Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of sulfuric acid pretreatment and liquid acids precipitation on the structure of fulvic acid extracted from peat

Abstract To achieve high-value utilization of peat, the process of coupling methane fermentation and extraction of fulvic acid was explored and the effects of sulfuric acid pretreatment before methane fermentation and different liquid acid precipitation on the spectral characteristic of fulvic acid was studied. The fulvic acid precipitated by nitric acid has a high content and a high degree of aromatization. The highest yield of fulvic acid samples is precipitated by phosphoric acid. The fulvic acid extracted from the residues after sulfuric acid pretreatment methane fermentation descends of yield while content increase. Meanwhile, methane fermentation would consume methyl, hydroxyl, and carboxyl groups without benzene rings consumed. In addition, sulfuric acid pretreatment would promote this process and consume more functional groups to produce more methane. The research results show that coupling methane fermentation of peat and extraction of fulvic acid is feasible, and the sulfuric acid pretreatment has a significant effect to fulvic acid. To sum up, sulfuric acid pretreatment would promote methane fermentation process and degrade more fulvic acid.
Spatial distribution of lake trout (
 Salvelinus namaycush
 ) across seasonal thermal cycles in a large lake

1. Animal movements are influenced by the environment they inhabit and the need to maximise fitness and minimise cost. As such, seasonal thermal cycles in temperate lakes play an important role in the selection of habitat by species. Lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) is a native top predator in the Laurentian Great Lakes and currently under rehabilitation in Lake Ontario. This cold, deep-water species is known to migrate to shallower depths in the autumn to spawn, but their spatial and seasonal distribution have not been examined in detail. 2. We quantified the residency and home ranges of 24 lake trout in eastern Lake Ontario across a full year (1 May 2017 to 30 April 2018) using acoustic telemetry to assess the influence of seasonal thermal cycles. Specifically, we used three thermal logging stations in the eastern basin, 164 acoustic receivers, and a total of over 1,000,000 detections to describe seasonal distribution. We also documented occurrences of long-distance movements (via 130 acoustic receivers located in the western basin of Lake Ontario), and thus the potential spatial overlap of populations from the eastern and western basins
Arachidonic acid inhibits the production of angiotensin-converting enzyme in human primary adipocytes via a NF-κB-dependent pathway

Background The modulating mechanism of fatty acids on angiotensin-converting enzyme production (ACE) in human adipocytes is still elusive. Diet-induced regulation of the renin angiotensin system is thought to be involved in obesity and hypertension, and several previous studies have used mouse cell lines such as 3T3-L1 to investigate this. This study was carried out in human subcutaneous adipocytes for better understanding of the mechanism. Methods Human adipose stem cells were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies collected from four patients during bariatric surgery and differentiated into mature adipocytes. The mRNA expression and the activity of ACE were measured under different stimuli in cell cultures. Results Arachidonic acid (AA) decreased ACE mRNA expression and ACE activity in a dose-dependent manner while palmitic acid had no effect. The decrease of ACE by 100 µM AA was reversed by the addition of 5 µM nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor. Furthermore, when the production of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, a metabolite of AA, was stopped by the specific inhibitor HET0016 (10 µM) in the culture media, the effect of AA was blocked. Conclusions This study indicated that AA can decrease the expression and activity of ACE in cultured human adipocytes, via an inflammatory NF-κB-dependent pathway. Blocking 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid attenuated the ACE-decreasing effects of AA.
Insurance Coverage, Provider Contact, and Take-Up of the HPV Vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and the single biggest cause of cervical cancer, as well as certain cancers of the head and throat, anus, vulva, vagina, and penis. Between 2008 and 2012 nearly 40,000 people annually were diagnosed with an HPV-related cancer. Despite these staggering numbers and the existence of a highly effective vaccine, HPV vaccination rates remain low. In this paper, I show that state Medicaid expansions as part of the Affordable Care Act were associated with a 3–4 percentage point increase in the probability that a teenager initiated the HPV vaccine. This relationship appears to have been driven in part by increases in Medicaid coverage, the probability of having a recent checkup, and knowledge about the HPV vaccine. Supporting this pathway, I show that Medicaid expansion states saw increased searches for “pediatrician,” “Gardasil” (a trade name of the HPV vaccine), and “HPV cancer. ”
Software‐defined networking security for private data center networks and clouds: Vulnerabilities, attacks, countermeasures, and solutions

Software‐defined networking (SDN) is an agile, modern networking approach that facilitates innovations in the networking paradigm. The abstracted and centralized network operating system facilitates the network management and reduces operational expenditure (OPEX). The open nature and simplicity of the data‐forwarding plane dramatically reduces capital expenditure (CAPEX) by leveraging commodity servers and switches. SDN also lends itself very well to address major cloud computing issues and complement cloud services, especially in terms of network virtualization and networking as a service (NaaS). As a new technology, SDN does involve certain security challenges, which include distributed denial of service (DDoS) threats, build and run time injected malware, insider (tenant) attacks, and security holes resulting from controller misconfigurations. These are severe threats that can cripple an entire network. It is crucial to address the SDN vulnerabilities to ensure its successful deployment in private data center networks, on cloud platforms and beyond. Some security solutions leverage the built‐in features of SDN, such as its controller software component, while other solutions provide external SDN applications running above the controller. This study reviews the security solutions for the vulnerabilities of state‐of‐the‐art SDN controllers and the available countermeasures. Furthermore, an in‐depth analysis of the SDN features that support security is presented, and some unresolved research issues on SDN controllers are identified.
Quantifying the rise of vaccine opposition on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to global health and there is currently an unprecedented research effort to deliver an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Yet an increasingly vocal movement has the potential to erode support in vaccination. This study examined shifts in vaccine opposition on Twitter. Methods A search query collected publicly available Twitter posts related to vaccine opposition and posts were categorized into themes. Coders compared conversation during the four months before COVID-19 spread in the United States (10/15/2019 to 2/14/2020) to four subsequent months (2/15/2020 to 6/14/2020) of community spread. Results Across time periods, vaccine opposition on Twitter increased by 80%. Twelve conversation themes were identified and tracked across time periods, with increases observed in percentage of conversation about COVID-19, federal health authorities, vaccine ingredients, and research/ clinical trials. Conclusions This study quantified the increase in vaccine opposition on Twitter and suggests that vaccine opponents are fomenting opposition toward a COVID-19 vaccine and encouraging mistrust in health authorities. Vaccine beliefs are a spectrum, with support and opposition existing as a range. Exposure to these increased amounts of vaccine opposition may encourage those who are vaccine hesitant or have questions about vaccines to move toward opposition, which could have drastic health impacts at a population level for decades to come. To ensure the widest support for a COVID-19 vaccine, it is important to identify and address the messages used by vaccine opponents.
Intermediate Band Studies of Substitutional V2+, Cr2+, and Mn2+ Defects in ZnTe Alloys

We present first-principles total-energy density functional calculations to study the intermediate band states of substitutional V2+, Cr2+, and Mn2+ ions in ZnTe alloys. The intermediate band states of substitutional transition metal defects of TM2+xZn1−xTe (TM = V, Cr, Mn) alloys are examined as their atomic, structural, and electronic analysis. Our findings show that the scissor-corrected transitions due to Jahn-Teller effects lead to the wavelengths 2530 nm and 2695 nm in the emission spectra. Our findings agree with previously reported experimental results.
Nitroaromatics as High‐Energy Organic Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Alkali‐Ion (Li+, Na+, and K+) Batteries

Organic cathode materials with existing redox functionalities are attracting increasing attention for rechargeable alkali‐ion batteries due to their high theoretical gravimetric capacity, molecular diversity, and sustainability. However, they are still restricted in specific capacity and energy density. The discovery of new multielectron redox‐active functionalities that can impart significantly enhanced capacity and energy density is highly desired. Herein, a group of organic nitroaromatic compounds (p‐, o‐, and m‐dinitrobenzene (DNB)) is reported as novel high‐energy cathode materials for alkali‐ion batteries. For the first time, nitro groups in DNBs are found to undergo an electrochemically reversible two‐step two‐phase reaction at a voltage above 2 V, rendering a high theoretical capacity of 638 mAh g−1. A systematic study is undertaken to reveal the reaction mechanism and verify the redox reversibility. By confining the optimum p‐DNB within a microporous carbon nanosphere host, record‐high reversible capacities of 620, 573, and 536 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 are achieved for lithium‐, sodium‐, and potassium‐ion batteries, respectively. Demonstrating nitro as a unique redox‐reversible functionality, this work opens a new direction in the development of novel high‐performance organic nitroaromatic cathode materials for next‐generation alkali‐ion batteries.
A The Tri-Border Area of Parana and COVID-19: A Tale Of Two Bridges in the South American Hinterland

During the COVID-19 lockdown, at night on the stretch of the Parana River that goes from the Ponte Internacional da Amizade (International Friendship Bridge) south to the geographic trifinium, where the river splits and three borders meet, the sound of outboard motors and gunfire has intensified. Seven-and-a-half miles (twelve kilometres) of border space separate Brazil from Paraguay in South America’s hinterland. Since 1965, the main transversal gates of a long-shared border of 848 miles (1,364 kilometres) are located on both sides of the Amizade Bridge. In 2020, during the pandemic, work on a second bridge, started the previous year, was intensified. This essay focuses on the study of the border space between both infrastructures: the old and the new.
Multi-objective ecological operation of cascade reservoirs based on MGCL-PSO algorithm

The reasonable utilization of river water resources requires the joint operation of cascade reservoirs. Aiming at power generation and ecological environment protection, taking the Qingjiang cascade reservoir group as the research object, a multi-objective optimization model for maximum power generation considering ecological base flow and minimum ecological flow changed is established. The results of the multi group cooperation operation particle swarm optimization (MGCL-PSO) model based on population cooperation show that the multi-objective of power generation and ecology can achieve a better balance by slightly reducing the power generation. Several schemes with good convergence are obtained from the calculation results, which provide a reference for the operation of cascade reservoirs.
Being on Land and Sea in Troubled Times: Climate Change and Food Sovereignty in Nunavut

Climate change driven food insecurity has emerged as a topic of special concern in the Canadian Arctic. Inuit communities in this region rely heavily on subsistence; however, access to traditional food sources may have been compromised due to climate change. Drawing from a total of 25 interviews among Inuit elders and experienced hunters from Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada, this research examines how climate change is impacting food sovereignty and health. Our results show that reports of food insecurity were more pronounced in Kugluktuk than Cambridge Bay. Participants in Kugluktuk consistently noted declining availability of preferred fish and game species (e.g., caribou, Arctic char), a decline in participation of sharing networks, and overall increased difficulty accessing traditional foods. Respondents in both communities presented a consistent picture of climate change compounding existing socio-economic (e.g., poverty, disconnect between elders and youth) and health stressors affecting multiple aspects of food sovereignty. This article presents a situated understanding of how climate change as well as other sociocultural factors are eroding food sovereignty at the community-scale in the Arctic. We argue that a communal focus is required to address resilience and adaptation at the local level through programs that protect the local cultural knowledge, traditional ways of life, and indigenous sovereignty to reduce the severities of food insecurity in the Arctic stemming from climate change.
Javanese Indonesia: Human Resource Management Issues in a Uniquely Collectivist Culture

This study examines the interaction of culture and personality on how Javanese Indonesians mould their commitment by displaying loyalty or neglect behaviours. The hypotheses are tested with Structural Equation Modelling in a sample of 250 government employees. Likeability is revealed as the unique trait of respondents - that they attempt to avoid conflict and maintain harmony. Improper cultural manage-ment practices result in employees continuing “business as usual”, but their productivity is extremely low.
Team Boundary Spanning in a Large Engineering Project

This paper reports on a qualitative study of how 12 work teams and a project-management team spanned their boundaries in a large engineering project. The study identified two types of boundary-spanning activities. Project-level managers carried out receptive activities in which they spanned boundaries vertically, adapted their management practices, and attuned themselves to the teams. Team-level managers’ activities, on the other hand, were reactive: they spanned boundaries vertically and horizontally when they needed to, and made informal connections to peer teams and project-level management. These findings underscore the important role of team boundary-spanning activities in the shape of subsequent inter-team interactions.
Photocatalytic Degradation of the Light Sensitive Organic Dyes: Methylene Blue and Rose Bengal by Using Urea Derived g-C3N4/ZnO Nanocomposites

In this study, we report the fabrication of graphitic carbon nitride doped zinc oxide nanocomposites, g-C3N4/ZnO, (Zn-Us) by using different amount of urea. They were further characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman, UV-vis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The prepared nanocomposites were used as photocatalysts for the mineralization of the light sensitive dyes Methylene Blue (MB) and Rose Bengal (RB) under UV light irradiation, and corresponding photo-mechanism was proposed. Benefiting from these photocatalytic characteristics, urea derived g-C3N4/ZnO photocatalysts have been found to have excellent photodegradation activity against the MB and RB for 6 h and 4 h, respectively. Under the given experimental conditions, the degradation percentage of fabricated Zn-Us were shown ~90% for both model dyes. Compared to cationic MB dye, anionic RB dye is more actively degraded on the surface of prepared photocatalysts. The results obtained can be effectively used for future practical applications in wastewater treatment
Metformin Reduces Histone H3K4me3 at the Promoter Regions of Positive Cell Cycle Regulatory Genes in Lung Cancer Cells

BackgroundThis study aimed at understanding the effect of metformin on histone H3 modifications at the promoters of cell cycle regulatory genes in lung cancer cells. MethodsHistone H3 modifications were analyzed using ChIP-seq, and changes in DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility were evaluated using the SureSelect Methyl-Seq Target Enrichment System and ATAC-seq, respectively. MLL2 overexpression was analyzed in tumor and matched normal tissues from 42 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. ResultsMetformin showed little effect on DNA methylation or chromatin accessibility at the promoter regions of cell cycle regulatory genes in lung cancer cells but significantly downregulated histone H3K4 methyltransferase MLL2 and reduced H3K4me3 levels at the promoters of positive cell cycle regulatory genes such as CDK1, CDK6, and E2F8. Eighty-eight genes involved in cell cycle showed reduced H3K4me3 levels in response to metformin, and 27% of them showed mRNA downregulation. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of MLL2 significantly reduced the H3K4me3 levels at the promoters of positive cell cycle regulatory genes. MLL2 overexpression was found in 14 (33%) of 42 NSCLC patients, with a higher prevalence in females (P = 0.04). A Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that recurrence-free survival of adenocarcinoma patients with MLL2 overexpression was approximately 1.32 (95% CI = 1.08–4.72; p = 0.02) times poorer than in those without it after adjusting for sex and pathologic stage. ConclusionsThe present study suggests that metformin might reduce H3K4me3 levels at the promoters of positive cell cycle regulatory genes through MLL2 downregulation in lung cancer cells. And, MLL2 may be a potential therapeutic target for reducing the recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma.
Automated Approach for Extraction of Retinal Blood Vessels

In the field of ophthalmology, retinal image analysis is crucial to extract many details that help doctors identifying retinal diseases at early stages, such details are the blood vessels, optic disk, and fovea. The exponential increase in number of diabetic retinopathy patients necessitates the use of computers to help doctors to diagnose and treat retinal diseases of the human eyes. Computer vision effectively helps doctors by analyzing and treating human retinas. In the field of ophthalmology, a color image (RGB image) of the eye fundus is captured by ophthalmoscopy. In this work, an automatic technique for extraction of human retinal blood vessels is proposed. The proposed method is based on three main stages, namely image pre-processing, initial segmentation of blood vessels and image post-processing. In the first stage, the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization is applied to the green component image to improve its contrast, and then it is remerged again with the red and blue components. In the second stage, the blood vessels are extracted using mean-C thresholding. Finally, in the third stage, many morphological operations are used to refine the segmented blood vessels image. The proposed method is validated using the expert ground truths with the DRIVE dataset in terms of pixels, and experimental results show sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value of 0.770816, 0.977575, 0.959993 and 0.7611835, respectively. The performance measures are compared with many recent related works and found to outperform most of them. The superior performance of this method proves that it is promising for mass screening of human fundus images.
A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Impacts of the Kids Read Now Summer Reading Program

Abstract Drawing on administrative data and reading achievement data provided by two Midwestern school districts for three schools, we analyze the literacy impacts of a replicable summer reading program, Kids Read Now. The program includes both school-based and home-based components that together encourage students to remain engaged in reading high-quality books over the summer months. We apply propensity score matching methods to match participating Kids Read Now students with similar comparison students. Our results suggest that Kids Read Now participants outperformed comparison group students, with a mean effect size of d = . 12. Additional model estimates of the impacts for those students who read more of the books provided by Kids Read Now revealed that those who received all 9 books realized an effect size of d = . 18 relative to the outcomes for matched comparison students. We discuss how these results might be considered in light of prior findings on summer learning.
The year-on-year analysis of the relationship between chief executive officer remuneration and state-owned company performance in South Africa

Orientation: Executive remuneration remains very much at the centre of academic and policy debates. There seems to be a lack of consensus on the origins of the substantial increase in executive remuneration. Research purpose: This study aimed to further explore the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) remuneration and state-owned company (SOC) performance by investigating the year-on-year behaviour of the relationship. The observed trends regarding the direction and strength of the relationship inform business and economic occurrences that provide an organisation with an in-depth understanding of the relationship. Motivation for the study: The rationale for this analysis was to broaden the understanding of the behaviour of the relationship over a period by studying the year-on-year correlation coefficients. Research approach/design and method: This quantitative, longitudinal study collected secondary data from the annual reports of 18 Schedule 2 SOCs over the period 2006 to 2014. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was the principal statistical technique utilised in the study. Main findings: Overall, the results revealed a fluctuation in the relationship between CEO remuneration and SOC performance with turnover having the most stable relationship with both fixed pay and total remuneration. Practical/managerial implications: The use of discretion in the determination of CEO remuneration within SOCs is likely to attract attention considering the fluctuating, sometimes volatile, relationship between the constructs. This will create the motivation for dynamic-policy frameworks to ensure consistency and fairness. Contribution/value add: The value of this research is that SOC remuneration committees now have empirical evidence of the importance that turnover plays as a performance measure.