Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Environmentally Friendly Drilling Fluid Additives in Water-Based Drilling Mud

Drilling wastes generated in large volumes is recognized to have many effects on the environment. Several techniques have been applied by the oil and gas industry to overcome the impacts of drilling waste on the environment, an example of these techniques is using environmentally friendly drilling fluid additives. This work investigates the potential of using Fibrous Food Waste Material (FFWM) as an environmentally friendly drilling fluid additive. This material was prepared in-house. Experimental evaluation has been carried out to investigate the ability of FFWM to enhance several properties of water-based drilling fluid under two different pH conditions. The FFWM was first evaluated at 9.3 pH then the pH was increased using sodium hydroxide to 11.5. Several properties of drilling fluid were measured. The measurements included testing the rheological properties using viscometer, measuring the filtration using standard low-pressure low-temperature filter press, the pH using pH tester, and other important properties. The findings of this work showed that FFWM in 9.3 pH environment reduced the fluid loss by 18% and 30% when 1% and 2% concentrations of FFWM were added, respectively. This reduction in fluid loss was along with forming a thin filter cake. The filter cake thickness of the reference fluid was decreased from 3 mm to 2.14 mm and 1.9 mm at 1% and 2% concentrations of FFWM. Additionally, FFWM resulted in increasing the plastic viscosity (PV) compared to the reference fluid by 33.33% at 1% and 2% concentrations. While the yield point (YP) was increased by 22.22% and 44.44% when 1% and 2% concentrations of FFWM were added, respectively. Both the initial and final gel strengths were increased by 27.27%, 44.44 %, 7.14% and 14.28% at 1% and 2% concentrations, respectively. Moreover, the results in 11.5 pH emphasized the efficient performance of FFWM, and it showed better improvement in the filtration specifications and the rheological properties. In other words, PV, YP, and gel strength were significantly increased; while the fluid loss was very low and the filter cake was very thin at 11.5 pH condition compared to 9.3 pH condition for the same concentrations, proving the ability of FFWM to perform better under higher pH condition. The significant enhancement in the rheological and filtration properties, suggesting the applicability of using this additive as a rheology modifier and filtration control agent. These results showed the potential use of FFWM as an alternative for some of the toxic materials used today in the oil and gas industry. This work demonstrates that this additive will help to reduce both the impact on the environment along with reducing the cost of drilling fluid and drilling waste handling.
Multisite HPV16/18 Vaccine Efficacy Against Cervical, Anal, and Oral HPV Infection.

BACKGROUND Previous Costa Rica Vaccine Trial (CVT) reports separately demonstrated vaccine efficacy against HPV16 and HPV18 (HPV16/18) infections at the cervical, anal, and oral regions; however, the combined overall multisite efficacy (protection at all three sites) and vaccine efficacy among women infected with HPV16 or HPV18 prior to vaccination are less known. METHODS Women age 18 to 25 years from the CVT were randomly assigned to the HPV16/18 vaccine (Cervarix) or a hepatitis A vaccine. Cervical, oral, and anal specimens were collected at the four-year follow-up visit from 4186 women. Multisite and single-site vaccine efficacies (VEs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for one-time detection of point prevalent HPV16/18 in the cervical, anal, and oral regions four years after vaccination. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS The multisite woman-level vaccine efficacy was highest among "naïve" women (HPV16/18 seronegative and cervical HPV high-risk DNA negative at vaccination) (vaccine efficacy = 83.5%, 95% CI = 72.1% to 90.8%). Multisite woman-level vaccine efficacy was also demonstrated among women with evidence of a pre-enrollment HPV16 or HPV18 infection (seropositive for HPV16 and/or HPV18 but cervical HPV16/18 DNA negative at vaccination) (vaccine efficacy = 57.8%, 95% CI = 34.4% to 73.4%), but not in those with cervical HPV16 and/or HPV18 DNA at vaccination (anal/oral HPV16/18 VE = 25.3%, 95% CI = -40.4% to 61.1%). Concordant HPV16/18 infections at two or three sites were also less common in HPV16/18-infected women in the HPV vaccine vs control arm (7.4% vs 30.4%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS This study found high multisite vaccine efficacy among "naïve" women and also suggests the vaccine may provide protection against HPV16/18 infections at one or more anatomic sites among some women infected with these types prior to HPV16/18 vaccination.
Serum cholesterol concentraions in parasuicide

OBJECTIVE —To evaluate whether people who have committed parasuicide have low serum cholesterol concentrations. DESIGN —Results of blood tests in subjects admitted to hospital for parasuicide compared with those of a control group of non-suicidal subjects; comparison in subgroup of parasuicide subjects of two sets of blood test results (one set from admission for parasuicide and the other from admission for some other illness). SETTING —General hospital, Ferrara, Italy. SUBJECTS —331parasuicide subjects aged 44 (SD 21) years (109 with two sets of blood test results) and 331 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES —Serum cholesterol concentrations and possible association with parasuicide, considering sex, violence of method of parasuicide, and underlying psychiatric disorder. RESULTS —Lower serum cholesterol concentrations (4.96 (SD 1.16) mmol/l) were found in the parasuicide subjects than in the controls (5.43 (1.30); P < 0.001), regardless of sex and degree of violence of parasuicide method. Both men and women with two sets of blood test results had lower cholesterol concentrations after parasuicide. Linear regression analysis showed that the difference in cholesterol concentrations was significantly related to the length of time between the taking of the two sets of blood samples. CONCLUSION —The study showed low cholesterol concentrations after parasuicide. This finding agrees with previous studies, which suggest an association between low cholesterol concentration and suicide. Key messages Trials of cholesterol lowering have shown an increased mortality from violent deaths and suicide No studies of cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide subjects are available This study shows lower cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide subjects than in controls The association between low cholesterol concentration and parasuicide, however, does not allow definite conclusions to be drawn Further prospective trials are needed to focus on the possible effects of abrupt variation in cholesterol concentration on behaviour
Evaluation of Chitosan/Alginate Beads Using Experimental Design: Formulation and In Vitro Characterization

Bovine serum albumin-loaded beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation of alginate with calcium chloride and chitosan. The effect of sodium alginate concentration and chitosan concentration on the particle size and loading efficacy was studied. The diameter of the beads formed is dependent on the size of the needle used. The optimum condition for preparation alginate–chitosan beads was alginate concentration of 3% and chitosan concentration of 0.25% at pH 5. The resulting bead formulation had a loading efficacy of 98.5% and average size of 1,501 μm, and scanning electron microscopy images showed spherical and smooth particles. Chitosan concentration significantly influenced particle size and encapsulation efficiency of chitosan–alginate beads (p < 0.05). Decreasing the alginate concentration resulted in an increased release of albumin in acidic media. The rapid dissolution of chitosan–alginate matrices in the higher pH resulted in burst release of protein drug.
Evaluation of the inter-relationships of temperament, stress responsiveness and immune function in beef calves

Evaluation of the Inter-relationships of Temperament, Stress Responsiveness and Immune Function in Beef Calves. (May 2006) Ryan Allan Oliphint, B.S., Texas Tech University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. T. H. Welsh, Jr. Dr. R. D. Randel A series of in vivo and in vitro approaches were followed to assess the interrelationships of temperament, stress responsiveness and immune function in beef bulls and steers. In experiment one, Brahman bull calves were weaned at approximately six months of age when pen score and exit velocity were measured to sort calves into groups with extremes in temperament (calm n = 10 and temperamental n = 10). The calves were vaccinated on day 0 and 42 of the study with serial blood samples colleted for 11 weeks. Calm calves tended to have higher primary and secondary immune responses as indicated by increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G following Clostridial vaccination. In vitro lymphocyte cultures were performed on day 0 and 42 to measure proliferation and IgM production. Calm calves had significantly higher proliferative responses on both day 0 and 42. Lymphocyte IgM production was significantly higher in calm calves on day 0 and tended to be higher on day 42 than temperamental calves. In experiment two, weaned and yearling steers were arrayed by pen score and exit velocity, to assign steers to groups with extremes in temperament (trial 1: calm n = 7
A Technique for the Assessment and Training of Comprehension Monitoring Skills

More skilled and less skilled upper-elementary readers and college students played reading games in which they tried to determine if prose statements were internally consistent or inconsistent. The elementary students were assigned either to a control condition in which they played only the pre- and posttest versions of the reading games or to a training condition in which they were provided exposure to similar games in an effort to improve their comprehension monitoring skills. Ability group comparisons indicated significant differences in monitoring skill. Training resulted in a significant increase in monitoring proficiency. However, the training advantage was limited to an improvement in the ability to identify consistent statements.
Gender, risk and employment insecurity: The masculine breadwinner subtext

The decline of the male breadwinner model goes hand in hand with an increased perception of insecurity and risk in the new economy. This article explores how the perception of and responses to risk and insecurity are influenced by gender. The article is based on interviews with male and female information communication technology (ICT) workers, and it identifies four main discourses through which they conceptualize risk. First, they draw on a discourse which normalizes risk as part of their jobs. A second discourse implicitly suggests that women are less likely to be made redundant. A third discourse is based on the assumption that becoming a breadwinner influences one's perception of risk. The topic of the final discourse is the importance of continually improving one's skills in order to remain employable and maintain one's position as a breadwinner. The discourses all assume the ideal of a neoliberal self-entrepreneurial subject. The article then discusses ageing as a factor that changes perceptions of risks and the ability to remain on top of one's game. While there is little difference in the interpretative resources men and women use to make sense of insecurity, the article shows that the subtext underlying all four discourses is that of a masculine breadwinner. The article contributes towards developing a gendered understanding of risk and insecurity through exposing the masculine subtext with which these discourses are saturated.
Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Images of Five Circumnuclear Star-Forming Rings

We present UV (2300 Ang) images, obtained with the HST Faint Object Camera, of the central 20'' of five galaxies containing circumnuclear star-forming rings. The five galaxies are from a well-defined sample of 103 normal, nearby galaxies we have observed with HST. At the HST resolution (0.05''), the rings break up into discrete star-forming clumps, each composed of many luminous and compact ($R \ltorder 5$ pc) star clusters. These objects are similar to those that have been recently reported in colliding and starburst galaxies, and in several other circumnuclear rings. A large fraction, 15%--50%, of the UV emission originates in these compact clusters. Compact clusters therefore may be the preferred mode of star formation in starburst environments. For one galaxy, NGC 2997, we measure the UV-optical colors of the individual clusters using an archival HST WFPC2 image at 6000 Ang . Comparing the colors and luminosities to starburst population synthesis models, we show that the clusters are less than 100 Myr old and have masses of at least a few $10^3 M_{\odot}$, with some as high as $10^5 M_{\odot}$. The UV extinction to those clusters that are detected in the UV is at most a factor of 10. In NGC 2997, the limits on the masses and the ages of the young clusters indicate that these objects will remain bound and evolve into globular clusters. The luminosity function of the clusters in the rings is similar in shape to those measured for super star clusters in other star-forming galaxies, and extends to luminosities lower by several orders of magnitude. All five of the UV-detected circumnuclear rings occur in barred or weakly barred spiral galaxies of type Sc or earlier. None of the five rings has an active nucleus at its center, arguing against a direct correspondence between circumnuclear star formation and nuclear
Evidence and evidence gaps of laryngeal cancer surgery

Surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer has been established for decades. In addition to total laryngectomy, which was first performed in 1873, a large number or organ preservation surgical techniques, like open partial laryngectomy, transoral laser microsurgery, and transoral robotic surgery have been developed. Studies on laryngeal cancer surgery are mainly retrospective case series and cohort studies. The evolution of chemoradiation protocols and their analysis in prospective randomized trials have led to an increasing acceptance of non-surgical treatment procedures. In addition to an improvement of prognosis, in recent years the preservation of function and maintenance of life quality after primary therapy of laryngeal cancer has increasingly become the focus of therapy planning. Significant late toxicity after chemoradiation has been identified as an important issue. This leads to a reassessment of surgical concepts and initiation of studies on laryngeal cancer surgery which was additionally stimulated by the advent of transoral robotic surgery in the US. Improving the evidence base of laryngeal cancer surgery by successful establishment of surgical trials should be the future goal.
Modeling dust and soluble iron deposition to the South Atlantic Ocean

[1] The global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem, implemented with a dust-iron dissolution scheme, was used to analyze the magnitude and spatial distribution of mineral dust and soluble-iron (sol-Fe) deposition to the South Atlantic Ocean (SAO). The comparison of model results with remotely sensed data shows that GEOS-Chem can capture dust source regions in Patagonia and characterize the temporal variability of dust outflow. For a year-long model simulation, 22 Tg of mineral dust and 4 Gg of sol-Fe were deposited to the surface waters of the entire SAO region, with roughly 30% of this dust and sol-Fe predicted to be deposited to possible high nitrate low chlorophyll oceanic regions. Model-predicted dissolved iron fraction of mineral dust over the SAO was small, on average only accounting for 0.57% of total iron. Simulations suggest that the primary reason for such a small fraction of sol-Fe is the low ambient concentrations of acidic trace gases available for mixing with dust plumes. Overall, the amount of acid added to the deliquesced aerosol solution was not enough to overcome the alkalinity buffer of Patagonian dust and initiate considerable acid dissolution of mineral-iron. Sensitivity studies show that the amount of sol-Fe deposited to the SAO was largely controlled by the initial amount of sol-Fe at the source region, with limited contribution from the spatial variability of Patagonian-desert topsoil mineralogy and natural sources of acidic trace gases. Simulations suggest that Patagonian dust should have a minor effect on biological productivity in the SAO.
Mediating Effect Of Job Satisfaction In The Relationship Between Psychological Empowerment And Job Performance

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among the four components of psychological empowerment (i.e. meaning, self-determination, competence, and impact), job satisfaction and job performance. This study also tested the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between the components of psychological empowerment and job performance. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 238 employees in manufacturing industry. SPSS was used to conduct the statistical analysis of all data in this study. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the postulated hypothesis and test the direct and mediated relationships among variables. The findings indicated that meaning, self-determination and impact had positive significant effects on job satisfaction, but competence had no effect on job satisfaction. In addition, competence, self-determination and impact had positive effects on employees’ job performance while meaning did not support the proposed relationship. The results suggested that job satisfaction significantly affected job performance. Furthermore, overall job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between meaning and job performance. In contrast, job satisfaction partially mediated the relationships between competence and job performance, between self-determination and job performance, and between impact and job performance.
How managers assess the business value returned from information technology spending

Even though expenditures by corporations for information technology, now at all-time high levels, continue to grow, concerns remain over the inability of firms to measure the business value they receive for their investment. Since the level of expenditures is not expected to fall, it can be assumed that, measurable or not, managers believe they are getting satisfactory returns for their spending on information technology. To gain greater insight into the business value of IT, a study involving 146 highly experienced executives and managers was conducted. The results identify and measure the intensity of managers insights into the forces that influence a company's achievement of business value from its IT investments.
Effect of SO2 on the Pathogenesis of Viral Upper Respiratory Infection in Mice

Summary The mouse-adapted strain of PR8 influenza virus was inoculated intranas-ally into unanesthetized DS mice which had been continually exposed to 0.03-0.1 ppm of SO2 for 4 weeks. Histopathological changes in nasal tissues showed that inflammatory response was more rapid and more severe, and regeneration was initiated sooner, in these mice than in virus-inoculated controls. The HI titer also developed more rapidly and reached higher levels in mice exposed to SO2 plus virus than in mice receiving virus alone, and antibody to the virus appeared earlier in the exposed mice. Animals which were exposed to SO2 and were not given the virus showed a sixfold increase in the number of goblet cells in nasal respiratory epithelial cells, though the olfactory epithelial cells were apparently unaffected. The results suggest that increased severity of influenza infection after continued exposure to low levels of SO2 resulted from a progressive alteration of the nasal mucous membranes by SO2 which then allowed rapid destructive proliferation of subsequently introduced virus. This destruction of nasal tissues would eliminate a major defensive barrier against lower tract disease.
Selection always matters

In 1977 Tim Holt and Fred Smith were funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council for a programme of research into the Analysis of Complex Surveys. Gad Nathan was one of the visiting researchers. After reviewing the position of survey inference in the 1970’s we consider some of Gad’s work on regression analysis of survey data. An early belief was that random sampling selection could be ignored for model-based inference. This is explored and shown to be false under many circumstances. Our basic premise, following Rubin, is that all data models should include indicators for sample selection and for response. Both indicators should be modelled by the analyst, together with the survey variables, and only ignored if this follows from the models, the targets for inference and the type of inference; randomisation, frequentist, likelihood or Bayesian
Reproducibility of twenty‐four‐hour finger arterial blood pressure, variability and systemic hemodynamics

Objective At present, non-invasive continuous monitoring of finger arterial blood pressure by the volume-clamp technique is considered the best approach to obtain reliable assessments of beat-to-beat blood pressure. However, data on the reproducibility (accuracy and precision) of prolonged recordings and of the hemodynamics derived from wave-form analysis are not available. Design Ten patients with untreated essential hypertension and eight normotensive subjects were monitored by Portapres over 24 h in the hospital on two occasions with 1–4 weeks in-between. Physical and mental activities were standardized as far as possible to minimize intra- and intersubject biological variability. Stroke volume was obtained by the Modelflow method. Differences between the two recordings were computed separately for the day (0700 to 2300 h) and the night (2300 to 0700 h) and for all hours. Differences in stroke volume were calculated as percentage change from the first recording. Results Accuracy was good in both groups and bias was close to zero. Precision was also remarkable in the daytime, and at least as good as values reported in studies that used the standard intra-arterial recording. The SD of the differences in systolic and diastolic pressure in the hypertensives in the daytime were 6.6 and 4.7 mmHg, respectively. At night, precision was less good, possibly because of the 30 min finger-cuff switching: 12.5 and 6.5 mmHg for systolic and diastolic pressure, respectively. The average stroke volume did not change more than 8% at most between the first and the second recordings. Conclusion These results indicate that the Finapres and Portapres devices are a reliable substitute for intra-arterial recording, and are most useful instruments for the study of blood pressure regulation.