Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteome Response of Meretrix Bivalves Hepatopancreas Exposed to Paralytic Shellfish Toxins Producing Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) contamination of seafood has become a growing global problem. However, the molecular response of bivalves, some of the most popular seafoods, to PSP toxins has seldom been reported and the underlying molecular mechanisms of the interactions between Meretrix meretrix bivalves and PSTs-producing dinoflagellates are scarcely known. This study compared the protein expression profiles between PSP toxin-contaminated and non-PSP toxin contaminated M. meretrix, determined proteome responses and identified potential biomarkers based on feeding experiments. Results showed that the content of total PSP toxins in contaminated bivalves was 40.63 ± 4.08 μg saxitoxin (STX) equivalents per gram, with 95.3% in hepatopancreas, followed by gill (1.82%) and foot (1.79%). According to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), 15 differentially expressed proteins (at least 2-fold difference) between the hepatopancreas of bivalves with and without PSP toxins were detected. Eight of them were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF MS. These were catalase, protein ultraspiracle homolog, G2 and S phase-expression protein, paramyosin, Mn-superoxide dismutase, response regulator receiver domain-containing protein, sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein and major facilitator superfamily transporters. The differences in the expression levels of the last three proteins involving in cell signaling, structure and membrane transport were 4.2, 5.3 and 4.9-fold, respectively. These proteins could be further developed as potential biomarkers. The other two up-regulated proteins, Mn-superoxide dismutase and catalase, were involved in cell defence mechanisms against oxidative stress, suggesting PSP toxin acts as xenobiotics and poses oxidative stress in bivalves. This study gives insights into the response of bivalves to PSP toxin-producing dinoflagellate at the proteomic level and the potential of using 2-DE to develop specific protein markers in bivalves.
The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Air Quality—A Global Review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a serious public health threat and has had a tremendous impact on all spheres of the environment. The air quality across the world improved because of COVID-19 lockdowns. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, large numbers of studies have been carried out on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the world, but no studies have been carried out on the systematic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality. This study aims to systematically assess the bibliographic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the globe. A total of 237 studies were identified after rigorous review, and 144 studies met the criteria for the review. The literature was surveyed from Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Google search engine. The results reveal that (i) most of the studies were carried out on Asia (about 65%), followed by Europe (18%), North America (6%), South America (5%), and Africa (3%); (ii) in the case of countries, the highest number of studies was performed on India (29%), followed by China (23%), the U.S. (5%), the UK (4%), and Italy; (iii) more than 60% of the studies included NO2 for study, followed by PM2.5 (about 50%), PM10, SO2, and CO; (iv) most of the studies were published by Science of the Total Environment (29%), followed by Aerosol and Air Quality Research (23%), Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health (9%), and Environmental Pollution (5%); (v) the studies reveal that there were significant improvements in air quality during lockdowns in comparison with previous time periods. Thus, this diversified study conducted on the impact of lockdowns on air quality will surely assist in identifying any gaps, as it outlines the insights of the current scientific research.
Penentuan Kualitas Bibit Padi Menggunakan Metode Fuzzy Mamdani

the agriculture sector still faces fairly basic challenges, namely the quality problem and the increase in competitiveness through productivity and efficiency. This research determines the criteria for the best quality types of rice seeds and how to apply the Fuzzy Mamdani Method, to determine the quality of rice seeds in order to assist farmers in determining the quality of the best rice seeds. Mamdani fuzzy method is one example of a method that can help the optimal decision making process to solve practical problems. The problem solved is the determination of the best quality of rice seeds, based on established criteria, namely the type of rice, the shape of the rice, the color of the seeds, the age of the seeds, and roots. This is done to reinforce the output or output of each input variable membership. Then after the output input output variable is determined, the implementation of the rules for each parameter is carried out. After that do defuzzyfication with the centroid method. So that the output of one parameter is 60 with verry good information. This system was built with a website application where the application is able to help users to determine the quality of rice seeds and obtain information about the best seeds.
Perennial fluctuations of river runoff of the Yesil river basin

The features of perennial fluctuations in the river runoff of the Yesil Basin Rivers are considered. The purpose of study is to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of various characteristics of river runoff in the F river basin. In the presented work, the series of annual and maximum water discharges were analyzed, as well as the series for the minimum runoff, based on analysis of runoff long-term fluctuations of the Yesil river basin and the authors' own researches. Hydrological calculations and statistical analysis were carried out using standard Excel and Statistica packages. Based on the processing of surface-based observations (1933-2016 years), as well as the analysis of literature data, conclusions were conducted about the presence of intra-century cycles in the series of the annual river runoff of the Yesil river basin. It was revealed that the Yesil Basin Rivers are characterized by a cyclic runoff with a period of 15-25 years. As a result of the analysis of the long-term variation of the values of the maximum water discharge, noticeable differences in the long-term variation of both the direct values of the maximum discharge and their absolute variability were revealed; it was revealed that the series of the minimum winter and summer-autumn runoff at a significant part of the gauging stations of the Yesil river basin are heterogeneous. The heterogeneity of the runoff series characteristics in the Yesil basin is due to both factors: climatic changes and anthropogenic pressure.
Lack of synchronized breeding success in a seabird community: extreme events, niche separation, and environmental variability

Synchrony in ecological systems, the degree to which elements respond similarly over time or space, can inform our understanding of how ecosystems function and how they are responding to global change. While studies of ecological synchrony are often focused on within-species dynamics, synchrony among species may provide important insights into how dynamics of one species are indicative of conditions relevant to the larger community, with both basic and applied implications. Ecological theory suggests there may be conditions under which communities might exhibit increased synchrony, however, the degree to which these patterns are borne out in natural systems is currently unknown. We used long-term breeding success data from a community of Antarctic seabirds to assess the degree of interspecific, community synchrony, and the role that extreme events play in driving these dynamics. We assessed theoretical links between community synchrony, niche separation, and environmental variability using data from this and three other seabird communities as well as a simulation study. Results show that reproductive success for individual species in the Antarctic seabird community fluctuated relatively independently from one another, resulting in little synchrony across this community, outside of extreme years. While an exceptionally poor year for a given species was not necessarily associated with an exceptionally poor year for any other species, one community-wide extreme year existed. When compared to other seabird communities, this group of Antarctic seabirds exhibited lower overall synchrony and higher estimated niche separation, supporting theoretical predictions. Empirical and simulation-derived results suggest that communities where temporal variation is small for conditions in which species respond substantially differently, and large for conditions in which species respond similarly, may exhibit more synchronous dynamics. Identifying where and why synchronous dynamics might be more apparent has the potential to inform how ecological communities might respond to future global change.
Concordance of Skin Prick Test, Intradermal Testing, Serum IgE Levels and Symptoms in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Background: Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis is achieved by a combination of patient history and different screening tools, followed by specific provocation testing. Screening tools usually involve a skin prick test (SPT), specific serum IgE or a combination of both. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation of SPT, intradermal testing and specific serum IgE testing in certain allergens and to evaluate sensitization rates, symptom patterns and time of symptoms in a cohort of patients with suspected allergic rhinitis. Methods: Data on 4653 patients with suspected allergic rhinitis were included and divided into five groups: spring bloomers (birch, hazel, etc.), summer bloomers (grasses and rye), autumn bloomers (ribwort and mugwort), mites and mold. Correlation of SPT, intradermal testing and specific IgE test results using Cohen’s kappa and logistic regression were carried out to evaluate the probability of symptoms. Results: Comparison of SPT and specific serum IgE led to kappa coefficients between 0.33 and 0.47, corresponding to a minor to moderate concordance. Comparing the symptoms reported by patients with sensitization diagnosed by SPT, a correlation was only found for spring and summer bloomers with an odds ratio of 1.5 and 2.1, respectively. The most prevalent symptom in the study cohort was rhinitis, followed by others such as asthma, sense of smell and atopic dermatitis. Conclusions: SPT seems to be more sensitive than specific IgE for detection of sensitization. Patients’ symptoms as well as the timing of symptoms, especially for perennial allergies, are not always very pronounced.
Carbon-intercalated Ti3C2Tx MXene for high-performance electrochemical energy storage

In this study, carbon-intercalated Ti3C2Tx MXene (Ti3C2Tx/C) was prepared through annealing long-chain fatty amines to form carbon interlayers into MXene. With the increase in interlayer spacing due to amine intercalation and enhanced electrical conductivity owing to the in situ formation of carbon between MXene layers, the Ti3C2Tx/C heterostructure exhibited improved electrochemical performances. Specifically, when serving as a supercapacitor electrode material, the Ti3C2Tx/C heterostructure displayed high reversible gravimetric capacitance of 364.3 F g−1 at current density of 1 A g−1. The heterostructures were advantageous for penetration of electrolyte ions into the MXene layers and exhibited excellent electrochemical cycling stability with above 99% retention over 10 000 cycles. The high capacitance and excellent cycling stability demonstrate the great promise of this simple and scalable approach for developing high-performance carbon-based 2D nanomaterials for energy storage.
Promoting international learning outcomes during a study abroad: the moderating role of internationalisation at home

PurposeThe authors examine the role of internationalisation at-home activities and an international classroom at a home institution to promote intercultural competence development during a study abroad.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use large scale longitudinal data from the global mind monitor (GMM) (2018–2020) to examine change over time in both multicultural personality (MPQ) and cultural knowledge (CQ) among students in Dutch higher education institutions. The authors analyse the moderating effect of the preparation in the home institution by looking at the added value of both intercultural communication courses and international classroom setting for intercultural competence development during a study abroad.FindingsThe results show that particularly courses on intercultural communication significantly promote intercultural competence development during a stay abroad. Frequent interactions with international staff also seem to be beneficial for this development.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in the Netherlands, in one of the most internationalised educational systems in the world. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise these findings to other contexts before any further empirical research is conducted.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, the authors formulate practical advice for higher education institutions that aim to get the most out of the international learning outcomes of a study abroad.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to assess the moderating effect of preparatory internationalisation at home initiatives on the intercultural learning effects of international experiences later on in a study program. Other studies have proposed that these effects will exist but have not tested them empirically with longitudinal data.
A Decentralized Threshold Signature Scheme of Blockchain-Based Medical Cyber Physical Systems

With the rapid development of medical information, the medical cyber system is rapidly transforming, and medical information sharing faces new challenges. Blockchain technology is a revolutionary technology. It has the characteristics of tamper-proof and privacy-preserving, and has natural protection for big data systems, that can be used in medical systems. In this paper,we proposed to store medical cyber physical data in a mixed blockchain with private blockchain and consortium blockchain in order to realize the secure storage of medical cyber physical data by the tamper-resistant and sharing of blockchain technology. In the system, a threshold signature system based on blockhain is also proposed. Aiming at the situation that medical accidents are easy to occur in multidisciplinary joint consultation in the medical process, this paper proposes to use threshold signature for joint consultation. Using the security and threshold of threshold signature, treatment can be carried out when the threshold number is reached, and medical data can be uploaded to the consortium blockchain. The security analysis and performance analysis show that the scheme has advantages in safety and performance and is suitable for the medical environment to a certain extent.
Characteristics of Spiral Patterns Formed by Coaxial Interference between Two Vortex Beams with Different Radii of Wavefront Curvatures

Spiral pattern is formed for coaxial interference between two vortex beams with different radii of wavefront curvatures and different topological charges (TCs). A theoretical model considering various parameters (such as phase difference, radius of wavefront curvature, and TCs) is established to predict all kinds of interference patterns. An improved Mach-Zehnder interferometer is set up in an experiment to generate different kinds of spiral patterns and verify the theoretical model. The number of spiral lobes is determined by the absolute value of TCs’ difference between two vortex beams, and the twist direction relates to the sign of TCs’ difference and the difference of reciprocals for the radii of wavefront curvature, clockwise for the same sign, and counterclockwise for the opposite signs. The twist direction of the spiral pattern reverses and the lobes direction near the core of the pattern changes obviously when the spherical wave changes from convergence to divergence.
Individual citizens' resilience to disasters caused by floods: a case study of Belgrade

Due to the increasing frequency and variety of disasters caused by floods and their effect on people, environment, material, and cultural goods, there is an unavoidable need to improve the security of citizens through innovative solutions to improve Serbian citizens' resilience to such disasters. The subject of the research is a comprehensive examination of the levels and factors that affect the level of individual resilience of the citizens of Belgrade to the consequences of disasters caused by floods. By applying the quantitative research tradition, citizens' attitudes about their level of resilience and the level of resilience of society were examined. The survey was conducted using a requested questionnaire and collected online among 377 respondents during May 2020. The research results show relationships between the diversity of characteristics, experiences, and levels of education with the level of individual resilience of citizens to flood disasters. As previously said, the research implications are connected to the establishment of preconditions for the design and execution of various programs, initiatives, and campaigns that would improve the situation in the region.
Effects of sacrificial oxidation on surface properties of n- and p-type 4H-SiC: implications for metal contact behaviors

A comparative investigation on the effects of sacrificial oxidation (SO) on the surface properties of n- and p-type 4H-SiC has been conducted by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and deep level transient spectroscopy. For n-type 4H-SiC, the surface Fermi level is unpinned and shifts towards conduction band edge due to significant reduction of surface contaminants and removal of surface defects by SO. For p-type 4H-SiC, the surface contamination is also reduced with a shift of Fermi level towards valance band edge after SO. However, a high density of carbon interstitials related defects is likely to be generated close to the valance band during the oxidation. Pronounced Fermi level pinning may be still present with surface states density higher than 1.65 × 1012 cm−2 eV−1. The implications of SO on the electrical behaviors of metal contacts to n- and p-type 4H-SiC have been proposed.
A Three lncRNA Set: AC009975.1, POTEH-AS1 and AL390243.1 as Nodal Efficacy Biomarker of Neoadjuvant Therapy for HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer

Purpose The study aimed to explore whether the expression of lncRNAs in primary tumors could predict nodal efficacy after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for HER2+ breast cancer. Methods Total RNA was extracted from HER2+ breast cancer tissues before NAT (n=103) and from 48 pairs of cancers and para-cancers tissues that did not receive NAT. Different lncRNAs were selected by microarray, validated by qPCR, and analyzed to illuminate their potential as nodal efficacy biomarkers after NAT. Results Our results demonstrated that three lncRNA sets, lncRNA-AL390243.1, POTEH-AS1, and lncRNA-AC009975.1, were up-regulated in non-apCR tissues. The AUC value was 0.789 (95%CI: 0.703-0.876). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the expression of lncRNA-AL390243.1 (OR 5.143; 95% CI: 1.570-16.847), tumor type (OR 0.144; 95% CI: 0.024-0.855), and nodal stage (OR 0.507; 95% CI: 0.289-0.888) as independent predictors for apCR after NAT in HER2+ patients (all p<0.05). Then the three predictors were used to create a predictive nomogram. The AUC value was 0.859 (95%CI: 0.790-0.929). The calibration curve showed a satisfactory fit between predictive and actual observation based on internal validation with a bootstrap resampling frequency of 1000. Patients with higher expression of lncRNA-AL390243.1 had worse survival. LncRNA-AL390243.1 was up-regulated more in the nodal positive subgroup than in the nodal negative subgroup (p=0.0271). Conclusion The lncRNA-AL390243.1, POTEH-AS1, and lncRNA-AC009975.1 were upregulated in non-apCR breast cancer tissues. These three lncRNAs might have the potential to be used as predictive biomarkers of nodal efficacy of HER2+ breast cancer. Further studies are required to illuminate the underlying molecular mechanisms further.
Use of Lachancea thermotolerans for Biological vs. Chemical Acidification at Pilot-Scale in White Wines from Warm Areas

Climate change is affecting vineyards, resulting in grapes with a low acidity a high pH and sugar at harvest time. The most common procedure so far to improve the acidity and reduce the final pH of wines is to use tartaric acid, but wine can also be acidified microbiologically using Lachancea thermotolerans yeasts, a natural bio-tool that acidifies gradually during the first stage/days of fermentation. Two strains of L. thermotolerans were compared with one Saccharomyces cerevisiae at a pilot-scale under similar fermentation conditions and in duplicate. A sequential inoculation was performed on the third day for the non-Saccharomyces, producing only about 1 g/L of lactic acid, which was suitable for comparison with the Saccharomyces, to which 1.5 g/L of tartaric acid had been added to lower the final pH. The three fermentations ended with a total acidity without significant differences. A significant and normal feature of the L. thermotolerans yeasts is their higher propane-1,2,3-triol production, which was observed in the Laktia yeast, and the acetic acid was <0.3 g/L. The amount of volatile metabolites was generally higher for non-Saccharomyces and the increase was seen in carbonyl compounds, organic acids, lactones, fumaric compounds, and phenols. Finally, the sensory analysis showed that there were hardly any significant differences, even though the non-Saccharomyces had a higher quantity of volatile metabolites, which could lead to a good acceptance of the product, since biological acidification was used, generating a more natural product.
The Bees Algorithm Tuned Sliding Mode Control for Load Frequency Control in Two-Area Power System

This paper proposes a design of Sliding Mode Control (SMC) for Load Frequency Control (LFC) in a two-area electrical power system. The mathematical model design of the SMC is derived based on the parameters of the investigated system. In order to achieve the optimal use of the proposed controller, an optimisation tool called the Bees Algorithm (BA) is suggested in this work to tune the parameters of the SMC. The dynamic performance of the power system with SMC employed for LFC is studied by applying a load disturbance of 0.2 pu in area one. To validate the supremacy of the proposed controller, the results are compared with those of recently published works based on Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) tuned by Teaching–Learning-Based Optimisation (TLBO) algorithm and the traditional PID optimised by Lozi map-based Chaotic Optimisation Algorithm (LCOA). Furthermore, the robustness of SMC-based BA is examined against parametric uncertainties of the electrical power system by simultaneous changes in certain parameters of the testbed system with 40% of their nominal values. Simulation results prove the superiority and the robustness of the proposed SMC as an LFC system for the investigated power system.
Atom-economical, room-temperature, and high-efficiency synthesis of polyamides via a three-component polymerization involving benzoxazines, odorless isocyanides, and water

A novel octylphosphonic acid (OPA)-catalyzed, high-efficiency, three-component polymerization system involving benzoxazines, odorless isocyanides, and water was developed to synthesize polyamide derivatives with satisfactory molecular weights. This polymerization system showed the advantages of atom-economy, wide substrate scope, short reaction time (6 h), atmosphere-insensitivity, and mild reaction conditions (metal-free catalyst and room temperature).