Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AZIMUTHAL METALLICITY STRUCTURE IN THE MILKY WAY DISK

Elemental abundance patterns in the Galactic disk constrain theories of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. H ii region abundances are the result of billions of years of chemical evolution. We made radio recombination line and continuum measurements of 21 H ii regions located between Galactic azimuth Az = 90°–130°, a previously unexplored region. We derive the plasma electron temperatures using the line-to-continuum ratios and use them as proxies for the nebular [O/H] abundances, because in thermal equilibrium the abundance of the coolants (O, N, and other heavy elements) in the ionized gas sets the electron temperature, with high abundances producing low temperatures. Combining these data with our previous work produces a sample of 90 H ii regions with high-quality electron temperature determinations. We derive kinematic distances in a self-consistent way for the entire sample. The radial gradient in [O/H] is − 0.082 ± 0.014 dex kpc - 1 ? > for Az = 90°–130°, about a factor of 2 higher than the average value between Az = 0°–60°. Monte Carlo simulations show that the azimuthal structure we reported for Az = 0°–60° is not significant because kinematic distance uncertainties can be as high as 50% in this region. Nonetheless, the flatter radial gradients between Az = 0°–60° compared with Az = 90°–130° are significant within the uncertainty. We suggest that this may be due to radial mixing from the Galactic Bar whose major axis is aligned toward Az ∼ 30°.
The New and Key Roles for Psychological Contract Status and Engagement in Predicting Various Performance Behaviors of Nurses

The study examines the impact of the psychological contract (PC), including the often-studied PC breach in addition to the novel approach of PC status, as predictors of performance among nurses, mediated by engagement, job satisfaction, and psychological distress. A sample of 177 nurses and midwives from a medium to a large hospital in Australia completed a self-report questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to determine associations between the predictors (i.e., negative affectivity (NA), PC breach, PC status)), mediating variables (i.e., engagement, job satisfaction, and psychological distress), and three types of performance behaviors: organizational citizenship behavior for the individual, for the organization (OCBI, OCBO) and in-role behavior (IRB) simultaneously. Specifically, psychological contract status positively predicted engagement, whereas breach negatively predicted engagement and positively predicted job satisfaction. NA positively predicted distress, and distress negatively predicted OCBO and IRB. Lastly, engagement positively predicted job satisfaction, OCBI, OCBO, and IRB. The findings indicate that psychological contract status may predict engagement (and in turn, performance) over and above psychological contract breach, and thus this novel construct should be examined further. The importance of engagement for predicting the performance behaviors and mental health of nurses may also offer new insights.
PENGARUH MOTIVASI, PENGALAMAN KERJA, DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN PERUSAHAAN DAERAH AIR MINUM KOTA BALIKPAPAN

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari motivasi, pengalaman kerja dan disiplin kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum Kota Balikpapan. Populasi penelitian sebanyak 367 responden. Menggunakan teknik random sampling sehingga sampel yang di gunakan sebanyak 78 responden. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah observasi, wawancara dan kuesioner. Metode analisis data yang digunakan adalah regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ketiga variabel secara simultan berpengaruh terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum Kota Balikpapan dengan Disiplin secara parsial berpengaruh secara signifikan dan dominan terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum Kota Balikpapan.
Production of Corn Protein Hydrolysate with Glutamine-Rich Peptides and Its Antagonistic Function in Ulcerative Colitis In Vivo

Ulcerative colitis is a typical chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which has become a serious hazard to human health. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antagonistic effect of corn protein hydrolysate with glutamine-rich peptides on ulcerative colitis. The sequential hydrolysis of corn gluten meal by Alcalase and Protamex was conducted to prepare the hydrolysate, and then the mouse ulcerative colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium was applied to evaluate its biological activities. The results indicated that the hydrolysate significantly improved weight loss (p < 0.05), reduced the colonic shortening and the disease activity index, diminished the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colonic tissue, and reduced the permeability of the colonic mucosa in mice. In addition, the hydrolysate decreased the contents of pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, increased the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 and oxidative stress markers GSH-Px and SOD in the animal tests. Moreover, the hydrolysate also regulated the abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, improved the microbiota structure, and increased the content of beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. These results indicated that the hydrolysate might be used as an alternative natural product for the prevention of ulcerative colitis and could be further developed into a functional food.
High-resolution absorption spectroscopy of the circumgalactic medium of the Milky Way

In this article we discuss the importance of high-resolution absorption spectroscopy for our understanding of the distribution and physical nature of the gaseous circumgalactic medium (CGM) that surrounds the Milky Way. Observational and theoretical studies indicate a high complexity of the gas kinematics and an extreme multi-phase nature of the CGM in low-redshift galaxies. High-precision absorption-line measurements of the Milky Way's gas environment thus are essential to explore fundamental parameters of circumgalactic gas in the local Universe, such as mass, chemical composition, and spatial distribution. We shortly review important characteristics of the Milky Way's CGM and discuss recent results from our multi-wavelength observations of the Magellanic Stream. Finally, we discuss the potential of studying the warm-hot phase of the Milky Way's CGM by searching for extremely weak [Fe X] λ 6374.5 A and [Fe XIV] λ 5302.9 A absorption in optical QSO spectra. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Effect of Dexamethasone Treatment on COVID-19 Prognosis in Cancer Patients

Background: Dexamethasone is used to treat cancer, relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, enhance cancer patients’ appetites, and treat COVID-19 patients. There is little evidence of the impact of a dexamethasone treatment plan on the severity of COVID-19 infections in cancer patients. This study explores whether dexamethasone treatment plan influences the severity of COVID-19 in dexamethasone-treated cancer patients. Methods: The medical records of 108 cancer patients receiving dexamethasone at King Hussein Cancer Center with a COVID-19 infection and 343 without corticosteroid treatment were reviewed. Patients on dexamethasone within seven days before infection, after infection, or both were included. Ventilation support, hospitalization, and mortality within 28 days of a COVID-19 diagnosis were key severity factors. Results: We found that dexamethasone before a COVID-19 infection increased the risk of requiring ventilation assistance and mortality within 28 days by a factor of 5.8 (2.8–12.0) relative to control (p < 0.005). Continuing dexamethasone treatment after a COVID-19 infection, or starting it after infection, had a risk factor equivalent to control. Conclusion: Our data showed that dexamethasone therapy protocol affected COVID-19 prognoses in cancer patients, and it is preferable to not discontinue therapy after infection. A rigorous prospective comparison between early and late dexamethasone dosing is needed to determine the best protocol for treatment.
Mechanisms of Actions Involved in The Antinociceptive Effect of Estragole and its β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex in Animal Models

(1) Background: estragole is a monoterpene found in the essential oils of several aromatic plants, which can be used for several pharmacological activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of estragole (Es) and its β-cyclodextrins inclusion complex (Es/β-CD). (2) Methods: the effects of Es and Es/β-CD on the central nervous system (CNS) were evaluated through open field and rota-rod assays, and the antinociceptive effect in formalin models, abdominal writhing induced by acetic acid, hot plate, tail flick test and plantar mechanical hyperalgesia. (3) Results: Es and Es/β-CD showed no alterations on the CNS evaluated parameters and the results suggested there was an antinociceptive action in the formalin, abdominal writhing, hot plate, tail flick tests and plantar mechanical hyperalgesia, proposing the involvement of the nitric oxide, glutamatergic signaling pathways, cyclic guanosine monophosphate and vanilloid pathways. (4) Conclusion: the results suggest that Es and Es/β-CD have a promising antinociceptive potential as a possible alternative for the pharmacological treatment of pain, also showing that the encapsulation of Es in β-cyclodextrins probably improves its pharmacological properties, since the complexation process involves much lower amounts of the compound, contributing to better bioavailability and a lower probability of adverse effect development.
Associations of Gait Speed, Cadence, Gait Stability Ratio, and Body Balance with Falls in Older Adults

To investigate the association between gait speed (GS), cadence (CAD), gait stability ratio (GSR), and body balance (BB) with falls in a large sample of older adults. The analysis included 619 individuals—305 men and 314 women (69.50 ± 5.62 years)—residing in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. Mobility in GS, CAD, and GSR was assessed using the 50-foot walk test and BB by the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale. The frequency of falls was obtained by self-report. Linear regression analysis showed that higher performance in GS and BB was able to reduce the risk of falling by up to 0.34 and 0.44 times, respectively. An increase in the GSR value enhanced the risk of falling by up to 0.10 times. Multinomial analysis indicated that, in relation to the highest tertile (reference), older adults classified with GS and BB performance in the lowest tertile (lowest) had an increased chance (OR) of falling by up to 149.3% and 48.8%, respectively. Moreover, in relation to the highest tertile, the performance of the GSR classified in the lowest and medium tercile showed an increase in the chance of falling by up to 57.4% and 56.4%, respectively.
Novel View Synthesis Of Transparent Object From a Single Image

We propose a method for converting a single image of a transparent object into multi‐view photo that enables users observing the object from multiple new angles, without inputting any 3D shape. The complex light paths formed by refraction and reflection makes it challenging to compute the lighting effects of transparent objects from a new angle. We construct an encoder–decoder network for normal reconstruction and texture extraction, which enables synthesizing novel views of transparent object from a set of new views and new environment maps using only one RGB image. By simultaneously considering the optical transmission and perspective variation, our network learns the characteristics of optical transmission and the change of perspective as guidance to the conversion from RGB colours to surface normals. A texture extraction subnetwork is proposed to alleviate the contour loss phenomenon during normal map generation. We test our method using 3D objects within and without our training data, including real 3D objects that exists in our lab, and completely new environment maps that we take using our phones. The results show that our method performs better on view synthesis of transparent objects in complex scenes using only a single‐view image.
Age determination of the HR 8799 planetary system using asteroseismology

Discovery of the first planetary system by direct imaging around HR8799 has made the age determination of the host star a very important task. This determination is the key to derive accurate masses of the planets and to study the dynamical stability of the system. The age of this star has been estimated using different procedures. In this work we show that some of these procedures have problems and large uncertainties, and the real age of this star is still unknown, needing more observational constraints. Therefore, we have developed a comprehensive modeling of HR8799, and taking advantage of its Doradus-type pulsations, we have estimated the age of the star using asteroseismology. The accuracy in the age determination depends on the rotation velocity of the star, and therefore an accurate value of the inclination angle is required to solve the problem. Nevertheless, we find that the age estimate for this star previously published in the literature ([30,160] Myr) is unlikely, and a more accurate value might be closer to the Gyr. This determination has deep implications on the value of the mass of the objects orbiting HR8799. An age around �1 Gyr implies that these objects are brown dwarfs.
Does robust regulation compromise H/sub 2/ performance?

The authors consider the problem of minimizing the H/sub 2/ norm of a feedback system subject to the constraint that the controller regulate robustly against constants and sinusoids. They show that for any in >0, there exists a controller that both achieves regulation and renders the closed-loop H/sub 2/ norm within in of the optimal norm (the norm achievable without the regulation constraint). Necessary and sufficient conditions are also given for when the optimal norm is achievable by a controller that regulates robustly. In all cases, controllers are exhibited by giving explicit state-space realizations that carry out the task. <<ETX>>
Twisted L-Functions And Monodromy

For hundreds of years, the study of elliptic curves has played a central role in mathematics. The past century in particular has seen huge progress in this study, from Mordell's theorem in 1922 to the work of Wiles and Taylor-Wiles in 1994. Nonetheless, there remain many fundamental questions where we do not even know what sort of answers to expect. This book explores two of them: What is the average rank of elliptic curves, and how does the rank vary in various kinds of families of elliptic curves? Nicholas Katz answers these questions for families of "big" twists of elliptic curves in the function field case (with a growing constant field). The monodromy-theoretic methods he develops turn out to apply, still in the function field case, equally well to families of big twists of objects of all sorts, not just to elliptic curves. The leisurely, lucid introduction gives the reader a clear picture of what is known and what is unknown at present, and situates the problems solved in this book within the broader context of the overall study of elliptic curves. The book's technical core makes use of, and explains, various advanced topics ranging from recent results in finite group theory to the machinery of l-adic cohomology and monodromy. Twisted L-Functions and Monodromy is essential reading for anyone interested in number theory and algebraic geometry.
Carotid Plaque Features and Inflammatory Biomarkers as Predictors of Restenosis and Mortality Following Carotid Endarterectomy

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the first-line surgical intervention for cases of severe carotid stenoses. Unfortunately, the restenosis rate is high after CEA. This study aims to demonstrate the predictive role of carotid plaque features and inflammatory biomarkers (monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI), and Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI)) in carotid restenosis and mortality at 12 months following CEA. Methods: The present study was designed as an observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study and included all patients over 18 years of age with a minimum of 70% carotid stenosis and surgical indications for CEA admitted to the Vascular Surgery Clinic, Emergency County Hospital of Targu Mures, Romania between 2018 and 2021. Results: According to our results, the high pre-operative values of inflammatory biomarkers—MLR (OR: 10.37 and OR: 6.11; p < 0.001), NLR (OR: 34.22 and OR: 37.62; p < 0.001), PLR (OR: 12.02 and OR: 16.06; p < 0.001), SII (OR: 18.11 and OR: 31.70; p < 0.001), SIRI (OR: 16.64 and OR: 9.89; p < 0.001), and AISI (OR: 16.80 and OR: 8.24; p < 0.001)—are strong independent factors predicting the risk of 12-month restenosis and mortality following CEA. Moreover, unstable plaque (OR: 2.83, p < 0.001 and OR: 2.40, p = 0.04) and MI (OR: 3.16, p < 0.001 and OR: 2.83, p = 0.005) were independent predictors of all outcomes. Furthermore, AH (OR: 2.30; p = 0.006), AF (OR: 1.74; p = 0.02), tobacco (OR: 2.25; p < 0.001), obesity (OR: 1.90; p = 0.02), and thrombotic plaques (OR: 2.77; p < 0.001) were all independent predictors of restenosis, but not for mortality in all patients. In contrast, antiplatelet (OR: 0.46; p = 0.004), statin (OR: 0.59; p = 0.04), and ezetimibe (OR:0.45; p = 0.03) therapy were protective factors against restenosis, but not for mortality. Conclusions: Our data revealed that higher preoperative inflammatory biomarker values highly predict 12-month restenosis and mortality following CEA. Furthermore, age above 70, unstable plaque, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia were risk factors for all outcomes. Additionally, AH, AF, smoking, and obesity were all independent predictors of restenosis but not of mortality in all patients. Antiplatelet and statin medication, on the other hand, were protective against restenosis but not against mortality.
How Entrepreneurial Education and Environment Affect Entrepreneurial Readiness of STEM and Business Students? A Longitudinal Study

This paper explores how entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial environment affect entrepreneurial readiness (ER) of students from Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and business, i.e., economics and management (E&M) studies. Moreover, it examines how the combination of the aforementioned factors affect the difference in ER between STEM and E&M students. The evaluation is performed on the sample of 595 university students. The results show that two sources of entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial experience in the family environment and entrepreneurial education at university, combined with the field of studies represent significant factors that predetermine students’ ER. To be able to reach the highest level of ER, the combination of having entrepreneurial environment and entrepreneurial education is crucial for both E&M and STEM students. However, since E&M students show higher level of ER, the paper emphasises the importance of fostering systemic entrepreneurial education among STEM students.
Silver Depreciation in 3-Polker Coins Issued during 1619–1627 by Sigismund III Vasa King of Poland

The present research is focused on the 3-Polker coins issued during 1619–1627 by Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland. A major financial crisis took place at that time due to the 30-year War, which started in 1619. There are two theories among historians concerning the silver depreciation of these coins. The most common theory (generally accepted without proof) is that the later years of issue are depreciated below 60% Ag. The second theory is based on the medieval sources that indicate inflation during the years from 1621–1625, but the medieval source only refers to the inflation of the type of coins and does not mention the issuer. Therefore, in this study, we use modern investigation techniques and materials science methods to help historians elucidate the aforementioned aspects regarding the medieval period. The XRD investigation results are in good agreement with the SEM-EDX elemental analysis. The coins from 1619 and 1620 have high silver content, namely, 86.97% and 92.49%, which corresponds to good silver. The amount of Ag found in the coins from 1621–1625 issituated in the range of 63.2–74.6%. The silver titleis suddenly restored in 1626 at about 84.3% and is kept in a good range until the end of this decree under Sigismund III in 1627. In conclusion, the second theory was partly validated by our experimental results, certifying the currency depreciation during 1621–1625, but the silver title was not lower than 54.2%. Notably, even this depreciated silver title assures a good quality of the 3-Polker coins compared to similar coins issued in other countries that were copper–silver-plated. Therefore, the 3-Polker coins were preferably hoarded at that time.Small alterations in the mint mark’s design were observed in all the depreciated coins compared to the good ones. This might be a sign for an expert to identify the depreciated coins, a fact which requires supplementary investigations. The silver title’s restoration in 1626 also came with a complete change of the mintmark.
Aging and Complexity Effects on Hemisphere-Dependent Movement-Related Beta Desynchronization during Bimanual Motor Planning and Execution

With aging comes degradation of bimanual movement performance. A hallmark feature of bimanual movements is movement-related beta desynchronization (MRBD), an attenuation in the amplitude of beta oscillations associated with sensorimotor activation. Here, we investigated MRBD in 39 healthy adults (20 younger and 19 older adults) in frontal, central, and parietal regions across both hemispheres, during the planning and execution of a bimanual tracking task. Task accuracy decreased with age and during more difficult conditions when both hands had to move at different relative speeds. MRBD was mostly situated in the central region, and increased in older versus younger adults during movement execution but not planning. Irrespective of age, motor planning and execution were associated with increased MRBD in the left and right hemispheres, respectively. Notably, right central MRBD during motor planning was associated with bimanual task performance, particularly in older adults. Specifically, persons who demonstrated high MRBD during motor planning performed better on the bimanual tracking task. Our results highlight the importance of lateralized MRBD during motor planning, thereby shining new light on previous research and providing a promising avenue for future interventions.