Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
(Per)forming identity in the mind-sport bridge: Self, partnership and community

Mind-sports are a relatively under-explored area within the sociology of sport, especially the internationally played game of bridge. In this qualitative sociological study of tournament bridge, we examine the formation and performance of elite bridge player identities through interviews with 52 US and European players. Drawing on symbolic interactionism and Goffman specifically, the paper explores elite players’ social interaction across frontstage and backstage contexts, considering the performativity of self, impression management and values of character. The paper advances the sociology of mind-sport, contributing new insights into how identity is (per)formed by elite players as embodied social interaction within the bridge interaction order. We propose a recursive and layered model of identities across the self, partnership and community. The partnership element is particularly unique to the bridge sports world, which represents an interesting case for the sociological study of international mind-sports.
A Framework for Pore‐Scale Simulation of Effective Electrical Conductivity and Permittivity of Porous Media in the Frequency Range From 1 mHz to 1 GHz

Geoelectrical methods are broadly used in earth sciences for various purposes. To correctly interpret field geoelectrical data, it is essential to have a mechanistic understanding of the effective electrical conductivity and permittivity of geological materials over a broad frequency range. Recently, the pore‐scale numerical simulation, which utilizes the digital microstructural images of the material, has become a powerful tool in studying the effective electrical properties of geological media. However, it is still difficult to incorporate surface‐related electrochemical processes in a pore‐scale simulation. In this study, we develop a general framework to consider these electrochemical processes in pore‐scale simulations, which enable the calculation of broadband effective electrical conductivity and permittivity of porous geological media. A Berea sandstone sample is utilized to demonstrate the use of the proposed framework. Laboratory experiments of the effective electrical conductivity and permittivity of the sample in the frequency range from 10−3 to 109 Hz provided valuable measurement data for validating the simulation. The good agreement between our simulated spectra and the experimental data provides validation for the numerical simulation to reproduce the variations in the effective electrical conductivity and permittivity of porous geological materials induced by both the electrochemical polarizations and the interfacial polarization. This work thus provides a useful tool for studying the effective electrical properties of porous geological materials featuring complex microstructures.
Competitive Conditions in Global Value Chain Networks: An Assessment Using Entropy and Network Analysis

We investigated competitive conditions in global value chains (GVCs) for a period of fifteen years (2000–2014), focusing on sector structure, countries’ dominance and diversification. For this purpose, we used data from the World Input–Output Database (WIOD) and examined GVCs as weighted directed networks, where countries are the nodes and value added flows are the edges. We compared the in-and out-weighted degree centralization of the sectoral GVC networks in order to detect the most centralized, on the import or export side, respectively (oligopsonies and oligopolies). Moreover, we examined the in- and out-weighted degree centrality and the in- and out-weight entropy in order to determine whether dominant countries are also diversified. The empirical results reveal that diversification (entropy) and dominance (degree) are not correlated. Dominant countries (rich) become more dominant (richer). Diversification is not conditioned by competitiveness.
Evaluation of Shipboard and Satellite‐Derived Bathymetry and Gravity Data Over Seamounts in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Earth's surface topography/bathymetry and gravity fields provide important constraints on crustal structure and the tectonic processes that act on it due, for example, to plate flexure and mantle convection. Such studies require, however, high accuracy measurements at a wide range of spatial scales. During the past few decades much progress has been made in the acquisition of bathymetry and gravity data using both shipboard and satellite altimeter methods. Surprisingly, there have been few comparisons of these data. During April–June, 2019 we had the opportunity onboard a R/V Marcus G. Langseth cruise in the northwest Pacific Ocean to compare data acquired with an EM122 Kongsberg swath bathymetry system and a refurbished Bell Aerospace BGM‐3 gravimeter with the most recent global bathymetry and gravity fields. We find that while the recovery of bathymetry and gravity from satellite radar altimeter data in areas of sparse shipboard data has been impressive, root mean square discrepancies in the range 175.5–303.4 m and 2.6–6.3 mGal exist between shipboard and satellite‐derived data. While these discrepancies are small, they are highly correlated and therefore have implications for the density structure, rock type and geological processes occurring on the deep seafloor. Shipboard data should continue to be acquired, especially over features such as seamounts, banks, and ridges that are associated with short wavelength (<25 km wavelength) bathymetric and gravimetric features beyond that is recoverable in satellite‐derived data.
Carvacrol and thymol: strong antimicrobial agents against resistant isolates

Antibiotics have been effective in treatment of infectious diseases, but resistance to these drugs has led to the severe consequences. In recent years, medicinal herbs have been used for the prevention and protection against infectious diseases. Thymol and carvacrol are active ingredients of family Lamiaceae; these components have antibacterial and antifungal effects. In this review, we survey antimicrobial properties of carvacrol and thymol. Available data from different studies (microbiological, retrieve from PubMed, and Scopus databases) about antimicrobial affects carvacrol and thymol was evaluated. Carvacrol and thymol can inhibit the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These compounds have antifungal and antibiofilm effects. Thymol and carvacrol can also be applied as an alternative antimicrobial agent against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Thus, thymol and carvacrol are recommended for potential medical use; however, more research is required on toxicity and side-effects of the compounds.
Does it pay to lobby? Examining the link between firm lobbying and firm profitability in the European Union

ABSTRACT Does firm lobbying in the EU increase firm profitability? While there is a well-established literature on this issue in the US context, existing EU studies have overlooked this question. Ours is the first study to examine links between firm lobbying and firm profitability. To this end, we tailor theoretical insights from the US context to the EU. While money plays a fundamentally different role in EU lobbying compared to the US, the lobbying context and legislative processes of the EU are conducive to firm lobbying efforts translating into firm profits. Our two-stage OLS regression results, using a novel dataset for 728 firms over a four-year period, support this argument. Specifically, we find that the more money firms channel into their lobbying activities, the more tangible returns on this investment they can expect.
Repeatability of Peripapillary Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Parameters in Older Adults

Purpose: This work assesses the intrasession repeatability of capillary perfusion density (CPD) and capillary flux index (CFI) measurements on peripapillary optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in healthy eyes of older adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, healthy volunteers aged 50 years or older underwent 4.5 × 4.5 mm OCTA imaging centered on the optic nerve head using Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 AngioPlex (Carl Zeiss Meditec). Two consecutive images were acquired in the same eye during a single study session. CPD and CFI were assessed using AngioPlex Software (version 11.0.0.29946) for the radial peripapillary capillary plexus (average over whole scan area) and 4 quadrants (superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal). CPD and CFI repeatability was assessed by intraclass correlation (ICC), mean interocular differences using 2-tailed t test, and association with age using generalized estimating equations. Results: A total of 150 images were acquired from 75 eyes of 47 patients. For CPD, ICC results ranged from 0.7160 (nasal CPD) to 0.9218 (average CPD). For CFI, ICC results ranged from 0.6167 (temporal CFI) to 0.8976 (inferior CFI). Temporal CFI was significantly different between right and left eyes of the same patient (P = .03). CPD and CFI decreased with age in all analyses (average CPD β coefficient –0.00172, P < .001; average CFI β coefficient −0.00278, P < .001). Conclusions: Moderate to good repeatability was observed for most peripapillary OCTA metrics; temporal measurements were least repeatable for CPD and CFI. Peripapillary CPD and CFI decrease with age even beyond the fifth decade in healthy older adults.
The Successful Treatment of a Case of HCV-associated Cryoglobulinemic Glomerulonephritis with Rituximab, Direct-acting Antiviral Agents, Plasmapheresis and Long-term Steroid Despite Serologically Persistent Cryoglobulinemia

Novel treatments with rituximab or direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) were expected to improve the clinical outcomes of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated cryoglobulinemia in the last decade. Recently, however, persistent cases of cryoglobulinemia have been reported, and the ideal approach to treating such cases has not been established. We herein report a case of the successful treatment of HCV-associated cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis with rituximab, DAAs, occasional plasmapheresis and long-term steroid, with the patient's renal function and proteinuria improving over the long term despite serologically persistent cryoglobulinemia. This case suggests the efficacy of combination treatment with rituximab, DAAs, occasional plasmapheresis and long-term steroid for persistent cryoglobulinemia.
Effect of Curcumin on Oxidative Stress in a Model of Turpentine Induced Acute Experimental Inflammation

Curcumin, a natural phenolic compound is an anti-tumor agent with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The aim of this research was to evaluate oxidative stress levels, the antioxidant activity and Curcumin concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in an acute experimental inflammation induced by Turpentine oil (intramuscular 0.6 mg kg -1 body weight) and to compare a prophylactic versus a therapeutic regimen of Curcumin (oral suspension of 150 mg Curcumin kg -1 rat weight). Sixteen adult male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups: Control, Group I (Curcumin only), Group II (Curcumin administration, then induced inflammation after 1 hour) and Group III (induced inflammation then Curcumin administration after 2 hours). Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring serum malondialdehide and carbonylated proteins, while systemic and local total antioxidant capacity was determined by ABTS. Local tissue changes (muscle, kidney, liver) were analysed using histopathology. Results showed that acute inflammation significantly increased lipid peroxidation in Groups II and III compared to Control and Group I. A significantly reduced total antioxidant capacity (ATBS) was present in serum and kidney in Group II, also in muscle and kidney in Group III. ABTS levels were significantly increased only in the liver tissue of the animals in Groups II and III with induced inflammation as compared to Group I. This study proved the potential of Curcumin in reducing oxidative stress in both prophylactic and therapeutic regimens.
Challenges in Green Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management in Sustainability and Industry 4.0

The conceptual model proposed in this study is used to serve a guide for Industry 4.0 to understand the effect of GIC (green intellectual capital) and GKM (green knowledge management) on sustainability. Green challenge in Industry 4.0 has increasingly become a hot topic in both academia and practice. Among the Industry 4.0 topics, digital chain monitoring has a great impact on the performance of the company. The study of the industrial digital chain is a great green challenge in the 21st century in order to understand and manage the flows of green information. Knowledge of the human, relational, and structural (including technological aspects) will help to better understand and management the effects of traceability on sustainability. Several of the concepts and variables in the suggested model can easily be managed by organizations if they carefully measure their green intangible nature with smart sensors.
Highly Efficient Photo-/Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrogen into Ammonia by Dual-Metal Sites

The photo-/electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is an up and coming method for sustainable NH3 production; however, its practical application is impeded by poor Faradaic efficiency originating from the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the inert N≡N triple bond activation. In this work, we put forth a method to boost NRR through construction of donor–acceptor couples of dual-metal sites. The synergistic effect of dual active sites can potentially break the metal-based activity benchmark toward efficient NRR. By systematically evaluating the stability, activity, and selectivity of 28 heteronuclear dual-atom catalysts (DACs) of M1M2/g-C3N4 candidates, FeMo/g-C3N4 is screened out as an effective electrocatalyst for NRR with a particularly low limiting potential of −0.23 V for NRR and a rather high potential of −0.79 V for HER. Meanwhile, TiMo/g-C3N4, NiMo/g-C3N4, and MoW/g-C3N4 with suitable band edge positions and visible light absorption can be applied to NRR as photocatalysts. The excellent catalytic activity is attributed to the tunable composition of metal dimers, which play an important role in modulating the binding strength of the target intermediates. This work may pave a new way for the rational design of heteronuclear DACs with high activity and stability for NRR, which may also apply to other reactions.
Vessel occlusion in three cultivars of Olea europaea naturally exposed to Xylella fastidiosa in open field

Xylella fastidiosa is a Gram-negative, xylem-limited, bacterium which is responsible, in Italy, for the olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). The disease is caused by the subspecies pauca and emerged a few years ago in the Apulia province of Lecce, in the Salento peninsula, on Olea europaea plants. X. fastidiosa can infect different plant species and is well known in California as the causal agent of Pierce's disease on grape. Infections of susceptible hosts with X. fastidiosa are known to result in xylem vessel occlusions, water movement impairment, and accordingly to induce the typical desiccation symptoms. In this study, we investigated xylem vessel occlusions in healthy and naturally infected O. europaea plants grown in open field by analysing three olive cultivars widespread in the region that show different degree of susceptibility to the disease: the susceptible cultivars “Ogliarola salentina” and “Cellina di Nardo,” and the tolerant cultivar “Leccino. ” Our results show that occlusions were caused by tyloses and gums/pectin gels, and not by bacterial cell aggregates. Our data also indicate that occlusions are not responsible for the symptomatology of the OQDS and, as observed in Leccino plants, they are not a marker of tolerance/resistance to the disease.
Physical Properties of Basalt Ejecta Boulders at Lonar Crater, India: Insights Into the Target Heterogeneity and Impact Spallation Processes in Basalt With Application to Mars

The 1.88‐km‐diameter Lonar crater emplaced in the Deccan basalt is an excellent terrestrial analog of bowl‐shaped impact craters on Mars. It contains a pristine ejecta blanket with abundant basalt boulders. We measured the density, porosity, P and S wave velocities and attenuation, magnetic susceptibility, uniaxial compressive strength, and tensile strength of 313 core specimens from 65 basalt ejecta boulders. Using these values, we quantified the gross physical properties of preimpact target and applied them in the cratering equations and estimated the spall plate dimensions and ejection distances. The impact of 35‐m‐radius projectile with 20 km/s velocity on the basaltic target with 77.2‐MPa dynamic tensile strength, 4,163 m/s P wave velocity, and 2.56 g/cm3 density gives a spall thickness range (0.2 to 9.7 m) similar to the observed boulder sizes at Lonar crater. Because aqueous weathering and vesicularity are present in the target, the Lonar impact produced smaller spall sizes than those expected from a massive basalt target. We also measured the ejecta boulder sizes and shapes around a fresh impact crater (of similar size and target to Lonar) in Arcadia Planitia on Mars and calculated the spall thicknesses. The low‐velocity impact (5.5 km/s) of 50‐m‐radius projectile on the target similar to Lonar basalt gives a spall thickness range (1 to 25 m) similar to the observed boulder sizes at the Martian impact crater. The impact craters of similar sizes and targets on Earth and Mars produced different spall boulder size distributions reflecting the distinct impact conditions on these planets.
Early-rearing Environment and Mate Choice in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Aquaculture: Effects on the Immune System

Canada is the fourth largest producer of farmed salmon in the world, with Atlantic salmon being the major species cultivated. Paradoxically British Columbia (BC), which borders the Pacific Ocean, is the major producer province where Atlantic salmon was introduced in the mid-80’s. Escaped salmon may constitute a threat to natural populations of Pacific salmon as they compete for the same resources such as food and spawning territory. A potential solution to the aquaculture industry would be to further develop the aquaculture of native species in the region. The work presented here used semi-natural spawning channels to evaluate the effects of breeding strategies and early-rearing environments on the immune performance of Chinook salmon. Breeding strategy was tested analyzing artificial hatchery practices versus semi-natural propagation in spawning channels. Early-rearing environmental assessment contrasted indoor plastic hatchery tanks with outdoor gravelled-bottom spawning channels. A disease challenge involving over 1400 fish showed interaction effects between breeding strategy and rearing environment. Fish artificially mated presented a disease susceptibility influenced by the rearing environment. The contrary occurred in the offspring of self-breeding brood stock in the spawning channels, as no differences were observed in their susceptibility to the disease regardless of rearing environment. Monitoring of anti-Vibrio anguillarum antibodies during the disease challenge and a follow up of the survivors in sea net pens further confirmed the interaction between breeding strategy and rearing environment. Gene expression in preand post-infected artificially propagated fish showed differential gene expression when
Linking environmental factors, life history and population density in the endangered freshwater snail Margarya melanioides (Viviparidae) in Lake Dianchi, China

Understanding how environmental changes affect life-history traits is important for predicting population dynamics of a species. As one of the most pervasive forms of environmental changes in freshwater systems, eutrophication can change life-history traits of freshwater animals through density-dependent/independent processes. However, empirical evidence remains scarce regarding the mechanisms by which eutrophication influences life-history traits. We conducted a field study linking eutrophication, life-history traits and population density in a population of Margarya melanioides in Lake Dianchi, the largest lake of the Yun-Gui plateau in China and the most eutrophicated by humans, over 14 months in 2009-2010. We estimated key life-history traits (growth and reproduction) of M. melanioides in 2009-2010. Then, by comparing some life-history traits with those recorded in 1931-1933 (when the extent of eutrophication was comparatively low), we found that this snail had increased its fecundity (from 1.07 to 4.24 offspring/brood-bearing female) and the proportion of females with broods (23.6 to 77.4%), decreased its body size (54.2 to 47.6 mm) and the threshold size for reproduction (46 to 35 mm), and distorted its female/male sex ratio (1.6:1 to 0.97:1). These findings suggest that M. melanioides has adapted some life-history traits in response to intensified eutrophication. A structural equation model indicated that eutrophication influenced the reproduction of this snail through two related but opposing pathways: primarily by decreasing its population size to reduce its reproduction and secondarily by directly promoting its reproduction. Our results not only support the significance of eutrophication in determination of life-history traits of freshwater animals, but also suggest that density-dependent effects on reproduction may be stronger than direct environmental influences when population size is small.
On the Projected Decline in Droughts Over South Asia in CMIP6 Multimodel Ensemble

Recent studies based on the ensemble mean of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) General Circulation Models (GCMs, CMIP6‐GCMs hereafter) reported a decline in drought frequency over South Asia in the projected future climate. Here using the simulations from 16 CMIP6‐GCMs, we examine the potential causes of declining droughts in South Asia. We show that the projections based on the multimodel ensemble mean CMIP6‐GCMs are not reliable over South Asia. The multimodel ensemble mean is influenced mainly by the low‐skill GCMs, which show high bias in simulating the monsoon (June–September) season precipitation during the observed period (1951–2014). The low‐skill GCMs show a higher (20–30%) increase in the convective precipitation with a rise in the global mean temperature under the warming (1.5°C, 2.0°C, and 2.5°C worlds) climate. The GCMs with less bias (BEST‐GCMs) in the monsoon season precipitation and better seasonal cycle representation show lower sensitivity of convective precipitation to rise in global mean temperature. BEST‐GCMs exhibit significantly different projections in comparison to the multimodel ensemble mean from all 16 GCMs (ALL‐GCMs). In contrast to ALL‐GCMs, BEST‐GCMs project an increase in the frequency of droughts in South Asia under the future climate. Therefore, the projected risk of droughts over South Asia under the 1.5°C, 2.0°C, and 2.5°C warming levels is higher than previously reported based on the ensemble mean of CMIP6‐GCMs. A projected increase in the drought frequency in South Asia will have considerable implications for agricultural production and water availability.