Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biological Effects of Light Pollution on Terrestrial and Marine Organisms

Humans first began using artificial light at night (ALAN) during the industrial revolution and sources of light have diversified and intensified considerably over the last century. Light pollution has previously been defined under two separate branches, “ecological light pollution” where the natural light patterns are altered in marine and terrestrial environments, and “astronomical light pollution” where the view of the night sky is reduced. Natural light is vital for the regulation of animal behaviour and interactions. Surprisingly, this environmental stressor did not become a worldwide concern until 2009. Since then, research into this subject has substantially increased, with studies highlighting the detrimental effects of ALAN. These effects can be serious for many organisms and include the disruption of the essential circadian rhythms that most organisms use to time important behaviours such as foraging, reproduction, and sleep. Whether all organisms possess phenotypic plasticity to effectively adapt to increasing and changing artificial light pollution is not yet known. Here, we summarise the effects of light pollution among many different species, from marine to terrestrial, with a focus on the areas that require further research to enhance our knowledge of this subject. The aim of this review is to raise awareness and enhance understanding about this little-discussed environmental concern, including some novel ideas on camouflage and polarised light pollution, hopefully encouraging future research into the effects of light pollution on organism behaviour.
Vacuum UV (VUV) Photo-Oxidation of Polyethersulfone (PES)

International need for water quality is placing a high demand on separation technology to develop advanced oxidative processes for polyethersulfone (PES) membranes to help improve water purification. Therefore, VUV photo-oxidation with a low pressure Ar plasma was studied to improve the hydrophilicity of PES by flowing oxygen over the surface during treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) detected a decrease in the C at% (4.4 ± 1.7 at%), increase in O at% (3.7 ± 1.0 at%), and a constant S at% (5.4 ± 0.2 at%). Curve fitting of the XPS spectra showed a decrease in sp2 C-C aromatic group bonding, and an increase in C-O, C-S, O=C-OH, sulphonate (-SO3) and sulphate (-SO4) functional groups with treatment time. The water contact angle decreased from 71.9° for untreated PES down to a saturation level of 41.9° with treatment. Since scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed no major changes in surface roughness, the increase in hydrophilicity was mainly due to oxidation of the surface. Washing the VUV photo-oxidized PES samples with water or ethanol increased the water contact angle saturation level up to 66° indicating the formation of a weak boundary layer.
Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Plant Extracts Films: Preparation, Surface Characterization and Antibacterial Studies against Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria

In this study, we aim to obtain biomaterials with antibacterial properties by combining poly(vinyl alcohol) with the extracts obtained from various selected plants from Romania. Natural herbal extracts of freshly picked flowers of the lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) and leaves of the peppermint plant (Mentha piperita), hemp plant (Cannabis sativa L.), verbena plant (Verbena officinalis) and sage plant (Salvia officinalis folium) were selected after an intensive analyzing of diverse medicinal plants often used as antibacterial and healing agents from the country flora. The plant extracts were characterized by different methods such as totals of phenols and flavonoids content and UV-is spectroscopy. The highest amounts of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively, were recorded for Salvia officinalis. Moreover, the obtained films of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) loaded with plant extracts were studied concerning the surface properties and their antibacterial or cytotoxicity activity. The Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared analysis described the successfully incorporation of each plant extract in the poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix, while the profilometry demonstrated the enhanced surface properties. The results showed that the plant extracts conferred significant antibacterial effects to films toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and are not toxic against fibroblastic cells from the rabbit.
Chemical Composition, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oils Extracted from the Needle of Ten Pinus Taxa

This study investigated the chemical compositions of essential oils (EOs) from ten taxa belonging to the Pinus genus. The studied taxa that grow wildly in China, and the EOs were extracted by steam distillation; the chemical compositions were isolated and characterized by GC-MS. Eighty-one components, representing over 92.10% of the EOs, were identified. The main constituents of EOs were α-pinene (6.44%–53.00%), β-caryophyllene (2.43%–24.64%), β-pinene (0.00%–22.32%), δ-cadinene (2.56%–17.56%), germacrene D (0.74%–11.38%), and camphene (0.78%–10.48%). Furthermore, we determined the total phenolic content (TPC) of the EOs, with the values from 26.50 to 60.01 mg eq GAE/mL EO. DPPH free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ABTS radical cation scavenging activity (ABTS) were used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the EOs, and the obtained values were ranged from 499.15 to 1,272.75 mmol eq Trolox/mL EO, 1,255.67 to 3,857.93 mmol eq Trolox/mL EO, and 370.81 to 1,677.19 mmol eq Trolox/mL EO, respectively. The results showed that all of the EOs studied had strong antioxidant activity, and these pine plants could be used as natural antioxidants in functional food and pharmaceutical industries.
Earnings management and impression management: European evidence

This study explores the relationship between Earnings Management and Impression Management in the context of some European listed companies. The analysis focuses on the readability of annual reports, measured by the file size. Earnings management is assessed using the modified Jones model. The sample consists of 2,953 listed companies from 17 industries of 24 European countries between 2012 and 2018 resulting in 13,020 firm-year observations. It has been found that one standard deviation increase in financial reports file size increases discretionary accruals in around 4%. These results are robust across different sample specifications in terms of firms’ size, industry and country. The findings show that increased intensity in the use of discretionary accruals is obfuscated by the disclosure of less readable annual reports, implying that Earnings Management and Impression Management are used complementarily. The conclusions have impact both for investment management and for policy, preventing inefficient allocation of capital budgeting and providing additional information that improves regulation on financial reporting transparency. AcknowledgmentThe authors are grateful to financial support from FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal), national funding through research grant (UID/SOC/04521/2020).
A 64‐channel scheme for autism detection via scaled conjugate gradient‐based neural network classification of electroencephalogram ripples' complexity

The description of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes typically the alterations in social skills and attitude as well as problems of communication. At present, the most promising approaches suggested for ASD automatic diagnosis are the machine learning (ML)‐based procedures that begin by the identification and extraction of the most discriminant features. One of the proposed discriminant features of ASD is electroencephalogram (EEG) entropy that reflects the level of complexity or randomness of brain dynamics. The two main techniques currently used to describe the entropy in ASD are multi‐scale entropy (MSE) and spectral entropy (SE). However, MSE is unable to track the exact frequency content on the different time scales that suffer—themselves—from mismatching. In addition, the outcomes of SE approaches in literature are contradictory and confusing about the altered band, direction of change as well as about the affected brain region. The common point in those SE approaches is the examination of one or more of the well‐known frequency bands: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and low Gamma. Hence, the range of high Gamma ripples (>80 Hz) is barely examined in ASD literature due to the needed high carefulness in its technical acquisition, detection and processing as well as to the common acceptance of the idea that it is rather related to pathological seizure activity; which is a misconception recently refuted. Further, the study of automatic ASD diagnosis based on ripples is almost inexistent in literature. The present work suggests an accurate automatic technique to classify ASD and neuro‐typical EEG entropy based on the whole range of ripples (75–250 Hz): (1) EEG signals are collected (120 ASD and neuro‐typical children) by an efficient 64‐channel system highly suitable in noisy environment with movement artefacts. (2) All signal disturbances are automatically removed. (3) The power spectra of all EEG channels are computed. (4) Shannon entropy values are calculated for the range of ripples without filtering. (5) Scaled Conjugate Gradient‐based Neural Network (NN) classification, k‐fold cross validation and T‐test are applied to entropy values. (6) Statistical assessment is conducted. The best testing and the overall accuracies were found to be 98.9% and 95.0% respectively.
Silkworm Gut Fibres from Silk Glands of Samia cynthia ricini—Potential Use as a Scaffold in Tissue Engineering

High-performance fibroin fibres are ideal candidates for the manufacture of scaffolds with applications in tissue engineering due to the excellent mechanical properties and optimal biocompatibility of this protein. In this work, the manufacture of high-strength fibres made from the silk glands of Samia cynthia ricini is explored. The glands were subjected to soaking in aqueous dissolutions of acetic acid and stretched to manufacture the fibres. The materials produced were widely characterized, in terms of morphology, mechanical properties, crystallinity and content of secondary structures, comparing them with those produced by the standard procedure published for Bombyx mori. In addition, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of a braided scaffold produced from these fibres was evaluated. The results obtained show that the fibres from B. mori present a higher degree of crystallinity than those from S. c. ricini, which is reflected in higher values of elastic modulus and lower values of strain at break. Moreover, a decrease in the elongation values of the fibres from S. c. ricini was observed as the concentration of acetic acid was increased during the manufacture. On the other hand, the study of the braided scaffolds showed higher values of tensile strength and strain at break in the case of S. c. ricini materials and similar values of elastic modulus, compared to those of B. mori, displaying both scaffolds optimal biocompatibility using a fibroblast cell line.
Assessment conceptions of Finnish pre-service teachers

The aim of this quantitative survey study (N = 287) was to investigate the assessment conceptions of three different pre-service teacher groups (classroom teachers, subject teachers and special needs tea-chers). Assessment conceptions were best described by the following three main factors: 1) assessment of learning, 2) assessment for teaching and learning and 3) assessment as a harmful action. These main factors were clustered into three assessment conception pro- files – assessment-cautious, assessment-positive and assessment-critical. Pre-service special needs teachers showed more assessment-oriented conceptions emphasising both the assessment of learning and assessment for learning than the other pre-service teacher groups. However, within every pre-service teacher group, the existing assessment conceptions varied from assessment-positive to assessment-cautious and even assessment-critical. The results are discussed to suggest development in teacher education.
Bearing Capacity Investigation of Silty Sandy Soil Layer Using Kunzelstab Test

Abstract This study presents the effect of the 3 apex angles of cone and water levels on the bearing capacity of silty sandy soil (SM) layer by interpreting results from Kunzelstab test. The SM soil layer was prepared in the testing tank and it was used as the representative of sandy soil for some area in Thailand. As the results, the cone angle increase, a number of blows increase and the adjusted factors of the blows from the apex angles of 60° and 180 º to be that of the apex angle of 90º (control) were 1.118 and 0.878, respectively. The obtained correlation between the blows and the internal friction angles of SM soil can be used for calculating the soil bearing capacity which lowers the ground surface of 0.6 m. The soil bearing capacity of SM soil below ground water level decreases 70 to 75 percent (average values from testing results) comparing to that of dry soil. Moreover, the bearing capacity of SM soil above the water level up to 0.6 m decreases 25 to 30 percent (average values from testing results) comparing to that of dry soil at the same depth. Silty sandy soil layer was found determined to have lower bearing capacity due to higher ground water level. Therefore, the calculation of the soil bearing capacity in silty sandy soil layer should be considered the effect of ground water level.
Assessment of an abandoned grassland community and the soil seed bank of a hilly relief

The importance of grasslands is closely linked to biodiversity and soil health. Changes in plant diversity reflect the environmental conditions and practices of grasslands management. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of abandonment on the grassland community and soil seed bank under the conditions of a hilly relief. The experiment was carried out at the Vėžaičiai Branch of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry on the hilly topography of Žemaičiai Highland. The study analyses long-term monitoring data of a soil erosion experiment set up on the slopes of 9–11° steepness. The soil of the southern exposition slope was a slightly eroded Eutric Retisol. In 1993, to protect the hill from erosion, a mixture of five grasses consisting of 20% timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.), 20% red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), 20% meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.), 20% white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and 20% common bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) was sown in different parts of the hill: the summit, the midslope, and the footslope. The grassland had not been fertilised and used. After 27 years, 56 vascular plant species were identified. In the summit, midslope, and footslope parts of the hill, the relative abundance (P%) of the sown species was 17.2%, 23.9%, and 27.2%, respectively. A good growth of Festuca rubra did not depend on abandonment. In all parts of the hill, P% of other sown species significantly decreased. The lowvalue plants (Elytrigia repens L., Cirsium arvense L., and Equisetum arvense L.) spread in grasslands. The soil seed bank of abandoned grasslands was composed of the arable weeds: Chenopodium album L. was the dominant species in the soil seed bank of the summit of the hill (0–15 cm depth), while Stellaria media (L.) Vill in the soil seed bank of the midslope, 31.3% and 18.4%, respectively, of the total seed number.
Probing the Reaction Mechanisms of 3,5-Difluoro-2,4,6-Trinitroanisole (DFTNAN) through a Comparative Study with Trinitroanisole (TNAN)

To probe the thermal decomposition mechanisms of a novel fluorinated low-melting-point explosive 3,5-difluoro-2,4,6-trinitroanisole (DFTNAN), a comparative study with trinitroanisole (TNAN) was performed under different heating conditions. The thermal decomposition processes and initial reactions were monitored by DSC-TG-FTIR-MS and T-jump-PyGC-MS coupling analyses, respectively. The results show that fluorine decreased the thermal stability of the molecular structure, and the trigger bond was transferred from the ortho-nitro group of the ether to the para-nitro group. The possible reaction pathway of DFTNAN after the initial bond breakage is the rupture of the dissociative nitro group with massive heat release, which induces the ring opening of benzene. Major side reactions include the generation of polycyclic compounds and fluorine atom migration. Fluorine affects the thermal stability and changes the reaction pathway, and fluorinated products appear in the form of fluorocarbons due to the high stability of the C-F bond.
Determinants of Weight Gain among Adult Tuberculosis Patients during Intensive Phase in Debre Markos Town Public Health Facilities, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020: Unmatched Case-Control Study

Background Ethiopia is one of the highest tuberculosis burden countries globally, and tuberculosis is one of the most pressing health problems nationally. Weight gain during treatment is the main indicator of good treatment outcome, but there is no adequate information regarding the factors that affect weight gain in Ethiopia. Objective The objective of this study was to identify determinants of weight gain among adult tuberculosis patients during the intensive phase, in Debre Markos town public health institutions Northwest Ethiopia, 2020. Methods Unmatched case-control study was conducted in Debre Markos town public health facilities with a total sample size of 236. Cases (clients who got weight) and controls (clients who did not get weight) were enrolled in the study consecutively, and data were collected using standardized questionnaires. Data were entered through Epi-Data version 4.2 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Bivariable analysis was done, and all independent variables that had p < 0.25 were entered into multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Finally, independent variables which were significantly associated with weight gain at p < 0.05 were considered determinant factors of weight gain. Result Pulmonary tuberculosis (AOR: 5 (95% CI: 2.3, 11.2)), monitoring by health professionals (AOR: 3.7 (1.6, 8.4)), ≥18.5 baseline body mass index (AOR: 3.4 (95% CI: 1.6, 7.3)), parasitic disease (AOR: 3.2 (95% CI: 1.3, 7.99)), <30 days duration of illness before start of treatment (AOR: 2.8 (95% CI: 1.2, 6.1)), and human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AOR: 3.3 (95% CI: 1.2, 9.1)) were independently associated with weight gain compared to their counterpart. Conclusion Type of tuberculosis, monitoring by health professionals, baseline status, parasitic disease, duration of illness before start of treatment, and human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome were with the determinants of weight gain. Therefore, early detection, support and supervision, and attention for comorbidity are mandatory during antituberculosis treatment.
Simulation of the Air Quality in Southern California, USA in July and October of the Year 2018

A numerical investigation of the air quality in Southern California, USA in the year 2018 is presented using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). In July, a heat wave occurred, and in October, Santa Ana conditions prevailed; these conditions and their impact on air quality are the scope of the present numerical study.The high spatial resolution in the simulation includes two nested domains of 1 km and 3 km, respectively. Local climate zones land use categories are combined with the complex urban model building effect parameterization coupled with the building energy model (BEP+BEM) and the detailed MOZCART-T1 chemical reaction mechanism, which is the MOZART-T1 mechanism for trace gases with GOCART aerosols. Thus, the model is suitable to compare simulation results to in situ and satellite measurements of O3, NO2, CH4, and CO. The meteorology is captured well by the model. Comparison of simulation results with observations shows a good agreement of NO2 and ozone, whereas CO mixing ratios are generally underestimated. This hints at missing emissions in the 2017 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) dataset. Both the heat wave and the Santa Ana winds increase the air pollution with gas-phase species in Los Angeles. In both cases, nighttime boundary layer heights are small, which causes emissions to reside near the ground. During Santa Ana winds, NOx removal on aerosols is reduced. Methane mixing ratios are modeled very well at most stations in Los Angeles, but predictions of low emissions near the University of California cause inaccuracies at that location. Modeled and observed PM2.5 agree well on low-pollution days, but high-pollution events are generally missed by the model. During the heat wave, both modeled and observed PM2.5 concentrations exceed the recommended NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards value of 12.5 g/m3. The present modeling approach serves as a base for the study and prediction of special weather events and their impact on air pollution.
Indicators to assess physiological heat strain – Part 3: Multi-country field evaluation and consensus recommendations

ABSTRACT In a series of three companion papers published in this Journal, we identify and validate the available thermal stress indicators (TSIs). In this third paper, we conducted field experiments across nine countries to evaluate the efficacy of 61 meteorology-based TSIs for assessing the physiological strain experienced by individuals working in the heat. We monitored 372 experi-enced and acclimatized workers during 893 full work shifts. We continuously assessed core body temperature, mean skin temperature, and heart rate data together with pre/post urine specific gravity and color. The TSIs were evaluated against 17 published criteria covering physiological parameters, practicality, cost effectiveness, and health guidance issues. Simple meteorological parameters explained only a fraction of the variance in physiological heat strain (R2 = 0.016 to 0.427; p < 0.001), reflecting the importance of adopting more sophisticated TSIs. Nearly all TSIs correlated with mean skin temperature (98%), mean body temperature (97%), and heart rate (92%), while 66% of TSIs correlated with the magnitude of dehydration and 59% correlated with core body temperature (r = 0.031 to 0.602; p < 0.05). When evaluated against the 17 published criteria, the TSIs scored from 4.7 to 55.4% (max score = 100%). The indoor (55.4%) and outdoor (55.1%) Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (51.7%) scored higher compared to other TSIs (4.7 to 42.0%). Therefore, these three TSIs have the highest potential to assess the physiological strain experienced by individuals working in the heat.