Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new sensitivity-controlled focusing regularization scheme for the inversion of induced polarization data based on the minimum gradient support

We present a new application of a focusing regularization scheme for the inversion of resistivity and induced polarization (IP) data that supports large resistivity magnitude and phase contrasts. Similar approaches so far have only been used for the interpretation of gravity, magnetic, or seismic data sets. Unlike methods based on smoothness constraints, the approach is able to resolve sharp boundaries of bodies and layers, and it allows slight parameter variations within them. Therefore, it can be used in hydrogeologic applications where we need focused images to resolve high-contrast aquifer boundaries. Our approach is based on the minimum gradient support, which seeks to minimize the occurrence of parameter contrasts, independent of their magnitude. We study the effects of a variable control parameter on the reweighting optimization, allowing a continuous transition from smooth to sharp images. We also take the spatially varying sensitivity into account to allow focusing even where sensitivities are small. The implemented weighting leads to increased smoothing in well-resolved areas and a decrease in regions of lower sensitivity. The opposite approach is examined as well. This gradient-dependent sensitivity weighting is basically an extension of depth-dependent sensitivity weighting. We demonstrate the effectiveness and limitations of the approach and the influence of the control parameter using different synthetic models and field data from a hydrogeophysical test site. The technique has proven particularly suitable for revealing sharp parameter contrasts.
Medium-Term Effects of Sprinkler Irrigation Combined with a Single Compost Application on Water and Rice Productivity and Food Safety

Traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.) management (tillage and flooding) is unsustainable due to soil degradation and the large amount of irrigation water used, an issue which is exacerbated in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, there is a need to explore rice management strategies in order to improve water-use efficiency and ensure its sustainability. Thus, field experiments were conducted to determine the medium-term effects of different irrigation and tillage methods combined with a single compost application on water and rice productivity, as well as food safety in a semiarid Mediterranean region. The management systems evaluated were: sprinkler irrigation in combination with no-tillage (SNT), sprinkler irrigation in combination with conventional tillage (ST), which were implemented in 2015, and flooding irrigation in combination with conventional tillage (FT), and their homologues (SNT-C, ST-C, and FT-C) with single compost application in 2015. In reference to rice grain yield, the highest values were observed under ST treatment with 10 307 and 11 625 kg ha−1 in 2018 and 2019 respectively; whereas between FT and SNT there were no significant differences, with 8 140 kg ha−1 as mean value through the study. Nevertheless, sprinkler irrigation allowed saving 55% of the total amount of water applied in reference to flooding irrigation. Furthermore, the highest arsenic concentration in grains was found under FT but it decreased with compost application (FT-C) and especially with sprinkler irrigation, regardless of tillage management systems. However, sprinkler irrigation favors the cadmium uptake by plants, although this process was reduced under SNT in reference to ST, and especially under amended compost treatments. Therefore, our results suggested that a combination of sprinkler irrigation and compost application, regardless of the tillage system, could be an excellent strategy for rice management for the Mediterranean environment in terms of water and crop productivity as well as food safety.
The Influence of Comorbidities on Chemokine and Cytokine Profile in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients: Preliminary Results

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently associated with a chronic inflammatory state and cardiovascular/metabolic complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of certain comorbidities on a panel of 45 chemokines and cytokines in OSA patients with special regard to their possible association with cardiovascular diseases. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 61 newly diagnosed OSA patients. For the measurement of the plasma concentration of chemokines and cytokines, the magnetic bead-based multiplex assay for the Luminex® platform was used. Results: In the patients with concomitant COPD, there were increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (CCL11, CD-40 ligand) and decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), while in diabetes, there were increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TRIAL). Obesity was associated with increased levels of both pro-inflammatory (IL-13) and anti-inflammatory (IL-1RA) cytokines. Hypertension was associated with increased levels of both pro-inflammatory (CCL3) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines. Increased daytime pCO2, low mean nocturnal SaO2, and the oxygen desaturation index were associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (CXCL1, PDGF-AB, TNF-α, and IL-15). Conclusions: In OSA patients with concomitant diabetes and COPD, elevated levels of certain pro-inflammatory and decreased levels of certain anti-inflammatory cytokines may favor the persistence of a chronic inflammatory state with further consequences. Nocturnal hypoxemia, frequent episodes of desaturation, and increased daytime pCO2 are factors contributing to the chronic inflammatory state in OSA patients.
Extracellular Vesicles: New Players in the Mechanisms of Sepsis- and COVID-19-Related Thromboinflammation

Sepsis and COVID-19 patients often manifest an imbalance in inflammation and coagulation, a complex pathological mechanism also named thromboinflammation, which strongly affects patient prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles released by cells into extracellular space that have a relevant role in cell-to-cell communication. Recently, EVs have been shown to act as important players in a variety of pathologies, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The biological properties of EVs in the mechanisms of thromboinflammation during sepsis and COVID-19 are still only partially known. Herein, we summarize the current experimental evidence on the role of EVs in thromboinflammation, both in bacterial sepsis and in COVID-19. A better understanding of EV involvement in these processes could be useful in describing novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications of EVs in these diseases.
Temperature field analysis of optical coatings induced by millisecond and nanosecond lasers

To study the differences between long-pulse and short-pulse laser-induced damage in optical dielectric thin films, temperature distributions in single-layer HfO 2 films, multi-layer HfO 2 /SiO 2 films, and HfO 2 films with high-absorptive inclusions induced by 1 ms and 10 ns lasers are analyzed based on the temperature field theory. Through our calculations, the damage property differences between millisecond and nanosecond lasers are summarized. The results for single-layer films show that 1 ms laser is easier to damage the substrate than 10 ns laser. For multi-layer films, the laser field effect is weaker when irradiating by 1 ms laser. Furthermore, when inclusions are introduced, the film is easier to be damaged by 10 ns laser, which means that 10 ns laser is more sensitive to the inclusions.
Migration Fear and Minority Crowd-Funding Success: Evidence from Kickstarter

The US Migration Fear Index fluctuated substantially during 2009-2021, especially during the campaign and early administration of President Trump. During quarters of low anxiety, minorities are 2.4% less likely to achieve their crowd-funding goals than white creators on Kickstarter. This funding shortfall triples during quarters with the highest anxiety level, with deteriorations evident among Black, Hispanic, and Asian creators and across projects introduced by repeat creators. The effects are not explained by alternative macro factors like overall policy uncertainty nor reductions in friends and family support. Instead, the declines mostly follow from a generalized retraction of support for minority creators. * Kerr is corresponding author. We are grateful to Dan Marom and Alicia Robb for sharing data with this project. We also thank Peter Blair, Solène Delecourt, Stefano DellaVigna, Rob Fairlie, Bart Hamilton, Hans Hvide, Josh Lerner, Dan Marom, Ethan Mollick, Abhishek Nagaraj, Ramana Nanda, Marco Tabellini, Emmanuel Yimfor, and seminar participants at Bentley University, Harvard University, NBER, Northeastern University, University of California Berkeley, and Washington University in St. Louis for insights. John (Jianqiu) Bai is from the finance group at D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115; Email: j.bai@northeastern.edu; Phone: 617-373-6247. William Kerr is from the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School; Email: wkerr@hbs.edu. Chi Wan and Alptug Y Yorulmaz are from the College of Management, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Williams T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA, 02125; Chi Wan can be reached at Chi.Wan@umb.edu; Alptug Yorulmaz can be reached at alptug.yorulmaz001@umb.edu. All errors and omissions are our own.
Shear properties of MgO inferred using neural networks

Abstract. Shear properties of mantle minerals are vital for interpreting seismic shear wave speeds and therefore inferring the composition and dynamics of a planetary interior. Shear wave speed and elastic tensor components, from which the shear modulus can be computed, are usually measured in the laboratory mimicking the Earth's (or a planet's) internal pressure and temperature conditions. A functional form that relates the shear modulus to pressure (and temperature) is fitted to the measurements and used to interpolate within and extrapolate beyond the range covered by the data. Assuming a functional form provides prior information, and the constraints on the predicted shear modulus and its uncertainties might depend largely on the assumed prior rather than the data. In the present study, we propose a data-driven approach in which we train a neural network to learn the relationship between the pressure, temperature and shear modulus from the experimental data without prescribing a functional form a priori. We present an application to MgO, but the same approach works for any other mineral if there are sufficient data to train a neural network. At low pressures, the shear modulus of MgO is well-constrained by the data. However, our results show that different experimental results are inconsistent even at room temperature, seen as multiple peaks and diverging trends in probability density functions predicted by the network. Furthermore, although an explicit finite-strain equation mostly agrees with the likelihood predicted by the neural network, there are regions where it diverges from the range given by the networks. In those regions, it is the prior assumption of the form of the equation that provides constraints on the shear modulus regardless of how the Earth behaves (or data behave). In situations where realistic uncertainties are not reported, one can become overconfident when interpreting seismic models based on those defined equations of state. In contrast, the trained neural network provides a reasonable approximation to experimental data and quantifies the uncertainty from experimental errors, interpolation uncertainty, data sparsity and inconsistencies from different experiments.
Modification of an Operational Dispersion Model for Urban Applications

Abstract An operational multisource, multireceptor Gaussian dispersion model, the Danish regulatory model Operationelle Meteorologiske Luftkvalitetsmodeller (OML) has been modified for applications in urban environments. A so-called roughness sublayer has been introduced into the model to represent the turbulence characteristics of the lowest part of the surface layer over rough surfaces like cities. The meteorological preprocessor was enhanced to take into account an urban energy budget. The performance of the resulting OML-Urban has been validated for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide for Zurich for 1990. For that year, a detailed emission inventory as well as continuous hourly measurements at four stations are available. The 24 air pollution monitoring stations used for validation have been divided into different groups, depending on local influences from nearby roads. In comparison with results from the standard OML using an urban roughness length, the urban modification (roughness sublayer and chang.
Simplified Recursive Newton-type Algorithm for Instantaneous Modal Parameter Estimation of Sub-synchronous Oscillations

Abstract A method for instantaneous identification of parameters from sub-synchronous oscillations is proposed. The developed methodology uses an infinite impulse response band-pass filter bank to separate a generator unit multi-component speed signal into mono-components. A simplified recursive Newton-type algorithm is employed to estimate modal parameters from the separated mono-components, with special emphasis on damping estimation. Simulations with the IEEE second benchmark on sub-synchronous resonance as a test power system are used to assess the proposed method. Digital signal processor hardware is employed to validate the algorithm using actual signals.
Zirconia Nanoparticles as Reinforcing Agents for Contemporary Dental Luting Cements: Physicochemical Properties and Shear Bond Strength to Monolithic Zirconia

Nanofillers in resin materials can improve their mechanical and physicochemical properties. The present work investigated the effects of zirconia nanoparticles (NPs) as fillers in commercial dental luting cements. Two dual-cured self-adhesive composites and one resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI) luting cement were employed. Film thickness (FT), flexural strength (FS), water sorption (Wsp), and shear bond strength (SBS) to monolithic zirconia were evaluated according to ISO 16506:2017 and ISO 9917-2:2017, whereas polymerization progress was evaluated with FTIR. Photopolymerization resulted in double the values of DC%. The addition of 1% wt NPs does not significantly influence polymerization, however, greater amounts do not promote crosslinking. The sorption behavior and the mechanical performance of the composites were not affected, while the film thickness increased in all luting agents, within the acceptable limits. Thermocycling (TC) resulted in a deteriorating effect on all composites. The addition of NPs significantly improved the mechanical properties of the RMGI cement only, without negatively affecting the other cements. Adhesive primer increased the initial SBS significantly, however after TC, its application was only beneficial for RMGI. The MDP containing luting cement showed higher SBS compared to the RMGI and 4-META luting agents. Future commercial adhesives containing zirconia nanoparticles could provide cements with improved mechanical properties.
Three-dimensional impulsive vortex formation from slender orifices

The vortex formation behind an orifice is a widely investigated phenomenon, which has been recently studied in several problems of biological relevance. In the case of a circular opening, several works in the literature have shown the existence of a limiting process for vortex ring formation that leads to the concept of critical formation time. In the different geometric arrangement of a planar flow, which corresponds to an opening with straight edges, it has been recently outlined that such a concept does not apply. This discrepancy opens the question about the presence of limiting conditions when apertures with irregular shape are considered. In this paper, the three-dimensional vortex formation due to the impulsively started flow through slender openings is studied with the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equations, at values of the Reynolds number that allow the comparison with previous two-dimensional findings. The analysis of the three-dimensional results reveals the two-dimensional nature of the early vortex formation phase. During an intermediate phase, the flow evolution appears to be driven by the local curvature of the orifice edge, and the time scale of the phenomena exhibits a surprisingly good agreement with those found in axisymmetric problems with the same curvature. The long-time evolution shows the complete development of the three-dimensional vorticity dynamics, which does not allow the definition of further unifying concepts.
Status of the EPIC/MOS calibration onboard XMM-Newton

The XMM-Newton observatory has the largest collecting area flown so far for an X-ray imaging system, resulting in a very high sensitivity over a broad spectral range. In order to exploit fully these performances, an accurate calibration of the XMM-Newton instruments is required. This calibration is being continuously updated, in order to refine the stable calibration parameters as well as to account for the detector response changes induced by radiation damage. We report here on the current overall status of the EPIC/MOS cameras calibrations, and in particular on the recent work involving Charge Transfer Inefficiency evolution and recovery.
Evaluation of the anterior shoulder instability using ultrasound shear wave elastography

Objectives This study aims to evaluate the soft tissue stiffness which has a prominent role in shoulder instability using ultrasound (US) shear wave elastography (SWE) and to compare the results with healthy shoulders. Patients and methods Between December 2018 and January 2020, a total of 33 male patients (mean age: 26±4.3 years; range, 18 to 35 years) who underwent arthroscopic repair for traumatic isolated anterior glenohumeral instability were included in this prospective study. The shoulder girdle was evaluated with US SWE in patients with traumatic anterior instability. Deltoid (D), supraspinatus (SS), infraspinatus (IS), subscapularis (SSC), and long head of biceps (LHB) tendons forming the shoulder girdle and anterior labrum (L) were evaluated with SWE. The elasticity and velocity of the tissues were quantitatively measured. The operated shoulders of 33 patients due to isolated traumatic anterior instability were named Group 1, while the healthy shoulders of these patients were named Group 2. Thirty volunteers with healthy shoulders were considered as the control group (Group 3, n=30). Results All three groups were compared in terms of SS, D, LHB, and SSC tendon velocity and elasticity; however, no statistically significant difference was observed among the groups (p<0.05). The anterior labrum of these three groups did not significantly differ in terms of SWE measurements (p<0.05). Conclusion The stiffness of shoulder girdle muscle tendons and labrum measured with US SWE does not constitute a risk factor for traumatic anterior shoulder instability.
Adsorbed rare-gas layers on Au(111): Shift of the Shockley surface state studied with ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy

The energetic position of the Au(111) Shockley surface state is compared before and after adsorbing different rare gas monolayers (Ar, Kr, and Xe). We used ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) in combination to get more complete information by using the advantages of both methods. For determining the energetic position and the effective mass of the surface state in UPS an analytic mathematical method is used, which takes the finite angular resolution of the analyzer into account. We performed STS scans for the pure Au(111) surface as well as covered with a monolayer Kr and Xe. For an accurate analysis it is possible to use an extended Kronig-Penney model to take into account the influence of the 233˛3 reconstruction. We found that the first monolayer of a rare gas induces shifts of around 50‐ 150 meV increasing with the gas atomic number, whereas a second monolayer has only a small influence of about 3 ‐ 18 meV. Using an image potential model it is possible to characterize these shifts qualitatively. For a semiquantitative analysis the phase accumulation model is applied. Within this model we can describe the experimental data roughly with a Coulomb potential changing in dependence of the electron affinity and the dielectric constant of the rare gas.
Antimicrobial Activity of Some Medicinal Herbs to the Treatment of Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous Infections: Preliminary Research

(1) Background: Superficial, including cutaneous and mucocutaneous infections are a current public health problem with universal distribution. One of the main concerns, in the present/future, is fungal/bacterial infections by resistant microorganisms. This study aimed to verify if decoctions of coptidis (Coptis chinensis, Ranunculaceae family), neem (Azadirachta indica, Meliaceae family), and their essential oils (EOs), as well as the EO of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium, Myrtaceae family) have antimicrobial activity against prevalent species of microorganisms responsible for superficial infections. (2) Methods: The antimicrobial activity was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), using broth microdilution method, and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) was determined from subculture of MIC plates. (3) Results: C. chinensis EO and decoction demonstrated some antifungal action against the yeasts and dermatophytes tested. Greatest bactericidal effect against Propionibacterium acnes and some action against Staphylococcus aureus was observed. For A. indica only EO proved activity against dermatophytes and P. acnes. L. scoparium EO showed the broadest antimicrobial spectrum with activity against bacteria, yeasts, and dermatophytes showing greater activity against P. acnes and S. aureus. (4) Conclusions: C. chinensis (EO/decoction), EOs of L. scoparium and A. indica proved in vitro efficacy against fungal, bacterial, or mixed agents of superficial infections, either by sensitive or resistant strains.
Proposed test for complex versus quaternion quantum theory

If scattering amplitudes are ordinary complex numbers (not quaternions) then there is a universal algebraic relationship between the six coherent cross sections of any three scatterers (taken singly and pairwise). A violation of this relationship would indicate either that scattering amplitudes are quaternions, or that the superposition principle fails. Some experimental tests are proposed, involving neutron diffraction by crystals made of three different isotopes, neutron interferometry, and K/sub s/-meson regeneration.