Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sand Dams as a Potential Solution to Rural Water Security in Drylands: Existing Research and Future Opportunities

Sand dams, a rainwater harvesting technique, are small dams constructed across ephemeral streams. During the rainy season, water is stored in the sand that accumulates behind the dam. Sand dams provide communities in drylands with water during the dry season via scoop holes, pools, and shallow wells. Whilst many studies portray sand dams as a positive solution to the growing threat of dryland water insecurity, others highlight their challenges, including poor water quality, evaporation and leakage from some dams, and the contested failure rate and ability of dams to provide water year-round. This article reviews the peer-reviewed and gray literature on sand dams discovered through Scopus and Google Scholar searches, reference lists, and personal contacts. Findings from the collected literature were reviewed and categorized into sand dam hydrology, health and well-being impacts, economic cost and benefits, and water quality topics. In most numerical simulations, sand dams supply water to the local community throughout much of the dry season and exhibit a long-term positive impact on groundwater. Accounts of water storage and loss based on field measurements, conversely, often show that most water is lost due to evapotranspiration and seepage from the sand reservoir rather than community use. Furthermore, the positive impact on local groundwater storage, while variable, is likely seasonal. Sand dams are relatively affordable to build; construction estimates range from 6,000 to 8,500 EUR. However, existing literature suggests that sand dams are likely not a cost-efficient means of supplying water. Nevertheless, successful sand dams can significantly increase water availability and use, whilst reducing traveling time for water collection, subsequently providing a host of secondary benefits from improved hygiene, economic opportunity, and education. Positive impacts, however, are not equally shared and depend on variables, such as abstraction method, catchment, and household location. Furthermore, their water quality is variable, with high microbiological levels detected especially in scoop holes. Whilst sand dams can increase water security and resilience, they may not be an inclusive solution for all. More research is needed to assess the long-term sustainability of sand dams while accounting for the uncertainty of a changing climate.
Doomsday Prepping During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“Doomsday prepping” is a phenomenon which involves preparing for feared societal collapse by stockpiling resources and readying for self-sufficiency. While doomsday prepping has traditionally been reported in the context of extremists, during the COVID-19 pandemic, excessive stockpiling leading to supply shortages has been reported globally. It is unclear what psychological or demographic factors are associated with this stockpiling. This study investigated doomsday prepping beliefs and behaviors in relation to COVID-19 proximity, demographics, coping strategies, psychopathology, intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and personality in 384 participants (249 female) in an online study. Participants completed a number of questionnaires including the Post-Apocalyptic and Doomsday Prepping Beliefs Scale and a scale designed for the current study to measure prepping in the context of COVID-19. These were analyzed using ANOVAs, correlational, and mediation analyses to examine relationships between psychometric variables and stockpiling. Prepping beliefs and behaviors were higher in males than females and positively associated with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, IU, and traditional masculinity traits. Older age, male gender, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and traditional masculinity predicted unique variance in prepping. The relationship between gender and stockpiling was mediated by social learning (witnessing other people panic buying) and the perceived threat of COVID-19 (doomsday interpretations) while proximity and personal vulnerability to COVID-19 were non-significant. Results indicate that panic buying was influenced more by witnessing others stockpiling, personality, and catastrophic thinking rather than by proximity to danger. Education could target these factors in ongoing waves of the pandemic or future catastrophes.
Novel and Emerging Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic, relapsing and remitting disorders of intestinal inflammation with potential systemic manifestations. Despite the availability of current biologics, such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF), anti-integrins, anti-interleukins and small molecules such as tofacitinib, the rates of primary and secondary treatment failure remain high in IBD. This highlights the importance of continued development of new therapeutic targets and modifications of existing ones to improve the treatment response rates and to also improve the safety profile and tolerability of these medications. In this review we will discuss novel treatment target agents including selective janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, anti-interleukin (IL) (IL-12/IL-23), leukocyte trafficking/migrating inhibitors (such as sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator) and other small molecules currently in development.
In Vitro and In Situ Activity-Based Labeling of Fibroblast Activation Protein with UAMC1110-Derived Probes

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a proline-selective protease that belongs to the S9 family of serine proteases. It is typically highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and especially in cancer-associated fibroblasts, the main cell components of the tumor stroma. The exact role of its enzymatic activity in the TME remains largely unknown. Hence, tools that enable selective, activity-based visualization of FAP within the TME can help to unravel FAP’s function. We describe the synthesis, biochemical characterization, and application of three different activity-based probes (biotin-, Cy3-, and Cy5-labeled) based on the FAP-inhibitor UAMC1110, an in-house developed molecule considered to be the most potent and selective FAP inhibitor available. We demonstrate that the three probes have subnanomolar FAP affinity and pronounced selectivity with respect to the related S9 family members. Furthermore, we report that the fluorescent Cy3- and Cy5-labeled probes are capable of selectively detecting FAP in a cellular context, making these chemical probes highly suitable for further biological studies. Moreover, proof of concept is provided for in situ FAP activity staining in patient-derived cryosections of urothelial tumors.
Reduced Functional Connectivity in Children With Congenital Cataracts Using Resting-State Electroencephalography Measurement

Objectives Numerous task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging studies indicate the presence of compensatory functional improvement in patients with congenital cataracts. However, there is neuroimaging evidence that shows decreased sensory perception or cognition information processing related to visual dysfunction, which favors a general loss hypothesis. This study explored the functional connectivity between visual and other networks in children with congenital cataracts using resting state electroencephalography. Methods Twenty-one children with congenital cataracts (age: 8.02 ± 2.03 years) and thirty-five sex- and age-matched normal sighted controls were enrolled to investigate functional connectivity between the visual cortex and the default mode network, the salience network, and the cerebellum network during resting state electroencephalography (eyes closed) recordings. Result The congenital cataract group was less active, than the control group, in the occipital, temporal, frontal and limbic lobes in the theta, alpha, beta1 and beta2 frequency bands. Additionally, there was reduced alpha-band connectivity between the visual and somatosensory cortices and between regions of the frontal and parietal cortices associated with cognitive and attentive control. Conclusion The results indicate abnormalities in sensory, cognition, motion and execution functional connectivity across the developing brains of children with congenital cataracts when compared with normal controls. Reduced frontal alpha activity and alpha-band connectivity between the visual cortex and salience network might reflect attenuated inhibitory information flow, leading to higher attentional states, which could contribute to adaptation of environmental change in this group of patients.
Perceived School Characteristics Fostering Civic Engagement Among Adolescents in Italy

It has been widely argued that effective citizenship education should focus on more than mere teaching of civic knowledge, but should provide a wider range of opportunities for the experience of participation and development of skills, efficacy and interest instrumental to active citizenship. Opportunities for critical reflection such as open classroom discussions, fairness at school, institutional efficacy and student participation at school activities have been linked to the development of civic and political attitudes. The capacity of school education to provide opportunities for critical reflection on students’ participative experiences, however, has not been explored empirically sufficiently. This paper aims to identify the contribution of different school characteristics to the development of civic and political attitudes and their impact on students’ level of participation in civic activities through a mixed methods study. Questionnaire data collected in two waves with 685 adolescents from Italy were analyzed through structural equation modeling to test the effects of school characteristics at Time 1 (democratic climate, student participation and critical reflection) on civic participation at Time 2, mediated by institutional trust, civic efficacy and political interest. In order to explore the quantitative findings and examine further students’ perceptions of the school aspects that support their civic involvement, focus group discussions were conducted with students from secondary schools with different tracks.The results highlight the importance of opportunities for active involvement in school and critical reflection in fostering political interest, efficacy and civic participation. Democratic school climate was found to impact institutional trust and civic efficacy, but not participation. Students’ accounts of schools’ citizenship education activities highlight further the need for a participative environment that rises above information transmission by inviting critical reflection and giving value to students’ active involvement in the institution.
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of the Immunometabolic Rewiring and Immunopathogenesis of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Although immune dysfunction is a key feature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the metabolism-related mechanisms remain elusive. Here, by reanalyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data, we delineated metabolic remodeling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to elucidate the metabolic mechanisms that may lead to the progression of severe COVID-19. After scoring the metabolism-related biological processes and signaling pathways, we found that mono-CD14+ cells expressed higher levels of glycolysis-related genes (PKM, LDHA and PKM) and PPP-related genes (PGD and TKT) in severe patients than in mild patients. These genes may contribute to the hyperinflammation in mono-CD14+ cells of patients with severe COVID-19. The mono-CD16+ cell population in COVID-19 patients showed reduced transcription levels of genes related to lysine degradation (NSD1, KMT2E, and SETD2) and elevated transcription levels of genes involved in OXPHOS (ATP6V1B2, ATP5A1, ATP5E, and ATP5B), which may inhibit M2-like polarization. Plasma cells also expressed higher levels of the OXPHOS gene ATP13A3 in COVID-19 patients, which was positively associated with antibody secretion and survival of PCs. Moreover, enhanced glycolysis or OXPHOS was positively associated with the differentiation of memory B cells into plasmablasts or plasma cells. This study comprehensively investigated the metabolic features of peripheral immune cells and revealed that metabolic changes exacerbated inflammation in monocytes and promoted antibody secretion and cell survival in PCs in COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe disease.
Effect of Low Intensity Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation on Neuromodulation in Animals and Humans: An Updated Systematic Review

Background: Although low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (LI-TUS) has received more recognition for its neuromodulation potential, there remains a crucial knowledge gap regarding the neuromodulatory effects of LI-TUS and its potential for translation as a therapeutic tool in humans. Objective: In this review, we summarized the findings reported by recently published studies regarding the effect of LI-TUS on neuromodulation in both animals and humans. We also aim to identify challenges and opportunities for the translation process. Methods: A literature search of PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science was performed from January 2019 to June 2020 with the following keywords and Boolean operators: [transcranial ultrasound OR transcranial focused ultrasound OR ultrasound stimulation] AND [neuromodulation]. The methodological quality of the animal studies was assessed by the SYRCLE's risk of bias tool, and the quality of human studies was evaluated by the PEDro score and the NIH quality assessment tool. Results: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 26 manuscripts (24 animal studies and two human studies) out of 508 reports were included in this systematic review. Although both inhibitory (10 studies) and excitatory (16 studies) effects of LI-TUS were observed in animal studies, only inhibitory effects have been reported in primates (five studies) and human subjects (two studies). The ultrasonic parameters used in animal and human studies are different. The SYRCLE quality score ranged from 25 to 43%, with a majority of the low scores related to performance and detection bias. The two human studies received high PEDro scores (9/10). Conclusion: LI-TUS appears to be capable of targeting both superficial and deep cerebral structures to modulate cognitive or motor behavior in both animals and humans. Further human studies are needed to more precisely define the effective modulation parameters and thereby translate this brain modulatory tool into the clinic.
Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle behaviors and their association with personality among adults in Qatar: A cross-sectional study

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) resulted in lockdowns and social distancing measures enforced by governments around the world. This study aimed to identify changes in adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and physical activity (PA) and associations with personality during lockdown. Using a cross-sectional design, a convenient sample of 543 adults in Qatar completed an online questionnaire consisting of validated tools to measure adherence to MD (MEDAS questionnaire, score ranges 0–13), PA (IPAQ, assessing light, moderate high intensity PA) and personality (BFI-10, categorizing individuals’ personalities). The majority of the participants were female (89%), aged between 21 and 29 years (45%). The overall MD adherence decreased during lockdown (5.9 vs. 6.1, p < 0.001). There was an increase in olive oil (9% vs. 12%; p < 0.001), vegetables (54.3% vs. 58.7%; p = 0.005), legumes (11.8% vs. 15.3%; p = 0.007), sofrito (70.9% vs. 77.3%; p < 0.001) and fat (45.9% vs. 53.8%; p < 0.001) consumption and a decrease in fresh fruit (39.4% vs. 15.8%; p < 0.001) and fish/seafood (5.9% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.0035) consumption during lockdown. Met-min/week values of total PA (1330.5 vs. 1836.7), vigorous activity (711.5 vs. 867.4), moderate activity (208.3 vs. 301.3), and walking (410.7 vs. 668.0) all decreased during lockdown (p < 0.001, p = 0.010, p = 0.010 p < 0.001, respectively), while sitting increased (3837.3 vs. 2896.4 p < 0.001). The extraversion personality dimension had a higher MD adherence (p = 0.039) compared to agreeableness before lockdown. No changes in MEDAS scores were observed during lockdown in those with high levels of openness. Openness was positively associated with all PA (p = 0.027), including walking (p = 0.026), and negatively associated with sitting (p = 0.038) before lockdown, while participants with high scores for neuroticism were less likely to be sitting during lockdown (p = 0.042). The findings can be used to guide the development of appropriate personality-tailored lifestyle interventions.
Board ownership and corporate governance indices

How is corporate governance measured? What is the relation between corporate governance and performance? This paper sheds light on these questions while taking into account the endogeneity of the relations among corporate governance, management turnover, corporate performance, corporate capital structure, and corporate ownership structure. We propose corporate board ownership as a new measure of corporate governance, and find this measure more appropriate than measures used in the extant literature including those suggested by Gompers, Ishii, and Metrick (GIM, 2003) and Bebchuk, Cohen and Ferrell (BCF, 2004).
Assessment of performance of wastewater stabilization ponds using faecal indicator bacteria reduction efficiency in a tropical environment

Egerton University (EU) uses Wastewater Stabilization Ponds (WSPs) for wastewater treatment. An adjoining wetland with gravel bed substrate and freesurface flow meant to polish discharge before releasing into River Njoro is currently non-operational. The current study aimed at establishing the performance of WSPs in terms of concentration and reduction efficiencies of Faecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB); Total Coliforms (TC) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Wastewater samples were collected weekly for one month from mid-November to mid-December 2017. Total Coliforms and E. coli were isolated using selective and differential media following Membrane Filtration (MF) method. Colonies were cultured on Chromocult Coliform Agar (CCA) and enumerated using standard procedures for examination of water and wastewater. The results were expressed as Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per 100 ml of the original sample. The inlet showed highest concentration of FIB which reduced along the treatment pathway. Total Coliforms and E. coli ranged between 2.5 × 108 2.9 × 1011 and 5.9 × 105 1.8 × 1010 CFUs/100 ml respectively with cumulative reduction efficiencies between 2 to 4 log units for E. coli and 2 to 3 log units for TC in the two maturation ponds. Although concentration of FIB in EU WSPs reduces along the treatment pathway, the effluent quality is above recommended international standards for discharge into surface waters. The trend is attributed to lack of frequent monitoring, insufficient maintenance, together with shortcircuiting effect due to by-passing of wastewater in the design of the new pond system.
Physico- Sensory Quality of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) Bran Enriched Muffins

Foxtail millet bran obtained during milling or dehulling of grains are usually thrown, underutilized or find utility as animal feed. Given the excellent nutritional profile, antioxidant potential and health benefits associated with foxtail millet bran it can be used in formulating value added snacks. Thus, present study aimed at designing and evaluating muffins developed from refined wheat flour with incorporation of foxtail millet bran at 0, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%. Sensory evaluation results disclose that there was no significant difference in scores of control and muffins up to 30% bran addition. All bran enriched muffins scored above 7 and were acceptable up to 30%. Physical properties revealed that insignificant increase in weight and decrease in height and baking rate loss was noted in bran enriched muffins. Overall, it can be concluded that foxtail bran can be used as potential ingredient in value addition of muffins.
The role of functional associations in building destination brand 1 personality : When official websites

14 Destinations ‘talk’ about themselves via online media to build strong brand personalities. However, 15 previous research points to the influence of other associations linked to the destination in 16 determining the credibility of the aforementioned personality. This research aims to identify the 17 potential of certain types of functional associations ―attractions― in strengthening projected 18 personality through discourse. With this aim in mind, we analyze the content of twelve official 19 European urban destination websites. The results expand on previous research by identifying how 20 different aspects of what a destination has to offer help portray personality traits. There is huge 21 potential to use attractions to better project desired personality traits, which leads to a better fit 22 between the personality and the overall projected image. The findings have significant implications 23 both for brand managers to enable them to optimize their communication, and for future research. 24 The projected personality of destinations should not be studied independently from the functional 25 dimension of brand image. 26
Performance improvement of dual processed perovskite solar cell—acid‐modified ZnO nanorods with Cl‐doped light harvesting layer

Effect of ZnO nanorod surface on fabricating the perovskite solar cell and its performance were studied. Varied thickness of ZnO nanorod arrays with rough surface condition were achieved through the control of hydrothermal growth time and acid treatment. Samples based on modified ZnO nanorod arrays exhibit an impressive increase on the open‐circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) compared with the untreated ones. Further research onto the surface topography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test indicates that the improvement should be attributed to the suppression of the charge recombination rate at the ZnO nanorod/CH3NH3PbI3 interface. In order to enhance the short‐circuit current density (Jsc) performance one step further, Cl‐doped perovskite crystal was introduced into the cell. Because of its longer electron diffusion length, an impressive Jsc is received. The final combination of the two methods with the optimized thickness of the ZnO nanorod brought a total power conversion efficiency of 13.3% together with Voc~0.92 V, Jsc~23.1 mA/cm2, and FF~63%. This work highlights the importance of the surface morphology of the electron transport layer and its interface contact with the light absorbing layer in a solar cell structure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.