Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methionine and Glycine Stabilize Mitochondrial Activity in Sake Yeast During Ethanol Fermentation

SUMMARY Addition of amino acids to fermentation media affects the growth and brewing profiles of yeast. In addition, retaining mitochondrial activity during fermentation is critical for the fermentation profiles of brewer’s yeasts. However, a concrete mechanism linking amino acids in fermentation media with mitochondrial activity during fermentation of brewer’s yeasts is yet unknown. Here, we report that amino acids in fermentation media, especially methionine (Met) and glycine (Gly), stabilize mitochondrial activity during fermentation of sake yeast. By utilizing atg32△ mutant sake yeast, which shows deteriorated mitochondrial activity, we screened candidate amino acids that strengthened the mitochondrial activity of sake yeast during fermentation. We identified Met and Gly as candidate amino acids that fortify mitochondrial activity in sake yeast during fermentation. To confirm this biochemically, we measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in sake yeast fermented with Met and Gly. Yeast cells supplemented with Met and Gly retained high ROS levels relative to the non-supplemented sake yeast. Moreover, Met-supplemented cells showed a metabolome distinct from that of non-supplemented cells. These results indicate that specific amino acids such as Met and Gly stabilize the mitochondrial activity of sake yeast during fermentation and thus manipulate brewing profiles of yeast.
Habitat use and feeding behaviour of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Vesterålen

A pilot project was carried out by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) to test the functionality of GPS phone tags (by SMRU) on harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Vesterålen archipelago, Norway. Acoustic surveys were performed to investigate the abundance of fish in these waters and scat sampling was used to assess the diet composition of the seal population inhabiting the area. Five juvenile females were tracked between August 2007 and March 2008 and their diving behaviour and habitat use was studied. The dive profiles recorded from the tags were classified in the attempt to identify the dives connected with feeding behaviour. The tagged seals foraged close to the coast and at relatively shallow depths (50% of the dives between 12-32 m) showing marked individual differences in the choice of feeding grounds. Analysis of scat sampling suggested that gadoids dominated the diet (62%) followed by herring (Clupea harengus) (35%). Comparison between the abundance of fish species in the study area and in the diet composition indicated that harbour seals have no prey preference. Harbour seals appeared to prey on small size classes of gadoids. Therefore fish size, rather than species, could be a potential selection criterion in foraging. The local abundance of fish in the area is likely to allow harbour seals to feed on what is available close to the haul out sites. Targeting of small size classes might therefore be a consequence of habitat selection based on accessibility rather than size selection.
The EU Institutional Reform Model and the Preferences of the Small Member States

The success of the proposed institutional reform of the EU is of particular importance in the nearest future, as setbacks to reforms may ultimately result in the loss of credibility of the EU as a whole in the international arena. However, the decision whether the existing ‘community model’ should be renewed or the federal or the stakeholder model should be preferred is rather complicated, as the visions and interests of the member states of the EU widely differ. The article analyses which of these models will be most achievable and most beneficial from the perspective of the small member state of the EU. The research indicated that the renewal of the existing community model seems to be the most rational choice both in terms of measurable quantitative and qualitative aspects from the small EU member state’s perspective. The renewal of the existing ‘community model’ is also most rational choice in terms of applicability.
First report of Tuber macrosporum occurrence in Poland

Tuber macrosporum, a large spore species is first time confirmed from Poland. It grows naturally in southern part of Poland, in calcareous soils. The fruit bodies of the species were found in mixed fresh forest with dominant tree species such as: Pinus sylvestris, Carpinus betulus and Quercus robur. The soil chemistry and texture of the site was analysed. Fruit body of the truffle is conserved in the collection of biological material in Ecology Department of Forest Research Institute herbarium.
A Norm Based Image Prior Combination in Multiframe Superresolution

We address the multiframe superresolution problem using the variational Bayesian method in this paper. In the variational Bayesian framework, the prior is crucial in transferring the ill-posed reconstruction problem to a well-posed one. We propose a prior combination method based on filter bank and norm. Multiple filters are used in our prior model, and the corresponding combination coefficient vector can be estimated by the characteristics of the filtered image and noise. Furthermore, the local adaptive coefficients of every filter are more effective in removing noise and preserving image edges. Extensive experiments demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method.
Probing dark energy with cluster counts and cosmic shear power spectra: including the full covariance

Several dark energy experiments are available from a single large-area imaging survey and may be combined to improve cosmological parameter constraints and/or test inherent systematics. Two promising experiments are cosmic shear power spectra and counts of galaxy clusters. However, the two experiments probe the same cosmic mass density field in large-scale structure, therefore the combination may be less powerful than first thought. We investigate the cross-covariance between the cosmic shear power spectra and the cluster counts based on the halo model approach, where the cross-covariance arises from the three-point correlations of the underlying mass density field. Fully taking into account the cross-covariance, as well as non-Gaussian errors on the lensing power spectrum covariance, we find a significant cross-correlation between the lensing power spectrum signals at multipoles l∼103 and the cluster counts containing halos with masses M≳1014 M⊙. Including the cross-covariance for the combined measurement degrades and in some cases improves the total signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios up to ∼±20% relative to when the two are independent. For cosmological parameter determination, the cross-covariance has a smaller effect as a result of working in a multi-dimensional parameter space, implying that the two observables can be considered independent to a good approximation. We also discuss the fact that cluster count experiments using lensing-selected mass peaks could be more complementary to cosmic shear tomography than mass-selected cluster counts of the corresponding mass threshold. Using lensing selected clusters with a realistic usable detection threshold ((S/N)cluster∼6 for a ground-based survey), the uncertainty on each dark energy parameter may be roughly halved by the combined experiments, relative to using the power spectra alone.
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF COPING RESOURCES ON PERCEIVED WELL-BEING: A STUDY OF EXECUTIVES AND SENIOR MANAGERS

The characteristics of the workplace environment have a significant impact on executive well-being and organisations benefit when executives cope effectively with the stressors in their work and private life. Many aspects of coping with stress have been studied, but few studies have focused on the coping resources of executives and senior managers. This study focused on the relationship between coping resources and level of well-being as a factor of stress mitigation among a target middle-aged group of Czech executives and senior leaders. Using data collected from 100 executives and senior managers in Prague, Czech Republic, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the variables related to executive coping resources and their combined effects on executive well-being. The analysis revealed that executives who made use of a mix of coping resources showed better well-being. Furthermore, cognitive, emotional, spiritual/philosophical, and physical coping resources were shown to be positively related to total well-being. However, social coping resources showed no direct association with executive well-being. The findings suggest that executives can benefit from a much more extensive combination of coping resources than initially expected to provide better life satisfaction, and that overall physical and mental health is a mitigating factor against stress and burnout.
HEAVY METAL POLLUTION CONTROL METHOD BASED ON CHEMICAL SOLIDIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

In view of the harm caused by sludge in the ecological environment, this paper adopts the solidification treatment technology based on the principle of environmental ecological effect to analyze the heavy metal pollution sources in sludge. With the aid of the solidification technology and considering the physical and chemical blocking effects of heavy metals, it analyzes the effect of the solidification technology in treatment of heavy metals at different ratios. The results show that the smaller the particle size, the better the leaching of heavy metals in the sludge; and that the leaching rate is higher under the acidic condition than under the alkaline one. Through research it is found that the impact of heavy metals in the sludge on the environment is influenced by two factors the controlled distance and the time, so a model can be constructed to predict the migration parameters of heavy metals in the sludge according to the influencing predictors. Then based on the migration parameters, this paper introduces the inverse problem of pollution source control and the control method to optimize the problem. Through the above discussion, it proposes an environmental-effect-oriented heavy metal pollution control method, that is, optimizing the solidified materials by converting the source control problem to the inverse problem of capacity control. In this way, the concentrations of heavy metals in the sludge after solidification treatment can be effectively controlled to meet the requirements of environmental effects.
On the information and communication technologies - productivity nexus: a long-lasting adjustment period

This paper investigates the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and productivity within 240 industries from 8 OECD countries. Specifically, it aims at providing explanations for the coexistence of this strong technological evolution together with the absence of break in the productivity trend during the last decades. We calculate the total factor productivity changes and their components (technical progress and pure efficiency changes) over the period 1973-2005 using the Malmquist productivity index and we then relate these measures with data on ICT diffusion using regression trees. Our results suggest that ICT diffusion is accompanied by opposite movements that conceal the potential of these technologies. Indeed, we find evidence of a clearly identifiable positive relationship between computerization and technical progress, while ICT diffusion negatively affects pure efficiency changes. Our findings support the existence of an adjustment period and are consistent with the fact that the economies under consideration are still in a phase of adaptation.
INVESTIGATION OF Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe AND Cu CONCENTRATIONS IN BLOOD AND MILK OF COWS WITH NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CMT RESULTS

The study was performed on 15 healthy and 21 with subclinical mastitis cows, aged 3-5 years. Forty-one udder quarters which gave negative reaction in California Mastitis Test (CMT) were considered to be healthy, and those (n=56) with +1 and +2 reactions in CMT were diagnosed to be affected by subclinical mastitis. Contents Ca, Zn, Mg, Fe, and Cu in blood serum and milk samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Ca levels in the milk serum of the CMT positive cows were significantly lower (P<0.001) than those found in healthy milk samples. It was also determined that levels of Zn and Fe (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in milk were elevated in the CMT positive cows compared to the controls. Milk serum Mg values did not significantly change. Ca levels of blood serum obtained from healthy cows were higher (P<0.01) and Cu values lower (P<0.001) than those found in the CMT positive cows. Serum levels of Mg, Zn and Fe were not significantly altered. Ca levels in milk samples with a CMT result of +1 were significantly higher than those with +2 (P<0.05). However, it was observed that serum values of Mg, Zn and Fe did not well correlate with CMT scores. In conclusion, the presented results have shown that Ca levels in milk from quarters with subclinical mastitis were lower and Zn and Fe levels higher than those in the controls.
Resistance to Septoria lycopersici in Solanum (section Lycopersicon) species and in progenies of S. lycopersicum × S. peruvianum

Septoria leaf spot (Septoria lycopersici) is one of the major fungal diseases of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) in tropical and subtropical regions with humid climates and/or in areas cultivated under sprinkler irrigation systems. Sources of resistance have been found in accessions of Solanum (section Lycopersicon) species. However, many of the described sources are not effective under Brazilian conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate wild and cultivated Solanum (section Lycopersicon) germplasm to S. lycopersici isolates. A collection of 124 accessions was initially evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Ten accessions were highly resistance (HR), whereas 33 were classified as having a resistant (R) response to S. lycopersici isolates. Field evaluation was also conducted with a sub-set of accessions identified as either HR or R in the greenhouse experiment. This field evaluation confirmed greenhouse tests and indicated the presence of some potential sources of rate-reducing resistance. One highly resistant and eight resistant S. habrochaites accessions were identified as being resistant under both conditions, confirming that this wild species is one of the most promising sources of resistance to S. lycopersici. Five new sources with high levels of resistance were found in S. peruvianum accessions (PI-306811, CNPH-1036, LA-1910, LA-1984 and LA-2744). One accession derived from an interspecific cross between S. lycopersicum and S. peruvianum was also found to be highly resistant and might be useful to introgress resistance factors from this wild species into cultivated tomato germplasm. However, additional breeding efforts will be necessary to introgress into the cultivated tomato the resistance factors identified in other S. peruvianum accessions due to the presence of natural crossing barriers between the two species.
Geothermobarometry of igneous and metamorphic rocks around the Ana-Sira anorthosite massif: implications for the depth of emplacement of the South Norvegian anorthosites

Orthopyroxenes and clinopyroxenes in metabasites in contact with the massif-type Ana-Sira anorthosite yield the following equilibrium temperatures using various geothermometers: 840°C (Wells 1977); 8000 C (Wood & Banna 1973), 650"C (Lindsley & Andersen 1983). Gamet-cordierite-plagioclase-sillimanite­ quartz assemblages in neighbouring metapelites give values around 600°C and 3 ± 0.5 kb by means of several geothermobarometers. Armoured relics of symplectitic quartz + spinel in gamet suggest that equilibrium was attained during decreasing temperature. Fayalite + quartz and Ca-poor + Ca-rich clinopyroxene assemblages in charnockitic rocks of late tectonic intrusions yield 800-850"C (Lindsley & Andersen 1983) and 6-7.5 kb for the upper part of the Bjerkreim-Sokndal lopolith and a minimum pressure of 5-5.5 kb for the Hidra massif (Boblen & Boettcher 1981). When interpreted in terms of the regional geological evolution, the conditions measured reflect two successive stages of a PT path characterizing the post-magmatic evolution. It is inferred that the emplacement of the Rogaland massif­ type anorthosites took place at greater depths than these massifs, i.e. not less than 22-28 km near the Bjerkreim-Sokndal massif and not less than 18-20 km near the Hidra body.
Combined effects of cold work and chemical polishing on the absorption and release of hydrogen from SRF cavities inferred from resistance measurements of cavity-grade niobium bars

A series of small fine-grained and single-crystal bars, with strain from 0% (recrystallized) to 50%, were given different amounts of chemical polishing. Four-point resistivity (ρ) data was used to characterize the electron scattering from dislocations, hydrogen, and any other trace contaminants. As noted by previous studies, annealed Nb displayed a weak linear increase of ρ (11 K) with polishing time due to hydrogen absorption, and bulk hydrogen concentration did not exceed 15% for 200 μm metal removed. Cold-worked samples displayed steeper slopes with polishing time (after subtracting resistivity due to strain alone), suggesting that dislocations assist the absorption of hydrogen during polishing. Absorption accelerated above 30% strain and 100 μm material removal, with room-temperature hydrogen concentration rising rapidly from 2% up to 5%. This threshold is significant, since superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities are usually polished as-formed, with >35% strain, and polishing removes >150 μm of metal. Resistance jumps between 40 and 150 K, which signal the formation of hydride precipitates, were stronger in cold-worked samples, suggesting that dislocations also assist precipitate nucleation. High-vacuum anneals at 800 °C for 2 h, which are known to fully recrystallize cavity-grade niobium and de-gas hydrogen, removed the 40–150 K jumps and recovered the resistivity increase due to chemical polishing entirely. But, about 30% of the resistivity increase due to cold work remained, possibly due to residual dislocation clusters. Continued annealing only facilitated the diffusion of surface impurities into the bulk and did not recover the initial 0% state. Strain, polishing, and annealing thus appear to combine as irreversible paths that change the material. Bearing this in mind, the significant difference in hydrogen uptake between annealed and cold-worked samples suggests that annealing SRF cavities prior to chemical polishing could greatly reduce hydrogen uptake and storage in the metal, reducing risk of quality-factor loss. This inverts key steps of the present widely-used cavity processing sequence.
Efficacy of crude methanolic extracts of Allium sativum L. and Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod. against Leishmania major

Leishmania major is a protozoan parasite responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in humans. CL is transmitted via a bite by infected female phlebotomine sand fly. Research on herbal therapy for leishmaniases is increa s- ing globally because conventional drugs are costly, toxic and require a prolonged administration. In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of dried Allium sativum (garlic) and Moringa stenopetala methanolic extracts against L. major were studied. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of methanolic extracts of A. sativum (A) and M. stenopetala (M) against L. major were 3 and 5 mg/ml and IC50 of 863.12 and 1752.92 µg/ml respectively. The blend AM (1:1) had IC50 of 372. 1µg/ml and promastigotes' viability of 71.03% compared to IC50 of 0.26 and 0. 82µg/ml and promastigotes' viability of 18.41% and 12.22% for Pentostam and Liposomal amphotericin B respectively. Multiplication indices (MIs) of L. major amastigotes ranged from 43.67% to 45.93% after treatment with extracts A or M or blend AM at 125µg/ml and were significantly different (P 0.05) L. major caused foot pad lesions in BALB/c mice while oral extract M did not. Blend AM (ip) reduced the lesion sizes and its efficacy was close to Pentostam and Liposomal amphotericin B. Oral extract A had a high parasite reduction rate of 60.70% and average LDU of 0.22±0.15 compared to Pentostam at 66.40% and LDU of 0.18±0.08. In conclusion, methanolic extract of A. sativum showed anti-leishmanial activity both in vitro and in vivo and it decreased L. major caused foot pad lesions in BALB/c mice. Methanolic extracts of M. stenopetala (ip) reduced the amastigotes bur- den in spleens of BALB/c mice. A blend of garlic and moringa methanolic extracts (AM at 1:1) were active against L. major. The active ingredients in crude methanolic extracts of garlic and moringa plants should be esta blished and tested against L. major when blended.
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of the Effects of Crack on Vibration Characteristics of GFRP-stiffened Pipes

In this paper, the vibration characteristics of GFRP-stiffened pipes, in intact and cracked conditions are investigated. The results have different applications, which the most important ones are optimized designs of such pipes and diagnosis of the damage in them. Therefore, by Love theory, governing equations of motion for the GFRP-stiffened pipes were obtained. Having obtained characteristic equation, the natural frequencies of the problem were calculated for intact case. Then by modeling a sample of these pipes in the ANSYS software and using Modal analysis, natural frequencies and related mode shapes due to finite element method were calculated in cracked and intact conditions. Then by using the experimental modal analysis method, the natural frequencies of a sample, which was built similar to these pipes, were obtained in cracked and intact conditions. The results of the analytical method, finite element method, and the experimental modal analysis were compared and it was shown that the results have a good compatibility. The same process was performed on carbon fiber composites.
Online Grocery Shopping Acceptance: The Impact on the Perception of New Technologies and Loyalty in Retailing

Online grocery shopping is becoming an integral part of life for more and more customers around the world and has truly changed the way consumers acquire their groceries. Nevertheless, the offline environment is still a priority for most customers. Therefore, it is not surprising that new technologies are also being introduced in traditional stores. The purpose of this paper is to explore if all generations of customers equally perceive pressure to apply new technologies into the purchasing process and how previous online grocery shopping acceptance can influence customer behaviour. This research was conducted on a sample of 1,050 online respondents. The answers of respondents have a nominal character. Therefore, Pearson´s chi-square test was used for testing. Subsequently, the frequency analysis was used for a more detailed examination. The results indicate that online grocery shopping acceptance positively influences the perception of new technologies from the perspective of all generations of customers. An interesting finding is that if traditional retailers entered the online market, 67% of online grocery shoppers would change retailers. This paper brings a new perspective on online and offline generations of customers and states that online grocery shopping acceptance is a predictor of positive perception of other technologies in retailing. Managers should take steps to increase the acceptance of technologies in stores, which will facilitate the business processes in the store and optimize the use of the workforce. This paper also demonstrates an opportunity for traditional retailers to enter the online marketplace.