Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the Adsorption of Methyl Red by Bentonite / Chitosan Composites

A composite material is formed by using chitosan and bentonite under the condition of dissolution with acetic acid. The material was characterized by scanning electron microscope thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The effects of initial concentration of methyl red, adsorption time, pH, and amount of adsorbent on adsorption were investigated. Then, the adsorption process was analyzed from kinetics, and related parameters were calculated. The results showed that the composite material has a wider pH range than using chitosan as an adsorbent to adsorb methyl red; The mass ratio of chitosan to bentonite is 0.08:1, the removal rate of methyl red is the best; The amount of adsorbent used is 0.7mg to reach saturation for a volume of 25mL of methyl red solution with a concentration of 20ug/l; the adsorption of methyl red by the material conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.
Do Preoperative and Postoperative Glenoid Retroversion Influence Outcomes After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty?

Background There are limited data on the effect of glenoid retroversion in clinical outcomes following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate if surgical correction of retroversion affects outcomes following RTSA. Methods An institutional database was utilized to identify 177 patients (mean age: 68.2 ± 10.1 years) with minimum 2-year follow-up after primary RTSA. Glenoid version was measured on preoperative and postoperative radiographs. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores and range of motion were collected before and after RTSA. Change in retroversion was determined by comparing preoperative and postoperative glenoid retroversion on radiographs using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to investigate relationships between ASES scores and glenoid retroversion. Results The mean postoperative ASES composite score (75.5 ± 22.7) was significantly higher than preoperative (36.8 ± 19.2; P < .0001). The mean preoperative glenoid retroversion was 9.1 ± 6.7° compared to 6.5 ± 5.1° postoperatively (P < .0001). There was no correlation between postoperative ASES scores and preoperative retroversion (r = .014, P = .85) or postoperative retroversion (r = −.043, P = .57). There was no statistical relationship between postoperative retroversion and range of motion, though there is a risk of inadequate power given the sample size. Conclusions Patient-reported outcomes and range of motion measurements following RTSA at short-term follow-up appear to be independent of either preoperative or postoperative glenoid retroversion.
Ancient narrative and modern promise: the political arguments for the value of the humanities in Lithuania

Editor’s Note: This essay, while focusing on contemporary Lithuania, raises issues that are of perennial import to the academic study of the humanities in modern nation states, particularly the ‘national’ disciplines of history, language, and literature. There is a constant tension between the scholar’s desire for the freedom of academic inquiry, and the desire of state, which often pays the scholar’s wages, that the scholar produce research that is ‘useful’, especially findings that can be used to legitimize a particular political course of action. In this way, the Law on the creation of the Historical Institute of Latvia in 1936 stated that the purpose of this new research institution was to study and explain historical phenomena in the ‘spirit of nationalism and truth’ (‘nacionālisma un patiesības garā’) – in that order of precedence. This directive reflected the politics of the authoritarian regime of Kārlis Ulmanis at the time. Similarly today, is not uncommon for the various state funding bodies and central research councils to earmark significant resources for research programs conforming to the political agendas of the parties currently in control of the relevant ministries. This problem is by no means exclusive to Lithuania, or even the Baltic states. But, as the authors here ask, using Lithuania as an illustrative example, what is the cost of subordinating the freedom of scholarly inquiry in the humanities to a narrow, politicized view of what the product of research should be?
The Price of Collaboration: How Authoritarian States Retain Control

How does access to foreign or independent media affect the operation of a state security apparatus? This article answers this question concentrating on two characteristics of the informant network of the East German Stasi: the number of informants and their “price. ” Exposure to West German TV (WGTV) had the potential to decrease the supply of informants and increase the demand for them, pushing up the value of the payments the informants received, but leaving their quantity theoretically ambiguous. I verify this reasoning using a rare original data set of Stasi informants. Results show that informants were given approximately 70 East German marks worth of rewards more per year in the areas that had access to WGTV, as compared with areas with no reception—ironically an amount roughly equivalent to the cost of an annual East German TV subscription. These findings demonstrate how an authoritarian state can counteract the potentially destabilizing effect of foreign media.
Underwater but not out of sight: genetic monitoring of effective population size in the endangered North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrhynchus)

We analysed 12 microsatellite DNA loci in temporal samples (1980, 1994, and 2002) from the only remaining indigenous population of the North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrhynchus) in the Vidaa River, Denmark. Using a novel temporal method, we estimated effective population size (Ne) to be 577.4 (90% highest posterior density limits 297.23719.8). The same method was used to estimate Ne at the beginning and end of the sampled time interval, and the results were indicative of a relatively stable population. In contrast, tests for recent bottlenecks suggested population declines in the 1980 and 1994 samples, possibly reflecting declines prior to 1980 in the total North Sea houting population. To evaluate the usefulness of the two methods for routine genetic monitoring, we simulated population declines corresponding to reproduction by only 20 or 50 parents in 2002. For both simulated samples, the temporal method provided evidence for a population decline, whereas the test for bottlenecks did not suggest populati.
Modelling Internal Tides in the Strait of Canso

ABSTRACT A three-dimensional regional circulation model is used to investigate the internal M2 tide structure in the Strait of Canso located in eastern Nova Scotia, Canada. The embayment, an active shipping port, was found to have M2 baroclinic velocities occasionally reaching 0.15 m s−1 and typically faster than the barotropic tide. An internal tide spatial structure develops, characterized by the first vertical mode, and highly sensitive to the details of stratification. A region near the mouth of the Strait, with a strong cross-bathymetry barotropic flow was identified as the main generating site. The regular “canyon-like” features of the Strait concentrate the energy towards the bottom and head and, under favourable conditions, reflect energy from the head, forming a standing wave. The modelling study found that, although some internal tide is generated year-round, only summer stratification conditions were favourable for standing wave development because of both increased internal energy levels and longer wavelengths capable of transporting the energy farther up the Strait. A balanced internal energy budget for the area highlights a tendency towards local dissipation and enhanced mixing rates. Persistent convection cells and upwelling zones suggest possible impacts on biological activity, sediment, and oil spill dynamics in the region. The findings are validated with current meter and water level observations.
Blocked and Methylated 5′‐Terminal Cap Structures of Rat Brain Messenger Ribonucleic Acids

Abstract: The presence and identity of 5′‐terminal cap structures in rat brain polysomal mRNA were investigated by radiolabeling the mRNA by periodate oxidation and [3H]sodium borohydride reduction or by β‐elimination of 5′‐terminal nucleoside and incorporation of 32P in the presence of polynucleotide kinase. The labeled mRNAs were digested with nucleases and the cap structures were isolated and identified by chromatographic and electrophoretic procedures. The results showed that rat brain mRNAs contained cap 1 and cap 2 structures and no caps of the zero type. The proportion of cap 2 was higher than that of cap 1. Both caps had 7‐methylguanosine (m7G) as the 5′‐terminal nucleoside, which was linked to the next nucleoside by an inverted triphosphate bridge, as in other eukaryotic mRNAs. The most prominent nucleoside in the 5′‐penultimate position was 6‐methyl‐2′‐O‐methyiadenosine [m6A(m)] followed by 2′‐O‐methyladenosine [A(m)], which together contributed to nearly 70% of both cap 1 and cap 2 structures. 2′‐O‐Methylguanosine [G(m)] accounted for approximately 18%, the rest being made up of 2′‐O‐methyl‐cytidine [C(m)] and 2′‐O‐methyluridine [U(m)].
Podocarp Roots, Mycorrhizas, and Nodules

Podocarps are often found on low-nutrient soils and further exacerbate nutrient limitation through the production of recalcitrant litter. Understanding podocarp ecology therefore depends on understanding the root adaptations of podocarps to obtain nutrients. The roots of podocarps are heterorhizic (having two root forms) with abundant spherical determinate short roots, a unique form of largely unknown function, as well as indeterminate fine roots. There is no strong evidence for nitrogen fixation in the nodules. Although nodules are frequently and abundantly colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, they are neither required for mycorrhizal infection nor dependent on mycorrhizal infection for their development. The fungal symbiont community associated with podocarps does not appear to be distinctive from that of other plants at a global scale, although it may differ from co-occurring plants within a site. Perhaps the most obvious, yet largely overlooked, hypothesis is that the form of the nodules is the function. The presence of nodules permits a doubling of root cortex volume, while simple geometry indicates that a spherical form involves the lowest possible cost in producing cell wall and membrane material per unit of root volume. Increased root volume permits greater arbuscular mycorrhizal interaction, and hence, nodules may be analogous to the determinate ectomycorrhizal roots of the Pinaceae as a structure to maximize fungal interactions at minimal root construction cost.
Feeding dairy calves and replacement heifers in South-western Sweden: a survey

Daily feed rations, their nutrient contents and live weight gains were recorded for calves and replacement heifers from birth to calving in 122 Swedish dairy herds. Preweaned calves were fed whole milk (45% of the herds), milk replacer alone or milk replacer combined with whole milk. Calf starters were the most frequently used concentrates for preweaned calves, whereas grain dominated for weaned calves and heifers. Grain was supplemented with protein concentrates until 6 months of age and at calving. Grass/clover hay was the dominant forage for preweaned calves, whereas grass/clover silage alone or in combination with hay was the most common forage for calves and replacement heifers from 6 months of age. Heifers grazed semi-natural grasslands, leys or a combination of semi-natural grasslands and leys in 33, 15 and 52% of the herds, respectively. According to Swedish recommendations, calves in a majority of the herds were fed too low concentrations of crude protein from weaning to 6 months of age and calves were fed too low a metabolizable energy content inadequate for a daily weight gain of 700 g at weaning. Median live weight gain from birth to calving was only 567 g per day. Correct feed ration formulations and strategic grazing management could be means to increase weight gain and hence to decrease rearing costs of calves and replacement heifers in Swedish dairy herds.
Intrinsic quantum anomalous Hall phase induced by proximity in the van der Waals heterostructure germanene/
Cr2Ge2Te6

A van der Waals heterostructure combined with intrinsic magnetism and topological orders have recently paved attractive avenues to realize quantum anomalous Hall effects. In this work, using first-principles calculations and effective model analysis, we propose that the robust quantum anomalous Hall states with sizable band gaps emerge in the van der Waals heterostructure of germanene/Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$. This heterostructure possesses high thermodynamic stability, thus facilitating its experimental fabrication. Furthermore, we uncover that the proximity effect enhances the coupling between the germanene and Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$ layers, inducing the nontrivial band gaps in a wide range from 29 meV to 72 meV. The chiral edge states inside the band gap, leading to Hall conductance quantized to $-e^2/h$, are clearly visible. This findings provide an ideal candidate to detect the quantum anomalous Hall states and realize further applications to nontrivial quantum transport at a high temperature.
Guaranteeing differential privacy for sequence predictions in bike sharing systems

Being part of public transportations, the bike sharing system plays an important role in solving the “last mile” problem. With more advantages than traditional bike sharing systems relying on fixed docks, dockless bike sharing systems are rapidly expanding, which generally operated under cloud‐based architectures. Emerging Things‐Edge‐Cloud (TEC) architectures are showing many advantages than cloud‐based architectures including greater potential in reducing risks of privacy leakage due to their decentralized computing manners. However, even in the TEC architecture, differential attacks, which aims to mine information of individuals in the aggregated data, still cause major threats. To solve this problem, this article proposes a novel encoding and decoding framework within the TEC architecture for time series predictions in bike sharing systems, with considerations of guaranteeing differential privacy. In particular, we first construct a dynamic autoencoder based on the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network, then the collected raw temporal data are encoded into a hidden state in the edge end. In the cloud end, the trained output weights are used to reconstruct the current time series and predict the next‐period time series according to received hidden states. This framework not only improves the computation efficiency of bike sharing system by leveraging computing power at the node end but also provides safer data publications that meet the differential privacy requirements. Experiments are conducted on real‐world datasets, results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in providing data services with both high utility in sequence predictions and high safety level for users' privacy.
Microbial diversity and multidimensional interactions in the rice ecosystem

The sustainability of rice production systems globally is intricately related to the chemistry, physics and biology of rice soils – with basic properties differing considerably in wet/dry land soils, tropical/temperate areas or even with the soil surface or rhizosphere niche of the field. Rice fields represent unique aqua-terrestrial ecosystems in which the tremendous diversity of soil microbes, soil fauna and plants – ranging in function from nitrogen fixers, nitrifiers, methanogens, methane oxidizers, phosphate-dissolving microbes, sulfur oxidizers to catabolizers of pesticides is observed. This diversity is inclusive of bacteria, cyanobacteria, archaea, planctomycetes and β-proteobacteria, besides the increasing members of endophytes associated. The complexity and dynamic nature of this ecosystem requires in-depth investigations of the tripartite interactions among plants, microbes and the soil–water environment. This needs to be complemented with studies on the ecological compartmentalization due to diffusion gradients of nutrients and gases, which is of extreme significance in the current scenario of problems associated with greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural areas, especially rice paddies. This article provides an overview of the interactions between the microflora and crop, with emphasis on nutrient transformations in the rhizosphere, so as to develop effective and efficient environmentally sustainable strategies for this crop.
Limnology of the Green Lakes Valley: phytoplankton ecology and dissolved organic matter biogeochemistry at a long-term ecological research site

ABSTRACT Background: Surface waters are the lowest points in the landscape, and therefore serve as excellent integrators and indicators of changes taking place in the surrounding terrestrial and atmospheric environment. Aims: Here we synthesise the findings of limnological studies conducted during the past 15 years in streams and lakes in the Green Lakes Valley, which is part of the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Site. Methods: The importance of these studies is discussed in the context of aquatic ecosystems as indicators, integrators, and regulators of environmental change. Specifically, investigations into climatic, hydrologic, and nutrient controls on present-day phytoplankton, and historical diatom, community composition in the alpine lake, Green Lake 4, are reviewed. In addition, studies of spatial and temporal patterns in dissolved organic matter (DOM) biogeochemistry and reactive transport modelling that have taken place in the Green Lakes Valley are highlighted. Results and conclusions: The findings of these studies identify specific shifts in algal community composition and DOM biogeochemistry that are indicative of changing environmental conditions and provide a framework for detecting future environmental change in the Green Lakes Valley and in other alpine watersheds. Moreover, the studies summarised here demonstrate the importance of long-term monitoring programmes such as the LTER programme.
A new species of Brachydontium (Musci : Seligeriaceae) from Honduras

Brachydontium olsonii, a new species from Honduras, differs from all other species of the genus by its shorter setae, longer, broader, and smooth capsules, and its leaves that have narrowly recurved margins and obtuse apices. Gametophytically the species appears closest to the Australian B. intermedium. Sporophytically the species is most similar to the South American- African B. flexisetum and the Mexican B. curvisetum. The type collection appears to have been collected on bark. It may, however, represent a mixed gathering; thus the substrate on which the species was found needs verification.
Are We There Yet? An Anticipation Account of the Return Trip Effect

Research has documented the psychological phenomenon in which the trip back from a destination is experienced as shorter than the trip to the destination. Deemed the “return trip effect” (RTE), prior work explained this phenomenon in terms of differential familiarity between home and outbound destination or an underestimation of initial travel time. The present article posits an anticipation account for the RTE: Outbound trips to a destination tend to foster higher levels of anticipation than return trips. Due to greater anticipation, people’s perception of time elongates. Importantly, the anticipation account makes novel predictions with regard to the occurrence of the RTE that cannot be accounted for by prior explanations. Multiple studies, with diverse methodologies, test and offer evidence in support of an anticipation account of the RTE.
A critical evaluation of the Oscillayers methods and datasets

Here we evaluate Oscillayers, a new method that aims to estimate palaeoclimates for the past 5.4 Myr, and discuss the associated theoretical and methodological issues. We show that the theoretical foundation of Oscillayers is inherently limited, because the method cannot incorporate spatio‐temporal variation and different forcing mechanisms into climate reconstructions. In addition, several methodological weaknesses are clarified that entrench the palaeoclimatic reconstruction of Oscillayers to patterns of climate change observed between the Last Glacial Maximum and current climates. We test the utility of the Oscillayers method to produce palaeoclimatic reconstructions that are similar to general circulation model (GCM)‐based estimates. On average, only 55.6% of values in the mean annual temperature datasets across the Pliocene and Pleistocene were within ±3°C when compared with correspondi ng GCM‐based datasets. Furthermore, on average only 75.3% of values in the mean annual precipitation datasets across the Pliocene and Pleistocene were within ±200 mm of rainfall of the GCM‐ based estimates. Our results demonstrate that the Oscillayers approach does not provide a robust approximation of palaeoclimatic conditions throughout the Plio‐Pleistocene. Thus, when these datasets are used for scientific analyses, the results should be interpreted with a full appreciation of their limitations, particularly for periods outside the last glacial cycle.
ReSt Module Using a Four-Steps Approach Based on Case Study Example and Infographic for SPPS Novice Users: Design and Development

Using software packages to analyse quantitative data, such as SPSS, appears to be challenging amidst unskilled novice users. Studies have shown that example-based learning is an easy-to-understand method for novice, while infographic display is an effective strategy to aid the learning processes. As a result, a module with four-step approach based on case study examples and infographic called ‘ReSt’ (Research and Statistics) was developed, mainly to assist novice users in analysing quantitative data using SPSS within the actual research context. The ADWa model (amalgamation of ADDIE and Waterfall Model) was incorporated as an instructional design model for the ReSt module. The four-step approach is an innovation that depicts the flow of research process. The example-based learning was integrated into ReSt module to facilitate users in relevant information-seeking processes and to help them to concentrate on studying the problem-solving steps provided. The display of infographic information allows difficult information to be processed in a simple form to enhance the learning process. In fact, the cognitive load theory is the main foundation of the ReSt module design. It is hoped that the ReSt module would be able to serve its purpose in guiding novice users to learn quantitative data analysis using SPSS by enhancing their skills. Keywords: PSS; novice; cognitive load theory; example-based learning; infographic
A minimal human immunostimulatory CpG motif that potently induces IFN‐γ and IFN‐α production

Recent reports have shown that immunostimulatory sequences (ISS) containing CpG motifs have minimal length requirements (≥12 bases) for the exertion of immune‐enhancing function upon mammalian cells. Herein we demonstrate that short ISS (5–7 bases), which exhibit no activity on their own, induce IFN‐γ and IFN‐α secretion from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells when adsorbed to the surface of cationic poly(D,L‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) microparticles (cPLGA). Utilizing this technique, we discovered a minimal ISS sequence for induction of IFN‐γ and IFN‐α from human cells: 5′‐TCGXX‐3′. These short ISS/cPLGA formulations targeted PDC in similar fashion to longer ISS ODN, the activity of which does not require (but is enhanced by) cPLGA. PDC stimulated with short ISS/cPLGA responded with enhanced uptake of ISS and elevated production of cytokines, including IFN‐α. However, ISS‐responsive B cells did not respond to short ISS/cPLGA, underlining the plasmacytoid dendritic cell selectivity of this formulation. These results describe a novel technique for formulating active, but very short, ISS oligodeoxynucleotide that allows for the dissection and characterization of minimal immunostimulatory CpG motifs.