Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological Research with Special Reference to Nuclear Worker Studies: Commentary

Limitations of some epidemiological studies on low-dose lowrate exposures to ionizing radiation include dose comparisons disregarding natural radiation background, unfounded classification of sporadic diseases as radiogenic and conclusions about causality of dose-effect relationships. Other bias, confounders and inter-study heterogeneity have been pointed out. Some dose-effect correlations can be explained by a dose-dependent selection, self-selection and recall bias. It can be reasonably assumed that individuals knowing their higher doses would be more motivated to undergo medical examinations being at the same time given more attention. Reported dose-effect relationships between low-dose low-rate exposures and non-neoplastic diseases call in question the causality of such relationships for cancer detected by the same researchers. Reliable evidence in regard to biological effects of low radiation doses can be obtained in large-scale animal experiments with registration of life duration. The monitoring of human populations exposed to low-dose radiation is important but conclusions should be made with caution considering potential bias and economical motives to strangulate nuclear energy production in accordance with the interests of fossil fuel producers. Of note, health burdens are the greatest for power stations based on coal and oil; the burdens are smaller for natural gas and still lower for the nuclear power. The same ranking applies for the greenhouse gas emissions
Development, Validity and Reliability of Depression Level Inventory (DLI)

The purpose of this study is to build, test the content validity and reliability of Depression Level Inventory (DLI). DLI is built based on the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) introduced by Aaron T. Beck in 1964. DLI contains 21 negative items divided into 3 sub-scales and each sub-scale contains of 7 items. These three sub-scales are Sub-Scale 1: Depression Thinking, Sub Scale 2: Depression Emotions and Sub-Scale 3: Depression Behavior. The content validity of DLI is evaluated by 12 expert panels comprising psychologists, counseling, education and human resource management. Reliability analysis consisted of 45 respondents aged 18-21. The overall validity of DLI was high at 0.873 (87.3%). The overall reliability value was . 838. As such, this study has produced an DLI questionnaire that has good validity and reliability and is useful to use in the field of psychology, guidance and counseling in Malaysia.
Substation battery options: present and future

Whenever a new battery type is considered, it is important to use life-cycle cost analysis that weighs all costs associated with battery ownership over a certain period of time, including the replacement of shorter-life batteries and all associated maintenance and testing activities. This article discusses the benefits and drawbacks of some of the potential alternatives to vented lead-acid batteries in substation service. These include VRLA, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium polymer (Li-polymer). The aim of the article is to provide an overview of ongoing battery development work and an idea of the time-frame for commercial availability.
A participative research strategy for propagating soft methodologies in value management practice

The emerging methodologies of 'soft operational research' have been developed for the purposes of structuring multi-perspective problems characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity and conflict. A participative research project is reported that sought to propagate the three most established 'soft' methodologies within UK value management practice. The adopted research strategy consisted of four key stages. Following an initial literature review, an insight into existing value management was gained by twelve semi-structured interviews with leading practitioners. This was followed by a series of six participative research seminars which used simulated case studies to evaluate the potential application of the three methodologies within the context of value management. A final series of interviews then determined the extent to which the three methodologies subsequently had been adopted in practice. The results are encouraging in that already the research has had an influence on UK value management practice. However, doubts remain as to whether the practitioners have assimilated the methodologies fully, or simply have adopted individual techniques in the absence of any theoretical understanding.
Design of seismic cable hinge restrainers for bridges

The collapse of bridges caused by unseating at intermediate (in-span) hinges during recent earthquakes emphasizes the need to provide an adequate number of restrainers to limit the relative displacement between frames in a bridge with inadequate hinge seat width. Current restrainer design procedures do not account for the factors affecting the earthquake response of multiple-frame bridges. A parameter study indicates that maximum hinge displacement is a function of the frame period ratio, frame ductility, and the characteristics of the ground motion. A new design procedure for hinge restrainers, based on a linearized model, is developed. The procedure accounts for the dynamic characteristics out-of-phase motion of adjacent bridge frames. Inelastic behavior of frames is accounted for by using the substitute structure method. Parameter studies and case studies using over 26 different ground motion records show that the new procedure limits and the relative hinge displacement to a designer-specified value for a wide range of bridges.
The Effects of the Service Environment on Perceived Waiting Time and Emotions

Because customers’ experience of waiting for service may negatively affect their behavioral approach toward the service organization, improving the service environment may also improve their waiting experience. This study examined the different effects of environmental elements on the perceived waiting time route and the emotional route. We surveyed 326 customers of a leading fast‐food chain restaurant in Taiwan during rush hour. We found that the emotional route is a stronger predictor of customer approach behavior than the perceived waiting time route. Moreover, the explained wait and perceived crowding directly affect both the perceived waiting time route and the emotional route. The effect of the design factor on the customer behavior approach is significant in the emotional route, but it is not significant in the perceived waiting route. In addition, perceived crowding has the strongest effect on the perceived waiting time route, and the explained wait has the strongest effect on the emotional route.
Identifying the dynamic evolution and feedback process of water resources nexus system considering socioeconomic development, ecological protection, and food security: A practical tool for sustainable water use

Abstract. The accelerated consumption of water resources caused by the rapid increase in population and urbanization is intensifying the complex interactions across water resources, socioeconomic development, ecological protection, and food security (WSEF), which causes not only the imbalance between water supply and demand but also the vulnerability of both food and ecological systems. Therefore, identifying the dynamic coevolution and feedback process is one of the most crucial ways of achieving the goal of sustainable water use. In this study, we developed an integrated modeling framework to better identify the dynamic interaction and coevolution process of the nexus across WSEF systems in the context of sustainable water uses by coupling system dynamic (SD) model and multi-objective optimization model. The SD model is used to simulate both the dynamic interaction of each agent and the coevolution process of the whole nexus system by positive/negative feedback loops. The multi-objective optimization model is used to quantify the negative feedback loops of the SD model by generating the optimal scheme of different water users. Finally, the model uncertainty considering different weighting factors is analyzed. The framework is applied to the upper reaches of the Guijiang River basin, China. Results show that (i) the rapid economic growth increases the conflict between the water uses for socioeconomic development and ecological protection, intensifying the ecological awareness and resulting in more water shortages of socioeconomic and food agents, which is unable to support such rapid development. (ii) Once the economic growth rate decreases, water resources are able to support economic development with a decreased overload index and stable crop yield, which further contributes to water sustainability. (iii) The river ecological agent is the critical factor that affects the robustness of the model. (iv) The equal consideration of each water usage is the most beneficial to sustainable development. These results highlight the importance of water resources management, considering the tradeoffs across multiple stakeholders, and give a strong reference to policymakers for comprehensive urban planning.
Base spreading resistance of square-emitter transistors and its dependence on current crowding

The internal DC and small-signal low-frequency base-spreading resistances of a square-emitter transistor have been calculated analytically as a function of base current. Simplifying assumptions result in a nonlinear differential equation with a simple explicit solution. The validity of the assumptions has been checked by exact numerical device simulation. The error of the analytical approximation has a maximum of only 11% at negligible current crowding (r/sub Bi/-r/sub Bi,0/=r/sub s//32 instead of the exact value r/sub s//28.6). In the total operating range of interest, the error of the analytical expression for r/sub Bi/ can be dropped to negligible values if the exact value of r/sub Bi,0/ is inserted. >
TAS-102 Monotherapy and Combination Therapy with Bevacizumab for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TAS-102 monotherapy and combination therapy with bevacizumab in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods The PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for the literature on TAS-102 treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Extracted data include median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and the incidence of adverse events for meta-analysis. Results Our study found that the mOS of patients treated with TAS-102 monotherapy was 6.95 (95% CI: 6.26-7.72) months and the mPFS was 2.53 (95% CI: 2.31-2.78) months. The mOS in patients treated by TAS-102 combined with bevacizumab was 10.41 (95% CI: 8.40-12.89) months, and the mPFS is 4.35 (95% CI: 3.05-6.20) months. In the control experiment, the patients' mOS and mPFS were improved. TAS-102+B vs. TAS-102 (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18-0.93; OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.63-0.83) and TAS-102 vs. placebo (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.29-0.67; OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.42-0.62) were studied to actively prevent the occurrence of neutropenia, leukopenia, febrile neutropenia, anemia, and vomiting. Conclusion TAS-102 monotherapy and combination therapy with bevacizumab can significantly improve the survival of patients and prevent specific adverse events from happening.
The Role of Ownership Structure and Board Characteristics in Stock Market Liquidity

Corporate governance plays a significant role in the value of shareholders and share prices, hence stock market liquidity is affected. Previous research has mainly focused on the issue in developed markets, whereas in developing countries there is a need to analyze the influence of corporate governance on stock market liquidity. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the impact of ownership structure and board characteristics on stock market liquidity of non-financial firms of South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. The data in the study is collected from the DataStream for the 2011–2020 period. The study uses a fixed effect model for the analysis of the data and hypotheses testing and generalized method of moments (GMM) is used to check the robustness of the results. The findings of the study indicate that institutional ownership, board size, board independence, and CEO duality have a significant and positive impact on stock market liquidity, whereas managerial ownership has a significant and negative effect on stock market liquidity.
Raw Milk in Noakhlai, Bangladesh: Quality Assessment and Antibiotic Resistance of Identified Microorganisms

Milk is an ideal food for all age groups. The current study was carried out to identify the microorganisms to assess the raw milk quality and the antibiotic resistance of those identified micro-organisms. Five raw milk samples along with two high treatment (UHT) milk samples from different locations of Noakhali district of Bangladesh were analysed. Bacterial isolation was performed by Nutrient Agar (NA) and MacConkey (MCA), Eiosin Methylene Blue (EMB) and Genital menital salt agar (GMSA). The isolates were then identified by Kliger’s Iron Agar (KIA) test, Motility Indole Urease (MIU) test, Catalase and Oxidase tests. Antibiotics resistance tests were done for 13 different antibiotics. Among all these samples, Maijdee Bazar (S4) contained the highest load as 1.87×106 and the UHT samples contained no bacterial contamination. E. coli covered 47.05% whereas Listeria, Bacillus and Yersinia were in the same percentage as 5.88% among all isolates. Salmonella and Staphylococcus were 23.53% and 11.76%, respectively. Listeria and Salmonella were resistant to five different antibiotics by 46.15% and 38.46% of multiple antibiotic resistance index (MRI), correspondingly. However, E. coli and Yersinia were resistant to three antibiotics namely, Rifampcin (RIF), Cefotaxime (CTX), Amoxycillin (AMX) by about 23% as MRI percentage. Bacillus and Staphylococcus both were resistant to Cefepime (CPM) by 7.69% of MRI. Hence, it can be concluded that Rifampcin and Cefepime were most common antibiotics which were resisted by most of the isolates. Therefore, hygiene aspect of these milk sources needs to be taken into consideration with high priority. Also, the antibiotics which are resisted by different organisms will be detrimental for public health aspects.
PD-L1 expression and immune cells infiltration in primary tracheobronchial neoplasm

Background Primary tracheobronchial neoplasm is rare yet poses a serious threat to life. Due to its low incidence, the immune microenvironment of such tumors remained unclear. This study aimed to clarify the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and infiltration of immune cells in primary tracheobronchial neoplasm, which might be useful for guiding treatment and evaluating clinical outcome. Methods We assessed retrospectively the expression of PD-L1 and infiltration in cells expressing CD8, CD16, CD68, CD163 and FOXP3 in 21 patients with primary tracheobronchial neoplasm who underwent surgery in Tangdu Hospital from January 2016 to July 2021. The expression of PD-L1 was assessed based on the tumor proportion score system. The density of immune cells was analyzed by automatic image analysis software. Results In this study, all of 16 participants with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) had no expression of PD-L1, whereas 4/5 (80%) of those with squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were positive for PD-L1 expression. Compared with ACC, the density of FOXP3+ cells in both the intratumoral region and peritumoral region was higher in SCC (P<0.01). The density of FOXP3+ cells was significantly higher than that of CD8+, CD16+, and CD163+ cells in SCC in the intratumoral region (P<0.01). In contrast, the density of FOXP3+ cells was significantly lower than that of CD8+, CD16+, and CD68+ cells in ACC in both the intratumoral region and peritumoral regions. The density of CD68+ cells was significantly higher than that of CD8+ cells (P<0.05) and CD163+ cells (P<0.01) in ACC in the intratumoral region. Furthermore, the tumors of patients with metastasis more commonly of immune-excluded status, in which the CD8+ cells accumulated in peritumoral region. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the expression of PD-L1 in primary tracheobronchial neoplasm was mainly concentrated in patients with SCC. In the immune microenvironment of SCC, FOXP3+ cells were the dominant immune cells, while in the immune microenvironment of ACC, CD68+ cells were the main immune cells. Therefore, the immune microenvironment was significantly different in primary tracheobronchial neoplasm according to histology.
A combination of taurine and caffeine maintains sperm quality in equine semen during chilled storage

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of caffeine and taurine on the motility and viability of chilled equine semen. Materials and Methods: A total of 12 ejaculates were collected from three mature stallions with proven fertility during the breeding season. The gel-free spermatic fraction of each ejaculate was divided into two aliquots and diluted with a semen extender (either INRA 96® or BotuSemen Gold®). The aliquots were then split and assigned to one of the six treatment groups: control (no supplement), caffeine (2 and 4 mM), taurine (25 and 50 mM), and a combination of caffeine (2 mM) plus taurine (25 mM). Samples were stored at 4°C and analyzed at different time points (0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h) to evaluate total (TMOT) and progressive (PMOT) motility and viability by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Results: Regardless of the extender, PMOT and TMOT decreased over time. However, compared with the control, the treatment with 4 mM caffeine significantly mitigated the decrease in PMOT at 72 h. Additionally, semen treated with a combination of caffeine plus taurine maintained a significantly higher PMOT at 96 h, with improved viability at all time points. Conclusions: The combination of caffeine plus taurine helps maintain chilled equine semen viability and progressive motility up to 96 h independently of the extender used.
The fetish of technique: methodology as a social defence

Abstract. Methodology is a central issue in the theory and practise of information systems development. Structured methods, for instance, have been widely championed as providing a way of improving the quality of software systems. In this paper a case study is presented in which a mail order company made an attempt to implement a well‐known methodology, Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM). Far from facilitating the development process, SSADM encouraged a rigid and mechanical approach in which the methodology was applied in a ritualistic way which inhibited creative thinking. The argument is thus, that methodology, although its influence may be benign, has the potential to operate as a ‘social defence’, i.e. as a set of organizational rituals with the primary function of containing anxiety. The grandiose illusion of an all‐powerful method allows practitioners to deny their feelings of impotence in the face of the daunting technical and political challenges of systems development. By withdrawing into this fantasy world the learning processes that are critical to the success of systems development are jeopardized. Methodology, whilst masquerading as the epitome of rationality, may thus operate as an irrational ritual, the enactment of which provides designers with a feeling of security and efficiency at the expense of real engagement with the task at hand.
Complete characterization of transmission losses in generalized nonradiative dielectric (NRD) waveguide

In this paper, transmission losses of the generalized nonradiative dielectric (NRD) waveguide are modeled and presented by our closed-form equations for the design of hybrid and monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuits. This generalized structure includes our recently proposed channelized NRD-guide. Parametric effects are studied with respect to complex propagation constant and characteristic impedance, and some useful guidelines are generated for practical design considerations. Calculated results are discussed separately for the conductor and dielectric losses for the two fundamental longitudinal section electric (LSE) and longitudinal section magnetic (LSM) modes. It is found that the LSE mode may have losses, in some cases, comparable or even smaller than those of its LSM counterpart, contradicting what has usually been perceived for the conventional NRD-guide design.
Approaches to remediation of acid mine drainage water in pit lakes

Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potential liability or valuable water resource to mining companies, the environment, and regional communities. However, water quality in the pit lakes can often restrict end uses for the water, particularly if affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Nevertheless, various and diverse treatment strategies now exist for remediating the water quality of these significant post-mining landscape features. Backfilling of the pit may prevent the formation of a pit lake, or may be important in determining the final pit lake shape and bathymetry. Fast filling or contrived lake stratification may also reduce the extent of pyrite oxidation and hence acidity production. Some “active” remediation technologies such as direct liming of pit water are well-proven and effective, but may be expensive to maintain following mine closure and lease relinquishment. Alternatively, other approaches are using “passive” remediation techniques such as stimulation of primary production and sulfate reduction to improve pit water quality. Although there is much promise, there remains great scope for research and monitoring in this multidisciplinary field, before this science can be relied upon for long-term prediction of water quality pertaining to the liability of current and planned pit lakes.
Emergency Management Decision-Making during Severe Weather

The Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) project will provide its end users with new weather radar data with finer spatial and temporal resolution than existing WSR-88D data. It is not clear what impact this new information will have on emergency managers. This work introduces a descriptive decision-making model of emergency management during the four severe weather phases: Pre-Storm, Severe Weather Watch, Severe Weather Warning, and Severe Weather Event. The initial model describes EMs' use of information and their decisions made. Eleven emergency managers participated in three questionnaires and two part-task simulated weather scenarios based on archived weather data. This work then refines the Severe Weather Warning phase of the model by validating the entries and adding data concerning the role of the information and precursors to decisions made and actions taken. The scenarios also highlight problems that EMs have with interpreting velocity data and with integrating data from multiple radar sources. These results will impact CASA system visualization design and training.