Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Host Modification of Layered Double Hydroxide Electrocatalyst to Boost the Thermodynamic and Kinetic Activity of Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are regarded as an earth‐abundant and highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this work, a systematic strategy is demonstrated to simultaneously optimize the OER thermodynamic and kinetic activity via introducing a series of transition and main group metal atoms into the NiFe‐LDH host layers. Typically, V, Co, and Cr dopants largely promote the intrinsic activity of NiFe‐LDH through the effective electron transfer from Fe3+ in NiFe‐LDH laminate to the doping metals, while the introduction of V, Ti, and Mn into NiFe‐LDH facilitates the kinetics of water oxidation due to the increased conductivity induced by dopants. Furthermore, the detailed experiments and density functional theory calculations illustrate that the presence of suitable heteroatoms (V) lowers the activation energy barrier for OER rate‐limiting step as well as promotes the electron transfers by effective electronic modification. This work provides an effective strategy to modulate the OER activity of LDHs and determine their performance trends for a more rational design of high‐performed OER electrocatalysts.
Projected changes in heat waves over China: Ensemble result from RegCM4 downscaling simulations

Using the dynamical downscaling by the regional climate model RegCM4 from four global climate models, future changes in heat waves (HWs) over China under the RCP4.5 scenario are projected in terms of frequency and magnitude. The magnitude combines the duration and intensity together to characterize HW severity. The ensemble of RegCM4 downscaling simulations indicates a substantial increase in the frequency and magnitude of HWs over China toward the end of the 21st century relative to the current climate (1986–2005). The considerable changes occur in Southwest, South, North, and Northeast China for the frequency and in South, Southwest, East, and Central China for the magnitude. The prolonged HW duration plays a leading role in the enhancement of HW severity. In particular, an accelerated aggravation of the risk of extreme HWs is anticipated. Unusual HWs that never occurred in the current climate are expected to be usual phenomenon. For instance, by the end of the 21st century, the risks of the occurrence of extreme HWs (above the 99th percentile) in Southwest and South China are 64 and 53 times of the current, respectively, while the projected risks of the occurrence of mild HWs (below the 60th percentile) are much smaller and comparable in China. The HW frequency above the maximum of the current would appear once almost every year, and South, Central, and East China (North and Northeast China) would experience more severe HWs than the most extreme of the present every 1–2 (2–4) years.
Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Level As a Predictor Of Survival For Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias Undergoing Polymyxin B-Immobilized Fiber Column-Direct Hemoperfusion

BackgroundAcute exacerbation of chronic fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (AE-IIPs) is known to be associated with a poor prognosis. In Japan, polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column-direct hemoperfusion (PMX-DHP) therapy is often used along with corticosteroids for the treatment of patients with AE-IIPs. However, the serum marker that predicts treatment response to PMX-DHP is still unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the serum marker that predicts the outcome in patients with AE-IIPs undergoing PMX-DHP therapy.MethodsWe retrospectively collected the medical records of 104 patients who developed AE-IIPs for the first time and visited Juntendo University Hospital between April 2009 and July 2020. Among these patients, 33 patients who received PMX-DHP were identified. Among the patients who received PMX-DHP, 18 patients who survived for over 30 days since the initiation of PMX-DHP therapy were classified into the “survival group,” and 15 patients who succumbed to the condition in less than 30 days were categorized into the “non-survival group. ” We evaluated data on the patients’ background, survival, and differences in the serum markers associated with AE-IIPs and in oxygenation markers between the groups.ResultsAmong patient characteristics, median forced vital capacity was significantly higher in the survival group than in the non-survival group. Among serum markers, 7 days after the initiation of PMX-DHP therapy, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, white blood cell counts, and D-dimer levels were significantly higher and serum lymphocyte count was significantly lower in the non-survival group than in the survival group. PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F ratio) and alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (Aa-DO2) were significantly different between the two groups. The changes in LDH level (ΔLDH), P/F ratio, and Aa-DO2 were significantly different from day 1 to 7 days after the initiation of PMX-DHP between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that ΔLDH was the only risk factor associated with poor prognosis. The cut-off value of ΔLDH was calculated as −8. The median survival time (MST) was significantly longer in patients with low ΔLDH values (<−8) than in those with high ΔLDH values (>−8). ConclusionsChanges in serum LDH levels are reasonable markers for evaluating the prognosis of PMX-DHP therapy.
Optimal Micro-Siting of Weathervaning Floating Wind Turbines

This paper presents a novel tool for optimizing floating offshore wind farms based on weathervaning turbines. This solution is grounded on the ability of the assembly (wind turbine plus floater) to self-orientate into the wind direction, as this concept is allowed to freely pivot on a single point. This is a passive yaw potential solution for floating wind farms currently in the demonstration phase. A genetic algorithm is proposed for optimizing the levelised cost of energy by determining the geographical coordinates of the pivot points (i.e., the position over which the assembly can rotate to self-orient to the incoming wind direction). A tailored evaluation module is proposed to take into account the weathervaning motion around the pivot point depending on the incoming wind direction. The results obtained show the suitability of the proposed method to solve the addressed problem under realistic conditions. Additionally, the influence of the feasible region defined by the plot and the maximum area occupied on floating offshore wind farm design are also analysed in the proposed test cases. These deployable area constraints are of great importance for the viability of this technology, as it requires more space than classical solutions anchored to a fixed point.
A Bayesian latent spatial model for mapping the cortical signature of progression to Alzheimer's disease

Prior studies have shown that atrophy in vulnerable cortical regions is associated with an increased risk of progression to clinical dementia. In this work, we utilize the longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to investigate the relationship between the temporally changing spatial topography of cortical thickness and conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We develop a novel Bayesian latent spatial model that employs the spatial information underlying the thickness effects across the cortical surface. The proposed method facilitates the development of imaging markers by reliably quantifying and mapping the regional vulnerability to AD progression across the cortical surface. Simulation results showed substantial gains in statistical power and estimation performance by accounting for the spatial structure of the association. Using MRI data from ADNI, we examined the topographic patterns of anatomic regions where cortical thinning is associated with an increased risk of developing AD.
Options Trading and Corporate Debt Structure

Recent empirical studies find that increased informational efficiency associated with options trading activity enhances firm value by allowing for a more efficient allocation of firm resources. In this paper, we develop and test the hypothesis that, in addition to a more efficient allocation of firm resources, options trading also enhances firm value through a financing channel, by promoting a lower cost debt structure that relies more on public debt and less on more costly bank financing. Consistent with both an information channel (where increased informational efficiency facilitates public debt issuance and reduces demand for the superior ability of banks to access and process private information) and a governance channel (where enhanced informational efficiency improves the effectiveness of alternative governance thereby reducing demand for bank lender governance), we find that options trading leads firms to shift from bank loans to public bonds. Consistent with an information channel effect, we show that the reduced reliance on bank borrowing is concentrated in high information asymmetry firms that are expected to benefit more from the enhanced information environment associated with options trading activity. Consistent with a governance channel effect, we find a more negative relation between options trading activity and bank borrowing in competitive industries where external governance pressure is high. In addition, we find that loan covenant strictness decreases with increases in options trading volume. Overall, our findings suggest that enhanced information efficiency associated with options trading lowers financing costs by reducing firm demand for the unique informational and governance qualities associated with bank borrowing.
Evaluation of some environmental and genetic factors (CSN3 and AGPAT6 gene) on milk yield and composition in Saanen goats

This study was designed to determine the effect of some environmental factors on milk yield and composition in Saanen goats and the effect of CSN3 and AGPAT6 gene polymorphisms on milk production traits. Saanen goats were genotyped for milk traits, and the samples were collected during the lactation, and the milk yield/compositions of each goat were specified. In terms of the CSN3 and AGPAT6 genes, the genotypes were defined by PCR-RFLP. The milk yield (MY), lactation length (LL), protein, fat, total solid (TS), solid not fat (SNF), casein, lactose rates and yields were as follows; 388.9 ± 17.5 kg, 243 ± 5.81 days, 3.29 ± 0.05%, 3.59 ± 0.07%, 11.60 ± 0.13%, 8.43 ± 0.06%, 2.57 ± 0.04%, 4.31 ± 0.03%, 11.21 ± 0.47 kg, 12.79 ± 0.64 kg, 40.95 ± 1.82 kg, 29.53 ± 1.31 kg, 8.82 ± 0.37 kg, 15.40 ± 0.74 kg respectively. The determined genotype and allele frequencies of CSN3 and AGPAT6 gene were as follows; FF (%99.20), MF (%0.80), F (0.996), M (0.004); GG (%12), GC (%43.20), CC (%44.80), G (0.336), C (0.664). The impacts of lactation length on all milk yield parameters (protein, fat, TS, SNF, casein, lactose, MY) (P<0.001); the age on all milk yield parameters (P<0.001) and the protein, fat, SNF, casein rates (P<0.05), the TS rate and LL (P<0.01) were found to be significant. The birth type was not found to significantly affect any milk yield parameters. Although Saanen goats showed the variation for the AGPAT6 gene (g.9263C>G), the herd was found to be monomorphic (FF) for the CSN3 gene. The effect of the AGPAT6 gene on milk traits in Saanen goats was determined not to be statistically significant. Environmental factors, such as maternal age and lactation length, were found to significantly affect some milk traits in Saanen goats. So consideration of factors such as maternal age or lactation length could be useful for improving breeding strategies for dairy goats.
Cellulose Nanofiber, Lignin, and Hemicellulose as Value-Added Products From Recycled Old Corrugated Box (OCB)

Herein, preparation and modification of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from recycled old corrugated box (OCB) raw material is reported. CNF were synthesized from cellulose microfiber obtained after the pre-treatment of alkaline, acetic acid/sodium chlorite followed by bleaching with hydrogen peroxide. Intermediate fractions during the pre-treatment were collected and examined for the lignin and hemicelluloses contents using FTIR, GPC, GC-MS and HPLC methods. Both the treated and untreated OCB microfibers were analyzed using XRD, TGA, and SEM to confirm the removal of non-cellulosic contents. Resultant pre-treated microfiber was break-down into nanofibers under high-pressure using high-pressure homogenizer at ≈1600 bar pressure for 30 cycles. Nanofibers were characterized by SEM which shows the average diameter of ≈66 nm. XRD analysis confirms the crystalline nature and a cellulose type-I structure of the nanofiber. In addition, obtained nanofibers were chemically surface modified by 12.91% of acetyl and 72.23% of carboxyl groups by varying reaction conditions.
The Role of Methane Transport From the Active Layer in Sustaining Methane Emissions and Food Chains in Subarctic Ponds

Groundwater discharge from the seasonally thawed active layer is increasingly recognized as an important pathway for delivering methane (CH4) into Arctic lakes and streams, but its contribution to CH4 emissions from thaw ponds and its influence on the trophic support and nutritional quality of pond food chains remains unexplored. We quantified the transport of CH4 from the active layer through groundwater discharge into thaw ponds in a subarctic catchment in northern Sweden, using radon (222Rn) as groundwater tracer. We analyzed stable isotopes and fatty acids of pond macroinvertebrates to evaluate the potential effects of groundwater‐mediated CH4 inputs on the aquatic food chains. Our results indicate that active layer groundwater discharge flows are nontrivial (range 6%–46% of pond volume per day) and the associated CH4 fluxes (median 339 mg C m−2day−1, interquartile range [IQR]: 179–419 mg C m−2 day−1) can sustain the diffusive CH4 emissions from most of the ponds (155 mg C m−2 day−1, IQR: 55–234 mg C m−2 day−1). Consumers in ponds receiving greater CH4 inputs from the active layer had lower stable carbon (C) isotope signatures that indicates a greater trophic reliance on methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB), and they had lower nutritional quality as indicated by their lower tissue concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Overall, this work links physical (CH4 transport from the active layer), biogeochemical (CH4 emission), and ecological (MOB‐consumer interaction) processes to provide direct evidence for the role of active layer groundwater discharge in CH4 cycling of subarctic thaw ponds.
Proposals for Sustainable Transport in Natural Areas: A Case Study of Teide National Park

The exponential growth in the number of visitors and the mass-tourism mobility patterns in natural areas are causing serious issues such as traffic congestion, crowding in car parks, pollution, high noise levels, and traffic accidents. In order to redress this situation, demand management policies that propose more sustainable transportation systems are crucial. In this chapter, the authors summarize extensive research carried out in Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain), the most visited national park in Spain, one of the most visited in the world, and a clear example of a natural area under pressure from mass tourism. The authors present the current situation of the natural site and three scientific contributions based on a survey combining revealed and stated preferences that analyzes visitor preferences with regard to the use of sustainable transportation systems. The first study analyzes visitors’ preferences regarding the implementation of a public bicycle-sharing system. The second study explores visitors’ willingness to pay to reduce the environmental impact of their visit and the potential implementation of a shuttle-bus service. The third study investigates the recreational economic value of the site. The chapter provides useful information for decision-makers who need to address problems associated with the unsustainable visitor mobility and reports results that can be extrapolated to other natural parks with similar characteristics and high inflow of tourists.
Influence, infrastructure, and recentering cybercrime policing: evaluating emerging approaches to online law enforcement through a market for cybercrime services

ABSTRACT We document and evaluate emerging policing strategies that are reshaping how centralised law enforcement agencies deal with online cybercrime markets. The first of these we term infrastructural policing, drawn from law enforcement campaigns to disrupt international drug markets and involving targeting the administrators who maintain the infrastructure supporting cybercrime markets. The second, we term influence policing, a strategy drawn from counter-radicalisation involving the delivery of highly targeted messaging campaigns to potential customers. We illustrate these with a study of the online market for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, conducting a longitudinal analysis of five years of time series attack data to establish the effect of interventions. While arresting and sentencing key players had little lasting effect on DoS attacks (due to jurisdictional issues which the Internet poses), after infrastructure administrators were targeted with takedowns there was a significant reduction in attacks and a dramatic reshaping of market structure. Additionally, the use of search engine advertisements targeted at potential customers in the UK was associated with a cessation in growth in attacks in this country. We interviewed law enforcement to explore the rationales behind the interventions, and interviewed DoS attack providers and observed their online communication channels to explore these effects in depth. We argue that these emerging forms of online policing constitute (apparently successful) attempts by law enforcement to recenter themselves as key actors in online enforcement coalitions. This rests on them enrolling the capacities of the platform intermediaries who provide the very Internet infrastructure which so complicates traditional, jurisdictionally-bound forms of policing.
Tracking Multisite Seizure Propagation Using Ictal High-Gamma Activity

Purpose: Spatial patterns of long-range seizure propagation in epileptic networks have not been well characterized. Here, we use ictal high-gamma activity (HGA) as a proxy of intense neuronal population firing to map the spatial evolution of seizure recruitment. Methods: Ictal HGA (80–150 Hz) was analyzed in 13 patients with 72 seizures recorded by stereotactic depth electrodes, using previously validated methods. Distinct spatial clusters of channels with the ictal high-gamma signature were identified, and seizure hubs were defined as stereotypically recruited nonoverlapping clusters. Clusters correlated with asynchronous seizure terminations to provide supportive evidence for independent seizure activity at these sites. The spatial overlap between seizure hubs and interictal ripples was compared. Results: Ictal HGA was detected in 71% of seizures and 10% of implanted contacts, enabling tracking of contiguous and noncontiguous seizure recruitment. Multiple seizure hubs were identified in 54% of cases, including 43% of patients thought preoperatively to have unifocal epilepsy. Noncontiguous recruitment was associated with asynchronous seizure termination (odds ratio = 19.7; p = 0.029). Interictal ripples demonstrated greater spatial overlap with ictal HGA in cases with single seizure hubs compared with those with multiple hubs (100% vs. 66% per patient; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Ictal HGA may serve as a useful adjunctive biomarker to distinguish contiguous seizure spread from propagation to remote seizure sites. High-gamma sites were found to cluster in stereotyped seizure hubs rather than being broadly distributed. Multiple hubs were common even in cases that were considered unifocal.
A meta-analysis of environmental innovation and firm performance

Environmental innovation is an important variable in the study of strategic management. However, studies on the effect of environmental innovation have drawn different conclusions. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to reanalyze the relationship between environmental innovation and firms’ performance, based on 33 empirical studies, and we evaluated the moderating effects of the economic development level of a country, cultural background, industry diversity, and data types. The results showed that environmental innovation can positively promote both firms’ financial performance and environmental performance. In developed countries and Eastern culture, environmental innovation has a stronger effect on firms’ financial performance, and the effect of environmental innovation on environmental performance is stronger within the context of developing countries.
Cents versus scale steps: Can we tell the difference between major and minor thirds?

We report an experiment in which participants ( N = 368) were asked to differentiate between major and minor thirds. These intervals could either be formed by diatonic tones from the C major scale (tonal condition) or by a subset of tones from the chromatic scale (atonal condition). We hypothesized that in the tonal condition intervals would be perceived as a function of scale step distances, which we defined as the number of diatonic leaps between two notes of a given music scale. In the atonal condition, we hypothesized that intervals would be perceived as a function of cents. If our hypotheses were supported, we should verify a less accurate performance in the tonal condition, where scale step distances are the same between major and minor thirds. The data corroborated our hypotheses, and we suggest that acoustic measurements of intervallic distances (i.e., frequency ratios and cents) are not optimal when it comes to describing the perceptual quality of intervals in a tonal context. Finally, our research points to the possibility that, in comparison with previous models, scale steps and cents might better capture the notion of global versus local instances of auditory processing.
Assessment of Mechanical Properties and Structural Morphology of Alkali-Activated Mortars with Industrial Waste Materials

Alkali-activated products composed of industrial waste materials have shown promising environmentally friendly features with appropriate strength and durability. This study explores the mechanical properties and structural morphology of ternary blended alkali-activated mortars composed of industrial waste materials, including fly ash (FA), palm oil fly ash (POFA), waste ceramic powder (WCP), and granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS). The effect on the mechanical properties of the Al2O3, SiO2, and CaO content of each binder is investigated in 42 engineered alkali-activated mixes (AAMs). The AAMs structural morphology is first explored with the aid of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, three different algorithms are used to predict the AAMs mechanical properties. Both an optimized artificial neural network (ANN) combined with a metaheuristic Krill Herd algorithm (KHA-ANN) and an ANN-combined genetic algorithm (GA-ANN) are developed and compared with a multiple linear regression (MLR) model. The structural morphology tests confirm that the high GBFS volume in AAMs results in a high volume of hydration products and significantly improves the final mechanical properties. However, increasing POFA and WCP percentage in AAMs manifests in the rise of unreacted silicate and reduces C-S-H products that negatively affect the observed mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the mechanical features in AAMs with high-volume FA are significantly dependent on the GBFS percentage in the binder mass. It is also shown that the proposed KHA-ANN model offers satisfactory results of mechanical property predictions for AAMs, with higher accuracy than the GA-ANN or MLR methods. The final weight and bias values given by the model suggest that the KHA-ANN method can be efficiently used to design AAMs with targeted mechanical features and desired amounts of waste consumption.