Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Cycling in the South China Sea From an Isotopic Perspective

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is the dominant form of fixed nitrogen in most low and middle latitude ocean surface waters. Here, we report measurements of DON isotopic composition (δ15N) from the west South China Sea (SCS), with the goal of providing new insight into DON cycling. The concentration of DON in the surface ocean is correlated (r = 0.70, p < 0.0001) with chlorophyll a concentration, indicating DON production in these surface waters. The concentration and δ15N of DON fall in a relatively narrow range in the surface ocean (4.6 ± 0.1 μM and 4.3 ± 0.2‰ vs. air, respectively; ±SD), similar to other ocean regions. The mean DON δ15N above 50 m (4.5 ± 0.3‰) is similar to the δ15N of nitrate in the “shallow subsurface” (i.e., immediately below the euphotic zone; 4.6 ± 0.2‰) but is higher than the δ15N of suspended particles in the surface ocean (~2.3‰). This set of isotopic relationships has been observed previously (e.g., in the oligotrophic North Atlantic and North Pacific) and can be explained by the cycling of N between particulate organic nitrogen (PON), DON, and ammonium, in which an isotope effect associated with DON degradation preferentially concentrates 15N in DON. Consistent with this view, a negative correlation (r = 0.70) between the concentration and the δ15N of DON is observed in the upper 75 m, suggesting an isotope effect of ~4.9 ± 0.4‰ for DON degradation. Comparing the DON δ15N data from the SCS with other regions, we find that the δ15N difference between euphotic zone DON and shallow subsurface nitrate δ15N (Δδ15N(DON‐NO3)) rises from ocean regions of inferred net DON production to regions of net DON consumption, with the SCS representing an intermediate case.
Contrasting ice formation in Arctic clouds: surface coupled vs
decoupled clouds

Abstract. In the Arctic summer of 2017 (June, 1st to July, 16th) measurements with the multiwavelength polarization lidar PollyXT-OCEANET, 35-GHz cloud radar of the OCEANET platform, and radiosonde measurements were conducted during cruise PS106 of the research vessel Polarstern around Svalbard. In the scope of the presented study, the influence of cloud height and surface coupling on the probability of clouds to contain and form ice is investigated. The analyzed data set shows a significant impact of the surface-coupling state on the probability of ice formation. Surface-coupled clouds, identified by a quasi-constant potential temperature profile from the surface up to liquid layer base, in the same cloud-top temperature range contain ice more frequent than decoupled clouds by a factor of up to 5 for cloud-top intervals between −7.5 and −5 °C (169 vs. 31 profiles). These findings provide evidence that heterogeneous ice formation in Arctic mixed-phase clouds occurs by a factor of 2–5 more likely when the cloud layer is coupled to the surface. In turn, for cloud-top temperatures below −15 °C, the frequency of ice-containing cloud profiles for coupled and decoupled conditions approached the respective curve for the Central-European site of Leipzig, Germany (51° N, 12° E). This provides further evidence that the free-tropospheric ice nucleating particles (INP) reservoir over the Arctic is controlled by continental aerosol. One possible explanation for the observation is that turbulent mixing of the air below surface-coupled clouds allows ice particles, acting as seeds for ice multiplication, or marine aerosols, acting as INP, to be transported into the cloud layer more efficiently than in the case of decoupled conditions. This hypothesis is corroborated by recent in-situ measurements of INP in the Arctic, of which much higher concentrations were found in the surface-coupled atmosphere in close vicinity to the ice shore. Using lidar measurements we also found evidence for enhanced INP number concentrations (INPC) within surface-coupled cloud-free air masses. The INPC have been estimated based on particle backscatter profiles, published freezing spectra of biogenic INP and existing parameterizations.
Effect of herbal formulation intake on health indices in albino Wistar rat model

Abstract Dyslipidemia management activity of ginger‐, garlic‐, and lemon‐based herbal mixture was tested as paste and herbal extract in hypercholesterolemic adult male albino rats. Atherogenic diet‐induced hypercholesterolemia in rats was treated by supplementing the diet with 2.5% herbal paste (4.2 g/kg b.w.) or 2.5 ml oral gavage (20 ml/kg b.w.) of liquid herbal extract daily for 42 days. Hematological and serological outcomes of herbal formulation feeding were compared with the cholesterol‐fed positive control and normal control. The results suggest the significant (p < .05) inhibitory properties of herbal paste and liquid extracts against dyslipidemia showing 31%–37%, 62%–68%, and 40%–56% lower levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), respectively. Treating cholesterol‐fed animals with herbal paste and extract significantly (p < .05) increased total protein (5–5.5 g/dl) and serum albumin (3.7–4.2 g/dl) concentration as compared to the normal control. Contrary to significant hypocholesterolemic activity, higher serum total bilirubin levels, that is, 0.70 mg/dl, were observed in rats subchronically exposed to herbal paste and liquid extracts. Nonsignificant (p > .05) impact of herbal formula feeding was observed on hematological indices except lymphocyte counts, that is, 93% in rats fed on herbal paste. The results validate conventional hypocholesterolemic claims associated with ginger‐, garlic‐, and lemon‐based herbal formulations; however, deeper insight into their dose‐dependent response in hypercholesterolemia is necessitated to rule out the toxicological impact on the consumer.
The13C/12C and 2H/1H Ratios of Trichloroethene, Tetrachloroethene and Their Metabolites

Abstract Isotope ratios of technically and biologically produced halogenated hydrocarbons (HHC) are presented. Compared to the parent compounds, there is a significant enrichment of deuterium depending on the manner of production, whereas the carbon isotope ratio was only slightly influenced. Furthermore, there is nearly no alteration of the carbon isotope ratio due to biological degradation, so that the carbon fingerprint of the parent compounds is maintained in the metabolites. In contrast to this, the hydrogen isotope ratio of the metabolites reflects the ratio of the surrounding water. These results show that the isotopic fingerprint is a useful tool to distinguish between age, different charges of chemical dumping, and in addition to that, whether there is a contamination with technical products or residual metabolites.
Is Adiposity Associated with the Quality of Movement Patterns in the Mid-Adolescent Period?

This study examined the association between functional movement (FM) and adiposity in adolescent population (16–17 years). This study was conducted in a representative sample of urban adolescents as the part of the CRO-PALS longitudinal study (n = 652). Body mass index (BMI), a sum of four skinfolds (S4S), waist and hip circumference were measured, and FM was assessed via Functional Movement ScreenTM (FMSTM). Furthermore, total FMSTM screen was indicator of FM with the composite score ranged from 7 to 21, with higher score indicating better FM. Multilevel analysis was employed to determine the relationship between different predictors and total FMS score. In boys, after controlling for age, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and socioeconomic status, total FMS score was inversely associated only with BMI (β = −0.18, p < 0.0001), S4S (β = −0.04, p < 0.0001), waist circumference (β = −0.08, p < 0.0001), and hip circumference (β = −0.09, p < 0.0001). However, among girls, in adjusted models, total FMS score was inversely associated with S4S (β = −0.03, p < 0.0001), while BMI (β = −0.05, p = 0.23), waist circumference (β = −0.04, p = 0.06), and hip circumference: (β = −0.01, p = 0.70) failed to reach statistical significance. Results showed that the association between adiposity and FM in adolescence is sex-specific, suggesting that boys with overweight and obesity could be more prone to develop dysfunctional movement patterns. Therefore, exercise interventions directed toward correcting dysfunctional movement patterns should be sex-specific, targeting more boys with overweight and obesity rather than adolescent girls with excess weight.
A Surfactant-Free Microfluidic Process for Fabrication of Multi-Hollow Polyimide Aerogel Particles

Abstract This work focuses on fabrication of multi-hollow polyimide gel and aerogel particles from a surfactant-free oil-in-oil emulsion system using a microfluidic droplet generator operating under dripping mode. The multi-hollow gel and aerogel particles have strong potential in thermal insulation. Under jetting and tip-streaming regime of microfluidic flows, droplets are generated with no occluded liquid phase. The present study investigates a means of designing polyimide gel particles with plurality of internal liquid droplets by strategically manipulating the flow rates of the continuous and dispersed phase liquids through the microfluidic droplet generator. The multi-hollow polyimide aerogel particles obtained after supercritical drying of the gel particles present mesopores, high BET surface area, and excellent prospect for thermal insulation.
Evaluating Usability of Mobile-Based Augmented Reality Learning Environments for Early Childhood

ABSTRACT Adults and kids struggle equally, if they have to focus on a topic at hand for longer durations. However, teaching the latter can be very challenging as they get easily distracted too. Particularly, while using mobile-based Augmented Reality applications for teaching kids, there are associated problems of small screen size, complex functionality and inconsistency. As per the existing literature, there are no clear design principles or guidelines that can be considered while designing and developing mobile AR applications, particularly for kids. This paper presents 23 identified usability principles that are further used to develop an interactive mobile-based AR application for learning basic English. The usability and suitability of the proposed application from users’ perception was established using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Analysis of the students’ behavior and teachers’ interviews substantiates the use of proposed application in classrooms. Thirty pre-schoolers and 12 kindergarten teachers participated in this study. The results showed that the developed ARLE is efficient, effective, and highly usable for the kids. Further, the same identified usability principles can be effectively referred by researchers and developers while developing AR applications for kindergarten kids.
Simulation and Recognition of Concrete Lining Infiltration Degree via an Indoor Experiment

It is difficult to form a method for recognizing the degree of infiltration of a tunnel lining. To solve this problem, we propose a recognition method by using a deep convolutional neural network. We carry out laboratory tests, prepare cement mortar specimens with different saturation levels, simulate different degrees of infiltration of tunnel concrete linings, and establish an infrared thermal image data set with different degrees of infiltration. Then, based on a deep learning method, the data set is trained using the Faster R-CNN+ResNet101 network, and a recognition model is established. The experiments show that the recognition model established by the deep learning method can be used to select cement mortar specimens with different degrees of infiltration by using an accurately minimized rectangular outer frame. This model shows that the classification recognition model for tunnel concrete lining infiltration established by the indoor experimental method has high recognition accuracy.
Interference-aware metrics impact on the performance of incremental multipath routing in WSNs

Multipath routing has been considered in the literature to provide bandwidth aggregation for high data rate applications. Because of the phenomena of inter-path interference in wireless networks, the overall throughput is far from being the summation of the provided ones by the different paths individually. One promising solution to this problem is to make use of interference aware metrics to build multiple paths such that the inter-path interference is minimised. In this work, we are interested in assessing the impact of a set of interference aware metrics on the performance of incremental multipath routing in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Incremental multipath routing builds one path per request/reply session and hence is more suitable to be combined to interference aware metrics. We review, implement and evaluate both active and passive monitoring metrics and show that for constrained networks such as WSNs, the latter are more adapted. Additionally, we show that within the passive monitoring metrics, the best one is not necessarily the most expensive to measure.
Promotion of customer patronizing behaviour by utilizing fairness experience in the food delivery application

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of customers’ perceived fairness on service experiences and its related outcomes, including consumer attachment and loyalty. The proposed framework is evaluated in the context of food delivery application. The data are collected from 214 customers in the United States by using a self-administered online survey and analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling. Results show that the perceived communication and value fairness of customers directly influence their attachment and enhance their intention to repurchase food delivery service. In addition, the effect of communication fairness on behavioural intention is greater than that of value fairness, whereas the latter is greater than that of attachment. This study contributes to the tourism and hospitality literature by providing an understanding on how to design food delivery experience to strengthen positive outcomes. Service providers can improve the communication and value fairness by using the contents and platform of mobile application to create a strong connection with customers and their repurchase intention in the future.
Oxygen incorporation in Ti2AlC thin films

Thin films of Ti2AlC MAX phase have been deposited using a multiple cathode pulsed cathodic arc. Evidence for substantial oxygen incorporation in the MAX phase is presented, likely originating from residual gas present in the vacuum chamber during deposition. The characteristic MAX phase crystal structure is maintained, in agreement with ab initio calculations, supporting substitutional O in C lattice positions. On the basis of these results, we propose the existence of a MAX phase-like material with material properties tuned by the incorporation of oxygen. Additionally, possible unintentional O incorporation in previously reported MAX phase materials is suggested.
Local antioxidant effect of original dermal film with melatonin in thermal injury

Oxidative stress (OS) escalation associated with thermal trauma (TT) and pleiotropic effects of melatonin (MT) suggest a study of protective properties of the latter when applied as part of a novel dermal film (DF) to skin burns. This work aimed to assess the content of OS markers in the skin subjected to experimental TT and treated with DF with MT. Third A degree TT (area of 3.5%) were modeled by immersing a patch of skin in boiling water. Twelve cm2 of DF with 5 mg/g of MT were applied daily for 5 days. The parameters calculated were wound's area and epithelializatiohon rate. The products monitored in the burn wound were lipid peroxidation (LPO) products in heptane and isopropanol phases of the lipid extract and protein oxidative modification (POM) products, the modification being spontaneous and metal-dependent. With TT in the wound, the content of secondary and end LPO products in heptane and isopropanol phases increased on the 5th and 10th days; the total content of POM products grew on the 5th day (primary products, neutral) and on the 10th day (primary and secondary products, neutral). Application of DF to a TT wound reduced the burn area, increased the epithelialization rate (by the 10th day, the median went from 1.90% to 6.57%; p < 0.05), reduced the content of secondary and end LPO products in isopropanol phase (by the 10th day, the median went from 0.007 to 0.004 u.o.i; p < 0.05), reduced the total content of OMP products, namely that of primary neutral products — on the 5th day, of primary and secondary neutral products — on the 10th day. With TT present in the context of MT application, the burn area showed presence of secondary LPO products in heptane and isopropanol phases, LPO end products in isopropanol phase, POM products in the wound (basic and neutral primary/secondary POM products).
VISÃO SISTÊMICA NA GESTÃO DO RELACIONAMENTO COM O CIDADÃO (CiRM)

Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar como o conceito de Citizen Relationship Management - CiRM - (Gestao do Relacionamento com o Cidadao) se relaciona com a visao sistemica. Apos conceituar o termo Customer Relationship Management (Gestao do Relacionamento com o Cliente), que deu origem ao CiRM, e visao sistemica, foi realizada uma revisao integrativa da literatura. Como resultados, este estudo evidencia novas possibilidades de interacao do Estado com a sociedade, capazes de ampliar significativamente as relacoes existentes, inclusive a inovacao social.
Tackling Societal Challenges with Open Innovation

Open innovation includes external knowledge sources and paths to market as complements to internal innovation processes. Open innovation has to date been driven largely by business objectives, but the imperative of social challenges has turned attention to the broader set of goals to which open innovation is relevant. This introduction discusses how open innovation can be deployed to address societal challenges—as well as the trade-offs and tensions that arise as a result. Against this background we introduce the articles published in this Special Section, which were originally presented at the sixth Annual World Open Innovation Conference.
Three-dimensional Fabry–Pérot cavities sculpted on fiber tips using a multiphoton polymerization process

This paper presents 3D Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavities fabricated directly onto cleaved ends of low-loss optical fibers by a two-photon polymerization (2PP) process. This fabrication technique is quick, simple, and inexpensive compared to planar microfabrication processes, which enables rapid prototyping and the ability to adapt to new requirements. These devices also utilize true 3D design freedom, facilitating the realization of microscale optical elements with challenging geometries. Three different device types were fabricated and evaluated: an unreleased single-cavity device, a released dual-cavity device, and a released hemispherical mirror dual-cavity device. Each iteration improved the quality of the FP cavity’s reflection spectrum. The unreleased device demonstrated an extinction ratio around 1.90, the released device achieved 61, and the hemispherical device achieved 253, providing a strong signal to observe changes in the free spectral range of the device’s reflection response. The reflectance of the photopolymer was also estimated to be between 0.2 and 0.3 over the spectrum of interest. The dual-cavity devices include both an open cavity, which can interact with an interstitial medium, and a second solid cavity, which provides a static reference reflection. The hemispherical dual-cavity device further improves the quality of the reflection signal with a more consistent resonance, and reduced sensitivity to misalignment. These advanced features, which are very challenging to realize with traditional planar microfabrication techniques, are fabricated in a single patterning step. The usability of these FP cavities as thermal radiation sensors with excellent linear response and sensitivity over a broad range of temperature is reported. The 3D structuring capability the 2PP process has enabled the creation of a suspended FP heat sensor that exhibited linear response over the temperature range of 20 ºC –120 ºC; temperature sensitivity of ∼50 pm ºC−1 at around 1550 nm wavelength; and sensitivity improvement of better than 9x of the solidly-mounted sensors.
OTIMIZAÇÃO DA QUALIDADE E SIMULAÇÃO A EVENTOS DISCRETOS: UM ESTUDO DE CASO NA PRODUÇÃO DE PÃO DE QUEIJO

Este artigo demonstra um processo de otimização em um dos produtos mais reconhecidos e premiados da cultura do Estado de Minas Gerais, o Pão de Queijo. Mesmo sendo um produto de exportação, foi possível notar a demanda de fabricantes por padronização e otimização de processos e do produto final. Neste trabalho, foi feito um procedimento de avaliação e padronização do processo produtivo: a otimização de uma das receitas, com a utilização de Goma Xantana, que aumentou em 11% a durabilidade do produto congelado e, através da modelagem e simulação via redes de Petri, foi possível avaliar otimizações do processo produtivo que podem chegar a 31,27% de aumento de eficiência.
Greatly enhanced generation efficiency of pure spin currents in Ge using Heusler compound Co2FeSi electrodes

We show nonlocal spin transport in n-Ge-based lateral spin-valve devices with highly ordered Co2FeSi/n+-Ge Schottky tunnel contacts. Clear spin-valve signals and Hanle effect curves are demonstrated at low temperatures, indicating the generation, manipulation, and detection of pure spin currents in n-Ge. The obtained spin generation efficiency of ∼0.12 is about two orders of magnitude larger than that for a previously reported device with Fe/MgO tunnel barrier contacts. Considering the spin-related behavior with temperature evolution, we infer that it is necessary to simultaneously demonstrate a high spin generation efficiency and improve the quality of the transport channel to realize Ge-based spintronic devices.
Exploring the impact of RNA editing on mitochondrial phylogenetic analyses in liverworts, an early land plant lineage

Plant mitochondrial protein‐coding genes are slow evolving, and therefore are less subject to substitution saturation, and therefore perhaps more suitable for resolving deep relationships of high taxonomic categories. Plant mitochondrial genes hold, however, hundreds of RNA editing sites, involving mostly non‐synonymous substitutions in the first and second codon positions, which has been reported to affect phylogenetic reconstructions. We have previously identified ca. 4700 mitochondrial RNA editing sites within a group of liverworts representing the ordinal diversity of liverworts, allowing us to critically evaluate the impacts of RNA editing sites on phylogenetic reconstructions in liverworts. Our phylogenetic inferences are mostly congruent on topology inferred from the original mitochondrial gene dataset, dataset with RNA editing sites corrected, and dataset with RNA editing sites excluded. The RNA editing site excluded dataset recovered a topology identical to that of the RNA editing site corrected dataset, supporting the sister relationship of Ptilidium and Jungermanniales, whereas the original dataset supported the sister relationship of Ptilidium and Jungermanniidae. The controversial placements of Ptilidium could be explained by site‐wise log‐likelihood analysis, as the majority of liverwort RNA editing sites supported the sister relationship of Ptilidium and Jungermanniidae, hence the correction or exclusion of the RNA editing sites changed the tree topology and supported the sister relationship of Ptilidium and Jungermanniales. Our study shows that RNA editing sites potentially impact phylogenetic analyses, suggesting that both genome and transcriptome derived data should be used with caution for phylogenetic reconstruction with genes hosting vast numbers of RNA editing sites such as plant organellar genes.