Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approximating actual flows in physical infrastructure networks: the case of the Yangtze River Delta high-speed railway network

Abstract Previous empirical research on urban networks has used data on infrastructure networks to guesstimate actual inter-city flows. However, with the exception of recent research on airline networks in the context of the world city literature, relatively limited attention has been paid to the degree to which the outline of these infrastructure networks reflects the actual flows they undergird. This study presents a method to improve our estimation of urban interaction in and through infrastructure networks by focusing on the example of passenger railways, which is arguably a key potential data source in research on urban networks in metropolitan regions. We first review common biases when using infrastructure networks to approximate actual inter-city flows, after which we present an alternative approach that draws on research on operational train scheduling. This research has shown that ‘dwell time’ at train stations reflects the length of the alighting and boarding process, and we use this insight to estimate actual interaction through the application of a bimodal network projection function. We apply our method to the high-speed railway (HSR) network within the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, discuss the difference between our modelled network and the original network, and evaluate its validity through a systemic comparison with a benchmark dataset of actual passenger flows.
The Self–Stigma of Mental Illness: Implications for Self–Esteem and Self–Efficacy

Abstract Self–stigma is distinguished from perceived stigma (stereotype awareness) and presented as a three-level model: stereotype agreement, self–concurrence, and self–esteem decrement. The relationships between elements of this model and self–esteem, self–efficacy, and depression are examined in this study. In Study 1, 54 people with psychiatric disabilities completed a draft version of the Self–Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS) to determine internal consistency and test–retest reliability of composite scales. In Study 2, 60 people with psychiatric disabilities completed the revised SSMIS plus instruments that represent self–esteem, self–efficacy, and depression. Stereotype awareness was found to not be significantly associated with the three levels of self–stigma. The remaining three levels were significantly intercorrelated. Self–concurrence and self–esteem decrement were significantly associated with measures of self–esteem and self–efficacy. These associations remained significant after partia.
Blueshift of the surface plasmon resonance in silver nanoparticles studied with EELS

Abstract We study the surface plasmon (SP) resonance energy of isolated spherical Ag nanoparticles dispersed on a silicon nitride substrate in the diameter range 3.5–26 nm with monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy. A significant blueshift of the SP resonance energy of 0.5 eV is measured when the particle size decreases from 26 down to 3.5 nm. We interpret the observed blueshift using three models for a metallic sphere embedded in homogeneous background material: a classical Drude model with a homogeneous electron density profile in the metal, a semiclassical model corrected for an inhomogeneous electron density associated with quantum confinement, and a semiclassical nonlocal hydrodynamic description of the electron density. We find that the latter two models provide a qualitative explanation for the observed blueshift, but the theoretical predictions show smaller blueshifts than observed experimentally.
The NO x dependence of bromine chemistry in the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract. Arctic boundary layer nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO2 + NO) are naturally produced in and released from the sunlit snowpack and range between 10 to 100 pptv in the remote background surface layer air. These nitrogen oxides have significant effects on the partitioning and cycling of reactive radicals such as halogens and HOx (OH + HO2). However, little is known about the impacts of local anthropogenic NOx emission sources on gas-phase halogen chemistry in the Arctic, and this is important because these emissions can induce large variability in ambient NOx and thus local chemistry. In this study, a zero-dimensional photochemical kinetics model was used to investigate the influence of NOx on the unique springtime halogen and HOx chemistry in the Arctic. Trace gas measurements obtained during the 2009 OASIS (Ocean – Atmosphere – Sea Ice – Snowpack) field campaign at Barrow, AK were used to constrain many model inputs. We find that elevated NOx significantly impedes gas-phase halogen radical-based depletion of ozone, through the production of a variety of reservoir species, including HNO3, HO2NO2, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), BrNO2, ClNO2 and reductions in BrO and HOBr. The effective removal of BrO by anthropogenic NOx was directly observed from measurements conducted near Prudhoe Bay, AK during the 2012 Bromine, Ozone, and Mercury Experiment (BROMEX). Thus, while changes in snow-covered sea ice attributable to climate change may alter the availability of molecular halogens for ozone and Hg depletion, predicting the impact of climate change on polar atmospheric chemistry is complex and must take into account the simultaneous impact of changes in the distribution and intensity of anthropogenic combustion sources. This is especially true for the Arctic, where NOx emissions are expected to increase because of increasing oil and gas extraction and shipping activities.
Case Report Mucin-poor mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid transformation and multiple metastases: report of a unique case and review of literature

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinoma (MTSRCC) is an uncommon, newly recognized tu- mor that is histologically characterized by small, elongated tubules lined by cuboidal cells and/or cords of spindled cells separated by variable amounts of mucinous/myxoid stroma. Nonclassic morphologic variants and features of MTSRCC have not been well documented and only rarely been studied. Although initially considered to be a low- grade carcinoma with favorable prognosis, MTSRCC demonstrating sarcomatoid transformation with an aggressive behavior has recently been reported. Herein, we present a unique case of MTSRCC with a mucin-poor morphol- ogy, extensive high-grade sarcomatoid transformation, multiple metastases and a rapidly fatal clinical course in a 53-year-old man and describe its histomorphologic and immunohistochemical features as well as molecular genetic findings. Our findings further expand both the histological and behavioral spectrums encountered in MTSRCC.
Sexual development and maturity scale for the angel shark Squatina squatina (Elasmobranchii: Squatinidae), with comments on the adequacy of general maturity scales

This paper contributes to the reproductive biology of the genus Squatina and aims to complement the criteria, uniformity and adaptable staging of sexual maturity scales for elasmo- branchs based on data from the angel shark S. squatina captured near the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Central-East Atlantic). Both sexes presented a paired reproductive tract with both sides active and asymmetric gonad development. Microscopic and macroscopic observations of the testes were consistent and indicated seasonality of spermatogenesis. The spermatocyst de - velopment pattern in mature individuals could not be assigned to any of the categories described in the literature. The ovariesepigonal organ association was of the external type. Although all Squatinidae share a conservative morphology, they show differences across species in the func- tionality of the paired reproductive tract, seasonality of spermatogenesis, coiled spermatozoa and the presence of egg candles. A flexible classification technique was used to describe an illustrated 5-stage sexual maturity scale using an ontogenic approach, assessable by macroscopic condition indices. The phases include juvenile, subadult, developing, active/pregnant and spent/ post-partum in males and females, respectively. Claspers were considered calcified when it was necessary to break a clasper when bending the axial cartilage 180° over its longitudinal axis. Recent general maturity scale proposals for elasmobranchs could not be adapted. The interspecific variations in fish development, which do not facilitate a standard terminology across all fishes, indicate the need for species-specific and adaptable macroscopic and microscopic staging schema, rather than using generalized classification systems.
Chalcogenide glass waveguide-integrated black phosphorus mid-infrared photodetectors

Black phosphorus (BP) is a promising 2D material that has unique in-plane anisotropy and a 0.3 eV direct bandgap, making it an attractive material for mid-IR photodetectors. So far, waveguide integrated BP photodetectors have been limited to the near-IR on top of Si waveguides that are unable to account for BP’s crystalline orientation. In this work, we employ mid-IR transparent chalcogenide glass (ChG) both as a broadband mid-IR transparent waveguiding material to enable waveguide-integration of BP detectors, and as a passivation layer to prevent BP degradation during device processing as well as in ambient atmosphere post-fabrication. Our ChG-on-BP approach not only leads to the first demonstration of mid-IR waveguide-integrated BP detectors, but also allows us to fabricate devices along different crystalline axes of BP to investigate, for the first time, the impact of in-plane anisotropy on photoresponse of waveguide-integrated devices. The best device exhibits responsivity up to 40 mA W−1 and noise equivalent power as low as 30 pW Hz−1/2 at 2185 nm wavelength. We also found that photodetector responsivities changed by an order of magnitude with different BP orientations. This work validates BP as an effective photodetector material in the mid-IR, and demonstrates the power of the glass-on-2D-material platform for prototyping of 2D material photonic devices.
Stochastic node placement improving fault tolerance in wireless sensor networks

One of the most important issues in wireless sensor networks is to develop the technology for improved fault tolerance, since sensor nodes are prone to failure (for mechanical reasons, for example) and have limited energy storage. The strategy for determining the positions in which sensor nodes are placed is very important, because it affects the likelihood that a target will be within the sensing range of a node, and that there will be a communication path from that node back to the base station. We have considered that when many sensor nodes are to be placed in a wide area, an effective approach is stochastic node placement, whereby sensors may be scattered in a controlled manner, such that their approximate positions are characterized by a probability density function. Then, as the first step of our research, we have proposed stochastic node placements in which the degrees of the nodes follow a power-law distribution (“power-law placement”). Through simulation studies, we have shown that power-law placement, with well-tuned parameters, shows a higher tolerance against random failures and failure through battery exhaustion than general stochastic node placement. However, this can be difficult to implement. As the second step of our research, this paper proposes an alternative method of stochastic node placement that has as high a fault tolerance as power-law placement and can be achieved with a reasonable degree of complexity. To this end, we first investigate the requirements necessary for other types of stochastic node placement to exhibit as high a fault tolerance as power-law placement. Next, we propose ways of achieving stochastic node placement that meets these requirements. Our proposal has theoretical basis that any stochastic node placement can be achieved by scattering sensor nodes many times from the air in a number of appropriately controlled operations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 90(3): 42–53, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.20319
Effects of High Oil Corn and Duration of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplementation on Pig Growth, Pork Quality and Carcass Composition

One quality problem associated with high-percent lean pigs is soft, unsliceable bellies. This problem is of major concern in the highly mechanized pork processing industry. Dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to increase belly firmness of lean pigs. It has also been demonstrated that CLA can improve feed efficiency and act as a repartitioning agent by decreasing subcutaneous fat and increasing lean.
Orbit Maintenance and Navigation of Human Spacecraft at Cislunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits

Multiple studies have concluded that Earth-Moon libration point orbits are attractive candidates for staging operations. The Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), a member of the Earth-Moon halo orbit family, has been singularly demonstrated to meet multi-mission architectural constraints. In this paper, the challenges associated with operating human spacecraft in the NRHO are evaluated. Navigation accuracies and human vehicle process noise effects are applied to various station keeping strategies in order to obtain a reliable orbit maintenance algorithm. Additionally, the ability to absorb missed burns, construct phasing maneuvers to avoid eclipses and conduct rendezvous and proximity operations are examined.
Genetics of Vitiligo: An Insight

Vitiligo is the most common depigmenting disorder having a major impact on the quality of life of patients. Despite continued progress toward an elucidation of the biochemical, genetic and immunopathological pathways in vitiligo, a definitive cure remains elusive. During the past few decades, advances in the field of molecular genetics have enriched us in understanding the etiopathogenesis of vitiligo. Several candidate genes have been associated with susceptibility to vitiligo. They include genes important for melanin biosynthesis, response to oxidative stress and/or regulation of autoimmunity. A recent genome-wide scan performed on families with numerous members presenting with vitiligo has clearly revealed linkage of susceptibility loci especially autoimmune susceptibility loci. Genetic studies have helped us identify not only the natural course and clinical aspects of vitiligo but also the shed profound light on the inverse relationship between genetic susceptibility to GV and malignant melanoma. In the future, dissection of the complex genetic architecture of vitiligo will provide new approaches for treatment and prevention. In this article, we review the genes involved in vitiligo and also focus on the pathogenic mechanisms of the same.
Proliferative activity of oocytes in multi-oocyte follicles of bovine ovary

We characterized the proliferative activity of multi-oocyte follicles with anti-nuclear antigen of proliferating cells (PCNA). Ovaries (n = 12) from heifers were processed for histology. From 789 multi-oocytes follicles observed, only 11 were considered appropriated for immunostaining, since they presented all nuclei of the oocytes clearly visible. All multi-oocyte follicles were positive for PCNA, but some oocytes showed no proliferative activity. We conclude that oocytes in multi-oocyte follicles seem to be in different stages of the cell cycle.
Matrix metalloproteinases in bone development and pathology: current knowledge and potential clinical utility

php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php). Metalloproteinases In Medicine 2016:3 93–102 Metalloproteinases In Medicine Dovepress
GAM : The Predictive Modeling Silver Bullet

In general, GAM has the interpretability advantages of GLMs where the contribution of each independent variable to the prediction is clearly encoded. However, it has substantially more flexibility because the relationships between independent and dependent variable are not assumed to be linear. In fact, we don’t have to know a priori what type of predictive functions we will eventually need. From an estimation standpoint, the use of regularized, nonparametric functions avoids the pitfalls of dealing with higher order polynomial terms in linear models. From an accuracy standpoint, GAMs are competitive with popular learning techniques.
Diagnostics of disturbed upright body orientation in pusher behaviour

Objective: To compare the classification of two clinical scales for assessing pusher behaviour in a cohort of stroke patients. Design: Observational case-control study. Setting: Inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit. Subjects: A sample of 23 patients with hemiparesis due to a unilateral stroke (1.6 ± 0.7 months post stroke). Methods: Immediately before and after three different interventions, the Scale for Contraversive Pushing and the Burke Lateropulsion Scale were applied in a standardized procedure. Results: The diagnosis of pusher behaviour on the basis of the Scale for Contraversive Pushing and the Burke Lateropulsion Scale differed significantly (χ2 = 54.260, p < 0.001) resulting in inconsistent classifications in 31 of 138 cases. Changes immediately after the interventions were more often detected by the Burke Lateropulsion Scales than by the Scale for Contraversive Pushing (χ2 = 19.148, p < 0.001). All cases with inconsistent classifications showed no pusher behaviour on the Scale for Contraversive Pushing, but pusher behaviour on the Burke Lateropulsion Scale. 64.5% (20 of 31) of them scored on the Burke Lateropulsion Scale on the standing and walking items only. Conclusions: The Burke Lateropulsion Scale is an appropriate alternative to the widely used Scale for Contraversive Pushing to follow-up patients with pusher behaviour (PB); it might be more sensitive to detect mild pusher behaviour in standing and walking.
Evaluation of Serum Lipid Profile Level and Gamma-Glutamyltransferase Activity as a Biomarker for Coronary Artery Disease in Sudanese Patients

Article history: Received on: 10/12/2016 Accepted on: 12/03/2017 Available online: 30/10/2017 Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide public health problem with high morbidity and mortality. There is evidence from recent studies that Gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) is likely to be associated with CAD. However, no studies to date investigated the association of γ-GT with CAD in Sudanese patients. This study aimed to assess the lipid profile level and γ-GT activity of Sudanese patients with CAD. A cross-sectional study was performed in which 60 clinically diagnosed patients with CAD and 60 apparently healthy (control group) were enrolled. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and γ-GT activity were measured. The commonest lipid abnormalities in the patients were; reduced TG (77% < 150 mg/dl) and HDL-C (68% ≤ 60 mg/dl) and increased TC, LDL-C and γ-GT in men and women (80% > 200 mg/dl, 72% > 130 mg/dl and > 22 U/l respectively). Statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) increases were present in the TC, TG, LDL-C and γ-GT concentrations between the case and the control group. However, the patients showed a statistically significant decrease in HDL-C concentration compared to the control group. These findings suggest that dyslipidemia is common among Sudanese patients with CAD and γ -GT could be used as a biomarker to CAD.
Evaluation of H . 265 and H . 264 for Panoramas Video under Different Map Projections

Various map projection methods are proposed to convert a VR omnidirectional video to a 2D planar video, including Mercator, Equirectangular, Equal-area, Cube projections. The BD-rate comparison of the different map projections has been conducted. However, the performance of the map projections has not been compared using different codec, like widely-used x265 and x264 encoders. In this paper, both x265 and x264 are used to test the performance among the map projections, while S-PSNR is set as metric to calculate the BDrate between H.265 and H.264. Results show that the rate savings of H.265 over H.264 varies from 36.4% to 40.8% in different map projections and Equal-area has lowest bitrate savings of H.265 over H.264. What is more, this paper verifies the performance of the different map projections. Equal-area has the best performance while Mercator has intolerable performance. Last but not least, Equal-area has more bitrate savings relative to Equirectangular using x264 compared with x265. Keywords—VR; Map projection; BD-rate; Panoramas video; Omnidirectional video
Cliche Expressions in Literary and Genre Novels

Should writers “avoid cliches like the plague”? Cliches are said to be a prominent characteristic of “low brow” literature, and conversely, a negative marker of “high brow” literature. Cliches may concern the storyline, the characters, or the style of writing. We focus on cliche expressions, ready-made stock phrases which can be taken as a sign of uncreative writing. We present a corpus study in which we examine to what extent cliche expressions can be attested in a corpus of various kinds of contemporary fiction, based on a large, curated lexicon of cliche expressions. The results show to what extent the negative view on cliches is supported by data: we find a significant negative correlation of -0.48 between cliche density and literary ratings of texts. We also investigate interactions with genre and characterize the language of cliches with several basic textual features. Code used for this paper is available at https://github.com/andreasvc/litcliches/
The effects of a program to enhance self-compassion in Japanese individuals: A randomized controlled pilot study

To date, there is no evidence suggesting that a program aimed at increasing self-compassion is effective in interdependent cultures such as Japan. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an Enhancing Self-Compassion Program (ESP) among Japanese individuals in a randomized controlled study. Individuals reporting low self-compassion (N = 40) were randomly assigned to an ESP or wait-list control group. Participants completed self-report questionnaires at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a three-month follow-up. In the post-treatment and follow-up, ANOVAs revealed that the ESP group (N = 16) had significant improvements in each of the subscales of self-compassion (Cohen’s ds: .91–1.51) except for mindfulness, whereas the control group (N = 12) did not. Greater reductions in negative thoughts and emotions in the ESP group were also found. These gains remained at follow-up. These findings suggest that an ESP may be an effective and acceptable adjunct intervention for Japanese individuals with low self-compassion.
FACTORS AFFECTING FIRM VALUE : THEORETICAL STUDY ON PUBLIC MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN INDONESIA

This study aims to examine theoretical relationship between of social responsibility, Corporate Governance, Company Size, Corporate Profitability and Firms Value in context of Manufacturing Company listed at Indonesia Stock Exchange. This study classifies the variables into three variables type, namely: exogenous, endogenous and intervening variables. Exogenous variable were Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance and Company Size. Endogenous Variable was Firms Value, while intervening variable was Profitability. This study result was to make model about the relationship among exogenous, endogenous and intervening variables.