Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sedimentological features and depositional conditions of accumulative fans in the lower Serteyka River valley, Western Russia

In the Serteyka River valley in western Russia, eight accumulative fans formed at the mouths of ravines were examined geologically and geomorphologically. The test samples were collected from individual geological drillings made with a manual probe, as well as from excavations in the central and distal zones of the fans. Using the Gradistat program, sedimentological indicators were calculated, i.e. mean grain diameter (MZ), standard deviation (sorting – σI), skewness (SkI) and kurtosis (KG),and then particle-size distribution frequency curves, cumulative curves and a Passega C/M diagram were drawn. It has been documented that the grain size of the fan sediments depends on the characteristics of the source material. Analysis of sedimentological indicators (mean grain diameter, sorting, skewness, kurtosis) showed the studied fans deposits to have a large variability of erosion and accumulation conditions. For the deposits of younger fans, the 2 system of the MZ-versus-σI relationship after MycielskaDowgiałło (1995) was distinguished, while for the older, the 2, 3 and 4 systems were recognised. The main process of grain transport within these forms was saltation. The ravines on the eastern slope of the Serteyka valley were most likely created in the periglacial period, while the gullies on the western side of the valley developed in the early modern period.
Communicating allyship according to college students with deferred action for childhood arrivals

Given the stress that college students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) experience and their minoritized status, some colleges have offered allyship training that informs campus personnel of the unique experiences of DACA and DACA-ineligible students. Although such trainings are promising, limited research has explored what actions communicate allyship to undocumented college students, including those with DACA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 DACA college students and identified six themes: (a) allyship as an action-oriented, lifelong learning process, (b) allyship through supportive communication, (c) allyship without judgment or abnormal treatment, (d) visible allyship through the creation of safe spaces, (e) allyship as advocacy, and (f) allyship without self-promotion. Academics and activists have conceptualized and critiqued allyship. Nevertheless, this study extends past work by considering how DACA college students view the communication of allyship, which is important if allyship is to be encouraged or challenged in higher education and elsewhere.
Better Functional Outcome and Pain Relief in the Far-Lateral-Outside-in Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Discectomy

Background Even though percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) has been widely used for the surgical treatment of lumbar herniated disc, there are only a few studies directly comparing the clinical outcomes between microdiscectomy (MD) and PETD. Therefore, further studies are needed in order to compare the clinical outcomes between PETD and MD on a single level more thoroughly. Methods We proposed a far-lateral-outside-in technique for PETD to get an entry point without complex planning and facet violation. From September 2017 to September 2019, a total of 155 patients (69 with PETD and 86 with MD) were enrolled for this retrospective study, with the inclusion criteria: single level between L2 and S1, clinical sciatica for at least 6 weeks, and failed attempts with non-surgical treatments. Patients were excluded due to cauda equina syndrome, progressive neurologic deficits, history of lumbar spinal surgery, endplate modic changes, severe disc degeneration and less than 24 months of follow-up. Results PETD showed significantly shorter surgery time and less intraoperative blood loss compared to MD. The difference between PETD and MD in VAS back pain (but not VAS leg pain) at follow-up time was significant. The ODI improvement in the follow-up time of 6 months between the 2 groups showed a significant difference (PETD: 31.23±6.59, MD: 39.85±7.81, p < 0.001). MD had a significantly higher chance of postoperative wound infection and poor healing, while PETD was more likely to have recurrence of the herniated disc. Conclusion MD has been the gold standard procedure for LDH. However, with the advanced endoscopic technology and surgical technique, PETD has emerged as an alternative method due to higher functional outcome and less wound problems.
Essential of Pictograms for Effective Hospital Signage

Language serves as a tool of social interaction and communication among people. Communication between building and building user needs signage as a device. From this research, texts associated with pictograms help the building to communicate to its users more effectively. Pictogram reduces about half of the perception time used to perceive sign with text only across all literacy levels, especially for people who could neither read nor understand Thai or English. The pictogram designed in this study mainly deals with elderly, and group with vision problems have found that it should possess a large portion of white background as both sample groups have identified that it is the clearest and easiest mode for visibility. At pictogram wrap up tested, medical profession detected mismatched iconic information. This finding proved the following: first, pictogram might not be interpreted correctly by all groups of users since patients cannot detect mismatched iconic information; second, cognitive effect of iconic information must relate to its function and familiarity to users. Thus, designer should be familiar with all iconic information prior to design in order to rid mistakes and to design good quality and effective image-related graphic symbol for competent communication which makes pictogram essential for signage.
Additional Pulses in the Time Response of a Modal Filter on a Double-Sided Printed Circuit Board

A quasistatic approach was used to consider the occurrence of additional pulses (APs) in the modal filter (MF) realized on a double-sided printed circuit board, as well as in the three structures obtained from it by removing one reference conductor. It is shown that, for all investigated MFs, the AP delays are determined by a linear combination of per-unit-length mode delays multiplied by the line length. It was found that there are no APs between the pulses of modes with one pass along the line, while they appear with three or more passes. It is revealed that in each of the considered MF structures (except the one without upper-right reference conductor), the APs have greater amplitudes of mode pulses with a triple pass. It was demonstrated that the removal of the reference conductors affects the number, polarity, and amplitude of the APs.
Probability-Based Customizable Modeling and Simulation of Protective Devices in Power Distribution Systems

Fused contactors and thermal magnetic circuit breakers are commonly applied protective devices in power distribution systems to protect the circuits when short-circuit faults occur. A power distribution system may contain various makes and models of protective devices, as a result, customizable simulation models for protective devices are demanded to effectively conduct system-level reliable analyses. To build the models, thermal energy-based data analysis methodologies are first applied to the protective devices’ physical properties, based on the manufacturer’s time/current data sheet. The models are further enhanced by integrating probability tools to simulate uncertainties in real-world application facts, for example, fortuity, variance, and failure rate. The customizable models are expected to aid the system-level reliability analysis, especially for the microgrid power systems.
Impact of Biofuel Industry Expansion on Grain Utilization and Distribution: Preliminary Results of Iowa Grain and Biofuel Survey

This paper examines the impact of biofuel expansion on grain utilization and distribution at the state and cropping district level as most of grain producers and handlers are directly influenced by the local changes. We conducted a survey to understand the utilization and flows of corn, ethanol and its co-products, such as dried distillers grains (DDG) in Iowa. Results suggest that the rapidly expanding ethanol industry has a significant impact on corn utilization in Iowa. Comparing to the earlier survey results, ethanol plants drew a considerable amount of corn away from traditional destination markets, such as feeders or export markets. A major portion of corn supplies came from in-state sources, while the sales of Iowa ethanol and DDG were dominated by out-of-state buyers.
Study on the Effects of Learning by Changing the Color- Temperature LED Lamp

This paper was used as a classroom ceiling, fluorescent lighting currently installed using LED light sensitivity. The mood of the music room and art room created by the room color and lighting can improve a learner’s creativity. Approximately 3,000K color-temperature lighting can affect various senses of a student. A psychological assessment of students was carried out under classroom illumination using Relux software. LED replaced the fluorescent lighting in the classroom. As a result, learning increased by approximately 25% with the LED lamps than with fluorescent lamps. In addition, the average illuminance was derived from the illumination law.
On the Impact of Recent Climate Change on Seasonal Floods—A Case Study from a River Basin in Southern Quebec

A study of the trends of climatic and hydrologic variables between 1960 and 2004 was completed for the Massawippi River basin in southern Quebec. Analysis of these trends was used to evaluate possible changes in the spring flood hazard in the basin. This basin is flood-prone, especially during the spring months, portions of the basin having been inundated 95 times during the 20th century. Trends were initially analyzed using plots of cumulative percentage departure from the mean, taken from the raw data. Statistical analyses of the data trends were conducted using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. The graphical and statistical results indicate trends toward increasing winter and spring temperatures and a change in precipitation type from snow to rain. Decreases in winter snow accumulations are particularly evident. Graphical analyses show some trend toward decreasing maximum and total river discharges, but the trends are not statistically significant. There is no clear evidence that changes in the climatic variables are causing significant changes in river or flood behaviour. Thus, there is no evidence that changing climatic conditions are creating a greater threat from flooding.
Application of a Combined Peptidomics and In Silico Approach for the Identification of Novel Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV-Inhibitory Peptides in In Vitro Digested Pinto Bean Protein Extract

The conventional approach in bioactive peptides discovery, which includes extensive bioassay-guided fractionation and purification processes, is tedious, time-consuming and not always successful. The recently developed bioinformatics-driven in silico approach is rapid and cost-effective; however, it lacks an actual physiological significance. In this study a new integrated peptidomics and in silico method, which combines the advantages of the conventional and in silico approaches by using the pool of peptides identified in a food hydrolysate as the starting point for subsequent application of selected bioinformatics tools, has been developed. Pinto bean protein extract was in vitro digested and peptides were identified by peptidomics. The pool of obtained peptides was screened by in silico analysis and structure–activity relationship modelling. Three peptides (SIPR, SAPI and FVPH) were selected as potential inhibitors of the dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) enzyme by this integrated approach. In vitro bioactivity assay showed that all three peptides were able to inhibit DPP-IV with the tetra-peptide SAPI showing the highest activity (IC50 = 57.7 μmol/L). Indeed, a new possible characteristic of peptides (i.e., the presence of an S residue at the N-terminus) able to inhibit DPP-IV was proposed.
The Fed's International Dollar Liquidity Facilities: New Evidence on Effects

In March 2020, the Federal Reserve eased the terms on its standing swap lines in collaboration with other central banks, reactivated temporary swap agreements, and then introduced the new Foreign and International Monetary Authorities (FIMA) Repo Facility. We provide new evidence on how the central bank swap lines and FIMA Repo Facility can reduce strains in global dollar funding markets and U.S. Treasury markets during extreme stress events. These facilities are found to reduce strains in dollar funding markets as measured by foreign exchange swap basis spreads or covered interest parity deviations, as well as the sensitivity of these strains to risk sentiment deterioration. Cross-border flows through banks for excess liquidity support purposes are reduced in the near term and the risk sensitivity of equity and bond fund flows declines. However, access to these facilities leaves longer-term patterns of cross-border liquidity and capital flows broadly unchanged. While official sector liquidity hoarding and “dash for cash” activity are expected to be lower with access to these facilities, initial evidence does not show differential changes in foreign exchange reserve holdings by central banks in relation to liquidity access.
Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment in Alleviating Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Interactions between the Cerebellar Fastigial Nucleus and Lateral Hypothalamic Area.

Background Myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) is an important mechanism of post-myocardial infarction injury and a main cause of death in patients with ischemic heart disease. Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment is effective for the prevention and treatment of MIRI, but mechanisms mediating the effects of cardiovascular disease EA treatments remain unclear. Objectives To determine whether the lateral hypothalamus (LHA) and the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) are involved in the protective effects of EA stimulation on MIRI. Methods EA pretreatment was performed for 7 days before the establishment of the MIRI model. ST-segment changes on electrocardiograms were recorded and the Curtis-Walker arrhythmia score was used to evaluate changes in reperfusion injury. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was applied to evaluate the pathological and morphological changes in myocardial tissue. c-fos expression in the LHA and FN was determined by immunofluorescence staining. Glutamic (Glu) and γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical method. Results EA pretreatment reduced ST-segment elevation, arrhythmia scores, and morphological changes in MIRI myocardial cells in rats, and decreased the c-fos protein expression in LHA/FN nuclei. MIRI was associated with an imbalance between GABA and Glu levels, whereas EA pretreatment increased GABA levels and decreased Glu levels in the LHA/FN. Conclusion FN and LHA are involved in the EA-mediated attenuation of MIRI. Pretreatment with EA plays a protective role in the myocardium by regulating Glu and GABA release in the LHA and FN.
Simultaneous suppression of third-order dispersion and sideband instability in single-channel optical fiber transmission by midway optical phase conjugation employing higher order dispersion management

In optical phase conjugation (OPC) systems, the third-order dispersion (TOD) of optical fibers and the nonlinear resonance at well-defined signal sideband frequencies called sideband instability (SI) mainly limit the transmission performance. We propose, for the first time, a scheme for simultaneous suppression of both TOD and SI in OPC systems using a periodic higher order dispersion-managed link consisting of standard single-mode fibers (SMFs) and reverse dispersion fibers (RDFs). Computer simulation results demonstrate the possibility of 200-Gb/s data transmission over 10 000 km in the higher order dispersion-managed OPC system, where the dispersion map is optimized by our system design strategies.
The Feasibility of Two Handheld Spectrometers for Meat Speciation Combined with Chemometric Methods and Its Application for Halal Certification

Handheld visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can be cost-effective, rapid, non-destructive and transportable techniques for identifying meat species and may be valuable for enforcement authorities, retail and consumers. In this study, a handheld Vis-NIR (400–1000 nm) and a handheld NIR (900–1700 nm) spectrometer were applied to discriminate halal meat species from pork (halal certification), as well as speciation of intact and ground lamb, beef, chicken and pork (160 meat samples). Several types of class modeling multivariate approaches were applied. The presented one-class classification (OCC) approach, especially with the Vis-NIR sensor (95–100% correct classification rate), was found to be suitable for the application of halal from non-halal meat-species discrimination. In a discriminant approach, using the Vis-NIR data and support vector machine (SVM) classification, the four meat species tested could be classified with accuracies of 93.4% and 94.7% for ground and intact meat, respectively, while with partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), classification accuracies were 87.4% (ground) and 88.6% (intact). Using the NIR sensor, total accuracies of the SVM models were 88.2% and 81.5% for ground and intact meats, respectively, and PLS-DA classification accuracies were 88.3% (ground) and 80% (intact). We conclude that the Vis-NIR sensor was most successful in the halal certification (OCC approaches) and speciation (discriminant approaches) for both intact and ground meat using SVM.
Change of Acoustic Emission Characteristics during Temperature Induced Transition from Twinning to Dislocation Slip under Compression in Polycrystalline Sn

In this study, acoustic emission (AE) measurements on polycrystalline tin as a function of temperature at different driving rates under compression were carried out. It is shown that there is a definite difference between the acoustic emission characteristics belonging to twinning (low temperatures) as well as to dislocation slip (high temperatures). The stress averaged values of the exponents of the energy probability density functions decreased from ε = 1.45 ± 0.05 (−60 °C) to ε = 1.20 ± 0.15 (50 °C) at a driving rate of ε=0.15 s−1, and the total acoustic energy decreased by three orders of magnitude with increasing temperature. In addition, the exponent γ in the scaling relation SAE~DAEγ (SAE is the area and DAE is the duration) also shows similar temperature dependence (changing from γ = 1.78 ± 0.08 to γ = 1.35 ± 0.05), illustrating that the avalanche statistics belong to two different microscopic deformation mechanisms. The power law scaling relations were also analyzed, taking into account that the detected signal is always the convolution of the source signal and the transfer function of the system. It was obtained that approximate values of the power exponents can be obtained from the parts of the above functions, belonging to large values of parameters. At short duration times, the attenuation effect of the AE detection system dominates the time dependence, from which the characteristic attenuation time, τa, was determined as τa ≅ 70 μs.
Evaluation of Antioxidants, Antidiabetic, Antiinflammatory Active Compounds from Leptogium rivurale Through In-Vitro and In-Silico Studies

Leptogium rivurale is a flooded jelly skin lichen as the surface becomes jelly on wet. It is a cyanolichen with a cyanobacterium Nostoc. In this present study, Leptoguium rivurale were collected from Kodaikanal and extracted using methanol and distilled water. Qualitative analysis of phytochemicals from the extracts showed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, and proteins. The methanol extract was found to inhibit the α-amylase enzyme activity better than aqueous extract. The methanol extract was found to have better DPPH radical scavenging activity and anti-inflammatory activity than aqueous extract. Then the extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis. The molecules obtained through GC-MS analysis were subjected to in-silico molecular docking simulation using AutoDock software. Cyclohexanol and oxirane were the potential drug candidates identified.
Long-Term Outcomes of Chronic Cough Reduction after Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication—A Single-Center Study

Background and Objectives: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. It affects 20% of the adult population and is the third most common cause of chronic cough in adults. This study describes the results of LNF for the relief of GERD-related cough. Materials and Methods: The prospectively collected data on 135 laparoscopic LNF in our department from 2014 to 2018 were reviewed. During consultations, patients were asked about the frequency of symptoms using the GERD Impact Scale (GERD-IS), their satisfaction and recommendation to others, and their general condition after the procedure. Results: We analyzed 23 of 111 patients (20.7%) reporting chronic cough. The mean age was 47 years (range 27–76 years, ±13.9 years) and the mean follow-up time was 48.3 months (range 22.6–76.3 ± 18.05 months). Most patients reported relief from cough after the surgery (78.3%, p < 0.001). Five patients (22%) reported the recurrence of symptoms after a mean of 10.8 months (6–18 months). Seventeen patients (74%) would undergo the surgery again and 18 patients (78%) would recommend the surgery to their relatives. There was a statistically significant improvement in all symptoms from the GERD-IS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: LNF may play an important role in the management of GERD patients with extraesophageal symptoms. After LNF, most of the operated patients reported complete resolution of chronic cough and would recommend the procedure to their relatives.
Heat rejection limits of air cooled plane fin heat sinks for computer cooling

Current desktop computers typically use fan-heat sinks for cooling the CPU, referred to as active heat sinks. This work seeks to determine the heat rejection limits for such fan-heat sinks, within specific fan and heat sink space limits. A fixed volume, 80/spl times/60/spl times/50 mm is chosen as the limiting dimensions, which includes the fan volume. The present work addresses plane fin heat sinks, on which a typical 60 mm fan is mounted. Both duct flow and impinging flow are considered. Analytically based models are used to predict the optimum geometry (minimum convection resistance) for plane fins with duct and impinging flow configurations. Also assessed are the effects of increased fan speed (up to 25%) and heat sink base size (33% increase) on air-cooling limits in duct and impinging flow. Tests on heat sinks are done to validate the predictions. Optimization is also done for an enhanced (offset-strip) fin geometry in duct flow. The plane fin is found to out perform the enhanced geometry.