Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Re-Thinking the Effectiveness of Batch Normalization and Beyond

Batch normalization (BN) is used by default in many modern deep neural networks due to its effectiveness in accelerating training convergence and boosting inference performance. Recent studies suggest that the effectiveness of BN is due to the Lipschitzness of the loss and gradient, rather than the reduction of internal covariate shift. However, questions remain about whether Lipschitzness is sufficient to explain the effectiveness of BN and whether there is room for vanilla BN to be further improved. To answer these questions, we first prove that when stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is applied to optimize a general non-convex problem, three effects will help convergence to be faster and better: (i) reduction of the gradient Lipschitz constant, (ii) reduction of the expectation of the square of the stochastic gradient, and (iii) reduction of the variance of the stochastic gradient. We demonstrate that vanilla BN only with ReLU can induce the three effects above, rather than Lipschitzness, but vanilla BN with other nonlinearities like Sigmoid, Tanh, and SELU will result in degraded convergence performance. To improve vanilla BN, we propose a new normalization approach, dubbed complete batch normalization (CBN), which changes the placement position of normalization and modifies the structure of vanilla BN based on the theory. It is proven that CBN can elicit all the three effects above, regardless of the nonlinear activation used. Extensive experiments on benchmark datasets CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and ILSVRC2012 validate that CBN makes the training convergence faster, and the training loss converges to a smaller local minimum than vanilla BN. Moreover, CBN helps networks with multiple nonlinear activations (Sigmoid, Tanh, ReLU, SELU, and Swish) achieve higher test accuracy steadily. Specifically, benefitting from CBN, the classification accuracies for networks with Sigmoid, Tanh, and SELU are boosted by more than 15.0%, 4.5%, and 4.0% on average, respectively, which is even comparable to the performance for ReLU.
Special report on emissions scenarios

Author(s): Nakicenovic, N. ; Alcamo, J.; Davis, G. ; Vries, B. de; Fenhann, J.; Gaffin, S. ; Gregory, K. ; Grubler, A. ; Jung, T.Y. ; Kram, T. ; Rovere, E.L. La; Michaelis, L. ; Mori, S. ; Morita, T. ; Pepper, W. ; Pitcher, H. ; Price, L. ; Riahi, K. ; Roehrl, A. ; Rogner, H-H. ; Sankovski, A. ; Schlesinger, M. ; Shukla, P.; Smith, S. ; Swart, R. ; Rooijen, S. van; Victor, N. ; Zhou, D.
Detailed seismic attenuation structure beneath Hokkaido, northeastern Japan: Arc‐arc collision process, arc magmatism, and seismotectonics

In this study, we imaged a detailed seismic attenuation structure (frequency‐independent Q−1) beneath Hokkaido, Japan, by merging waveform data from a dense permanent seismic network with those from a very dense temporary network. Corner frequency of each event used for t* estimation was determined by the S coda wave spectral ratio method. The seismic attenuation (Qp−1) structure is clearly imaged at depths down to about 120 km. For the fore‐arc side of Hokkaido, high‐Qp zones are imaged at depths of 10 to 80 km in the crust and mantle wedge above the Pacific slab. Low‐Qp zones are clearly imaged in the mantle wedge beneath the back‐arc areas of eastern and southern Hokkaido. These low‐Qp zones, extending from deeper regions, extend to the Moho beneath volcanoes, the locations of which are consistent with those of seismic low‐velocity regions. These results suggest that the mantle wedge upwelling flow occurs beneath Hokkaido, except in the area where there is a gap in the volcano chain. In contrast, an inhomogeneous seismic attenuation structure is clearly imaged beneath the Hokkaido corner. A broad low‐Qp zone is located at depths of 0–60 km to the west of the Hidaka main thrust. The location almost corresponds to that of the seismic low‐velocity zone in the collision zone. The fault planes of the 1970 M6.7 and 1982 M7.1 earthquakes are located at the edges of this broad low‐Qp zone. Observations in this study indicate that our findings contribute to understanding the detailed arc‐arc collision process, magmatism, and seismotectonics beneath Hokkaido.
Has Joint Implementation reduced GHG emissions? Lessons learned for the design of carbon market mechanisms (brief)

This study systematically evaluates the environmental integrity of Joint Implementation (JI) in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Our analysis indicates that about three-quarters of JI offsets are unlikely to represent additional emissions reductions. This suggests that the use of JI offsets may have enabled global GHG emissions to be about 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent higher than they would have been if countries had met their emissions domestically. Of the six largest project types assessed in more detail, we find only one – N2O abatement from nitric acid production – had overall high environmental integrity. Our evaluation clearly shows that oversight of an international market mechanism by the host country alone is insufficient to ensure environmental integrity. The paper makes recommendations for the ongoing review of the JI Guidelines, for carbon markets generally, and for a new climate agreement.
Clinical differences between nasogastric tube and Hunter’s rod for staged Zone II flexor tendon reconstruction

Objectives This study aims to compare the outcomes of twostage flexor tendon reconstruction in Zone II of the hand and to evaluate the results of a nasogastric tube as a potential alternative to Hunter's rod. Patients and methods Between November 2012 and January 2022, a total of 45 patients (26 males, 19 females; median age: 31 years; range, 12 to 61 years) who underwent two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients 24 underwent nasogastric tube reconstruction (NT group) and 21 underwent Hunter's rod reconstruction (HR group). Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, the number of surgeries, the occurrence of complications, the presence of infection during the procedure, and the range of motion of the finger joints at the final follow-up examination were recorded. The assessment of the cases was conducted using the total active motion system. Results Twenty-four digits underwent two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction with the nasogastric tube. Among these, three index fingers, nine middle fingers, seven ring fingers, and five little fingers were operated. Twenty-one digits underwent two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction using Hunter's rod. Among these, two index fingers, eight middle fingers, six ring fingers, and five little fingers were operated. In the NT group, excellent results were observed in 58.3% (14 digits), good results in 25% (six digits), fair results in 8.3% (two digits), and poor results in 8.3% (two digits). In the HR group, excellent results were seen in 57.1% (12 digits), good results in 33.3% (seven digits), fair results in 4.7% (one digit), and poor results in 4.7% (one digit). Conclusion The utilization of a nasogastric tube offers a convenient and cost-effective option to Hunter's rod in the two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction, leading to favorable outcomes characterized by high rates of excellence and improvement, while effectively minimizing the occurrence of complications.
Ostracodes as Quaternary paleoecological indicators

Quantitative and specific distribution of ostracodes are dependent on the physical and chemical limitations imposed by their environment, which in turn are controlled by geological, hydrological, botanical, and climatic factors. Once the nature of these controls has been defined for a region, the ecological limitation of specific ostracodes can be determined. Knowing the ostracode's tolerance limits then allows one to reconstruct the environments of the past, through paleoclimatic, paleoecologic, paleogeologic, and paleohydrologic interpretations.
Aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume and improves memory in multiple sclerosis: Preliminary findings

Multiple sclerosis leads to prominent hippocampal atrophy, which is linked to memory deficits. Indeed, 50% of multiple sclerosis patients suffer memory impairment, with negative consequences for quality of life. There are currently no effective memory treatments for multiple sclerosis either pharmacological or behavioral. Aerobic exercise improves memory and promotes hippocampal neurogenesis in nonhuman animals. Here, we investigate the benefits of aerobic exercise in memory-impaired multiple sclerosis patients. Pilot data were collected from two ambulatory, memory-impaired multiple sclerosis participants randomized to non-aerobic (stretching) and aerobic (stationary cycling) conditions. The following baseline/follow-up measurements were taken: high-resolution MRI (neuroanatomical volumes), fMRI (functional connectivity), and memory assessment. Intervention was 30-minute sessions 3 times per week for 3 months. Aerobic exercise resulted in 16.5% increase in hippocampal volume and 53.7% increase in memory, as well as increased hippocampal resting-state functional connectivity. Improvements were specific, with no comparable changes in overall cerebral gray matter (+2.4%), non-hippocampal deep gray matter structures (thalamus, caudate: −4.0%), or in non-memory cognitive functioning (executive functions, processing speed, working memory: changes ranged from −11% to +4%). Non-aerobic exercise resulted in relatively no change in hippocampal volume (2.8%) or memory (0.0%), and no changes in hippocampal functional connectivity. This is the first evidence for aerobic exercise to increase hippocampal volume and connectivity and improve memory in multiple sclerosis. Aerobic exercise represents a cost-effective, widely available, natural, and self-administered treatment with no adverse side effects that may be the first effective memory treatment for multiple sclerosis patients.
The importance of natural fractures in a tight reservoir for potential CO2 storage: a case study of the upper Triassic–middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group (Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway)

Abstract In the Longyearbyen CO2 laboratory project, it is planned to inject carbon dioxide into a Triassic–Jurassic fractured sandstone–shale succession (Kapp Toscana Group) at a depth of 700–1000 m below the local settlement. The targeted storage sandstones offer moderate secondary porosity and low permeability (unconventional reservoir), whereas water injection tests evidence good lateral fluid flow facilitated by extensive fracturing. Therefore, a detailed investigation of fracture sets/discontinuities and their characteristics have been undertaken, concentrating on the upper reservoir interval (670–706 m). Datasets include drill cores and well logs, and observations of outcrops, that mainly show fracturing but also some disaggregation deformation bands in the sandstones. The fracture distribution has a lithostratigraphical relationship, and can be subdivided into: (A) massive to laminated shaly intervals, offering abundant lower-angle shear fractures; (B) massive to thin-bedded, heterogeneous, mixed silty–shaly intervals, with a predominance of non-systematic, pervasive bed-confined fractures; and (C) massive to laminated, medium- to thick-bedded, fine- to coarse-grained sandstones with a lower frequency of mostly steep fractures. These domains represent pseudo-geomechanical units characterized by specific fracture sets and fracture intensity, with indicated relationships between the bed thickness and fracture intensity, and with domains separated along bedding interfaces. We discuss the impact of these lithostructural domains on the fluid flow pathways in the heterolithic storage unit.
Rapid expansion of glacial lakes caused by climate and glacier retreat in the Central Himalayas

Glacial lake outburst floods are among the most serious natural hazards in the Himalayas. Such floods are of high scientific and political importance because they exert trans‐boundary impacts on bordering countries. The preparation of an updated inventory of glacial lakes and the analysis of their evolution are an important first step in assessment of hazards from glacial lake outbursts. Here, we report the spatiotemporal developments of the glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin, a trans‐boundary basin in the Central Himalayas, from 1976 to 2010 based on multi‐temporal Landsat images. Studied glacial lakes are classified as glacier‐fed lakes and non‐glacier‐fed lakes according to their hydrologic connection to glacial watersheds. A total of 119 glacial lakes larger than 0.01 km2 with an overall surface area of 20.22 km2 (±10.8%) were mapped in 2010, with glacier‐fed lakes being predominant in both number (69, 58.0%) and area (16.22 km2, 80.2%). We found that lakes connected to glacial watersheds (glacier‐fed lakes) significantly expanded (122.1%) from 1976 to 2010, whereas lakes not connected to glacial watersheds (non‐glacier‐fed lakes) remained stable (+2.8%) during the same period. This contrast can be attributed to the impact of glaciers. Retreating glaciers not only supply meltwater to lakes but also leave space for them to expand. Compared with other regions of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), the lake area per glacier area in the Poiqu River basin was the highest. This observation might be attributed to the different climate regimes and glacier status along the HKH. The results presented in this study confirm the significant role of glacier retreat on the evolution of glacial lakes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal separation of plastic components from waste crystalline silicon solar cells: Thermogravimetric characteristics and thermokinetics

ABSTRACT Thermal treatment is a mainstream technique to separate plastic components from waste crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules. In this study, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted for a better understanding of the characteristics of plastic components mainly poly(ethylene-co-vinyl) acetate (EVA) binder and polyfluoroethylene composite membrane (TPT) backsheet in waste c-Si PV panels through thermal treatment at four different heating rates (5–20°C·min−1) under nitrogen and air conditions, respectively. The thermal process of the EVA binder whether in a nitrogen or air atmosphere could be divided into two phases, which were 300–400°C and 400–515°C in nitrogen with the total weight loss reached 99.64%; the two phases in the air were 270–405°C and 405–570°C with the total weight loss was 99.68%. The thermal weight loss of TPT in nitrogen has only one phase occured between 380°C and 520°C, and the weight loss rate is about 83%. There are two weight loss phases in the air atmosphere, which the first phase starts from 265°C to 485°C and the second phase ends at 635°C with a final weight loss reaching 97%. Furthermore, the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) method was chosen to calculate the pyrolysis kinetic parameters. The activation energy for EVA in nitrogen (261.16 kJ·mol−1) was higher than in air (209.04 kJ·mol−1), also the TPT in nitrogen (188.28 kJ·mol−1) higher than in air (172.21 kJ·mol−1). That indicated that the thermal decomposition of EVA binder was accelerated at first phase in nitrogen, but there is little difference in air atmosphere. Moreover, the activation energy of PVF of the TPT backsheet in the first phase was lower than that in the second phase. This study provides the fundamental basis to develop efficient thermal separation for the plastic components EVA and TPT in waste PV panels. Implications: This study mainly aims to explore the thermal separation of plastic components of waste c-Si panels for heating treatment, so that developing an accurate heat treatment approach that is efficient to implement for the separation of secondary raw material i.e., glass and silicon wafer from end-of-life PV panels. Therefore, this research findings have significant implications for providing the basic data support for waste PV panels management recycling standards, specifications, or policy documents
Single Versus Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Knowledge on the Chronic Outcomes, Neuropathology and the Role of TDP-43 Proteinopathy

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most important causes of death and disability in adults and thus an important public health problem. Following TBI, secondary pathophysiological processes develop over time and condition the development of different neurodegenerative entities. Previous studies suggest that neurobehavioral changes occurring after a single TBI are the basis for the development of Alzheimer's disease, while repetitive TBI is considered to be a contributing factor for chronic traumatic encephalopathy development. However, pathophysiological processes that determine the evolvement of a particular chronic entity are still unclear. Human post-mortem studies have found combinations of amyloid, tau, Lewi bodies, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathologies after both single and repetitive TBI. This review focuses on the pathological changes of TDP-43 after single and repetitive brain traumas. Numerous studies have shown that TDP-43 proteinopathy noticeably occurs after repetitive head trauma. A relatively small number of available preclinical research on single brain injury are not in complete agreement with the results from the human samples, which makes it difficult to draw specific conclusions. Also, as TBI is considered a heterogeneous type of injury, different experimental trauma models and injury intensities may cause differences in the cascade of secondary injury, which should be considered in future studies. Experimental and post-mortem studies of TDP-43 pathobiology should be carried out, preferably in the same laboratories, to determine its involvement in the development of neurodegenerative conditions after one and repetitive TBI, especially in the context of the development of new therapeutic options.
Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Regulation of Osteoclastogenesis and Osteoblastogenesis

Maintenance of skeletal integrity requires the coordinated activity of multinucleated bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts. Osteoclasts form resorption lacunae on bone surfaces in response to cytokines by fusion of precursor cells. Osteoblasts are derived from mesenchymal precursors and lay down new bone in resorption lacunae during bone remodeling. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling regulates osteoclast and osteoblast formation and is activated in osteoclast precursors in response to the essential osteoclastogenic cytokine, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), which can also control osteoblast formation through RANK-RANKL reverse signaling in osteoblast precursors. RANKL and some pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), activate NF-κB signaling to positively regulate osteoclast formation and functions. However, these cytokines also limit osteoclast and osteoblast formation through NF-κB signaling molecules, including TNF receptor-associated factors (TRAFs). TRAF6 mediates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation through canonical NF-κB signaling. In contrast, TRAF3 limits RANKL- and TNF-induced osteoclast formation, and it restricts transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-induced inhibition of osteoblast formation in young and adult mice. During aging, neutrophils expressing TGFβ and C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) increase in bone marrow of mice in response to increased NF-κB-induced CC motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) expression by mesenchymal progenitor cells and injection of these neutrophils into young mice decreased bone mass. TGFβ causes degradation of TRAF3, resulting in decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3β/β-catenin-mediated osteoblast formation and age-related osteoporosis in mice. The CCR5 inhibitor, maraviroc, prevented accumulation of TGFβ+/CCR5+ neutrophils in bone marrow and increased bone mass by inhibiting bone resorption and increasing bone formation in aged mice. This paper updates current understanding of how NF-κB signaling is involved in the positive and negative regulation of cytokine-mediated osteoclast and osteoblast formation and activation with a focus on the role of TRAF3 signaling, which can be targeted therapeutically to enhance bone mass.
Geochronological constraints on the age of komatiites and nickel mineralisation in the Lake Johnston greenstone belt, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

SHRIMP U‐Pb zircon geochronology has been carried out on two volcanic units from the Maggie Hays nickel prospect. A sample from the footwall to the komatiites that host the nickel mineralisation gives an age of 2921 ± 4 Ma, whereas a sample from the hangingwall gives an age of 2903 ± 5 Ma. These results constrain the age of the primary nickel mineralisation and the host komatiites.
The effect of preemptive magnesium sulfate on postoperative pain in patients undergoing mastectomy: a clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE The effects of preemptive magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) infusion on perioperative hemodynamics and postoperative analgesia in female patients who underwent mastectomy were evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II female patients aged 18 years and over who underwent mastectomy were randomized into 2 groups, including 34 individuals each. The study group (Group I) was given 50 mg/kg MgSO4 in 250 ml isotonic 30 minutes before the induction, and the control group (Group II) was given 250 ml of normal isotonic solution. Standardized anesthesia was applied. Perioperative oxygen saturation, mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse (HR), sedation scores (ss) in the recovery unit, Verbal Numeric Rating Scale (VNRS), need for rescuer fentanyl, and analgesic needs in the surgical period were evaluated. RESULTS Demographic variables were similar. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the MAP, HR, and oxygen saturation values measured at entry, post-intubation, 15th, 30th, 45th, 60th minutes, and after extubation. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of VNRS scores in the recovery unit and at the 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th hours during the postoperative surgical period (p=0.0001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.004, 0.021, respectively). The need for rescue analgesics in the first 2 hours of recovery was found to be lower in the study group (p=0.005). The need for postoperative analgesics in the surgical period was not statistically significant (p=0.1). CONCLUSIONS Preemptive use of MgSO4 reduces postoperative VNRS scores without affecting hemodynamic parameters during induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.