Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developing a peer supported feedback model that enhances oral proficiency in French

This article investigates the process of development for a novel online peer-supported approach that enhances oral proficiency in French at an Australian university to cope with ever more complex challenges. These challenges include students with mixed ability in the same class, reduced teaching resources and student surveys identifying a lack of speaking practice affecting confidence and performance in oral assessments. A related aim of the present study was to facilitate assessment literacy of our students by encouraging them to make links between the skills practised in class and the requirements for the final oral summative assessment. Methodology draws on educational practice influenced by a social constructivist approach to develop a learning model using online peer feedback, where more advanced learners support less experienced peers outside the formal classroom. Preliminary results reveal that although the model was deemed to be ‘generally effective’ in enhancing speaking skills and developing a better understanding of assessment literacy, it needs to enable learners to build their meta-skills across the three-year degree program to be truly effective. The conclusion explores further development and expansion of the learning approach across the French undergraduate program and makes future recommendations.
Measurement of strong photon recycling in ultra‐thin GaAs n/p junctions monolithically integrated in high‐photovoltage vertical epitaxial heterostructure architectures with conversion efficiencies exceeding 60%

Photon‐recycling effects are studied experimentally in photovoltaic power converting III–V semiconductor devices designed with the vertical epitaxial heterostructure architecture (VEHSA). The responsivity of VEHSA structures with multiple thin GaAs n/p junctions is measured for various optical input powers and for different wavelength detuning values with respect to the peak of the spectral response. While the detuning of the optical excitation decreases the external quantum efficiency and the responsivity at low input powers, this study demonstrates that at high optical intensities, a large fraction of the performance can be recovered despite significant detuning values. The photon coupling effects therefore broaden the spectral range for which the VEHSA devices convert high‐power optical inputs with high efficiencies into an electrical output having a preset voltage. The devices exhibit a near optimum responsivity of up to 0.645 A/W for tuned excitation conditions or at high optical intensities for spectral detuning values of up to ∼25 nm and corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of ∼94%. Efficiencies of 62.0% and 61.8% have been obtained for current‐matched excitations and for a detuning of >10 nm, respectively. An output power of 5.87 W is reported and an open circuit voltage enhancement of 92 meV per n/p junction is measured compared to a device with a side by side planar architecture. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Multi-centred hydrogen bonds between water and perchlorate anion

ABSTRACT Results of classical molecular dynamics simulations are presented for the re-orientational dynamics of water hydrogen bonded to perchlorate anion. Different mechanisms of bond formation are presented. Due to its regular tetrahedron geometry the perchlorate anion can make classical as well as bifurcated and trifurcated hydrogen bonds. The angular variation of water in the first solvation shell of perchlorate suggests the transitional character of multi-centred hydrogen bonds. As a result water molecules can slide around the anion.
An in situ extraction and derivatization method for rapid analysis of short-chain fatty acids in rat fecal samples by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are major products of gut microbial fermentation and changes in their levels in a biological system reflect the progress of various diseases. However, analysis of SCFAs in biological samples is limited due to their easy loss during sample workup, their low concentrations, and the coexistence of matrices. In this study, we developed a feasible method for the analysis of SCFAs in rat fecal samples using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) combined with an in situ extraction and derivatization method. More specifically, in situ extraction and derivatization were applied for the determination of SCFAs using tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (TBAHS) and pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr). TBAHS concentration and pH values, as well as the temperature and time of the derivatization reaction were effectively optimized. Moreover, the proposed process reduced the analysis time and limited the loss of SCFAs during the sample workup. It also improved their peak shapes and resulted in longer GC retentions and high sensitivity in MS detection. Use of GC-MS/MS could offer high sensitivity and selectivity for SCFA-PFB derivatives in complicated matrix samples by selecting a multiple-ion reaction monitoring (MRM) transition ion at m/z 181 that corresponds to the [PFB]+ ion. The established method was also validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs), and matrix effects. It was proved to be linear (r2 > 0.997), with lower LODs of 5–24 ng mL−1, and lower LOQs of 0.05–0.1 μg mL−1 for all SCFAs. The proposed method will be useful for the determination of SCFAs in rat fecal samples and for the clinical diagnosis of various diseases.
Ultra-thin ultraviolet cathodoluminescent device based on exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride

The need for highly efficient devices with longer operating lives in the blue wavelength region is increasing. Herein, we showed that hexagonal boron nitride, as a blue luminescent material, is promising because it is a wide bandgap semiconductor with very high thermal and chemical stabilities and can be used in devices operating under extreme conditions. Specifically, through the highly luminous properties of exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (Exf-hBN), a blue emission device equipped with a field-emission array using carbon nanotube as an excitation source was fabricated and its stable operation has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the cathodoluminescent device is thinner than conventional lamps when using the ultra-thin Exf-hBN film and graphene as an electrode. The blue fluorescence of Exf-hBN may allow new devices to be developed with extraordinary properties for applications from optoelectronics to biotechnological devices.
Selective accrual and dynamics of proteinaceous compounds during pedogenesis: testing source and sink selection hypotheses

The emerging evidence of preferential accumulation and long residence time of proteinaceous compounds in soil are counter to the traditional view that their structure is readily broken down through microbial activity. The shift in thinking of their residence time is, however, heavily influenced by physical and chemical protections in soil, representing an important change for understanding global biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycling. We investigated the accumulation patterns of proteinogenic amino acids for a long term (thousands of years) related to their sources and sinks. We found clear patterns of change in the amino acids in a 4000 year-chronosequence adjacent to Lake Michigan, USA (Michigan chronosequence) and they were tightly related to the shifts in their biological sources, namely aboveground vegetative community (r=0.66, p<0.0001) and belowground microbial community (r=0.71, p<0.0001). Results also showed great variations of approximately 49% between seasons (summer and winter). Moreover, seasonal dynamic patterns (22% variations) of the amino acids in soil mineral associated fraction were rather counter to the conceptual view that it represents a slow soil organic pool with long residence times. The amino acids enriched in the mineral associated fraction, (e.g., positively charged, aromatic, and sulfur containing amino acids), tended to preferentially accumulate in whole soil pool during the 4000 years of ecosystem development. Their interaction with soil minerals, therefore, may play a
Establishing Chemical Mechanisms And Estimating Phase State Of Secondary Organic Aerosol From Atmospherically Relevant Organic Precursors

Organic aerosol (OA) is a ubiquitous component of atmospheric particulate that influences both human health and global climate. A large fraction of OA is secondary in nature (SOA), being produced by oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Despite the integral role of SOA in atmospheric processes, there remains a limited scientific understanding of the chemical and physical changes induced in SOA as it ages in the atmosphere. This thesis describes work done to increase the knowledge of processes and properties of atmospherically relevant SOA. In the work presented in this thesis, I have worked on improving an existing innovative, soft ionization aerosol mass spectrometer and utilized it to establish chemical mechanisms for oxidation of atmospherically relevant organic precursors (i.e., Green Leaf Volatiles). I discovered that SOA formation from cis-3-hexen-1-ol is dominated by oligomer and higher molecular weight products, whereas the acetate functionality in cis-3hexenylacetate inhibited oligomer formation, resulting in SOA that is dominated by low molecular weight products. One of the most important factors contributing to uncertainties in our estimations of SOA mass in the atmosphere, remains our basic assumption that atmospheric SOA is liquid-like, which we have found to be untrue. Hence, I developed a methodology to estimate the phase state of SOA and identified new parameters that can have significant influence on the phase state of atmospheric aerosol. This simplified method eliminates the need for a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and directly measures Bounce Factor (BF) of polydisperse SOA using only one multi-stage cascade Electrostatic Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI). The novel method allows for the real time determination of SOA phase state, permitting studies of the relationship between SOA phase, oxidative formation and chemical aging in the atmosphere. I demonstrated that SOA mass loading (CSOA) influences the phase state significantly. Results show that under nominally identical conditions, the maximum BF decreases by approximately 30% at higher CSOA and suggests that extrapolation of experiments not conducted at atmospherically relevant SOA levels to simulate the chemical properties may not yield results that are relevant to our natural environment. My work has provided a better understanding of the mechanisms of aerosol formation at atmospheric concentrations, which is necessary to understand its physical properties. This improved understanding is fundamental to accurately model aerosol formation in the atmosphere, and subsequently evaluate their large-scale effect on human health and environment.
Negotiating Educational Migration and Gender in a Chinese Malaysian family Viola Thimm

Over the past two decades, Singapore has steadily become a popular destination for migrants. While the reasons for migrating to Singapore are many and contextual, labour and education have been the primary driving factors for attracting migrants from around the world to Singapore. Although a popular migrants’ destination, education and migration policies in Singapore are often gendered, and are negotiated along and across other axes of identification and differentiation such as ethnicity and ideas of ‘modernity’. This article analyses gendered educational migration from Malaysia to Singapore focusing particularly on how educational migration leads to female self-transformation. Specifically, I argue that social actors negotiate educational migration within their gendered family constellations. The article first contextualises the empirical material by illustrating socio-historical processes in Singapore and Malaysia. In the next sections, I discuss my ethnographic methods and examine a brief history of the state of research in gender and educational migration. In conclusion, I offer a significant contribution to the growing and important body of scholarship on gender and transnational families by illustrating how gender is negotiated in migration using the case of a single Chinese woman’s migration journey to becoming a ‘modern woman’.
Influence of Atorvastatin on Plasma Atherogenic Biomarkers

Patients (n = 40) with hypercholesterolaemia (29 females), mean age 63 years, without previous lipid lowering treatment, were treated with atorvastatin 40 mg/day for 3 months. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C subfractions (large LDL-C and small dense LDL-C particles), apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1), apolipoprotein B (apo B), apo B/apo A1 ratio, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), haematological parameters including mean platelet volume (MPV), and red cell distribution width (RDW) and safety parameters (renal and hepatic function) were measured before and after 12 weeks of atorvastatin treatment. Atorvastatin significantly reduced small dense LDL (sdLDL) fraction 3–7 and apo B. There was a negative correlation of AIP with buoyant LDL 1–2 (r = −0.35; p < 0.05) and positive with small dense LDL 3–7 (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). Administration of atorvastatin 40 mg/day in patients with hypercholesterolaemia caused a shift in small dense LDL subfractions to large, buoyant subfractions. AIP correlated better with small dense LDL than apo B levels. At baseline, a strong correlation between HDL-C, TG, small dense LDL-C, apo B, apo B/apo A1 and AIP with MPV was found. After 12 weeks of treatment with atorvastatin, MPV and RDW values underwent significant modification only in those patients displaying the strongest lipidlowering effect. Values of MPV and RDW seem to reflect a pro-atherogenic lipoprotein profile mainly represented by the presence of small dense LDL-C. No serious atorvastatin adverse events were noted.
COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among healthcare workers in Germany

Background Vaccination hesitancy is a serious threat to achieve herd immunity in a global and rapidly changing pandemic situation. Health care workers play a key role in the treatment of patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and in promoting vaccination in the general population. The aim of the study was to provide data on COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and barriers among healthcare workers in Germany to support health policymakers choosing specific vaccination campaign strategies. Methods An online survey was conducted among health care workers in Germany in February 2021. The survey included 55 items on demographics, previous vaccination behavior, trust in vaccines, physicians, pharma industry, and health politics as well as fear of adverse effects, assumptions on disease consequences, knowledge about vaccines, information seeking behavior and a short COVID-19 vaccine knowledge test. Results A total of 4500 surveys could be analyzed. The overall vaccination acceptance was 91.7%. The age group [≤]20 years showed the lowest vaccination acceptance of all age groups. Regarding professional groups, residents showed the highest vaccination acceptance. Main factors for vaccination hesitancy were lack of trust in authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Personal and professional environment influenced the attitude towards a vaccination too. Participants with vaccination hesitancy were more likely to obtain information about COVID-19 vaccines via messenger services or online video platforms and underperformed in the knowledge test. Conclusions In conclusion, we found a high acceptance rate amongst German health care workers. Furthermore, several factors associated with vaccination hesitancy were identified which could be targeted in vaccination campaigns.
Does the Arabidopsis proton gradient regulation5 Mutant Leak Protons from the Thylakoid Membrane?

Despite generating an obvious mutant phenotype, whether the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) proton gradient regulation5 (pgr5) mutation influences cyclic electron transport (CET) around PSI is a topic of debate. Results of electrochromic shift analysis show that proton conductivity across the thylakoid membrane (gH+) in the pgr5 mutant is enhanced at high light intensity. Given this observation, PGR5 was proposed to regulate ATP synthase activity rather than mediating CET. The originally reported pgr5 phenotype reflects a smaller proton motive force (pmf) and could be explained by this H+ leakage model. In this study, we genetically reexamined the high-gH+ phenotype of the pgr5 mutant. Transgenic lines in which flavodiiron protein-dependent pseudo-CET replaced PGR5-dependent CET had wild-type levels of gH+, suggesting that the high-gH+ phenotype in pgr5 plants is caused secondarily by the low pmf. The pgr1 mutant shows a similar reduction in pmf because of enhanced sensitivity of its cytochrome b6f complex to lumenal acidification. In contrast to the pgr5 mutant, gH+ was lower in the pgr1 mutant than in the wild type. In the pgr1 pgr5 double mutants, gH+ was intermediate to gH+ values of the respective single mutants. It is unlikely that gH+ is upregulated simply in response to a low pmf. We did not observe uncoupling of the thylakoid membrane in the pgr5 mutant upon monitoring the quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence. We conclude that the gH+ parameter may be influenced by other factors not related to the H+ leakage through ATP synthase. It is unlikely that the pgr5 mutant leaks protons from the thylakoid membrane.
Clinical Features of Patients with Active Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Successfully Treated with Mepolizumab

Background: In some patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), remission cannot be induced, despite treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. We evaluated the clinical features of patients with EGPA in whom mepolizumab was effective. Methods: There were 59 EGPA patients treated at Hiratsuka City Hospital, Japan, between April 2018 and September 2020, and 30 of them received mepolizumab. Twenty (66.7%) experienced a “marked effect” (the daily dose of corticosteroid or immunosuppressant could be decreased, or the interval between intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatments could be prolonged) and 10 (33.3%) experienced a “weak effect” (these measures were not achieved). Eosinophil numbers, serum IgG levels, daily doses of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, and the interval between IVIG treatments at diagnosis and before and after mepolizumab initiation were determined. Results: Eosinophil numbers at diagnosis were significantly higher in the marked-effect group than in the weak-effect group (p < 0.05) but not before mepolizumab initiation or at the last visit. Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Scores (BVASs) before mepolizumab initiation (p < 0.05) and at last visit (p < 0.01), and frequency of relapse before treatment initiation (p < 0.05) were significantly higher, and the serum IgG level before mepolizumab treatment was significantly lower in the weak-effect group than in the marked-effect group. The weak-effect group received higher doses of corticosteroids, even if the corticosteroid dose could be reduced for a while after mepolizumab initiation. Conclusion: High peripheral blood eosinophil numbers at EGPA diagnosis were suggestive of a positive clinical response to mepolizumab.
Phytochrome B Is Required for Systemic Stomatal Responses and Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling during Light Stress1[OPEN]

Phytochrome B contributes to a wave of reactive oxygen species as well as local and systemic stomatal aperture closure in response to local excess light stress. Perception of a change in light intensity leads to the activation of multiple physiological, metabolic, and molecular responses in plants. These responses allow acclimation to fluctuating light conditions, e.g. sunflecks in field grown plants, preventing cellular damage associated with excess light stress. Perception of light stress by a single Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf was recently shown to activate different local and systemic responses that include rapid changes in stomatal aperture size; these were found to be coordinated by a systemic process of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-derived ROS production (i.e. the ROS wave). How light intensity is perceived, and how long the ROS wave stays “on” during this process are, however, unknown. Here we show that triggering of the ROS wave by a local excess light stress treatment results in the induction and maintenance of high levels of systemic ROS for up to 6 h. Despite these high systemic ROS levels, stomatal aperture size returns to control size within 3 h, and the systemic stomatal response can be retriggered within 6 h. These findings suggest that the ROS wave triggers a systemic stress memory mechanism that lasts for 3 to 6 h, but that within 3 h of its activation, stomata become insensitive to ROS and open. We further show that the excess light stress-triggered ROS wave, as well as the excess light stress-triggered local and systemic stomatal aperture closure responses, are dependent on phytochrome B function. Our findings reveal a delicate interplay between excess light stress, phytochrome B, ROS production, and rapid systemic stomatal responses.
A Sequence-Indexed Mutator Insertional Library for Maize Functional Genomics Study1[OPEN]

A newly developed maize Mutator insertional library named ChinaMu represents the largest sequence-indexed insertional resource for maize to date. Sequence-indexed insertional libraries are important resources for functional gene study in model plants. However, the maize (Zea mays) UniformMu library covers only 36% of the annotated maize genes. Here, we generated a new sequence-indexed maize Mutator insertional library named ChinaMu through high-throughput sequencing of enriched Mu-tagged sequences. A total of 2,581 Mu F2 lines were analyzed, and 311,924 nonredundant Mu insertion sites were obtained. Based on experimental validation, ChinaMu contains about 97,000 germinal Mu insertions, about twice as many as UniformMu. About two-thirds (66,565) of the insertions are high-quality germinal insertions (positive rate > 90%), 89.6% of which are located in genic regions. Furthermore, 45.7% (20,244) of the 44,300 annotated maize genes are effectively tagged and about two-thirds (13,425) of these genes harbor multiple insertions. We tested the utility of ChinaMu using pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) genes. For published PPR genes with defective kernel phenotypes, 17 out of 20 were tagged, 11 of which had the previously reported mutant phenotype. For 16 unstudied PPR genes with both Mu insertions and defective kernel phenotypes, 6 contained insertions that cosegregated with the mutant phenotype. Our sequence-indexed Mu insertional library provides an important resource for functional genomics study in maize.