Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corrosion Behavior of Ni Steels in Aerated 3.5-wt.% NaCl Solution at 25ºC by Potentiodynamic Method

This work studied the corrosion behaviors of 15Ni, 23Ni, 31Ni and 40Ni steels in aerated 3.5% NaCl solutions with various pH levels (2, 7 and 10) at 25ºC. The observed microstructures of 15 and 23 wt. % Ni steels were consisted partially of martensite, while those of 31 and 40 wt. % Ni steels were fully austenitic. Polarization curves of the nickel-containing steels were determined using a potentiodynamic polarization technique. The corrosion potential (Ecorr), corrosion current density (Icorr), corrosion rate (Rmpy), pitting potential (Ep), primary passive potential (Epp) and passive current density (Ip) were evaluated from the polarization curves. The results indicated that an increase in nickel content resulted in an increased corrosion potential, but also a decreased corrosion current density or corrosion rate. Only the solution pH of 10, the passive characteristics of the 23Ni, 31Ni and 40Ni steels were remarkable. As the nickel content of those three nickel-containing steels increased, the primary passive potentials and pitting potentials were increased, but the passive current densities were decreased. Nickel additions improved general corrosion and pitting corrosion resistances of the nickel-containing steels when tested in basic, neutral and acidic 3.5% NaCl solutions. The effects of various nickel contents and solution pHs on general corrosion resistances of nickel-containing steels were also discussed.
Copy number changes at 8p11-12 predict adverse clinical outcome and chemo- and radiotherapy response in breast cancer

Purpose The short arm of chromosome 8 (8p) is a frequent target of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in cancer, and 8p LOH is commonly associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype. The 8p11-12 region is a recurrent breakpoint area characterized by a sharp decrease in gains/amplifications and increase in allelic loss towards 8pter. However, the clustering of genomic aberrations in this region, even in the absence of proximal amplifications or distal LOH, suggests that the 8p11-12 region could play a pivotal role in oncogenesis. Results Loss in the FGFR1 and ZNF703-containing 8p11 region was seen in 25% of patients, correlated with lower mRNA expression levels and independently predicted poor survival, particularly in systemic treatment-naïve patients and even without adjacent 8p12 loss. Amplification of FGFR1 at 8p11 and loss of DUSP26 and UNC5D, located in the 8p12 breakpoint region, independently predicted worse event free survival. Gains in the 8p12 region encompassing WRN, NRG1, DUSP26 and UNC5D, seen in 20-30% of patients, were associated with higher mRNA expression and independently predicted chemotherapy sensitivity. Losses at 8p12 independently predicted radiotherapy resistance. Material and methods Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was used to investigate copy number aberrations at 8p11-12 in 234 female breast cancers. Alterations were correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics, survival and response to therapy. Results were validated using public METABRIC data Conclusion Allelic loss and amplification in the 8p11-12 breakpoint region predict poor survival and chemo- and radiotherapy response. Assessment of 8p11-12 gene copy number status seems to augment existing prognostic and predictive tools.
Investigating Emirati citizens' adoption of e-government services in Abu Dhabi using modified UTAUT model

Purpose E-Government is new to the public administration sector of Abu Dhabi and it is rapidly expanding. This study is aimed at exploring the factors that might motivate citizens to adopt the e-Government public services provided by the government of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. The insights of the study will help government leaders to plan the delivery of public services effectively. Design/methodology/approach The study surveyed 638 UAE citizens living in 3 main districts of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. The research used an exploratory factor analysis that conforms the validity of the theoretical model to the data collected, confirmatory analysis to extract the latent factors and both multiple regression and Structural Equation Modelling to test the research hypotheses. Findings The finding revealed that internet trust and performance expectancy was the strongest predictors of intention to use e-Government services. Effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and trust had a positive influence on behavioural intent.
Innovation and Product Reallocation in the Great Recession

We use detailed product- and firm-level data to study the sources of innovation and the patterns of productivity growth over the period from 2007 to 2013. We document several new facts on product reallocation. First, every quarter around 8 percent of products are reallocated in the economy, and the entry and exit of products are prevalent among different types of firms. Second, most reallocation of products occurs within the boundaries of the firm. The entries and exits of firms only make a small contribution in the overall creation and destruction of products. Third, product reallocation is strongly pro-cyclical and declined by more than 25 percent during the Great Recession. This cyclical pattern is almost entirely explained by a decline in within firm reallocation. Motivated by these facts, we study the causes and consequences of reallocation within incumbent firms. As predicted by Schumpeterian growth theories, the rate of product reallocation strongly depends on the innovation efforts of the firms and has important implications for revenue growth, improvements in products’ quality, and productivity dynamics. Our estimates suggest that the decline in product reallocation through these margins has contributed greatly to the slow growth experienced after the Great Recession.
Use of dynamic images in radiology education: Movies of CT and MRI in the anatomy classroom

Radiology education is a key component in many preclinical anatomy courses. However, the reported effectiveness of radiology education within such anatomy classrooms has varied. This study was conducted to determine if a novel educational method using dynamic images of movies of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was effective in radiology education during a preclinical anatomy course, aided by clay modeling, specific hand gestures (digit anatomy), and reports from dissection findings uploaded to the anatomy course website (digital reports). Feedback surveys using a five‐point Likert scale were administered to better clarify students' opinions regarding their understanding of CT and MRI of anatomical structures, as well as to determine if such preclinical radiology education was helpful in their clinical studies. After completion of the anatomy course taught with dynamic images of CT and MRI, most students demonstrated an adequate understanding of basic CT and MR images. Additionally, students in later clinical years generally believed that their study of radiologic images during the preclinical anatomy course was helpful for their clinical studies and clerkship rotations. Moreover, student scores on imaging anatomy examinations demonstrated meaningful improvements in performance after using dynamic images from movies of CT and MRI.
Prevalence of Intestinal Helminth Parasites of domestic rats in selected sites around students hall of residence in the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. True rats are members of the genus Rattus, the most important to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. They transmit pathogens causing Babesiosis, Erhlichliosis, Tularemia, Lyme disease, Ricketsia disease along with their saliva during feeding and their forceful removal may lead to lesion or myasis. They can be very destructive to homes, and can carry germs that make people sick. They often make their nests and survive in and around people’s homes and office buildings because they burrow to move from place to place. Domestic rats dig and travel through burrows, and will nest up to 150 feet from its food supply Meerburg, et. al. (2009) and Dada, (2016). Onyenwe, (2007) said that rats can make nests in homes by gnawing holes in sheds and walls, or squeezing through cracks and crevices in foundations, vents, etc. According to Barnett (2002) rats are largely nocturnal but will International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 4 (2016) pp. 918-923 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Advection‐condensation paradigm for stratospheric water vapor

[1] The advection-condensation (A-C) paradigm is a starting point for a theoretical framework for analysis of atmospheric water vapor distributions and changes therein in a changing climate. It postulates that water vapor concentrations are governed to leading order by the transport through the full four-dimensional temperature (and hence saturation mixing ratio) field. Brewer's (1949) qualitative deduction of the stratospheric circulation based on water vapor measurements was a first and prominently successful application of this paradigm. Here we examine the quantitative validity of the A-C paradigm by predicting stratospheric water vapor based on the saturation mixing ratio at the Lagrangian dry point of trajectories calculated using data from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. Using different data sets for the calculation, we show that results are sensitive to seemingly small differences in temperatures and wind fields and that interpretation of results (in terms of identification of effects of processes deliberately neglected by the advection-condensation paradigm) requires a careful error calculation. We introduce a semiempirical approach to analyze errors in the Lagrangian predictions of water vapor. We show that persistent (in time and space) errors in the temperature fields lead to similar errors in the Lagrangian model predictions. Conversely, biases in the variance of the temperature fields introduces a systematic bias in the model prediction. Further, model predictions are affected by dispersion and the time scale of troposphere-to-stratosphere transport. Our conclusion is that water vapor predictions for the stratospheric overworld based on the A-C paradigm have a dry bias of −40% ± 10% and −50% ± 10% when small-space-scale and short-time-scale temperature fluctuations not resolved by the ECMWF reanalyses are taken into account. We suggest that the correction to the A-C paradigm most likely to remove this dry bias is the inclusion of cloud microphysical processes (such as incomplete sedimentation of particles allowing reevaporation), which relax the assumption of instantaneous dehydration to the saturation mixing ratio. Interestingly, the bias attributed to the A-C paradigm in terms of water vapor concentration is found to be proportional to the measured water concentration, and a constant offset in terms of frost point temperature can account for much of the bias and its variability in water vapor mixing ratios.
The effect of compressibility on turbulent shear flow: a rapid-distortion-theory and direct-numerical-simulation study

The influence of compressibility upon the structure of homogeneous sheared turbulence is investigated. For the case in which the rate of shear is much larger than the rate of nonlinear interactions of the turbulence, the modification caused by compressibility to the amplification of turbulent kinetic energy by the mean shear is found to be primarily reflected in pressure–strain correlations and related to the anisotropy of the Reynolds stress tensor, rather than in explicit dilatational terms such as the pressure–dilatation correlation or the dilatational dissipation. The central role of a ‘distortion Mach number’ Md = S[lscr ]/a, where S is the mean strain or shear rate, [lscr ] a lengthscale of energetic structures, and a the sonic speed, is demonstrated. This parameter has appeared in previous rapid-distortion-theory (RDT) and direct-numerical-simulation (DNS) studies; in order to generalize the previous analyses, the quasi-isentropic compressible RDT equations are numerically solved for homogeneous turbulence subjected to spherical (isotropic) compression, one-dimensional (axial) compression and pure shear. For pure-shear flow at finite Mach number, the RDT results display qualitatively different behaviour at large and small non-dimensional times St: when St < 4 the kinetic energy growth rate increases as the distortion Mach number increases; for St > 4 the inverse occurs, which is consistent with the frequently observed tendency for compressibility to stabilize a turbulent shear flow. This ‘crossover’ behaviour, which is not present when the mean distortion is irrotational, is due to the kinematic distortion and the mean-shear-induced linear coupling of the dilatational and solenoidal fields. The relevance of the RDT is illustrated by comparison to the recent DNS results of Sarkar (1995), as well as new DNS data, both of which were obtained by solving the fully nonlinear compressible Navier–Stokes equations. The linear quasi-isentropic RDT and nonlinear non-isentropic DNS solutions are in good general agreement over a wide range of parameters; this agreement gives new insight into the stabilizing and destabilizing effects of compressibility, and reveals the extent to which linear processes are responsible for modifying the structure of compressible turbulence.
Time and Intervention Effects of Daily Almond Intake on the Changes of Lipid Profile and Body Composition Among Free-Living Healthy Adults

Abstract Favorable health benefits of almond have been shown in several previous studies. However, repeated measures, randomized, controlled trials to investigate the changes due to almond intake based on the time effects have not yet been reported. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of daily almond intake on changes in body composition and lipid profiles for 20 weeks with four measurements among healthy adults. Participants in the almond group showed favorable changes on blood lipid profiles, including levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL-C) after consuming 56 g of almond per day for 20 weeks compared with those at baseline. At week 20, subjects in the almond group showed significantly decreased TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, TG, body fat mass, and waist–hip ratio compared with those of the control group who consumed isocaloric control food. The mixed model also confirmed that there were significant time effects in several bioimpedance indicators (i.e., total body protein, fat-free mass, etc.) and all of the lipid profile parameters in the almond group. These results confirm the effects of lipid-lowering and modifying body composition of almond consumption. In addition, our results suggest that the measuring time points would be critical to capture the effects of dietary intervention.
Void discharge behaviours as a function of cavity size and voltage waveform under very low‐frequency excitation

Measurement of partial discharge (PD) is a vital method to assess the health of the electrical insulation in high-voltage power equipment. As diagnostic testing at very low frequency (VLF) is increasingly being used, it is important to investigate PD behaviours under such a low-frequency voltage excitation. This study presents the PD characteristics at VLF excitation under different applied voltage waveforms, including sinusoidal and trapezoid-based waves. Also, the effects of cavity size on PD behaviours at VLF are investigated. Experiments were performed to measure PDs in a cylindrical void bounded by solid insulation. The results show that discharge activities at VLF, in general, exhibit lower magnitude and repetition rate when compared with power frequency. Also revealed is the strong dependency of discharge parameters on the rate of voltage rise. Physical mechanisms to explain discharge behaviours are given.
Endometriosis and Organochlorinated Environmental Pollutants: A Case–Control Study on Italian Women of Reproductive Age

Background Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial tissue. In industrialized countries, it affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. Its etiology is unclear, but a multifactorial origin is considered to be most plausible. Environmental organochlorinated persistent pollutants, in particular dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have been hypothesized to play a role in the disease etiopathogenesis. However, results of studies carried out on humans are conflicting. Objective We evaluated the exposure to organochlorinated persistent pollutants as a risk factor for endometriosis. Methods We conducted a case–control study in Rome on 158 women comprising 80 cases and 78 controls. In all women, serum concentrations of selected non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), 1,1-dichloro-2,2,-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethene (p,p′-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined by ion-trap mass spectrometry. DR-CALUX bioassay was employed to assess the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalent (TEQ) concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and DL-PCBs. Results We found an increased risk of endometriosis for DL-PCB-118 [odds ratio (OR) = 3.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.61–8.91], NDL-PCB-138 (OR = 3.78; 95% CI, 1.60–8.94), NDL-PCB-153 (OR = 4.88; 95% CI, 2.01–11.0), NDL-PCB-170 (OR = 3.52; 95% CI, 1.41–8.79), and the sum of DL-PCBs and NDL-PCBs (OR = 5.63; 95% CI, 2.25–14.10). No significant associations were observed with respect to HCB or to the sum of PCDDs, PCDFs, and DL-PCBs given as total TEQs. Conclusions The results of this study show that an association exists between increased PCB and p,p′-DDE serum concentrations and the risk of endometriosis.
Seasonal Effect on the Biological Activities of Litsea glaucescens Kunth Extracts

This study shows the seasonal effect on the antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities of L. glaucescens Kunth (LG) leaves extracts. Their antioxidant activity was evaluated through the DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC assays. Their phenolic content (PC) was determined by means of the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the main phenolic compounds were identified through a HPLC-DAD analysis. Antiproliferative activity was determined by MTT assay against HeLa, LS 180, M12.C3. F6, and ARPE cell lines. Antimicrobial potential was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using a microdilution method. All the LG extracts presented high antioxidant activity and PC, with quercitrin and epicatechin being the most abundant. Antioxidant activity and PC were affected by the season; particularly autumn (ALGE) and summer (SULGE) extracts exhibited the highest values (p < 0.05). All extracts presented moderate antiproliferative activity against the cell lines evaluated, HeLa being the most susceptible of them. However, ALGE and SULGE were the most active too. About antimicrobial activity, SULGE (MIC90 < 800 μg/mL; MIC50 < 400 μg/mL), and SLGE (MIC50 < 1000 μg/mL) showed a moderate inhibitory effect against S. aureus. These findings provide new information about the seasonal effect on the PC and biological properties of LG extracts. Clearly, antioxidant activity was the most important with respect to the other two.
Latent Variable Analysis: Growth Mixture Modeling and Related Techniques for Longitudinal Data

This chapter gives an overview of recent advances in latent variable analysis. Emphasis is placed on the strength of modeling obtained by using a flexible combination of continuous and categorical latent variables. To focus the discussion and make it manageable in scope, analysis of longitudinal data using growth models will be considered. Continuous latent variables are common in growth modeling in the form of random effects that capture individual variation in development over time. The use of categorical latent variables in growth modeling is, in contrast, perhaps less familiar, and new techniques have recently emerged. The aim of this chapter is to show the usefulness of growth model extensions using categorical latent variables. The discussion also has implications for latent variable analysis of cross-sectional data. The chapter begins with two major parts corresponding to continuous outcomes versus categorical outcomes. Within each part, conventional modeling using continuous latent variables will be described
How does Subantarctic Mode Water ventilate the Southern Hemisphere subtropics

In several regions north of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), deep wintertime convection refreshes pools of weakly stratified subsurface water collectively referred to as Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW). SAMW ventilates the subtropical thermocline on decadal timescales, providing nutrients for low-latitude productivity and potentially trapping anthropogenic carbon in the deep ocean interior for centuries. In this work, we investigate the spatial structure and timescales of mode water export and associated thermocline ventilation. We use passive tracers in an eddy-permitting, observationally-informed Southern Ocean model to identify the pathways followed by mode waters between their formation regions and the areas where they first enter the subtropics. We find that the pathways followed by the mode water tracers are largely set by the mean geostrophic circulation. Export from the Indian and Central Pacific mode water pools is primarily driven by large-scale gyre circulation, whereas export from the Australian and Atlantic pools is heavily influenced by the ACC. Export from the Eastern Pacific mode water pool is driven by a combination of deep boundary currents and subtropical gyre circulation. More than 50% of each mode water tracer reaches the subtropical thermocline within 50 years, with significant variability between pools. The Eastern Pacific pathway is especially efficient, with roughly 80% entering the subtropical thermocline within 50 years. The time required for 50% of the mode water tracers to leave the Southern Ocean domain varies significantly between mode water pools, from 9 years for the Indian mode water pool to roughly 40 years for the Central Pacific mode water pool
On nearest‐neighbor Gaussian process models for massive spatial data

Gaussian Process (GP) models provide a very flexible nonparametric approach to modeling location‐and‐time indexed datasets. However, the storage and computational requirements for GP models are infeasible for large spatial datasets. Nearest Neighbor Gaussian Processes (Datta A, Banerjee S, Finley AO, Gelfand AE. Hierarchical nearest‐neighbor gaussian process models for large geostatistical datasets. J Am Stat Assoc 2016., JASA) provide a scalable alternative by using local information from few nearest neighbors. Scalability is achieved by using the neighbor sets in a conditional specification of the model. We show how this is equivalent to sparse modeling of Cholesky factors of large covariance matrices. We also discuss a general approach to construct scalable Gaussian Processes using sparse local kriging. We present a multivariate data analysis which demonstrates how the nearest neighbor approach yields inference indistinguishable from the full rank GP despite being several times faster. Finally, we also propose a variant of the NNGP model for automating the selection of the neighbor set size. WIREs Comput Stat 2016, 8:162–171. doi: 10.1002/wics.1383