Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lifecycle Analysis of Recycled Asphalt Pavements: Case Study Scenario Analyses of an Urban Highway Section

Roads account for a major part of energy/resource consumption and emission of GHGs, such as CO2, PM, NOx, O3, etc., due to high demand for virgin materials, specifically in developing regions. The applicability of recycled materials, such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and other alternative approaches for, e.g., warm-mix asphalt (WMA), in developed countries is hindered by project-specific constraints and lack of empirical studies in these regions. Lifecycle assessment studies on the usage of these road options from actual projects in the developing countries can aid decision makers choose sustainable material approaches by providing case study examples as guidelines. To that end, this study analyses environmental in/out-flows for a traditional approach and multiple green approaches (RAP and WMA) for a major highway section in Abu Dhabi through a 30-year (2015–2045) lifecycle approach. Roadworks were modelled in SimaPro according to real-world conditions, and the expected burden mitigation in each stage is calculated. Benefits of using optimum RAP-based options and a virgin-material-based WMA case against the baseline virgin material case were also investigated. Results showed benefits of WMA as higher than replacing virgin asphalt with recycled asphalt (25% RAP asphalt base, 15% RAP binder and wearing courses). Land use (19%) and energy consumption (16%) showed the highest reduction, followed by ozone depletion (14%), ionizing radiation (11%), PM (8%), acidification (7%) and global warming potential (6%) across all pavement lifecycle stages and environmental indicators. Similar results were obtained for other scenarios with lesser degrees of reduction, which show the significance of replacing HMA with WMA for real-world projects, specifically in mega road projects in Abu Dhabi and the Middle East towards cutting the significant carbon footprint of asphalt pavements.
Vitamin D and Its Target Genes

The vitamin D metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is the natural, high-affinity ligand of the transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR). In many tissues and cell types, VDR binds in a ligand-dependent fashion to thousands of genomic loci and modulates, via local chromatin changes, the expression of hundreds of primary target genes. Thus, the epigenome and transcriptome of VDR-expressing cells is directly affected by vitamin D. Vitamin D target genes encode for proteins with a large variety of physiological functions, ranging from the control of calcium homeostasis, innate and adaptive immunity, to cellular differentiation. This review will discuss VDR’s binding to genomic DNA, as well as its genome-wide locations and interaction with partner proteins, in the context of chromatin. This information will be integrated into a model of vitamin D signaling, explaining the regulation of vitamin D target genes.
Anatomical analysis of variations in the bronchus pattern of the left upper lobe using three-dimensional computed tomography angiography and bronchography

Background The number of sublobar resections performed is increasing, thoracic surgeons must be familiar with bronchus anatomy and preoperative planning plays an important role in predicting anatomical variations. However, there is few report showing anatomic variations of the left upper lobe (LUL) using three-dimensional computed tomography angiography and bronchography (3D-CTAB), and no in Chinese population. The present study aimed to use 3D-CTAB to describe variations of the pulmonary bronchus of LUL in Chinese population. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed 3D-reconstruction from patients that performed lobectomy, segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy of the LUL in 2020 at Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital’s Department of Thoracic Surgery. Patients with previous LUL surgery or absence of 3D-reconstruction or without surgery were excluded. Results One hundred and sixty-six patients met our criteria. Branching of the left upper bronchus was classified into bifurcated type (99.4%) or trifurcated type (0.06%). The left upper divisional bronchus (B1+2+3) arise as bifurcated (65.65%) or trifurcated type (34.34%). Apicodorsalis bronchus (B1+2) always originated as bifurcated type, while ventralis bronchus (B3) was either bifurcated (94.45%) or trifurcated (5.55%). Lingular bronchus (B4+5) was observed as bifurcated (96.38%) or trifurcated (3.62%) type. When analyzing sublobar divisions of bronchi a total of 14 subtypes were identified, 6 of them were found in the upper divisional bronchus. Conclusions Bronchial anatomy of LUL is highly variable, especially in upper divisional bronchus. 3D-CTAB is a useful tool to identify variations in the bronchi pattern, we recommend preoperative planning for sublobar resection.
Integrative Hedonic and Homeostatic Food Intake Regulation by the Central Nervous System: Insights from Neuroimaging

Food intake regulation in humans is a complex process controlled by the dynamic interaction of homeostatic and hedonic systems. Homeostatic regulation is controlled by appetitive signals from the gut, adipose tissue, and the vagus nerve, while conscious and unconscious reward processes orchestrate hedonic regulation. On the one hand, sight, smell, taste, and texture perception deliver potent food-related feedback to the central nervous system (CNS) and influence brain areas related to food reward. On the other hand, macronutrient composition stimulates the release of appetite signals from the gut, which are translated in the CNS into unconscious reward processes. This multi-level regulation process of food intake shapes and regulates human ingestive behavior. Identifying the interface between hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain areas is critical to advance our understanding of conditions like obesity and develop better therapeutical interventions. Neuroimaging studies allow us to take a glance into the central nervous system (CNS) while these processes take place. This review focuses on the available neuroimaging evidence to describe this interaction between the homeostatic and hedonic components in human food intake regulation.
Mapping Long-Term Natural Orbits about Titania, a Satellite of Uranus

Close polar and circular orbits are of great interest for the exploration of natural satellites. There are still no studies in the literature investigating orbits around Titania, the largest satellite of Uranus. In this work, we present results of a set of numerical simulations carried out to obtain long-duration orbits for a probe around Titania. Through an expansion of the gravitational potential up to second order, the asymmetry of the gravitational field due to Titania’s coefficient C22, the zonal coefficient J2, and the gravitational perturbation of Uranus is considered. The analysis of lifetime sensitivity due to possible errors in the values of J2 and C22 is investigated using multiple regression models. Simulations were performed for different eccentricity values, and lifetime maps were constructed. The results show that low-altitude and near-circular orbits have longer lifetimes due to the balance between the disturbance of Uranus and the gravitational coefficients of Titania. The results also show that non-zero values of the longitude of periapsis (ω) and longitude of the ascending node (Ω) are essential to increase the lifetime up to eight times compared to cases where ω=Ω=0∘. We also show that an orbit with eccentricity 10−3 is the most affected by errors in the values of J2 and C22.
A nationwide retrospective analysis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the US

Abstract Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of healthcare-associated mortality and morbidity in critically ill patients who are mechanically ventilated. The purpose of this study was to describe the various primary discharge diagnoses of hospitalizations with VAP, to identify their demographic characteristics, and to identify risk factors for mortality in hospitalizations with VAP. Hospitalizations with a diagnosis of VAP with mechanical ventilation for over 24 hours were selected from the National Inpatient Sample in 2016 and 2017. In total, 33,140 hospitalizations with VAP were analyzed. The leading principal discharge diagnoses for hospitalizations leading to VAP were sepsis due to an unspecified organism (16.92%), respiratory failure (8.09%), and VAP (6.38%). Mortality among hospitalizations with VAP was 20.9%. Independent risk factors for mortality in hospitalizations with VAP were uninsured status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49–3.06, P < 0.001), acute renal failure (aOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.75–2.30, P < 0.001), and liver disease (aOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.52–2.18, P < 0.001). In conclusion, VAP is associated with significant mortality. Infective, traumatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory conditions accounted for over 85% of hospitalizations with VAP. Acute renal failure, the presence of liver disease, and lack of insurance are associated with higher mortality in hospitalizations with VAP.
Serum Proteomic Profile of Asthmatic Patients after Six Months of Benralizumab and Mepolizumab Treatment

Severe eosinophilic asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and elevated proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-5. Mepolizumab and benralizumab are both humanized IgG antibodies directed against IL-5 signaling, directly acting on eosinophils count. Together with the complexity of severe asthma classification and patient selection for the targeted treatment, there is also the urgency to clarify the follow-up of therapy to identify biomarkers, in addition to eosinophils, for the optimal duration of treatment, persistence of effectiveness, and safety. To this purpose, here we performed a follow-up study using differential proteomic analysis on serum samples after 1 and 6 months of both therapies and sera from healthy patients. Statistical analysis by PCA and heatmap analyses were performed, and identified proteins were used for enrichment analysis by MetaCore software. The analysis highlighted 82 differences among all considered conditions. In particular, 30 referred to benralizumab time point (T0, T1B, T6B) and 24 to mepolizumab time point (T0, T1M, T6M) analyses. t-SNE and heatmap analyses evidence that the differential serum protein profile at 6 months of both treatments is more similar to that of the healthy subjects. Among the identified proteins, APOAI, APOC-II, and APOC-III are upregulated principally after 6 months of benralizumab treatment, plasminogen is upregulated after 6 months of both treatments and ceruloplasmin, upregulated already after 1 month of benralizumab, becoming higher after 6 months of mepolizumab. Using enrichment analysis, identified proteins were related to lipid metabolism and transport, blood coagulation, and ECM remodeling.
When Users Enjoy Using the System: The Case of AIS

This study utilized an extended model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to explore the factors influencing the future adoption of accounting information systems (AIS) by Qatari students. A research model was proposed to predict future adoption, partially moderated by voluntary status of using the system. A sample of 237 students was used to probe their perceptions regarding the use of such systems in their future careers. Students were enrolled in an accounting information systems course in Qatar University. Results indicated that perceived facilitating conditions, performance expectancy and enjoyment were significant predictors of AIS. The other factors failed to be significant predictors. The estimated R2 was 48.4%. The moderation effect of voluntariness was also significant in influencing the relationship between enjoyment and future adoption. The moderator yielded a negative beta, which means that it faded the relationship under consideration. Conclusions and future recommendations are reported at the end of paper.
Risk Assessment and Fractionation of Cadmium Contamination in Sediment of Saguling Lake in West Java Indonesia

This research focused on the speciation and distribution patterns of cadmium in surface sediment from Saguling Lake, which is located in the Upper Citarum River. Organic compounds and heavy metals from anthropogenic activities in the watershed have contaminated the river. Sample from the upper layer of the sediment from Saguling Lake were taken from 12 locations, representing the dry and the rainy seasons in the period 2015-2018. Sediment cadmium (Cd) classification was conducted through a sequential extraction technique to determine Cd’s bioavailability and its risk to the water environment. During the rainy season, the total Cd concentration in the upper layer of the sediment was higher than during the dry season. The average dry and rainy season concentrations were 11.12 ± 2.16 mg/kg and 14.82 ± 1.48 mg/kgm in the sampling locations, distributed differently with the following order of the largest to the smallest concentration: 10B > 1A > 4 > 3 > 2 > 1B > 10A > 7 > 9 > 5 > 6 > 8 for the dry season, and 4 > 1A > 1B > 2 > 7 > 5 > 9 > 3 > 6 > 10A > 8 > 10B for the rainy season. All sampling locations (>60%) showed Cd in the resistant fraction, indicating no significant anthropogenic input of Cd into the surface sediment but more geological input due to high erosion. The values of RAC, ICF, and GFC indicate that the Cd in the surface sediment can be categorized as low risk.
Systemic therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs)—basis and current status

A major shift in the approach to the management of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) has been the recognition of the systemic nature of the disease even in clinically and radiologically limited disease stages. The recalcitrant nature of PDAC is intrinsically related to the lack of therapeutic targets and dense surrounding stroma that limits the activity of currently available chemotherapeutic options. However, research is increasingly focusing on intensifying systemic management options in PDAC, resulting in gradual improvements in survival. Currently effective chemotherapeutic regimens like modified 5-fluorouracil-leucovorin-irinotecan-oxaliplatin and gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel have improved outcomes in resectable and advanced PDAC. An increasing use of these regimens has also resulted in greater conversion of borderline resectable and locally advanced cancers to resection, though the most effective approach in this subgroup is yet to be identified. The current review presents an outline of the basic systemic nature of PDAC and current options of systemic therapy, predominantly chemotherapy .
A Hard Look at SPAC Projections

Firms’ use of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) to go public has increased dramatically, leading to market and regulatory debate about their use of projections. Examining SPAC mergers from 2004 through 2021, we find that 80% of firms provide projections for four years ahead on average, with approximately one-quarter of recent projections extending more than five years. For the sample of SPAC mergers with observable postmerger revenue, we find that only 35% of firms meet or beat their projections. This proportion declines for forecasts that are longer horizon, and nonserial SPAC sponsors miss forecasts by greater percentages. When we compare SPAC projected revenue growth with benchmark samples of firms completing an initial public offering (IPO) and matched firms, the SPAC projections are approximately three times larger on average than benchmark firms’ actual revenue growth, with even greater differences for long-term projections. After the merger, firms reduce their use of projections, providing them at statistically similar rates as benchmark firms. Overall, the evidence supports concerns that the SPAC merger includes highly optimistic projections. This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.
How Supportive Ethical Relationships Are Negatively Related to Palliative Care Professionals’ Negative Affectivity and Moral Distress: A Portuguese Sample

In the modern healthcare landscape, moral distress has become an increasingly common phenomenon among healthcare professionals. This condition is particularly prevalent among palliative care professionals who are confronted with bioethical issues in their daily practice. Although some studies described the effects of poor ethical climate and negative affectivity on moral distress, how these variables could be incorporated into a single model is still unclear. Thus, this study aims to investigate whether ethical relationships with the hospital could be related to the intensity and frequency of moral distress, both directly and as mediated by professionals’ negative affectivity. Sixty-one Portuguese palliative care professionals completed web-based self-report questionnaires. After exploring descriptive statistics, mediation analyses were performed using the partial least squares method. The results indicated that the presence of positive relationships with the hospital reduced the professionals’ negative affectivity levels. This, in turn, led palliative care professionals to experience a lower frequency and intensity of moral distress. Being a physician was positively associated with negative affectivity but not with the frequency of moral distress. Considering the protective role of ethical relationships with hospitals, health organizations could consider implementing interventions to improve hospitals’ ethical climate and provide staff with ethics training programs.
What Does Your I-deal Say About Me? A Social Comparison Examination of Coworker Reactions to Flexibility I-deals

We focus on the implications of flexibility i-deals, that is, individually negotiated employment conditions regarding when, where and/or how to work, for i-dealers’ coworkers. Drawing on social comparison theory, we examine how coworkers’ attributions regarding the basis for flexibility i-deals (i.e., needs or performance) and perceptions of procedural fairness concerning the allocation of flexibility i-deals predict the display of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) via feelings of competence. The results, based on two independent and complementary studies (n 1 =260; n 2 =211), are consistent with our hypothesized moderated-mediation model. Whereas need attributions are positively related to competence feelings and subsequent OCB, performance attributions are negatively related to these variables. The effects are more pronounced at high than at low levels of procedural fairness. This suggests that fair procedures do not always benefit coworker reactions as they can enlarge the negative impact of performance attributions on feelings of competence and subsequent OCB. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the explanatory mechanisms by revealing that the attribution (needs vs. performance) drives opposing social comparisons (downward vs. upward, respectively) and that procedural fairness can increase coworkers’ felt personal accountability for these comparisons, thereby triggering a matching emotional response. Our results show that flexibility i-deals can have a bright side, but also a dark side, depending upon the basis and fairness of the allocation. As such, they enrich the academic conversation about the effectiveness of flexibility i-deals and guide practitioners.
Primary Emissions and Secondary Aerosol Processing During Wintertime in Rural Area of North China Plain

The vast rural areas often experience more severe haze pollution than megacities during wintertime in North China Plain (NCP), yet the sources and evolution processes of aerosol particles, particularly organic aerosol (OA) remain poorly understood. Here we conducted real‐time measurements of submicron aerosol (PM1) species using a high‐resolution aerosol mass spectrometer at a representative rural site in NCP in winter 2019. Our results showed the dominance of organics (36%) and nitrate in PM1 (22%) in 2019. Positive matrix factorization analysis illustrated similarly important primary sources from traffic emissions, coal combustion, and biomass burning, yet secondary OA (SOA) from photochemical and aqueous‐phase related processing exceeded primary OA (53% vs. 47%). Substantial decreases in primary species and considerable increases in nitrate and sulphate were observed since winter 2018, demonstrating enhanced secondary formation in winter 2019. OA composition changed significantly from clean period to fog events with the contribution of aqueous phase‐related oxygenated OA increasing from 6% to 44%, while the photochemical SOA decreased correspondingly from 51% to 19%. The size distributions of aerosol species also changed by shifting toward large sizes during fog events. Elemental analysis of OA and the Van Krevelen diagram (H/C vs. O/C) illustrated the different roles of photochemical and aqueous‐phase processing during daytime and nighttime, respectively, and aqueous‐phase processing is subject to the formation of organic compounds with high H/C and O/C ratios. The large differences in fog processing of submicron aerosol species between 2018 and 2019 due to different temperatures were also elucidated.
The Association of the Gut Microbiota with Clinical Features in Schizophrenia

The connection between gut microbiota and schizophrenia has become a fertile area of research. The relationship is bidirectional and quite complex, but is likely to lead to practical clinical applications. For example, commensal microbiota have been shown to produce inflammatory metabolites that can cross the blood–brain barrier—a possible neurobiological precursor of psychosis. Antipsychotics that treat these individuals have been shown to alter gut microbiota. On the other hand, life style in schizophrenia, such as diet and decreased exercise, can be disruptive to the normal microbiome diversity. In the present paper, we conduct a review of PubMed literature focusing on the relationship of gut microbiota with clinical symptoms of schizophrenia, which, to our knowledge, has not yet been reviewed. Numerous clinical characteristics were identified correlating to gut microbial changes, such as violence, negative symptoms, treatment resistance, and global functioning. The most consistently demonstrated correlations to gut microbial changes across studies were for the overall symptom severity and negative symptom severity. Although numerous studies found changes in these domains, there is much variability between the bacteria that change in abundance between studies, likely due to the regional and methodological differences between studies. The current literature shows promising correlations between gut microbiota profiles and several clinical features of schizophrenia, but initial studies require replication.