Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gases in the near-surface zone of the reclaimed Barycz municipal waste landfill – a case study from southern Poland

The formation of biogas at municipal landfills and the significant emission of greenhouse gases from these facilities into the environment were the main reasons for analyzing the molecular composition of soil gas in the near-surface zone at the reclaimed part of the Barycz municipal waste landfill. The relations between the studied components (methane, carbon dioxide, light hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbon components) and impact of the magnitude of recorded concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide on their emission to the atmosphere were evaluated. Two profiles were determined, along which 41 soil and landfill gas samples were taken at 20-meter intervals. At the same time, emissions were measured at each sampling point using a static chamber with a portable fluxometer. Chromatographic analysis showed that the concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide fluctuated in the ranges: 2.1 ppm – 76 vol% and 0.04 ppm – 11 vol%, respectively. Relatively high concentrations of these gases were determined at many of the measurement points, and this was particularly evident at the A-A’ profile, indicating stronger biochemical processes in this part of the landfill, or lateral migration of methane from the neighbouring stage II of the landfill, where biogas extraction is currently taking place. In addition, significant correlations between methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen were demonstrated, indicating ongoing methane fermentation processes. Based on the study, it can be concluded that the southern part of the A-A’ profile is an optimal place to locate a degassing well from which biogas production could be used. However, the research is only preliminary and, it will be necessary to extend the soil gas tests before the final decision on the location of the well is made. Moreover, it has been shown that the concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide measured at points located outside the landfill were low. This means that generated biogas probably does not migrate beyond the boundaries of reclaimed waste landfill, but this will need to be confirmed by performing additional soil gas tests inside and outside the landfill area. The preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of the reclamation carried out was confirmed by the negligible values of the measured methane and carbon dioxide emissions on the surface.
Toward Job Recommendation for All

This paper presents a job recommendation algorithm designed and validated in the context of the French Public Employment Service. The challenges, owing to the confidential data policy, are related with the extreme sparsity of the interaction matrix and the mandatory scalability of the algorithm, aimed to deliver recommendations to millions of job seekers in quasi real-time, considering hundreds of thousands of job ads. The experimental validation of the approach shows similar or better performances than the state of the art in terms of recall, with a gain in inference time of 2 orders of magnitude. The study includes some fairness analysis of the recommendation algorithm. The gender-related gap is shown to be statistically similar in the true data and in the counter-factual data built from the recommendations.
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES HARVESTING THE RAIN: THE ADOPTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE SAHEL

The authors are grateful to Sahel Consulting (Adamou Hamadou, Maman Lawan Borko and Mounkaila Kindo Boubacar) and the Ministry of Environment in Niger for their invaluable support and collaboration on the design and implementation of the program. We are grateful to Michael Gibson, Marina Ngoma, Carolyn Pelnik, Fatimah Shaikh, Vasudha Ramakrishna and Sabrina Rose for excellent research assistance. We thank seminar audiences at multiple universities and conferences for valuable feedback. This research is funded by the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI) with generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, an anonymous donor and CGIAR-SPIA. All errors are our own. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The development and psychometric evaluation of two new scales of self-compassion for preadolescents

There are currently no parent-reported scales adapted or validated to measure self-compassion in preadolescent children despite growing interest in the application of this construct in both illness and wellness fields. Two-new measures of self-compassion—modelled from Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale—were designed and pilot tested to provide preliminary evidence of validity with preadolescents aged between 9 and 12 years (n = 193) and their parents (n = 108). Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Preadolescent (SCS-P) or the Self-Compassion Scale-Preadolescent-Parent Report (SCS-P-PR), along with measures of resilience and psychosocial wellbeing. Factor analyses indicted that both the SCS-P and SCS-P-PR measured two statistically and theoretically distinct constructs: compassionate self-responding and uncompassionate self-responding. Both types of self-responding were related to most of the measures of psychosocial wellbeing and resilience in the expected directions. Importantly, the SCS-P-PR is the first parent-reported measure of self-compassion to be introduced in the literature; moderate correlations with the SCS-P suggest that self-compassionate attitudes and behaviours in children are visible to their parents. Should further validation research replicate these promising preliminary findings, the SCS-P and the SCS-P-PR have potential to make valuable contributions to the assessments available to researchers investigating self-compassion in preadolescent children. This research adds to the growing body of literature that cautions against the common practice of viewing self-compassion as one overarching construct. It is recommended that future research take a qualitative approach to enable deeper exploration of both the positive and negative elements of self-compassionate responding in cohorts of children.
Distinct Allelic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein 3-Alpha (PvMSP-3α) Gene in Thailand Using PCR-RFLP

Considering the importance of merozoite surface proteins (MSPs) as vaccine candidates, this study was conducted to investigate the polymorphism and genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 3-alpha (PvMSP-3α) in Thailand. To analyze genetic diversity, 118 blood samples containing P. vivax were collected from four malaria-endemic areas in western and southern Thailand. The DNA was extracted and amplified for the PvMSP-3α gene using nested PCR. The PCR products were genotyped by PCR-RFLP with Hha I and Alu I restriction enzymes. The combination patterns of Hha I and Alu I RFLP were used to identify allelic variants. Genetic evaluation and phylogenic analysis were performed on 13 sequences, including 10 sequences from our study and 3 sequences from GenBank. The results revealed three major types of PvMSP-3α, 91.5% allelic type A (∼1.8 kb), 5.1% allelic type B (∼1.5 kb), and 3.4% allelic type C (∼1.2 kb), were detected based on PCR product size with different frequencies. Among all PvMSP-3α, 19 allelic subtypes with Hha I RFLP patterns were distinguished and 6 allelic subtypes with Alu I RFLP patterns were identified. Of these samples, 73 (61%) and 42 (35.6%) samples were defined as monoallelic subtype infection by Hha I and Alu I PCR-RFLP, respectively, whereas 77 (65.3%) samples were determined to be mixed-allelic subtype infection by the combination patterns of Hha I and Alu I RFLP. These results strongly indicate that PvMSP-3α gene is highly polymorphic, particularly in blood samples collected from the Thai-Myanmar border area (the western part of Thailand). The combination patterns of Hha I and Alu I RFLP of the PvMSP-3α gene could be considered for use as molecular epidemiologic markers for genotyping P. vivax isolates in Thailand.
Impact of training-shift change on chronotype and social jetlag: a longitudinal study on dancers

ABSTRACT Variations in circadian phase are expected after extreme changes of regular schedules. We took advantage of a real-life model of dance students to address the influence of social pressures on chronotype and sleep patterns in a paired longitudinal study. Seventeen dancers (18–27 years old) being trained at the Uruguayan national dance school ENFA-SODRE switched from training in the night shift in 2019 to the morning shift in 2021 and were evaluated using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Dancers showed a significant advance in their chronotype (07:08 ± 01:39 to 05:12 ± 00:56, p = 0.043) and a significant increase in social jetlag (1.71 ± 1.05 to 2.46 ± 0.80, p = 0.027), while sleep duration fell within the recommended range for the age in both the night shift and the morning shift. The change in chronotype is correlated with the change in social disruption (n = 12, p = 0.038, R2 = 0.36). Dancers alternately used the strategy of oversleeping on free days (associated with higher SJL) or advancing their chronotype (with slight or no change in SJL). Analyzing the effects at the individual level, we were able to highlight the plasticity of the circadian system to cope with the impact of the morning training schedule within non-sedentary late young adults who abruptly, but permanently, changed the timing of their dance training.
An Ounce of Prevention for a Pound of Cure: Efficiency of Community-Based Healthcare

IZA DP No. 16350 JULY 2023 An Ounce of Prevention for a Pound of Cure: Efficiency of Community-Based Healthcare* We study the efficiency in health systems generated by community health teams, a common strategy in lowand middle-income countries for primary healthcare delivery. We exploit the rollout of a nation-wide expansion of coverage to this model in El Salvador. Using a panel dataset of municipalities spanning 2009-2018 from consultation and hospital records of almost 4 million episodes, we show that investing in community-based healthcare, which relied on less-specialized health workers, led to a more efficient allocation of care. Preventive care increased and curative care and hospitalizations from preventable conditions decreased, while coverage in curative care for previously unattended chronic diseases increased. JEL Classification: I15, I18, H21, H51
Attachment Stability and Longitudinal Prediction of Psychotic-like Symptoms in Community Adolescents over Four Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The Friends and Family Interview (FFI) is assumed to be a valid method to study attachment stability and attachment-related psychopathological processes in adolescence, but no studies have yet tested the test–retest reliability of this interview or the longitudinal association of attachment patterns in response to the FFI from adolescents with symptoms such as psychotic-like experiences (e.g., hallucinations, bizarre behavior, dissociation, self-harm) that are known to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study involved 102 community adolescents (M = 14.64, SD = 1.63, 46% males) assessed twice: during a severe COVID-19-related lockdown (in Italy) (T1) and four months later (T2). Measures were the FFI (assessing attachment patterns: secure-autonomous, insecure-dismissing, insecure-preoccupied, and insecure-disorganized) and the thought problems scale of the Youth Self-Report to assess psychotic-like symptoms. Results: revealed high stability of four-way attachment classifications over four months (93.5%), with a modest yet significant link between higher disorganization at T1 and higher scores of thought problems at T2, p = 0.010. Conclusions: The FFI shows high test–retest reliability and can be a valid, age-adapted option to assess adolescents’ attachment. Attachment disorganization should be further investigated as possibly related to psychotic-like experiences in community adolescents.
Superoxide dismutase ameliorates oxidative stress and regulates liver transcriptomics to provide therapeutic benefits in hepatic inflammation

Background Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in organisms and often induces hepatic inflammation. Supplementing exogenous superoxide dismutase is an effective way to alleviate oxidative stress; however, the effects and mechanisms by which superoxide dismutase alleviates hepatic inflammation remain unclear. Methods This study established a Kunming mouse model to verify and investigate the oxidative stress and hepatic inflammation-alleviating effects of the superoxide dismutase oral supplement that was prepared by our research group in a previous study. Results The superoxide dismutase product significantly restored the body weight and liver alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase levels of oxidative stress induced mice. Moreover, exogenous superoxide dismutase significantly inhibited interleukin 1β and interleukin 6 mRNA expression in the livers of mice with hepatic inflammation. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that superoxide dismutase had a significant inhibitory effect on Endog expression, alleviating oxidative stress damage, and mediating liver cell apoptosis by regulating the expression of Rab5if, Hnrnpab, and Ifit1. Conclusion Our research verified the oxidative stress remediation effects of superoxide dismutase and its therapeutic role against hepatic inflammation. This study can lay a foundation for investigating the mechanism by which superoxide dismutase alleviates hepatic disease.
A Low Latency Adaptive Coding Spike Framework for Deep Reinforcement Learning

In recent years, spiking neural networks (SNNs) have been used in reinforcement learning (RL) due to their low power consumption and event-driven features. However, spiking reinforcement learning (SRL), which suffers from fixed coding methods, still faces the problems of high latency and poor versatility. In this paper, we use learnable matrix multiplication to encode and decode spikes, improving the flexibility of the coders and thus reducing latency. Meanwhile, we train the SNNs using the direct training method and use two different structures for online and offline RL algorithms, which gives our model a wider range of applications. Extensive experiments have revealed that our method achieves optimal performance with ultra-low latency (as low as 0.8% of other SRL methods) and excellent energy efficiency (up to 5X the DNNs) in different algorithms and different environments.
Approximating Fair Division on D-Claw-Free Graphs

We study the problem of fair allocation of indivisible goods that form a graph and the bundles that are distributed to agents are connected subgraphs of this graph. We focus on the maximin share and the proportional fairness criteria. It is well-known that allocations satisfying these criteria may not exist for many graphs including complete graphs and cycles. Therefore, it is natural to look for approximate allocations, i.e., allocations guaranteeing each agent a certain portion of the value that is satisfactory to her. In this paper we consider the class of graphs of goods which do not contain a star with d+1 edges (where d > 1) as an induced subgraph. For this class of graphs we prove that there is an allocation assigning each agent a connected bundle of value at least 1/d of her maximin share. Moreover, for the same class of graphs of goods, we show a theorem which specifies what fraction of the proportional share can be guaranteed to each agent if the values of single goods for the agents are bounded by a given fraction of this share.
LITE-1 mediates behavioral responses to X-rays in Caenorhabditis elegans

Rapid sensory detection of X-ray stimulation has been documented across a wide variety of species, but few studies have explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here we report the discovery of an acute behavioral avoidance response in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans to X-ray stimulation. The endogenous C. elegans UV-photoreceptor protein LITE-1 was found to mediate the locomotory avoidance response. Transgenic expression of LITE-1 in C. elegans muscle cells resulted in paralysis and egg ejection responses to X-ray stimulation, demonstrating that ectopic expression of LITE-1 can confer X-ray sensitivity to otherwise X-ray insensitive cells. This work represents the first demonstration of rapid X-ray based genetically targeted (X-genetic) manipulation of cellular electrical activity in intact behaving animals. Our findings suggest that LITE-1 has strong potential for use in this minimally invasive form of neuromodulation to transduce transcranial X-ray signals for precise manipulation of neural activity in mammals, bypassing the need for invasive surgical implants to deliver stimulation.
Social Determinants of Social Zapping: Exploring Predictors of Planned Scheduled Social Events with Others

Social zapping, defined as the cancelation of plans or appointments shortly before they are supposed to take place in order to attend plans deemed “better” than the original, has become increasingly prevalent. The present study examined potential behavioral trait predictors of social zapping, such as belongingness, self-esteem, sense of control, and meaningful existence among community residents ranging from 40 to 75 years of age (n = 48). Results indicated that belongingness and self-esteem are significant predictors of social zapping tendencies, with belongingness emerging as the strongest predictor. Additionally, older adults exhibited a significant and more positive association with self-esteem, sense of control, and meaningful existence compared to individuals aged 39 and younger. The population of young adults (aged 18-39) were found to have stronger, more positive relationships with belongingness. Social zapping frequency was nonsignificant for both older adults and younger adults. Furthermore, social desirability significantly predicted both self-esteem and meaningful existence. Overall, the present study builds on what is currently a new phenomenon in research and will provide new information on the relationship between age, social zapping, and behavioral traits.
Hole-assisted energy deposition in dielectrics and clusters in the multiphoton regime

We propose a novel mechanism of energy absorption in dielectric materials with ultrashort infrared laser pulses of intensities below the damage threshold. Analytical theory, generalized to hole-assisted processes in arbitrarily polarized laser fields, is validated using one-dimensional numerical simulations of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Large enhancements in the multiphoton transition rates are found both numerically and analytically. The one-dimensional calculations are extended to two dimensions via a forest fire percolation model, in which nanoplasma-like structures have been identified.
The Predictive Value of Risk Factors and Prognostic Scores in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Introduction: Risk stratification in patients with COVID-19 is a challenging task. Early warning scores (EWSs) are commonly used tools in the initial assessment of critical patients. However, their utility in patients with COVID-19 is still undetermined. Aim: This study aimed to discover the most valuable predictive model among existing EWSs for ICU admissions and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Materials and methods: This was a single-center cohort study that included 3608 COVID-19 patients admitted to the University Clinical Hospital Center Bezanijska Kosa, Belgrade, Serbia, between 23 June 2020, and 14 April 2021. Various demographic, laboratory, and clinical data were collected to calculate several EWSs and determine their efficacy. For all 3608 patients, five EWSs were calculated (MEWS, NEWS, NEWS2, REMS, and qSOFA). Model discrimination performance was tested using sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. C statistic, representing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, was used for the overall assessment of the predictive model. Results: Among the evaluated prediction scores for 3068 patients with COVID-19, REMS demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance with the sensitivity, PPV, specificity, and NPV of 72.1%, 20.6%, 74.9%, and 96.8%, respectively. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, aside from REMS, age (p < 0.001), higher CT score (p < 0.001), higher values of urea (p < 0.001), and the presence of bacterial superinfection (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of mortality. Conclusions: Among all evaluated EWSs to predict mortality and ICU admission in COVID-19 patients, the REMS score demonstrated the highest efficacy.
Enhanced Oxygen Storage Capacity of Porous CeO2 by Rare Earth Doping

CeO2 is an important rare earth (RE) oxide and has served as a typical oxygen storage material in practical applications. In the present study, the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of CeO2 was enhanced by doping with other rare earth ions (RE, RE = Yb, Y, Sm and La). A series of Undoped and RE–doped CeO2 with different doping levels were synthesized using a solvothermal method following a subsequent calcination process, in which just Ce(NO3)3∙6H2O, RE(NO3)3∙nH2O, ethylene glycol and water were used as raw materials. Surprisingly, the Undoped CeO2 was proved to be a porous material with a multilayered special morphology without any additional templates in this work. The lattice parameters of CeO2 were refined by the least–squares method with highly pure NaCl as the internal standard for peak position calibrations, and the solubility limits of RE ions into CeO2 were determined; the amounts of reducible–reoxidizable Cen+ ions were estimated by fitting the Ce 3d core–levels XPS spectra; the non–stoichiometric oxygen vacancy (VO) defects of CeO2 were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by O 1s XPS fitting and Raman scattering; and the OSC was quantified by the amount of H2 consumption per gram of CeO2 based on hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H2–TPR) measurements. The maximum [OSC] of CeO2 appeared at 5 mol. % Yb–, 4 mol. % Y–, 4 mol. % Sm– and 7 mol. % La–doping with the values of 0.444, 0.387, 0.352 and 0.380 mmol H2/g by an increase of 93.04, 68.26, 53.04 and 65.22%. Moreover, the dominant factor for promoting the OSC of RE–doped CeO2 was analyzed.