Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond the light effect: How hydrologic and geomorphologic stream features control microbial distribution across pool sequences in a temperate headwater stream

Microbial community composition varies across stream habitats. However, there is little understanding of how varying hydraulic and geomorphic factors influence microbial distribution along a succession of pools. This study examines how substrate, geomorphological and hydraulic habitat variables may drive bacterial community composition within different stream pool habitats of a temperate headwater stream. Microbial community structures from rock biofilm and sediment samples within each of the 10 selected stream pools of White Clay Creek, PA, were determined by high‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The grain size distribution, organic matter content, streamflow velocity, temperature regime and morphology of each pool were quantified to characterize the pool habitats' variability. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the microbial community composition linked to the substrate's stability within the pool units. Indeed, soft and more mobile sediments were dominated by heterotrophic bacteria, while photosynthetic microorganisms (e.g., microalgae and cyanobacteria) were mainly found on rock biofilm. The difference in the distribution of bacterial communities can be explained by variations in the local hydraulic (i.e., depth and velocity) and the thermal conditions (daily fluctuation, min and max). These results highlight the geomorphological and hydrologic drivers for small‐scale diversity in bacterial communities and provide a better understanding of how maintaining and promoting variability in streambed physical properties may enhance microbial diversity. Better integration of these drivers into stream restoration practices will allow the inclusion of microorganisms, the trophic levels that are usually overlooked but still play critical roles in stream ecology.
Antibiotics in the Treatment of Periodontitis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Introduction Systemic antibiotics present one of the alternative adjunctive therapies in nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT). Different protocols have been proposed, but their indication and effectiveness are still controversial. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the addition of antibiotics after nonsurgical debridement during initial therapy and compare different antimicrobial prescription protocols. Materials and Methods An electronic search was performed through MEDLINE and EBSCOhost databases using the appropriate MeSH words. The target studies have to be published during the last five years. Data from the selected studies were extracted and analyzed. Study selection was done based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Seven randomized clinical trials were included in our review. Their data were extracted using a grid established for this purpose. Collectively, different protocols have been proposed and almost all of them yield superior clinical and microbiological results compared to the placebo group. Conclusion The overall findings of this review show a positive effect of the use of antibiotics as an adjunctive to NSPT, regardless of the antimicrobial agents used in our included studies. Sites with PD > 6 mm may benefit most from the adjunctive use of antibiotics in NSPT. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: NCT02829983 (Bechara Andere et al., 2016); NCT02839421 (Ardila et al., 2020); NCT02735395 (Borges et al., 2017); NCT02359721 (Suryaprasanna et al., 2018); and NCT01318928 (Hans, 2015).
Usability testing and research

From the Publisher: Built on a solid foundation of current research in the field, Usability Testing and Research provides a comprehensive, up-to-date perspective in this increasingly important area of technical communication. Based on the most current research in the field, this book reflects the most recent developments and studies on this topic available. Sidebars throughout the book catch the attention of the readers and highlight key concepts in the text. A chapter on web testing provides coverage of what is now the hottest area in usability testing. End of chapter discussions and exercises reinforce learning. Frequent examples of planning, conducting, and reporting usability tests present current samples of projects. An appendix on teamwork gives pertinent advice in an area neglected by other texts: building and coordinating cross-functional teams for usability testing. For those interested in usability testing and research.
ACTIVE AND SEMI-ACTIVE CONTROL OF STRUCTURES UNDER SEISMIC EXCITATION

Considerable effort has been devoted to develop passive and active methods for reducing structural response under seismic excitations. Passive control approaches have already found application in practice. Active control methods, on the other hand, are being vigorously examined for application to civil structures. This paper investigates the application of active and semi-active control schemes to structures subjected to seismic excitations, and it focuses on the use of the sliding-mode control approach for the development of the control algorithms. The possibility of control redundancy with respect to the number of sliding constraints is taken into account in the controller design. Several sets of numerical results are obtained for a realistic 10-storey shear building, subjected to earthquake-induced ground motions and controlled by active or semi-active control schemes. It is observed that both active and semi-active control schemes can be used to reduce the dynamic response. Active control performs very effectively in reducing the structural response, but the required control force values can be quite large to limit its practical application in the case of large and massive buildings. Active regulation of linear viscous dampers was found unnecessary for this type of structural system, as it did not induce any significantly more reduction in the response than the dampers acting passively. On the other hand, it is shown that active regulation of stiffness can be used with advantage to reduce the response. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of dowel bar retrofit for long-term pavement life in Washington State

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintains approximately 2,400 lane miles of concrete pavements, many of which are on the heavily traveled interstate highway network. Many of these concrete pavements have more than doubled their intended performance life. Due primarily to traffic disruption, WSDOT has long recognized the potentially costly rehabilitation and reconstruction needs of the aging concrete pavement network. In 1993, WSDOT began dowel bar retrofitting its faulted concrete pavements. Dowel bar retrofit has had varied success in the United States, primarily due to construction techniques. In Washington State overall, dowel bar retrofit has been successful and has been determined to be a cost effective rehabilitation treatment. What is still unknown are the most applicable time or condition level (i.e. faulting and cracking condition) for applying dowel bar retrofit, its long‐term performance, and its failure mechanism. The outcomes of this study include guidelines for dowel bar retrofit project selection and construction best practices, a summary of dowel bar retrofit performance in Washington State, and estimated dowel bar retrofit project costs.
C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVELS - INDICATOR FOR PROGNOSIS OF SPONTANEOUS PRETERM BIRTH IN BULGARIAN WOMEN

It is estimated that every year fifteen million premature babies are born worldwide mainly due to spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Furthermore, in clinical settings, there still are no reliable and accurate tools to predict preterm labor. Hence, the aim of this pioneering research was to estimate the relationship between the maternal inflammatory indicator and sPTB in a case-control study between 220 South Bulgarian women. The study was conducted at UMBAL, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria (2017-2020) and enrolled a total of 220 women, determined into two groups: 1) TB (n = 110), who were to give birth at term ≥ 37 to ≤ 39 + 6 gestation weeks with active labor at the time of hospitalization; and 2) sPTB (n = 110), women with preterm birth ≤ 32–34 + 6 gestation weeks and declared active labor, who were to give birth within 5-24 hrs. The inflammatory indicators/CRP concentration was quantified in plasma by immunoturbidimetric methods within 2 hrs. in mg/l. The median maternal CRP (8.77 ± 3.91), with cutoff = 4.9 mg/l was identified as optimal inflammation with highest risk of sPTB (sensitivity = 86.6%; specificity = 53.7%, р < 0.0001). Moreover, a cutoff CRP = 4.9 mg/l was found to be most effective in determining maternal age ≤ 19 years, the sensitivity of 68.6%, and positively correlated OR = 8.122 vs. OR = 2.354, with increased total sPTB risk at ≤ 32-34 + 6 weeks, respectively (p < 0.001). In conclusion, increased CRP concentrations and a decreased maternal age were associated with increased risks of sPTB, before ≤ 32-34 + 6 weeks. Minimal inflammation and other factors in combination may also act as sPTB prognosis.
DRINKING PASSENGERS AND THEIR DRIVERS: ROADSIDE SURVEY RESULTS

Among the approaches suggested for dealing with drinking-driving is for an unimpaired passenger to drive. However, present little is known about the BACs of passengers. A few studies have examined BACs of injured or killed passengers. We provide passenger BAC data for a representative sample of the nighttime driving population. In those vehicles with two or more passengers and at least one drinker, the passenger has the higher BAC in 68% of cases. However, 61% of legally impaired drivers had no passenger and among legally impaired drivers with a passenger, 53% of passengers also had an illegal BAC.
The happiest youth in the world? Exploring subjective well-being indicators among Finnish university students

Abstract This study examined characteristics of students who reported the highest level of happiness in “the happiest country in the world” (Helliwell et al., 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), Finland. The study included 556 Finnish university students’ (of which 75% female) self-reported happiness level, relative to their self-esteem, social and academic competence, as well as demographic factors. According to the results, school success was not a condition for great happiness, whereas the students’ living situation proved to be an important factor. As predicted, a strong connection between a high level of happiness and high self-esteem was found, as well as a significant relationship between being socially skilled and very happy. The study also included an analysis of the students’ free self-descriptions, grouped into the McCrae and Costa’s (1991) Five-Factor Model of Personality. Theoretical as well as practical implications of the results are discussed.
Preparation of eco-friendly adsorbent for enhancing CO2 adsorption capacity

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of adsorbent derived from agricultural by-product-based activated carbon (AC) functionalized by deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for CO2 capturing application. Three types of DES, namely Tetrabutylammonium Bromide (TBAB), Methyltriphenylphosphonium Bromide (MTPB), and Triethlyene Glycol (TEG) were synthesized and functionalized with AC using the impregnation method. The characteristics of the prepared adsorbents were analyzed, including the freezing/melting point, viscosity, surface morphology, elemental composition, and BET surface area. Following the characterization, the CO2 breakthrough adsorption analysis was performed in a packed-bed reactor. The results revealed that the modified AC with the combination of TBAB and TEG showed the maximum CO2 adsorption capacity of 16.5 mg/g compared to other adsorbents mixtures. The maximum adsorption capacity was achieved at a breakthrough time, temperature, gas flow rate and CO2 concentration of 11.5 minutes, 25◦C, 200 mL/min, and 10%, respectively. Furthermore, the adsorption process was thermodynamically favorable and spontaneous under exothermic reaction as indicated by the negative values of both the Gibbs free energy (∆G°) and enthalpy (∆H°). The regeneration evaluation also demonstrated that the modified AC sample was recyclable and reusable for more than nine cycles.
Queensland Pediatric Sepsis Breakthrough Collaborative: Multicenter Observational Study to Evaluate the Implementation of a Pediatric Sepsis Pathway Within the Emergency Department

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the implementation of a pediatric sepsis pathway in the emergency department as part of a statewide quality improvement initiative in Queensland, Australia. DESIGN: Multicenter observational prospective cohort study. SETTING: Twelve emergency departments in Queensland, Australia. PATIENTS: Children less than 18 years evaluated for sepsis in the emergency department. Patients with signs of shock, nonshocked patients with signs of organ dysfunction, and patients without organ dysfunction were assessed. INTERVENTIONS: Introduction of a pediatric sepsis pathway. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Process measures included compliance with and timeliness of the sepsis bundle, and bundle components. Process and outcome measures of children admitted to the ICU with sepsis were compared with a baseline cohort. Five-hundred twenty-three children were treated for sepsis including 291 with suspected sepsis without organ dysfunction, 86 with sepsis-associated organ dysfunction, and 146 with septic shock. Twenty-four (5%) were admitted to ICU, and three (1%) died. The median time from sepsis recognition to bundle commencement for children with septic shock was 56 minutes (interquartile range, 36–99 min) and 47 minutes (interquartile range, 34–76 min) for children with sepsis-associated organ dysfunction without shock; 30% (n = 44) and 40% (n = 34), respectively, received the bundle within the target timeframe. In comparison with the baseline ICU cohort, bundle compliance improved from 27% (n = 45) to 58% (n = 14) within 60 minutes of recognition and from 47% (n = 78/167) to 75% (n = 18) within 180 minutes of recognition (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings on the introduction of protocolized care in a large and diverse state demonstrate ongoing variability in sepsis bundle compliance. Although bundle compliance improved compared with a baseline cohort, continued efforts are required to ensure guideline targets and sustainability are achieved.
Status of LLRF system development for European XFEL

LLRF control system consists of a few basic subsystems with the basic aim to give good quality beam from the XFEL laser. Some of the se subsystems, which are described here are: transient detector, finite state machine, precise timing distribution network, EM field stabilization control loop, etc. The paper summarizes the latest developments of these systems done during the last year.
Running Performance during the Holy Month of Ramadan in Elite Professional Adult Soccer Players in Russia

Religious fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan is an important element of the Muslim culture during which no eating or drinking is permitted from dawn till dusk. A considerable number of Muslim soccer players abide by these restrictions, which may cause a negative impact on key running performance parameters during competitive matches. Alterations to diet and water intake during the Holy Month of Ramadan may affect various running performance parameters in elite Muslim professional adult soccer players. This study was conducted with two groups of soccer players from the Russian Premier League (RPL): The Exposure Group (EG) consisted of 13 Muslims age 24.0 ± 2.8 years abiding by religious fasting and the Control Group (CG) included 13 non-Muslim age 26.0 ± 4.4 years. Using the Instat system, the running performance of each player was controlled in both groups during matches from the RPL before and in the third week of Ramadan (a total of two matches for every player). None of the measured parameters demonstrated significant changes in any match. In conclusion, restrictions in diet and liquid intake during the Holy Month of Ramadan had no negative influence on the running performance of elite Muslim professional adult soccer players during daytime matches.
Collisions of Two-Phase Liquid Droplets in a Heated Gas Medium

The paper presents the experimental research findings for the integral characteristics of processes developing when two-phase liquid droplets collide in a heated gas medium. The experiments were conducted in a closed heat exchange chamber space filled with air. The gas medium was heated to 400–500 °C by an induction system. In the experiments, the size of initial droplets, their velocities and impact angles were varied in the ranges typical of industrial applications. The main varied parameter was the percentage of vapor (volume of bubbles) in the droplet (up to 90% of the liquid volume). The droplet collision regimes (coalescence, bounce, breakup, disruption), size and number of secondary fragments, as well as the relative volume fraction of vapor bubbles in them were recorded. Differences in the collision regimes and in the distribution of secondary fragments by size were identified. The areas of liquid surface before and after the initial droplet breakup were determined. Conditions were outlined in which vapor bubbles had a significant and, on the contrary, fairly weak effect on the interaction regimes of two-phase droplets.
The Effect of Date of Planting on the Performance of Promising Cotton Varieties

An experiment to test the effect of date of planting on the yield of new advanced lines of cotton from the crops improvement programme at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) was conducted at Nyankpala between May and December 2000. Three cotton lines, namely; Sarcot 4, Sarcot 5 and Sarcot 10 as well as FK290, a commercial variety were each planted on five different dates follows: May 26, June 9, June 23, July 7 and July 21. The experiment was implemented in a split plot design with three replicates. The crops were planted at a spacing of 90cm x 30cm. The results of the experiment showed that early planted cotton varieties yield better than late planted ones. Late planted crops suffered more bollworm damage than early planted ones. The Sarcot lines used in this study responded well to earlier dates of planting than the late ones. Early planting is therefore recommended to farmers in the study area. However, planting should not be done too early ( as early as May) since bolls will start opening September when it will still be raining heavily and will definitely affect the quality of the lint negatively. Key Words: Cotton, Varieties, Effect, Date of Planting, Performance
An inverse approach for load identification of cracked wind turbine components

ABSTRACT To assess the integrity of a structure, it is necessary to be familiar with the applied loads on its components. In this paper, an inverse modeling procedure was developed to identify the unknown static loads of a cracked component made from a brittle material, using a recently developed phase-field fracture modeling approach. The main goal was to define the optimal number, position, and orientation of the strain gauges on the structural component needed to accurately determine the imposed loads leading to different crack sizes and crack orientations. This enables an accurate assessment of the structural integrity of the components throughout their entire service life, including the process of crack initiation and its stable growth to a critical length. To verify the inverse approach, several numerical benchmark examples as well as the vital components of the wind turbine, such as the axle pin were analyzed. It is shown that the proposed approach with optimally placed strain gauges enables the accurate estimation of complex loads in a fractured component.
Anti-Obesity Effects of Combined Cornus officinalis and Ribes fasciculatum Extract in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Male Mice

Simple Summary Obesity is a general health problem representing a high risk factor for a low-quality lifestyle. Various Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacological medications have been established for the treatment and prevention of obesity. However, some pharmacotherapies present adverse effects and limited long-term use. Natural herbal medicines as alternative cures have shown low side-effects and suitability for long-term treatment. Cornus officinalis and Ribes fasciculatum (CR) are well-known oriental plants used for health dietary supplements and herbal medicine. This study examined the anti-obesity effect of CR in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese male mice. Treatment of CR extract prevented body weight gain through the downregulation of adipogenic inducible genes and recovered the dysregulated energy metabolism in HFD-induced obese male mice. Therefore, CR reduced elevated biochemical obesity parameters in plasma, as well as inhibited hepatic steatosis in the liver and adipocyte size increase in fat tissue. These findings of the study reveal the potential anti-obesity effects of CR as an herbal medicine. Abstract Medicinal plants are widely used as supplements for the treatment of various diseases because of their few side-effects. Here, we examined the anti-obesity effects of a mixture extract of Cornus officinalis and Ribes fasciculatum (CR) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese male mice. Four week old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or 60% high-fat diet (HFD) with different concentrations of CR extracts (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg/day) by oral administration for 12 weeks. CR extract administration prevented HFD-induced weight gain, hepatic steatosis, and adipocyte enlargement through the downregulation of adipogenesis-associated genes in obese male mice. In addition, CR administration improved the impaired glucose metabolism, insulin action, biochemical obesity parameters, and metabolic profiles in HFD-induced male mice. Consequently, the CR extract exhibited beneficial effects on HFD-induced systemic metabolic challenges. Taken together, our findings suggest that CR extract may be a potent therapeutic supplement for the treatment and prevention of obesity.