Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Eugenia Dysenterica DC Essential Oil

Eugenia dysenterica DC is a native species from the Cerrado biome and can be found in several states of Brazil. This study evaluated the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from the essential oils of a population collected in São Paulo state. Essential oils were obtained by conventional means, and their compositions were analyzed by GC-MS. Screening assays for antimicrobial activity were carried out by the microdilution method and the antioxidant potential was assessed by the DPPH scavenging method. The GC-MS analysis indicated that 52.63% of the essential oil is composed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes and the major compound is (-)-elema-1,3,11(13)-trien-12-ol (24.86%). The antimicrobial assay indicated MIC 42.1 µg/mL for S. aureus and MIC > 10000 µg/mL for the other tested microorganisms, Gram negative bacteria and fungi. The oil showed an IC50 of 5.4±0.632 mg/mL for in the DPPH assay. The essential oil had a different chemical composition from previous studies. The essential oil did not present a potent antioxidant activity. However, it can be considered a promising antimicrobial agent against S. aureus.
OPTIMIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXO-POLYGALACTURONASE BY Aspergillus niger CULTURED VIA SOLID STATE FERMENTATION

Polygalacturonases represent an important member of pectinases group of enzymes with immense industrial applications. The activity of exo-polygalacturonase produced by Aspergillus niger was studied in solid state fermentation (SSF) using Nephrolepis biserrata leaves as substrate. Central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize four significant variables resulted from the screening process that has been initially analyzed for the production of exo-polygalacturonase which are incubation time, temperature, concentration of pectin and moisture content. The optimum exo-polygalacturonase production obtained was 54.64 U/g at 120 hours of incubation time, temperature at 340C, 5.0 g/L of pectin concentration and 75.26% of moisture content. For partial characterization of exo-polygalacturonase, the optimum temperature and pH were obtained at 50°C and pH 4.0, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that molecular weight of exo-polygalacturonase were 35 and 71 kDa. This study has revealed a significant production of exo-polygalacturonase by A. niger under SSF using cheap and easily available substrate and thus could found immense potential application in industrial sectors and biotechnology
Optimization of Poly(glycerol sebacate) Synthesis for Biomedical Purposes with the Design of Experiments

Efficient, original synthesis of poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) via polycondensation of glycerine and sebacic acid was achieved. The process was successfully optimized by using the Box–Behnken design. PGS was obtained with a high conversion of the carboxylic group (89%) and a very high degree of esterification (∼82%), containing no catalysts residues. A method was developed for purification of prepolymer PGS. Because biocompatible substrates are used, this method for obtaining the polymer can be used in medical and pharmaceutical applications.
Gastrointestinal stability of carotenoids from raw and freeze-dried vegetables

In this study, the gastrointestinal stability of carotenoids (lycopene and β - carotene) extracted from raw and freeze - dried samples of tomato, carrot and red pepper was investigated. Extracted carotenoids fractions (lycopene and β - carotene) were submitted t o a two - phase in vitro digestion process using human gastrointestinal enzymes. The use of freeze - drying has a strong effect on the enhancement of the gastrointestinal stability of carotenoid, especially after simulated intestinal phase. In addition, the ef fect of pH on carotenoid stability is much lower in freeze - dried plant material than in raw samples of tomato, carrot and red pepper. The food matrix also plays important role in carotenoids gastrointestinal stability rate , which was found to be the most s table in red pepper.
Simulation of a Wideband Radar Echo of a Target on a Dynamic Sea Surface

Unlike a generally rough ground surface, the sea surface varies over time. To analyze the impact of the motion of sea waves on the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image of a target, the wideband echo simulation method based on a frequency domain is used. For the wideband echo, the electromagnetic (EM) scattering properties of the main frequency components are analyzed by the simulation method. Based on the EM scattering properties, the echo can be accurately simulated by using the inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT). Combined with the flight path of the radar, the echo of each pulse can be simulated to obtain the SAR image. The correct evaluation of the EM scattering properties is indispensable to the acquisition of an accurate SAR image. For complex targets, such as ships, the multiple scattering effects have a significant influence on the EM scattering properties. Thus, a rectangular wave beam-based geometrical optics and physical optics (GO/PO) method is introduced to calculate the EM scattering properties, which is more efficient than the traditional GO/PO. The GO/PO method is suitable to simulate SAR images in which the EM scattering properties of each pulse need to be calculated. With these methods, the SAR images of the target on the sea surface are simulated. Based on the comparison of the SAR images between a static and dynamic sea surface, it is found that the region corresponding to the target is blurred and the texture of the dynamic sea is blurrier. The impact of multiple scattering and sea wave motion on target recognition are also analyzed with the SAR images that were generated under different conditions. Some strong scattering points appear when multiple scattering effects are considered. It is also found that the texture of the SAR images, corresponding to the sea surface, changes with the synthetic aperture time.
Local Strain and Crystalline Defects in GaN/AlGaN/GaN(0001) Heterostructures Induced by Compositionally Graded AlGaN Buried Layers

Plastic strain relaxation in epitaxial layers is one of the crucial factors that limits the performance of III-nitride-based heterostructures. In this work, we report on strain relaxation and crystalline defects in heterostructures consisting of compositionally graded AlGaN epitaxial layers tensile-strained between a GaN-buffer and a GaN-cap. We demonstrate the effects of Al concentration and the shape of the concentration-depth profile in the buried graded layers on the accumulated elastic strain energy and how this influences the critical thickness for crack generation or fracture. It is shown that this fracture leads to the formation of partially relaxed regions with their degree of strain relaxation directly related to the density of cracks. Nevertheless, even though the in-plane coherency between the AlGaN layer and the GaN-buffer is broken, the in-plane coherency within the AlGaN layer is preserved for all regions. Furthermore, the tensile strain released in the buried graded AlGaN layers is consist.
A Metamorphic Origin for Europa's Ocean

Europa likely contains an iron‐rich metal core. For it to have formed, temperatures within Europa reached ≳ 1250 K. Going up to that temperature, accreted chondritic minerals — for example, carbonates and phyllosilicates — would partially devolatilize. Here, we compute the amounts and compositions of exsolved volatiles. We find that volatiles released from the interior would have carried solutes, redox‐sensitive species, and could have generated a carbonic ocean in excess of Europa's present‐day hydrosphere, and potentially an early CO2 atmosphere. No late delivery of cometary water was necessary. Contrasting with prior work, CO2 could be the most abundant solute in the ocean, followed by Ca2+ , SO42− , and HCO3− . However, gypsum precipitation going from the seafloor to the ice shell decreases the dissolved S/Cl ratio, such that Cl > S at the shallowest depths, consistent with recently inferred endogenous chlorides at Europa's surface. Gypsum would form a 3–10 km thick sedimentary layer at the seafloor.
Deep Active Learning For Fibrosis Segmentation Of Chest CT Scans From Covid-19 Patients

During the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, it is critical to assess patients’ disease progression with COVID-19 pneumonia by computed tomography (CT). As most of the works focused on ground-glass opacity and consolidation segmentation of COVID-19 on CT images, lung fibrosis is relatively undervalued and less studied. Automatic segmentation and accurate measurement of lung fibrosis can potentially aid treatment planning for patients of post-COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the lack of sufficient training data hinders the fibrosis segmentation of CT images. Also, redundancy among CT images can reduce annotating efficiency. To address these issues, we propose deep active learning (AL) framework, which consists of a segmentation model called UNet-RGD, and a novel acquisition method named DeepRISS. The segmentation model consists of improved structures of residual blocks, channel gates, and dropout layers. The deep learning-based acquisition method combines uncertainty estimation and clustering for selecting representative and informative samples. Experimental results show that the AL framework can achieve state-of-the-art performance and effectively reduce the number of selected samples, saving the annotation cost by 25% to 44% compared to the non-selective approach.
Low temperature surface preparation of GaN substrates for atomic layer epitaxial growth: Assessment of ex situ preparations

In situ and in vacuo surface studies of in situ and ex situ GaN substrate preparation were conducted to advance fundamental understanding of GaN surface preparation for low temperature atomic layer epitaxial growth. Grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) information is complemented with in vacuo x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ex situ atomic force microscopy studies to assess different ex situ sample preparation methods to produce the most suitable GaN surface for epitaxy. The authors have determined that a UV-ozone exposure followed by an HF dip produces the cleanest and smoothest GaN surface. They have further determined with GISAXS that subjecting the optimum surface to the established low temperature emulated gallium flash-off atomic level process (ALP) eliminates the need for any nitridation ALP. These ex situ and in situ cleaning preparations result in clean, highly-ordered surfaces that should provide an ideal substrate for high quality crystalline epitaxial films.In situ and in vacuo surface studies of in situ and ex situ GaN substrate preparation were conducted to advance fundamental understanding of GaN surface preparation for low temperature atomic layer epitaxial growth. Grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) information is complemented with in vacuo x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ex situ atomic force microscopy studies to assess different ex situ sample preparation methods to produce the most suitable GaN surface for epitaxy. The authors have determined that a UV-ozone exposure followed by an HF dip produces the cleanest and smoothest GaN surface. They have further determined with GISAXS that subjecting the optimum surface to the established low temperature emulated gallium flash-off atomic level process (ALP) eliminates the need for any nitridation ALP. These ex situ and in situ cleaning preparations result in clean, highly-ordered surfaces that should provide an ideal substrate for high quality crystalline epitaxial films.
Facile synthesis of novel calcium silicate hydrated-nylon 6/66 nanocomposites by solution mixing method

In this article a facile and green procedure for the synthesis of novel calcium silicate hydrated-nylon 6/66 nanocomposites is proposed. Calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) was synthesized by a hydrolysis technique assisted by ultrasound and using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant. CSH-nylon 6/66 nanocomposites were obtained by a solution mixing method at CSH loadings of 2.5, 25, 50 and 75 weight percent (samples CA, CD, CB and CC, respectively). The synthesis of CSH was confirmed by DRX and ATR-FTIR techniques; the CSH sample presents as mesoporous with a diameter between 3.34 nm and 52.68 nm and an average size of 27.07 nm; the specific surface area of the CSH sample was 343.99 m2 g−1. The formation of the CSH-nylon 6/66 nanocomposites was confirmed by ATR-FTIR, SEM, XRD, TGA, DSC and XPS techniques. The crystallization and melting temperatures (Tm and Tc, respectively) of CSH-nylon 6/66 nanocomposites occur at a slightly lower temperatures than those of neat Ny 6/66. These results suggest a slight decrease of the crystallite size and crystallization rate of nylon 6/66. The fusion enthalpy (ΔHf) decreases with increase in CSH content in nylon 6/66, which can be associated to a good dispersion. The XRD peaks of the nylon 6/66 at 19.99° and 23.77° were displaced at slightly higher values of 2θ with the incorporation of CSH in the polymer forming nanocomposite materials.
Compatibility and Biomineralization Oriented Optimization of Nutrient Content in Nitrate-Reducing-Biogranules-Based Microbial Self-Healing Concrete

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) can be mentioned among the popular approaches to develop a self-healing concrete. The production of dissolved inorganic carbon through microbial activity is the main precursor for MICP in concrete and it is limited by the bioavailability of the nutrients. When nutrients are added to the mortar as admixtures, their bioavailability becomes more significant for crack repair because nutrients disperse in the mortar and considerable fraction stays far from a single crack. Therefore, the determination of bioavailability of nutrients and its variation with the initial nutrient content and crack age is essential to optimize a recipe for bacteria-based self-healing concrete. This study presents the optimum nutrient content defined for nitrate-reduction-based self-healing bioconcrete. In the tests, calcium nitrate (CN) and calcium formate (CF) were combined with a CF:CN w/w ratio of 2.50. Mortar properties and bioavailability of nutrients were analysed at different nutrient doses. Moreover, the bioavailability of nutrients at different crack ages changing between 3 and 56 days was monitored. Finally, resuscitation, microbial activity and the MICP performance of nitrate reducing biogranules were tested at defined nutrient bioavailabilties. The optimum nutrient content was determined as 7.00% (CF 5.00% and CN 2.00%). The leaching rates of formate ions were twice the leaching rate of the nitrate ions at similar initial concentrations, which led to a bioavailable HCOO−/NO3-N ratio of 23 g/g in cracked mortar. Under optimum nutrient conditions, the CaCO3 precipitation yield of nitrate reducing biogranules was recorded as 1.5 g CaCO3/g HCOO− which corresponded to 68% C precipitation efficiency.
Negative Poisson's ratio in 2D life-boat structured crystals

Two-dimensional auxetic materials with negative Poisson's ratio expand in response to a tensile strain in cross-section. Such counter-intuitive behaviours have been mainly ascribed to concave structures with ideal rigid ball-stick models. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we systematically analyze the mechanical behaviours of three life-boat structured two-dimensional (2D) materials and report two new auxetic materials: δ-arsenic and δ-graphane. The calculated Poisson's ratio values are correlated with Young's modulus, cohesive energy, and valence shell electron pair repulsion of isostructures. Combining with previous research, we provide a self-consistent explanation of the origin of the 2D in-plane negative Poisson's ratio and an algorithmic route to discover new auxetic materials by comparing the energy restored in bond rotation and stretch.
Experimental Study of Herbaceous Structure
Effects on Reducing Nutrient Loss

The objective of this study was to evaluate nutrient loss under herbaceous cover in simulated field conditions and quantify the influences of the aerial and underground parts of plants in preventing nutrient loss. The experimental settings were as follows: two herbs, i.e., alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and green foxtail (Setariaviridis (L.) Beauv. ); four covers for each herb (0, 20-30%, 50-60%, and 80-90%); and two treatments (reserving the entire plant and trimming the aerial part of the plant). Through simulated rainfall, runoff and sediment samples were collected at the end of the soil tank and analysed for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The results indicated that nutrient loss gradually decreased with the increasing plant coverage, and the nutrient loss on the green foxtail slope was lower than that on the alfalfa slope under the same coverage. Although the effect of the alfalfa canopy on nutrient loss prevention was higher than that of the green foxtail, the capacity of the green foxtail root for conserving nutrients is stronger than that of alfalfa due to a different herbaceous plant leaf area index and root morphology distribution. An exponential function was found to characterize the different plant root length densities and nutrient losses on the slope.
Social impact in accounting: is it at risk of becoming a hembig concept and does this matter?

Purpose In addition to introducing the papers that contribute to the special issue on “Accounting for Social Impact”, the purpose of this editorial is to prompt critical reflection and discussion on the concept of social impact in accounting research and practice. Design/methodology/approach This editorial draws on Alvesson and Blom’s (2021) hembig concept to frame the discussion. After briefly introducing the hembig concept, we discuss social impact in accounting research and practice in relation to it before reflecting on potential implications. We then introduce the contributions to this special issue. Findings While we argue that social impact in accounting is not a hembig concept, we suggest that it is potentially at risk of becoming one. In light of this discussion, we identify the importance of conceptual clarity in the use of social impact within accounting research and practice, given the potential for conceptual ambiguity. Research limitations/implications The editorial aims, which are reflected in this special issue, are not only to stimulate qualitative research on accounting for social impact but to also encourage further critical engagement with the concept and its use. We suggest that the concept of social impact and its use within accounting research and practice would benefit from further conversations and critical reflection. Originality/value We consider the concept of social impact within accounting in relation to the hembig concept.
The possible protective effect of vitamin E on adult albino rat’s testes exposed to electromagnetic field emitted from a conventional cellular phone

Aim of the work: i to discuss the possible protective effect of vitamin E as a model of powerful antioxidant on the testes of adult albino rates exposed for electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted from cellular phone. This study also detected and described signs of morphological and behavior changes that can appear on the rats. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out on 120 healthy adult albino rats. The rats were divided into 3 main groups. Group I (control group): consisted of 40 rats. These rats were kept in the animal house away from any source of EMF. Group II (radiation group): consisted of 40 rats that were exposed to EMF emitted from mobile phone for 60 days. Group III (radiation and vitamin group): consisted of 40 rats, those were exposed to EMF emitted from mobile phone for 60 days and simultaneously they received vitamin E, orally. Results: Electromagnetic field exposed rats showed testicular alterations, which were ameliorated by using vitamin E.
Reducing the Amyloidogenicity of Functional Amyloid Protein FapC Increases Its Ability To Inhibit α-Synuclein Fibrillation

Functional amyloid (FA) proteins have evolved to assemble into fibrils with a characteristic cross-β structure, which stabilizes biofilms and contributes to bacterial virulence. Some of the most studied bacterial FAs are the curli protein CsgA, expressed in a wide range of bacteria, and FapC, produced mainly by members of the Pseudomonas genus. Though unrelated, both CsgA and FapC contain imperfect repeats believed to drive the formation of amyloid fibrils. While much is known about CsgA biogenesis and fibrillation, the mechanism of FapC fibrillation remains less explored. Here, we show that removing the three imperfect repeats of FapC (FapC ΔR1R2R3) slows down the fibrillation but does not prevent it. The increased lag phase seen for FapC ΔR1R2R3 allows for disulfide bond formation, which further delays fibrillation. Remarkably, these disulfide-bonded species of FapC ΔR1R2R3 also significantly delay the fibrillation of human α-synuclein, a key protein in Parkinson’s disease pathology. This attenuation of α-synuclein fibrillation was not seen for the reduced form of FapC ΔR1R2R3. The results presented here shed light on the FapC fibrillation mechanism and emphasize how unrelated fibrillation systems may share such common fibril formation mechanisms, allowing inhibitors of one fibrillating protein to affect a completely different protein.
Measuring the value of public hunting land using a hedonic approach

ABSTRACT Acquisition of public land is critical for wildlife conservation and can impact local tax bases and property values. Those impacts reflect the capitalized value of benefits (e.g., recreational opportunities) and costs (e.g., nuisance wildlife) of living near protected areas. We employed the hedonic price framework to determine how proximity and adjacency to public hunting land in North Carolina were capitalized into housing prices. We modeled sale price as the composite value of structural, neighborhood, and environmental characteristics. Proximity to public hunting land had positive effects on sale price in some locations, whereas adjacency had negative effects in some locations. These relationships were dependent on the sociocultural context of the public hunting land, including proximity to other forms of public land. This research may help facilitate negotiations among stakeholders impacted by protected areas, including land dedicated to wildlife-based recreation.
Differential effects of time-restricted feeding on circadian locomotor activity, food intake and body weight gain in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice

ABSTRACT Time-restricted feeding is used to study the food-entrainable oscillator in mammals, yet there is considerable inconsistency in procedures for imposing restrictions. Additionally, the majority of rodent studies being used to model this strategy employ C57BL/6 J laboratory mice, which likely do not represent the diversity in human circadian responses. We compared effects of time-restricted feeding (TRF) and periodic phase shifts of the light-dark cycle on food intake, weight maintenance and distribution of locomotor activity in TRF and ad-lib fed C57BL/6 J and BALB/cJ mice. Imposing TRF initially produced significantly greater weight loss in BALB/cJ mice, the degree of which depended on the procedure employed. TRF yielded caloric restriction throughout the duration of the experiment in BALB/cJ but not C57BL/6 J mice, and resulted in significantly greater re-distribution of daily locomotor activity relative to the light-dark cycle in BALB/cJ mice. Food intake and weight gain in BALB/cJ mice also varied with time of feeding. These findings emphasize that the same restricted feeding procedure can produce substantially different physiological and behavioral outcomes that must be considered when developing studies on time-restricted feeding in mice.