Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Average RNFL Thickness Using the STRATUS OCT with the Perimetric Staging of Glaucoma

Objective: To determine the correlation between average peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured with time domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT) in normal and glaucoma eyes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 281 eyes randomly selected from a previous study. Assessment of glaucomatous damage was done by glaucoma specialists who based their diagnosis on the visual field tests and optic disc photos, independent of OCT results. Eyes were classified into the following groups: normal, mild, moderate, or severe glaucoma. Severity of glaucoma was based on visual field abnormalities following a modified HodappAnderson-Parish criteria for staging. Average RNFL thickness of normal and glaucoma subgroups, as measured with STRATUS–OCT, were analyzed using single ANOVA test. Association between average RNFL thickness and severity of glaucomatous visual field loss was evaluated using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. Results: 183 eyes had no glaucoma; 27 had mild, 32 had moderate, and 39 had severe glaucoma. Mean average peripapillary RNFL thickness (μm) in the normal, mild, moderate, and severe glaucoma groups were 98.05(±13.46), 76.27(±11.79), 76.42(±16.01), and 56.17(±14.92) respectively. Significant differences were seen in the average RNFL thickness among the groups (P<0.05), except in eyes with mild to moderate glaucoma. A moderately strong correlation of -0.57 (P<0.05) was observed between average RNFL thickness and the stage of glaucoma. Conclusion: TD-OCT showed moderately strong correlation between the average RNFL thickness and perimetric stages of glaucoma. Average RNFL thickness is a good parameter to discriminate normal from glaucoma eyes.
Immunohistochemical study of the astrocytes of the adult rat cochlear nuclei

Astrocytes play crucial roles in the organization, function and maintenance of neurons and neuronal circuits. Apart from reports on reactive gliosis after auditory/vestibular injuries, few authors have focused their attention on the astroglial cytoarchytecture of the cochlear nuclei (CN). In this qualitative immunohistochemical study, we analyse the distribution of the astrocytic markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamine synthetase (GS), and S-100 protein (S-100) in the adult CN of twelve young adult male rats.
Technical Note: Using DEG-CPCs at upper tropospheric temperatures

Abstract. Over the last few years, several condensation particle counters (CPCs) capable of measuring in the sub-3 nm size range have been developed. Here we study the performance of CPCs based on diethylene glycol (DEG) at different temperatures during Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) measurements at CERN. The data shown here are the first set of verification measurements for sub-3 nm CPCs under upper tropospheric temperatures using atmospherically relevant aerosol particles. To put the results in perspective we calibrated the DEG-CPC at room temperature, resulting in a cut-off diameter of 1.4 nm. All diameters refer to mobility equivalent diameters in this paper. At upper tropospheric temperatures ranging from 246.15 K to 207.15 K, we found cut-off sizes relative to a particle size magnifier in the range of 2.5 to 2.8 nm. Due to low number concentration after size classification, the cut-off diameters have a high uncertainty (±0.3 nm) associated with them. Operating two laminar flow DEG-CPCs with different cut-off sizes together with other aerosol instruments, we looked at the growth rates of aerosol population in the CLOUD chamber for particles smaller than 10 nm at different temperatures. A more consistent picture emerged when we normalized the growth rates to a fixed gas-phase sulfuric acid concentration. All of the instruments detected larger growth rates at lower temperatures, and the observed growth rates decreased as a function of temperature, showing a similar trend for all instruments. The theoretical calculations had a similar but much smaller temperature dependency.
Evaluating the Alignment of IT with Business Processes in SMEs

This paper takes a new approach to IT alignment by focusing on the alignment of IT with business processes. Thus the paper focuses on operational alignment rather than strategic alignment. The paper proposes a new instrument for measuring IT alignment, based on the process view of firms. The Process Classification Framework (PCF) (APQC 2006) was used to create a 24 item instrument that formed part of a questionnaire for structured interviews with managers in 66 SMEs. Analysis using partial least squares indicated a positive relationship between IT alignment and IT Success. In addition, IT alignment was found to be low in many firms, and low for many business processes. The typical SME had about 5 business processes with insufficient IS support. However, IT alignment was at an acceptable level for the most important business processes. The study also indicates that the business process view could provide an efficient measure of IT alignment. Opportunities for further research are outlined.
Mass transfer to reactive boundaries from steady three-dimensional flows in microchannels

This paper presents a numerical study of the effect of transverse secondary flows on mass transfer to reactive boundaries in microchannels. The geometry considered is relevant to surface catalyzed reactions, fuel cells, biochemical sensors, and other microreactor applications. The 3D flows that we consider approximate flows that are experimentally achievable through topographical patterning of one wall of a microchannel, as in the Staggered Herringbone Mixer (SHM) and similar geometries. We simulate a mass transfer process using passive tracers to model reactive solute molecules in a Stokes flow (Reynolds number, Re=0) over a range of Peclet number, 102⩽Pe⩽105, with instantaneous kinetics at the reactive boundary. Our simulation allows for the evaluation of the local Sherwood number produced by a uniaxial Poiseuille flow and several chaotic and nonchaotic 3D flows. In chaotic flows, the local Sherwood number evolves in a simple manner that shares features with the classic Graetz solution for transfer from.
Big data and predictive analytics in humanitarian supply chains: Enabling visibility and coordination in the presence of swift trust

The purpose of this paper is to understand how big data and predictive analytics (BDPA), as an organizational capability, can improve both visibility and coordination in humanitarian supply chains. ,The authors conceptualize a research model grounded in contingent resource-based view where the authors propose that BDPA capabilities affect visibility and coordination under the moderating effect of swift trust. Using ordinary least squares regression, the authors test the hypotheses using survey data collected from informants at 205 international non-government organizations. ,The results indicate that BDPA has a significant influence on visibility and coordination. Further, the results suggest that swift trust does not have an amplifying effect on the relationships between BDPA and visibility and coordination. However, the mediation test suggests that swift trust acts as a mediating construct. Hence, the authors argue that swift trust is not the condition for improving coordination among the actors in humanitarian supply chains. ,The major limitation of the study is that the authors have used cross-sectional survey data to test the research hypotheses. Following Guide and Ketokivi (2015), the authors present arguments on how to address the limitations of cross-sectional data or use of longitudinal data that can address common method bias or endogeneity-related problems. ,Managers can use this framework to understand: first, how organizational resources can be used to create BDPA, and second, how BDPA can help build swift trust and be used to improve visibility and coordination in the humanitarian supply chain. ,This is the first research that has empirically tested the anecdotal and conceptual evidence. The findings make notable contributions to existing humanitarian supply chain literature and may be useful to managers who are contemplating the use of BDPA to improve disaster-relief-related activities.
Biotic and abiotic variables show little redundancy in explaining tree species distributions

Abiotic factors such as climate and soil determine the species fundamental niche, which is further constrained by biotic interactions such as interspecific competition. To parameterize this realized niche, species distribution models (SDMs) most often relate species occurrence data to abiotic variables, but few SDM studies include biotic predictors to help explain species distributions. Therefore, most predictions of species distributions under future climates assume implicitly that biotic interactions remain constant or exert only minor influence on large-scale spatial distributions, which is also largely expected for species with high competitive ability. We examined the extent to which variance explained by SDMs can be attributed to abiotic or biotic predictors and how this depends on species traits. We fit generalized linear models for 11 common tree species in Switzerland using three different sets of predictor variables: biotic, abiotic, and the combination of both sets. We used variance partitioning to estimate the proportion of the variance explained by biotic and abiotic predictors, jointly and independently. Inclusion of biotic predictors improved the SDMs substantially. The joint contribution of biotic and abiotic predictors to explained deviance was relatively small (� 9%) compared to the contribution of each predictor set individually (� 20% each), indicating that the additional information on the realized niche brought by adding other species as predictors was largely independent of the abiotic (topo-climatic) predictors. The influence of biotic predictors was relatively high for species preferably growing under low disturbance and low abiotic stress, species with long seed dispersal distances, species with high shade tolerance as juveniles and adults, and species that occur frequently and are dominant across the landscape. The influence of biotic variables on SDM performance indicates that community composition and other local biotic factors or abiotic processes not included in the abiotic predictors strongly influence prediction of species distributions. Improved prediction of species’ potential distributions in future climates and communities may assist strategies for sustainable forest management.
Assessing China’s Residential Real Estate Market, WP/17/248, November 2017

China’s real estate market rebounded sharply after a temporary slowdown in 2014-2015. This paper uses city-level data to estimate the range of house price overvaluation across city-tiers and assesses the main risks of a sharp housing market slowdown. If house prices rise further beyond “fundamental” levels and the bubble expands to smaller cities, it would increase the likelihood and costs of a sharp correction, which would weaken growth, undermine financial stability, reduce local government spending room, and spur capital outflows. Empirical analysis suggests that the increasing intensity of macroprudential policies tailored to local conditions is appropriate. The government should expand its toolkit to include additional macroprudential measures and push forward reforms to address the fundamental imbalances in the residential housing market. JEL Classification Numbers: E43, E52, E58, F32, R31, C11, C32
EFFECTS OF AQUARIUM AND POND NOISE ON HEARING SENSITIVITY IN AN OTOPHYSINE FISH

ABSTRACT Several studies on fishes have shown that behaviour and auditory sensitivity are often affected by underwater noise. The current investigation concentrates on noise encountered by fish kept for leisure in aquaria and ponds. Noise spectra showed that all aquarium filters measured created a high amount of low-frequency noise, while the water outflow above the surface created additional high-frequency noise components. Audiograms of the Goldfish Carassius auratus, a species possessing hearing specializations, were determined between 0.1 and 4kHz using the non-invasive auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. The amount of masking was determined in the presence of four different noise-types (broadband LLeq, 1min): aquaria with external filter with outflow above the water surface (119dB re 1 μPa), external filter with outflow below the water surface (115dB), internal filter with outflow below the water surface (114dB), and an unfiltered pond (95dB). The goldfish's hearing was masked by all filter noise types and most affected at 0.1 and 0.3kHz by the external filter noise (threshold shifts of 15–19dB). Pond noise had no effect on the hearing threshold. The results indicate that fish with hearing specializations are considerably masked under common holding conditions found in aquaria but probably not in ponds. Thus, using a quieter filter setup with a quiet outflow might help to improve holding conditions in aquaria without compromising aeration of the water.
Effects of Boron Compounds on the Mechanical and Fire Properties of Wood-chitosan and High-density Polyethylene Composites

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) represent a growing class of durable, low-maintenance construction materials whose use can decrease dependence on petroleum. High-density polyethylene (HDPE), chitosan (CS), wood flour (WF), boric acid (BA), and borax (BX), as well as maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) and polyethylene wax (PE wax), were used to develop a durable wood-plastic composite (WPC) using the extrusion method. The effects of boron compounds (3%, 6%, 9%, or 12% by weight BA/BX) on the mechanical and fire properties of the WPCs were investigated. Mechanical testing indicated that as the percentage weight of boron compounds increased, the flexural modulus, flexural strength, and tensile strength significantly decreased. Cone calorimeter tests were used to characterize the fire performance of the WPCs, and these results suggested that adding BA/BX compounds to WPCs modestly improved the fire performance. As the percentage weight of BA/BX increased from 3% to 9%, the time to ignition (TTI), heat release rate (HRR), total heat release rate (HRR-Total), smoke production rate (SPR), and specific extinction area (SEA) of the WPCs were all reduced.
Distribution and timing of Holocene and late Pleistocene glacier fluctuations in western Mongolia

Abstract. Despite being a key location for paleoglaciological research in north-central Asia, with the largest number of modern and Pleistocene glaciers, and in the transition zone between the humid Russian Altai and dry Gobi Altai, little is known about the precise extent and timing of Holocene and late Pleistocene glaciations in western Mongolia. Here we present detailed information on the distribution of modern and late Holocene glaciers, and new results addressing the geomorphological differentiation and numerical dating (by optically stimulated luminescence, OSL) of Pleistocene glacial sequences in these areas. For the Mongolian Altai, geochronological results suggest large ice advances correlative to marine isotope stages (MIS) 4 and 2. This is in contrast to results from the Khangai mountains, central Mongolia, showing that significant ice advances additionally occurred during MIS3. During the Pleistocene, glacial equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were ~500 to >1000m lower in the more humid portion of the Russian and western Mongolian Altai, compared to 300-600 m in the drier ranges of the eastern Mongolian Altai. Pleistocene ELAs in the Khangai mountains were depressed by 700-1000 m, suggesting more humid conditions at times of major glaciation than in the eastern Mongolian Altai. This paleo-ELA pattern reveals that the precipitation gradient from the drier to the more humid regions was more pronounced during glacial times than at present.
The Spatial Integration of Paddy Markets in Vietnam

This paper examines whether there is spatial integration between and within paddy markets in the north and south of Vietnam. The empirical model developed uses estimates of transfer costs to generalise Ravallion's model of spatial market integration to allow for threshold effects. A sequential testing strategy is used to test for market segmentation, the number of thresholds, long-run integration, informational efficiency and the Law of One Price within an error-correction framework. We find neither threshold effects nor weak evidence of paddy market integration between northern and southern Vietnam. There is, however, evidence of both threshold effects and stronger market integration within the Red and Mekong River deltas. Whenever price spreads exceed their thresholds, at least 60% of price changes are transmitted between regional markets within a month. Nonetheless, the instantaneous version of the Law of One Price only holds for a few regimes and market pairs. These results suggest that national level policies cannot be relied upon to stabilise or support paddy prices in Vietnam. Instead, policies need to be designed with the specific production, consumption and marketing characteristics of northern and southern Vietnam in mind. Copyright (c) 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation (c) 2008 The Agricultural Economics Society.
Identification and PEP inhibitory activity of acetophenone glucosides from the clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum)

Two new acetophenone glucosides, 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone 3-C-β-D-glucoside (1) and 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone 3-C-β-D-(6′-O-galloyl)glucoside (2), together with three known compounds, eugenin (3), 8-C-glucosylnoreugenin (4), and gallic acid (5) were isolated from the EtOAc soluble fraction of the MeOH extract of clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum). Of these, compound 2 showed significant prolyl endopeptidase inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 17.2±1.1 μM, suggesting it may have potential use against memory impairment and cognitive decline.
Branching processes with interactions: subcritical cooperative regime

Abstract In this paper, we introduce a family of processes with values on the nonnegative integers that describes the dynamics of populations where individuals are allowed to have different types of interactions. The types of interactions that we consider include pairwise interactions, such as competition, annihilation, and cooperation; and interactions among several individuals that can be viewed as catastrophes. We call such families of processes branching processes with interactions. Our aim is to study their long-term behaviour under a specific regime of the pairwise interaction parameters that we introduce as the subcritical cooperative regime. Under such a regime, we prove that a process in this class comes down from infinity and has a moment dual which turns out to be a jump-diffusion that can be thought as the evolution of the frequency of a trait or phenotype, and whose parameters have a classical interpretation in terms of population genetics. The moment dual is an important tool for characterizing the stationary distribution of branching processes with interactions whenever such a distribution exists; it is also an interesting object in its own right.
Delineating Mineralisation Zones within the Keffi-Abuja Area Using Aeromagnetic Data

Delineating mineralisation zones within KeffiAbuja North Central, Nigeria was carried out to identify structures and to suggest the viability of the basin for Mineralization Zone potentials in the survey area. Aeromagnetic data over the study area bounded by latitudes N8 o 50’N to 10 o 00’N and longitudes 7 o 00’E to 8 o 00’E was carried out using First Vertical Derivative, Horizontal Derivative, Second Vertical Derivative and Analytical Signal. The First Vertical Derivative, map shows a dominant NE trend of the structures within the study area, The Horizontal Derivative reveals those anomalies that are trending in the horizontal (x-direction) clearly, Second Vertical Derivative map identify regions around central to west part of the study area which correspond to Kagarko, Kafin and Abuja to be areas with high mineralization zone, smaller mineralisation zones are also identified to NW region around Bishini, SW within Kwali and Keffi in SE region. Analytical signal identify areas with high amplitude ranges from -0.010m to 0.141m within the study area. The high amplitude structures are to the central and western portion around the Kagarko, Kafin and Abuja Original Research Article Andrew et al.; JGEESI, 15(3): 1-12, 2018; Article no.JGEESI. 37052 2 axis. This made it possible to delineate the various mineralisation zones around the study area. Map shows that central to western portions around the Kagarko, Kafin and Abuja are particularly promising for mineralization.
AKARI Deep Field South: spectroscopic observations of infrared sources

We present a summary of our spectroscopic redshift catalogue of 404 sources in the AKARI Deep Field South (ADF-S). We have used the AAOmega spectrograph to target mid-infrared and far-infrared sources selected primarily from AKARI observations in this field for which we were able to obtain optical counterparts. Our sources with identified redshifts include 316 with Hα detections at z ≤ 0.345 and 15 sources at z > 1 with MgII or Lα emission lines. About 13% of our z ≤ 0.345 sources are dominated by active galactic nuclei (AGN) emission, although many show emission from both star formation and AGNs. The median Balmer decrement is 5.9. Ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) were found only in the higher-redshift sources. Optical and near infrared data will be available shortly, enabling calibration of the line luminosities and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting for these sources.
EVOLUTION OF MASS FUNCTIONS OF COEVAL STARS THROUGH WIND-MASS LOSS AND BINARY INTERACTIONS

Accurate determinations of stellar mass functions and ages of stellar populations are crucial to much of astrophysics. We analyze the evolution of stellar mass functions of coeval main-sequence stars, including all relevant aspects of single and binary star evolution. We show that the slope of the upper part of the mass function in a stellar cluster can be quite different from the slope of the initial mass function. Wind-mass loss from massive stars leads to an accumulation of stars which is visible as a peak at the high-mass end of mass functions, thereby flattening the mass function slope. Mass accretion and mergers in close binary systems create a tail of rejuvenated binary products. These blue straggler stars extend the single star mass function by up to a factor of 2 in mass and can appear up to 10 times younger than their parent stellar cluster. Cluster ages derived from their most massive stars that are close to the turn-off may thus be significantly biased. To overcome such difficulties, we propose the use of the binary tail of stellar mass functions as an unambiguous clock to derive the cluster age because the location of the onset of the binary tail identifies the cluster turn-off mass. It is indicated by a pronounced jump in the mass function of old stellar populations and by the wind-mass loss peak in young stellar populations. We further characterize the binary induced blue straggler population in star clusters in terms of their frequency, binary fraction, and apparent age.