Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Body mass index and the incidence of asthma in children

Purpose of reviewWhen evaluating the causal link between obesity and the development of asthma in children, prospective cohort studies are essential. The results of the most recently published birth cohort studies from Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Belarus, and California, USA, as well as from a joint analysis of eight European birth cohorts of the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network are evaluated. Moreover, the results of two meta-analyses are presented. Recent findingsMost recent prospective cohort studies found a dose–response association between overweight or obesity and asthma. The evidence of effect modification by sex, ethnicity, and age was inconsistent. Both meta-analyses also showed that overweight children were at an increased risk of incident asthma compared with nonoverweight children and that the relationship was further elevated for obesity. SummaryProspective cohort studies and two recently published meta-analyses found an association between overweight (and especially obesity) and asthma in the appropriate temporal sequence and in a dose–response manner. Children with a pronounced weight gain slope in early life were particularly at risk for asthma within the first 6 years of life. The gain in BMI over time during infancy may be an even more important predictor for asthma in childhood than excess weight at any specific age.
Statistical Distributions of Speeds of Coronal Mass Ejections

We studied the distribution of plane-of-sky speeds determined for 4315 coronal mass ejections (CMEs) detected by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO LASCO). We found that the speed distributions for accelerating and decelerating events are nearly identical and to a good approximation they can be fitted with a single lognormal distribution. This finding implies that, statistically, there is no physical distinction between the accelerating and the decelerating events. The lognormal distribution of the CME speeds suggests that the same driving mechanism of a nonlinear nature is acting in both slow and fast dynamical types of CMEs.
Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soil Samples from Regions Around Loda-Irele Bitumen Field, Nigeria

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in soils of Loda-Irele (geographical coordinate 6°29'0″N 4°52'0″E), Nigeria. Soxhlet extraction technique was used for soil PAH extraction using dichloromethane as extracting solvent. PAHs in the samples are estimated using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The PAH concentrations were higher than 110 ppb in most samples, pointing to anthropogenic and petrogenic sources of the pollutants. Most PAH concentrations fall within the expected limits for a rural environment and below the threshold limit. However, 12.08 and14.68 ppb for Benzo(e)pyrene and 5.62 ppb for Indenol (1, 2, 3 – cd) pyrene exceeded the expected limit. Dominating 4 - 6 ring PAHs showed the PAHs were from pyrolytic sources. The concentrations of PAHs are not significant (p>0.05) compared to maximum allowable concentrations in soils.
Forecasting Lightning Initiation Utilizing Dual-Polarization Radar Parameters over Washington, D.C.

Accurate forecasts of thunderstorms are vital to space launch, aviation, and public safety. Prior studies by Woodard (2011), Thurmond (2014), and Travis (2015) show that dual-polarization radar can be utilized to identify the presence of hydrometeors necessary for cloud charging. These studies emphasized that a combination of radar reflectivity (Z) and differential reflectivity (ZDR) predictors have the potential to improve forecast skill of lightning initiation over methods that rely on Z alone (Roeder and Pinder, 1998; Yang and King, 2010). Travis (2015) discovered two parameters, when used together, produced the best results: Z ≥ 36.5 dBZ and ZDR ≥ 0.31 at the -10◦C height. Travis (2015) also highlighted that ZDR is the preferred parameter to use in conjunction with Z as elevated ZDR values are indicative of supercooled water droplets and wet ice particles which are important to the overall electrification process occurring within a cloud. This study applied the lightning initiation prediction method developed for Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Travis (2015) to a new location. The method was tested on 100 isolated, warm season thunderstorms spanning 5 years in and around the Washington D.C. area. Forecast metrics and lead times were calculated and compared to the results of Travis (2015). The results of this study concluded that the lightning initiation prediction algorithm from Travis (2015) for CCAFS/KSC does not perform well for the Washington, D.C. area. This implies that one lightning initiation prediction method cannot be applied across the entire national NEXRAD network.
Molecular level stochastic model for competence cycles in Bacillus subtilis

The role of stochasticity and noise in controlling genetic circuits is investigated in the context of transitions into and from competence in Bacillus subtilis. Recent experiments have demonstrated that bistability is not necessary for this function, but that the existence of one stable fixed point (vegetation) and an excitable unstable one (competence) is sufficient. Stochasticity therefore plays a crucial role in this excitation. Noise can be generated by discrete events such as RNA and protein synthesis and their degradation. We consider an alternative noise source connected with the protein binding/unbinding to the DNA. A theoretical model that includes this “nonadiabatic” mechanism appears to produce a better agreement with experiments than models where only the adiabatic limit is considered, suggesting that this nonconventional stochasticity source may be important for biological functions.
Using Address Independent Seed Encryption and Bonsai Merkle Trees to Make Secure Processors OS- and Performance-Friendly

In today's digital world, computer security issues have become increasingly important. In particular, researchers have proposed designs for secure processors which utilize hardware-based memory encryption and integrity verification to protect the privacy and integrity of computation even from sophisticated physical attacks. However, currently proposed schemes remain hampered by problems that make them impractical for use in today's computer systems: lack of virtual memory and inter-process communication support as well as excessive storage and performance overheads. In this paper, we propose 1) address independent seed encryption (AISE), a counter-mode based memory encryption scheme using a novel seed composition, and 2) Bonsai Merkle trees (BMT), a novel Merkle tree-based memory integrity verification technique, to eliminate these system and performance issues associated with prior counter-mode memory encryption and Merkle tree integrity verification schemes. We present both a qualitative discussion and a quantitative analysis to illustrate the advantages of our techniques over previously proposed approaches in terms of complexity, feasibility, performance, and storage. Our results show that AISE+BMT reduces the overhead of prior memory encryption and integrity verification schemes from 12% to 2% on average, while eliminating critical system-level problems.
JETracer a framework for Java GUI Event tracing

The present paper introduces the open-source Java Event Tracer (JETracer) framework for real-time tracing of GUI events within applications based on the AWT, Swing or SWT graphical toolkits. Our framework provides a common event model for supported toolkits, the possibility of receiving GUI events in real-time, good performance in the case of complex target applications and the possibility of deployment over a network. The present paper provides the rationale for JETracer, presents related research and details its technical implementation. An empirical evaluation where JETracer is used to trace GUI events within five popular, open-source applications is also presented.
Seroprevalence and renal carriage of pathogenic Leptospira in livestock in Cotonou, Benin

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease. It is particularly prevalent in tropical countries and has major consequences for human and animal health. In Benin, the disease's epidemiology remains poorly understood, especially in livestock, for which data are lacking. Objectives To characterise Leptospira seroprevalence and locally circulating serogroups in livestock from Cotonou and to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira renal carriage in cattle. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study in February 2020 during which livestock were sampled at an abattoir and in an impoverished city district. We analysed blood samples from 279 livestock animals (i.e. cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) using the microscopic agglutination test. Additionally, samples of renal tissue from 100 cattle underwent 16s rRNA (rrs) real‐time PCR analysis. Results For the 131 cattle, 85 sheep, and 50 goats tested, seroprevalence was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI] [12%, 26%]), 9% (95% CI [4%, 17%] and 2% (95% CI [0%, 9%]), respectively, and most of the seropositive animals were associated with 1:100 titres. All 13 pigs were seronegative. Leptospira DNA was found in the renal tissue of 10% (95% CI [5%, 18%]) of the cattle tested (n = 100). Leptospira borgpetersenii was the main species present (n = 7), but Leptospira interrogans (n = 2) and Leptospira kirschneri (n = 1) were also detected. Various serogroups (Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Pyrogenes, Australis and Autumnalis) were detected using microscopic agglutination test without a clear predominance of any of them. Conclusions These results suggest that abattoir workers and people living in close contact with livestock in poor urban areas are exposed to the risk of Leptospira infection.
Hydrodynamics, Mass Transfer and Mixing induced by Bubble Plumes in Viscous Fluids

Ce travail est une investigation experimentale de l’hydrodynamique, du transfert massique et du melange induit par un panache de bulles dans des milieux de differentes viscosites. Dans l’industrie on est souvent confronte a des problemes de transfert et de melange d’une phase liquide et d’une phase gazeuse afin de provoquer des reactions chimiques ou biochimiques. La plupart du temps on utilise des colonnes a bulles, simple a mettre en œuvre, pour ce type de procede. Mais il existe d’autres situations adaptees aux tres grands volumes comme par exemple les bassins d’aeration de traitement des eaux ou les methaniseurs. Dans ce cas de figure, la repartition des injecteurs de gaz doit etre adaptee aux dimensions du bassin et contribuer au melange du liquide. Ceci est autant plus vrai pour le bioreacteur de methanisation ou l’etat du liquide change en continu pendant la fermentation. Cependant, il y a un manque d'informations concernant l'hydrodynamique induit par l'injection de gaz en milieu visqueux. Afin de mieux comprendre l'ecoulement, le transfert massique et finalement le melange dans ces situations, il a ete decide d’etudier le cas d'un panache de bulles, genere par un seul injecteur dans des liquides de differentes viscosites. Pour cela des experiences ont ete effectuees dans deux types de colonne a bulles avec injection centrale. Un grand nombre de methodes metrologiques tel que la PIV, l’ombroscopie, differents capteurs etc. ont ete utilises. Une attention particuliere a ete donnee aux fluctuations a differentes echelles induit par le mouvement oscillatoire du panache de bulles.
Effects of Eribulin on the RNA Content of Extracellular Vesicles Released by Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid particles secreted by almost all human cells into the extracellular space. They perform the essential function of cell-to-cell communication, and their role in promoting breast cancer progression has been well demonstrated. It is known that EVs released by triple-negative and highly aggressive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with paclitaxel, a microtubule-targeting agent (MTA), promoted chemoresistance in EV-recipient cells. Here, we studied the RNA content of EVs produced by the same MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with another MTA, eribulin mesylate. In particular, we analyzed the expression of different RNA species, including mRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, snoRNAs, piRNAs and tRNA fragments by RNA-seq. Then, we performed differential expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), functional enrichment analysis, and miRNA-target identification. Our findings demonstrate the possible involvement of EVs from eribulin-treated cells in the spread of chemoresistance, prompting the design of strategies that selectively target tumor EVs.
The Pathway‐Flow Relative Permeability of CO2: Measurement by Lowered Pressure Drops

We introduce a simple method to measure the relative permeability of supercritical CO2 in low‐permeability rocks. The method is built on the assumption of the stability of formed CO2 percolation pathway under lowered pressure drops. Initially, a continuous CO2 flow pathway is created under a relatively high‐pressure drop. Then, several subsequent steps of lowered pressure drops are performed while monitoring the associated flow rates. When the pressure drop is lower than a threshold value, the created flow pathway is assumed to be adequately stable and does not vary significantly during successive flows, with the average saturation and flow rate achieving a quasi steady state. The relative permeability of CO2 is then calculated from the relationship between the pressure drop and flow rate at several lowered pressure drops according to the extended form of Darcy's law. We demonstrate this method using both numerical modeling and an experimental test using X‐ray CT imaging. The results indicate the validity of the assumption for the stability of flow pathway under lowered pressure drops. A linear relationship between the lowered pressure drops and the corresponding CO2 flow rate is found. Furthermore, the measurement results suggest that the relative permeability of CO2 can still be high in low‐permeability rocks if the CO2 saturation is higher than the threshold value required to build a flow pathway. The proposed method is important for measuring the pathway‐flow relative permeability of nonwetting fluids in low‐permeability rocks.
Empathic communities: reaching out across the Web

As a child, I was told that " a trouble shared is a trouble halved. " People need to discuss their problems, particularly medical problems. But in this fast-moving, modern society, it can be difficult to find listeners who understand the problem. Howard Rheingold [17] has shown the power of online communities in his thoughtful portrayal of the WELL 1. Now, with tens of
Specific requirement of potassium for light-activated opening of stomata in epidermal strips.

The effect of various ions on stomatal opening was studied in isolated epidermal strips of Vicia faba L. Stomata in strips floating on 10 mm KCl and in CO(2)-free air opened in light, closed in subsequent darkness, then opened fully again when illuminated. A light-activated highly specific effect of K(-) (and Rb(+)) on opening was found. When strips were floated on high concentrations (50 or 100 meq/liter) of Li(+), Na(+) or Cs(+), stomata opened but light had very little effect on the concentrations required for opening. With K(+), the opening produced in the dark was the same as with the other alkali ions. Light, however, lowered more than 100-fold the concentration of K(+) required for maximal opening. Thus only the effect of K(+) (and Rb(+)) was greatly accentuated by light. NH(4) (+) and Mg(2+) did not produce opening.No specific anion is required in association with K(+). Opening was the same when Cl(-), Br, and NO(3) (-) were used as counter ions, but was less when SO(4) (2-) was used, particularly at higher concentrations and in the dark.The results are discussed in relation to the recent proposal that the basis for stomatal opening is K(+) uptake in amounts sufficient to act as an osmotic agent. This work also demonstrates, for the first time, a physiological process specifically requiring K(+). Assuming that ion uptake is an integral part of stomatal opening, guard cells would appear to have an ion uptake mechanism of a degree of specificity previously unknown in higher plants.
Prospective study of hypotension and bradycardia during spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine: incidence and risk factors, part two.

OBJECTIVE Hypotension and bradycardia during spinal anesthesia are common and may relate to severe adverse events such as cardiac arrest or death. The authors'first retrospective study identified three non-modfiiable factors including females, age more than 40 years, and type of operation. Level of blockage higher than T5 was the only one modifiable factor that could be confirmed That study was strongly limited by the nature of the retrospective anesthetic record reviewed study. MATERIAL AND METHOD The authors prospectively studied the records of 2, 000 patients who received spinal anesthesia at Sriraj Hospital from 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2004. The collected parameters were patient demographic data (sex, age, body weight, height, ASA status), operative data (type of operation, emergency status, position and duration of operation), anesthetic data (type and dosage of local anesthetic agents used, intravenous fluid, vasoactive and sedative agents, highest sensory level of spinal blockage, usage and doses of spinal opioids). Recording forms of hypotension and bradycardia were completed by the responsible anesthetic team in each consecutive patient. RESULTS Incidence of hypotension (20% or more decrease in systolic blood pressure) in the present study was 57.9%. The highest incidence was in cesarean section. Four non-modifiable risk factors could be identified which included females, age more than 50, body mass index more than 35 (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.01-4.29) and type of operation. Two modifiable risk factors included high dose of heavy bupivacaine (OR 1. 88, 95%CI 1. 3-2.74) and level of sensory blockage equal to or higher than T5 (OR 2.27, 95%CI 1.73-2.97). CONCLUSION Usage of high dose of heavy bupivacaine and level of blockage higher than T5 were two modifiable risk factors associated with hypotension during spinal anesthesia. Avoidance of high block and lower dose of heavy bupivacaine can reduced the incidence and severity of hypotension after spinal anesthesia.
The Heterogeneous Vehicle - Routing Game

In this paper, we study a cost-allocation problem that arises in a distribution-planning situation at the Logistics Department at Norsk Hydro Olje AB, Stockholm, Sweden. We consider the routes from one depot during one day. The total distribution cost for these routes is to be divided among the customers that are visited. This cost-allocation problem is formulated as a vehicle-routing game (VRG), allowing the use of vehicles with different capacities. Cost-allocation methods based on different concepts from cooperative game theory, such as the core and the nucleolus, are discussed. A procedure that can be used to investigate whether the core is empty or not is presented, as well as a procedure to compute the nucleolus. Computational results for the Norsk Hydro case are presented and discussed.
Mycoviruses Increase the Attractiveness of Fusarium graminearum for Fungivores and Suppress Production of the Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol

RNA viruses of the genera Ambivirus, Mitovirus, Sclerotimonavirus, and Partitivirus were found in a single isolate of Fusarium graminearum. The genomes of the mitovirus, sclerotimonavirus, and partitivirus were assigned to previously described viruses, whereas the ambivirus genome putatively represents a new species, named Fusarium graminearum ambivirus 1 (FgAV1). To investigate the effect of mycoviruses on the fungal phenotype, the spontaneous loss of mycoviruses during meiosis and the transmission of mycoviruses into a new strain via anastomosis were used to obtain isogenic F. graminearum strains both with and without mycoviruses. Notable effects observed in mycovirus-harboring strains were (i) the suppression of the synthesis of trichothecene mycotoxins and their precursor trichodiene, (ii) the suppression of the synthesis of the defense compound aurofusarin, (iii) the stimulation of the emission of 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol, and (iv) the increased attractiveness of fungal mycelia for fungivorous collembolans. The increased attractiveness of mycovirus-infected filamentous fungi to animal predators opens new perspectives on the ecological implications of the infection of fungi with viruses.
Gravity surveying, potential-field modeling, and structural mapping and analysis of the Howley Basin, western Newfoundland

The northeast trending Cabot Fault transects western Newfoundland. Early Carboniferous, possibly late Devonian, activation and continued strike-slip movement throughout the late Paleozoic has led to the deposition of non-marine, fluvial and lacustrine facies, in an isolated sedimentary basin in western Newfoundland, the Deer Lake Basin. The Howley Basin is the northeast depocenter within the Deer Lake Basin. It is separated from the Humber Basin depocenter to the west by a northeast trending, elongated ridge of inverted older Carboniferous sedimentary units. Active oil seeps, bitumen in shallow drill core, organic rich lacustrine shales and mudstones, porous sandstones, and a large negative gravity signal over the Howley Basin make it an attractive hydrocarbon exploration target. Poor exposure, limited shallow drilling along the margins, and a lack of high-resolution geophysics leaves much of the Howley Basin’s internal stratigraphy and structure unknown. Integration of potential-field geophysics and detailed structural mapping and analysis is used to asses the Howley Basin’s structure and hydrocarbon potential. A large lake overlies most of the Howley Basin. Full coverage of gravity surveying required acquisition of gravity stations over the lake. A Ground Penetrating Radar was used in conjunction with the gravity survey to determine the bathymetry of the lake and was used to remove the anomalous mass of the water column in the complete Bouguer gravity anomaly. Gravity data collected in this study was combined with reprocessed pre-existing gravity datasets. A high-resolution aeromagnetic survey and the gravity data was used to model the Howley Basin. Interpretations show that the basin forms an asymmetric half-graben deepening to the east, reaching a depth of 4.3 km, well into the predicted oil window. Structural mapping of the Howley Basin revealed that the basin has been affected by episodes of transtension and transpression throughout the Carboniferous and likely continuing into the Permian. Hydrocarbon maturation is predicted to have peaked in the late Pennsylvanian to early Permian. Late-stage transpressional inversion of the Howley Basin is interpreted to have been focused on its margins, potentially creating large wavelength structural traps in the center of the basin.