Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contamination of Two Heavy Metals in Topsoils of the Urban Parks Asadabad, Iran 2013

Urban soils, as an important part of ecosystem, have direct and indirect effects on the quality of life and can be the most important reservoir or sink of heavy metals and other pollutants in urban areas (1,2). Therefore, excessive input of metals into urban soils by human activity can impose a long term burden on the biogeochemical cycle in the urban ecosystem by cause effects such as the soil function deterioration, changes in the soil properties and other environmental problems. (3,4). Also urban soils were known to have peculiar characteristics such as poor structure, unpredictable layering and high concentration of metals (5,6). On the other hand, the soil can be considered as a medium with the capacity to transfer pollutants to the groundwater, into the food chain and the human body (7). Generally, metals are characterized by their particular properties such as enrichment, toxicity, bioaccumulation and concealment (8) which pose serious threats to human health and urban ecosystems on a global scale. These are some reasons for using the urban soils as a good indicator of the level and extent of metal accumulation in the environment (9). Thus, metals are used as tracers of environmental pollution (10). In urban soils and road dusts, the anthropogenic sources of heavy metals are include traffic emission (vehicle exhaust A-R-T-I-C-L-EI-N-F-O A-B-S-T-R-A-C-T Article Notes: Received: Oct 28, 2015 Received in revised form: Jun 25, 2016 Accepted: Feb 26, 2016 Available Online: Marc 30, 2016 Background & Aims of the Study: Heavy metals are the most important contaminants in the soil. Due to their non-biodegradable property, heavy metals can persist in the ecosystem for a long time. Therefore, this research focuses on heavy metal contamination in urban park soils in Asadabad, Hamedan, Iran. Materials & Methods: Altogether 18 composite soil samples were collected at depths 0-20 cm from urban parks. The urban soil samples were digested in aqua regia according to 11466 ISO standard methods. Total concentrations of Cd and Pb were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Results: Concentrations of Cd and Pb varied in the range of 0.15-0.22 and 7.5-27.5 mg/kg, with mean values of 0.18 and 20.72, respectively. The mean values of geo-accumulation index ( Igeo) were (-0.70) and (0.04) for Cd and Pb respectively. The urban soils in Asadabad, Iran, were uncontaminated by Cd and uncontaminated until moderately contaminate with Pb. There was no significant correlation between Pb and Cd (r=0.16), it seems that these metals may have derived from different sources. Conclusions: Findings showed that Cd was usually associated with parent material in the soils, while Pb was controlled by anthropogenic activities such as traffic and residential wastes. Also the results indicated that urban park's location affects the total metal contents of the analyzed soils.
Navigating the Complexity of a Bipolar Pregnant Patient With Multiple Comorbidities

Bipolar disorder I (BDI) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the occurrence of at least one manic episode. Within the scope of neurological disorders, epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) share clinical features and can be differentiated using electroencephalogram (EEG). Substance use disorder is a condition defined by impaired control, risky use, social impairment, and addictive behaviors. We present the case of a 20-year-old pregnant woman with BDI associated with a history of epilepsy, PNES, and polyvalent substance use. The patient presented to the emergency department via the Baker Act involuntary hold multiple times throughout her pregnancy. Recognizing that the welfare of the mother and child was at risk, the court ordered a two-month commitment of inpatient psychiatric treatment at 30 weeks' gestation to ensure safe delivery. Comprehensive inpatient treatment, including risperidone, levetiracetam, lacosamide, haloperidol, diphenhydramine, lorazepam, and later clozapine, and a discharge plan for both the mother and the child are described in detail. Our goal is to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the management of complex pregnant patients with psychiatric conditions in order to optimize outcomes for maternal and fetal health.
Biplot approach with self-incompatibility analyses of sib diallel cross data for Lysimachia monelli (Primulaceae)

Abstract The biplot is a diagnostic tool used to make a visual appraisal of large data matrices with double entries. It has been most commonly used in crop breeding to evaluate genotype × environment interactions. We have employed the biplot method to study the self- and cross-compatibility reactions as evinced by diallel crosses for full-sib progeny arrays in Lysimachia (Anagallis) monelli, a species that has been shown to have single locus, multiallelic self-incompatibility, homomorphic gametophytic type (GSI). The resultant plots show two and three major groups (inter-compatible, intra-incompatible). In all diallel biplots, the high proportion of the total variation explained by two principal components (PC1 and PC2) indicates one-locus SI. Two to four compatible/incompatible clusters found in the analyzed diallels is in accord with a GSI type. More interestingly, the biplots also showed varying degrees of interaction between plants as females (pollen receiving) and plants as males (pollen donors) in the data from two diallels. The biplot method offers an alternative approach to study the genetic control of self-incompatibility via diallel crosses, and we propose that it might be particularly useful to study complex self-incompatibility systems in which conventional methods for the analysis of sib diallel results have proven difficult.
The winter habitat selection of red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in the Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, China

Xueyi Zhou, Hongwei Jiao, Yansu Dou, Achyut Aryal, Jie Hu, Jinchu Hu and Xiuxiang Meng* College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand Institute of Rare and Precious Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637002, China School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun Da-jie, Beijing 100872, China
Descriptive Analysis of Trauma Admission Trends before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Traumatic injuries are a significant global health concern, with profound medical and socioeconomic impacts. This study explores the patterns of trauma-related hospitalizations in the Lublin Province of Poland, with a particular focus on the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim of the Study: The primary aim of this research was to assess the trends in trauma admissions, the average length of hospital stays, and mortality rates associated with different types of injuries, comparing urban and rural settings over two distinct time periods: 2018–2019 and 2020–2021. Methods: This descriptive study analyzed trauma admission data from 35 hospitals in the Lublin Province, as recorded in the National General Hospital Morbidity Study (NGHMS). Patients were classified based on the International Classification of Diseases Revision 10 (ICD-10) codes. The data were compared for two periods: an 11-week span during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and the equivalent period in 2019. Results: The study found a decrease in overall trauma admissions during the pandemic years (11,394 in 2020–2021 compared to 17,773 in 2018–2019). Notably, the average length of hospitalization increased during the pandemic, especially in rural areas (from 3.5 days in 2018–2019 to 5.5 days in 2020–2021 for head injuries). Male patients predominantly suffered from trauma, with a notable rise in female admissions for abdominal injuries during the pandemic. The maximal hospitalization days were higher in rural areas for head and neck injuries during the pandemic. Conclusions: The study highlights significant disparities in trauma care between urban and rural areas and between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. It underscores the need for healthcare systems to adapt to changing circumstances, particularly in rural settings, and calls for targeted strategies to address the specific challenges faced in trauma care during public health crises.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency and the Nervous System: Beyond Metabolic Decompensation—Comparing Biological Models and Gaining New Insights into Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms

Vitamin B12 (VitB12) is a micronutrient and acts as a cofactor for fundamental biochemical reactions: the synthesis of succinyl-CoA from methylmalonyl-CoA and biotin, and the synthesis of methionine from folic acid and homocysteine. VitB12 deficiency can determine a wide range of diseases, including nervous system impairments. Although clinical evidence shows a direct role of VitB12 in neuronal homeostasis, the molecular mechanisms are yet to be characterized in depth. Earlier investigations focused on exploring the biochemical shifts resulting from a deficiency in the function of VitB12 as a coenzyme, while more recent studies propose a broader mechanism, encompassing changes at the molecular/cellular levels. Here, we explore existing study models employed to investigate the role of VitB12 in the nervous system, including the challenges inherent in replicating deficiency/supplementation in experimental settings. Moreover, we discuss the potential biochemical alterations and ensuing mechanisms that might be modified at the molecular/cellular level (such as epigenetic modifications or changes in lysosomal activity). We also address the role of VitB12 deficiency in initiating processes that contribute to nervous system deterioration, including ROS accumulation, inflammation, and demyelination. Consequently, a complex biological landscape emerges, requiring further investigative efforts to grasp the intricacies involved and identify potential therapeutic targets.
Crossing the Credit Channel: Credit Spreads and Firm Heterogeneity

Credit spreads rise after a monetary policy tightening, yet spread reactions are heterogeneous across firms. Exploiting information from a panel of corporate bonds matched with balance sheet data for U.S. non-financial firms, we document that firms with high leverage experience a more pronounced increase in credit spreads than firms with low leverage. A large fraction of this increase is due to a component of credit spreads that is in excess of firms' expected default. Our results suggest that frictions in the financial intermediation sector play a crucial role in shaping the transmission mechanism of monetary policy.
International Credit Supply Shocks

House prices and exchange rates can potentially amplify the expansionary effect of capital inflows. We first set up a model of collateralized borrowing in domestic and foreign currency with international financial intermediation in which a change in leverage of global intermediaries leads to an international credit supply increase. In this environment, we illustrate how house price increases and exchange rates appreciations contribute to fueling the boom by inflating the value of collateral. We then document empirically, in a Panel VAR model for 50 advanced and emerging countries estimated with quarterly data from 1985 to 2012, that an increase in the leverage of US Broker-Dealers also leads to an increase in cross-border credit flows, a house price and consumption boom, a real exchange rate appreciation and a current account deterioration consistent with the transmission in the model. Finally, we study the sensitivity of the consumption and asset price response to such a shock, and show that country differences are associated with the level of the maximum loan-to-value ratio and the share of foreign currency denominated credit.
Short-time work in the Great Recession: firm-level evidence from 20 EU countries

Using firm-level data from a large-scale European survey among 20 countries, we analyse the determinants of firms using short-time work (STW). We show that firms are more likely to use STW in case of negative demand shocks. We show that STW schemes are more likely to be used by firms with high degrees of firm-specific human capital, high firing costs, and operating in countries with stringent employment protection legislation and a high degree of downward nominal wage rigidity. STW use is higher in countries with formalised schemes and in countries where these schemes were extended in response to the recent crisis. On the wider economic impact of STW, we show that firms using the schemes are significantly less likely to lay off permanent workers in response to a negative shock, with no impact for temporary workers. Relating our STW take-up measure in the micro data to aggregate data on employment and output trends, we show that sectors with a high STW take-up exhibit significantly less cyclical variation in employment.
Would Macroprudential Regulation Have Prevented the Last Crisis?

How well equipped are today’s macroprudential regimes to deal with a rerun of the factors that led to the global financial crisis? To address the factors that made the last crisis so severe, a macroprudential regulator would need to implement policies to tackle vulnerabilities from financial system leverage, fragile funding structures, and the build-up in household indebtedness. We specify and calibrate a package of policy interventions to address these vulnerabilities—policies that include implementing the countercyclical capital buffer, requiring that banks extend the maturity of their funding, and restricting mortgage lending at high loan-to-income multiples. We then assess how well placed are two prominent macroprudential regulators, set up since the crisis, to implement such a package. The US Financial Stability Oversight Council has not been designed to implement such measures and would therefore make little difference were we to experience a rerun of the factors that preceded the last crisis. A macroprudential regulator modeled on the UK’s Financial Policy Committee stands a better chance because it has many of the necessary powers. But it too would face challenges associated with spotting build-ups in risk with sufficient prescience, acting sufficiently aggressively, and maintaining political backing for its actions.
Estimating Nominal Interest Rate Expectations: Overnight Indexed Swaps and the Term Structure

Financial market participants and policymakers closely monitor the evolution of interest rate expectations. At any given time, the term structure of interest rates contains information regarding these expectations. No-arbitrage dynamic term structure models have regularly been used to estimate interest rate expectations and term premia, but daily frequency estimates of these models fail to accurately capture the evolution of interest rate expectations implied by surveys and financial market instruments. I propose the augmentation of no-arbitrage Gaussian affine dynamic term structure models (GADTSMs) with overnight indexed swap (OIS) rates in order to better estimate the evolution of interest rate expectations and term premia across the whole term structure. I augment the model with 3 to 24-month OIS rates, which provide accurate information about interest rate expectations. The OIS-augmented model that I propose, estimated between January 2002 and December 2016 for the US, generates estimates of the expected path of short-term interest rates, up to the 10-year horizon, that closely correspond to those implied by federal funds futures rates and survey expectations at a range of horizons, and accurately depict their daily frequency evolution. Against these metrics, the interest rate expectation estimates from OIS-augmented models are superior to estimates from existing GADTSMs.
Employment and the Collateral Channel of Monetary Policy

This paper uses a detailed firm-level dataset to show that monetary policy propagates via asset prices through corporate debt collateralised on real estate. Our research design exploits the fact that many small and medium sized firms use the homes of the firm’s directors as a key source of collateral, and directors’ homes are typically not in the same region as their firm. This spatial separation of firms and firms’ collateral allows us to separate the propagation of monetary policy via fluctuations in collateral values from that via demand channels. We find that younger and more levered firms who have collateral values that are particularly sensitive to monetary policy show the largest employment response to monetary policy. The collateral channel explains a sizeable share of the aggregate employment response.
Does Bonus Cap Curb Risk Taking? An Experimental Study of Relative Performance Pay and Bonus Regulation

We conducted a lab experiment with 253 participants to examine how constraints on bonus akin to bonus regulations, such as bonus cap and malus, could affect individuals’ risk-taking in the presence of relative performance pay. Participants took greater risks when bonus was linked to investment performance relative to that of their peers (relative performance pay) than when it depended on their own performance only. In the absence of relative performance pay, bonus cap and malus reduced risk-taking. With relative performance pay, the risk-mitigating effects of bonus cap and malus were significantly weakened; but participants took less risk when bonus was made conditional on their team avoiding a loss.
Are Electric-field-driven Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of the Solar Corona Sensitive to the Initial Condition?

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona are often started from a potential field initial condition, which may be far from the true state of the coronal magnetic field. To test the sensitivity of the simulations to the initial condition, an electric-field-driven MHD code was initiated from three different initial conditions: the commonly used potential field, a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation, which is believed to be a better representation of the true coronal magnetic field, and a purely vertical field. After relaxation, the magnetic field in the MHD simulations was compared. It was found that there is a tendency for all of the initial conditions to converge to a similar connectivity, particularly in areas of strong fields that are not close to the boundary, suggesting that the final state of the simulation is not particularly sensitive to the initial condition. The relaxed solution more closely resembles the NLFFF initial condition than the other initial conditions, but still exhibits substantial differences from it.
Mindfulness Coaching with Digital Lifestyle Monitoring Enhances Selective Attention in Medical Scientists

Medical scientists have dual commitments to clinical care and research efforts. Such commitments can create hectic and stressful work schedules, which may impact on wellbeing and cognition. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that mindfulness coaching plus wearable based lifestyle monitoring can benefit such individuals. We conducted a waitlist controlled intervention study (n=43) with M.D./Ph.D. preclinical or graduate students and post M.D./Ph.D. trainees/faculty. Assessments of quantitative outcomes included subjective measures of burnout, mindfulness, selfcompassion, and wellbeing, as well as objective cognitive assessments. The results showed no impacts on subjective measures. However, amongst objective cognitive measures, selective attention performance was significantly improved following the intervention (bias corrected effect size, Hedges g = 1.13, p=0.005). Extent of improvement in selective attention correlated with suppression of visual alpha oscillations a neural marker for distractibility measured using electroencephalography (EEG) (r=-0.32, p<0.05). Qualitative feedback showed that after receiving the intervention, participants in both groups equally rated the overall experience as very good (3.70 +/-0.98 out 5). They also appreciated that the intervention emphasized healthy lifestyle behaviors, and contributed to mindfulness, compassion, and a sense of community. A majority (57%) of the participants reported that they expect to change their wellbeing related behaviors because of the intervention. Overall, this study suggests the utility of mindfulness coaching to improve selective attention skills in medical scientists and that more needs to be done to enhance subjective well-being in such individuals.
Water pipe smoking and stroke: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Objective Despite the damaging effects of water pipe on physical health, there is little information about the potential harmful effects of this tobacco on stroke. This study aims to investigate the relationship between water pipe smoking and stroke. Method A systematic review was conducted including Ovid SP, Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases with focus on cohort, case–control, and cross‐sectional studies. We reviewed all studies reporting on water pipe smoking and stroke. The funnel plot and the Egger regression test were used to assess publication bias. Results In the four eligible studies, there were a total of 2759 participants that 555 patients had at least once experienced stroke. Meta‐analysis revealed positive association between water pipe smoking and stroke with pooled adjusted OR 2.79 (95% CI: 1.74–3.84; I2=0,p=.741) and the funnel plot shows asymmetry publication bias. Conclusions We found a higher effect of water pipe smoking on stroke compared to cigarette smoking and concluded that water pipe increases the risk of stroke by 2.79. Hence, because most of the water pipe consumer society is young, especially women, policies and decisions need to be taken to control the supply of this tobacco to the market and more provide education on the health problem of water pipe smoking. Implications This study provides a higher effect of water pipe smoking on stroke. Physicians and researchers who intend to study in the field of stroke should better examine the effects of water pipe (including time of use, dose–response, long‐term effects, and risk factors) on stroke.
Advances in the Treatment of Keratoconus: Epithelial-On (EPI-On) Corneal-Collagen Cross-Linking (CXL) and CXL-Plus Procedures

Keratoconus (KC) incidence is on the increase. The advent of corneal-collagen cross-linking (CXL) has revolutionized the management of KC. This systematic review looks at the efficacy and complications of two novel treatments within CXL: Epithelial-On (Epi-On) and CXL-plus procedures. Two separate literature searches were carried out up until July 1, 2021. Articles only published in the last two years were included to ensure that only the most recent articles were reviewed. A total of 15 articles were selected for this review. There were varied results regarding the efficacy of Epi-On. No significant difference was found between Epi-On and standard Epithelial-Off (Epi-Off) CXL. However, it was found that Epi-On was inferior to standard CXL in terms of reducing KMAX. There was a higher risk of progression in patients treated with Epi-On CXL, with an increased rate of patients requiring re-treatment due to the advancement of their KC. While some studies report CXL-plus procedures demonstrate long-term efficacy and safety, a considerable number of studies advise caution, reporting a significant deterioration in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). Consequently, a question persists regarding the safest and most efficacious approach, given the lack of robust large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the current literature.