Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A WIGGLE-MATCHED 297-YR TREE-RING OXYGEN ISOTOPE RECORD FROM THAILAND: INVESTIGATING THE 14C OFFSET INDUCED BY AIR MASS TRANSPORT FROM THE INDIAN OCEAN

ABSTRACT Regional offsets from Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon (14C) calibration curves are widely recognized for monsoon Asia and often hinder accurate 14C dating. In this paper, we explore the possible linkage between summer monsoon intensity and 14C offsets using tree-ring δ18O and 14C data from Thailand. We developed a 297-yr floating tree-ring δ18O chronology comprising seven teak log-coffin samples from the Ban Rai rock shelter site, northwestern Thailand. The outermost ring of our chronology was estimated to date from 358–383 CE, within a 95.4% (2σ) probability range, based on a total of 10 14C measurements that were wiggle-matched against a mixed calibration curve evenly weighted from the IntCal20 and SHCal20 curves. Backward trajectory analysis showed that an intensified (weakened) summer monsoon detected in a modern tree-ring δ18O chronology was most likely to be induced by increased (decreased) air mass transport from the tropical Indian Ocean, which is an area of intense upwelling where the 14C concentration is lower than the atmospheric 14C level. However, partly because of the limited sample size and dating uncertainty, the direct linkage between the tree-ring δ18O series and 14C records obtained from our teak log-coffin samples could not be statistically verified.
Can Alterations in Cerebrovascular CO2 Reactivity Be Identified Using Transfer Function Analysis without the Requirement for Carbon Dioxide Inhalation?

The present study aimed to examine the validity of a novel method to assess cerebrovascular carbon dioxide (CO2) reactivity (CVR) that does not require a CO2 inhalation challenge, e.g., for use in patients with respiratory disease or the elderly, etc. In twenty-one healthy participants, CVR responses to orthostatic stress (50° head-up tilt, HUT) were assessed using two methods: (1) the traditional CO2 inhalation method, and (2) transfer function analysis (TFA) between middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCA V) and predicted arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) during spontaneous respiration. During HUT, MCA V steady-state (i.e., magnitude) and MCA V onset (i.e., time constant) responses to CO2 inhalation were decreased (p < 0.001) and increased (p = 0.001), respectively, indicative of attenuated CVR. In contrast, TFA gain in the very low-frequency range (VLF, 0.005–0.024 Hz) was unchanged, while the TFA phase in the VLF approached zero during HUT (−0.38 ± 0.59 vs. 0.31 ± 0.78 radians, supine vs. HUT; p = 0.003), indicative of a shorter time (i.e., improved) response of CVR. These findings indicate that CVR metrics determined by TFA without a CO2 inhalation do not track HUT-evoked reductions in CVR identified using CO2 inhalation, suggesting that enhanced cerebral blood flow response to a change in CO2 using CO2 inhalation is necessary to assess CVR adequately.
A Compositional Dissipativity Approach for Data-Driven Safety Verification of Large-Scale Dynamical Systems

This work is concerned with a compositional data-driven approach for formal safety verification of large-scale continuous-time dynamical systems with unknown models. The proposed framework enjoys the interconnection matrix and joint dissipativity-type properties of subsystems, described by the notion of stochastic storage certificates. In the first part of the paper, we cast the required conditions for constructing storage certificates as a robust optimization program (ROP). Since the proposed ROP is not tractable due to the unknown model appearing in one of its constraints, we propose a scenario optimization program (SOP) corresponding to the original ROP by collecting finite numbers of data from trajectories of each subsystem. By establishing a probabilistic relation between the optimal value of SOP and that of ROP, we construct a storage certificate for each unknown subsystem based on the number of data and a required level of confidence. We accordingly propose a compositional technique based on dissipativity reasoning to construct stochastic barrier certificates of interconnected systems based on storage certificates of individual subsystems. By leveraging the acquired barrier certificate, we quantify a lower bound on the probability that an interconnected system never reaches a certain unsafe region in finite-time horizons with an a-priori guaranteed confidence. We also propose an auxiliary compositional approach without requiring any compositionality condition but at the cost of providing a potentially conservative safety guarantee. In the second part of the paper, we propose our approaches for deterministic continuous-time systems with unknown dynamics. We verify our results over an unknown room temperature network containing 100 rooms.
An inquiry into the semantic transparency and productivity of German particle verbs and derivational affixation

This study addresses the relation between morphological productivity and semantic transparency. Using distributional semantics, we compare German word formation using particles with derivational word formation. We observed that derivational suffixes, but not particles, tend to make strong independent semantic contributions to their carrier words. In two-dimensional t-SNE maps, complex words show clustering by affix, but not by particle. Furthermore, the semantic vectors of suffixed words are predictable from their base words with higher accuracy than is possible for particle verbs. For particle verbs, but not affixed verbs, semantic similarity within the set of complex words correlated negatively with the number of types. Furthermore, only for particle verbs, a greater number of observed types predicted a reduced probability of observing unseen types. We propose that particle verbs primarily serve the onomasiological function of labeling, resulting in relatively idiosyncratic semantic vectors. By contrast, words sharing derivational affixes form distinct clusters in semantic space while maintaining strong and consistent semantic relations with their base words. This enables these words to serve not only as labels, but also allows them to be used with an anaphoric function in discourse.
Sensors for sub-ppm NO2 gas detection based on carbon nanotube thin films

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on Si3N4/Si substrates have been investigated as resistive gas sensors for NO2. Upon exposure to NO2, the electrical resistance of the CNTs was found to decrease. The maximum variation of resistance to NO2 was found at an operating temperature of around 165 °C. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity to NO2 gas at concentrations as low as 10 ppb, fast response time, and good selectivity. A thermal treatment method, based on repeated heating and cooling of the films, adjusted the resistance of the sensor film and optimized the sensor response to NO2.
Accretion Disks in Pre-Planetary Nebulae

A number of planetary nebulae (PNs) exhibit collimated, high-velocity outflows or jets. These hydrodynamical structures cannot be easily accommodated within the classical models of the evolution of post-asymptotic giant branch stars, and understanding them has become a topical problem in PN research. One way to explain the existence of jets in PNs has been to invoke the presence of accretion disks, which would presumably set the conditions for the collimation and driving of the outflows. This work investigates in detail the type of binary systems that are likely to lead to Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) and the formation of accretion disks as a consequence of common-envelope evolution, and explores the expected basic physical structure of such disks. The results of the analysis show substantial restrictions on the composition of binary systems that can form a disk upon accretion onto the primary. Typically, it is found that for a primary asymptotic giant branch (AGB) core of 0.6 M☉ and envelope mass of 2-3 M☉, secondaries with M2 ≳ 0.08 M☉ and initial separation ai ≳ 200 R☉ will not lead to RLOF. For systems that do lead to RLOF, this is achieved at orbital separations <2 R☉. We also find that dynamically stable mass transfer from secondaries with M2 ≳ 0.08 M☉ does not lead to disk formation, since the circularization radius lies below the surface of the AGB core. Only lower mass companions, after a dynamically unstable mass transfer process, may lead to disk formation. Under reasonable simplifying assumptions, we estimate the resulting accretion disk properties and evolution and discuss their potential role in driving collimated outflows.
Effects of Protein Supplementation Combined with Resistance Exercise Training on Walking Speed Recovery in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis and Sarcopenia

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is closely associated with sarcopenia, sharing the common characteristics of muscle weakness and low physical performance. Resistance exercise training (RET), protein supplementation (PS), and PS+RET have promise as treatments for both sarcopenia and KOA. However, whether PS+RET exerts any effect on time to recovery to normal walking speed (WS) in older adults with sarcopenia and KOA remains unclear. This study investigated the treatment efficiency of PS+RET on WS recovery among individuals with KOA and sarcopenia. A total of 108 older adults aged ≥ 60 years who had a diagnosis of radiographic KOA and sarcopenia were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Sarcopenia was defined on the basis of the cutoff values of the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index for Asian people and a slow WS less than 1.0 m/s. The patients were equally distributed to three groups: PS+RET, RET alone, and usual care. The weekly assessment was performed during a 12-week intervention and a subsequent 36-week follow-up period. A cutoff of 1.0 m/s was used to identify successful recovery to normal WS. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to measure the survival time to normal WS among the study groups. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression (CPHR) models were established to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of successful WS recovery and determine its potential moderators. After the 3-month intervention, PS+RET as well as RET obtained greater changes in WS by an adjusted mean difference of 0.18 m/s (p < 0.0001) and 0.08 (p < 0.05) m/s, respectively, compared to usual care. Kaplan–Meier analysis results showed both RET and PS+RET interventions yielded high probabilities of achieving normal WS over the 12-month follow-up period. Multivariate CPHR results revealed that PS+RET (adjusted HR = 5.48; p < 0.001), as well as RET (adjusted HR = 2.21; p < 0.05), independently exerted significant effects on WS recovery. PS+RET may accelerate normal WS recovery by approximately 3 months compared with RET. Sex and initial WS may influence the treatment efficiency. For patients with KOA who suffer sarcopenia, 12-week RET alone exerts significant effects on WS recovery, whereas additional PS further augments the treatment effects of RET by speeding up the recovery time of WS toward a level ≥ 1.0 m/s, which facilitates the patients to diminish the disease severity or even free from sarcopenia.
Symmetric superconducting states in thin films

Previous physical experiments and numerical studies suggest that, in the presence of a tangential external magnetic field, the density distribution of superconducting electron pairs and the excited field in a thin film are symmetric. In this paper, the existence of such symmetric solutions of the one-dimensional Ginzburg–Landau theory for thin film superconductivity is established. The behavior of these solutions versus the external field verifies the Meissner effect. At low fields, the classical London theory is recovered. The critical fields for extreme type II superconductors are higher than type I ones. Moreover, numerical examples calculated using a gradient-flow method for the reduced governing equations are presented which exhibit sharp phase transitions from the normal state to superconducting states or vice versa as one varies the applied field.
What is the role of biodiversity in mediating the effects of climate change on New Zealand’s future agroecosystems?

ABSTRACT Climate change will have far-reaching negative impacts on all aspects of Earth’s state and functions, including ongoing biodiversity decline and threats to agricultural production. These effects will be dependent on geographic location; for example, parts of New Zealand are predicted to have increased flooding, drought and wildfires, depending on the local environmental context. Effects of climate change on agricultural production will be both direct, such as crop losses due to flooding, and indirect, such as increased invasive pest insect and weed pressure on horticultural production or decline in water capture capacity in pastoral South Island High Country tussock grasslands due to increased fire frequency combined with grazing. It is crucial to understand the complex, interactive effects of climate change on agroecosystems, mediated by biodiversity, if human interventions, such as land management, are to be developed and effectively applied to mitigate negative consequences. Even better is if those interventions can be used to address the biodiversity crisis. Nature-based Solutions is a framework that offers such solutions; however, improved scientific understanding of these interacting processes within agroecosystems is required at multiple temporal and spatial scales to justify sector investment for changes in agricultural land management practices that enhance production and native biodiversity.
Good times bad times — Unfavorable breeding conditions, more than divorce, lead to increased parental effort and reduced physiological condition of northern gannets

Decreased productivity in long-lived bird species is linked to prey depletion in marine ecosystems. Seabirds, however, exhibit behavioral flexibility at individual level to prevent this outcome. One such strategy to alleviate any impact on fitness would be to divorce from their partners. Although changing mates and increasing foraging effort have been shown to increase or maintain reproductive success, how the behavioral flexibility affects fundamental physiological parameters remains to be elucidated. Here, we compared physiological components (nutritional status, muscle damage and oxidative stress) of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) in relation to their partnership status and foraging effort. Specifically, we used a cross-sectional data set (at the population level) of three contrasted years to compare retained and changed mates. We predicted that mate change is a stressful event with impacts on health condition and those effects are higher during unfavorable years with food depletion. Our study showed that gannets changing mate increase parental effort only during years of low food abundance, with consequences on health condition (increased body mass loss, higher protein catabolism and higher oxidative damage during chick rearing period). Ultimately, our study suggests that partnership decision is not likely to reduce the long-term quality and the fitness of parents. Reproduction during harsh conditions would however likely be one of the primary causes of individual quality loss and fitness decline in this long-lived bird species.
Testing the independent effects of refutations and summaries on understanding

ABSTRACT The present experiment explored the independent effects of refutations and summaries to prevent student misunderstandings when learning from an introductory psychology text on cognitive dissonance. Explicitly presenting and refuting a common misconception about cognitive dissonance did not improve performance on comprehension questions that required understanding of the topic, but adding a final summary paragraph did. The present findings suggest that explanations that aid the integration of correct ideas within a student’s mental model of a phenomenon are more important for supporting conceptual understanding than just the co-activation and recognition of correct and incorrect conceptions.
Competencies of hospital managers – A systematic scoping review

Hospital managers around the world work under constant pressure to adapt their organizations to new challenges and health policy goals. This requires a comprehensive set of competencies. The objective of this scoping review was to identify, map, and systematize the literature on hospital manager competencies. The review involved six steps: (1) defining research questions; (2) identifying relevant literature; (3) selecting publications; (4) data extraction; (5) data analysis and result reporting; and (6) consultations. A total of 57 full-text publications were included (46 empirical studies, six literature reviews, four expert opinions/guidelines, and one dissertation). Interest in this topic has grown in recent years, with most of the identified studies published since 2015. The empirical studies fall into three major groups: 34.8% (16/46) examined hospital managers’ competencies in terms of their types or classifications; 30.4% (14/46) focused on their measurement; and 30.4% (14/46) examined both aspects. In majority of studies, both ‘hard competencies,’ such as specific technical knowledge or skills acquired through practical training, and ‘soft competencies,’ e.g., adaptability, leadership, communication, teamwork, are echoed for effective hospital management. These point out the importance of both ‘external’ formal education trainings as well as ‘internal’ peer-support and/or coaching as complementary competency improvement approaches. This scoping review helps build a knowledge base around the topic and provides implications for future research. The latter can involve: a targeted systematic review addressing the methods for measuring the level of competence of hospital managers or studies focused on identifying the need for new types of competencies.
Recent advances in metal particulate recording media: toward the ultimate particle

The rapid evolution of particulate coatings ensures their continuing dominance in data recording tapes and flexible disks. The leading material is the metal particulate composition, known as MP. The advent of highly sensitive heads (MR and possibly GMR) has made small particle size a high priority in MP development, because the media-limited signal-to-noise ratio depends upon the number of particles per recorded bit. This trend to smaller size will ultimately be limited by insufficient thermal magnetic stability of the particles. An Arrhenius-Neel switching model can be used, together with the dependence of the experimental coercivity H/sub c/ on field duration, to determine an effective switching volume. This volume agrees well with the particle volume, as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), for recently developed MP particles, but is somewhat smaller than the TEM volume for earlier ones. The model predicts that the practical lower limit of particle size in current MP technology is about 3 to 4/spl times/10/sup -18/ cm/sup 3/. Volumes can therefore be reduced by 2- to 3-fold from those of the most advanced current particles, and by 6- to 10-fold from those generally used commercially, before approaching the thermal stability limit predicted by the model. This reduction would be expected to give an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio of 8 to 10 dB, relative to current data recording tapes.
Development and validation of a computer program for measuring emotional awareness in German—The geLEAS (German electronic Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale)

Introduction Emotional awareness is the ability to identify, interpret, and verbalize the emotional responses of oneself and those of others. The Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) is an objective performance inventory that accurately measures an individual's emotional awareness. LEAS assessments are typically scored manually and are therefore both time consuming and cognitively demanding. This study presents a German electronic scoring program for the LEAS (geLEAS), the first non-English computerized assessment approach of the LEAS. Methods Data were collected from a healthy German community sample (N = 208). We developed a modern software for computerizing LEAS scoring, an open-source text-based emotion assessment tool called VETA (Verbal Emotion in Text Assessment). We investigated if the software would arrive at similar results as hand scoring in German and if emotional awareness would show similar associations to sociodemographic information and psychometric test results as in previous studies. Results The most frequently used scoring method of the geLEAS shows excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94) and high correlations with hand scoring (r = 0.97, p < 0.001). Higher emotional awareness measured by the geLEAS is associated with female gender, older age, and higher academic achievement (all p < 0.001). Moreover, it is linked to the ability to identify emotions in facial expressions (p < 0.001) and more accurate theory of mind functioning (p < 0.001). Discussion An automated method for evaluating emotional awareness greatly expands the ability to study emotional awareness in clinical care and research. This study aims to advance the use of emotional awareness as a clinical and scientific parameter.
Evaluating Social Impact of Smart City Technologies and Services: Methods, Challenges, Future Directions

This study examines motivations, definitions, methods and challenges of evaluating the social impacts of smart city technologies and services. It outlines concepts of social impact assessment and discusses how social impact has been included in smart city evaluation frameworks. Thematic analysis is used to investigate how social impact is addressed in eight smart city projects that prioritise human-centred design across a variety of contexts and development phases, from design research and prototyping to completed and speculative projects. These projects are notable for their emphasis on human, organisational and natural stakeholders; inclusion, participation and empowerment; new methods of citizen engagement; and relationships between sustainability and social impact. At the same time, there are gaps in the evaluation of social impact in both the smart city indexes and the eight projects. Based on our analysis, we contend that more coherent, consistent and analytical approaches are needed to build narratives of change and to comprehend impacts before, during and after smart city projects. We propose criteria for social impact evaluation in smart cities and identify new directions for research. This is of interest for smart city developers, researchers, funders and policymakers establishing protocols and frameworks for evaluation, particularly as smart city concepts and complex technologies evolve in the context of equitable and sustainable development.