Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Future atmospheric methane concentrations in the context of the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations

Tropospheric CH4 concentration depends, according to modeled tropospheric processes, on many factors, including emissions of CH4 as well as NOx and CO. Illustrative analyses of the relation between emissions and CH4 concentration give some guidance on the role of CH4 in the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations. The contribution of CH4 to radiative forcing at the time of stabilization is expected to be modest, provided CH4 and CO emissions do not go far beyond current rates. However, in cases leading to stabilization the potential mitigation of increases in radiative forcing by methane control could be comparable to that of CO2 control over the next century. Whether or not this potential is realized will depend partially on the cost of deep reductions of CH4, NOx, CO, or CO2 emissions over the next century, which is not known.
Civitas: A Secure Remote Voting System

Civitas is the first implementation of a coercion-resistant, universally verifiable, remote voting scheme. This paper describes the design of Civitas, details the cryptographic protocols used in its construction, and illustrates how language-enforced information-flow security policies yield assurance in the implementation. The performance of Civitas scales well in the number of voters and offers reasonable tradeoffs between time, cost, and security. These results suggest that secure electronic voting is achievable. The name of this system as presented at Dagstuhl was CIVS. In August 2007, the name was changed to Civitas. For more information, see the Civitas website at http://www.cs. cornell.edu/projects/civitas.
Left Atrial Appendage Electrical Isolation and Concomitant Device Occlusion to Treat Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: A First-in-Human Safety, Feasibility, and Efficacy Study

Background—Left atrial appendage (LAA) electric isolation is reported to improve persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation outcomes. However, loss of LAA mechanical function may increase thromboembolic risk. Concomitant LAA electric isolation and occlusion as part of conventional AF ablation has never been tested in humans. We therefore evaluated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of LAA electric isolation and occlusion in patients undergoing long-standing persistent AF ablation. Methods and Results—Patients with long-standing persistent AF (age, 68±7 years; left atrium diameter, 46±3 mm; and AF duration, 25±15 months) underwent AF ablation, LAA electric isolation, and occlusion. Outcomes were compared with a balanced (1:2 ratio) control group who had AF ablation alone. Among 22 patients who underwent ablation, LAA electric isolation was possible in 20. Intraprocedural LAA reconnection occurred in 17 of 20 (85%) patients, predominantly at anterior and superior locations. All were reisolated. LAA occlusion was successful in all 20 patients. There were no major periprocedural complications. Imaging at 45 days and 9 months confirmed satisfactory device position and excluded pericardial effusion. One of twenty (5%) patients had a gap of ≥5 mm requiring anticoagulation. Nineteen of twenty (95%) patients stopped warfarin at 3 months. Without antiarrhythmic drugs, freedom from AF at 12 months after a single procedure was significantly higher in the study group (19/20, 95%) than in the control group (25/40, 63%), P=0.036. Freedom from atrial arrhythmias was demonstrated in 12 of 20 (60%) and 18 of 20 (90%) patients after 1 and ⩽2 procedures (mean, 1.3), respectively. Conclusions—Persistent AF ablation, LAA electric isolation, and mechanical occlusion can be performed concomitantly. This technique may improve the success of persistent AF ablation while obviating the need for chronic anticoagulation. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02028130.
On the Definition of "Hidden" Momentum

In 1822 [1, 2], Ampere argued that the magnetic interaction between two electrical circuits could be written as a double integral over the current elements in the two circuits, with the vector integrand being along the line of centers of pairs of current elements. This insured that the total force on each circuit obeyed Newton’s third law, i.e., that mechanical momentum is conserved. Ampere hesitated to interpret the integrand as the force law between isolated current elements, perhaps because the integrand did not factorize. In 1845, Grassmann [3] gave an alternate form of the integrand which did factorize (into what is now called the Biot-Savart form), such that the force on each circuit had the same value as in Ampere’s calculation, but the forces on a pair of isolated current elements did not obey Newton’s third law, i.e., that mechanical momentum would not be conserved in the interaction of isolated current elements. Maxwell (sec. 527 of [4]) favored Ampere over Grassmann (and the school of Neumann and Weber) in this matter, and was skeptical of the notion of free moving charges. The concept of free moving charges was revived by J.J. Thomson beginning with speculations as to electromagnetic mass/momentum (1881) [8], and continuing with a concept of momentum stored in the electromagnetic field (1891) [9, 10], with the fieldmomentum density being the Poynting vector [11] divided by c, pEM = S/c , where c is the speed of light in vacuum. Thomson was also the first to consider (1904) [15, 16, 17] an example in which an electromechanical system initially “at rest” leads to motion of part of the system if the magnetic field later drops to zero. This motion was attributed to a conversion of the initial electromagnetic field momentum into final mechanical momentum. However, Thomson did not notice that it was odd that a system initially “at rest” could end with nonzero total momentum. Thomson’s 1904 paradox seems to have gone unnoticed until 1949, when Slepian published a delightful version of it involving a (quasistatic) AC circuit [19], arguing that once electromagnetic field momentum is taken into consideration, total momentum is conserved and the device cannot be used for electromagnetic rocket propulsion. A variant closer to
Recursive Deep Models for Semantic Compositionality Over a Sentiment Treebank

Semantic word spaces have been very useful but cannot express the meaning of longer phrases in a principled way. Further progress towards understanding compositionality in tasks such as sentiment detection requires richer supervised training and evaluation resources and more powerful models of composition. To remedy this, we introduce a Sentiment Treebank. It includes fine grained sentiment labels for 215,154 phrases in the parse trees of 11,855 sentences and presents new challenges for sentiment compositionality. To address them, we introduce the Recursive Neural Tensor Network. When trained on the new treebank, this model outperforms all previous methods on several metrics. It pushes the state of the art in single sentence positive/negative classification from 80% up to 85.4%. The accuracy of predicting fine-grained sentiment labels for all phrases reaches 80.7%, an improvement of 9.7% over bag of features baselines. Lastly, it is the only model that can accurately capture the effects of negation and its scope at various tree levels for both positive and negative phrases.
Dietary Effects of Oregano (Origanum Vulgaris L.) Plant or Sweet Chestnut (Castanea Sativa Mill.) Wood Extracts on Microbiological, Chemico-Physical Characteristics and Lipid Oxidation of Cooked ham During Storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary effect of feeding pigs with diets enriched with sweet chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.) or oregano (Origanum vulgaris L.) extract on the microbiological and chemical characteristics of cooked pork ham. Three groups of 10 pigs were fed with a control diet (CTRL), with the CTRL diet enriched with 0.2% of oregano extract (OR) and with the CTRL diet enriched with 0.2% of sweet chestnut wood extract (SCW), respectively. Six cooked hams per group were produced, sliced and packaged under a modified atmosphere (N2:CO2=80:20) and stored at refrigeration temperature (4±1°C). Three packages per cooked ham were sampled for analyses at three different storage times (0, 10 and 20 days). At day 0 time, antioxidant capacity of the products (ORACFL assay) and chemical composition were performed. At each sampling time, from all the samples the following analyses were performed: total microbial count (TMC), lactic acid bacteria count (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae count, Listeria monocytogenes, pH value, colour coordinates (L*, a*, b*), total basic volatile nitrogen (TBVN) and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARs) determinations. No differences in TMC, LAB and Enterobacteriaceae count, pH, TBVN, chemical composition and L* values were registered between the three groups at all the sampling times considered. No Listeria monocytogenes was detected in the samples tested. Significant differences were registered for ORACFL at 0 days, a* and b* values and TBARs value at 10 and 20 days of storage, with higher values for ORACFL, a* and b* values and lower values for TBARs in SCW and OR than CTRL. No antimicrobial effect could be recorded for OR and SCW but a higher oxidative stability, also highlighted by the colour maintenance, was observed in both OR and SCW.
Changes in Skin Blood Flow and Temperature during Spinal Analgesia Evaluated by Laser Doppler Flowmetry and Infrared Thermography

Changes in skin blood flow and skin temperature during spinal analgesia and “sham” spinal analgesia were studied using laser Doppler flowmetry and skin temperature measurements on patients scheduled for transurethral resection. Infrared thermography was also used. During “sham” spinal analgesia skin blood flow decreased 17.7% ± 37% (s.d.) and skin temperature fell 0.05°C ± 0.6 (s.d.) d̀C. The height of the blockade was T10 or above in all cases. Using the laser Doppler technique with measuring points from the clavicle to T12, a tendency towards increased skin blood flow was seen in six cases out of 20 at T10 (significant elevations in 3/20) and in 14 cases out of 20 at T12 (significant elevations in 7/20). Skin temperature measurements and thermography showed a tendency towards cooling in the thoraco‐abdominal region in the vast majority of the cases and a marked temperature elevation in the foot only. No differences between hyperbaric and glucose‐free solutions for spinal analgesia were noticed. The conclusion of this study is that during spinal analgesia the extent of sympathetic blockade is less than the extent of analgesia.
Detection of Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in the Blood of Drivers in an Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program

Objective: The rate of failed interlock blood alcohol content (BAC) tests is a strong predictor of recidivism post-interlock and a partial proxy for alcohol use. Alcohol biomarkers measured at the start of an interlock program are known to correlate well with rates of failed BAC tests over months of interlock use. This study evaluates 2 methods of measuring low blood levels of the biomarker phosphatidylethanol (PEth). PEth is a 100 percent alcohol-specific biomarker and strongly intercorrelated with several independent indicators of drinking driving risk, including 8 other biomarkers, 3 psychometric assessments, and the rate of failed interlock BAC tests during many months of interlock use. Does a more sensitive method of measuring PEth at program entry detect drinking even among those who subsequently log no failed interlock tests? Methods: In a sample of 281 driver blood samples, PEth was measured by both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS) in order to compare sensitivity and accuracy. The average rate of failed interlock BAC tests was the criterion measure for marker sensitivity. LCMSMS, calibrated to detect low levels of drinking as a possible measure of abstinence violation, was judged relative to the standard HPLC assay for PEth measured up to 4 μmol/L. Results: The 2 methods showed a good quantitative relationship (r2> .86). LCMSMS detected positive PEth levels in samples that were below the limit of detection of the HPLC method. PEth measured by LCMSMS was positive for a higher proportion of driving under the influence (DUI) offenders who logged zero failed interlock BAC tests than were detected by HPLC. Conclusion: Although HPLC is the widely used standard for measuring PEth in clinical alcoholism samples, the LCMSMS method, when calibrated to detect trace amounts of the major component of PEth, can detect abstinence levels of alcohol near zero intake and still correlate strongly with other indicators related to alcohol use and road safety.
Factors influencing commencement and adherence to a home-based balance exercise program for reducing risk of falls: perceptions of people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers

ABSTRACT Background: Balance exercise is an important component of falls-prevention interventions, with growing evidence that it can be beneficial for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, to implement a balance exercise program successfully for people with AD it is important to consider factors that can affect commencement and adherence to the program. This qualitative study explored these factors. Methods: Ten participants with AD, who had completed a six-month home-based balance exercise program, and their caregivers (n = 9) participated. A phenomenological theoretical framework with semi-structured interviews was used for data collection and analysis. Results: Factors influencing the decision to commence the program were: possible benefits of the program, recommendations from health professionals, value of research, positive attitude towards exercise, and minimizing caregivers’ burden. Factors influencing adherence to the program were grouped under 11 themes: six themes facilitated completion (program characteristics, physiotherapist, exercise recording sheet, caregivers’ support, sense of commitment, and perceived benefit) and five themes were barriers (pre-existing conditions, dislike of structured exercise, absence from home, caregiver's health or commitment, and bad weather). Conclusions: A home-based exercise program with regular support from a physiotherapist and caregiver are key elements facilitating continuing program adherence in people with AD.
From Object to Installation in Bruno Taut's Exhibit Pavilions

Abstract This study investigates the gradual evolution of the idea of installation in three experimental exhibition pavilions designed before World War I by the German architect Bruno Taut. In collaboration with the critic Adolf Behne, Taut gradually transferred ideas from Expressionist painting to architecture and helped move his designs, and with it modern architecture more generally, from a focus on visual “objects,” to multisensory “experiences,” an idea that continues to resonate in modern installations today.
Explaining knowledge sharing in organizations through the dimensions of social capital

The increasing complexity of organizations, together with the growing scale of information activities, puts new demands on business corporations. It is believed that investing in social values based on mutuality, trust and respect could yield long-term benefits such as corporate well-being and innovativeness. The benefits are believed to be based on better knowledge sharing, lower transaction costs due to a communicative spirit, and a greater coherence of action. However, the concept of social capital in the field of information behaviour in organizations is new and needs a more solid theoretical framework. The objective of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how social and informative aspects are anchored to each other and to explore the mechanisms behind knowledge sharing. Possible measures and contexts for this kind of research are suggested.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of interferon beta in multiple sclerosis: a Markov process analysis.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine the cost-effectiveness of preventive treatment with interferon beta (IFNB) versus no preventive treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis. METHODS The setting for this study was the United Kingdom. A lifetime Markov process model was constructed to model the average quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the costs of both treatment strategies. Data for the construction of the model came from published literature, including large multicenter randomized clinical trials in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Costs were obtained from published sources. RESULTS The results of the baseline analysis from the National Health Service (NHS) perspective showed that the use of interferon beta as preventive treatment for MS increased the total average discounted cost from 51,214 Pounds to 221,436 Pounds per patient. The undiscounted effectiveness increased from 24.9 QALYs to 28.2 QALYs, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 51,582 Pounds per QALY. Sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of this model for other interferons. CONCLUSION The study showed that preventive treatment with interferon beta in patients with multiple sclerosis may not be fully justified from a health-economic perspective, although interferon beta is associated with an improved effectiveness compared with no preventive treatment.
Human Tremor: Origins, Detection and Quantification

The human tremor is one of the most common movement disorders, which is characterized by repetitive and stereotyped movements. The origins of tremor are still not clear, however tremor can be associated with physiological phenomena, such as ageing, and with neurological disorders, for instance, Parkinson’s disease. The first type of tremor is referred to as physiological tremor, whereas the latter as pathological tremor.
Are people unrealistically optimistic? It depends how you ask them.

OBJECTIVE The present study investigated the extent to which direct (D) and indirect (ID) measures of unrealistic optimism truly capture people's beliefs about their comparative risk status. METHODS Respondents (N = 425) were contacted in a general population survey. The D measure required respondents to estimate whether their personal chance of contracting an illness was above/below the average for people of the same age/gender. The ID measure was based on separate assessments of personal/others' chances. RESULTS Poor concurrent validity between the measures implied that one or both was tapping into perceptions unrelated to comparative risk. This was explored by examining the relationships between the measures and various health problem attributes (e.g. perceived preventability,personal experience). A picture emerged that suggested the D measure did not seem to reflect the effects of social comparison as much as the ID measure, a crucial criterion for a measure intended to elicit comparative risk ratings. CONCLUSION When measuring unrealistic optimism by asking 'Compared to other men/women your age how would you rate your chances of X? ' researchers should be sensitive to the possibility that the question is being interpreted simply as 'How would you rate your chances of X? '.
Error estimates for well-balanced and time-split schemes on a damped semilinear wave equation

A posteriori L 1 error estimates (in the sense of [15, 26]) are derived for both well-balanced (WB) and fractional-step (FS) numerical approximations of the unique weak solution of the Cauchy problem for the 1D semilinear damped wave equation. For setting up the WB algorithm, we proceed by rewriting it under the form of an elementary 3 × 3 system which linear convective structure allows to reduce the Godunov scheme with optimal Courant number (corresponding to ∆ t = ∆ x ) to a wavefront-tracking algorithm free from any step of projection onto piecewise constant functions. A fundamental diﬀerence in the total variation estimates is proved, which partly explains the discrepancy of the FS method when the dissipative (sink) term displays an explicit dependence in the space variable. Numerical tests are performed by means of stationary exact solutions of the linear damped wave equation.
AAV-mediated gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor inhibits choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors have been used to express several different proteins in the eye. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AAV-mediated intraocular gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) inhibits the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in a murine model. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were given intravitreous or subretinal injections of a PEDF expression construct packaged in an AAV vector (AAV-chicken beta-actin promoter-exon 1-intron 1[CBA]-PEDF) or control vector (AAV-CBA-green fluorescent protein[GFP]). After 4 or 6 weeks, the Bruch's membrane was ruptured by laser photocoagulation at three sites in each eye. After 14 days, the area of CNV at each rupture site was measured by image analysis. Intraocular levels of PEDF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Four to six weeks after intraocular injection of AAV-CBA-PEDF, levels of PEDF in whole-eye homogenates were 6 to 70 ng. The average area of CNV at sites of the Bruch's membrane rupture showed no significant difference in eyes injected with AAV-CBA-PEDF compared with uninjected eyes. In contrast, 4 to 6 weeks after intraocular injection of 1.5 x 10(9) or 2.0 x 10(10) particles of AAV-CBA-PEDF, the area of CNV at the Bruch's membrane rupture sites had significantly decreased compared with CNV area at rupture sites in eyes injected with AAV-CBA-GFP. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that intraocular expression of PEDF or other antiangiogenic proteins with AAV vectors may provide a new treatment approach for ocular neovascularization.
Efficient algorithms for universal portfolios

A constant rebalanced portfolio is an investment strategy which keeps the same distribution of wealth among a set of stocks from day to day. There has been much work on Cover's Universal algorithm, which is competitive with the best constant rebalanced portfolio determined in hindsight (D. Helmbold et al., 1995; A. Blum and A. Kalai, 1999; T.M. Cover and E. Ordentlich, 1996). While this algorithm has good performance guarantees, all known implementations are exponential in the number of stocks, restricting the number of stocks used in experiments. We present an efficient implementation of the Universal algorithm that is based on non-uniform random walks that are rapidly mixing (D. Applegate and R. Kannanm, 1991). This same implementation also works for non-financial applications of the Universal algorithm, such as data compression (T.M. Cover, 1886) and language modeling (A. Kalai et al., 1999).