Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Narrow Bipolar Events with Ordinary Lightning as Proxies for the Microwave-Radiometry Ice-Scattering Signature

Abstract The narrow bipolar event (NBE) is a unique lightning discharge that has a short (∼10 μs) overall duration, lacks a prior leader phase, and produces too little light output to be visible by optical lightning detectors on satellites. NBEs thus have basic differences from ordinary lightning discharges, which occur in flashes lasting up to a fraction of a second, carry significant current in a “stroke” only after a leader stage that prepares the conductive channel, and produce copious light that is recordable from space. Thus, the authors are motivated to determine whether the meteorological setting of NBEs differs from, or is similar to, that of ordinary lightning. A previous paper started this project of comparing NBEs with ordinary lightning by comparing the placement of either type of lightning within spatial structures of cloud depth, as revealed by infrared cloud-top temperature. That previous study employed lightning data from the Los Alamos Sferic Array (LASA) in Florida. The present paper ex.
Opposition Effect of Asteroids

Abstract The opposition effect behavior is analyzed for 33 asteroids with well-measured magnitude-phase curves. It is shown that surface albedo is the main factor influencing the amplitude and width of the asteroid opposition effect. The amplitude of opposition effect depends on asteroid albedo in a non-monotonic way with the maximum for moderate albedo asteroids decreasing both for dark and for high albedo asteroids. This can be explained by the combined influence of both shadow hiding and coherent-backscatter mechanisms. The relative contribution of the coherent-backscatter effect to the asteroid magnitude-phase dependence close to opposition (α=0.3°) is estimated to be about 20–60% for low albedo asteroids and 80–90% for high and moderate albedo asteroids. At α>5° the shadow-hiding effect has the dominant influence. A tendency was found for asteroids with larger U-B colors to show larger values of the opposition effect. We also compare the opposition effects of asteroids with those of some atmosphereless satellites and meteorites.
Convergence of Viable Solutions of Differential Inclusions with Convex Compact Graphs

A convergence property for the viable solutions of a differential inclusion with convex and compact graph is established. We show that if there is a unique stationary point and no elliptic solutions, then all the viable solutions converge uniformly to the stationary point. We show that the convergence property is generic for the set of differential inclusions with a unique stationary point.
On the construction of Bayes–confidence regions

We obtain approximate Bayes–confidence intervals for a scalar parameter based on directed likelihood. The posterior probabilities of these intervals agree with their unconditional coverage probabilities to fourth order, and with their conditional coverage probabilities to third order. These intervals are constructed for arbitrary smooth prior distributions. A key feature of the construction is that log‐likelihood derivatives beyond second order are not required, unlike the asymptotic expansions of Severini.
Quantitative structure factor and density measurements of high-pressure fluids in diamond anvil cells by x-ray diffraction: Argon and water

We report quantitatively accurate high-pressure, structure-factor measurements of fluids in diamond anvil cells (DAC's) using x-ray diffraction. In the analysis of our diffraction data, we found it possible (and necessary) to determine the density directly. Thus, we also present a diffraction-based determination of the equation of state for fluid water. The analysis of these measurements is difficult since the diamond anvils are many times as thick as the sample and excessive care must be taken in the background subtraction. Due to the novel nature of the experiment and the complexity of the analysis, this paper is concerned primarily with a careful exposition of our analytical methods. Our analysis is applicable to both atomic and molecular fluids and glasses, and we present results for the structure factor and density of two relatively low-$Z$ liquids: argon and water. In order to validate our methods we present an extensive comparison of our measurements on water at $P\ensuremath{\simeq}0$ in a DAC to recent state-of-the-art x-ray and neutron diffraction experiments and to first-principles simulations at ambient conditions.
E-UKBM Ethno-STEM: The Development of Independent Learning Activities to Train Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Pressure Topics

This study aims to determine the effectiveness, feasibility, and influence of the Ethno-STEM Independent Learning Activity Unit (UKBM) in improving students’ critical thinking skills. This type of research is R&D with the ADDIE type. The research sample used a purposive sampling technique in small-scale and large-scale trials at one of the private junior high schools in Salatiga City. The results of the study show that 1) e-UKBM Ethno-STEM has the characteristics of implementing an ethnoscience aspect that links scientific knowledge with local wisdom, studying science through local wisdom in a balanced way, guided by the Merdeka Curriculum and the 2013 Curriculum by using a scientific approach; 2) Ethno-STEM e-UKBM is suitable for use in science learning on substance stress; 3) e-UKBM Ethno-STEM can improve critical thinking skills with an N-Gain value of 72.27% in the high category; 4) e-UKBM Ethno-STEM has an effect on critical thinking skills with a t-count of 10.87. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that e-UKBM Ethno-STEM is appropriate to be used to improve student’s critical thinking skills in substance stress study materials.
Generating Birth and Death Processes

Associated with an ordered sequence of an even number 2N of positive real numbers is a birth and death process (BDP) on {0, 1, 2,…, N} having these real numbers as its birth and death rates. We generate another birth and death process from this BDP on {0, 1, 2,…, 2N}. This can be further iterated. We illustrate with an example from tan(kz). In BDP, the decay parameter, viz., the largest non-zero eigenvalue is important in the study of convergence to stationarity. In this article, the smallest eigenvalue is found to be useful.
The Impact of a Very Short Abstinence Period on Conventional Sperm Parameters and Sperm DNA Fragmentation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: In recent years, a growing number of studies have supported the beneficial effects of a very short abstinence period on sperm parameters, especially in patients with oligoasthenozoospermia. However, the results are controversial and no consensus exists regarding whether to request a second semen collection in clinical practice. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the influence of a very short abstinence period (within 4 h) on conventional sperm parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) rate. Materials and Methods: The literature search was performed using Scopus and PubMed databases. The meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) guidelines. All eligible studies were selected according to the Population, Intervention, Comparison/Comparator, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) model. The quality of evidence of the included studies was analyzed through the Cambridge Quality Checklists. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to analyze the outcomes. Cochran-Q and I2 statistics were used to evaluate statistical heterogeneity. Results: We assessed for eligibility 1334 abstracts, and 19 studies were finally included. All 19 articles evaluated the effects of a very short abstinence period on sperm parameters and, among these, 5 articles also evaluated the effects on SDF rate. The quantitative analysis showed a significant reduction in semen volume after a very short abstinence period in both normozoospermic men and patients with oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and/or teratozoospermia (OAT) patients. We found a statistically significant increase in sperm concentration and total and progressive motility in the second ejaculation of patients with OAT. In contrast, the SDF rate decreased significantly in the second ejaculate of OAT patients. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the impact of a very short abstinence period on sperm parameters and SDF rate. The results suggest that collecting a second consecutive ejaculation after a very short time from the first could represent a simple and useful strategy for obtaining better-quality spermatozoa, especially in patients with abnormal sperm parameters.
Communal narcissism, self-motives, and work effort

Communal narcissists amplify their prosocial traits and consider themselves saintly individuals. However, communal narcissistic self-enhancement can foster or block one’s willingness to be actively involved in the workplace or in solving tasks by making a systematic effort. The present study explored the relationship between communal narcissistic features (i.e., present, and future-related thoughts), self-motives (i.e., self-leadership, power-seeking, and desire for fame), and work effort among a convenience sample composed of university students (N = 489). We analyzed three parallel mediation models to assess the indirect effect of communal narcissistic features on work effort via self-motives. Results indicated that communal narcissism positively correlated with self-motives and work effort. Moreover, communal narcissistic and present-future-related thoughts had similar indirect associations with work effort through self-leadership strategies, desire for power, and fame. The relationship between communal narcissistic features, self-motives, and work effort can have important implications for organizations, which were discussed.
Diagnostic Value of S100B and Neuron-specific Enolase in Distinguishing Acute Central and Peripheral Vertigo

Aim: Vertigo is a common presenting complaint to the emergency department (ED). Distinguishing between acute central and peripheral vertigo can be challenging. During recent years, several biomarkers have been introduced for use in distinguishing central and peripheral vertigo. The current study determined whether S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) serum concentrations could effectively predict the central causes of vertigo. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study performed on 117 patients with acute vertigo who were admitted to the ED. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the results of the MRI were considered the gold standard. S100B and NSE from blood samples taken <8 h after the onset of symptoms were measured in all patients. Results: Finally, 117 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 43 patients had central vertigo and 74 patients had peripheral vertigo. The serum levels of S100B and NSE in the central group were significantly higher (60.62 vs 28.01 pg/mL, and 11.86 vs 7 ng/mL, p<0.001, respectively). The receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated an AUC of 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.96] and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.87-0.97) for S100B and NSE for predicting central vertigo and reported a sensitivity of 97.7% and 93% and a specificity of 87.8% and 89.2% for detecting the central cause of vertigo with S100B and NSE. Conclusion: The serum S100B and NSE concentrations in central vertigo were significantly higher, and could be useful markers in screening central from peripheral vertigo in the ED.
Comparison and combination of amide proton transfer magnetic resonance imaging and the apparent diffusion coefficient in differentiating the grades of prostate cancer

Background More effective risk stratification of prostate cancer (PCa) than that possible with current methods can reduce undertreatment and guard against overtreatment. The aim of this study is to validate the differences and combined effects of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in discriminating the PCa grade group (GG) ≤2 from GG ≥3 PCa. Methods This is an ongoing prospective study conducted in the radiology department of Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Patients pathologically diagnosed with PCa were enrolled consecutively according to the eligibility criteria. A total of 180 patients (age range, 42–92 years) were included in this study. Using histopathology as the reference standard, we placed 71 cases in GG ≤2 (mean age 67.03±8.696 years) and 109 cases in GG ≥3 (age 69.60±9.638 years). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters, including APT and ADC values, were analyzed using an independent samples t-test and binary logistic regression analysis stratified with GG. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic performance for different parameters distinguishing GG ≤2 and GG ≥3. Results APT [odds ratio (OR) for the transitional zone (TZ) PCa: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.14–8.98, P=0.02; OR for the peripheral zone (PZ) PCa: 86.32, 95% CI: 13.24–562.88, P=0.003] and ADC values (OR for TZ PCa: 89.79; 95% CI: 2.85–2,827.99, P=0.01; OR for PZ PCa: 39.92; 95% CI: 3.22–494.18, P=0.004) were independent predictors that differentiated the GG of patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the APT values were 61.1% and 81.0%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the ADC values were 83.3% and 61.9%, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of APT was 3.35% and which of ADC was 1.25×10−3 mm2/s in TZ origin PCa. At the optimal cutoff values of 3.31% (APT) and 0.79×10−3 mm2/s (ADC) in PZ PCa, the sensitivity and specificity of the APT values were 74.0% and 83.6%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the ADC values were 94.0% and 53.4%, respectively. The area under the curve of the combination of APT and ADC was significantly higher than either of APT or ADC alone in Delong test (TZ: P=0.002 and P=0.020; PZ: P=0.033 and P<0.001). Conclusions APT and ADC have complementary effects on the sensitivity and specificity for identifying different PCa GGs. A combination model of APT and ADC could improve the diagnostic efficacy of PCa differentiation.
SP600125 Enhances Temperature-Controlled Repeated Thermal Stimulation-Induced Neurite Outgrowth in PC12-P1F1 Cells

This study evaluated the mechanism of temperature-controlled repeated thermal stimulation (TRTS)-mediated neuronal differentiation. We assessed the effect of SP600125, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, on neuronal differentiation of rat PC12-P1F1 cells, which can differentiate into neuron-like cells by exposure to TRTS or neurotrophic factors, including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4. We evaluated neuritogenesis by incubating the cells under conditions of TRTS and/or SP600125. Cotreatment with SP600125 significantly enhanced TRTS-mediated neuritogenesis, whereas that with other selective mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors did not—e.g., extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 inhibitor U0126, and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. We tried to clarify the mechanism of SP600125 action by testing the effect of U0126 and the BMP receptor inhibitor LDN193189 on the SP600125-mediated enhancement of intracellular signaling. SP600125-enhanced TRTS-induced neuritogenesis was significantly inhibited by U0126 or LDN193189. Gene expression analysis revealed that TRTS significantly increased β3-Tubulin, MKK3, and Smad7 gene expressions. Additionally, Smad6 and Smad7 gene expressions were substantially attenuated through SP600125 co-treatment during TRTS. Therefore, SP600125 may partly enhance TRTS-induced neuritogenesis by attenuating the negative feedback loop of BMP signaling. Further investigation of the mechanisms underlying the effect of SP600125 during TRTS-mediated neuritogenesis may contribute to the future development of regenerative neuromedicine.
Elective Checkpoint Inhibitor Discontinuation in Metastatic Solid Tumor Patients: A Case Series.

Introduction Checkpoint inhibitor (CKI) therapy has markedly altered the survival of patients with many solid tumors. It appears clear that 10-40% of patients with a number of metastatic cancers can achieve lengthy remissions following CKI therapy. The optimal duration of treatment or whether treatment can ever be safely stopped is still controversial. Based on melanoma-derived data, we tested whether CKI treatment could safely be discontinued in patients with other solid tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in adults with metastatic solid tumors treated with CKI-based therapy. Patients with solid tumors who achieved complete remission on 2 sequential scans at least 3 months apart during ongoing treatment were identified from our computerized patient database. Patient data was analyzed for patient characteristics, as well as progression-free and overall survival. Results A total of 69 non-melanoma solid tumor patients were treated with CKI-based regimens in our clinic and 14 achieved complete remission (20.3%). Five patients were female (35.7%) and the remaining nine were male (64.3%). A 100% progression-free survival was observed for these patients. The median duration of complete remission was over 20 months from the time of elective treatment discontinuation. Median overall survival was not reached in this cohort. One patient died of no cancer-related causes. Conclusions Based on this retrospective case series, elective treatment discontinuation in patients who achieved complete remission appears feasible. All patients remained in a durable complete remission after treatment discontinuation. We hypothesize that appropriate selection of patients for early treatment discontinuation may decrease their economic burden related to ongoing treatment, limit potential toxicity, and improve quality of life.
The battle between light and dark side of personality: How light and dark personality traits predict mating strategies in the online context

In recent years, online dating websites, applications, and social media have become increasingly popular tools for finding romantic and/or sexual partners. Individual differences in personality traits predict the use of online dating websites and applications and also influence the motives for their use. Previous work regarding mating strategies in the context of online dating has focused on the Dark Tetrad concept of malevolent personality while ignoring the Light Triad concept of beneficent personality. Light and dark personality traits are not seen as polar opposites as they supplement each other. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the utility of both light (i.e., Faith in Humanity, Humanism, and Kantianism) and dark (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism) personality traits in predicting mating strategies in the online context. A total of 216 participants, ages 20 to 56, which used online dating sites, apps, and social media for finding partners in the past year, completed an online questionnaire assessing Dark Tetrad traits, Light Triad traits, and mating orientations. Narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism positively correlated, while Faith in Humanity and Kantianism negatively correlated with short-term mating. However, only Faith in Humanity was a significant predictor of short-term mating. As for long-term mating, the results have shown that it is negatively related to psychopathy and sadism, while it is positively related to all Light Triad traits. Faith in Humanity, Humanism, and Kantianism were significant predictors of long-term mating. These findings highlight the utility of the Dark Tetrad and Light Triad traits in mating orientation research.
DRL-Based Slice Admission Using Overbooking in 5G Networks

In 5G-and-beyond networks, the concept of Network Slicing is used to support multiple independent and co-existing logical networks on a physical network infrastructure. The infrastructure provider (InP) owns the set of virtual and physical resources that are used to support the tenant slice requests. Each slice request specifies a service level agreement (SLA) that contains the required slice-level resources (computation and communication) and the revenue provided by the tenant. Due to limited resources, the InP cannot accommodate all requests made by the tenants. In general, it has been found that tenants tend to overestimate their resource demands (e.g., for 5G Core computation) to reduce possible SLA violations. In this paper, we consider two major slice types: Elastic (low priority and low revenue) and Inelastic (high priority and high revenue). We apply the concept of overbooking, where the InP accepts more slices while considering slice priorities in order to maximize the overall revenue and utilization. We consider a multi-tenant environment and propose a slice admission system named PRLOV, which is based on Reinforcement Learning (RL) and prediction methods. The system predicts the future resource demands of Elastic slices and applies an opportunistic overbooking technique to overbook InP for accepting more slices. In addition, the admission decision is formulated as an Markov Decision Process (MDP) problem and solved using standard RL techniques (Policy Iteration, Q-Learning, DQN). The performance of our proposed work is compared against three other heuristics (Basic, Prediction, PRL) that do not use overbooking. Data traces from the Materna data center networks were used for prediction purposes. The important performance metrics measures include InP total revenue, the acceptance rate of respective slices and overall resource utilization for different slices. The results show that the proposed work significantly outperforms the other mechanisms in terms of revenue gain and resource utilization. Simulation results show that PRLOV provides a revenue gain of 6%, 26%, and 102% compared to the PRL, Prediction and Basic scheme.
Circulating Metabolic Markers Related to the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary liver carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, while hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most dominant cancer type. Chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections and aflatoxin exposure are the main risk factors, while nonalcoholic fatty liver disease caused by obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are the more common risk factors for HCC. Metabolic disorders caused by these high-risk factors are closely related to the tumor microenvironment of HCC, revealing a possible cause-and-effect relationship between the two. These metabolic disorders involve many complex metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate, lipid, lipid derivative, amino acid, and amino acid derivative metabolic processes. The resulting metabolites with significant abnormal changes in the concentration level in circulating blood may be used as biomarkers to guide the diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis of HCC. At present, there are high-throughput technologies that can quickly detect small molecular metabolites in many samples. Compared to tissue biopsy, blood samples are easier to obtain, and patients' willingness to participate is higher, which makes it possible to study blood HCC biomarkers. Over the past few years, a substantial body of research has been performed worldwide, and other potential biomarkers have been identified. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of each study, only a few markers have been widely verified and are suitable for clinical use. This review briefly summarizes the potential blood metabolic markers related to the diagnosis of HCC, mainly focusing on amino acids and their derivative metabolism, lipids and their derivative metabolism, and other possible related metabolisms.