Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suppression of globular cluster formation in metal-poor gas clouds by Lyman α radiation feedback

We study the impact of Ly$\alpha$ radiation feedback on globular cluster (GC) formation. In this Letter, we analytically derive the relation between star formation efficiency (SFE) and metallicity in spherical clouds with the Ly$\alpha$ radiation feedback. Our models show that the SFE becomes small as the metallicity decreases. In metal-poor gas clouds, Ly$\alpha$ photons are trapped for a long time and exert strong radiation force to the gas, resulting in the suppression of star formation. We find that bound star-clusters (SFE $\gtrsim$ 0.5) form only for the metallicity higher than $\sim 10^{-2.5}~Z_{\odot}$ in the case with the initial cloud mass $10^5~{\rm M}_\odot$ and the radius 5 pc. Our models successfully reproduce the lower bound of observed metallicity of GCs. Thus, we suggest that the Ly$\alpha$ radiation feedback can be essential in understanding the formation of GCs.
Age and Gender Perspectives on Social Media and Technology Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Few studies have examined social media and technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Therefore, the main research question and objective of this study was to examine similarities and differences in the influences of mobile technology and social media use on Canadians among different age groups and across gender during the COVID-19 pandemic. From June through October 2021, 204 persons completed a 72-item online survey. Survey questions encompassed COVID-19 pandemic experiences and technology use. Standardized measures including the Psychological Wellbeing measure, eHeals, and the UCLA V3 Loneliness scale were collected to examine the psychological influences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that males under 50 years were most likely to self-isolate compared to the other demographic results of the study. Males reported using technology less than females but were more likely to report using technology to share information regarding COVID-19. Respondents under 50 years were also more likely to use smartphones/mobile phones as their most used mobile technology device, whereas respondents over 50 were more split between smartphones/mobile phones and computers/tablets as their most used device. Males scored higher on the UCLA loneliness scale and lower on the Psychological Wellbeing sub-scores compared to females. Further research should explore additional demographics in relation to broader aspects of digital skills across different age groups.
The Effect of Salinity Stress on Enzyme Activities, Histology, and Transcriptome of Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

Simple Summary Salinity is a key environmental driver for many aquatic animals and can regulate biological characteristics such as growth, reproductive behavior, and survival. Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is an economically and ecologically important fish species in China. In the current study, we compared juvenile silver carp in freshwater versus brackish water (6‰ salinity) to determine differences in antioxidant enzyme vitality index activity (SOD, CAT, GSH-PX), Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), histology, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) toward achieving comprehensive understanding of the physiology, ecological habits, and salinity tolerance mechanisms of this species. A theoretical basis for the establishment of the brackish water aquaculture in saline–alkali land may be framed by advancing and perfecting the fundamental biological research in silver carp. Abstract A 56-day study was performed to examine the effect of freshwater (FW) and brackish water (BW 6‰ salinity) on the antioxidant ability, Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activities, histology, and transcriptome of the gill and kidney tissue in juvenile silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). The results show that when juvenile silver carp were exposed to 6‰ salinity, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were shown to be substantially increased (p < 0.05), while glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities in gill were not significantly affected (p < 0.05). In kidney tissue, SOD, CAT, and GSH-PX, enzyme activities peaked at 24, 8, and 4 h, respectively, but were not significantly different compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, significant effects of salinity were observed for the NKA level in both the gills and kidney tissues (p < 0.05). The gill filaments of juvenile silver carp under the BW group all underwent adverse changes within 72 h, such as cracks and ruptures in the main part of the gill filaments, bending of the gill lamellae and enlargement of the gaps, and an increase in the number of mucus and chloride-secreting cells. Transcriptome sequencing showed 171 and 261 genes in the gill and kidney tissues of juvenile silver carp compared to the BW group, respectively. Based on their gene ontology annotations, transcripts were sorted into four functional gene groups, each of which may play a role in salt tolerance. Systems involved in these processes include metabolism, signal transduction, immunoinflammatory response, and ion transport. The above findings indicate that the regulation processes in juvenile silver carp under brackish water conditions are complex and multifaceted. These processes and mechanisms shed light on the regulatory mechanism of silver carp osmolarity and provide a theoretical foundation for future research into silver carp growth in brackish water aquaculture area.
Information on forage fish ages from otoliths collected in avian stomach contents

Otolith analysis allows studying multiple aspects of fish biology, including age estimation; however, otoliths collected from avian stomach content have not been used to estimate the age of ingested fish. We evaluated the potential ability to estimate the age of Pacific sardine ( Sardinops sagax ) from otoliths collected from blue-footed booby ( Sula nebouxii ) stomach contents sampled in the Galapagos Islands. Blue-footed boobies were selected because they mostly forage close to their colony (<100 m) and were, therefore, more likely to have almost intact otoliths. To estimate age, we employed three previously developed methods for otoliths. We then related these estimates to the fish's standard length and compared these relations statistically using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to determine which method was most parsimonious. We collected 32 otoliths in relatively good condition, of which we aged 31 with the surface-reading method, 26 with the otolith weight method, and 29 with the posterior otolith length method. Average ages obtained with the otolith methods were 5.6 ± 1.7 yr (± standard deviation), 5.7 ± 2.0 yr, and 3.9 ± 1.5 yr, respectively. Estimates obtained with the otolith weight method had the highest correlation with standard length and the lowest AIC values of the three suggesting it was the best method for aging. Our results indicate that aging otoliths extracted from bird stomachs are possible; however, their use depends on the availability of previously developed methods and how digested the fish are when the birds return to the colony.
National Trends in Prevalence of Depression in Men and Women with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospitalized in Spain, 2016–2020

(1) Background: To describe trends in the prevalence of depression in men and women with COPD hospitalized in Spain (2016–2020). (2) Methods: We used a nationwide discharge database to select all patients ≥35 years with COPD. (3) Results: The prevalence of depression was 3.54-times higher in women with COPD than in men (OR 3.54; 95%CI 3.48–3.6). It decreased significantly between 2016 and 2020, although the reduction was only significant in women (12.27% in 2016 vs. 10.56% in 2020). Older age, comorbidity and the most recent years of hospital admission were associated with lower prevalence of depression in both men and women, while obesity, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and use of oxygen prior to admission were risk factors. In-hospital mortality (IHM) increased significantly over time. Older age, comorbidity, the use of oxygen prior to admission and having been hospitalized in 2020 increased the risk of IHM. Female sex was associated with a lower IHM in patients with depression and COPD. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of depression has decreased over time in women with COPD while it has not changed significantly in men with this disease. IHM increased over time both in men and women with COPD and depression, with higher prevalence in the former.
Quantum Chemistry Calculations on a Trapped-Ion Quantum Simulator

Quantum-classical hybrid algorithms are emerging as promising candidates for near-term practical applications of quantum information processors in a wide variety of fields ranging from chemistry to physics and materials science. We report on the experimental implementation of such an algorithm to solve a quantum chemistry problem, using a digital quantum simulator based on trapped ions. Specifically, we implement the variational quantum eigensolver algorithm to calculate the molecular ground state energies of two simple molecules and experimentally demonstrate and compare different encoding methods using up to four qubits. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of measurement noise as well as mitigation strategies and indicate the potential for adaptive implementations focused on reaching chemical accuracy, which may serve as a cross-platform benchmark for multi-qubit quantum simulators.
Does the Student Feel Bothered by COVID-19 News?

COVID-19 pandemic generated copious amounts of news regarding COVID-19 that is circulating among the public. Both positive (e.g., vaccine development) and negative (e.g., COVID-19 cases increase) news affect emotional states on an individual level, specifically for the student in higher education. They are struggling in challenging situations while adapting to online learning, which is not easy for them. This study aims to gain knowledge and gather empirical data on the COVID-19 news impact on young adult students in one of the public universities in West Java, Indonesia. We used an experimental approach in this study. Sixty participants were randomly assigned into control and experiment (i.e., being exposed to COVID-19 news) groups. Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule was used to measure participants' emotional state before and after the experiment. This study shows that COVID-19 news significantly decreases participants’ positive affect when participants have personal experience with COVID-19. Therefore, information sharing regarding COVID-19 has to be done with caution to protect individual emotional states during the pandemic. The student also should restrict the abundant information relating to COVID-19 to maintain their positive emotional state.
Quantum electronic circuit simulation of generalized sine-Gordon models

Investigation of strongly interacting, nonlinear quantum field theories (QFT-s) remains one of the outstanding challenges of modern physics. Here, we describe analog quantum simulators for nonlinear QFT-s using mesoscopic superconducting circuit lattices. Using the Josephson effect as the source of nonlinear interaction, we investigate generalizations of the quantum sine-Gordon model. In particular, we consider a two-field generalization, the double sine-Gordon model. In contrast to the sine-Gordon model, this model can be purely quantum integrable, when it does not admit a semi-classical description - a property that is generic to many multi-field QFT-s. The primary goal of this work is to investigate different thermodynamic properties of the double sine-Gordon model and propose experiments that can capture its subtle quantum integrability. First, we analytically compute the mass-spectrum and the ground state energy in the presence of an external `magnetic' field using Bethe ansatz and conformal perturbation theory. Second, we calculate the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations for the model and analyze its finite temperature properties. Third, we propose experiments to verify the theoretical predictions.
Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Treatment Induces Rice Resistance to Sheath Blight through Jasmonic Acid Pathway

Using bioactive inducers to enhance rice resistance is an effective means of green prevention and control of diseases during rice production. In a previous study, we found that foliar sprays of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as the bioactive inducer could remarkably reduce the occurrence index of rice sheath blight (ShB) Rhizoctonia solani and increase the grain yield of rice under field conditions. However, little information is available on the mechanism of PQQ-induced rice resistance to ShB. In this study, the phenotype and mechanism of foliar sprayed PQQ-induced rice resistance to ShB were investigated by artificial inoculation method, RNA-seq technology, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay in the laboratory. The results showed that at 144 h after inoculation (hai) with the ShB C30 strain, many disease spots occurred obviously in a susceptible variety, Lemont (L), treated by 1.0 μmol/L PQQ (P+) with the disease score (DS) of 4.36, and almost all plants were withered and died under the ddH2O (P−) treatment alone, with the DS of 8.39. By comparison, the DS of a resistant variety, Gaopin 6 (G), was only 0.88 in the P+ treatment and 3.82 in the P− treatment. The results of hormone determination showed that jasmonic acid (JA) contents in the G and L varieties treated by P+ were increased significantly, by 78% and 197% respectively, at 48 hai. There was no significant difference in salicylic acid (SA) contents in these varieties between P+ and ddH2O (P−) treatments during the period of 48 hai. These results suggest that JA may play a key role in PQQ-induced rice resistance to ShB. The transcriptome analysis of the leaf sheath of the G and L varieties indicated that 165 and 250 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the intersection of LP− vs. LP+ and GP− vs. GP+ at 24 and 48 hai, respectively. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis showed that these DEGs were related to plant–pathogen interaction, ribosome, plant hormone signaling transduction, mitogen-activated protein kinas signaling pathway, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. For ten highly expressed genes related to disease resistance, the results of qRT-PCR assay showed that eight genes, especially OsAOS2 and OsOSM1, were regulated positively, and two genes, OsGF14e and OsWRKY72, were regulated negatively. Among these, four up-regulated genes, OsOSM1, OsAOS2, OsHI-LOX, and OsLOX1, and one down-regulated gene, OsWRKY72, belonging to the JA signaling pathway, may be involved in PQQ-induced rice resistance to ShB. These results provide valuable information for green prevention and control of ShB by PQQ foliar spraying in the field.
THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC TIME-RESTRICED FEEDING THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC TIME-RESTRICED FEEDING AND EXERCISE ON MUSCLE IRON HOMEOSTASIS: A PILOT AND EXERCISE ON MUSCLE IRON HOMEOSTASIS: A PILOT STUDY STUDY

Background: Iron is an essential mineral required for multiple metabolic actions in precise concentrations to avoid oxidative toxicity. Recent evidence suggests a novel nutrient-sensitive myokine, erythroferrone, may also act as a systemic iron regulator. This pilot study aims to investigate whether the duration of regular fasting lengths prior to exercise influences erythroferrone and muscle iron uptake. Methods: C57BL6 mice were divided into 3 groups with feeding windows relative to exercise: 1) ad libitum ; 2) 6 hour window immediately post-exercise; 3) 6 hour window 5 hours post-exercise. Mice were exercised 5 days per week (Monday-Friday) for 8 weeks. Quadriceps erythroferrone and transferrin receptor-1 was assessed via PCR. Soleus sections were stained with a modified Perls’ stain for iron content. Results: Erythroferrone and transferrin expression was not different between groups. Soleus iron content did not differ between groups. Conclusion: Fasting length prior to exercise does not seem to influence muscle iron content.
Biological characteristics of the heterotrophic marine microalgae Thraustochytrium pachydermum TSL10 isolated from the sea area of Truong Sa Archipelago, Vietnam

The sea area of the Truong Sa Archipelago, Vietnam - outpost island region of the country has a special geographical location and plays an important role in economic development as well as security and defense of Vietnam. Here, the first time for isolation of heterotrophic marine microalgae is precious. In this paper, the results on isolation, identification, and selection of suitable culture conditions of the strain Thraustochytrium pachydermum TSL10 isolated from the sea area of Spratly Island, Truong Sa Archipelago, Vietnam in 2021 were presented. The optimal culture conditions for the growth of T. pachydermum TSL10 in the flask were M1 medium, 3% glucose, 1% yeast extract and 25 - 28 °C temperature. Dry biomass and lipid content reached the highest levels of 12.54 ± 1.23 g/L and 28.65 ± 1.11 % dry cell weight (DCW), respectively. In a 30 L fermentor, T. pachydermum TSL10 grew well in a medium containing 9% glucose and 1% industrial extract yeast. After 120 hours of cultivation, dry biomass, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, carotenoids, and astaxanthin reached the highest levels of 30.76 ± 1.32 g/L; 22.95 ± 0.28% DCW; 6.65 ± 0.19% DCW, 15.96 ± 0.021% DCW, 178.00 ± 2.43 µg/L, and 8.30 ± 0.28 µg/L, respectively. The fatty acid composition contains mainly omega - 6 and omega - 9 fatty acids, accounting for 21.69% of total fatty acids (TFA) and 34.56% of TFA. The fatty acid profile was mainly dominated by linoleic acid and oleic acid, accounting for 21.54% of TFA and 34.23% of TFA, respectively. The results showed that TSL10 biomass was suitable raw material for screening bioactive compounds.
Quantifying quantum discord and entanglement of formation via unified purifications

We propose a scheme to evaluate the amount of quantum discord and entanglement of formation for mixed states and reveal their ordering relation via an intrinsic relationship between the two quantities distributed in the purification of different states. This approach enables us to achieve analytical expressions of the two measures for some quantum states, such as an arbitrary two-qubit density matrix reduced from pure three-qubit states and a class of rank-2 mixed states of 4x2 systems. Moreover, we apply the scheme to characterize fully the dynamic behavior of quantum correlations for the specified physical systems under decoherence.
The Evaluation of Ammonia/Hydrogen Combustion on the H Permeation and Embrittlement of Nickel-Base Superalloys

Recent studies exploring ammonia as a green hydrogen energy carrier have established its suitability for a variety of combustion technologies including gas turbines, furnaces, and internal combustion engines. Of significant interest are ammonia/hydrogen blends, which possess combustion benefits over pure ammonia, including an extended stability range and higher laminar burning velocity. Despite extensive research characterising the flame properties of these blends, very few studies explore the suitability of existing materials for the manufacture of ammonia/hydrogen combustors. The present study evaluates the impact of ammonia/hydrogen flame chemistry on the H permeation and possible loss of ductility of nickel-superalloys through exposing the samples to pure methane and ammonia/hydrogen flames at atmospheric pressure for a 5-hour period. The effect of the two flame compositions on the materials are compared through thermal desorption analysis (TDA) and room temperature tensile testing. The results showed that exposure to an ammonia/hydrogen combustion environment led to hydrogen being absorbed by the nickel superalloys but a possible variation in ductility is influenced by the combustion conditions. Furthermore, the formation of an oxide layer was shown to likely impact the hydrogen absorption rate of the materials. This work shows that ammonia/hydrogen flame chemistry on combustor materials should not be ignored and warrants further studies on material’s mechanical and environmental stability controlled by nitrogen and hydrogen species permeating at industrially relevant conditions.
Reflecting the changing world of work? A critique of existing survey measures and a proposal for capturing new ways of working

In recent decades we have seen significant and varied changes in the world of work. Most prominent among these is the diminishing prevalence of the standard employment relationship. These changes challenge traditional notions of what constitute ‘employment’, ‘employers’, ‘employees’, the ‘workplace’ and the ‘working day’. Many current survey instruments are still based on the concept of the standard employment relationship, however. This article illustrates some limitations of existing conceptualisations and definitions of flexible work arrangements and of the instruments used to measure them in major surveys. It also suggests ways of tackling these limitations. The aim of highlighting potential limitations of existing survey instruments is to enable data users to be more reflective about what the results actually do and do not report, and to encourage survey designers to modify existing instruments and develop new instruments to better capture contemporary realities, including multiple jobholding and internet and platform work.
Exceptional Field Theory I: $E_{6(6)}$ covariant Form of M-Theory and Type IIB

We present the details of the recently constructed $E_{6(6)}$ covariant extension of 11-dimensional supergravity. This theory requires a 5+27 dimensional spacetime in which the `internal' coordinates transform in the $\bar{\bf 27}$ of $E_{6(6)}$. All fields are $E_{6(6)}$ tensors and transform under (gauged) internal generalized diffeomorphisms. The `Kaluza-Klein' vector field acts as a gauge field for the $E_{6(6)}$ covariant `E-bracket' rather than a Lie bracket, requiring the presence of two-forms akin to the tensor hierarchy of gauged supergravity. We construct the complete and unique action that is gauge invariant under generalized diffeomorphisms in the internal and external coordinates. The theory is subject to covariant section constraints on the derivatives, implying that only a subset of the extra 27 coordinates is physical. We give two solutions of the section constraints: the first preserves GL(6) and embeds the action of the complete (i.e. untruncated) 11-dimensional supergravity; the second preserves GL(5) x SL(2) and embeds complete type IIB supergravity. As a by-product, we thus obtain an off-shell action for type IIB supergravity.