Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The spatio-temporal distribution of COVID-19 infection in England between January and June 2020

Abstract The spatio-temporal dynamics of an outbreak provide important insights to help direct public health resources intended to control transmission. They also provide a focus for detailed epidemiological studies and allow the timing and impact of interventions to be assessed. A common approach is to aggregate case data to administrative regions. Whilst providing a good visual impression of change over space, this method masks spatial variation and assumes that disease risk is constant across space. Risk factors for COVID-19 (e.g. population density, deprivation and ethnicity) vary from place to place across England so it follows that risk will also vary spatially. Kernel density estimation compares the spatial distribution of cases relative to the underlying population, unfettered by arbitrary geographical boundaries, to produce a continuous estimate of spatially varying risk. Using test results from healthcare settings in England (Pillar 1 of the UK Government testing strategy) and freely available methods and software, we estimated the spatial and spatio-temporal risk of COVID-19 infection across England for the first 6 months of 2020. Widespread transmission was underway when partial lockdown measures were introduced on 23 March 2020 and the greatest risk erred towards large urban areas. The rapid growth phase of the outbreak coincided with multiple introductions to England from the European mainland. The spatio-temporal risk was highly labile throughout. In terms of controlling transmission, the most important practical application of our results is the accurate identification of areas within regions that may require tailored intervention strategies. We recommend that this approach is absorbed into routine surveillance outputs in England. Further risk characterisation using widespread community testing (Pillar 2) data is needed as is the increased use of predictive spatial models at fine spatial scales.
Occupational exposures and mitigation strategies among homeless shelter workers at risk of COVID-19

Objective: To describe the work environment and COVID-19 mitigation measures for homeless shelter workers and to assess occupational risk factors for COVID-19 infection Methods: Between June 9 and August 10, 2020, we conducted a self-administered, web-based survey among homeless shelter workers in Washington, Massachusetts, Utah, Maryland, and Georgia, in shelters where at least 1 staff person had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We calculated frequencies for demographics, work environment, personal protective equipment use, and SARS-CoV-2 testing history. We used generalized linear models with a binary outcome (COVID-19 positivity) and a log link, clustered by shelter network, to produce unadjusted prevalence ratios (PR) for demographics, work environment, and mitigation measures. Results: Of the 106 respondents, 43.4% reported frequent close contact with clients and 85.8% reported wearing a mask most or all of the time; 75% reported being worried about being infected with SARS-CoV-2 at work; 15% reported testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of those who reported testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, 80% (12/15) believed they were infected at work. Frequent close contact with clients was significantly associated with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (PR 3.97, 95% CI 1.06, 14.93). Conclusions: Homeless shelter workers may be at higher risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the course of their work.
Association between Intimate Partner Violence and Nutritional Status of Children: A Systematic Review and Mata-Analysis

Introduction Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women is a universal problem and an important social determinant of health. Studies indicate a relationship between maternal exposure to IPV and negative pregnancy and child health outcomes. The present review is aimed at doing a comprehensive review to assess the evidence for the association of IPV with the nutritional status of children. Methodology Data on the association between IPV and nutritional outcomes were extracted from 24 studies. Separate sub-group analyses were conducted for studies measuring IPV and different nutritional measures (Stunting, Underweight, and Wasting). A random-effect model was used for analysing the effect-size and the pooled effect for each subgroup. Findings The pooled estimates of any violence [OR=1.16 (1.08-1.25)], physical violence [OR=1.12 (1.07-1.18)] and sexual violence [OR=1.21 (1.03-1.43)] indicated significant relationship with nutritional status of children. The relationship was found significant for stunting and underweight, but not for wasting. Values of I2 indicated a high level of heterogeneity across the studies on stunting and underweight. Conclusion The present review contributes to a better understanding of the nutritional outcomes for children exposed to maternal IPV. It emphasises the need to intervene for improving the well-being of these individuals as children and, subsequently, as adults. Keywords: Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, stunting, underweight, wasting, nutritional status.
Super‐high‐efficiency multi‐junction solar cells

The status of Japanese development of super‐high‐efficiency In0.49Ga0. 51P/In0.01GaAs/Ge multi‐junction solar cells is reviewed. Key issues for a successful cell design are discussed, together with the technologies that have led to efficiency values of 29.1% AM0 and >36% under concentrated 400×AM1.5 illumination. The radiation resistance of the multi‐junction solar cell is discussed, showing the degradation in performance for the InGaP, InGaAs and Ge junctions. Finally, some perspectives for further multi‐junction cell development and alternative approaches to high efficiency are outlined. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Sulfate on Anaerobic Degradation of Benzoate in UASB Reactors

Wastewaters containing benzoate and sulfate were treated in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors at 34–37°C for 320 d. The sulfate concentration was increased stepwise in Reactor-A up to 7,500 mg/L, and was kept mostly constant at 3,000 mg/L in Reactor-B. Both reactors removed over 98% of organic chemical-oxygen demand (COD) for sulfate up to 6,000 mg/L, despite the fact that the mixed liquor contained up to 769 mg S/L of total sulfides and up to 234 mg S/L of dissolved H2S. Sulfate-reducing efficiency decreased with the increase in sulfate concentration, but increased with time at each sulfate concentration. Reactor-B consistently reduced 89% of sulfate. However, both organic COD removal and sulfate-reducing efficiencies of Reactor-A dropped drastically at 7,500 mg SO4-2/L, and showed no sign of recovery after 50 d. The system failure was likely due to the increased sulfate, instead of sulfide, toxicity. From the COD balance, 93.4% of COD removed was converted to methane instead of sulfide.
Synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction

The application of synchrotron X-ray radiation to powder diffraction is described. A perfect Si double-crystal monochromator at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) was used in conjunction with Si, Ge, LiF and Al2O3 analyzers to investigate resolution and intensity characteristics at selected wavelengths between 1.07 and 1.54 A. The results obtained with Ge at 1.54 A gave a resolution Δd/d of 5 × 10−4 at 2θ = 30°, falling to 2 × 10−4 at 2θ = 140°. Analysis of the peak shapes is described in detail, with particular emphasis on the asymmetry observed at angles below 50° due to axial divergence effects. With a simple correction to allow for these, the peak shapes are found to be well represented by a convolution of Gaussian and Lorentzian components, the respective peak widths of these being related to the intrinsic resolution and sample broadening effects. It is pointed out that the use of a crystal analyzer should eliminate shifts in the Bragg-peak positions owing to the displacement-type aberrations which occur with conventional focusing-type diffractometers. Except for a constant zero error, the mean discrepancy in observed and calculated peak positions between 0 and 90° for reference samples CeO2, Al2O3 and NiO is found to be only about 0.003°. Finally, some general remarks are made about the application of the Rietveld profile technique to structural analysis from synchrotron powder diffraction data.
Wastewater Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 from Acute Care Hospitals Identifies Nosocomial Transmission and Outbreaks

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in wastewater and its abundance correlated with community COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. We sought to use wastewater-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 to assess the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals. Methods: Between August and December 2020, twice-weekly wastewater samples from three tertiary-care hospitals (totalling >2100 dedicated inpatient beds) were collected. Wastewater samples were concentrated and cleaned using the 4S-silica column method and assessed for SARS-CoV-2 gene-targets (N1, N2 and E) and controls using RT-qPCR. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 as measured by quantification cycle (Cq), genome copies and genomes normalized to the fecal biomarker PMMoV were compared to the total daily number of patients hospitalized with active COVID-19, confirmed cases of hospital-acquired infection, and the occurrence of unit-specific outbreaks. Results: Of 165 wastewater samples collected, 159 (96%) were assayable. The N1-gene from SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 64.1% of samples, N2 in 49.7% and E in 10%. N1 and N2 in wastewater increased over time both in terms of amount of detectable virus and the proportion of samples that were positive, consistent with increasing hospitalizations (Pearsons r=0.679, P<0.0001, Pearsons r=0.728, P<0.0001, respectively). Despite increasing hospitalizations through the study period, wastewater analysis was able to identify incident nosocomial-acquired cases of COVID-19 (Pearsons r =0.389, P<0.001) and unit-specific outbreaks by increases in detectable SARS-CoV-2 N1-RNA (median 112 copies/ml) versus outbreak-free periods (0 copies/ml; P<0.0001). Conclusions: Wastewater-based monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 represents a promising tool for SARS-CoV-2 passive surveillance and case identification, containment, and mitigation in acute- care medical facilities.
Identification and chromatographic separation of antimony species with α-hydroxy acids

The ability of α-hydroxy acids to complex with SbIII and SbV has been established in hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric determinations of SbIII and solvent extraction techniques. The nature of this complexation with SbV has yet to be rigorously investigated. NMR, electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and HPLC–ICP-AES methods have been developed to confirm the existence of these complexes in aqueous media and to determine their molecular masses based on a mole-ratio method. It is shown that anion-exchange chromatography can be used to separate mixtures of Sb(OH)x(L)n complexes, [L = citric, DL-malic, lactic or (±)-mandelic acid], where n = 6 – x.
Nitrification in the euphotic zone as a source for nitrite, nitrate, and nitrous oxide at Station ALOHA

We measured chemoautotrophic bacterial nitrification rates in the lower euphotic zone at the North Pacific Time-series Station ALOHA using low-level chemical assays and inhibitor-sensitive radiocarbon uptake experiments. These measurements were compared with independent nitrification rate estimates based on nitrous oxide distributions, nitrate assimilation rates based on nitrate changes during an in situ incubation, and historical estimates of nitrification and nitrate assimilation from this region. Ammonium oxidation rates ranged from 1.0 to 137.4 hmol m-3 d-l, and nitrite oxidation rates varied from undetectable to 138.0 pmol m-3 d-l. Conservative estimates of depth-integrated euphotic zone nitrification rates from the complete three-cruise data set were 0.69 mmol rnd2 d-l for nitrite oxidation and 1.64 mmol m-2 d-l for ammonium oxidation. The highest nitrification rates were found below the primary nitrite maximum, suggesting a significant contribution of euphotic zone ammonium oxidation to the nitrite pool below but not within this feature. A mass balance of nitrous oxide indicates that this gas is produced within the euphotic zone at a rate of 1.68-7.94 pmol m-2 d-l. The nitrous oxide production rate provides an independent estimate of the total euphotic zone nitrification rate in the range of 0.34-l . 59 mmol m-2 d-l. We estimate that the total euphotic zone nitrification rate is 47-142% of the concurrent nitrate assimilation rate, indicating that nitrification in the euphotic zone is an important source of regenerated nitrate. Nitrification, the microbiologically mediated oxidation of ammonium to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate, is a key process in the global nitrogen cycle (Ward 1986). In the marine environment, the vertical flux into the cuphotic zone of nitrate regenerated by nitrification in deep water is considered crucial to ecosystem stability through its support of new primary photosynthetic production (Eppley and Peterson 1979). However, nitrifying bacteria are also active within the euphotic zone, especially within the primary nitrite maximum (Olson 198 1
Dependence of Water Vapour Adsorption on the Polarity of the Graphene Surfaces of Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

The adsorption of water by the graphene surfaces of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in either the untreated (4.3 atom% oxygen) or oxidised (22.3 atom% oxygen) surface states has been studied. Different concentrations of surface oxygen groups, which have been directly measured using XPS, give rise to distinctly different shapes of water adsorption isotherms. Those from the untreated materials follow the pressure axis which lends them a Type III character in the BDDT classification. However, since they display a clear point of inflection at the lowest pressure, they are strictly speaking Type II isotherms but indicative of relatively few polar interactions and weak water adsorptivity. In sharp contrast, the isotherms from the oxidised MWCNTs are typically Type II and are characterised by a marked positive curvature in their low pressure region due to the increased numbers of specific interactions occurring between water molecules and the polar surface oxygen groups. The water adsorption data were modelled by the equation of D'Arcy and Watt with a direct correlation being observed between the surface polarity parameters (amL and a0) and also as (the limiting water uptake) and the surface oxygen levels of the MWCNTs. The difference in polar surface energy was confirmed by measurements of the calorimetric enthalpies of immersion in water (Δhi), which were −54 mJ/m2 for the untreated and −192 mJ/m2 for the oxidised materials. These values also reflect the difference in the integral net enthalpies of adsorption for the two hydrophilic surfaces: a value of ca. −35 mJ/m2 being obtained for an oxygen-free (hydrophobic) surface. Water adsorption on these hydrophilic graphene surfaces was shown to occur by specific hydrogen bonding and was therefore strongly dependent on the numbers of oxygen-containing polar surface sites. This behaviour is well known for other types of porous and non-porous carbon materials and is also predicted for carbon nanotubes by molecular simulation studies. The work described herein therefore provides early experimental confirmation of the quantitative role of surface oxygen chemistry in determining the water adsorption character of MWCNT graphene surfaces; it also validates previous simulation studies.
Diffusion of 99Tc in granite: A small scale laboratory simulation experiment

The diffusion of 99Tc in granite was investigated with small-sized diffusion cells, composed of a radioactive source solution cell and a sampling cell. Water in the two cells was kept at the same level. 1 ml aliquots were taken from the sampling cells daily during the first 50 days, then at intervals of several days, and measured via liquid scintillation counting. The experimental results indicate that the diffusion of 99Tc and 3H in granite follows the one-dimensional diffusion equation when diffusion time is long enough (>100 days). The calculated average diffusion coefficient of 99Tc (1.4×10-12 m2/s) is about one half of that of 3H (3.2×10-12 m2/s).
Toxic metal accumulation from agricultural use of sludge: are USEPA regulations protective?

The new USEPA regulations for the use of sewage sludges will permit concentrations of particular toxic metals to increase locally on agricultural land by a factor of a hundred or more above present soil concentrations. Short-term field experiments have shown that the adsorptive properties of sludges themselves often prevent excessive uptake of many of these metals into crops, a protection attributable largely to the added organic matter. This protection cannot be considered to be permanent or effective for all toxic metals, as indicated by data from old sludged sites. Differences in degree of protection are evident for greenhouse and field experiments, largely attributable to different rooting patterns and degree of sludge mixing in these two situations. The USEPA reliance on field data for metal uptake by corn (Zea mays L.) has led to an underestimation of phytoxicity thresholds applicable to a wider range of crops, in part because corn is able to root deeply and is metal-tolerant. Also, the decision to use 50% yield reduction and plant top (rather than root) concentrations of heavy metals as phytotoxicity indicators may have obscured incipient toxicity. Long-term field observations (several decades) often show that sludge-applied metals can remain sufficiently available, even in nonacidmore » soils when total metal concentrations are below the proposed EPA limits, to harm sensitive crops and microbes. It is concluded that the ultimate impact of toxic metals from sewage sludges at levels approaching the proposed USEPA limits on various soil-crop systems is potentially harmful. 94 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab. « less
Structural variety in iridate oxides and hydroxides from hydrothermal synthesis

We report the results of an exploratory synthetic study of iridium-containing materials using hydrothermal methods from simple metal salts. Three alkali-earth iridium hydroxides are isolated as phase-pure samples and their structures examined by single-crystal or powder diffraction methods: each contains Ir(IV)-centred octahedra, isolated from each other and sharing bridging hydroxides or fluoride with alkali-earth (Ca, Sr or Ba) centres. One of these hydroxides, Ca2IrF(OH)6.OH, possesses a unique open structure, consisting of a positively-charged framework that has one-dimensional channels in which infinite chains of hydrogen-bonded hydroxide anions are encapsulated. The addition of hydrogen peroxide or sodium peroxide to otherwise identical hydrothermal reactions yields dense oxide materials in which iridium is found in an oxidation state between +4 and +5: the novel oxide Na0.8Sr2. 2Ir3O10.1 has a KSbO3-type structure with an iridium oxidation state of +5, while the new pyrochlore (Na0.27Ca0.59)2Ir2O6·0.66H2O contains iridium with an average oxidation state close to +4.5. Our results illustrate the utility for hydrothermal synthesis in the discovery of novel complex structures that may be inaccessible using conventional high-temperature synthesis, with control of the metal oxidation state possible with judicious choice of reagents.
Measurement System Evaluation for Upwind/Downwind Sampling of Fugitive Dust Emissions

Eight different PM10 samplers with various size-selective inlets and sample flow rates were evaluated for upwind/ downwind assessment of fugitive dust emissions from two sand and gravel operations in southern California during September through October 2008. Continuous data were acquired at one-minute intervals for 24 hours each day. Integrated filters were acquired at five-hour intervals between 1100 and 1600 PDT on each day because winds were most consistent during this period. High-volume (hivol) size-selective inlet (SSI) PM10 Federal Reference Method (FRM) filter samplers were comparable to each other during side-by-side sampling, even under high dust loading conditions. Based on linear regression slope, the BGI low-volume (lovol) PQ200 FRM measured ~18% lower PM10 levels than a nearby hivol SSI in the source-dominated environment, even though tests in ambient environments show they are equivalent. Although the TSI DustTrak DRX PM10 concentrations did not equal those from the hivol SSI, both instruments were highly correlated (R = 0.9) at the two downwind sites. Multiple size ranges from the TSI DustTrak DRX and Grimm optical particle counters (OPC) allowed the identification of spatial non-uniformity for sources within and outside the facilities. Narrow dust plumes were only detected by some of the continuous instruments across the sampler array. Upwind PM10 concentrations at one of the locations were higher than the downwind concentrations owing to a high concentration of industrial and vehicular activities. The shorter-duration measurements and quantification of super-coarse (> 10 µm) particles with high deposition velocities available from optical particle counters is needed to evaluate the effects of local emissions on both upwind and downwind samples.
Investigating Students' Ability to Transfer Ideas Learned from Molecular Animations of the Dissolution Process.

Animations of the particulate level of matter are widely available for use in chemistry classes and are often the primary means of representing molecular behavior. These animations may also be viewed by individual students using textbook Web sites, although without reinforcement or feedback. It is not known to what extent the material in these animations becomes integrated into students' understanding of chemistry. This study examines what aspects of features of the particulate nature of matter learned from viewing two animations of sodium chloride dissolution at the particulate level students would transfer to their descriptions of an aqueous solution of sodium chloride viewed as a reactant solution in a video demonstration of a chemical reaction. The 18 college-level general chemistry students in the study had learned to incorporate some of the structural and functional features from particulate-level animations of sodium chloride dissolution into their explanations of the dissolution process. We invest.
MONTE CARLO SIMULATION OF POLARIZED LIGHT SCATTERING IN TISSUES

We investigate the propagation of polarized light in fibrous tissues such as muscle and skin. The myofibrils and collagen fibers are approximated as long cylinders and the tissue phantom is composed of spherical and cylindrical structures. We apply Monte Carlo method based on this phantom to simulate and analyze polarization imaging process of muscle. The good agreement between the simulation results and the experimental results validate the assumption of the phantom composition. This paper also presents how to describe the fiber orientation distribution and tissue anisotropy according to three parameters derived from the polarization imaging.