Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basin scale distribution of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the Pacific Ocean

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was surveyed along the 160°W transect from the equatorial to the subarctic Pacific. CDOM characteristics were evaluated through the measurement of fluorescence intensity at 320 nm excitation and 420 nm emission and of absorption coefficient (a) at 320 nm, both indicative of marine humic‐like CDOM. In the surface layer (~200 m), different levels but similar optical characteristics of CDOM were found among the oceanic regions studied. In the mesopelagic (200‐1000 m) and abyssal layers (1000 m‐bottom), levels of fluorescence intensities were linearly correlated to those of absorption coefficients, with a similar slope between these layers. However, the intercept of the linear relationship between the two optical parameters was significantly lower for the mesopelagic layer than for the abyssal layer. Differences between intercepts were consistent with the transport of optically distinct CDOM to the mesopelagic layer through the formation of the North Pacific intermediate water (NPIW). At wavelengths shorter than 300 nm, the absorption coefficients of CDOM in the surface layer systematically deviated from the natural logarithmic relationships between absorption coefficients and wavelengths in the 320‐350 nm range. This class of CDOM, estimated using absorption coefficient at 275 nm, was defined as surface‐specific CDOM and may be derived from biocomponents. Surface‐specific CDOM was higher in the relatively young mode water than in old NPIW, suggesting that this class of CDOM is semi‐labile.
Electrodeposition of iron films from an ionic liquid (ChCl/urea/FeCl3 deep eutectic mixtures)

Abstract The electrodeposition of microcrystalline iron from an ionic liquid composed of choline chloride, urea and FeCl3 is demonstrated. The use of constant current plating technique is found to produce homogeneous, dense and grey matt iron deposits. The deposited iron films exhibit good corrosion resistance. Pure iron layers of up to 10 μm could be readily produced from the selected iron (III) electrolyte system.
Epidemic of the 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outside of Wuhan, China

Background The 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan, Hubei in December 2019. Beside from Hubei Province, no large-scale epidemiological data are available. The purpose of the study is to investigate the epidemiology of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Shandong province, China. Methods Data were obtained from the Epidemic Daily Report Network. Confirmed patients and suspected cases in Shandong were included in the analysis. Data including age, sex, address, time of disease onset, time of diagnosis, and sources of transmission were collected. Results By February 13 th , 2020, 518 patients in Shandong province were formally confirmed with COVID-19 with an additional 78 suspected. Most of the confirmed patients were young or middle-aged (mean: 42.6 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.26:1. Among the 596 patients, 29.2% had a history of traveling in Hubei within 14 days. There were 99 cluster outbreaks and 5.23 cases were transmitted by one cluster outbreak. Among the confirmed patients, 17 patients (3.3%) had critical pneumonia, 36 (6.9%) had severe pneumonia and no deaths reported. Conclusions Considering the collective confirmed and suspected cases of SARS-Cov-2 in Shandong by February 13 th , 2020, males and the young and middle-aged populations were more frequently affected by the virus, which was most commonly transmitted through cluster outbreaks. Since the initial case of SARS-Cov-2 was identified, the onset-diagnosis delay was reduced with time.
Quantitative polarized infrared analysis of trace OH in populations of randomly oriented mineral grains

Abstract Use of infrared spectroscopy as an accurate, quantitative method to measure concentrations of hydrous species in minerals requires consideration of the interactions of anisotropic crystals with infrared light. Ensuring that contributions are identified from species at all orientations in the crystal requires combining three measurements, taken with the electric field polarized along three mutually perpendicular directions. This is typically accomplished by determining the orientation of a crystal in advance, and then sectioning it perpendicular to its principal axes. In many instances, however, natural or experimental samples are not suitable for such handling. Here we demonstrate a method that instead uses at least three randomly sectioned grains, considered to be multiple samples of a homogeneous population. We explain the theory whereby: (1) the orientations of the polarization vectors of measurements taken on these grains are determined by comparison to oriented standards of the same mineral, and (2) the principal-axis spectra of the sample are synthesized from the randomly oriented spectra. By comparison to complementary electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data, we demonstrate that determination of orientations using the silicate overtone bands in Fourier-Transform infrared (FTIR) spectra is accurate and precise, with typical angular errors of 6°. We show that this precision is sufficient for the synthetic principal-axis spectra to be essentially indistinguishable from X-ray oriented standard spectra. We demonstrate the application of this technique to determining the OH concentrations in a population of hydrated olivine grains recovered from a high-pressure, high-temperature multi-anvil experiment.
Strategic investment under uncertainty: why multi-option firms lose the preemption run

11 We consider a dynamic duopoly game where firms choose both the timing and size of their investments. 12 The default is that firms have a single option to invest, which is generally seen as an unrealistic feature of 13 the real options literature. This paper relaxes this assumption by giving Firm A multiple options to invest 14 while Firm B just keeps one option. In this asymmetric setting we get the surprising result that Firm B 15 invests first. If Firm A would invest first it invests inefficiently early as a result of the preemption game. 16 Moreover, Firms A and B keep on being involved in preemption games for the subsequent investments 17 moments until B undertakes the investment. The intuition why Firm B invests first in equilibrium is 18 that then only one preemption game is played. Afterwards, Firm A is free to choose its unrestricted 19 optimal investment moments. This implies that Firm A’s first investment takes place relatively late, 20 which gives Firm B a long monopoly period, generating Firm B’s high incentive to invest first. 21
The use of the Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy to determine adulterants in raw milk

The objective of this study was to develop calibrations to determine the concentration of some milk adulterants by using the automated methodology of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). For construction of calibrations, samples were collected from 100 farms in the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Samples were tainted with three different adulterants commonly used in the adulteration of raw milk: sodium bicarbonate (SB), sodium citrate (SC) and cheese whey (W). Each adulterant was used at three different concentrations (SB: 0.05, 0.10 and 0.25%; SC: 0.025, 0.050 and 0.075% and W: 5, 10 and 20%). For validation, 60 samples were collected in other farms, which were not considered at the development stage of calibration. Adulterants were added at the following concentrations: 0.03, 0.06, 0.10 and 0.12% for SB; 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08% for SC and 5, 10 and 20% for W. Performance of each calibration was evaluated in terms of accuracy (Se), detection limit (DL) and determination coefficient (R2). All calibrations presented R2 higher than 0.91 with DL of 0.015%; 0.017% and 3.9% for SB, SC and W, respectively. Accuracy was 0.005%, 0.009% and 2.26% for SB, SC and W, respectively. Results show that the FTIR methodology can be used for determining the concentration of sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate and whey in raw milk. Associated with automated equipment, it is a viable option for monitoring these adulterants, having low operational costs and high analytical performance as additional features.
Sequencing of 185 Streptococcus thermophilus and identification of fermentation biomarkers

Streptococcus (S.) thermophilus is an important dairy starter in the production of fermented dairy products has important significance, from natural fermentation in the past to industrial production today. While the genetic architecture underlying S. thermophilus traits and phenotypes is largely unknown. Here, we sequenced 185 S. thermophilus strains, which isolated from natural fermented dairy products of China and Mongolia and using comparative genomic and genome wide association study to provide novel point for genetic architecture underlying its traits and phenotypes. Genome analysis of S. thermophilus showed association of phylogeny with environmental and phenotypic features and revealed clades with high acid production potential or with substantial genome decay. A few S. thermophilus isolated from areas with high chloramphenicol emissions had a chloramphenicol-resistant gene CatB8. Most importantly, we defined a growth score and identified a missense mutation G1118698T located at the gene AcnA that were both predictive of acidification capability of S. thermophilus. Our findings provide novel insight in S. thermophilus genetic traits, antibiotic resistant and predictive of acidification capability which both may had huge help in culture starter screening.
Crystal distortion and weak ferromagnetism of Mn3+δGa1−xGex alloys

The compound Mn3Ga (70–74 at.% Mn) has the hexagonal DO19‐type structure, and a triangular antiferromagnetic spin structure with a weak ferromagnetic component below the Neel temperature of about 470 K. Below 170 K the hexagonal structure is distorted to an orthorhombic one, accompanied by a steep increase in the ferromagnetic component. X‐ray‐diffraction experiments and magnetization measurements have been made for a pseudobinary system Mn3+δGa1−xGex. It was found that the DO19‐type structure is stable at 600 °C in the whole composition range 0≤x≤1.0 with appropriate values of δ. The Neel temperature of the triangular spin structure decreases with increasing x with a gentle slope. The crystal distortion temperature decreases more steeply and vanishes near x=0.6.
Rapid Microwave Hydrothermal Methods Synthesis of TiO2 Photocatalysts Using Different Sources of Materials

Using TiCl4, Ti(SO4)2 and TBOT as different Ti precursor, titania (TiO2) photocatalysts with high specific surface area were prepared by rapid microwave hydrothermal method. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized by TEM, XRD, DRS and N2 adsorption. The dependence of degradation efficiency of MB on the surface area, crystal structure and band gap of the obtained TiO2 particles were investigated. Results showed that compared with the TiO2 derived from TiCl4 and Ti(SO4)2 precursor, the TiO2 from TBOT exhibited best photocatalytic performance due to its higher surface area, capability of homogenous dispersion and its characteristic of anatanse structure.
Efficacy of phentolamine mesylate in reducing the duration of various local anesthetics

Background To evaluate changes in the effectiveness of phentolamine mesylate in combination with different local anesthetics (LAs) and vasoconstrictors. A prospective randomized double-blind study was conducted with 90 patients divided into three groups, with each group being administered one of three different LAs: lidocaine 2% 1/80,000, articaine 4% 1/200,000, and bupivacaine 0.5% 1/200,000. Methods We compared treatments administered to the mandible involving a LA blockade of the inferior alveolar nerve. Results were assessed by evaluating reduction in total duration of anesthesia, self-reported patient comfort using the visual analog pain scale, incidence rates of the most common adverse effects, overall patient satisfaction, and patient feedback. Results The differences among the three groups were highly significant (P < 0.001); time under anesthesia was especially reduced for both the lip and tongue with bupivacaine. The following adverse effects were reported: pain at the site of the anesthetic injection (11.1%), headaches (6.7%), tachycardia (1.1%), and heavy bleeding after treatment (3.3%). The patients' feedback and satisfaction ratings were 100% and 98.9%, respectively. Conclusions Efficient reversal of LAs is useful in dentistry as it allows patients to return to normal life more readily and avoid common self-injuries sometimes caused by anesthesia. Phentolamine mesylate reduced the duration of anesthesia in the three studied groups, with the highest reduction reported in the bupivacaine group (from 460 min to 230 min for the lip and 270 min for the tongue [P < 0.001]).
Chemical characterization of humic‐like substances (HULIS) formed from a lignin‐type precursor in model cloud water

A representative lignin‐type component from biomass burning aerosol has been shown to react with OH radicals in model cloud water yielding colored organic species. In this paper we investigated the chemical properties of the complex reaction products formed from 3,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid. The reaction was followed by UV‐VIS spectrophotometry, liquid chromatography, electrospray‐mass spectrometry, thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and a thermal method. This paper provides experimental proofs that actually larger molecular weight species are formed in the aqueous phase by free radical oligomerization. The features observed by all analytical techniques closely resemble those found for natural humic acids and HULIS found in rural and biomass burning aerosol. Therefore such processes are assumed to produce the ubiquitous humic‐like substances (HULIS) in atmospheric aerosol. Since these species show intense absorbance in the lower visible to UV range, they might also be important in atmospheric absorption of solar radiation.
Night of the hunter: using cameras to quantify nocturnal activity in desert spiders

Invertebrates dominate the animal world in terms of abundance, diversity and biomass, and play critical roles in maintaining ecosystem function. Despite their obvious importance, disproportionate research attention remains focused on vertebrates, with knowledge and understanding of invertebrate ecology still lacking. Due to their inherent advantages, usage of camera traps in ecology has risen dramatically over the last three decades, especially for research on mammals. However, few studies have used cameras to reliably detect fauna such as invertebrates or used cameras to examine specific aspects of invertebrate ecology. Previous research investigating the interaction between wolf spiders (Lycosidae: Lycosa spp.) and the lesser hairy-footed dunnart (Sminthopsis youngsoni) found that camera traps provide a viable method for examining temporal activity patterns and interactions between these species. Here, we re-examine lycosid activity to determine whether these patterns vary with different environmental conditions, specifically between burned and unburned habitats and the crests and bases of sand dunes, and whether cameras are able to detect other invertebrate fauna. Twenty-four cameras were deployed over a 3-month period in an arid region in central Australia, capturing 2,356 confirmed images of seven invertebrate taxa, including 155 time-lapse images of lycosids. Overall, there was no clear difference in temporal activity with respect to dune position or fire history, but twice as many lycosids were detected in unburned compared to burned areas. Despite some limitations, camera traps appear to have considerable utility as a tool for determining the diel activity patterns and habitat use of larger arthropods such as wolf spiders, and we recommend greater uptake in their usage in future.
Liver injury in the era of COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has undoubtedly revolutionized the whole globe and given a new point of view on respiratory tract infections. Nevertheless, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cannot be perceived as a disease limited only to pneumonia with diverse severity. More and more reports have demonstrated a wide range of possible systemic symptoms, including hepatic complications. Liver injury has been observed in a significant proportion of patients, especially in those with a severe or critical illness. COVID-19 might provoke a deterioration of liver function in patients with already diagnosed chronic liver diseases and without pre-existing liver disorders. The deterioration of liver function worsens the prognosis, increases the risk of a severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and prolongs the hospital stay. In general, patients who develop liver dysfunction in COVID-19 are mainly males, elderly people, and those with higher body mass index. The underlying mechanisms for hepatic failure in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are still unclear, nevertheless liver damage appears to be directly connected with virus-induced cytopathic effects. A liver injury observed during hospitalization might be simultaneously caused by the use of potentially hepatotoxic drugs, mainly antiviral agents. This minireview focuses on a possible relationship between COVID-19 and the liver, potential molecular mechanisms of liver damage, the characteristics of liver injury and suggested factors predisposing to hepatic manifestations in COVID-19 patients.
TLR4 promoter rs1927914 variant contributes to the susceptibility of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the Chinese population

Background Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), as a key regulator of both innate and acquired immunity, has been linked with the development of various cancers, including esophageal cancer. This study aims to analyze the association of potential functional genetic polymorphisms in TLR4 with the risk of esophageal cancer. Methods This case-control study involved in 480 ESCC patients and 480 health controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to genotype TLR4 rs1927914 polymorphism. Taqman probe method was used to determine the genotypes of TLR4 rs11536891 and rs7873784 variants. The relationship between TLR4 genetic variation and ESCC risk was analyzed by Logistic regression model by calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results Compared with TLR4 rs1927914 AA genotype carriers, GG carriers had a lower ESCC risk (OR = 0.59, 95% CI [0.38–0.93], P = 0.023). Stratification analysis by age showed that TLR4 rs1927914 GG could affect the risk of ESCC in elderly people (OR = 0.59, 95% CI [0.36–0.97]). Smoking stratification analysis indicated that rs1927914 GG carriers were related to ESCC susceptibility among non-smokers (OR = 0.36, 95% CI [0.18–0.73]). Dual luciferase reporter assay suggested that rs1927914 G-containing TLR4 promoter displayed a 1.76-fold higher luciferase activity than rs1927914 A-containing counterpart in KYSE30 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed the KYSE30 cell nuclear extract was able to bind the probe with rs1927914 G allele and this DNA-protein interaction could be eliminated by competition assays with unlabeled rs1927914 G probe, which indicating that the binding is sequence-specific. Our results also showed that TLR4 rs7873784 (G>C) and rs11536891 (T>C) conformed to complete genetic linkage. The genotype distributions of TLR4 rs11536891 variant among ESCC patients and normal controls have no statistical significance. Conclusion The TLR4 rs1927914 variant contributes to the ESCC risk by effecting the promoter activity.
Electrical characteristics and influence of the air-gap size in a trielectrode plasma curtain at atmospheric pressure

A study of the electrical characteristics of the trielectrode plasma curtain (TPC) discharge is presented. The influence of the air-gap size (for a fixed value of the inter-electrode distance) on the discharge behaviour has been exhaustively studied. The TPC discharge is based on the combination of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with a corona discharge (CD) in a three electrode system, and basically it consists of the ‘stretching’ of a pure DBD by the action of a negative CD generated between the active electrode of the dielectric barrier and a remote third electrode. It was found that the general trend of the electrical characteristic curves (the average discharge current and the streamer frequency as functions of the AC and DC biasing voltages) was very similar for all the air-gap values considered. Our results indicate that the development of the TPC discharge requires two conditions: (a) the presence of a positive cycle of a well-developed DBD together with a CD where the remote electrode acts as the cathode and (b) a voltage drop between the DBD electrode and the remote electrode high enough to obtain an average electric field in the gap that must exceed a minimum average electric field value in the streamer channel necessary for its propagation across the gap (≈6.3 kV cm−1 in our experimental conditions).
Diamond Composites with TiC, SiC and Ti 3 SiC 2 Bonding Phase

The problems connected with producing diamond composites with 30 wt. % of bonding phase in form of: SiC, TiC, and Ti 3 SiC 2 are presented in the paper. Increasing the fraction of the bonding phase within the composite generally helps to reduce internal stresses. Composites were sintered at pressure 8.0 - 0.2 GPa and temperature of 2070 - 50 K using the Bridgman type high pressure apparatus. Interactions in the diamond-SiC, the diamond-TiC, and the diamond-Ti 3 SiC 2 systems were studied by means of transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. Density was measured pycnometrically. The wear resistance studies of these composites were carried out using pin - on disc type laboratory equipment. Hardness was measured with Vickers apparatus. Results of measurements of physical and mechanical properties are reported.
Complete Chloroplast Genome of Abutilon fruticosum: Genome Structure, Comparative and Phylogenetic Analysis

Abutilon fruticosum is one of the endemic plants with high medicinal and economic value in Saudi Arabia and belongs to the family Malvaceae. However, the plastome sequence and phylogenetic position have not been reported until this study. In this research, the complete chloroplast genome of A. fruticosum was sequenced and assembled, and comparative and phylogenetic analyses within the Malvaceae family were conducted. The chloroplast genome (cp genome) has a circular and quadripartite structure with a total length of 160,357 bp and contains 114 unique genes (80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes). The repeat analyses indicate that all the types of repeats (palindromic, complement, forward and reverse) were present in the genome, with palindromic occurring more frequently. A total number of 212 microsatellites were identified in the plastome, of which the majority are mononucleotides. Comparative analyses with other species of Malvaceae indicate a high level of resemblance in gene content and structural organization and a significant level of variation in the position of genes in single copy and inverted repeat borders. The analyses also reveal variable hotspots in the genomes that can serve as barcodes and tools for inferring phylogenetic relationships in the family: the regions include trnH-psbA, trnK-rps16, psbI-trnS, atpH-atpI, trnT-trnL, matK, ycf1 and ndhH. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that A. fruticosum is closely related to Althaea officinalis, which disagrees with the previous systematic position of the species. This study provides insights into the systematic position of A. fruticosum and valuable resources for further phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of the species and the Malvaceae family to resolve ambiguous issues within the taxa.