Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Method for Automated Estimation of Parameters Controlling Aerosol New Particle Formation

ABSTRACTWe use a previously published simulator of aerosol new particle formation (NPF) events as the core component of the new method for automated estimation of its input parameters. The simulator has a large number of physical input parameters (e.g., nucleation and growth rates), and it yields results about the dynamics of particle concentrations and their size distributions as its output. Our new method automatically solves the inverse problem. It estimates the physical input parameters by recurrent simulations according to the criterion of best fit of the simulated output parameters with the known data. The method is implemented as a computer program that includes the previous simulator as a subroutine. The method enables the estimation of several physical parameters, e.g., the nucleation rate, particle growth rate, contribution from ion-induced and neutral nucleation, and particle charging state. The program was tested using the results of two NPF events measured at Hyytiala, Finland. The measured time series of the concentration of atmospheric ions and nanoparticles in the diameter interval of 2.8–8.6 nm were well reproduced by our method. The estimated values of the analyzed input parameters are in agreement with the results known from many other studies carried out at Hyytiala. The proposed method of inverse simulator may appear useful in the analysis and interpretation of air ion and atmospheric aerosol measurements during new particle formation events.
THE STELLAR MASS–HALO MASS RELATION FOR LOW-MASS X-RAY GROUPS AT 0.5< z< 1 IN THE CDFS WITH CSI

Since z ∼ 1 ? > , the stellar mass density locked in low-mass groups and clusters has grown by a factor of ∼8. Here, we make the first statistical measurements of the stellar mass content of low-mass X-ray groups at 0.5 < z < 1 ? > , enabling the calibration of stellar-to-halo mass scales for wide-field optical and infrared surveys. Groups are selected from combined Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations in the Chandra Deep Field South. These ultra-deep observations allow us to identify bona fide low-mass groups at high redshift and enable measurements of their total halo masses. We compute aggregate stellar masses for these halos using galaxies from the Carnegie-Spitzer-IMACS (CSI) spectroscopic redshift survey. Stars comprise ∼3%–4% of the total mass of group halos with masses 10 12.8 < M 200 / M ⊙ < 10 13.5 ? > (about the mass of Fornax and one-fiftieth the mass of Virgo). Complementing our sample with higher mass halos at these redshifts, we find that the stellar-to-halo mass ratio decreases toward higher halo masses, consistent with other work in the local and high redshift universe. The observed scatter about the stellar–halo mass relation is &sgr; ∼ 0.25 ? > dex, which is relatively small and suggests that total group stellar mass can serve as a rough proxy for halo mass. We find no evidence for any significant evolution in the stellar–halo mass relation since z ≲ 1 ? > . Quantifying the stellar content in groups since this epoch is critical given that hierarchical assembly leads to such halos growing in number density and hosting increasing shares of quiescent galaxies.
Changes in morphometric characteristics of nematode communities during a spring phytoplankton bloom deposition

Nematode body size was investigated in terms of body length, width and length/width (L/W) ratios, before, during and shortly after a spring phytoplankton bloom deposition in a station in the southern North Sea (20 m depth). Sediments consisted of medium sand (median grain size: 333 µm) and were devoid of mud. Redox values in the upper 6 cm of the sediment were positive (>100 mV) throughout the sampling period. During the peak of the spring phytoplankton bloom in May 1999, several small-sized species (adult length < 700 µm) emerged. Most prominent was the appearance of a 'stout' nematode assemblage characterised by low L/W ratios. Most of these small nematode spe- cies were virtually absent before the peak blooming, and they decreased in abundance shortly after deposition of phytoplankton to the seafloor. This indicates the opportunistic behaviour of these nema- todes, which is consistent with their small length, enabling them to reach adulthood rapidly. The net rate of increase of the stout nematodes during the bloom was estimated as 6.4% d -1 . This is much larger than the estimated net rate of 1.5% d -1 for the total nematode community. The species compo- sition of the stout nematode assemblage differed from similar stout assemblages described for conti- nental slope and deep-sea areas. In the southern North Sea, Epsilonematidae were dominant while members of the Desmoscolecidae were prominent in offshore deeper areas. Possibly these differ- ences reflect the relatively strong hydrodynamic forces at the North Sea site. In contrast with their short temporal appearance at our coastal North Sea site, stout nematodes seem to be a consistent member of deep-sea nematode communities. We hypothesise that this is caused by the quality of organic matter reaching the seafloor, together with differences in sedimentology and temperature, influencing the duration of the presence of suitable food items for these nematodes.
Market Reactions to Supply Chain Management Excellence

A highly-respected public recognition of supply chain management (SCM) excellence is the Supply Chain Top 25 List, published annually by AMR Research. By employing event study method, this study extensively examined stock market reactions to annual announcements of the AMR Supply Chain Top 25 List, under various market scenarios. The results showed that SCM leading firms consistently outperform market portfolios around annual press-release dates. The mean abnormal returns observed in the event window (0, +1) were positive and statistically significant. In addition, the findings were robust across different estimation models and various market indexes adopted in the event study. At the same time, it is worth noting that the event effect on market performance was temporary and diminished within 5 trading days. This study makes contributions to the growing body of knowledge on the strategic values of firm reputation in general, and for SCM excellence in particular.
Breast feeding pattern in teaching districts of a health sciences university in eastern Nepal

Background: Adequate nutrition early in life has an important role in determining infants’ growth and development, and in preventing many adult diseases. Over 2/3rd of under-5 child deaths in the world is associated with inappropriate feeding practices and occurs during infancy. Yet, only 1/3rd of world’s infants are optimally fed. Objectives: To investigate breast feeding patterns and its relation to sociodemographic factors; and to identify factors associated with initiation, continuation, and maintenance of breast-feeding. Methods: Cross-sectional, semistructured questionnaire based study. 508 mothers of infants attending health center were interviewed about feeding patterns and socioeconomic variables. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: 55.9% infants were breastfed within first hour of life and 90% within the first day. Rapid decline in exclusive-breastfeeding was seen with infant’s age (78.6% at 1 month, 37.3% at 1-3 months, 35.4% at 3-6 months). Factors significantly associated with exclusive breast- feeding were maternal age and education, family income and type. 17.9% infants were given pre-lacteals where as 92.9% received Colostrum. Major factors associated with early initiation of breast-feeding were maternal age and education, family type and mode of delivery. Conclusion: The results show that national guidelines, public messages, and educational campaigns need to be strengthened to achieve desired goals regarding breast feeding. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/hren.v11i3. 9631 Health Renaissance 2013;11(3):191-197
Crisp Production from Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus L . ) and Investigation of Quality Parameters

Jerusalem artichoke has been grown in various regions without any special breeding technique. As a food, Jerusalem artichoke has a characteristic flavour and functional ingredients including inulin, other dietary fibers, and minerals. The production of crisp from Jerusalem artichoke was investigated in this study because it contains high amount of inulin. Inulin may provide health promoting effects especially for the people suffering from diabetes. Crisp production from Jerusalem artichoke was studied in the scope of properties such as moisture, oil, color, texture and sensory. After cleaning, tubers were boiled and given shape in the form of slices. Slices were cooked in the bench top deep fat fryer or microwave oven. For crisps with Jerusalem artichoke, best results for frying and microwave oven applications were obtained at 180°C for 180s and at 900W for 60s, respectively.
Caregiver Neuroticism in AD 1 Caregiver Neuroticism and Longevity in Alzheimer ’ s Disease

Introduction: Caregiving characterized by wishful-intrapsychic coping (WIC) has been found to be associated with a shorter survival time of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), holding constant care-recipient impairments. We investigated whether this relationship was a spurious product of the caregiver personality trait neuroticism or whether WIC mediated the relationship between neuroticism and survival. Methods: We conducted a mail survey of 180 caregivers of persons with AD in their homes. Caregiver personality was measured by the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory. Results: Cox regression analysis showed that WIC mediated the relationship between neuroticism and survival. Thus, the relationship between WIC and survival is not a spurious product of caregiver neuroticism. Independently of WIC, however, caregiver neuroticism was significantly related to longer survival time of the person with AD. Discussion: We hypothesize that when WIC was partialed out of caregiver neuroticism, neuroticism was associated with longer survival due to the hypervigilance of these caregivers.
On the Mechanism of Controlled Auto Ignition

Controlled auto ignition, CAI, is a combustion form, which uses auto-ignited homogeneous air/fuel mixture but controlled by regulating internal EGR introduction. It offers superior fuel economy and significantly reduced pollutants potentials, but still a distance away from practical application due to lack of knowledge into the mechanism of such combustion. In this paper, using a fully variable valve train and a newly developed exhaust valves control strategy, we substituted EGR with hot nitrogen and hot air. We found that the internal EGR has two aspects of effect towards CAI combustion: thermal effect and chemical effect. Nitrogen is a chemically inertial gas. Although its temperature was raised up to the level of internal EGR during the test, no CAI combustion occurred. This indicates that EGR has a strong chemical effect towards CAI combustion. Oxygen in air is part of reactant of combustion. With its introduction, no CAI combustion occurred till its temperature ramped up to 120oC. Such result proved that a minimum thermal condition of an added gas is required to generate auto-ignition. Comparing with EGR introduction, we found that nitrogen has the ability to delay the combustion ignition and smooth pressure increase rate while oxygen accelerates combustion and turned auto ignition combustion into an uncontrollable form normally experienced with knock. This explains the chemical effect of EGR’s contribution towards CAI combustion since it contains a large amount of nitrogen as well as some chemical active species.
The influence of socioeconomic factors on traditional knowledge: a cross scale comparison of palm use in northwestern South America

We explored the power of 14 socioeconomic factors for predicting differences in traditional knowledge about palms (Arecaceae) at the personal, household, and regional levels in 25 locations in the Amazon, Andes, and Choco of northwestern South America. Using semistructured interviews, we gathered data on palm uses from 2050 informants in 53 communities and four countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia ). We performed multilevel statistical analyses, which showed that the influence of each socioeconomic factor differed depending on whether the analysis was performed on the overall palm knowledge or on individual use categories. At the general palm knowledge level, gender was the only factor that had a significant association in all five subregions, and showed that men had more knowledge than women, and age had a positive significant association only in the lowlands. Most of the analyzed socioeconomic factors had a greater influence on the lowland ecoregions of the Amazon and Choco, although there were mixed trends in these ecoregions. Our results show that there are no regional patterns in the predictive power of socioeconomic factors and that their influence on palm-use knowledge is highly localized. We can conclude that (1) conservation strategies of traditional knowledge of palm use in the region should be developed mainly at the local level, and (2) large-scale comparable ethnoecological studies are necessary to understand indigenous communities' livelihoods at different scales.
Protestant ethic : contributing towards a meaningful workplace

Little did Max Weber know that his essay ‘Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism’, written in 1905 (which was republished in 1920), would survive the times and still be a source for discussion and interpretation during the 21st century. Today as in previous times, work and the workplace poses its challenges. The common thread through history seems to be attempts to enhance the workplace, to better it, to convert it into a place where people could work with a free spirit. Yet, in spite of all the attempts, one failure after the other has been recorded. In a research program that endeavoured to construe the meaningful workplace, Protestant ethic was identified as one possible contributory towards such an ideal. This article explores the contribution of Protestant ethic as a contributory and sets it within the framework of universal individual values pertaining to work and work-specific values. The article also indicates that the Protestant ethic can indeed contribute towards a meaningful experience whilst performing work-related tasks in workspace. The Protestant work ethic is more than a cultural norm that places a positive moral value on doing a good job. Based on a belief that work has intrinsic value for its own sake, it represents a value system that contributes to the experience of meaningfulness whilst performing work.
Environmentally Induced Oxidative Stress and Disruption of Brain Thyroid Hormone Homeostasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by impairments of language, social interactions, and movements and involves neurochemical, morphological, and neuroanatomical changes in specific brain regions including several cortical regions: the cerebellum, corpus callosum, basal ganglia and the limbic system (Sajdel-Sulkowska et al., 2010). It affects 1% of the births and its incidence is on the rise. Although its causation is assumed to have a strong genetic component, most of the known genetic risks have been associated with copy number variants (CNVs). Even an international genome-wide scan (AGP; Anney et al., 2010) failed to discover “the critical autism loci”. Furthermore, ASD concordance for monozygotic twins aged 18 years and younger, is less than 90 percent (Rosenberg et al., 2009). Thus nongenetic, environmental triggers of ASD pathology are gaining recognition as likely causal factors although the mechanisms involved in the environmental impact are not fully understood. This chapter focuses on the developmental impact of environmental pollutants that interfere with the thyroid hormone (TH), a key hormone involved in the regulation of brain development (Oppenheimer and Schwartz, 1997), as a possible factor contributing to autistic pathology. Many environmental toxicants, such as herbicides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), bisphenol A (BPA) and organic mercury compounds are potent disruptors of the endocrine system including TH. TH plays a critical role in brain development by virtue of regulating cellular metabolism, growth, differentiation and maturation and is indispensable for the proper development of the central nervous system (CNS). TH deficiency during CNS development results in disorders such as cretinism and a spectrum of psychoneurological disorders including both neurological and cognitive deficiencies (Vermiglio et al., 1995). It has been suggested that maternal hypothyroxinemia during critical periods may disrupt the developmental processes and produce morphological brain changes leading to autism (Roman, 2007). Hypothyroidism during pregnancy has been proposed as one of the twelve
Zinc Status , Body Composition , and Maturation in Aboriginal Boys

Anthropologists believe that the aboriginal people migrated to Australia some 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. It is not known from whence they came, but they do have variant forms of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase in their red blood cells (1) a finding discovered only in certain areas of northwest India. After the coming of the white man 200 years ago, the people were eventually placed in missions. Thus, from the hunter-gatherer-nomadic life, which required no special sanitation or growing of crops, they became fixed in small dwellings, with poor sanitation and generous supplies of white flour, salt, and refined sugar. They no longer were exposed to their traditional foods, such as kangaroo meat, goanna, snakes, lizards, witchety grubs, birds, seeds, nuts, and sugar ants and wild honey (their only source of sweetness). Only on occasion now do they "go bush" and obtain these foods. The stipend from the government (fortnightly) is usually expended within a few days. These funds are gambled. Pecuniary rewards have never been part of their culture. In the missions, at the present time, the children are noted to grow poorly— usually following the fifth percentile of weight for age—and are subject to gastrointestinal infections and, in particular, bacterial, viral, and parasitic infestations from time to time. Their supply of red meat can be limited to a few days every 14 days, depending also on management of the missions and the political climate. Examples of kwashiorkor or marasmus are unusual; the children appear mainly undersized for age, are generally happy and playful, and do not show evidence of hunger. During the past decade, our investigations of aboriginal children for body composition by indirect methods revealed that protein reserves were reduced and that many had reduced plasma zinc concentration (2). Subsequent work at yearly intervals in missions in northern Australia revealed that in over 1,000 children, hypozincemia, hypoferremia, and hypercupremia were present in more than 50% of the individuals (3-6). At one mission, Kalumburu, there was a 100% incidence of
Macular Edema Surgical Treatment

Macular edema (ME) represents a common final pathway of many intraocular and systemic diseases, which characterized by the accumulation of extracellular fluid in Henle’s layer and the inner nuclear layer of the retina. ME can cause severe visual disturbances and be considered to be multifactorial and difficult to treat. It may be most commonly seen following diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusion, intraocular surgery, uveitis, pigmentary degeneration, and/or vitreoretinal traction syndrome. The pathogenesis of ME involves the interplay of several affected factors, including the breakdown of the inner and outer blood retinal barriers, release of biochemical messengers, tissue hypoxia, retinal circulatory changes, and vitreous traction. Although medications and some other therapeutic methods are effective in some cases, they cannot be the best treatment due to adverse effects or lack of durability. Thus, the role of the vitreous in the development of ME has received attention. Abnormal glycation cross-linking of vitreal collagen has been found in the vitreous of ME cases. The abnormal collagen structure can destabilize the vitreous, leading to traction on the macula [1–7], which may distort the BRB and result in ME. On the other hand, the breakdown of the blood retinal barriers can lead to a high concentration of vasopermeable and chemoattractant factors in the posterior vitreous [8]. This pool of agents can cause cell migration to the posterior hyaloid. Contraction of these cells could lead to macular traction with possible development of a shallow macular detachment and exacerbation of ME [9,10]. (Fig. 1) Thus, we discuss the possibility of surgical treatment for ME in the following.
Effect of rams on temporal hormone concentrations in Targhee ewes during the transition into the breeding season

The biostimulatory effect in sheep is known to cause a relatively rapid increase in LH pulse frequency in ewes that accelerates resumption of ovulatory activity during the transition into the breeding season. In addition there is the possibility that the biostimulatory effect involves changes in the metabolic status of ewes. Experiment 1, the hypotheses were that exposing seasonally anovular ewes to rams would not alter patterns of cortisol concentrations and that these changes are not associated with changes in temporal characteristics of LH concentrations. Cortisol pulse duration was longer in ewes exposed to rams (RE) than in ewes exposed to wethers (NE). The number of LH pulses, and LH pulse frequency was greater in RE ewes than in NE ewes. In RE ewes, as the pulse frequency and number of cortisol pulses increased there was a linear decrease in LH pulse frequency and number of LH pulses. The hypotheses in experiment 2 were that were that resumption of luteal activity and temporal patterns of cortisol, leptin, prolactin, IGF-1, T3 and T4 do not differ among virgin ewes exposed to rams during the transition into the breeding season. Resumption of luteal activity began earlier (P < 0.05) in RE than in NE ewes. Concentrations of T4 in RE ewes decreased less rapidly and over a longer interval before increasing by the end of the sampling period than those in NE ewes. Concentrations of PRL were greater in RE than in NE ewes 4 d after exposure but decreased over the next 12 d; whereas, PRL decreased in NE ewes during the first 6 d then increased over the next 14 d. In conclusion, ram exposure during the transition into the breeding season alters hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, which is related to an increase in LH pulse frequency, that hastens luteal activity. In addition, the onset of luteal activity is associated with alterations in metabolic status in ewes exposed to rams during the transition in to the breeding season.