Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survey Data Quality in Analyzing Harmonized Indicators of Protest Behavior: A Survey Data Recycling Approach

This article proposes a new approach to analyze protest participation measured in surveys of uneven quality. Because single international survey projects cover only a fraction of the world’s nations in specific periods, researchers increasingly turn to ex-post harmonization of different survey data sets not a priori designed as comparable. However, very few scholars systematically examine the impact of the survey data quality on substantive results. We argue that the variation in source data, especially deviations from standards of survey documentation, data processing, and computer files—proposed by methodologists of Total Survey Error, Survey Quality Monitoring, and Fitness for Intended Use—is important for analyzing protest behavior. In particular, we apply the Survey Data Recycling framework to investigate the extent to which indicators of attending demonstrations and signing petitions in 1,184 national survey projects are associated with measures of data quality, controlling for variability in the questionnaire items. We demonstrate that the null hypothesis of no impact of measures of survey quality on indicators of protest participation must be rejected. Measures of survey documentation, data processing, and computer records, taken together, explain over 5% of the intersurvey variance in the proportions of the populations attending demonstrations or signing petitions.
EXPRESS: Connecting to Place, People, and Past: How Products Can Make Us Feel Grounded and Why Marketers Should Care

Consumption can provide a feeling of groundedness or being emotionally rooted. This can occur when products connect consumers to their physical (place), social (people), and historic (past) environment. We introduce the concept of groundedness to the literature and show that it increases consumer choice, increases happiness, and increases feelings of safety, strength, and stability. Following these consequential outcomes, we demonstrate how marketers can provide consumers with a feeling of groundedness through product designs, distribution channels, and marketing communications. We also show how they might segment the market using observable proxies for consumers? need for groundedness, such as high computer use, high socio-economic status, or life changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taken together, we argue that groundedness is a powerful concept providing a comprehensive explanation for a variety of consumer trends, including the popularity of local, artisanal, and nostalgic products. It seems that in times of digitization, urbanization, and global challenges, the need to feel grounded has become particularly acute.
Preparation and optimization of a novel microbead formulation to improve solubility and stability of curcumin

ABSTRACT Curcumin is an active ingredient which is poorly water-soluble, leading to a low oral bioavailability. The aim of this research was to prepare a novel microbead formulation, and to solubilize, solidify, and improve storage stability of curcumin. Firstly, curcumin was solubilized with KolliphorTM RH40 and then microencapsulated by cross linking of sodium alginate with calcium chloride. A three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design was employed to acquire the optimum microbead formulation, namely the best entrapment efficiency and in vitro curcumin release. The independent variables were sodium alginate concentration, calcium chloride concentration, and the weight of curcumin solution, while the dependent variables were entrapment efficiency and in vitro curcumin release. The optimized microbead formulation was 2.06% sodium alginate, 24.33% calcium chloride, and 1.28 g curcumin solution (containing curcumin and RH40 with a ratio of 1:22, g/g). Results showed that high concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium chloride could increase the entrapment efficiency. In vitro curcumin release decreased with increasing of sodium alginate as well as decreasing of calcium chloride. In conclusion, the optimum microbead formulation increased the solubility of curcumin and enhanced its stability, and achieved a high entrapment efficiency and in vitro curcumin release.
Necropotosis-Induciable Nanoliposomes for Enhanced Cancer Sonoimmunotherapy in Vitro

Background: Necroptosis has emerged as a therapeutic target for stimulating antitumor immune responses in dying tumor cells. However, its suppressed expression of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), a key enzyme in necrosis in most cancer cells, limits the clinical translation to exploiting necroptosis.Design: We fabricated a multifunctional phase-transition nanoparticles platform by constructing Lip-ICG-PFP-cRGD, utilizing liposome and indocyanine green (ICG) as the shell and perfluoropentane (PFP) as the core. The platform system represented the combination of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and immunotherapy for cancer treatment by inducing necroptosis and disrupting the cell membrane through the acoustic cavitation effect mediated by ultrasound. In addition to their inherent contrasting ability under photoacoustic imaging, our liposomes may also be used as an ultrasound imaging probe after being irradiated with low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). Results: We demonstrate that nanoparticles can trigger necroptosis in ovarian cancer cells, which ruptures cell membrane by acoustic cavitation effect. When exposed to LIFU, the nanoparticles effectively facilitate the release of damage-associated molecular patterns by inducing burst-mediated cell-membrane decomposition. Moreover, the PFP phase change caused RIPK3/MLKL-independent necroptosis by acoustic cavitation effect, resulting in the release of biologically active DAMPs (CRT and HMGB1) to facilitate antitumor immunity. Therefore, necroptosis-inducible nanoparticles remarkably enhance antitumor immunity by activating CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and maturing dendritic cells in vitro. Conclusion: We have successfully synthesized Lip-ICG-PFP-cRGD nanoparticles, which can achieve SDT and provoke necroptosis by bubble-mediated cell membrane rupture. The innovative nanoparticle causes immunogenic cell death in cancer cells via RIPK3-independent necroptosis, which is a promising enhancer for cancer immunotherapy.
Change analysis of water area and flood mapping using a novel water index 2020 (WI2020) for Landsat imagery

Abstract The present study deals with Landsat data for the change analysis and flood mapping using water class extraction. Among the various available bands, the most suitable band combination is identified using class separability analysis and a novel water index (WI 2020) is proposed for the extraction of water. The proposed index is able to separate the water class from other land features and performs better than NDWI. The index-based results are also validated through supervised classification and used for change analysis and flood mapping. The change analysis is done in two ways, viz., from the year 2000 to 2020 in a span of 5 years in a periodic manner and from the year 2014 to 2020 in a continuous manner. The flood mapping is done on the images of 2014 and 2016 along with the pre-flood and post-flood situations with the help of WI 2020 which gives quantitatively satisfactory results.
Psychomotor stimulant effects of α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (αPVP) enantiomers correlate with drug binding kinetics at the dopamine transporter

α-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone (αPVP) is a psychostimulant and drug of abuse associated with severe intoxications in humans. αPVP exerts long-lasting psychostimulant effects, when compared to the classical dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitor cocaine. Here, we compared the two enantiomeric forms of αPVP, the R- and the S-αPVP, with cocaine using a combination of in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. We found that αPVP enantiomers substantially differ from cocaine in their binding kinetics. The two enantiomers differ from each other in their association rates. However, they show similar slow dissociation rates leading to pseudo-irreversible binding kinetics at DAT. The pseudo-irreversible binding kinetics of αPVP is responsible for the observed non-competitive pharmacology and it correlates with persistent psychostimulant effects in mice. Thus, the slow binding kinetics of αPVP enantiomers profoundly differ from the fast kinetics of cocaine both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting drug-binding kinetics as a potential driver of psychostimulant effects in vivo.
Reduction of pollutant emissions by developing a variable valve timing system in a direct injection diesel engine using computational fluid dynamics modeling

In this work, the fluid flow in a direct injection compression ignition engine and its effects on performance and pollutant emissions are studied by using computational fluid dynamics simulation through developing of variable valve timing system by combination of the optimum valve lifting and late inlet valve closing (LIVC) strategies. For this purpose, an improved version of ECFM‐3Z combustion model coupled with advanced models for NOx and soot formation was used to predict and simulate the combustion characteristics. First, the calculated in‐cylinder pressure, heat‐release rate, soot, and NOx were compared with experimental data and good agreement was obtained. To improve the performance and reduce the emission, various angles of LIVC and different types of valve lifting were compared with those of engine basic mode, and then optimum inlet valve closing (IVC) angle and optimum valve lift were determined. Results showed that in constant opening duration of the inlet valve, the volumetric efficiency increases by increasing the valve lift. In addition, the 25% increase of valve lift relative to basic mode along with optimized IVC angle of 70° crack angle after bottom dead center improves volumetric efficiency and brake power, and reduces considerably soot, NOx, and brake‐specific fuel consumption, while CO emission is increased slightly. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1430–1440, 2016
Bag of visual words based machine learning framework for disbond characterisation in composite sandwich structures using guided waves

This paper presents a machine learning framework that uses the bag of visual words (BOVW) for structural health monitoring (SHM) of a composite sandwich structure (CSS) using ultrasonic guided wave (GW) signals. Towards this, experimental analysis of GW propagation in CSS has been carried out for the healthy-state and multiple skin-to-core disbond cases. The registered time-domain signals from the assigned piezoelectric transducer networks on the CSS are converted to time-frequency scalograms by performing a continuous wavelet transform. Eventually, a BOVW based machine learning framework is proposed that uses the speeded-up-robust features for the features extraction and support vector machine for classification of CSSs with and without skin-to-core disbond. The proposed machine learning framework shows its SHM potential to characterise the CSS for healthy and disbond conditions (different locations) with high validation and test accuracy for an unseen dataset. A series of parametric studies are also carried out to analyse the influence of different grid sizes and polynomial order for the proposed framework.
Characterization of Thermostable Amylase From Halophilic Lactobacillus Plantarum TS1

Amylase is an important enzyme use extensively in various industrial processes. It is mainly involved in the catalysis of starch that requires harsh conditions; therefore, it is required to isolate amylases with unique properties that makes it more applicable. Extremophiles are the major resource of such enzymes; therefore, amylase positive strains were isolated from the saline soil where the temperature is also exceptionally high. Five amylase positive strains were isolated from the Karak salt range, Kohat Pakistan and were identified by phylogenetic analysis. DNS based assay was employed to compare the activities of different amylases obtained from five strains while using the starch as a substrate. The amylase obtained from Lactobacillus plantarum TS1 was found to be more efficient, which was purified and characterized. The SDS-PAGE of purified amylase showed a single band with an estimated size of 10 kDa. The kinetic parameters were measured at two temperatures i.e. at 37 °C and 50 °C. The Kcat as well as the Kcat/KM were found to be high when temperature increased from 37 °C to 50 °C. Amylase was active at wide range of temperature as well as pH and work efficiently in the presence of salts and various organic solvents.
A Framework for Identification of Stable Genotypes Basedon MTSI and MGDII Indexes: An Example in Guar (Cymopsis tetragonoloba L.)

Guar, the most popular vegetable, is tolerant of drought and is a valuable industrial crop enormously grown across India, Pakistan, USA, and South Africa for pharmaceutically and cosmetically usable galactomannan (gum) content present in seed endosperm. Guar genotypes with productive traits which could perform better in differential environmental conditions are of utmost priority for genotype selection. This could be achieved by employing multivariate trait analysis. In this context, Multi-Trait Stability Index (MTSI) and Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) were employed for identifying high-performing genotypes exhibiting multiple traits. In the current investigation, 85 guar accessions growing in different seasons were assessed for 15 morphological traits. The results obtained by MTSI and MGIDI indexes revealed that, out of 85, only 13 genotypes performed better across and within the seasons, and, based on the coincidence index, only three genotypes (IC-415106, IC-420320, and IC-402301) were found stable with high seed production in multi-environmental conditions. View on strengths and weakness as described by the MGIDI reveals that breeders concentrated on developing genotype with desired traits, such as quality of the gum and seed yield. The strength of the ideal genotypes in the present work is mainly focused on high gum content, short crop cycle, and high seed yield possessing good biochemical traits. Thus, MTSI and MGIDI serve as a novel tool for desired genotype selection process simultaneously in plant breeding programs across multi-environments due to uniqueness and ease in interpreting data with minimal multicollinearity issues.
The Potential for Low‐Grade Metamorphism to Facilitate Fault Instability in a Geothermal Reservoir

Native and fluid circulation‐induced metamorphic products may affect the stability of faults in geothermal reservoirs–particularly epidote (Ep) and chlorite (Cl). Our laboratory experiments conducted at hydrothermal conditions show that these two minerals, when precipitated on natural faults, may promote fault instability or failure under conditions typifying a geothermal reservoir. Shear experiments on Ep‐rich fault gouges indicate potentially unstable frictional behavior—more pronounced at elevated temperatures and pore fluid pressures—and indicate increased potential for the nucleation of slip instability relative to that of the host granodiorite gouge. Experimental results indicate in particular that Ep can increase the potential for induced seismicity on existing faults. Increased proportions of Cl in gouges stabilize the faults but apparently lower the frictional strength. Our results reveal that the metamorphic minerals exert a subtle but potentially significant control on fault strength and stability in geothermal reservoirs.
2 × 2 Textile Rectenna Array with Electromagnetically Coupled Microstrip Patch Antennas in the 2.4 GHz WiFi Band

The development of e-textiles is fostering research in wireless energy transmission. This paper presents a purely textile 2.4 GHz WiFi band 2 × 2 rectenna array for RF energy harvesting. It utilizes the electromagnetically coupled microstrip patch antenna topology and a simple and precise construction method that provides a good performance repeatability to create multilayer microstrip textile patch antennas. The rectifier is implemented with Schottky diodes and it takes the voltage doubling configuration. An average DC power of 1,1 mW was measured for 14 μW/cm2 of RF input power density, while the end-to-end average power conversion efficiency (PCE) measured was 31%. The characterization of the end-to-end PCE was evaluated considering the physical size of the prototype to make the comparison with other designs easier. Measurements in a real WiFi scenario were also performed, demonstrating its feasibility for feeding e-textiles.
Situating the Efficacy of Certificate Course in Social Work: A Case of First-Ever Course in Bhutan

Purpose: With the transition of political, economic, and social scenario in Bhutan, the civil society organizations (CSOs) have been expanding over the years. However, a paucity of trained social workers in Bhutan has compelled the CSOs to recruit employees with varying degrees. Considering such situation, this study was designed to understand the efficacy of Bhutan’s first-ever certificate course in social work offered by Samtse College of Education from the vantage point of the participants. Method: It adopted a convergent parallel mixed-method design, primarily employing questionnaires and semistructured individual interviews. Results: The study found the certificate course to be highly effective in enhancing the professional competence of the social workers in Bhutan. Discussion: The study supports the need to provide similar courses to hundreds of untrained social workers in Bhutan who are aspiring to upgrade their professional competence.
Extremely Halophilic Biohydrogen Producing Microbial Communities from High-Salinity Soil and Salt Evaporation Pond

Extreme halophiles offer the advantage to save on the costs of sterilization and water for biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic waste after the pretreatment process with their ability to withstand extreme salt concentrations. This study identifies the dominant hydrogen-producing genera and species among the acclimatized, extremely halotolerant microbial communities taken from two salt-damaged soil locations in Khon Kaen and one location from the salt evaporation pond in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. The microbial communities’ V3–V4 regions of 16srRNA were analyzed using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. A total of 345 operational taxonomic units were obtained and the high-throughput sequencing confirmed that Firmicutes was the dominant phyla of the three communities. Halanaerobium fermentans and Halanaerobacter lacunarum were the dominant hydrogen-producing species of the communities. Spatial proximity was not found to be a determining factor for similarities between these extremely halophilic microbial communities. Through the study of the microbial communities, strategies can be developed to increase biohydrogen molar yield.
Embodied gesture interaction for immersive maps

ABSTRACT With the increasing availability of head-mounted displays for virtual reality and augmented reality, we can create immersive maps in which the user is closer to the data. Embodiment is a key concept, allowing the user to act upon virtual objects in an immersive environment. Our work explores the use of embodied interaction for immersive maps. We propose four design considerations for embodied maps and embodied gesture interaction with immersive maps: object presence, consistent physics, human body skills, and direct manipulation. We present an example of an immersive flow map with a series of novel embodied gesture interactions, which adhere to the proposed design considerations. The embodied interactions allow users to directly manipulate immersive flow maps and explore origin-destination flow data in novel ways. Authors of immersive maps can use the four proposed design considerations for creating embodied gesture interactions. The discussed example interactions apply to diverse types of immersive maps and will hopefully incite others to invent more embodied interactions for immersive maps.
A dye-like ligand-based metal–organic framework for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production from aqueous solution

A dye-like azo-carboxylic acid was chosen as an organic linker to construct a Gd3+ based metal–organic framework: [Gd2(abtc)(H2O)2(OH)2]·2H2O (Gd-MOF) (H4abtc = 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzene tetracarboxylic acid). The ultra-stable Gd-MOF possesses a HOMO–LUMO gap of 2.35 eV determined by UV-vis spectroscopy with an absorption edge at 530 nm, which presents effective photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution under UV-vis light illumination due to the porous structure and excellent light absorption of the dye-like ligand. To further enhance the photocatalytic activity, different amounts of Ag (1.0–2.0%) were deposited on Gd-MOF as a co-catalyst. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) clearly indicate that the reaction proceeds through the electron transfer from Gd-MOF to the deposited Ag. Especially, Ag(1.5)/Gd-MOF exhibits significant improvement in the hydrogen evolution rate, which is about 1.5 times greater compared to that of bare Gd-MOF.
Metal‐organic framework‐based biomaterials for biomedical applications

Key‐Area Research and Development Programme of Guang Dong Province, Grant/Award Number: 2019B010941002; NSFC, Grant/Award Numbers: 82072071, 82072073; National Key Research and Development Programme of China, Grant/Award Number: 2016YFB0700800; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Grant/Award Number: 2682020ZT79; Sichuan Science and Technology Programme, Grant/Award Number: 2020YJ0009 Abstract Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) refer to porous coordination materials that are formed from the assembly of metal ions and organic ligands. They have unique features, such as a large specific surface area, multiple active sites, easy functionalisation, and adjustable biocompatibility. MOFs have recently been widely used in the field of biomedical engineering owing to their unique structures and properties. This has enabled them to replace traditional materials and effectively address several problems. Through continuous development, MOF‐based biomaterials have been remarkably improved by clarifying the relationship between MOF structures and properties. As a result, they are being extensively studied in the fields of chemical and material science. MOF‐based biomaterials can meet the growing demands for efficient materials in biomedical applications. This review first discusses the basic structure of MOFs, followed by their preparation and functionalisation methods. The biomedical applications of MOF‐based biomaterials in the fields of antibacterial activity, tumour therapy, skin repair, and bone repair are then summarised. Finally, challenges and future perspectives in the biomedical applications of MOF‐based biomaterials are outlined.