Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Encapsulation of bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis) flower extract in Urtica dioica L. seed gum: Characterization, antioxidant/antimicrobial properties, and in vitro digestion

Abstract Bougainvillea spectabilis extract (BSE), a rich source of bioactive compounds like phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin, was used for encapsulation with Urtica dioica L. seed gum. The extract was obtained using shaking, bath, and probe ultrasound. The results showed that probe ultrasound extract was more efficient, as reflected by the higher value of total phenolic (4354.15 mg GAE/100 g FW), flavonoid (2431.25 mg CE/100 g FW), and anthocyanin content (106.57 mg CGE/100 g FW). BSE was encapsulated in U. dioica L. seed gum at 1:1 and 1:2 core to coating ratio. In both DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP assay, higher antioxidant activity was observed in the encapsulated extract than in the free extract. Encapsulated extracts exhibited 87.9 nm average diameter (polydispersity index below 0.23) and negative zeta potential. The average minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nanoparticles against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica was 112.5, 87.5, 112.5, and 87.5 μg/ml, respectively, while MIC of the free extract against S. aureus and E. coli was 150 and 125 μg/ml, respectively. The phenolic compounds are gradually released from the nanoparticles in the gastric and small intestine phase, whereas free extract released phenolic compounds quickly after entering the gastric phase. Considering antioxidant/antimicrobial activity and release properties, nanoparticles with a 1:1 ratio of core to coating had the potential to use as an effective natural preservative agent in food products besides the delivery of bioactive compounds to the human body.
Uncertainty, reconstruction and resistance: young adults’ responses to religious diversity in Spain and the UK

ABSTRACT Young people in diverse societies routinely encounter worldviews different from their own, but we know relatively little about how these encounters affect them. This study investigated how young adults in Britain and Spain respond to encounters with other worldviews, focusing on whether and how their existing worldviews were affected. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants. Thematic and narrative analyses revealed three main responses: uncertainty, reconstruction and resistance. Encounters with alternative worldviews often led young people to feel uncertain about their own beliefs, particularly those which they understood to be contradicted by the alternative worldview. Reconstruction occurred when participants adopted elements of newly encountered worldviews to create an idiosyncratic religiosity or spirituality. Resistance captured those instances where participants dismissed alternative worldviews as epistemologically or morally problematic. The findings indicate that young people in the UK and Spain are responding in several distinct ways to religious diversity.
Surface coating and wettability study of PDMS-based composites: Effect on contact angle and cell-surface interaction

Surface modification of poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) with biopolymers enhances surface wettability. Surface modifications of PDMS-based substrates was done via spin-coating polyethylene-glycol (PEG), poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and sodium alginate (SA) at 4000 revs. per. min under vacuum. Samples were characterized using a scanning electron microscope. Substrate wettability was characterized using contact angle measurements approach. Cell-surface attachment was demonstrated by growing MCF-10A Cells. Coated PDMS-based substrates with SA had a contact angle of 12° showing a high degree of hydrophilicity and wettability. Similarly, substrates coated with PEG reported a contact angle of 25°, while PLGA recorded 42.2°. It was also observed that pre-straining the PDMS/PDMS-Fe_3O_4 substrates before spin-coating could significantly reduce the contact angle to about 8.5° and hence improve surface wettability. The result was discussed for potential PDMS implant integration into the body. Graphical abstract
Integration of hotspot identification, gap analysis, and niche modeling supports the conservation of Chinese threatened higher plants

A significant fraction of higher plants in China are threatened due to dramatic landscape transformation and increasing climate change. However, the conservation effectiveness of threatened higher plants (THPs) and their response to climate change are still underexplored to date. Based on the latest list of THPs in China, we obtained 102 593 occurrence records with latitude and longitude for 3858 THPs. By integrating the distribution patterns of three biodiversity indexes (i.e., species richness, species complementarity, and weighted endemism) and 10 plant categories, we identified hotspots for THPs and calculated the conservation effectiveness of nature reserves. We then selected 1959 THPs to project the shift of species richness and range sizes under climate change (representative concentration pathway [RCP] 2.6 and RCP 8.5). In total, 16 hotspot areas covering 7.38% of Chinese land area and containing 91.73% of THPs were identified. Current nature reserves protected 35.05% of hotspots, 73.07% of all THPs, and 56.64% of narrow‐ranged species. By the 2070s, the species richness of THPs were predicted to decrease in Southeast and Central China, and 42.42% (RCP 2.6) and 51.40% (RCP 8.5) of the 1959 THPs would confront habitat contraction. Future conservation efforts should focus on the conservation gaps and carry out targeted conservation for THPs with narrow distribution range. In order to cope with climate change, the hotspots with relatively low species loss can serve as important areas to contain current species diversity and the areas with high species gain offer opportunities for ex‐situ conservation of THPs.
Combined effects of relative humidity and temperature on air discharges of electrostatic discharge generator

An air discharge immunity test for electronic equipment prescribed in the International Eelectrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard causes unstable testing reproducibility due to many factors such as the approach speed of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) generator, relative humidity, ambient temperature and the like. Nevertheless, the air discharge method is a mandatory test in the present IEC standard which also specifies as climate conditions relative humidity from 30 % to 60 % and temperature from 15 to 35 degrees centigrade. This implies that the air discharge testing is likely to provide significantly different test results due to a wide range of climatic conditions. To elucidate the above climatic effects on air discharge testing, we measure air discharge currents from an ESD generator under several combinations of relative humidity and temperature. The result reveals that absolute humidity, which is derived from the relative humidity and the saturated water-amount determined by the temperature, is the same the discharge current waveforms become almost identical despite different relative humidity and temperature.
Optimization of Direct Aromatic 18F-Labeling of Tetrazines

Radiolabeling of tetrazines has gained increasing attention due to their important role in pretargeted imaging or therapy. The most commonly used radionuclide in PET imaging is fluorine-18. For this reason, we have recently developed a method which enables the direct aromatic 18F-fluorination of tetrazines using stannane precursors through copper-mediated fluorinations. Herein, we further optimized this labeling procedure. 3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine was chosen for this purpose because of its high reactivity and respective limited stability during the labeling process. By optimizing parameters such as elution conditions, precursor amount, catalyst, time or temperature, the radiochemical yield (RCY) could be increased by approximately 30%. These conditions were then applied to optimize the RCY of a recently successfully developed and promising pretargeting imaging agent. This agent could be isolated in a decay corrected RCY of 14 ± 3% and Am of 201 ± 30 GBq/µmol in a synthesis time of 70 min. Consequently, the RCY increased by 27%.
Life table simulations of a univoltine codling moth, Cydia pomonella, population 3. Impact of immigration on the effectiveness of mating disruption

ABSTRACT The potential for immigration of female codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), to affect the efficacy of control by mating disruption was simulated by incorporating different rates of disruption and immigration into previously published life tables for a univoltine codling moth population on unsprayed apple trees in Nelson, New Zealand. Eight-year simulations were conducted using an initial codling moth density of 1.22 adults per tree at 330 trees per ha, as in the original life tables. Life table simulations without mating disruption served as controls for comparison with simulations that included various rates of disruption, and then various rates of immigration by virgin or mated female moths into trees subjected to 85% or 98% disruption. Model outputs were evaluated principally in relation to a nominal low export tolerance of fresh codling moth damage on harvested fruit of one per million. The simulations suggested that 85% disruption reduced the codling moth population too slowly for such export production, and that this rate of disruption was highly susceptible to immigration of virgin or mated female moths. Mating disruption of 98% provided rapid reduction of codling moth to extremely low population density, even in the presence of virgin female immigration up to ∼30 females per ha. However, although this efficacy should allow export by reducing simulated damage to less than one per million fruit, this was undermined by immigration of mated females as low as ∼0.7 per ha, or one per ∼3500 trees, in modern high-density orchards at 2400 trees per ha.
Use of a Point-of-Care Progesterone Assay to Predict Onset of Parturition in the Bitch

An assay of circulating progesterone (P4) is commonly used to estimate progress through late gestation in the bitch. Point-of-care assays provide rapid results, a major advantage over laboratory-based assays. This study aims to compare P4 levels determined by the Catalyst® Progesterone point-of-care assay with those determined by chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) and to identify the expected distribution of Catalyst P4 levels at time intervals 3 days prior to the onset of parturition in pregnant bitches. Twenty-eight pregnant bitches carrying two or more fetuses were admitted to a specialist veterinary reproduction hospital 53 days after the onset of cytological diestrus or, when that date was not known, 57 days after the last mating. Vaginal speculum examinations were performed every 6 h until the onset of cervical dilatation (TCD). Serum samples were collected twice daily (08h00 and 18h00) until TCD. For most samples, fresh serum was assayed for P4 immediately using the Catalyst assay (CatP4), then frozen until assayed by CLIA (IMMULITE 2000; ImmP4). However, for some samples, CatP4 was not analyzed prior to freezing. For these data points (n = 33), CatP4 for fresh serum was estimated from CatP4 assayed on frozen-thawed serum, based on a comparison between CatP4 on fresh vs. frozen-thawed sera. In comparison to ImmP4, CatP4 levels up to and including 7 nmol/L appear to have a constant bias of −1.69 nmol/L (limits of agreement −4.91 to 1.52), while levels >7 nmol/L appear to have a proportional bias of −17.9% (limits of agreement −68.6% to 32.7%). Bootstrapped percentiles of CatP4 results spanned 0.4–9 nmol/L within 12 h of TCD, 0.9–11 nmol/L 12–24 h from TCD, and 2.2–13.5 nmol/L 24–36 h from TCD. A CatP4 >9 nmol/L indicates a bitch that is unlikely to reach TCD within 12 h. Bitches with CatP4s below 3.5 nmol/L are likely to reach TCD within 36 h and bitches with a CatP4 below 2.2 nmol/L are likely to reach TCD within 24 h. In conclusion, the Catalyst Progesterone assay provides rapid assessment of circulating P4 in the bitch, with clinical application in the monitoring of late term pregnant bitches.
Sexual Dimorphism and Sex-2D : 4D Interactions on Fasting Lipid Variables in an Adult Ghanaian Population

Prenatal hormone exposure has been suggested as a correlate of adult circulating estrogen and testosterone. If this observation is true, then prenatal hormone exposure may have an association with lipid homeostasis in adulthood. The study sought to investigate sexual dimorphism and the interactions between the putative marker of prenatal hormone exposure (2D : 4D) and sex on adult fasting plasma lipid variables. The study was cross-sectional from June to December 2021 at the University for Development Studies. The participants were between 18 and 30 years of age and consisted of 206 healthy persons (female = 93, male = 113). The right hand (2D : 4DR), the left hand (2D : 4DL), and the right-left 2D : 4D difference (Dr-l) were measured using computer-assisted analysis. Fasting venous blood samples were collected and analyzed for lipid variables including total cholesterol (TCHOL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). There were no significant differences in the 2D : 4D ratio and lipid variables between males and females. However, after adjusting for age and BMI, the 2D : 4DR (P = 0.014) and the 2D : 4DL (P = 0.007) increased with increasing fasting plasma HDL-C on average. Moreover, there were significant interactions between sex and the 2D : 4DR (P = 0.002) and also, the 2D : 4DL (P = 0.005) on fasting plasma HDL-C. The relationship between HDL-C and the 2D : 4D ratio was positive in females but negative in males. The 2D : 4DR accounted for about 54.9% and 46.0% while the 2D : 4DL accounted for about 48.2% and 14.0% of the variabilities in fasting plasma HDL-C in females and males, respectively. Prenatal hormone exposure may partly account for the sexual dimorphism in adult lipid homeostasis.
The Relative and Combined Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging on Auditory Peripheral Neural Deafferentation: A Narrative Review

Animal studies have shown that noise exposure and aging cause a reduction in the number of synapses between low and medium spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers and inner hair cells before outer hair cell deterioration. This noise-induced and age-related cochlear synaptopathy (CS) is hypothesized to compromise speech recognition at moderate-to-high suprathreshold levels in humans. This paper evaluates the evidence on the relative and combined effects of noise exposure and aging on CS, in both animals and humans, using histopathological and proxy measures. In animal studies, noise exposure seems to result in a higher proportion of CS (up to 70% synapse loss) compared to aging (up to 48% synapse loss). Following noise exposure, older animals, depending on their species, seem to either exhibit significant or little further synapse loss compared to their younger counterparts. In humans, temporal bone studies suggest a possible age- and noise-related auditory nerve fiber loss. Based on the animal data obtained from different species, we predict that noise exposure may accelerate age-related CS to at least some extent in humans. In animals, noise-induced and age-related CS in separation have been consistently associated with a decreased amplitude of wave 1 of the auditory brainstem response, reduced middle ear muscle reflex strength, and degraded temporal processing as demonstrated by lower amplitudes of the envelope following response. In humans, the individual effects of noise exposure and aging do not seem to translate clearly into deficits in electrophysiological, middle ear muscle reflex, and behavioral measures of CS. Moreover, the evidence on the combined effects of noise exposure and aging on peripheral neural deafferentation in humans using electrophysiological and behavioral measures is even more sparse and inconclusive. Further research is necessary to establish the individual and combined effects of CS in humans using temporal bone, objective, and behavioral measures.
Flood Routing Model Coupled with Dynamic Leakage Losses for Ephemeral Rivers with Large Potholes

Ephemeral rivers commonly occur in regions with a shortage of water resources, and their channel configuration tends to change substantially owing to long drying times and artificial sand extraction. During short-term water conveyance, water storage in large potholes and leakage along the dry riverbed retards the flow, which is detrimental for the river landscape and ecological water demand. The objective of this study is to evaluate the flow process corresponding to a certain release scheme. A coupled dynamic leakage loss and flood routing model was established to predict the flood routing distance for dry rivers with potholes and strong leakage. The model mainly includes three sub-models of flow dynamics, dynamic leakage loss and water balance along multiple cross sections of the river channel. The water head was dominated by flow velocity and the overflow from potholes. The model was applied to Yongding River, a typical ephemeral river in northern China, and the model parameters were calibrated and verified using monitoring data from ecological water releases into the Yongding River in 2019 and 2020, thus, making the model more stable and reliable. Finally, the model was used to evaluate the impact of cross section optimization and pothole treatment on the flow process. This study can provide scientific guidance for ecological water conveyance and the ecological restoration of ephemeral rivers.
The Relationship between Idiomatic Usage and University of Bahrain Students’ Proficiency in English Language

The aim of this study was to find out whether there is a correlation between UoB students’ English Language Proficiency (LP) and their Idiomatic Competency (IC). In addition, to determine whether culture plays an important role in influencing the students' understanding of idioms. Furthermore, to assess how far the current situation of teaching and learning the English language affects the process of developing IC. And to find out any difficulties and shortcomings of teaching and learning idioms at UoB. Reviewing the previous studies in the field of idiomatic language usage showed that the issue of the correlation between learners' LP and their IC is controversial. This study investigated the controversy around the issue in order to explore the UoB students and to examine whether there is a significant correlation between their LP and IC. The researcher selected a sample of students who sat for a proficiency test along with a test for idiomatic language. Two questionnaires were administered to elicit the UoB students' and teachers' views on the importance of the use of idiomatic expressions in a classroom. The researcher compared scores from both teachers' and students' LP test and their idiomatic language tests. She also measured the effect of culture on the ability to comprehend idiomatic expressions. She examined the current situation of teaching the English language and its role in the learners’ comprehension of idiomatic expressions. She discussed the difficulties faced by the UoB’s students in learning idioms. The study found that there is a significant correlation between UoB students' LP and their IC. In addition, culture plays a huge role in influencing teaching and learning idioms. Both teachers and students encounter some difficulties in teaching and learning idioms in the classroom.
Effects of Venture Capital Mega-Deals on IPO Success and Post-IPO Performance

Abstract Venture capital financing rounds with transaction volumes of 100 million US dollars or more have become an integral part of the US venture capital market within the last decade. We aim to determine whether such mega-deals are a quality signal for equity investors in the event of an IPO. Based on a sample of 364 US IPOs, we find that companies that have received a venture capital mega-deal perform, on average, superior IPOs and exhibit favorable post-IPO performance.
A Conceptual Analysis of the Semantic Use of Multiple Intelligences Theory and Implications for Teacher Education

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (MI) has been at the center of a long-running debate in educational psychology in terms of its generalizable validity. In this article, MI theory is discussed for a review of why and how MI theory may be contextually discussed for preservice teachers to learn about in their teacher education program. The semantic conceptual basis of intelligence in MI theory is discussed in comparison to learning styles theory with implications for the importance of the teaching of Universal Design for Learning and related frameworks in teacher education curriculum.
SoK: Workerounds - Categorizing Service Worker Attacks and Mitigations

Service Workers (SWs) are a powerful feature at the core of Progressive Web Apps, namely web applications that can continue to function when the user's device is offline and that have access to device sensors and capabilities previously accessible only by native applications. During the past few years, researchers have found a number of ways in which SWs may be abused to achieve different malicious purposes. For instance, SWs may be abused to build a web-based botnet, launch DDoS attacks, or perform cryptomining; they may be hijacked to create persistent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks; they may be leveraged in the context of side-channel attacks to compromise users' privacy; or they may be abused for phishing or social engineering attacks using web push notifications-based malvertising. In this paper, we reproduce and analyze known attack vectors related to SWs and explore new abuse paths that have not previously been considered. We systematize the attacks into different categories, and then analyze whether, how, and estimate when these attacks have been published and mitigated by different browser vendors. Then, we discuss a number of open SW security problems that are currently unmitigated, and propose SW behavior monitoring approaches and new browser policies that we believe should be implemented by browsers to further improve SW security. Furthermore, we implement a proof-of-concept version of several policies in the Chromium code base, and also measure the behavior of SWs used by highly popular web applications with respect to these new policies. Our measurements show that it should be feasible to implement and enforce stricter SW security policies without a significant impact on most legitimate production SWs.
Still the Same? Revealed Preferences and Ideological Self-Perception Among Former Members of Congress

For years, countless scholars have posited the role of constituency and party pressure on legislators’ roll call voting records. Indeed, though popular estimates of legislators’ preferences often come from roll call data (e.g., DW-NOMINATE scores), most scholars are careful to note that these are not necessarily measures of ideology per se but rather of legislators’ revealed preferences—that is, they reflect both legislators’ ideological commitments as well as the influence of party and constituency. In this paper, we offer fairly robust evidence that existing measures of legislator behavior may be closer to their preferences than once thought. Using a novel survey of former members of the House of Representatives, we leverage the severing of the electoral connection and lack of institutional party pressure to show that legislators’ preferences as measured by existing methods closely mirror their own perceptions of themselves.