (D 2 O) dilution; RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry in 66 obese with type 2 diabetes and 28 non-obese type 2 diabetes subjects. Results: The measured RMR was by 2327 kJ/d (26.8%, p < 0.001) higher in the O / DM than in the DM group. This difference remained even after adjustment for age and gender and correction for fat-free mass (FFM) with a 9.1% higher RMR kJ/FFM kg/d in O / DM than in DM (143.3 ± 2.2 vs. 129.9 ± 3.6, p < 0.001). Fat mass (FM), FFM, waist-to-hip ratio, plasma glucose and triglyceride concentration were significant determinants of RMR with an adjusted R 2 value of 0.71 (p < 0.001) in O / DM, whereas FFM and plasma glucose with the adjusted R 2 value of 0.73 (p < 0.001) in the DM group. RMR correlated significantly with body weight, height, FFM, waist circumference (p < 0.001) and BMI (p < 0.01) in both groups. Conclusions: Obese type 2 diabetes patients have a higher RMR compared to non-obese type 2 diabetes subjects. Body composition, especially abdominal distribution of adipose tissue, in parallel with metabolic changes have an influence on RMR, thus the impact of obesity on energy metabolism in type 2 diabetes patients cannot be ignored.