Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Spatial Impact of Particles Emitted from a Cement Material Production Facility on Outdoor Particle Deposition in the Surrounding Community

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to estimate the contribution of a facility that processes steel production slag into raw material for cement production to local outdoor particle deposition in Camden, NJ. A dry deposition sampler that can house four 37-mm quartz fiber filters was developed and used for the collection of atmospheric particle deposits. Two rounds of particle collection (3–4 weeks each) were conducted in 8–11 locations 200–800 m downwind of the facility. Background samples were concurrently collected in a remote area located ∼2 km upwind from the facility. In addition, duplicate surface wipe samples were collected side-by-side from each of the 13 locations within the same sampling area during the first deposition sampling period. One composite source material sample was also collected from a pile stored in the facility. Both the bulk of the source material and the <38 μm fraction subsample were analyzed to obtain the elemental source profile. The particle deposition flux in the study area was higher (24–83 mg/m2·day) than at the background sites (13–17 mg/m2·day). The concentration of Ca, a major element in the cement source production material, was found to exponentially decrease with increasing downwind distance from the facility (P < 0.05). The ratio of Ca/Al, an indicator of Ca enrichment due to anthropogenic sources in a given sample, showed a similar trend. These observations suggest a significant contribution of the facility to the local particle deposition. The contribution of the facility to outdoor deposited particle mass was further estimated by three independent models using the measurements obtained from this study. The estimated contributions to particle deposition in the study area were 1.8–7.4% from the regression analysis of the Ca concentration in particle deposition samples against the distance from the facility, 0–11% from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) source–receptor model, and 7.6–13% from the EPA Industrial Source Complex Short Term (ISCST3) dispersion model using the particle-size-adjusted permit-based emissions estimates. IMPLICATIONS This study developed a practical approach, i.e., spatial sampling with a deposition sampler coupled with three modeling estimation methods, to examine the impact of a local industrial facility on particle deposition in an urban community with multiple emission sources of particles. The close agreement among the three independent model estimations suggests that the approach is feasible and reliable to estimate the contribution of a single source to outdoor particle deposition using the method employed in the study.
Effects of Temperature Regime Through Premetamorphic Ontogeny on Shape of the Chondrocranium in the American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus

If one considers the substantial amount of information that exists about phenotypic plasticity in amphibians, it is surprising that few studies have examined abiotic factors that influence phenotype through ontogeny. Phenotypic change and stability of morphology are artifacts of organisms that bear significant relevance to evolution within and among taxonomic groups. Here, we examine development as a phenotypically plastic aspect of larval anurans. Fertilized eggs of the American Toad, Anaxyrus (= Bufo) americanus (Holbrook, 1836), were obtained from two pairs of adults, and larvae were reared in four temperature treatments (constant Mean, constant High, constant Low, and Fluctuating regime [Low night–High day]); developmental series were collected from each treatment, representing larvae of this species from Gosner Stages 28–40. Cleared and stained larvae were analyzed with landmark‐based geometric morphometric methods to facilitate examination of differences in overall shape change of the larval chondrocranium through ontogeny, as a result of developmental temperature or temperature regime. Changes in shape of the chondrocranium and in amount and direction of phenotypic change through ontogeny were found in response to temperature treatment and temperature regime. Mean chondrocranial shape of the Fluctuating regime was more similar to the consensus shape of the overall data set than were those of all other treatments. Given that differences in amount and direction of shape change were observed among these treatments and throughout ontogeny, one should consider the affects of abiotic factors (such as temperature) when rearing larval anurans for studies of developmental morphology. Anat Rec, 291:818‐826, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Personality pathology and treatment outcome in major depression: a review.

OBJECTIVE A longstanding belief among many clinicians is that patients with depression and comorbid personality pathology have a worse response to standard depression treatment. This presents potentially significant treatment implications, since personality pathology in depressed patients appears to be common. METHOD PsycINFO and MEDLINE were systematically searched for studies relating personality to treatment outcome. Over 50 studies were obtained and grouped according to the method used to assess personality pathology. RESULTS High neuroticism scores generally predicted worse outcome, especially over long-term follow-up. Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire scores did not have a consistent relationship to treatment outcome despite some promising initial findings. Most studies involved patients with comorbid personality disorders; these studies produced conflicting results. Other measures of personality pathology produced an array of findings ranging from a moderately worse outcome to no difference. CONCLUSIONS Whether or not personality pathology significantly worsens outcome in patients with major depression appears to depend on study design, since the rate of personality pathology varies markedly depending on how it is measured. In addition, depressed patients with personality pathology appear less likely to receive adequate treatment in uncontrolled studies. Finally, studies rarely control for depression characteristics (e.g., chronicity, severity) that may influence outcome and be related to personality pathology. Overall, the best-designed studies reported the least effect of personality pathology on depression treatment outcome. Clinically, this suggests that comorbid personality pathology should not be seen as an impediment to good treatment response.
Short report: Recovery of jump performance after a simulated cricket batting innings

Abstract The time-course of physical recovery was determined after a 2-h 20-min, simulated cricket batting innings. Several vertical jump measures were assessed before (baseline), immediately after, 24 h after and 48 h after simulated batting. Six, male, academy cricketers (20 ± 2 years) completed a previously developed simulated batting innings (BATEX) at an outdoor net facility. At each assessment point, participants completed countermovement-jumps, squat-jumps and 5-repeated reactive-jumps on a contact mat. Compared with baseline, countermovement flight time was similar immediately after, but decreased 24 h after batting (−3.0 ± 1.8%, p < 0.05, effect size [ES] ± 90% confidence interval [CI]: −1.38 ± 0.52). At 48 h post, countermovement-jump flight time was similar to baseline. A similar pattern occurred in the squat-jump and the decrease in squat-jump flight time 24 h after simulated batting approached significance (p = 0.053, ES ± CI −0.80 ± 0.51). The 5-repeated reactive-jump measures (flight time, contact time and reactive-strength-index) did not decrease after simulated batting (p > 0.05), but there were moderate effect sizes calculated (0.64–0.96). These findings support the continued use of countermovement flight time to assess recovery in cricket, since full recovery of jump performance occurred 48 h after a simulated, prolonged and high intensity-batting century.
Salvage Treatment with Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Kaletra) in HIV-Infected Patients Failing All Current Antiretroviral Drug Families

Abstract Background: Lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) is the latest available protease inhibitor (PI). It has shown greater potency than the former PIs in phase II/III trials, either in naive or in PI-experienced patients being naive for nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Method: We analyzed the first 138 patients recruited during the expanded access program in an HIV/AIDS reference center. Only patients who had significant past exposure to all three different antiretroviral drug families and who were failing their current regimens were chosen. Results: A total of 93 and 76 patients completed, respectively, 3 and 6 months of follow-up. Mean plasma HIV RNA log10 copies/mL before beginning Kaletra was 4.04 ± 1.1 and mean CD4 count was 285 ± 197 cells/mL. Overall, 76.3% and 63.2% of patients showed a significant virologic response (defined as >1 log reduction in plasma HIV RNA and/or a reduction to less than 500 HIV RNA copies/mL) at 3 and 6 months, respectively. The mean CD4 increase was +77.3 cells/mL at 6 months. Thirteen individuals did not complete 6 months on therapy: there were 2 deaths (1 was non-AIDS related), 2 patients were lost to follow-up, 7 patients withdrew due to potential drug adverse events, and 2 patients withdrew due to complications of intercurrent illnesses. Triglyceride levels significantly increased 3 months after initiation of Kaletra (+70 mg/dL; p = .04) while cholesterol levels remained stable (+7.7 mg/dL; p = .7). Sequence analysis at baseline showed a median number of PI mutations of 4 (0 to 12). Overall, 45% of patients harbored ≥5 PI mutations. Attainment of plasma HIV RNA <500 copies/mL occurred in 88% of patients with ≤5 PI mutations but only in 48% of those harboring >5 PI mutations (p < .001). Baseline mutations at codons 71 and 82 were associated with a lower response to Kaletra. Conclusion: Kaletra is relatively well tolerated and provides potent antiviral activity in heavily pretreated patients. Significant virological responses are seen in more than three quarters of patients at 3 months. Genotyping at the time of initiation of salvage therapy with Kaletra might help to predict which individuals will experience a greater benefit.
The Perils of Self-Brand Connections: Consumer Response to Changes in Brand Imageoppdrag

Companies commit considerable resources to build brand associations that resonate with consumers' identities and facilitate strong consumer-brand bonds. This dissertation investigated a potential disadvantage of this popular strategy; specifically, how changes in brand image (e.g., due to brand acquisitions or repositioning) can decrease consumer identification with the brand. Across five studies, this dissertation investigated consumer response to changes that incorporated new associations in brand image (Studies 1-3), and changes that reinforced existing salient brand associations (Studies 4-5). The results from the three first studies show that high degree self-brand connection consumers responded negatively to changes that incorporated new associations in brand image. This finding contrasts with existing research, which has consistently found that brand connections serve as a buffer against transgressions and negative brand information. Counterintuitively, the results from the two last studies show that even changes that intensify salient brand associations can decrease consumer brand identification in some instances, depending on what part of the self the brand is connected to. When brand connection was based on ideal self-brand congruity (i.e., self-enhancement motives), the reinforcement of existing associations increased the brand's ability to signal an ideal identity, and, thus, the brand's efficacy as an instrument for self-enhancement increased. However, when the brand connection was based on actual self-brand congruity (i.e., self-verification motives), changes in brand image reduced felt similarity between the actual self and the brand, such that the brand's efficacy as an instrument for self-verification decreased. This dissertation contributes to the literature by providing a different perspective on brand connections. While the extant research focuses primarily on the formation of strong consumer-brand bonds and the positive consequences of these bonds, current research demonstrates conditions under which companies may experience negative consequences of self-brand connections. Also, the current research demonstrates that consumers' reactions to changes in brand image depend on how strongly connected they feel to the brand and whether the connection is related primarily to their actual or ideal selves. This dissertation highlights a caveat for managers who try to balance the cultivation of consumer-brand bonds while also responding to market dynamics and growth opportunities.
Developmental shifts in gene expression in the auditory forebrain during the sensitive period for song learning

A male zebra finch begins to learn to sing by memorizing a tutor's song during a sensitive period in juvenile development. Tutor song memorization requires molecular signaling within the auditory forebrain. Using microarray and in situ hybridizations, we tested whether the auditory forebrain at an age just before tutoring expresses a different set of genes compared with later life after song learning has ceased. Microarray analysis revealed differences in expression of thousands of genes in the male auditory forebrain at posthatch day 20 (P20) compared with adulthood. Furthermore, song playbacks had essentially no impact on gene expression in P20 auditory forebrain, but altered expression of hundreds of genes in adults. Most genes that were song‐responsive in adults were expressed at constitutively high levels at P20. Using in situ hybridization with a representative sample of 44 probes, we confirmed these effects and found that birds at P20 and P45 were similar in their gene expression patterns. Additionally, eight of the probes showed male–female differences in expression. We conclude that the developing auditory forebrain is in a very different molecular state from the adult, despite its relatively mature gross morphology and electrophysiological responsiveness to song stimuli. Developmental gene expression changes may contribute to fine‐tuning of cellular and molecular properties necessary for song learning. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 2009
Public accountability and the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool: an assessment

Since 2005, the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool has been widely used in developing countries and emerging economies to evaluate the performance of public financial management systems. In this article, we assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability instrument tool for evaluating public financial accountability. We examine the theoretical literature on public accountability in order to derive a suitable normative framework to assess the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool. However, given that this literature is based on experiences in developed countries, we must extend it to also take into account the political cultures and practices in developing countries. Using this extended framework, we assess the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability indicators related to, in particular, parliamentary committees for financial oversight and Supreme Audit Institutions. We conclude that the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool could devote more attention to the independence of Supreme Audit Institutions, the nature of accountability debates, democratic inclusion and horizontal accountability mechanisms Points for practitioners The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool has been applied in more than 116 countries and its reports offer valuable information for practitioners and researchers around the world. It is the only publicly available data set that measures the performance of financial committees of parliament and Supreme Audit Institutions. The strengths and weaknesses revealed in this article should be taken into account when using the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability tool for research or for evaluating the quality of financial accountability systems in particular countries. The international financial institutions and donor agencies governing the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Secretariat can use the recommendations of this article to further improve the framework.
Transistor noise characterization for an SKA low-noise amplifier

Noise parameter measurements of six candidate transistors for a Square Kilometer Array (SKA) low-noise amplifier (LNA) are presented. They provide reliable data in the frequency range where some low-noise transistors are inadequately characterized. The results of these measurements inform the design of an LNA for SKA1-Survey Band 2 with measured minimum noise temperature of 21 K.
An environmental assessment of the parasite fauna of the reef-associated grouper Epinephelus areolatus from Indonesian waters

Abstract Sixty Epinephelus areolatus were examined for metazoan fish parasites in Indonesia, off Segara Anakan lagoon, Java and in Balinese waters. The study revealed 21 different parasite species, and 14 new host and locality records. The anisakid nematodes Anisakis typica and, for the first time in Indonesia, Anisakis sp. HC-2005 were identified by using molecular methods. Ecological parameters were calculated for both sites off the anthropogenically influenced Segara Anakan lagoon and the relatively undisturbed reference site at the southern Balinese coast. The fish from Segara Anakan demonstrated a significantly higher enzymatic activity (Hepatosomatic index) and a significantly reduced number of heteroxenous gut helminths (e.g. the digenean Didymodiclinus sp., the nematode Raphidascaris sp. and the acanthocephalan Serrasentis sagittifer). Other regional differences for E. areolatus included ecto-/endoparasite ratio, endoparasite diversity, the parasite species composition and prevalence of infection of the respective parasite species. We applied the stargraph method to visualize observed regional differences using grouper parasites as biological indicators for the sampled coastal ecosystems at both sampling sites.
Finance For Growth Policy Choices In A Volatile World

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Evidence-based vaccination strategies in obstetrics and gynecology settings: Current practices and methods for assessment

Obstetrician-gynecologists have the potential to play an important role in the delivery of immunizations to women. However, despite national recommendations, immunization rates among pregnant women and adults in general remain low. Pragmatic immunization delivery trials are needed to demonstrate how best to deliver vaccines in such settings. We report the development and implementation of 2 novel methodologies for immunization delivery research and quality improvement in such settings. The first was the development and application of a 47-point Immunization Delivery Scale that formally assessed variability among practices in their engagement in a variety of evidence-based practices for improving immunization rates. The second was a covariate-constrained randomization technique – a method for achieving balance between study arms in cluster-randomized trials that is especially applicable to pragmatic trials. To best achieve meaningful and interpretable findings, we recommend use of these or similar techniques in future immunization research and quality improvement projects in OB/GYN settings.
On reproducing existing controllers as Model Predictive controllers

The ability to take constraints explicitly into account in the optimisation problem formulation has made Model Predictive Control (MPC) a popular control strategy. However, finding the weights in the optimisation criterion is often non-trivial and requires a fair bit of trial-and-error. Conventional controllers such as PID, on the other hand, are relatively easy to tune, and they often achieve satisfactory performance when there are no constraints. In this paper, we present three approaches for designing an MPC such that it reproduces the conventional controller when there are no constraints. The first approach is from the existing literature where a full order observer is used in the reverse engineering. The second and third approach used a reduced order observer and state augmentation respectively are proposed. The obtained controller can also serve as an initial MPC which can be further fine tuned, and constraints can later be added to evaluate any potential benefit of using MPC compared to the original controller.
GDF8 inhibits bone formation and promotes bone resorption in mice

Growth Differentiation Factor 8 (GDF8), also called myostatin, is a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β super‐family. As a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, GDF8 is also associated with bone metabolism. However, the function of GDF8 in bone metabolism is not fully understood. Our study aimed to investigate the role of GDF8 in bone metabolism, both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that GDF8 had a negative regulatory effect on primary mouse osteoblasts, and promoted receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL)‐induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro. Intraperitoneal injection of recombinant GDF8 repressed bone formation and accelerated bone resorption in mice. Furthermore, treatment of aged mice with a GDF8 neutralizing antibody stimulated new bone formation and prevented bone resorption. Thus, our study showed that GDF8 plays a significant regulatory role in bone formation and bone resorption, thus providing a potential therapeutic pathway for osteoporosis.
The extent and nature of dental fear and phobia in Australia.

BACKGROUND For the general dental practitioner, fearful patients are harder and more stressful to treat and are most likely to attend irregularly. This study presents updated and refined dental fear and phobia prevalence estimates in Australia as well as information on the nature of dental fear and phobia. METHODS A total of 1084 Australian adults (response rate = 71.7%) completed a mailed questionnaire. The survey contained four measures of dental fear and phobia, as well as questions regarding potentially anxiety-eliciting dental stimuli and past aversive dental experiences. RESULTS The prevalence of high dental fear ranged from 7.8% to 18.8%, and more incapacitating dental phobia from 0.9% to 5.4%, depending upon the scale, cut-point and specific criteria used. Dental phobia was significantly associated with blood-injection-injury (BII) concerns. The cost of dental treatment was endorsed as the most anxiety-eliciting dental situation (64.5%), followed by fear of needles/injections (46.0%) and painful or uncomfortable procedures (42.9%). Anxiety-eliciting stimuli and the type of aversive dental experiences varied significantly by gender, age, income, education, language spoken at home and dental visiting frequency. CONCLUSIONS High dental fear and dental phobia are common in Australia although prevalence estimates are highly dependent on both the scale and cut-points used.