Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of equity group status and entry pathway on academic outcomes in higher education

ABSTRACT Higher education participation has increased worldwide given policies devoted to widening participation for under-represented groups, including the use of alternative entry pathways to university. It is, however, unknown if students admitted via alternative pathways perform well academically. This study uses data for 81,874 students from 16 Australian universities to examine academic performance by entry pathway. Students admitted via alternative pathways generally have poorer academic scores in their first year and over their course than peers coming from secondary school, particularly those entering via vocational education. However, students from enabling programs perform better academically than secondary school entrants. Further, students from under-represented groups are outperformed academically by their more privileged counterparts, particularly Indigenous students and those from low SES and non-English speaking backgrounds. These findings reflect the need to review academic support for students from certain entry pathways and equity groups to enhance their academic success in higher education.
Genome-wide analysis of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in Boehmeria nivea (L.) gaudich revealed potential cadmium tolerance and anthocyanin biosynthesis genes

Gene family, especially MYB as one of the largest transcription factor family in plants, the study of its subfunctional characteristics is a key step in the study of plant gene function. The sequencing of ramie genome provides a good opportunity to study the organization and evolutionary characters of the ramie MYB gene at the whole genome level. In this study, a total of 105 BnGR2R3-MYB genes were identified from ramie genome and subsequently grouped into 35 subfamilies according to phylogeny divergence and sequences similarity. Chromosomal localization, gene structure, synteny analysis, gene duplication, promoter analysis, molecular characteristics and subcellular localization were accomplished using several bioinformatics tools. Collinearity analysis showed that the segmental and tandem duplication events is the dominant form of the gene family expansion, and duplications prominent in distal telomeric regions. Highest syntenic relationship was obtained between BnGR2R3-MYB genes and that of Apocynum venetum (88). Furthermore, transcriptomic data and phylogenetic analysis revealed that BnGMYB60, BnGMYB79/80 and BnGMYB70 might inhibit the biosynthesis of anthocyanins, and UPLC-QTOF-MS data further supported the results. qPCR and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the six genes (BnGMYB9, BnGMYB10, BnGMYB12, BnGMYB28, BnGMYB41, and BnGMYB78) were cadmium stress responsive genes. Especially, the expression of BnGMYB10/12/41 in roots, stems and leaves all increased more than 10-fold after cadmium stress, and in addition they may interact with key genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Thus, a potential link between cadmium stress response and flavonoid synthesis was identified through protein interaction network analysis. The study thus provided significant information into MYB regulatory genes in ramie and may serve as a foundation for genetic enhancement and increased productivity.
DERIVATION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD IN A CORONAL MASS EJECTION CORE VIA MULTI-FREQUENCY RADIO IMAGING

The magnetic field within the core of a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2010 August 14 is derived from analysis of multi-wavelength radio imaging data. This CME's core was found to be the source of a moving type IV radio burst, whose emission is here determined to arise from the gyrosynchrotron process. The CME core's true trajectory, electron density, and line-of-sight depth are derived from stereoscopic observations, constraining these parameters in the radio emission models. We find that the CME carries a substantial amount of mildly relativistic electrons (E < 100 keV) in a strong magnetic field (B < 15 G), and that the spectra at lower heights are preferentially suppressed at lower frequencies through absorption from thermal electrons. We discuss the results in light of previous moving type IV burst studies, and outline a plan for the eventual use of radio methods for CME magnetic field diagnostics.
Efficacy of stem cell secretome loaded in hyaluronate sponge for topical treatment of psoriasis

Abstract Psoriasis vulgaris is an inflammatory disease characterized by distinctive skin lesions and dysregulated angiogenesis. Recent research uses stem cell secretion products (CM); a set of bioactive factors with therapeutic properties that regulate several cellular processes, including tissue repair and angiogenesis. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of CM of Wharton's gelatin MSC (hWJCM) in a treatment based on the bioactivation of a hyaluronic acid matrix (HA hWJCM) in a psoriasiform‐like dermatitis (PD) mouse model. A preclinical study was conducted on PD mice. The effect of hWJCM, Clobetasol (Clob) gold standard, HA Ctrl, and HA hWJCM was tested topically evaluating severity of PD, mice weight as well as skin, liver, and spleen appearance. Treatment with either hWJCM, HA Ctrl or HA hWJCM, resulted in significant improvement of the PD phenotype. Moreover, treatment with HA hWJCM reduced the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), aberrant angiogenesis, and discomfort associated with the disease, leading to total recovery of body weight. We suggest that the topical application of HA hWJCM can be an effective noninvasive therapeutic solution for psoriasis, in addition to other skin diseases, laying the groundwork for future studies in human patients.
CALCULATION OF THE SUPERCONDUCTING STATE PARAMETERS WITH RETARDED ELECTRON- PHONON INTERACTION

The energy gap and other parameters of the superconducting state are calculated from the Bardeen-CooperSchrieffer theory in Gor'kov-Eliashberg form, using a realistic retarded electron-electron interaction via phonons and including the Coulomb repulsion. The solution is facilitated by observing that only the local phonon interaction, mediated entirely by short-wavelength phonons, is important, and that a good approximation for the phonon spectrum is therefore an Einstein model rather than Debye model. The resulting equation is solved by an approximate iteration procedure. The results are similar to earlier gap equations but the derivation gives a precise meaning to the interaction and cutoff parameters of earlier theories. The numerical results are in good order- of-magnitude agreement with the observed transition temperatures but lead to an isotope effect at least 15% less than the acceptad -1/2 exponent (T/sub c/ proportional to M/sup-1/2. Also, the present theory predicts that all metals should be superconductors, although those not observed to do so would have remarkably low transition temperatures. (auth)
Wave Based Method for Free and Forced Vibration Analysis of Cylindrical Shells With Discontinuity in Thickness

Wave based method (WBM) is presented to analyze the free and forced vibration of cylindrical shells with discontinuity in thickness. The hull is first divided into multiple segments according to the locations of thickness discontinuity and/or driving points, and then the Flugge theory is adopted to describe the motion of cylindrical segments. The dynamic field variables in each segment are expressed as wave function expansions, which accurately satisfy the equations of motion and can be used to analyze arbitrary boundary conditions, e.g., classical or elastic boundary conditions. Finally, the boundary conditions and interface continuity conditions between adjacent segments are used to assemble the final governing equation to obtain the free and forced vibration results. By comparing with the results existing in open literate and calculated by finite element method (FEM), the present method WBM is verified. Furthermore, the influences of the boundary conditions and the locations of thickness discontinuity on the beam mode frequency and fundamental frequency are discussed. The effects of the direction of external force, location of external point force, and the structural damping on the forced vibration are also analyzed.
Regulation of Pre-mRNA Splicing: Indispensable Role of Post-Translational Modifications of Splicing Factors

Pre-mRNA splicing is a process used by eukaryotic cells to generate messenger RNAs that can be translated into proteins. During splicing, the non-coding regions of the RNAs (introns) are removed from pre-mRNAs and the coding regions (exons) are joined together, resulting in mature mRNAs. The particular steps of splicing are executed by the multimegadalton complex called a spliceosome. This complex is composed of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, various splicing factors, and other regulatory and auxiliary proteins. In recent years, various post-translational modifications of splicing factors have been shown to contribute significantly to regulation of processes involved in pre-mRNA splicing. In this review, we provide an overview of the most important post-translational modifications of splicing factors that are indispensable for their normal function during pre-mRNA splicing (i.e., phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination and sumoylation). Moreover, we also discuss how the defects in regulation of splicing factors are related to the development of cancer.
Coating flows within a rotating horizontal cylinder: Lubrication analysis, numerical computations, and experimental measurements

We consider the flow within a rotating horizontal cylinder containing a small amount of a very viscous liquid which completely coats the cylinder surface. We show that, under creeping flow conditions, the addition of the hydrostatic pressure term to the standard lubrication equation leads to film thickness profiles which, over a broad range of parameters, are in close agreement with those obtained experimentally, as well as via the solution to the full Stokes equations.
Stochastic variational calculation of zero-energy positron scattering from H, He, and H 2

The confined variational method is used to generate a set of energy-optimized explicitly correlated Gaussians to describe positrons interacting with H, He and the H2 molecule. These basis functions are then used in a Kohn variational calculation of the scattering lengths and zero-energy annihilation parameters, Zeff. The results for the H and He atoms are consistent with previous high-quality variational calculations while the annihilation parameter for H2 is consistent with experiment. An extensive tabulation of the H2 scattering parameters as a function of internuclear distance confirm the existence of a virtual state at R≈3.4a0. The scattering length was -2.71a0 and Zeff was 15.7 at the mean H2 internuclear distance of 1.45a0.
Doppler radar observations of non‐occluding, cyclic vortex genesis within a long‐lived tornadic storm over southern England

On 3 November 2009 a long‐lived tornadic storm developed close to the apex of a small frontal wave moving eastwards over southern England. Ten tornadoes and several instances of non‐tornadic wind damage occurred along a narrow path extending for over 120 km. The storm passed within 5 km of two of the radars in the Met Office's network, providing an opportunity for detailed observation. Initial development was in the form of an intense segment of line convection at the northern flank of the frontal wave and associated deepening surface mesolow (diameter 60–70 km). The line evolved rapidly; the southern portion bowed out to form a transient ‘S’‐shaped echo before dissipating. The northern section persisted, leaving a hook‐shaped storm which became quasi‐steady in overall echo shape.
Associations of maternal and placental extracellular vesicle miRNA with preeclampsia

Introduction: Gestational vascular complications (GVCs), including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, are leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Elevated levels of extracellular vesicles (EVs), in GVC have been linked to vascular injury. This study aims to characterize placental and circulating EV miRNA in GVCs, and explores the involvement of EV-miRNA in GVC, and whether they may be used to distinguish between placental and maternal pathologies. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 15 non-pregnant (NP), 18 healthy-pregnant (HP), and 23 women with GVC during the third trimester. Placental sections were obtained after caesarian section. Platelet-poor-plasma (PPP) and EV pellets were characterized: EV size/concentration, protein content and miRNA expression were measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis, western blot, nano-string technology and RT-PCR. The effects of EVs on trophoblasts and EC miRNA expression were evaluated. Results: Higher EVs concentrations were observed in HP-PPP and GVC-PPP (p < 0.0001) compared to the NP-PPP. The concentration of large EVs (>100 nm) was higher in PPP and EV pellets of HP and GVC compared to the NP group. EV pellets of pregnant women demonstrated lower expression of exosomal markers CD63/CD81 compared to NP-EVs. GVC-EVs expressed more human placental lactogen (hPL) hormone than HP-EVs, reflecting their placental origin. Screening of miRNAs in EV pellets and in PPP identified certain miRNAs that were highly expressed only in EVs pellets of the HP (13%) and GVC groups (15%), but not in the NP group. Differences were detected in the expression of hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-210, and hsa-miR-29b-3p. The expression of hsa-miR-16-5p and hsa-miR-210 was low in EV pellets obtained from NP, higher in HP-EVs, and significantly lower in GVC-EVs. Except for hsa-miR-29b-3p, which was upregulated in GVC, no significant differences were found in the levels of other miRNAs in placental sections. Exposure to GVC-EVs resulted in higher expression of hsa-miR-29b-3p compared to cells exposed to HP-EVs in villous trophoblasts, but not in EC. Conclusion: Expression of hsa-miR-16-5p and hsa-miR-210 reflects maternal pathophysiological status, while hsa-miR-29b-3p reflects placental status. These findings suggest that EV-miRNA are involved in GVC, and that they may be used to distinguish between pathologies of placental and maternal origins in preeclampsia.
Tricubic interpolation in three dimensions

The purpose of this paper is to give a local tricubic interpolation scheme in three dimensions that is both C1 and isotropic. The algorithm is based on a specific 64 × 64 matrix that gives the relationship between the derivatives at the corners of the elements and the coefficients of the tricubic interpolant for this element. In contrast with global interpolation where the interpolated function usually depends on the whole data set, our tricubic local interpolation only uses data in a neighbourhood of an element. We show that the resulting interpolated function and its three first derivatives are continuous if one uses cubic interpolants. The implementation of the interpolator can be downloaded as a static and dynamic library for most platforms. The major difference between this work and current local interpolation schemes is that we do not separate the problem into three one‐dimensional problems. This allows for a much easier and accurate computation of higher derivatives of the extrapolated field. Applications to the computation of Lagrangian coherent structures in ocean data are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal conductivity calculation of complex (dusty) plasmas

The thermal conductivity of three-dimensional (3D) strongly coupled complex (dusty) plasmas has been calculated through the improved Evan-Gillan nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) algorithm. The extensive NEMD simulations are performed to study the performance of the algorithm and compared the results determined for perturbed heat energy current to the results obtained by equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations. The calculations show that the present algorithm gives accurate results with fast convergence and small size effects over a wide range of plasma coupling and screening parameters. The present simulation results are in agreement with part of others NEMD and EMD data in the literature with simulation values generally overpredicting the thermal conductivity by 3%–20%, depending on plasma parameters. It is shown that the homogenous perturbed method can be employed to estimate the thermal conductivity and to understand the fundamental behaviors in 3D complex Yukawa liquids.
Topical Diacerein Decreases Skin and Splenic CD11c+ Dendritic Cells in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by increased neo-vascularization, keratinocyte hyperproliferation, a pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu and immune cell infiltration. Diacerein is an anti-inflammatory drug, modulating immune cell functions, including expression and production of cytokines, in different inflammatory conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that topical diacerein has beneficial effects on the course of psoriasis. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of topical diacerein on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in C57BL/6 mice. Topical diacerein was observed to be safe without any adverse side effects in healthy or psoriatic animals. Our results demonstrated that diacerein significantly alleviated the psoriasiform-like skin inflammation over a 7-day period. Furthermore, diacerein significantly diminished the psoriasis-associated splenomegaly, indicating a systemic effect of the drug. Remarkably, we observed significantly reduced infiltration of CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) into the skin and spleen of psoriatic mice with diacerein treatment. As CD11c+ DCs play a pivotal role in psoriasis pathology, we consider diacerein to be a promising novel therapeutic candidate for psoriasis.
Prospective Application of Nanoencapsulated Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on Broiler Chickens’ Performance and Gut Health with Efficacy against Campylobacter jejuni Colonization

Simple Summary The emergence of antibiotics resistance is a warning sign to limit antibiotics usage as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Probiotics served as superior candidates for replacing antibiotics in the poultry sector. However, the beneficial functions of probiotics did not reach their targeted outcomes owing to the harsh environment in the poultry gut. In this context, evolution of biotechnological aids offers new avenues for increasing bioavailability and beneficial efficacy of in-feed additives including probiotics. Therefore, encapsulation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. amyloliquefaciens) into nanocarriers boosted its growth-promoting purposes and consequently modulated the functions of digestive enzymes and kept the microbiota homeostasis towards the beneficial ones. The strengthening capability of B. amyloliquefaciens-loaded nanoparticles for broilers’ gut barrier limited Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) colonization and shedding. This superior outcome would in turn interrupt the transmission cycle of C. jejuni through the food chain and consequently protect against its adverse consequences in humans. Abstract Probiotics as novel antibiotics’ substitutes are verified to provide barriers for hindering the colonization of enteric bacterial pathogens with nutritional benefits. For enhancement of the probiotics’ effectiveness, their integration within nanomaterials is a paramount tool to support the progress of new compounds with functional features. Therefore, we addressed the impact of effective delivery of probiotics (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) loaded nanoparticles (BNPs) on performance and Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) shedding and colonization in poultry. Two hundred Ross broiler chickens were divided into four groups fed various BNP levels: BNPs I, BNPs II, BNPs III, and BNPs-free diets for 35 days. Nanoparticles delivery of probiotics within broiler diets improved growth performance as reflected by higher body weight gain and superior feed conversion ratio, especially in BNPs II- and BNPs III-fed groups. In parallel, the mRNA expression levels of digestive enzymes encoding genes (AMY2a, PNLIP, CELA1, and CCK) achieved their peaks in BNPs III-fed group (1.69, 1.49, 1.33, and 1.29-fold change, respectively) versus the control one. Notably, with increasing the levels of BNPs, the abundance of beneficial microbiota, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, was favored over harmful ones, including Clostridium species and Enterobacteriaceae. Birds fed higher levels of BNPs displayed significant improvement in the expression of barrier functions-linked genes including DEFB1, FABP-2, and MUC-2 alongside substantial reduction in cecal colonization and fecal shedding of C. jejuni. From the aforementioned positive effects of BNPs, we concluded their potential roles as growth promoters and effective preventive aids for C. jejuni infection in poultry.
An Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Pediatricians and Pediatric Residents in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the knowledge levels and attitude of pediatricians and pediatric residents toward spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which is one of the most frequent neuromuscular diseases and the second most common cause of mortality among autosomal recessive diseases. Methods: Pediatric residents and pediatricians were asked to answer a questionnaire consisting of 27 questions prepared by the authors. The questionnaire investigated knowledge levels and attitudes concerning genetic, pathophysiologic, and laboratory characteristics, in addition to follow-up and management features of SMA. The questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). Results: Ninety-three physicians (48.4% (n=45) pediatricians, 15.1% (n=14) fellows, and 36.6% (n=34) pediatric residents) responded to the questionnaire. Of these, 56 (60.2%) had experience of working in a pediatric clinic for more than 5 years and 95.7% (n=89) had followed an SMA patient. Sixty-eight (73.1%) of the participants knew that a deletion in exon 7–8 was the cause of SMA in more than 95% of patients, 83 (89.2%) knew that it was characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons in the anterior horn, 86 (92.5%) knew that SMA classification was made based on the onset time of symptoms and genetic features, and 92 (98.9%) believed that SMA subtypes could define the prognosis. Ninety (96.8%) stated that the most important cause of mortality was the involvement of accessory respiratory muscles. Discussion and Conclusion: This study revealed that physicians possess a satisfactory level of knowledge concerning the symptomatology, diagnostic algorithm, and follow-up features of SMA disease, which has become more popular following the development of treatments that could prolong survival and improve the quality of life. Modern treatment options are expected to change the natural course of the disease, and pediatricians are expected to stay up-to-date with the changing algorithms for diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment.