Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Evolving Morphology of the Bipolar Nebula M2-9

The planetary nebula M2-9 has drastically changed its shape since its discovery by Minkwoski. Although the outline of the nebula seems to be stationary, most of the knots and bright features (N1, N2, S1, and S2) have moved laterally from the west to the east edges of both lobes. These features and their changes have reflection, not point, symmetry. We have compiled high-quality CCD images in Hα and [O III] obtained every 2–5 years since 1985 to monitor position and morphological changes in the individual knots. Our results show that the recent structural changes are more complex than suggested previously. The pattern of changes resemble a rotating corkscrew-like pattern, as if a precessing ionization/excitation beam inscribes the knots and filaments on the pencil-shaped lobe edges. The beam flow speed is no higher than 0.01c, so the beam is not a light beam. Its rotation period is about 120 yr. The corkscrew pattern and its apparent speed render many simple models implausible. The model of beads sliding along a helical wire is easily ruled out by observations. A model that may work is a combination of a beam and a spray of energetic particles, both invisible and moving radially at about 1000 km s-1, which shock-heats and ionizes the walls of the lobes as the beams precess.
Uniformity of distribution modulo 1 of the geometric mean prime divisor

We show that the fractional parts of n 1/! (n) , n 1/( n) and the geo- metricmeanofthedistinctprimefactorsofnareuniformlydistributedmodulo 1 as n ranges over all the positive integers, where ( n) and ! (n) denote the number of distinct primedivisors ofn counted with and withoutmultiplicities. Note that n 1/( n) is the geometric mean of all prime divisors of n taken with the corresponding multiplicities. The result complements a series of results of similar spirit obtained by various authors, while the method can be applied to several other arithmetic functions of similar structure.
Impact of Cataract Surgery on IOP and Ocular Structures in Normotensive Patients and Primary and Exfoliation Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the changes in Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and other ocular parameters: the Anterior Chamber Angle (ACA), Anterior Chamber Volume (ACV), and Anterior Chamber Depth (ACD) during phacoemulsification surgery in Greek patients with normotensive eyes and those with well-controlled Open-Angle Glaucoma (OAG). Additionally, parameters such as the Corneal Thickness (CCT), Axial Length (AL), Central Macular Thickness (CMT), and Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer (RNFL) were also examined. Patients and Methods This was a prospective observational case–control study that included 50 phakic eyes, 25 normotensive (Group 1), and 25 with OAG: 15 Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and 10 Exfoliation Glaucoma (EXG) (Group 2). Ophthalmic assessment included IOP measurements, ocular biometry, and anterior and posterior segment optical coherence tomography evaluation of the aforementioned ocular parameters, prior and 6 months after phacoemulsification surgery. Results At the 6 months post-operative review, a greater IOP reduction was recorded in eyes with OAG, in comparison to normotensive ones (5.3mmHg and 1.6 mmHg respectively). In addition, a significant but similar increase was recorded in the values of the ACA, ACV, and ACD of both groups between the pre- and the post-op period. Furthermore, the CCT and AL values remained unaltered. Finally, there was a non-statistically significant change in the mean CMT and the mean average RNFL of both groups. Conclusion Eyes with OAG tend to undergo a greater reduction in IOP post-phacoemulsification surgery, in comparison to normotensive eyes. This reduction may not be solely attributed to ocular anatomical changes after phacoemulsification surgery but may also be due to the remodeling of the trabecular meshwork and the ciliary body. This may be especially true in the case of OAG eyes, which already start off with a compromised trabecular endothelium prior to surgery.
The Successive-Order-of-Interaction Radiative Transfer Model. Part II: Model Performance and Applications

Abstract Radiative transfer models for scattering atmospheres that are accurate yet computationally efficient are required for many applications, such as data assimilation in numerical weather prediction. The successive-order-of-interaction (SOI) model is shown to satisfy these demands under a wide range of conditions. In particular, the model has an accuracy typically much better than 1 K for most microwave and submillimeter cases in precipitating atmospheres. Its speed is found to be comparable to or faster than the commonly used though less accurate Eddington model. An adjoint has been written for the model, and so Jacobian sensitivities can be quickly calculated. In addition to a conventional error assessment, the correlation between errors in different microwave channels is also characterized. These factors combine to make the SOI model an appealing candidate for many demanding applications, including data assimilation and optimal estimation, from microwave to thermal infrared wavelengths.
Effect of glufosinate rate and addition of ammonium sulfate on annual weed control in glyphosate/glufosinate/2,4-D–resistant soybean

Abstract The development of glufosinate-resistant soybean cultivars has created opportunities for use of glufosinate applied postemergence for weed control. Four field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to ascertain the effect of glufosinate rate and the addition of ammonium sulfate on annual weed control in glyphosate/glufosinate/2,4-D–resistant soybean. An increased glufosinate rate of 500 from 300 g ai ha–1 improved control of common ragweed, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and foxtail species and resulted in decreased density and dry biomass of common lambsquarters and foxtail species. The addition of ammonium sulfate to glufosinate increased control of common lambsquarters, 2 and 8 wk after application (WAA), and of foxtail species, 2, 4, and 8 WAA, but did not improve control of common ragweed and redroot pigweed. Increasing the dose of glufosinate from 300 to 500 g ai ha–1 improves control of common ragweed, redroot pigweed, common lambsquarters, and foxtail species; however, the benefit of the addition of ammonium sulfate to glufosinate is weed species-specific. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; glufosinate; common ragweed; Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. ; common lambsquarters; Chenopodium album L. ; green foxtail; Seteria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. ; velvetleaf; Abutilon theophrasti Medik. ; soybean; Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Influence of anisotropic strain relaxation on the magnetoresistance properties of epitaxial Fe3O4 (110) films

We studied Fe3O4 (110) films grown epitaxially on MgO (110) substrates using oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The films with thickness of 30–200 nm showed anisotropic in-plane partial strain relaxation. Magneto resistance (MR) measurements with current and magnetic field along ⟨001⟩ direction showed higher MR compared to ⟨1¯10⟩ direction. Maximum value of MR was measured at Verwey transition temperature for both directions. We explain the observed anisotropy in the MR on the basis of the effects of anisotropic misfit strain, and the difference between the density of antiferromagnetically coupled antiphase boundaries formed along ⟨001⟩ and ⟨1¯10⟩ crystallographic directions, suggesting the dependence of spin polarisation on the anisotropic strain relaxation along the said crystallographic directions.
Absorptive Capacity and Technology Spillovers: A Quantile Regression Approach

Employing a quantile regression estimator, the study presents new evidence on the role of human capital in exploiting the technology effects from foreign direct investment (FDI) in low-technology industries. A new model of human capital to capture the non-linearity of FDI effects according to employees’ educational qualifications was developed. This study examined whether workers’ absorptive capacity had different effects on FDI spillover at different points of conditional distribution. Although the study found that the ability of employees with degrees and diplomas to exploit foreign technology exceeds the median quantile, it also acknowledges the existence of both ‘over-skilled’ and ‘over-educated’ workers at a higher quantile of FDI distribution. As the problem of shortages and mismatch between skills and education for workers with degrees and diplomas still hinders firms from applying advanced technologies from FDI, this study proposes using the law to make firms work with universities. Firms could inform universities of the industry’s in-demand skills regularly and get involved in the development of the university curriculum to ensure that graduates are equipped with skills and knowledge that can be ‘transmitted’ to different industries.
Preserved T cell but attenuated antibody response in MS patients on fingolimod and ocrelizumab following 2nd and 3rd SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Background There is limited knowledge about T cell responses in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) after 3 doses of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccine. Objectives Assess the SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody and T cell responses in MS patients and healthy controls (HCs) after 2 doses (2-vax) and 3 doses (3-vax) of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Methods We studied seroconversion rates and T cell responses by flow cytometry in HC and MS patients on fingolimod or ocrelizumab. Results After 2-vax, 8/33 (24.2%) patients in ocrelizumab group, 5/7 (71.4%) in fingolimod group, and 29/29 (100%) in HC group (P = 5.7 × 10−11) seroconverted. After 3-vax, 9/22 (40.9%) patients in ocrelizumab group, 19/21 (90.5%) in fingolimod group, and 7/7 (100%) in HC group seroconverted (P = 0.0003). The percentage of SARS-CoV-2 peptide reactive total CD4+ T cells increased in HC and ocrelizumab group but not in fingolimod group after 2-vax and 3-vax (P < 0.0001). The percentage of IFNγ and TNFα producing total CD4+ and CD8+ T cells increased in fingolimod group as compared to HC and ocrelizumab group after 2-vax and 3-vax (P < 0.0001). Conclusions MS patients on ocrelizumab and fingolimod had attenuated humoral responses, but preserved cytokine producing T cell responses compared to HCs after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Clinical Trials Registration NCT05060354.
Does BRICS present multilateral bifurcation as an alternative to the West during the pandemic and global inflation crisis era?

This paper gives an overview of cooperative activities between the BRICS countries and their internal projections. It also analyzes the BRICS engagement as a new, alternative global institution through the global governance and multilateralism policies of BRICS. It asserts that BRICS cooperation has presented its global political and economic policies and demonstrated the tendency to prove its global goal as more than a regional organization but a new worldwide alternative to the West-oriented global institutions and cooperation. While it analyzes the objectives of the internal and international projects and coordination of the BRICS, it also examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic process, ongoing global inflation, and the challenges that occur dependently as a case study. The paper analyzes the texts of BRICS Summit reports and investigates the issue of whether BRICS will create a new bifurcation (Wallerstein) and drive the global power transition by challenging the rigid Western-based world order through its discourse of creating multilateral and multi-polar global system based on inclusiveness and the spirit of openness (BRICS Summit, 2022). On the other hand, there is the reality of BRICS that still face serious challenges, particularly after the pandemic period. This paper contributes to BRICS’ multilateralism and inclusiveness discourse by introducing bifurcation theory as a theoretical frame to determine the vision and the action of the BRICS group despite many challenges.
Kinesio Taping as an Adjunct Therapy in Postoperative Care after Extraction of Impacted Third Lower Molars—A Randomized Pilot Study

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly administered according to protocol for the management of complications such as pain, swelling, and trismus following the removal of the third impacted lower molar; however, treatment with NSAIDs may result in multiple adverse effects. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of kinesio taping (KT) and the use of NSAIDs in the treatment of postoperative complications after extraction of an impacted third lower molar. Material and methods: The study comprised a group of 30 patients, randomly divided into the test group (with KT, n = 15) or the control group (without KT, n = 15). The surgery was performed according to standard procedures. In the test group, KT was applied immediately after surgery. Pain, swelling, and trismus were assessed. The VAS scale was used to assess pain. Swelling was measured based on six reference points on the face using a tailor’s meter, and a caliper was used to measure the distance between the upper and lower medial incisors of the upper and lower teeth to determine the extent of trismus. Measurements were performed three times: on the day of the surgery, on the second day following the surgery, and on the 7th day after the surgery. Results: Pain intensity (day of procedures), maximum mouth opening (on the seventh day after the surgery), and the use of NSAIDs (day of surgery) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the test group than in the control group. Conclusions: Kinesio taping in addition to NSAIDs was found to be more effective than NSAIDs alone in increasing the degree of jaw opening, decreasing pain intensity, and reducing the non-steroid anti-inflammatory dosage in patients after impacted mandibular wisdom teeth surgery.
Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Aerosols: Baseline from Kuwait

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to human health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) has launched the “One-Health” approach, which encourages assessment of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) within environments shared by human-animals-plants-microbes to constrain and alleviate the development of AMR. Aerosols as a medium to disseminate ARGs, have received minimal attention. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and abundance of ARGs in indoor and outdoor aerosols collected from an urban location in Kuwait and the interior of three hospitals. The high throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR) approach was used for this purpose. The results demonstrate the presence of aminoglycoside, beta-lactam, fluoroquinolone, tetracycline, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB), multidrug-resistant (MDR) and vancomycin-resistant genes in the aerosols. The most dominant drug class was beta-lactam and the genes were IMP-2-group (0.85), Per-2 group (0.65), OXA-54 (0.57), QnrS (0.50) and OXA-55 (0.55) in the urban non-clinical settings. The indoor aerosols possessed a richer diversity (Observed, Chao1, Shannon’s and Pielou’s evenness) of ARGs compared to the outdoors. Seasonal variations (autumn vs. winter) in relative abundances and types of ARGs were also recorded (R2 of 0.132 at p < 0.08). The presence of ARGs was found in both the inhalable (2.1 µm, 1.1 µm, 0.7 µm and < 0.3 µm) and respirable (>9.0 µm, 5.8 µm, 4.7 µm and 3.3 µm) size fractions within hospital aerosols. All the ARGs are of pathogenic bacterial origin and are hosted by pathogenic forms. The findings present baseline data and underpin the need for detailed investigations looking at aerosol as a vehicle for ARG dissemination among human and non-human terrestrial biota.
Intracellular Zinc Trafficking during Crotalus atrox Venom Wound Development

In this study, we examined zinc trafficking in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) stimulated with Crotalus atrox (CA venom) snake venom. We utilized MTS cytotoxicity assays to monitor the cytotoxic range of CA venom. HUVEC monolayers stimulated with 10 µg/mL CA venom for 3 h displayed cellular retraction, which coincided with 53.0 ± 6.5 percent viability. In contrast, venom concentrations of 100 µg/mL produced a complete disruption of cellular adherence and viability decreased to 36.6 ± 1.0. The zinc probe Fluozin-3AM was used to detect intracellular zinc in non-stimulated controls, HUVEC stimulated with 10 µg/mL CA venom or HUVEC preincubated with TPEN for 2 h then stimulated with 10 µg/mL CA venom. Fluorescent intensity analysis returned values of 1434.3 ± 197.4 for CA venom demonstrating an increase of about two orders of magnitude in labile zinc compared to non-stimulated controls. Endothelial response to CA venom induced a 96.1 ± 3.0- and 4.4 ± 0.41-fold increase in metallothionein 1X (MT1X) and metallothionein 2A (MT2A) gene expression. Zinc chelation during CA venom stimulation significantly increased cell viability, suggesting that the maintenance of zinc homeostasis during envenomation injury improves cell survival.
How can data augmentation improve attribution maps for disease subtype explainability

As deep learning has been widely used for computer aided-diagnosis, we wished to know whether attribution maps obtained using gradient back-propagation could correctly highlight the patterns of disease subtypes discovered by a deep learning classifier. As the correctness of attribution maps is difficult to evaluate directly on medical images, we used synthetic data mimicking the difference between brain MRI of controls and demented patients to design more reliable evaluation criteria of attribution maps. We demonstrated that attribution maps may mix the regions associated with different subtypes for small data sets while they could accurately characterize both subtypes using a large data set. We then proposed simple data augmentation techniques and showed that they could improve the coherence of the explanations for a small data set.
TR-2008003: Unified Nearly Optimal Algorithms for Structured Integer Matrices and Polynomials

We seek the solution of banded, Toeplitz, Hankel, Vandermonde, Cauchy and other structured linear systems of equations with integer coefficients. By combining Hensel’s symbolic lifting with either divide-and-conquer algorithms or numerical iterative refinement, we unify the solution for all these structures. We yield the solution in nearly optimal randomized Boolean time, which covers both solution and its correctness verification. Our algorithms and nearly optimal time bounds are extended to the computation of the determinant of a structured integer matrix, its rank and a basis for its null space as well as to some fundamental computations with univariate polynomials that have integer coefficients. Furthermore, we allow to perform lifting modulo a properly bounded power of two to implement our algorithms in binary within a fixed computer precision. 2000 Math. Subject Classification: 68W30, 68W20, 65F05, 68Q25
When social status gets in the way of reproduction in modern settings: An evolutionary mismatch perspective

Low fertility is a growing concern in modern societies. While economic and structural explanations of reproductive hindrances have been informative to some extent, they do not address the fundamental motives that underlie reproductive decisions and are inadequate to explain why East Asian countries, in particular, have such low fertility rates. The current paper advances a novel account of low fertility in modern contexts by describing how modern environments produce a mismatch between our evolved mechanisms and the inputs they were designed to process, leading to preoccupations with social status that get in the way of mating and reproductive outcomes. We also utilize developed East Asian countries as a case study to further highlight how culture may interact with modern features to produce ultralow fertility, sometimes to the extent that people may give up on parenthood or even mating altogether. Through our analysis, we integrate several lines of separate research, elucidate the fundamental dynamics that drive trade-offs between social status and reproductive effort, add to the growing literature on evolutionary mismatch, and provide an improved account of low fertility in modern contexts.
Effectiveness of a Behavior-and Age-Specific Nutrition Education Intervention to Promote Nutrition Knowledge and Preference for Fruits and Vegetables among Elementary School Children

ABSTRACT Background Lack of nutrition knowledge, low preference for fruits and vegetables (F&V), and underdeveloped taste are recognized as modifiable influencers of children’s F&V intake. Purpose To assess the effectiveness of a behavior-and age-specific nutrition education intervention to improve nutrition knowledge and preference for F&V among elementary school children. Methods In a quasi-experimental pre-and posttest assessment designed study, a six-week nutrition education intervention (including class-based nutrition education, hands-on activities, cooking demonstrations, and tasting) was implemented at four elementary schools. Nutrition knowledge and preference for F&V were evaluated at baseline and after the intervention. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was carried out to examine the differences between baseline and post-assessment. Results A total of 115 children (3rd- 5th grade) completed both baseline and post-assessment. After the intervention, participants showed a significant improvement in nutrition knowledge (mean [± sd] change score: 7.6 ± 3.7, P < .001). A significant improvement in F&V preference (Ps < .001) was found among the participants after the intervention. Discussion An age-and behavior-focused nutrition education intervention can improve children’s nutrition knowledge and F&V preference. Translation to Health Education Practice: This nutrition education curriculum can be implemented for the child population (age-specific groups) by adapting cultural priorities in nutrition lessons and cooking recipes. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica. org/trn-Webinars