Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of local anaesthetic dilution on the characteristics of ultrasound guided axillary brachial plexus block: a randomised controlled study.

AIMS Ultrasound guidance has led to marked improvement in the success rate and characteristics of peripheral nerve blocks. However, effects of varying the volume or concentration of a fixed local anaesthetic dose on nerve block remains unclear. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether at a fixed dose of lidocaine, altering the volume and concentration will have any effect on the onset time of ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty patients were randomised to receive an ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block with either lidocaine 2% with epinephrine (20 ml, Group 2%) or lidocaine 1% with epinephrine (40 ml, Group 1%). The primary endpoint was block onset time. Secondary outcomes included duration of the block, performance time, number of needle passes, incidence of paraesthesia and vascular puncture. RESULTS The median [IQR] onset time of surgical anaesthesia was shorter in Group 1% when compared to Group 2% (6.25 [5-7.5] min vs 8.75 [7.5-10] min; p=0.03). The mean (SD) overall duration of surgical anaesthesia was significantly shorter in Group 1% compared to Group 2% (150.9±17.2 min vs 165.1±5.9 min; p=0.02). Group 1% had a shorter performance time with fewer needle passes. The incidence of vascular puncture and paraesthesia was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus blocks performed using a higher volume of lower concentration lidocaine was associated with shorter onset time and duration of surgical anaesthesia.
Reactivity Trends in Furan and Alkyl Furan Combustion

A systematic study of the ignition behavior of furan and the substituted furans 2-methyl furan (2-MF) and 2,5-dimethyl furan (DMF) is presented. Ignition delay times are measured over a temperature range from 977 to 1570 K and pressures up to 12 atm for lean, stoichiometric, and rich mixtures of fuel, oxygen, and argon. It is found that when the equivalence ratio ϕ, the argon-to-oxygen ratio D, and pressure p are kept constant over a range of temperatures T, DMF generally has the longest, while 2-MF has the shortest, ignition delay times, and furan shows intermediate reactivity. Ignition delay times decrease with increasing equivalence ratios, except for DMF, which does not show a conclusive trend over the temperature range investigated. The experimental data are also found to agree with published ignition data, showing differences in some cases partly related to disparities in endwall and sidewall ignition measurements. The ignition delay times of 2-MF and DMF are compared to predictions using furan chem.
Vaccination‐hesitancy and vaccination‐inequality as challenges in Pakistan's COVID‐19 response

Abstract This study explores the mechanism for timely and equitable distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccination among the various communities in Pakistan. It examines the factors that support and/or impede peoples' access and response towards COVID‐19 vaccination in Pakistan. The study uses a literature synthesis approach to examine and analyze the situation of the COVID‐19 vaccination in Pakistan. The research results show “hesitancy” and “inequality” as two fundamental challenges that hinder the successful delivery of COVID‐19 vaccination in Pakistan. People are reluctant to use vaccines due to conspiracy theories and religious beliefs. However, inequality, especially unequal accessibility to all social groups appears to be a more significant barrier to getting a vaccine. We argue that there is a need to mobilize community influence, social media, and mass media campaigns for public education on vaccination programs along with the engagement of religious leaders to endorse the vaccination for the masses. The area of this study is underdeveloped; thereby, future studies are recommended to investigate the possible way for equitable distribution of vaccines in multiple regions.
Facet-Dependent Catalytic Activity of Gold Nanocubes, Octahedra, and Rhombic Dodecahedra toward 4-Nitroaniline Reduction

In this study, cubic, octahedral, and rhombic dodecahedral gold nanocrystals synthesized by a seed-mediated growth method were employed as catalysts for the examination of facet-dependent catalytic activity toward NaBH4 reduction of p-nitroaniline to p-phenylenediamine at different temperatures. Different amounts of the nanocrystal solutions were used so that all samples contain particles with the same total surface area. UV–vis absorption spectra monitored the reaction progress. Rhombic dodecahedra showed the best catalytic efficiency at all the temperatures examined. Nanocubes have higher reaction rates than those of octahedra from 25 to 36 °C, so the catalytic activity for the reduction reaction follows the order of {110} > {100} > {111}. However, the reaction rates for octahedra increase rapidly with rising temperature; their reaction rate surpasses that for the nanocubes at 40 °C. Rate constants and activation energies were determined, again showing that the activation energy is lowest for rhombic do.
Improving topsoil carbon storage prediction using a digital elevation model in temperate forest soils of France

Spatial distributions of C pools in forest soils are difficult to estimate because of their inherent spatial variability and because of lack of reliable data (C concentration and bulk density down to a sufficient depth). In southwest France, thick humic acid soils have developed from Quaternary silty alluvial deposits. Previous studies have shown that these soils have accumulated large amounts of organic C (OC) and that the regional distribution of C stores depends on both textural and climatic gradients. However, a significant part of C content variability still remained at a more detailed scale.The objective of this work was to determine if the topographic situation also influenced topsoil C storage, which would improve the accuracy of the prediction of organic pools in forest soils. This work uses a digital elevation model (100 x 100-m grid) to calculate topographic attributes on a 6000-ha area.The results suggest that slope is the main factor controlling variability in local C stores.This study shows that relating OC contents to spatial available landform parameters that might influence OC distribution, and combining them into spatial models, can provide a useful tool to improve geographical prediction of this characteristic.
First evidence for thermal tolerance benefits of the bacterial symbiont Cardinium in an invasive whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

BACKGROUD Cardinium symbiont is a maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont and widely spreads in arthropods including Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). However, the potential role of Cardinium played in the biology of their hosts is largely unknown. In two genetic lines (i.e. LS and SG lines) of B. tabaci MED) collected from different locations in China, we tested the effects of Cardinium on the performance of the host whitefly under a constant high temperature (31°C) using the age-stage two-sex life table method, and explored the genes influenced by Cardinium-infection by RNA-seq. RESULTS We found that Cardinium did provide protection of B. tabaci against heat stress under 31°C. However, there was a significant connection between Cardinium-infection and whitefly genetic backgrounds. Performance revealed that Cardinium infection can increase the longevity of both female and male adults and oviposition periods in both lines, but it also conferred benefits of fecundity and pre-adult period to LS line. Additionally, the population parameters such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) demonstrated that Cardinium infection conferred fitness benefits to LS line but no to SG line. Transcriptome analysis indicated that several genes related to homeostasis and metamorphosis such as ubiquitin-related genes were highly expressed in Cardinium-infected B. tabaci. CONCLUSION The research provided the first evidence that Cardinium can increase the thermal tolerance of whitefly, which may be associated with host genetic background. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Relapse of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale Malaria With and Without Primaquine Treatment in a Nonendemic Area

Abstract Background The effect of primaquine in preventing Plasmodium vivax relapses from dormant stages is well established. For Plasmodium ovale, the relapse characteristics and the use of primaquine is not as well studied. We set to evaluate the relapsing properties of these 2 species, in relation to primaquine use among imported malaria cases in a nonendemic setting. Methods We performed a nationwide retrospective study of malaria diagnosed in Sweden 1995–2019, by reviewing medical records of 3254 cases. All episodes of P. vivax (n = 972) and P. ovale (n = 251) were selected for analysis. Results First time relapses were reported in 80/857 (9.3%) P. vivax and 9/220 (4.1%) P. ovale episodes, respectively (P < .01). Without primaquine, the risk for relapse was higher in P. vivax, 20/60 (33.3%), compared to 3/30 (10.0%) in P. ovale (hazard ratio [HR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–12.0). In P. vivax, patients prescribed primaquine had a reduced risk of relapse compared to episodes without relapse preventing treatment, 7.1% vs 33.3% (HR 0.2, 95% CI .1–.3). In P. ovale, the effect of primaquine on the risk of relapse did not reach statistical significance, with relapses seen in 2.8% of the episodes compared to 10.0% in patients not receiving relapse preventing treatment (HR 0.3, 95% CI .1–1.1). Conclusions The risk of relapse was considerably lower in P. ovale than in P. vivax infections indicating different relapsing features between the two species. Primaquine was effective in preventing P. vivax relapse. In P. ovale, relapse episodes were few, and the supportive evidence for primaquine remains limited.
Assessing the Technological Competencies of Library and Information Science Graduates and Their Employment Outcomes: A Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the self-perception of early career Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates’ Information and Communications Technology (ICT) competencies with the expectations of senior Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals’ in Pakistan. A quantitative research approach based on a survey was used in the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed to collect data from 100 early career LIS graduates and 100 LIS professionals having more than five years’ experience through a questionnaire. The researcher received 89 questionnaires from senior LIS professionals and 91 from early-career Department of Information Management (DoIM) graduates resulting in a 89% and 91% response rate respectively. The results of the study indicate that there is a gap between the expectations of senior LIS professionals’ and the perceptions of early career LIS graduates’ regarding their ICT competencies. Senior LIS professionals expected that early-career LIS graduates would have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, computer operating systems, computer hardware and functions, social networking sites, electronic database searching, and institutional repository software. Senior LIS professionals also expected that early career LIS graduates should be familiar with research management tools such as Endnote, Mendeley and Zotero, integrated library systems and plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin and SafeAssign. The early career LIS graduates reported that they were expected to have knowledge of above-said expertise and that iy was considered essential for their future jobs. The findings of the study would be beneficial for the faculty of library schools and policymakers to make changes in the curriculum so as to minimize the gap between academia and the industry.
Fast observation simulation method based on XGBoost for visible bands over the ocean surface under clear-sky conditions

ABSTRACT The fast radiative transfer model has a wide range of applications in remote sensing, such as satellite L2 product retrieval and satellite L1 data quality monitoring and assessment. The traditional radiative transfer model, particularly reflective solar bands, has the disadvantage of being time-consuming. To improve the calculation efficiency and realize fast observation simulation over the global ocean under clear-sky conditions, machine learning technology is applied. A fast radiative transfer simulation method based on the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm is proposed. The polynomial regression and XGBoost regression models in the machine learning field were used in the fast simulation process. By comparing and analysing the experimental results of the two regression models, it was revealed that the prediction results of the XGBoost algorithm were better than those of the polynomial regression model. The shorter the wavelength, the better the prediction performance, with a small error and a larger determination coefficient. The blue bands demonstrated the best results, with an R2 (R-Squire) value of approximately 0.99. The deviation analysis between the predicted and simulated values demonstrated that there was no obvious functional dependence between the prediction error and the influencing factors.
Sorption of neptunium(V) on Opalinus Clay under aerobic/anaerobic conditions

Abstract The interaction between neptunium(V) and a natural argillaceous rock (Opalinus Clay (OPA), Mont Terri, Switzerland) has been investigated in batch sorption experiments by varying pH (6–10), Np(V) concentration (10−12–10−4 M), solid-to-liquid ratio (2–20 g/L), and partial pressure of CO2 (10−3.5 and 10−2.3 atm) under aerobic/anaerobic conditions in saturated calcite solution. All batch experiments were carried out using well characterized aerobic and anaerobic dry powders of OPA. The results show a great influence of pH on Np(V) sorption. Under aerobic conditions sorption increases with increasing pH until maximum sorption is reached between pH 8–9. At pH>9 sorption decreases due to the formation of negatively charged Np(V)-carbonate complexes. By increasing pCO2 from 10−3.5 to 10−2.3 atm, the sorption edge is shifted ≈0.5 units to lower pH values. Under anaerobic conditions stronger sorption of 8×10−6 M Np(V) was found, possibly due to partial reduction of Np(V) to Np(IV). The sorption of 8×10−6 M Np(V) under aerobic conditions at pH 8.2 in saturated calcite solution increases continuously with increasing solid-to-liquid ratio of OPA in the range of 2–20 g/L with a constant Kd value of 126±13 L/kg. The sorption isotherm was measured over seven orders of magnitude in Np(V) concentration using 239Np as tracer. The sorption isotherm could be divided in a part of linear sorption behaviour between 10−13–10−9 M Np(V) and non-linear behaviour in the range of 10−9–10−4 M Np(V).
New Approach for Kinetic Modeling of Catalytic Cracking of Paraffinic Naphtha

Catalytic cracking of paraffinic naphtha requires higher temperature than that for cracking of olefinic naphtha. In the high temperature catalytic cracking, thermal cracking also occurs simultaneously. The degree of thermal cracking and its contribution to ethylene and propylene yield in the catalytic cracking of paraffinic naphtha are experimentally investigated. As the degree of thermal cracking is high at over 650 °C, both thermal and catalytic cracking mechanisms have to be simultaneously considered in the kinetic model. An approximate approach based on transition state theory is proposed for kinetic modeling of the catalytic cracking of paraffinic naphtha, which has a complex chemical reaction network. The pertinent parameters of the developed kinetic model are estimated by a genetic algorithm. Additionally, an integrated modeling software package is developed with a graphical user interface. The efficacy of the proposed approach is shown with its application to industrial catalytic cracking of paraf.
Novel Heterojunction Bi2O3/SrFe12O19 Magnetic Photocatalyst with Highly Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Magnetic composite photocatalyst Bi2O3/SrFe12O19 was synthesized by hydrolysis with medium temperature sintering method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation revealed that introduction of SrFe12O19 did not change the favorite growth direction of Bi2O3, [121] orientation. Micromorphology study indicated that SrFe12O19 was distributed on the surface of Bi2O3 to possess the best possibility of forming some heterojunction structures. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements manifested the composite possessed better magnetic properties, which was conducive to its separation, recycling, and reuse. Three main reasons for the increase in photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3/SrFe12O19 were (1) the formation of p–n-type heterojunction between p-type Bi2O3 and n-type SrFe12O19 semiconductors, (2) magnetic field effect stemming from magnetic composite itself generated a shunt effect for photoexcited electrons, and (3) as a sensitizer absorbing visible light, SrFe12O19 could help Bi2O3 absorb more incident photon.
Effect of the Root Gap on the Structure and Properties of High Strength Steel S700MC Welds

Nowadays, the use of high strength (HS) and ultra-high strength steels (UHS) increases, notably in welded constructions. These steels are mainly exploited in heavy loaded welded constructions such as bridges, cranes and excavators, in pressure vessels, vehicles, ships, drilling rigs etc. working at room or lower temperatures. As the welded constructions have specific requirements, the development of high strength and ultra-high strength steels imposes the need for research on the factors influencing their weldability. Among the possible negative implications are: cold cracks formation, softening of the heat affected zone, brittleness in the coarse grained zone. When complying with the generally accepted rules for welding, HS and UHS are readily welded by all conventional welding methods. Recommendations for welding of steels after normalization, thermo-mechanical treatment and quenching and tempering are given in the standard EN 1011 -1, 2. The use of thermo-mechanically treated (hot-rolled) steels with low carbon equivalent, such as S700MC, allows reduction in time required for welding as the preheating temperature is lowered or even preheating is not necessary. A more pronounced negative effect on the weld quality has the presence of different defects. S700MC can be welded by all conventional methods, and a reduction in the softened zone can be achieved by using appropriate welding parameters. Joint preparation for welding of HS and UHS steels is described in the standards EN ISO 9692-1:2013 and EN ISO 9692-2:2001. Nevertheless, the root gap is often the closing part in constructions and does not comply with the standard recommendations. That is why the effect of the root gap on welds has to be researched. The present work introduces results of a research studying the effect of the root gap on the structure and some mechanical and technological properties of S700MS welds, welded by submerged arc welding.
Transition-Metal Mixing and Redox Potentials in Lix(M1-yM′y)PO4 (M, M′ = Mn, Fe, Ni) Olivine Materials from First-Principles Calculations

The performance of olivine cathode materials can be improved using core/shell structures such as LiMnPO4/LiFePO4 and LiMnPO4/LiNiPO4. We use density functional theory to calculate the energetics, phase stability, and voltages of transition-metal mixing for a series of olivine phosphate materials. For LiMn1–yFeyPO4, LiFe1–yNiyPO4, and LiMn1–yNiyPO4, we find phase-separating tendencies with (mean-field) maximum miscibility gap temperatures of 120, 320, and 760 K respectively. At room temperature, we find that Mn is completely miscible in LiFePO4, whereas Mn solubility in LiNiPO4 is just 0.3%. Therefore, we suggest that core/shell LiMnPO4/LiNiPO4 particles could be more effective at containing Mn in the particle core and limiting Mn dissolution into the electrolyte relative to LiMnPO4/LiFePO4 particles. We calculate shifts in redox potentials for dilute transition metals, M, substituted into LixM′PO4 host materials. Unmixed LixMnPO4 exhibits a redox potential of 4.0 V, but we find that dilute Mn in a LiNiPO4.
Barotropic instability of a time-dependent parallel flow

Abstract This study examines the long-wavelength instabilities of an inviscid parallel time-dependent current on the beta-plane. The basic flow is represented by the Kolmogorov pattern, the amplitude of which is modulated in time. Particular attention is given to the regime in which the corresponding steady flows are stable according to the Rayleigh–Kuo criterion. It is shown that the presence of a fluctuating component, regardless of how weak it may be, always renders the basic current linearly unstable. The destabilization is attributed to the resonant forcing of large-scale Rossby waves. The analysis is based on the asymptotic multiscale model, which is validated by numerical simulations. Since most geophysical flows are inherently time-dependent, the associated shear instabilities could represent a significant and ubiquitous source of barotropic turbulence.
Phoretic motion in active matter

Abstract A new continuum perspective for phoretic motion is developed that is applicable to particles of any shape in ‘microstructured’ fluids such as a suspension of solute or bath particles. Using the reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow it is shown that the local osmotic pressure of the solute adjacent to the phoretic particle generates a thrust force (via a ‘slip’ velocity) which is balanced by the hydrodynamic drag such that there is no net force on the body. For a suspension of passive Brownian bath particles this perspective recovers the classical result for the phoretic velocity owing to an imposed concentration gradient. In a bath of active particles that self-propel with characteristic speed $U_0$ for a time $\tau _R$ and then change direction randomly, taking a step of size $\ell = U_0 \tau _R$, at high activity the phoretic velocity is $\boldsymbol {U} \sim - U_0 \ell \boldsymbol {\nabla } \phi _b$, where $\phi _b$ is a measure of the ‘volume’ fraction of the active bath particles. The phoretic velocity is independent of the size of the phoretic particle and of the viscosity of the suspending fluid. Because active systems are inherently out of equilibrium, phoretic motion can occur even without an imposed concentration gradient. It is shown that at high activity when the run length varies spatially, net phoretic motion results in $\boldsymbol {U} \sim - \phi _b U_0 \boldsymbol {\nabla } \ell$. These two behaviours are special cases of the more general result that phoretic motion arises from a gradient in the swim pressure of active matter. Finally, it is shown that a field that orients (but does not propel) the active particles results in a phoretic velocity $\boldsymbol {U} \sim - \phi _b U_0 \ell \boldsymbol {\nabla }\varPsi$, where $\varPsi$ is the (non-dimensional) potential associated with the field.