Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drought and Elevated CO2 Impacts Photosynthesis and Biochemicals of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Drought-induced reduction in crop growth and productivity can be compensated by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), a significant contributor to climate change. Drought stress (DS) affects crops worldwide due to dwindling water resources and irregular rainfall patterns. The experiment was set up under a randomized complete block design within a three-by-two factorial arrangement. Six SPAR chambers represent three blocks (10 replications each), where each chamber has 30 pots in three rows. Each chamber was maintained with 30/22 (day/night) °C temperature, with either ambient (aCO2; 420 ppm) or elevated CO2 (eCO2; 720 ppm) concentrations. This experiment was designed to address the impact of DS on the physiological and biochemical attributes and study how the eCO2 helps alleviate the adversity of DS in basil. The study demonstrated that DS + eCO2 application highly accelerated the decrease in all forms of carotene and xanthophylls. eCO2 positively influenced and increased anthocyanin (Antho) and chlorophyll (LChl). eCO2 supplementation increased LChl content in basil under DS. Furthermore, DS significantly impeded the photosynthetic system in plants by decreasing CO2 availability and causing stomatal closure. Although eCO2 did not increase net photosynthesis (Pn) activity, it decreased stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf transpiration rate (E) under DS, showing that eCO2 can improve plant water use efficiency by lowering E and gs. Peroxidase and ascorbate activity were higher due to the eCO2 supply to acclimate the basil under the DS condition. This study suggests that the combination of eCO2 during DS positively impacts basil’s photosynthetic parameters and biochemical traits than aCO2.
S100A8 and S100A9, biomarkers of SARS-Cov2-infected patients, suppress HIV replication in primary macrophages

S100A8 and S100A9 are members of the Alarmin family; these proteins are abundantly expressed in neutrophils and form a heterodimer complex. Recently, both proteins were identified as novel biomarkers of SARS-CoV-2 infection and were shown to play key roles in inducing an aggressive inflammatory response by mediating the release of large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, called the “cytokine storm. ” Although co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 in people living with HIV-1 may result in an immunocompromised status, the role of the S100A8/A9 complex in HIV-1 replication in primary T cells and macrophages is still unclear. Here, we evaluated the roles of the proteins in HIV replication to elucidate their functions. We found that the complex had no impact on virus replication in both cell types; however, the subunits of S100A8 and S100A9 inhibits HIV in macrophages. These findings provide important insights into the regulation of HIV viral loads in SARS-CoV2 co-infection.
Lived Experience: East African Somali Speaking Women Accessing the U.S. Healthcare System

Access to prenatal healthcare for East African Somali Speaking Women (EASSW) who are immigrants to the U.S. has been dependent on the availability of a systematic healthcare treatment model. The purpose of this study was to explore EASSW's lived experiences in accessing prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. A descriptive, qualitative phenomenological approach informed by the work of Husserl was used to explore EASSW'S experiences, views, and problems encountered while attempting to access prenatal healthcare services in the U.S. Fifteen EASSW of childbearing age (ages 18-45) were recruited for this study. All participants interviewed privately, beginning with a semi-structured, open-ended question regarding access to prenatal health care services, followed by three more focused questions. Due to cultural a restraint, no digital recorder was used in this study, instead the researcher took pencil, and paper notes during the interviews. The specific aims of this study were: 1) to describe EASSW's experiences while seeking prenatal healthcare services; 2) to understand EASSW's views towards the American prenatal healthcare services available to them; and 3) to identify any problems participants encountered while obtaining prenatal care, including, if applicable, the reasons for not seeking early prenatal
The Arabidopsis thaliana Kinesin-5 AtKRP125b Is a Processive, Microtubule-Sliding Motor Protein with Putative Plant-Specific Functions

The formation and maintenance of the mitotic spindle during cell division requires several microtubule-interacting motor proteins. Members of the kinesin-5 family play an essential role in the bipolar organization of the spindle. These highly conserved, homotetrameric proteins cross-link anti-parallel microtubules and slide them apart to elongate the spindle during the equal separation of chromosomes. Whereas vertebrate kinesin-5 proteins are well studied, knowledge about the biochemical properties and the function of plant kinesin-5 proteins is still limited. Here, we characterized the properties of AtKRP125b, one of four kinesin-5 proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. In in vitro motility assays, AtKRP125b displayed the archetypal characteristics of a kinesin-5 protein, a low velocity of about 20 nm·s−1, and a plus end-directed, processive movement. Moreover, AtKRP125b was able to cross-link microtubules and to slide them apart, as required for developing and maintaining the mitotic spindle. In line with such a function, GFP-AtKRP125b fusion proteins were predominantly detected in the nucleus when expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf protoplasts or Nicotiana benthamiana epidermis cells and analyzed by confocal microscopy. However, we also detected GFP signals in the cytoplasm, suggesting additional functions. By generating and analyzing AtKRP125b promoter-reporter lines, we showed that the AtKRP125b promoter was active in the vascular tissue of roots, lateral roots, cotyledons, and true leaves. Remarkably, we could not detect promoter activity in meristematic tissues. Taken together, our biochemical data support a role of AtKRP125b in mitosis, but it may also have additional functions outside the nucleus and during interphase.
Trends in Opioid Use Among Cancer Patients in the United States: 2013-2018.

Background In response to the US opioid epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guideline on prescription opioids for chronic pain management in March 2016. The aim of this study was to provide detailed analysis of trends in opioid claims among cancer patients in the United States during 2013-2018. Methods We analyzed pharmaceutical dispensing data from Symphony Health's Integrated Dataverse database, which covers approximately 80% of the US population. We examined annual trends in dispensed opioids in cancer patients during 2013-2018. We examined quarterly trends of the prevalence, mean number of days, and dose (stated as morphine milligram equivalents) of opioid dispensing in cancer patients. Results Dispensing records of an average of over 3.7 million cancer patients contributed to the study annually in 2013-2018. The annual prevalence of opioid dispensing claims declined from 40.2% in 2013 to 34.5% in 2018. Annual declines occurred across cancer sites, and particularly among patients with metastatic cancer (decline of 19.8%), breast cancer (18.2%), and lung cancer (13.8%). By quarter, the prevalence of opioid claims declined statistically significantly from 26.6% in Q1 2013 to 21.2% in Q4 2018; this decline was more pronounced after Q3 2016 (2-sided P = .004). Both quarterly trends in mean days and morphine milligram equivalents of opioids supplied showed a gradual decline from 2013 to 2018, with a slightly larger decline after 2016. Conclusions We observed a decline in opioid use among cancer patients, particularly after 2016, coinciding with the publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guideline on prescription opioids for chronic pain management.
Adsorptive Performance of Iminodiacetic Acid Functionalized Nanoporous Carbon for Removal of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) Ions in Aqueous System

In recent years, the exploration of nontoxic and inexpensive methods for the removal of heavy metals from wastewaters has been needed with respect to the impact of these toxic metal ions in the environment. Efficient and common adsorption techniques have been widely used for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater duo to the economically feasible properties. In this study, Nanoporous carbon (CMK-3) has been prepared and modified with Iminodiacetic Acid (IDA) and used as adsorbent for removal of Pb (II), Cu (II) and Cd (II) from aqueous solution. Prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The essential factors such as pH of solution and concentration of the eluent solution have been evaluated. The optimum conditions were pH 4 and 0.5M HNO3. The adsorption isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich), were investigated. The adsorption capacities were147.4, 145.1 and 142.3 for Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) respectively which is higher than of previously reported.
Towards Secure, Decentralised, and Privacy Friendly Forensic Analysis of Vehicular Data

The automotive industry has been transformed through technological progress during the past decade. Vehicles are equipped with multiple computing devices that offer safety, driving assistance, or multimedia services. Despite these advancements, when an incident occurs, such as a car crash, the involved parties often do not take advantage of the technological capabilities of modern vehicles and attempt to assign liability for the incident to a specific vehicle based upon witness statements. In this paper, we propose a secure, decentralized, blockchain-based platform that can be employed to store encrypted position and velocity values for vehicles in a smart city environment. Such data can be decrypted when the need arises, either through the vehicle driver’s consent or through the consensus of different authorities. The proposed platform also offers an automated way to resolve disputes between involved parties. A simulation has been conducted upon a mobility traffic dataset for a typical day in the city of Cologne to assess the applicability of the proposed methodology to real-world scenarios and the infrastructure requirements that such an application would have.
Helping Friends and Strangers in Risky Situations: Outcomes of Bystander Interventions for Sexual Assault and Dating Violence

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine young adults’ decisions to help friends and strangers involved in potentially risky situations related to dating violence or sexual assault and assess their feelings about their decisions to intervene (or not intervene) and their overall psychosocial well-being. Five hundred and fifty-three college students (68.7% Female) were recruited from a large, public university in the southeastern United States to participate in the study. Through an online survey, participants were asked whether they witnessed four discrete events, what their relationship was to the victim in each event, whether they intervened (or did not intervene) in each event, positive and negative feelings about their decisions to intervene (or not intervene), and general anxiety and depression symptoms. Participants were more likely to have witnessed friends than strangers in risky events involving potential sexual assault or dating violence and were more likely to intervene with friends than strangers. Most bystanders (64%) reported positive feelings when they intervened regardless of their relationship to the victims, but 36% reported continued negative impact from such events. In addition, anxiety levels were higher for witnesses of friends than strangers. Results have implications for bystander training programs for college students.
Effects of indigenous and introduced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of Allium fistulosum under field conditions

ABSTRACT Enhanced phosphorus (P) uptake from the soil and increased plant growth related to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in pot culture, using sterilized soil, are well-known phenomena. However, these enhancements are not widely observed under field conditions because field sterilization is difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AM fungi on P uptake and the growth of Allium fistulosum in non-fumigated and fumigated fields, under different levels of P availability. Plants were inoculated with the AM fungus Glomus R-10 and grown in fumigated soil. For the uninoculated treatment, a sterilized inoculum was applied directly. The field was fumigated using dazomet. Superphosphate was applied to the field at the rates of 0 (P0) or 500 (P500) kg P2O5 ha−1. The inoculated and uninoculated plants were transplanted into the fields and sampled three times to measure AM fungal colonization, shoot P concentration, and shoot dry weight of the plants. At the transplanting stage, AM fungal colonization was observed in the inoculated plants (>70%) but not in the uninoculated plants. At the third sampling, irrespective of P treatment, AM fungal colonization was observed both in the uninoculated and inoculated plants in the non-fumigated field, and there was no difference in shoot P content and shoot dry weight between the inoculated and uninoculated plants. AM fungal colonization in the fumigated field was higher in the inoculated than uninoculated plants, irrespective of P treatment; shoot P content and shoot dry weight were both higher in the inoculated plants than in the uninoculated plants with P0. These results suggest that the responses of A. fistulosum to AM fungal inoculation under the low-P and fumigated conditions are similar to those observed in sterilized pot culture conditions.
Solvent Effects on Protonation Process of Clindamycin in Mixed Solvents

Fatemeh Farrokhmanesh, Farhoush Kiani, Ali Farajtabar, Fardad Koohyar* and Seyed Hassan Noshirvankolaei Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran Department of Chemistry, Jouybar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jouybar, Iran Division of Computational Physics, Institute for Computational Science, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Toward a Continuous-Matter Philosophy

In this paper I make a case for a philosophy of continuous matter, in dialogue with object-oriented ontology. A continuous-matter philosophy is one that focuses not on the identity, properties, and relations of discrete, countable objects, but on the nature of extended substances, both in relation to human experience and in terms of their own “inner life. ” I explore why and under what conditions humans might perceive the world as objects or as continuous substances, and the language that humans use for talking about both. I argue that approaching the world as continua requires the foregrounding of concepts that emphasize the immanent (internal to a region of space), the inclusive (with contrasting properties coexisting in the same substance), the gradual (manifesting differentially at different points), and the generative or virtual (involving the constant production of form and new gradients). I suggest that starting philosophy from continuous matter rather than objects also has wider implications for speculative thought
Silver Nanowire Networks: Ways to Enhance Their Physical Properties and Stability

Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have been intensively investigated in recent years. Thanks to their attractive physical properties in terms of optical transparency and electrical conductivity, as well as their mechanical performance, AgNW networks are promising transparent electrodes (TE) for several devices, such as solar cells, transparent heaters, touch screens or light-emitting devices. However, morphological instabilities, low adhesion to the substrate, surface roughness and ageing issues may limit their broader use and need to be tackled for a successful performance and long working lifetime. The aim of the present work is to highlight efficient strategies to optimize the physical properties of AgNW networks. In order to situate our work in relation to existing literature, we briefly reported recent studies which investigated physical properties of AgNW networks. First, we investigated the optimization of optical transparency and electrical conductivity by comparing two types of AgNWs with different morphologies, including PVP layer and AgNW dimensions. In addition, their response to thermal treatment was deeply investigated. Then, zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO2) protective films deposited by Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (AP-SALD) were compared for one type of AgNW. We clearly demonstrated that coating AgNW networks with these thin oxide layers is an efficient approach to enhance the morphological stability of AgNWs when subjected to thermal stress. Finally, we discussed the main future challenges linked with AgNW networks optimization processes.
Benefits of Web-based Idea Management System Application

Purpose: Research web-based idea management system (IMS) application benefits and their relations with different IMS types and how it is all related to the IMS results – idea quality, idea quantity and involvement. Design/Method/Approach: On the basis of a commercially available web-based IMS study and the analysis of cases of the IMS use, the main benefits of IMS were identified. The survey verified the most typical benefits for the IMS use. On the basis of a thematic analysis of the benefits, they were grouped together in advance in the thematic groups that were addressed. Data collection: the survey of 400 enterprises with web-based IMS experience was carried out. Data analysis: descriptive statistics and MANOVA analysis were utilized. Findings: The potential benefits of IMS in 4 main groups: the benefits of an idea management (IM) process, the benefits of innovation management, the benefits of cooperation, and the benefits of general management were determined. According to MANOVA, all groups of benefits have strong connections with all types of a web-based IMS. Originality/Value: This study fills the previously identified need to clarify the types of IMS and their impact on the results and benefits of IMS application. Academic contribution to the study is (1) it is the broadest survey-based study of the web-based IMS benefits; (2) it applies two classifications of IMS; (3) it explores relations among the results, benefits and IMS types. Practical contribution is the outcomes of the study will help companies to understand what results can be achieved using different types of IMS. Research Limitations/Future Research: This research opens avenues for the future research on the web-based IMS application in organizations exploring each of the benefit relations with the web-based IMS types. Paper type: Empirical.
Feasibility Study to Assess the Impact of a Lifestyle Intervention during Colorectal Cancer Screening in France

Current evidence suggests that 30–50% of cancers are attributable to established lifestyle risk factors. Cancer-screening has been identified as an opportunity for delivering advice on lifestyle behaviour change for cancer prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of promoting advice on the latest evidence-based lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention at the time of colorectal cancer screening at two hospitals in Lyon, France. This feasibility study included 49 patients (20 men and 29 women) who were invited for colonoscopy. Patients received a leaflet with lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention, accompanied with a logbook to plan and monitor their behavioural changes. Feedback from patients, hospital staff, and researchers was received via evaluation questionnaires (n = 26) completed after testing the educational material for at least two weeks and via two focus group discussions (n = 7 and n = 9 respectively) organized at the end of the study. All interviewed patients were interested in lowering their cancer risk, and the majority felt ready to change their lifestyle (88%), although most did not know how to decrease their risk of cancer (61%). All patients found the educational material easy to understand and sufficiently attractive and 50% of the patients reported having achieved at least one of the healthy behaviours recommended within the two weeks following the intervention. All hospital staff and almost all patients (92%) involved found that the screening program and the visits planned for colonoscopy was an appropriate moment to provide them with the educational material. This feasibility study has shown that the content, paper-based format, and time of delivery of the intervention were adequate. Health professionals seem to be willing to provide lifestyle recommendations, and patients appear interested in receiving advice for lowering their cancer risk during screening visits.
Soil pH drives poplar rhizosphere soil microbial community responses to ozone pollution and nitrogen addition

Ground‐level ozone (O3) pollution frequently coincides with the deposition of anthropogenic nitrogen (N), and both factors can influence the structure and functionality of both above‐ and belowground ecosystems. Elevated O3 levels have been shown to adversely impact plants in many prior reports, but the interacting effects of high O3 levels and N addition on exposed plants remain to be clearly defined, and the changes in rhizosphere microbial community composition in this context have yet to be studied. The direct and indirect mechanisms and interactions among plants, microbes, and the soil that shape these O3 and N responses are also poorly understood. Herein, we explored the interactive effects of O3 exposure (five levels) and soil N (four levels) on the composition of rhizosphere soil microbial communities associated with poplar trees (Populus euramericana cv. ‘74/76’). In these analyses, exposure to higher levels of O3 was linked to significant decreases in bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and to a reduction in the ratio of fungi‐to‐bacteria, whereas soil N addition had no impact on these parameters. No interactive effects between O3 and N were observed in the context of alterations in soil microbial community composition, and equivalent performance was observed for concentration‐based (AOT40, cumulative exposure to hourly O3 concentrations >40 ppb) and flux‐based [POD1 and POD7, cumulative stomatal uptake of O3 > 1 or 7 nmol O3 m−1 PLA (projected leaf area) s−1] dose–response analyses. Structural equation modelling revealed that changes in the composition of the microbial community were attributable to changes in soil pH but unrelated to plant characteristics. Overall, these findings indicated that increased O3 levels can induce soil alkalinisation and thereby influence soil microbial communities such that soil pH is a reliable predictor of O3 pollution‐related changes in these communities.