Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The adoption and evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Games

ABSTRACT This paper explores the evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Movement and how they have become institutionalized within the field by using qualitative methodology consisting of content analysis of International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games documents as well as other archival sources. The environmental phases of the Olympic Movement may be broken into the following non-exclusive themes: environment, sustainability, and zero impact. Environmental management in the Olympic Games bows to normative, coercive, and mimetic pressures from multiple groups and has caused isomorphism to occur which institutionalized environmental plans for bids in the Olympic Games. These environmental themes contribute to the event and sport event management literatures by helping future event organizers understand phases of environmental management and where there is room for growth in addressing environmental concerns at the Games.
Meta-analysis for Orthodontists: Part I – how to Choose Effect Measure and Statistical Model

Systematic reviews ideally provide a comprehensive and unbiased summary of existing evidence from clinical studies, whilst meta-analysis combines the results of these studies to produce an overall estimate. Collectively, this makes them invaluable for clinical decision-making. Although the number of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses in orthodontics has increased, questions are often raised about their methodological soundness. In this primer, the first steps of meta-analysis are discussed, namely the choice of an effect measure to express the results of included studies, and the choice of a statistical model for the meta-analysis. Clinical orthodontic examples are given to explain the various options available, the thought process behind the choice between them and their interpretation.
Uncloneable encryption

Quantum states cannot be cloned. I show how to extend this property to classical messages encoded using quantum states, a task I call "uncloneable encryption. " An uncloneable encryption scheme has the property that an eavesdropper Eve not only cannot read the encrypted message, but she cannot copy it down for later decoding. She could steal it, but then the receiver Bob would not receive the message, and would thus be alerted that something was amiss. I prove that any authentication scheme for quantum states acts as a secure uncloneable encryption scheme. Uncloneable encryption is also closely related to quantum key distribution (QKD), demonstrating a close connection between cryptographic tasks for quantum states and for classical messages. Thus, studying uncloneable encryption and quantum authentication allows for some modest improvements in QKD protocols. While the main results apply to a one-time key with unconditional security, I also show uncloneable encryption remains secure with a pseudorandom key. In this case, to defeat the scheme, Eve must break the computational assumption behind the pseudorandom sequence before Bob receives the message, or her opportunity is lost. This means uncloneable encryption can be used in a non-interactive setting, where QKD is not available, allowing Alice and Bob to convert a temporary computational assumption into a permanently secure message.
Rheotaxis of Larval Zebrafish: Behavioral Study of a Multi-Sensory Process

Awake animals unceasingly perceive sensory inputs with great variability of nature and intensity, and understanding how the nervous system manages this continuous flow of diverse information to get a coherent representation of the environment is arguably a central question in systems neuroscience. Rheotaxis, the ability shared by most aquatic species to orient toward a current and swim to hold position, is an innate and robust multi-sensory behavior that is known to involve the lateral line and visual systems. To facilitate the neuroethological study of rheotaxic behavior in larval zebrafish we developed an assay for freely swimming larvae that allows for high experimental throughtput, large statistic and a fine description of the behavior. We show that there exist a clear transition from exploration to counterflow swim, and by changing the sensory modalities accessible to the fishes (visual only, lateral line only or both) and comparing the swim patterns at different ages we were able to detect and characterize two different mechanisms for position holding, one mediated by the lateral line and one mediated by the visual system. We also found that when both sensory modalities are accessible the visual system overshadows the lateral line, suggesting that at the larval stage the sensory inputs are not merged to finely tune the behavior but that redundant information pathways may be used as functional fallbacks.
Improved identification of Gordonia, Rhodococcus and Tsukamurella species by 5′-end 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Objectives: The identification of fastidious aerobic Actinomycetes such as Gordonia, Rhodococcus, and Tsukamurella has remained a challenge leading to clinically significant misclassifications. This study is intended to examine the feasibility of partial 5′-end 16S rRNA gene sequencing for the identification of Gordonia, Rhodococcus, and Tsukamurella, and defined potential reference sequences for species from each of these genera. Methods: The 16S rRNA gene sequence based identification algorithm for species identification was used and enhanced by aligning test sequences with reference sequences from the List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature. Results: Conventional PCR based 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the alignment of the isolate 16S rRNA gene sequence with reference sequences accurately identified 100% of clinical strains of aerobic Actinomycetes. While partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of reference type strains matched with the 16S rRNA gene sequences of 19 isolates in our data set, another 13 strains demonstrated a degree of polymorphism with a 1–4 bp difference in the regions of difference. Conclusions: 5′-end 606 bp 16S rRNA gene sequencing, coupled with the assignment of well defined reference sequences to clinically relevant species of bacteria, can be a useful strategy for improving the identification of clinically relevant aerobic Actinomycetes.
The effects of electrical stimulation on the quadriceps during postoperative knee immobilization

Immobilization of the knee after anterior cruciate liga ment (ACL) reconstructon results in marked thigh atro phy and decrease in quadriceps strength that may prolong the rehabilitation program of the injured athlete. Fifteen male volunteers undergoing ACL reconstruction were divided into two groups, stimulation (during im mobilization) and nonstimulation. Measurements of thigh circumference and isometric quadriceps strength were tested preoperatively, immediately after cessation of cast immobilization (6 weeks), and at 9 and 12 weeks postoperatively. The changes in circumference and strength between the first preoperative test and all subsequent tests were compared for statistical signifi cance (Student's t-test, P < 0.5) between the two groups. The decrease in quadriceps strength of the stimulation group during immobilization was signifi cantly less than that of the nonstimulation group, al though later differences between the two groups were not significant. There were no significant differences in thigh atrophy between the two groups. In conclusion, isometric quadriceps torque decreases resulting from immobilization can be significantly lessened by appli cation of electrical stimulation during immobilization. Electrical stimulation to the quadriceps does not sig nificantly alter thigh circumference changes that occur during immobilization.
Reversal of NK-Cell Exhaustion in Advanced Melanoma by Tim-3 Blockade

Silva and colleagues show that Tim-3 expression in NK cells from melanoma patients correlates with poor prognosis; blockade of Tim-3 induces NK-cell proliferative and cytolytic capacity and responsiveness to growth factors, indicating that Tim-3 is a therapeutic target for patients with advanced melanoma. The immunoregulatory protein T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain–containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) mediates T-cell exhaustion and contributes to the suppression of immune responses in both viral infections and tumors. Tim-3 blockade reverses the exhausted phenotype of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in several chronic diseases, including melanoma. Interestingly, natural killer (NK) cells constitutively express Tim-3; however, the role of Tim-3 in modulating the function of these innate effector cells remains unclear, particularly in human diseases. In this study, we compared the function of Tim-3 in NK cells from healthy donors and patients with metastatic melanoma. NK cells from the latter were functionally impaired/exhausted, and Tim-3 blockade reversed this exhausted phenotype. Moreover, Tim-3 expression levels were correlated with the stage of the disease and poor prognostic factors. These data indicate that Tim-3 can function as an NK-cell exhaustion marker in advanced melanoma and support the development of Tim-3–targeted therapies to restore antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(5); 410–22. ©2014 AACR.
Micro-environment changes inside impermeable protective clothing during a continuous work exposure

Protective clothing (PC) results in a micro-environment between itself and the body. Workers are then exposed to a heat stress greater than the ambient environment alone, which is a reflection of micro-environment, metabolic rate and time. Adjustments to the ambient environment to account for the micro-environment have been formulated as a means to predict heat strain for safety and productivity purposes. Measurement of the actual micro-environment was made for a mean of 63.1 - 7.9 min using a remote sensor at the shoulder, hip and thigh levels on 15 subjects during a continuous work protocol (300 kcal/h) in impermeable PC at an ambient temperature of 30.1°C wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) (32°C dry, 29°C wet, 33°C globe). Micro-environment temperature increased over the duration of the work period. There was no statistically significant difference (p >0.05) between the measurements made at the three different body sites for temperature or humidity. The mean micro-environmental WBGT at the end of work was 34.6°C WBGT. Micro-environment WBGT increased rapidly in the first 20 min of work then slowed, rising only 0.5°C WBGT from 40 to 60 min. These results suggest that at this particular high ambient temperature (30.1°C WBGT) an adjustment factor of 5°C WBGT would give a more accurate indication of thermal stress for up to 1 h of continuous moderate work within PC. For shorter work durations, an even smaller adjustment would be appropriate.
Model Of Green Purchase Intention Environmentally Friendly Packaging In The Micro And Small Business Food Industry In Riau Province

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, consumer preferences are changing towards environmentally friendly practices, especially in the food industry. This research aims to develop a comprehensive model of environmentally friendly purchasing intentions by investigating the impact of environmentally friendly packaging on consumer behavior in the micro and small business food industry in Riau Province. The study uses a mixed approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to collect data from consumers and businesses. Quantitative analysis will involve statistical techniques such as regression analysis to identify key factors influencing green purchase intentions. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically to provide deeper insight into consumer perceptions and business practices regarding environmentally friendly packaging. It is hoped that the findings of this research will contribute to the existing literature on sustainable consumption and provide practical insights for micro and small scale food businesses in Riau Province to improve their environmental sustainability efforts. Ultimately, the developed model will be a valuable tool for policymakers, businesses, and researchers seeking to encourage environmentally responsible practices in the local food industry.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Mobile Phone Ownership and Use in Korean Children and Adolescents

Objectives As public concern on possible harmful effects of mobile phone in children has been raised, information of epidemiological characteristics of mobile phone use in children and adolescents will be essential for public health policy. Methods Using three databases (n=21,693) collected from 2008 to 2011, we examined characteristics of mobile phone ownership and use, and socioeconomic positions (SEP) in Korean children and adolescents. Results The ownership rate and the amount of mobile phone use were higher in females than males, in higher school grades than lower grades, and at 2011 than 2008. The average age of first mobile phone ownership was shown to decrease from 12.5 years in currently high school students to 8.4 years in currently elementary school students at 2011. More than 90% of children in the 5th grade owned a mobile phone. More children owned a mobile phone in lower SEP communities than in higher SEP. Children with parents educated less than those with parents educated more were more likely to own and use mobile phone. Conclusions Considering the epidemiological characteristics of mobile phone use, precautionary measures to prevent unnecessary exposure to mobile phones are needed in children and adolescents.
Patients With Ischemic Stroke and Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background and Purpose— A substantial part of ischemic strokes is attributed to atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that patients with ischemic stroke without prior diagnosed AF were at higher risk of having a subsequent diagnosis of AF, and this was associated with multiple risk factors. Methods— This French longitudinal cohort study was based on the national database covering hospital care from 2008 to 2012 for the entire population. Results— Of 65 807 patients with ischemic stroke in 2009, 48 992 did not have AF at baseline. A total of 4828 of these patients were diagnosed as having AF during a follow-up of 15±15 months (incidence rate 7.9 per 100 person-years). By comparison, the yearly rate of new-onset AF for the 826 416 patients with a cardiac hospitalization was 5.9%. CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack) and CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack [doubled], vascular disease, age 65–75 years, and sex category [female]) scores were both associated with the risk of new-onset AF during follow-up (CHADS2: hazard ratio [HR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66–1.75; CHA2DS2-VASc: HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.42–1.48). The c statistics were 0.700 (95% CI 0.696–0.706) for CHADS2 and 0.706 (95% CI 0.702–0.710) with CHA2DS2-VASc (P=0.003 for comparison of the 2 scores). Independent predictors of subsequent diagnosis of AF were age 65 to 74 years (HR 2.29, 95% CI 2.06–2.54), age ≥75 years (HR 3.31, 95% CI 3.02–3.64), hypertension (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13–1.32), heart failure (HR 2.56, 95% CI 2.41–2.72), and vascular disease (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.17). Conclusions— Ischemic stroke was associated with a substantially increased risk of incident AF, particularly among individuals with higher CHADS2 or CHA2DS2-VASc scores. These risk scores seem to be simple tools for identifying patients at higher risk of incident AF after ischemic stroke.
A path following algorithm for Sparse Pseudo-Likelihood Inverse Covariance Estimation (SPLICE)

Givenn observations of ap-dimensional random vector, the covariance matrix and its inverse (precision matrix) are needed in a wide range of applications. Sample covariance (e.g. its eigenstructure) can misbehave when p is comparable to the sample size n. Regularization is often used to mitigate the problem. In this paper, we proposed an ‘1 penalized pseudo-likelihood estimate for the inverse covariance matrix. This estimate is sparse due to the ‘1 penalty, and we term this method SPLICE. Its regularization path can be computed via an algorithm based on the homotopy/LARS-Lasso algorithm. Simulation studies are carried out for various inverse covariance structures for p = 15 and n = 20; 1000. We compare SPLICE with the ‘1 penalized likelihood estimate and a ‘1 penalized Cholesky decomposition based method. SPLICE gives the best overall performance in terms of three metrics on the precision matrix and ROC curve for model selection. Moreover, our simulation results demonstrate that the SPLICE estimates are positive-denite for most of the regularization path even though the restriction is not enforced.
The metallicity extremes of the Sagittarius dSph: SALT spectroscopy of PNe

In this work we present the first spectroscopic results obtained with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) during its performance-verification phase. We find that the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr) contains a youngest stellar population with [O/H] ≈ -0.2 and age t > 1 Gyr, and an oldest population with [O/H] = -2.0. The values are based on spectra of two planetary nebulae (PNe), using empirical abundance determinations. We calculated abundances for O, N, Ne, Ar, S, Cl, Fe, C and He. We confirm the high abundances of PN StWr2-21 with 12 + log(O/H) = 8.57 ± 0.02 dex. The other PN studied, BoBn 1, is an extraordinary object in that the neon abundance exceeds that of oxygen. The abundances of S, Ar and Cl in BoBn 1 yield the original stellar metallicity, corresponding to 12 + log(O/H) = 6.72 ± 0.16 dex which is 1/110 of the solar value. The actual [O/H] is much higher: third dredge-up enriched the material by a factor of ∼12 in oxygen, ∼240 in nitrogen and ∼70 in neon. Neon as well as nitrogen and oxygen content may have been produced in the intershell of low-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Well defined broad WR lines are present in the spectrum of StWr2-21 and absent in the spectrum of BoBn 1. This puts the fraction of [WR]-type central PNe stars to 67 per cent for dSph galaxies.
The porA pseudogene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae– low level of genetic polymorphism and a few, mainly identical, inactivating mutations

N. meningitidis is the only Neisseria species known to express two outer membrane porins, PorA and PorB. However, a porA pseudogene has been identified in N. gonorrhoeae. The present study investigated the prevalence and genetic polymorphism of this porA pseudogene in 87 different N. gonorrhoeae strains. The porA pseudogene was identified in all isolates. The pseudogene comprised 12 (5.5%), of which 10 were located in the promoter spacer, and 11 (1.0%) polymorphic nucleotide sites in the upstream segment containing the promoter region, i.e. the putative ‐10 and ‐35 sequences and the promoter spacer in‐between, and the hypothetical PorA coding sequence, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of the upstream segment and the hypothetical coding sequence identified 36 sequence variants, of which 30 were not previously described. All strains comprised at least two identical confirmed inactivating deletions, of which one was located in the promoter region and one in the hypothetical PorA coding sequence. In conclusion, the porA pseudogene and its few inactivating mutations are widespread in the N. gonorrhoeae population and the homology with the N. meningitidis porA gene reflects their common evolutionary origin. The highly conserved N. gonorrhoeae porA pseudogene may reflect an evolutionary neutral molecular clock and may be a suitable genetic target for diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae.
Joint angle and delay estimation of point sources

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of the JADE-MUSIC (joint angle and delay estimation) algorithm in the presence of point sources. The observed snapshots are used to estimate the space-time channel matrix. The estimated channel matrix is then used to jointly estimate the direction of arrival and the time of arrival. The performance of the JADE-MUSIC algorithm is then evaluated in terms of bias and mean square error of the DOA and TOA estimates. The obtained results are also compared to the Cramer-Rao bound.
A Practitioner's Guide to Software-Based Soft-Error Mitigation Using AN-Codes

Arithmetic error coding schemes (AN codes) are a well known and effective technique for soft error mitigation. Although coding theory being a rich area of mathematics, their implementation seems to be fairly easy. However, compliance with the theory can be lost easily while moving towards an actual implementation - finally jeopardizing the aspired fault-tolerance characteristics. In this paper, we present our experiences and lessons learned from implementing AN codes in the Cored dependable voter. We focus on the challenges and pitfalls in the transition from maths to machine code for a binary computer from a systems perspective. Our results show, that practical misconceptions (such as the use of prime numbers) and architecture-dependent implementation glitches occur on every stage of this transition. We identify typical pitfalls and describe practical measures to find and resolve them. Our measures eliminate all remaining SDCs in the Cored voter, which is validated by an extensive fault-injection campaign that covers 100 percent of the fault space for 1-bit and 2-bit errors.
Analysis of clinical features of heart failure in children with cardiomyopathy and improved ejection fraction

Background: The prognosis of children with heart failure varies considerably. After treatment, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can be improved in some children. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features of children with heart failure accompanied by cardiomyopathy and recovered ejection fraction [heart failure with recovered ejection fraction (HFrecEF)] and to identify the predictors of improved LVEF. Methods: Children diagnosed with heart failure in Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from 2018 to 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. According to the baseline and change of LVEF, the patients were divided into two groups: a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) group and an HFrecEF group. The t -test was used to evaluate the difference between the two groups. The predictive factors of ejection fraction improvement were analyzed with a logistic regression model. Results: A total of 72 children were included in this study, including 31 (43.1%) in the HFrEF group and 41 (56.9%) in the HFrecEF group. Compared with children in the HFrEF group, children in the HFrecEF group were younger and had faster resting heart rates, lower creatinine, lower suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) expression, a lower platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLT:LYM) ratio, and smaller left atrial diameter. After a mean follow-up of 35.87 months, 26 cases returned to normal ejection fraction. In the HFrEF group, sudden cardiac death occurred in two cases, and four cases received heart transplantation. Logistic analysis showed that virus infection [odds ratio (OR) =1.279; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.374–4.379; P=0.007], low ST2 expression (cutoff value =1.89 ng/mL: OR =1.042; 95% CI: 1.007–1.082; P=0.032), and treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (OR =5.077; 95% CI: 1.458–17.684; P=0.011) were predictors of improvement in LVEF in patients with heart failure after treatment. Conclusions: In some patients with HFrecEF, LVEF eventually returned to normal. The combination of viral infection, low ST2 expression, and the application of IVIG therapy were found to be independent predictors of LVEF improvement in patients with heart failure after treatment.