Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3-Nitrooxypropanol Decreased Enteric Methane Production From Growing Beef Cattle in a Commercial Feedlot: Implications for Sustainable Beef Cattle Production

Effects of the investigational methane (CH4) inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) on animal performance, health and enteric CH4 production of beef cattle were evaluated in a commercial feedlot. Two concurrent studies were conducted: a large pen study (4,048 cattle, eight pen replicates per experimental group) to measure animal performance and health and a small pen study (a subset of 50 cattle from the large pen study, n = 25 per experimental group) to measure enteric CH4 emissions. Within the study, animals (body weight ± SD, 282 ± 8 kg) were assigned in a completely randomized design to one of two groups: control, fed a backgrounding diet (70% corn or barley silage, 30% steam-flaked barley grain concentrate; dry matter (DM) basis) and 3-NOP, fed the backgrounding diet containing 3-NOP. The treatment group in the large pen study was adapted to 3-NOP (12 ± 3 d) before receiving the final target level of 200 mg/kg of DM, which was fed for 108 ± 8 d. Animals in the small pen CH4 emissions study received a basal diet or a basal diet with 3-NOP, with the dose increased every 28 d: low (150 mg/kg DM; 1.27 g/d), medium (175 mg/kg DM; 2.25 g/d), and high (200 mg/kg DM; 2.75 g/d). Intake in the small pens was monitored by electronic feeding bunks and CH4 was measured using the GreenFeed system. In the large pen study, total weight gained, average daily gain, and animal health variables were not affected by 3-NOP, but DM intake (DMI) tended to decrease (P = 0.06) by 2.6% relative to control (8.07 kg/d), while gain:feed ratio tended to be improved (P = 0.06) by 2.5% relative to control (0.161 kg weight gain/kg DMI). In the small pen study, average daily consumption of 3-NOP increased with inclusion rate whereas average DMI was decreased by 5.4% (P = 0.02) compared with control (10.4 kg/d). On average, addition of 3-NOP decreased (P = 0.001) CH4 emissions (g/d) by 25.7% and yield (g CH4/kg DMI) by 21.7%. In conclusion, supplementing a backgrounding diet with 3-NOP decreased CH4 yield and tended to improve feed efficiency of beef cattle fed in a commercial feedlot with no negative impacts on animal health.
Parasite-Host Interaction and Pathophysiology Studies of the Human Relapsing Malarias Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale Infections in Non-Human Primates

Malaria remains a serious health concern across the globe. Historically neglected, non-Falciparum human malarias were put back on the agenda by a paradigm shift in the fight against malaria from malaria control to malaria eradication. Here, we review the modeling of the relapsing parasites Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) and Plasmodium ovale (P. ovale) in non-human primates with a specific focus on the contribution of these models to our current understanding of the factors that govern parasite-host interactions in P. vivax and P. ovale parasite biology and pathophysiology.
High ideals: the misappropriation and reappropriation of the heroic label in the midst of a global pandemic

The purpose of this article is to offer an alternative, more nuanced analysis of the labelling of frontline workers as heroes than originally proposed. Here, we argue that the hero narrative in itself need not be problematic, but highlight a number of wider factors that have led to the initial rise (and subsequent fall) in support for labelling frontline workers as heroes. Through our related work, we have gathered similar stories from frontline workers where they feel betrayed, let down or otherwise short-changed by the hero label, and we have sought to make sense of this through understanding more about how the hero label is used rather than what it means. In this article, we propose a way forward where there is greater discussion around the hero label in this context where individuals can be heroes but still struggle, still fail and still feel vulnerable, and where heroism is viewed as a state of interdependence between heroic actor and the wider group. It is true that heroes can inspire, lead, guide and build morale and camaraderie, but collective responsibility is held with us all. We can draw hope and energy from our heroes, but we must dig deep and be proactive, particularly in the face of adversity. In doing so, we support the heroes to lead from the front and ensure that even though we cannot physically help; we are not making their situation worse.
Infinite benzenoids

A family of benzenoids, called convex benzenoids, was introduced in 2012 by Cruz, Gutman and Rada. In a later paper by the present author et al., several equivalent characterisations of convex benzenoids have been given and their equivalence was proved. Along the way an infinite benzenoid called the half-plane was used for the purpose of theoretical reasoning. In this short paper, some properties of infinite benzenoids are discussed. It is proved that their boundary consists of countably many connected components. Convex infinite benzenoids are classified and it is proved that there are only countably many convex infinite benzenoids, whilst there are uncountably many infinite (non-convex) benzenoids. We also show that there are countably many infinite benzenoids which have a finite number of 1s in their boundary-edges code.
Nanostructured oxides for energy storage applications in batteries and supercapacitors

Nanostructured materials are extensively investigated for application in energy storage and power generation devices. This paper deals with the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials based on oxides of vanadium and with their application as electrode materials for energy storage systems viz. supercapacitors. These nano-oxides have been synthesized using a hydrothermal route in the presence of templates: 1-hexadecylamine, Tweens and Brij types. Using templates during synthesis enables tailoring of the particle morphology and physical characteristics of synthesized powders. Broad X-ray diffraction peaks show the formation of nanoparticles, confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. SEM studies show that a large range of nanostructures such as needles, fibers, particles, etc. can be synthesized. These particles have varying surface areas and electrical conductivity. Enhancement of surface area as much as seven times relative to surface areas of starting parent materials has been observed. These properties make such materials ideal candidates for application as electrode materials in supercapacitors. Assembly and characterization of supercapacitors based on electrodes containing these active nano-oxides are discussed. Specific capacitance of >100 F g–1 has been observed. The specific capacitance decreases with cycling: causes of this phenomenon are presented.
Medicinal plant species with potential antidiabetic properties

Diabetes mellitus is one of the world's major diseases. It currently affects an estimated 143 million people worldwide and the number is growing rapidly. In the USA alone, about 20.8 million or 7% of the population suffer from diabetes or related complications. The estimated direct and indirect costs of diabetes exceed US$ 132 billion annually. Plant-based medicinal products have been known since ancient times, and several medicinal plants and their products (active natural principles and crude extracts) have been used to control diabetes in the traditional medicinal systems of many cultures worldwide, including those of the Asian Indians, Chinese and South Americans. A limited number of these plant species have been studied and validated for their hypoglycaemic properties using diabetic animal models and in clinical studies using human subjects. Several oral hypoglycaemic agents are the primary forms of treatment for diabetes. However, prominent side-effects of such drugs are the main reason for an increasing number of people seeking alternative therapies that may have less severe or no side-effects. Thus plant-based herbal drugs or botanicals are emerging as the primary components of holistic approaches to diabetes management. In this review, selected species that have been validated for their hypoglycaemic or antihyperglycaemic properties using laboratory diabetic animal models and in clinical trials using human subjects, and reported in refereed journals are presented. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Abiotic formation of organic biomorphs under diagenetic conditions

doi: 10.7185/geochemlet.2102 The most ancient fossil record contains fundamentally important information on both the diversity and disparity of ancient life. Yet this ancient record is not that easy to decode, due to difficulties mainly pertaining to the impact of the geological history. Thus, the convergence of multiple lines of evidence is seen as necessary to build a robust demonstration of the biogenicity of putative traces of life. Yet, we experimentally show here that abiotic organic cell-like microstructures meeting all the criteria of biogenicity may form in cherts under classical conditions of diagenesis. These organic biomorphs produced from a mixture of RNA and quartz in water exposed to temperature and pressure conditions (200 °C,∼15 bars) exhibit morphological, chemical and isotopic signatures typical of organic microfossils. The results of this study exemplify the pitfalls that Archean palaeontologists may encounter when searching for traces of life in ancient rocks. Received 15 July 2020 | Accepted 1 December 2020 | Published 20 January 2021
Controlled synthesis of poly(neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation

The controlled synthesis of poly(neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate) (PNSS) using RAFT polymerisation has been studied. Selected experimental conditions led to the production of PNSS with variable molecular weights and low dispersities (D{stroke}≤1.50). The controlled synthesis of poly(neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate) (PNSS) using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation has been studied under a wide range of experimental conditions. PNSS can be used as an organic-soluble, thermally labile precursor for industrially valuable poly(p-styrene sulfonate), widely employed in technologies such as ionic exchange membranes and organic electronics. The suitability of two different chain transfer agents, three solvents, three different monomer concentrations and two different temperatures for the polymerisation of neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate is discussed in terms of the kinetics of the process and characteristics of the final polymer. Production of PNSS with systematically variable molecular weights and low dispersities (D{stroke} ≤1.50 in all cases) has been achieved using 2-azidoethyl 2-(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionate in anisole at 75°C, with an initial monomer concentration of 4.0molL-1. Finally, a poly(neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate)-b-polybutadiene-b-poly(neopentyl p-styrene sulfonate) (PNSS-b-PBD-b-PNSS) triblock copolymer has been synthesised via azide-alkyne click chemistry. Moreover, subsequent thermolysis of the PNSS moieties generated poly(p-styrene sulfonate) end blocks. This strategy allows the fabrication of amphiphilic copolymer films from single organic solvents without the need for post-deposition chemical treatment.
The nature of saltation and of ‘bed-load’ transport in water

Owing to observational difficulties the distinction between a ‘suspended’ load of solids transported by a stream and a ‘ bed-load ’ has long remained undefined. Recently, however, certain critical experiments have thrown much light on the nature of bed-load transport. In particular, it has been shown that bed-load transport, by saltation, occurs in the absence of fluid turbulence and must therefore be due to a separate dynamic process from that of transport in suspension by the internal eddy motion of a turbulent fluid. It has been further shown that the forward motion of saltating solids is opposed by a frictional force of the same order as the immersed weight of the solids, the friction coefficient approximating to that given by the angle of slip. The maintenance of steady motion therefore requires a predictable rate of energy dissipation by the transporting fluid. The fluid thrust necessary to maintain the motion is shown to be exerted by virtue of a mean slip velocity which is predictable in the same way as, and approxim ates to, the terminal fall velocity of the solid. The mean thrust, and therefore the transport rate of saltating solids, are therefore predictable in terms of the fluid velocity close to the bed, at a distance from it, within the saltation zone, of a ‘centre of fluid thrust’ analogous to the ‘centre of pressure’. This velocity, which is not directly measurable in water streams, can be got from a knowledge of stream depth and mean flow velocity. Thus a basic energy equation is obtained relating the rate of transporting work done to available fluid transporting power. This is shown to be applicable to the transport both of wind-blown sand, and of water-driven solids of all sizes and larger than that of medium sand. Though the mean flow velocity is itself unpredictable, the total stream power, which is the product of this quantity times the bed shear stress, is readily measurable. But since the mean flow velocity is an increasing function of flow depth, the transport of solids expressed in terms of total stream power must decrease with increasing flow depth/grain size ratio. This considerable variation with flow depth has not been previously recognised. It explains the gross inconsistencies found in the existing experimental data. The theoretical variation is shown to approximate very closely to that found in recent critical experiments in which transport rates were measured at different constant flow depths. The theory, which is largely confirmed by these and other earlier experiments, indicates that suspension by fluid turbulence of mineral solids larger than those of medium sands does not become appreciable until the bed shear stress is increased to a value exceeding 12 times its threshold value for the bed material considered. This range of unsuspended transport decreases rapidly, however, as the grain size is reduced till, at a certain critical size, suspension should occur at the threshold of bed movement.
A novel method for preparation of nanocrystalline rutile TiO2 powders by liquid hydrolysis of TiCl4

Nanocrystalline rutile TiO2 with average crystal sizes of 6.9–10.5 nm and specific surface areas of 70.3–141.0 m2g−1 were prepared by hydrolysis of TiCl4 aqueous solution at lower temperatures. The presence of small amounts of nano rutile TiO2 as crystal seed could obviously accelerate the crystallization of TiO2, make nanocrystalline rutile TiO2 well dispersed and make the reaction of formation of rutile more kinetically favorable than that of formation of anatase in the liquid hydrolysis of TiCl4.
WHEN DEVELOPMENT IS NOT "RIGHT": UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS, COLLECTIVE ACTION AND VICTIMHOOD

Much of the research on effective reconciliation advocates a holistic approach to social harmony in post war settings. However, many state and non-governmental entities choose physical infrastructure development, as a strategy for reconciliation believing that enhanced access to physical resources would dampen any recurrence of violence and conflict. At the end of 30 years of war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealem (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military, the Sri Lankan government for several years after, took a similar path. This paper examines community and individual responses to such development, in post war Sri Lanka with special focus on community reactions to development in situations where development is perceived as imposed. The paper specifically examines how these responses relate to support for collective action and whether this relationship is mediated by different forms of victim beliefs that community members hold. The paper uses data collected in a survey conducted in two districts in Sri Lanka from 202 respondents, representative of all ethnic and religious groups. The survey probed respondents on their own and community views of the development that had taken place in post war Sri Lanka, their beliefs about their group’s victimhood and their support and willingness to engage in collective action. The analysis revealed higher conflict exposure to be associated with higher tendencies to engage in collective action in the presence of certain types of victim beliefs. It revealed that lower receptiveness of development was positively related with collective action, but different types of victim beliefs mediated this relationship. LIVES Working Papers – Jayakody et al. ▪ 1 ▪
Photoluminescence studies of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells

We report measurements of photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy and photoluminescence time decay on three MOVPE-grown InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structures with 13% In in the wells and well widths Lz = 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 nm. The PL spectra are dominated by single emission peaks, together with phonon sidebands spaced by a GaN LO phonon energy (92 meV). The peak energies are red-shifted with respect to energies calculated for exciton recombination in square quantum wells and the wide well sample also shows a significant Stokes shift between emission and absorption. Recombination lifetimes measured at 6 K are energy dependent, increasing as the photon energy is scanned downwards through the emission line. They also depend strongly on well width. On the low energy side of the 5 nm well emission line we measure lifetimes as long as 100 ns. Raising the temperature from 6 to 300 K results in a strong reduction of emission intensity for all samples and reduction of the lifetimes, though by a much smaller factor. The peak positions shift slightly to lower energy but by far less than the shift in the band edge. We consider three different theoretical models in an attempt to interpret this data, an exponential tail state model, a model of localization due to In/Ga segregation within the wells and the quantum confined Stark effect model. The QCSE model appears able to explain most of the data reasonably well, though there is evidence to suggest that, in addition, some degree of localization occurs.
Evaluation of the Technical Efficiency of Insurance Companies in the Visegrad Group Countries

The aim of the paper is to estimate the technical efficiency of insurance providers in the Visegrad Group countries in the period 2009–2016 using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The insurance sector in these countries underwent significant changes in the analysed period. during the last two decades. According to the results of the analysis, the average efficiency of insurance companies was approximately 65–80% in the period under study. There were, however, considerable differences among individual insurance companies as well as among the national insurance sectors. The most efficient insurance sectors were those of Hungary and Poland, and the least efficient that of Slovakia. The overall development of efficiency was almost stable, and efficiency decreased in 2012 and 2014. The reason for the inefficiency fall was the decrease in number of premiums written and net income and the high level of costs.
Towards a Competence-Based Approach to Allocate Teams to Tasks

We tackle the problem of allocating teams to tasks. For that, we propose a novel allocation problem that matches teams with tasks based on the similarity between the competencies required by the tasks and the competencies offered by teams. We formally cast our problem as an optimisation problem, characterise the size of its search space, and outline a heuristic approach to solve it
A FACILITATED VMC-BASED REMOTE SERVICE KIOSK INTERFACE FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The assumption behind kiosks used in public places is that they are meant for simple tasks and crowds of people who do not require help. Complex occasionally used information-intensive services provided by kiosks, diversified customer groups and situations where people are dependent on the systems available, have challenged this assumption. Our study on a new video-mediated communication (VMC) based service kiosk shows that the help from a real person by VMC is a possible solution to the problems and the human-facilitated kiosk interface is appropriate for the systems used in public places. Based on experiences with the kiosk, we suggest enhancing VMC-based kiosk interfaces for information systems.
Supporting Sustainable Virtual Network Mutations With Mystique

The abiding attempt of automation has also permeated the networks, with the ability to measure, analyze, and control themselves in an automated manner, by reacting to changes in the environment (e.g., demand). When provided with these features, networks are often labeled as “self-driving” or “autonomous”. In this regard, the provision and orchestration of physical or virtual resources are crucial for both Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees and cost management in the edge/cloud computing environment. To effectively manage the lifecycle of these resources, an auto-scaling mechanism is essential. However, traditional threshold-based and recent Machine Learning (ML)-based policies are often unable to address the soaring complexity of networks due to their centralized approach. By relying on multi-agent reinforcement learning, we propose Mystique, a solution that learns from the load on links to establish the minimal set of active network resources. As traffic demands ebb and flow, our adaptive and self-driving solution can scale up and down and also react to failures in a fully automated, flexible, and efficient manner. Our results demonstrate that the presented solution can reduce network energy consumption while providing an adequate service level, outperforming other benchmark auto-scaling approaches.
Music Recommender System using Temporal Features

—This project aims to build a music recommender system by utilizing the temporal features present in a user’s track history. We experiment with several methods, with the ﬁrst being a session-based temporal graph (STG) with link prediction and the second being a RNN with node embeddings. These methods were compared against our baseline, which was a k-Nearest Neighbors implementation. Overall, we see that the STG was able to leverage the structure of the graph and performed better than both the RNN and the baseline.
PROCESO GESTIÓN DE BIBLIOTECAS

When young people approach the end of their schooling, they are faced with a plethora of often daunting decisions, including whether to go to University or other further education institution, and what further education course is most suitable for them. In this paper, we propose using result data obtained from the ColombianSaber 11/T&T/Prostate exams as input for a higher education course recommender system. We compare ve different recommender models by analyzing precision, recall, ROC curves and prediction error. Our ndings are that user-based collaborative ltering, and the model that recommends the most popular courses, are the ones that perform best. We note that while the context of this work is in Colombia, most other countries have similar or equivalent state exams. It can therefore be expected that our research ndings can be more generally applied to other contexts. As further work, we hope to deploy this recommender system as a mobile telephone application for young people to use to help them choose higher education courses.