Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution and Contamination Status of Trace Metals in the Mediterranean Coastal Sediments, Egypt

Trace metals concentrations in sediments from the Egyptian Mediterranean coast were determined to evaluate the levels of contamination. The highest concentrations of metals were generally found in the middle region of the coast. Sediment pollution assessment was carried out using Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Factor (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF), Modified Degree of Contamination (mCd), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). Association of adverse effects to aquatic life was determined using the classification of sediments according to three sets of sediment quality guidelines. The mean EF values were found to fall in the following sequence: Cr > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cu > Mn. The results demonstrated that the EF of metals in the sediments of the middle region was lower than those recorded in the western region and Rafah Station at the eastern region; the difference in the EF levels was significantly correlated with Fe concentrations along the study area. Based on the average Igeo of target elements, the Egyptian Mediterranean coast could be considered not polluted with Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn (Igeo ≤ 0). The modified degree of contamination was >1.5, indicating zero to very low contamination. The calculated PLI were less than 1, indicating only baseline levels of pollution. There were small differences between the results obtained with the three used SQGs. Highly significant correlations were found between the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, and Ni, suggesting similar sources and/or similar geochemical processes controlling the occurrence of these metals in the sediments.
A Few Good Lines: Suggestive Drawing of 3D Models

We present a method for rendering 3D models in the traditionalline‐drawing style used in artistic and scientificillustrations. The goal is to suggest the 3D shape of the objectsusing a small number of lines drawn with carefullychosen line qualities. The system combines several known techniquesinto a simple yet effective non‐photorealisticline renderer. Feature edges related to the outline and interiorof a given 3D mesh are extracted, segmented, andsmoothed, yielding chains of lines with varying path, length, thickness,gaps, and enclosures. The paper includessample renderings obtained for a variety of models.
Yielding reliability of legumes grown as stubble catch crop.

Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the yielding reliability of serradella, field pea and yellow lupine, sown as stubble catch crop in August on a typical Alfisol . Study Design: The randomized complete block design with four replications. Place and Duration of Study: Field study was conducted in 2005–2009, at the Research Station in Mocheoek near Bydgoszcz (17 ⁰51 ′ E; 53 ⁰13 ′ N) in Midwest Poland. Methodology: The objects of the study were three leguminous plants: Serradella 'Igela', field pea 'Grapis' and yellow lupine 'Legat', grown as stubble catch crop on Alfisols formed of a sandy loam. The main studied features were yield of green matter and post harvest residues of plants. Moreover yield reliability in years for particular plants were calculated. Results: The total yield of dry biomass of plants grown as stubble catch crop ranged from 1.76
Co‐generation of hydrogen sulfide and methane in marine carbonate sediments

Sulfate reduction and methanogenesis are considered to be mutually exclusive microbial reactions in marine sediments. Typically, methane does not appear in significant concentrations in sediment pore waters until almost all dissolved sulfate has been reduced to sulfide. An exception to this commonly accepted pattern occurs in an approximately 500‐meter thick sequence of Quaternary carbonates on the continental margin of the Great Australian Bight. An unusual combination of geochemical and sedimentological conditions leads to extensive simultaneous sulfate reduction and methane production throughout the 500‐m interval. A probable explanation for the co‐production of these reduced gases in this deeper biosphere is the presence of noncompetitive substrates for the two types of microbiota.
Sparkles of brilliance: incorporating cultural and social context in codesign of digital artworks

Digital media have great potential as tools for selfexpression and artistic exploration. We seek to enrich the discussion of challenges and benefits associated with using digital design methods and materials with children in developing countries through a case study. Our contributions to this discussion are based on our involvement in facilitating a twoday codesign workshop with 25 marginalized children in Oaxaca, Mexico. Together, we explored, designed and implemented digitally augmented paper artifacts based on traditional folk art from the children's native region. We analyzed the artworks and observed the children during the workshop to inform our research. Lessons learned include the importance of establishing trust though local contacts, incorporating relevant cultural and social elements, planning concrete outcomes and using technology appropriately. We hope that this detailed case study may serve as an exemplar, by providing insights and inspiration for other designers, researchers, and developers when planning, carrying out, and studying workshops.
Institutional report - Thoracic oncologic Repeat resection of pulmonary metastasis is beneficial for patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities

Pulmonary metastasectomy in osteosarcoma can lead to long-term survival, but the role for repeat pulmonary metastasectomy is undefined. To confirm the value of repeat pulmonary resection of recurrent pulmonary metastases, we herein reviewed our institutional experience. Between 1989 and 2007, 25 patients with pulmonary metastases from osteosarcomas of the extremities underwent pulmonary resection, and 14 patients underwent repeat pulmonary metastasectomy. Ten of 14 patients underwent complete resection. Various perioperative variables were investigated retrospectively in these patients to confirm a role for repeat metastasectomy and analyze prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) after repeat pulmonary metastasectomy. OS rate after repeat pulmonary metastasectomy was 43% at two years and 19% at five years. On multivariate analysis, patients with complete resection presented significantly favorable OS (Ps0.02). Interestingly enough, survival curve of patients with complete resection after the first pulmonary metastasectomy was almost the same as that of patients with complete resection after the second pulmonary metastasectomy. In conclusion, patients with complete resection for recurrent pulmonary metastasis show a significantly better prognosis after repeat pulmonary metastasectomy. Our data imply that repeat pulmonary metastasectomy might be beneficial because it can salvage a subset of patients with osteosarcoma who retain favorable prognostic determinants. 2009 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.
A FRAMEWORK FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTREME FLOODS FOR DAM SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENTS

Risk-based decisions require different types of information than standards-based decisions. Traditional sources of information used for estimating probabilities of extreme floods include gaged streamflow records, indirect discharge measurements, and precipitation records. Generally these data sources have records that are less than 100 years in length. This framework for flood characterization for risk assessments uses the length of the data record and other characteristics of the data to determine the credible extrapolation limits used in the flood frequency analysis. Because risk assessments require estimation of floods with annual exceedance probabilities of 1 in 10,000, or less, emphasis is placed on developing probabilistic estimates using regional hydrometeorological data and paleoflood information. The uncertainties associated with descriptions of flood flow exceedance probabilities are likely to be substantial and an important attribute to convey into the risk assessment. No single approach is capable of providing estimates of extreme floods over the full range of annual exceedance probabilities required for risk assessment. Therefore, results from a number of approaches need to be combined to yield a composite flood characterization; this means several methods and sources of data are needed. The application of several independent methods applicable to the same range of annual exceedance probabilities will increase the credibility and resulting confidence in the results.
CMVR diagnoses and progression of CD4 cell counts and HIV viral load measurements in HIV patients on HAART

AIM To assess the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the prevalence and progression of CMV retinitis (CMVR) among AIDS patients with baseline CD4 cell counts <100 cells × 106/l. METHODS A longitudinal cohort study of 1292 patients. CD4 cell counts and HIV viral load measurements were obtained before commencing therapy, at 3 months, 1 year, 2 years, and at last follow up. The CMVR prevalence rate was measured for the subgroup with baseline CD4 cell counts <100 cells × 106/l. CMVR adverse event (AE) rates per 100 person days at risk were calculated for the subgroup with CMVR and baseline CD4 cell counts <100 cells × 106/l. RESULTS 1292 patients were started on HAART. 8% of patients had CD4 counts <50 cells × 106/l and 40% had detectable HIV viral load at last follow up. The prevalence of CMVR for the subgroup with baseline CD4 <100 cells × 106/l was 10%. For those with baseline CD4 <100 cells × 106/l, the mean CMVR AE rate was greatest during the first 6 months of follow up after HAART commencement (p <0.003). The mean AE rate per 100 person days at risk was 0.36 (95% CI 0.167 to 0.551) before starting HAART, and 0.14 (95% CI 0.085 to 0.199) after starting HAART (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS HAART significantly prolongs the disease-free intervals in patients with pre-existing disease but recurrences persist within the first 6 months of starting therapy. AE were absent beyond 18 months of follow up in all patients including those with persistently low CD4 counts and detectable HIV viral load indicating clinical immunorestoration. New methods for monitoring the response to therapy are needed to identify those at risk.
Nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: Investigating early‐phase onset of behavioral dysfunction in the 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rat model

To investigate the psychiatric symptoms accompanying the early phases of Parkinson's disease (PD), we injected adult rats with 10.5 μg 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) bilaterally into the dorsal striatum. The resulting neurodegeneration led, 12 weeks after injection, to a mild (36%) reduction of striatal dopamine. We tested the behavioral response of sham and 6‐OHDA‐lesioned animals at different time points after injection to evaluate the onset and progression of behavioral abnormalities. The results showed that such a mild reduction of dopamine levels was associated with a decrease in anxiety‐like behavior, an increase in “depression”‐like behavior, and a marked change in social behavior. Learning and memory abilities were not affected. Overall, the PD rat model used here displays behavioral alterations having face validity with psychiatric symptoms of the pathology and thus appears to be a valuable tool for investigating the neural bases of the early phases of PD. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Classification of Proliferative Pulmonary Lesions of the Mouse

Rapid advances in generating new mouse genetic models for lung neoplasia provide a continuous challenge for pathologists and investigators. Frequently, phenotypes of new models either have no precedents or are arbitrarily attributed according to incongruent human and mouse classifications. Thus, comparative characterization and validation of novel models can be difficult. To address these issues, a series of discussions was initiated by a panel of human, veterinary, and experimental pathologists during the Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium (NIH/National Cancer Institute) workshop on mouse models of lung cancer held in Boston on June 20–22, 2001. The panel performed a comparative evaluation of 78 cases of mouse and human lung proliferative lesions, and recommended development of a new practical classification scheme that would (a) allow easier comparison between human and mouse lung neoplasms, (b) accommodate newly emerging mouse neoplasms, and (c) address the interpretation of benign and preinvasive lesions of the mouse lung. Subsequent discussions with additional experts in pulmonary pathology resulted in the current proposal of a new classification. It is anticipated that this classification, as well as the complementary digital atlas of virtual histological slides, will help investigators and pathologists in their characterization of new mouse models, as well as stimulate further research aimed at a better understanding of proliferative lesions of the lung.
Contribution of habitat and water quality to the integrity of fish communities in agricultural drainage ditches

Agricultural drainage ditches are headwater streams that have been constructed or channelized for draining excess water from agricultural fields. The headwaters of many watersheds in the Midwestern United States consist mostly of ditches (Mattingly et al. 1993). Management of ditches focuses on water transport and ignores the potential impacts of these hydrological and geomorphological modifications on the water quality and aquatic biota. There is a need to identify methods of incorporating environmental considerations into ditch management. Conservation practices were traditionally used to manage soil and water resources to improve agricultural production but currently include methods intended to reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture (Soil and Water Conservation Society 2001). However, there is a limited understanding of the ecology of ditches, and the ecological impacts of conservation practices on these modified lotic ecosystems have not been evaluated. Development of optimal management strategies for ditches will be hindered until a better understanding of the ecological processes operating within these ecosystems is achieved (Needelman et al. 2007). Understanding the relationships between fish communities and habitat factors within agricultural drainage ditches is a first step toward determining the potential impacts of conservation practices. COLLABORATIVE ECOLOGY RESEARCH In 2005, we initiated a…
Electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue during concentric and eccentric isokinetic knee flexion-extension movements

The quantification of the progression of muscle fatigue during a sustained contraction is a valuable tool in several clinical applications, ranging from the evaluation of functional impairment to the development of specific rehabilitative and training protocols. In these fields, great importance is given to isokinetic contractions. The aim of this paper was twofold: first, to propose signal processing methods for assessing the spectral changes of the surface myoelectric signal due to fatigue during isokinetic concentric and eccentric knee flexion-extension movements at a given angular velocity (60/spl deg//s); second, to analyze the electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue of four thigh muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris) in the two contraction modalities (i.e. concentric versus eccentric). We demonstrated that, when considering concentric contractions, localized muscle fatigue can be assessed by computing the mean frequency of the frequency marginal of the time-frequency distribution derived from the surface myoelectric signal collected during each contraction cycle. Stronger nonstationarities were observed in the surface myoelectric data recorded within each cyclical movement of the studied eccentric exercise. Thus we propose the computation of the instantaneous mean frequency of the signal based on an original cross-time-frequency algorithm, which proved more sensitive than the frequency marginal in tracking the spectral changes associated with localized muscle fatigue. We derived the average fatigue pattern of the investigated muscles from experimental data recorded from a sample population consisting of twenty healthy subjects and we statistically compared the two contraction modalities. Our results showed that the electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue during concentric contractions were higher than those found during eccentric contractions, although in the latter modality the torque exerted and the mechanical work produced by the subjects were larger than those recorded during the concentric exercise. The results presented in this paper have potential clinical application and they could play an important future role in investigations of muscle behavior during dynamic, highly fatiguing contractions.
A comparison of usefulness of 2D and 3D representations of urban planning

Very little existing literature has addressed the issues of the perceived usefulness of 3D visualizations over 2D and the use of cartographic shadow representations in the planning community. Urban planning has moved toward a 3D, geographic-information-system-centric, and functional decision support framework. This study aims to examine the preferences of urban planning professionals with respect to 2D and 3D visualizations in a case study. The authors built a 3D representation of a proposed building along with the existing urban environment in Queenstown, New Zealand and conducted a usefulness test through a survey and interview. Based on the survey, the study evaluated the degree of task utility perceived in each visualization method, the effect on the mental image, and shadow representation preferences. The findings support the literature that the benefits of using a 2D or 3D model are closely related to the types of planning tasks undertaken. The findings also reveal a complex view of planning activities, suggesting that planners themselves cannot be treated as a single group for research purposes.
Common component analysis for multiple covariance matrices

We consider the problem of finding a suitable common low dimensional subspace for accurately representing a given set of covariance matrices. With one covariance matrix, this is principal component analysis (PCA). For multiple covariance matrices, we term the problem Common Component Analysis (CCA). While CCA can be posed as a tensor decomposition problem, standard approaches to tensor decompositions have two critical issues: (i) tensor decomposition methods are iterative and rely on the initialization; (ii) for a given level of approximation error, it is difficult to choose a suitable low dimensionality. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of CCA that yields an effective initialization and iterative algorithms for the problem. The proposed methodology has provable approximation guarantees w.r. t. the global maximum and also allows one to choose the dimensionality for a given level of approximation error. We also establish conditions under which the methodology will achieve the global maximum. We illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method through extensive experiments on synthetic data as well as on two real stock market datasets, where major financial events can be visualized in low dimensions.
Investigation of the dynamic sea ice component of a coupled atmosphere‐sea ice general circulation model

This paper discusses the development of a coupled atmospheric-ice model with a comprehensive ice dynamics, cavitating fluid rheology and an open water parameterization. The results center on the ice thickness and concentration distribution in the Arctic basin where the inclusion of ice rheology has maximum impact. The influence of the wind stresses calculated by an atmospheric model with stability dependent surface drag coefficients is discussed along with the role of the ocean currents and ocean-ice drag coefficient. Under winter wind stress conditions the model had a tendency to buildup ice on the Siberian coast. The introduction of a partial slip condition at land-ice boundaries in the model designed to prevent this buildup is discussed, and the best choice for the amplitude of the slip at the land boundaries in this model is found to be 0.4. The ice model results are compared with the available observational data sets on ice thickness, concentration and ice velocity fields to test the validity of the model simulations.
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Stimulates Endothelial Regrowth and Proliferation in Denuded Arteries

A large percentage of vascular reconstructions, endarterecto-mies, and angioplasties fail postoperatively due to thrombosis and restenosis. Many of these failures are thought to result from an inability of the vascular endothelium to adequately regenerate and cover the denuded area. After balloon catheter denudation of the rat carotid artery, regrowth of endothelium ceases after - 6 wk, leaving a large area devoid of endothelium. Here we show that this cessation of reendothelialization can be overcome by the systemic administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Administration of 120 tig bFGF over an 8-h period caused a highly significant increase in the replication rate of endothelial cells at the leading edge of 38.5 vs. 2.1% in controls, and, when given over a longer period of time (12 ,g daily for 12 d), resulted in a significant increase in the extent of endothelial outgrowth onto the denuded surface. Furthermore, total regrowth could be achieved within 10 wk after balloon catheter denudation when 12 Mig bFGF was injected twice per week for a period of 8 wk. Endothelium in unmanipulated arteries responded to bFGF with a significant increase in replication, but no increase in endothelial cell density was observed in these arteries. These data demonstrate that bFGF can act as a potent mitogen for vascular endothelial cells in vivo, and add considerably to our understanding of the mechanism underlying endothelial repair after in vivo vascular injuries. (J. Clin. Invest. 1990.85:2004-2008.) basic fibroblast The of endothelial regrowth in the left carotid arteries was measured macro& scopically using Evans blue staining to mark the still denuded area. The reference points for total endothelial outgrowth the carotid bifurcation and the aorta-carotid junction.
Learning from scratch a confidence measure

Stereo vision is a popular technique to infer depth from two or more images. In this field, confidence measures, typically obtained from the analysis of the cost volume, aim at detecting uncertain disparity assignments. As recently proved, multiple confidence measures combined with hand-crafted features extracted from the cost volume can be used also for other purposes and in particular to improve the overall disparity accuracy leveraging on machine learning techniques. In this paper, starting from the observation that recurrent local patterns occurring in the disparity maps can tell a correct assignment from a wrong one, we follow a completely different methodology to infer a novel confidence measure from scratch. Specifically, leveraging on Convolutional Neural Networks, we pose the confidence formulation as a regression problem by analyzing the disparity map provided by a stereo vision system. Once trained on a subset of the KITTI 2012 dataset with the disparity maps provided by the simple block-matching algorithm, our confidence measure outperforms state-of-the-art with two datasets (KITTI 2015 and Middlebury 2014) as well as with two stereo algorithms. The experimental evaluation reported clearly highlights that our approach is capable to better generalize its behavior in different circumstances with respect to state-of-the-art. Finally, not being based on cost volume analysis, our proposal is also potentially suited for out-of-the-box depth generation devices which usually do not expose the cues required by top-performing approaches.