Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Randomization in Characterizing the Subsurface

Current methods for characterizing Earth’s subsurface, such as standard inverse techniques, are not sufficiently accurate to meet the needs of modern applications in the fields of energy exploration, environmental management, and global security. While increasing the quantity of field measurements and robustness of the applied data-/model-analysis methods can improve accuracy, such approaches can be computationally impractical for large data sets and complex site conditions. Therefore, there is a need to develop economically-feasible and robust computational methods while maintaining accuracy. For example, in-field drilling for geothermal operations may yield high failure rates, resulting in unacceptably high costs; errors and/or large uncertainties in the estimated subsurface characteristics are the main impediment to the successful siting of an in-field well. This problem is not uniquely geothermal. Accurate characterization of uncertain subsurface properties is also critical for monitoring storage of carbon dioxide, estimating pathways of subsurface contaminant transport, and supervising ground-based nuclear-explosion tests.
Priva-Stream: Private Collaborative Live Streaming

Video streaming currently accounts for more than 75% of overall Internet traffic. However, Content Delivery Networks, which are commonly used to deliver video content, are costly to setup and do not scale well for live video streaming services. We introduce Priva-Stream, an edge-assisted content delivery system allowing to aggregate video content from multiple edge peers in addition to existing delivery servers. Priva-Stream uses incentive mechanisms to reward participating users, and trusted execution environments such as Intel SGX to enforce privacy. Our experiments using a complete prototype show that Priva-Stream increases the quality of experience end-users can expect while at the same time providing strong privacy guarantees.
Prevalence of viral infection markers by polymerase chain reaction amplification and interferon‐alpha measurements among patients undergoing lumbar puncture in an emergency department

Aseptic meningitis is a frequent diagnosis in emergency departments. Nevertheless, viral investigations are not carried out currently and the viral etiology in adult population has not been studied extensively. We conducted a prospective study including all consecutive patients undergoing lumbar puncture during a 15 months period in an adult emergency department. Bloody and purulent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were excluded. The main tests undertaken were: CSF genomic amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for neurotropic viruses and serum and CSF interferon‐alpha (IFN‐α) measurements. Among 194 patients included, 45 had and 149 did not have aseptic meningitis. Of 45 patients with aseptic meningitis, 10 had alternative non‐virological final diagnosis, and 35/45 were presumed to have neurological disorders of viral origin. Patients (27/35) completed virological analysis: 21/27 (78%) had either positive viral PCR (enterovirus: 8 patients, Varicella zoster virus (VZV): 5, Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV): 2, herpes simplex virus (HSV): 1, human herpes virus 6: 1) or only raised serum or CSF IFN‐α (4 patients). Overall, 59% of patients with a positive viral PCR had either CSF or serum raised IFN‐α. Twentyone patients without meningitis had either positive viral PCR (enterovirus: 3 patients) or only high serum IFN‐α level (18 patients). In the setting of aseptic meningitis diagnosed in an adult emergency department, viruses are the most common agents encountered, with enterovirus and VZV as the two main etiological agents. Current CSF viral genome amplification and IFN‐α measurement are informative and could be useful to confirm the viral origin of various neurological disorders, although the sensitivity and specificity of IFN‐α measurement for the diagnosis of viral infection need further confirmation. J. Med. Virol. 73:137–146, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neuron-derived IgG Protects Neurons from Complement-dependent Cytotoxicity

Passive immunity of the nervous system has traditionally been thought to be predominantly due to the blood-brain barrier. This concept must now be revisited based on the existence of neuron-derived IgG. The conventional concept is that IgG is produced solely by mature B lymphocytes, but it has now been found to be synthesized by murine and human neurons. However, the function of this endogenous IgG is poorly understood. In this study, we confirm IgG production by rat cortical neurons at the protein and mRNA levels, with 69.0 ± 5.8% of cortical neurons IgG-positive. Injury to primary-culture neurons was induced by complement leading to increases in IgG production. Blockage of neuron-derived IgG resulted in more neuronal death and early apoptosis in the presence of complement. In addition, FcγRI was found in microglia and astrocytes. Expression of FcγR I in microglia was increased by exposure to neuron-derived IgG. Release of NO from microglia triggered by complement was attenuated by neuron-derived IgG, and this attenuation could be reversed by IgG neutralization. These data demonstrate that neuron-derived IgG is protective of neurons against injury induced by complement and microglial activation. IgG appears to play an important role in maintaining the stability of the nervous system.
2 2 N ov 2 01 7 Completely subradiant multi-atom architectures through 2 D photonic crystals

Inspired by recent advances in the manipulation of atoms trapped near 1D waveguides and proposals to use surface acoustic waves on piezoelectric substrates for the same purpose, we show the potential of two-dimensional platforms. We exploit the directional emission of atoms near photonic crystal slabs with square symmetry to build perfect subradiant states of 2 distant atoms, possible in 2D only for finite lattices with reflecting boundaries. We also show how to design massively parallel 1D arrays of atoms above a single crystal, useful for multi-port output of nonclassical light, by exploiting destructive interference of guided resonance modes due to finite size effects. Directionality of the emission is shown to be present whenever a linear iso-frequency manifold is present in the dispersion relation of the crystal. Multi-atom radiance properties can be obtained from a simple cross-talk coefficient of a master equation, which we compare with exact atom-crystal dynamics, showing its predictive power.
Sains Humanika Implied Volatility Forecasting in the Options Market : A Survey Najmi

Implied volatility is regarded as one of the most important variables for determining profitability in options trading. Implied volatility gives indication about the future volatility of the underlying asset and can be used to predict the degree to which the asset price might swing and thus whether the options could become profitable before expiration. Volatility forecasting can be grouped into two main categories namely option-implied volatility and historical time-series models. There is an academic debate as to which of the two methods has stronger predictive power. In this paper, we provide a review of options-implied volatility forecasting studies. This survey of the literature suggests there is no consensus to indicate that the implied volatility has stronger predictive power than historical time series in forecasting realized volatility.
Composition of Simulations for the Analysis of Smart Grid Scenarios

In this paper the need for a modular Smart Grid simulation framework is motivated. This framework has to allow the automatic composition of existing simulation models for the evaluation of control strategies. Domain specific requirements for this approach are discussed. Based on reference models from literature, a layered approach for solving the composition problem is presented. It breaks down the problem into a syntactical, semantical and a scenario layer, for each of which basic concepts for solving the problem are presented.
Composition of Soil Microbial Communities Enriched on a Mixture of Aromatic Hydrocarbons

ABSTRACT Soil contaminated with C5+, which contained benzene (45%, wt/wt), dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) plus cyclopentadiene (together 20%), toluene (6%), styrene (3%), xylenes (2%), naphthalene (2%), and smaller quantities of other compounds, served as the source for isolation of 55 genomically distinct bacteria (standards). Use of benzene as a substrate by these bacteria was most widespread (31 of 44 standards tested), followed by toluene (23 of 44), xylenes (14 of 44), styrene (10 of 44), and naphthalene (10 of 44). Master filters containing denatured genomic DNAs of all 55 standards were used to analyze the community compositions of C5+ enrichment cultures by reverse sample genome probing (RSGP). The communities enriched from three contaminated soils were similar to those enriched from three uncontaminated soils from the same site. The compositions of these communities were time dependent and showed a succession of Pseudomonas andRhodococcus spp. before convergence on a composition dominated by Alcaligenes spp. The dominant community members detected by RSGP were capable of benzene degradation at all stages of succession. The enrichments effectively degraded all C5+ components except DCPD. Overall, degradation of individual C5+ hydrocarbons followed first-order kinetics, with the highest rates of removal for benzene.
Intellectual Property Rights and North-South Joint Ventures

We study the effect of the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime of a host country (South) on a multinational's decision between serving a market via greenfield foreign direct investment to avoid the exposure of its technology or a North-South joint venture (JV) with a local firm, which allows R&D spillovers under imperfect IPRs. JV is the equilibrium market structure when R&D intensity is moderate and IPRs strong. The South can gain from increased IPR protection by encouraging a JV, whereas policies to limit foreign ownership in a JV gain importance in technology intensive industries as complementary policies to strong IPRs.
The Potential Influence of CO2, as an Agent for Euthanasia, on the Pharmacokinetics of Basic Compounds in Rodents

Rodent tissue distribution and pharmacokinetic studies were performed on basic compounds Org A and Org B in support of central nervous system drug discovery programs. A consistent observation from these studies was that drug concentrations in plasma obtained by cardiac puncture after CO2 euthanasia were markedly higher compared with those from other sampling methods (serial sampling, isoflurane anesthesia, or cervical dislocation). Further investigations demonstrated that CO2 euthanasia led to a reduction in blood pH in both rats and mice, which was not observed with the other sampling methods. The use of CO2 euthanasia resulted in a decrease in the brain/plasma ratio of Org B, largely as a result of increased plasma concentrations. The pharmacokinetics of a basic drug, raloxifene, in rat were also influenced by sampling technique. CO2 euthanasia before sampling, resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in the area under the drug concentration-time curve, a decrease in plasma clearance, and a decrease in the steady-state volume of distribution compared with isoflurane anesthesia. It is proposed that a decrease in the pH of blood relative to that of other tissues, as a consequence of CO2 exposure, results in a redistribution of basic compounds out of the tissues, leading to higher concentrations in plasma.
Prevalence of hepatitis C among psychiatric patients in the public sector.

OBJECTIVE This study estimated the seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus in a public-sector psychiatric hospital. METHOD Patients admitted between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec. 30, 2000, were routinely screened for hepatitis C virus antibody on admission. RESULTS A total of 133 (8.5%) of 1,556 patients admitted were positive for the hepatitis C virus. Aminotransferase levels were elevated but rarely abnormal among patients positive for the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B surface antibody was found in 27.8% of the patients positive for the hepatitis C virus. These patients were more likely to receive a diagnosis of psychoactive substance use disorder but no other psychiatric diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of hepatitis C virus is high among psychiatric patients in the public sector. Much needs to be learned about the role of universal screening and effective techniques for primary prevention and antiviral treatment in this population.
Oral Health Programmes in Indigenous Communities Worldwide—Lessons learned from the field: A qualitative systematic review

OBJECTIVES This systematic review examines the evidence on the effectiveness of programmes that aim to improve the oral health of Indigenous populations worldwide, as well as presents a qualitative analysis to explore the design and implementation of these initiatives. METHODS MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched. Studies were included if they described an oral health programme for an Indigenous population in any country worldwide. A thematic synthesis of the qualitative findings was undertaken for each study's results and discussion sections. RESULTS Nineteen studies were included. Sixteen studies reported positive results, twelve of which reported statistically significant findings. Three themes regarding design and implementation emerged from the qualitative analysis: (i) elements of successful programmes, (ii) challenges and barriers to successful interventions and (iii) suggestions for improvements. CONCLUSIONS Successful programmes considered cultural appropriateness in their design-including extensive community engagement before, during and after implementation to enhance ownership of, and thus participation in the programme. Collaborative approaches were seen as an advantage, not only with Indigenous communities, but also with local health providers and organizations, with particular emphasis on incorporation into existing services. Challenges included low community participation, unstable funding and staffing issues. In addition, future programmes should also incorporate advocacy and community development, focus on changes to public policy, utilize evidence-based interventions that include traditional models of health, attempt to secure a stable funding base, target strategies to ensure staff retention and develop interventions that target the multilevel causes of general and oral health. This review provides an evidence base that can aid in the successful design, implementation and sustainability of oral health programmes for Indigenous people in the future.
The Changing Landscape of Doctoral Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: PhD Students, Faculty Advisors, and Preferences for Varied Career Options

The landscape of graduate science education is changing as efforts to diversify the professoriate have increased because academic faculty jobs at universities have grown scarce and more competitive. With this context as a backdrop, the present research examines the perceptions and career goals of advisors and advisees through surveys of PhD students (Study 1, N = 195) and faculty mentors (Study 2, N = 272) in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Study 1 examined actual preferences and career goals of PhD students among three options: research careers, teaching careers, and non-academic careers in industry, and compared the actual preferences of students with what they perceived as being the normative preferences of faculty. Overall, students had mixed preferences but perceived that their advisors had a strong normative preference for research careers for them. Moreover, students who ranked research positions as most desirable felt the most belonging in their academic departments. Further analyses revealed no differences in career preferences as a function of underrepresented minority (URM) student status or first-generation (FG) status, but URM and FG students felt less belonging in their academic departments. Study 2 examined faculty preferences for different careers for their advisees, both in general and for current students in particular. While faculty advisors preferred students to go into research in general, when focusing on specific students, they saw their preferences as being closely aligned with the career preference of each PhD student. Faculty advisors did not perceive any difference in belonging between their students as a function of their URM status. Discrepancies between student and faculty perceptions may occur, in part, because faculty and students do not engage in sufficient discussions about the wider range of career options beyond academic research. Supporting this possibility, PhD students and faculty advisors reported feeling more comfortable discussing research careers with each other than either non-academic industry positions or teaching positions. Discussion centers on the implications of these findings for interpersonal and institutional efforts to foster diversity in the professoriate and to create open communication about career development.
Effects of Calcium-Based Surface Amendments on the Penetration Resistance of Subsurface Drained Sodic Soils

In the saline/sodic and sodic soils of the northern Great Plains, subsurface drainage can inadvertently result in clay particle dispersion if the surface soils are leached with rainwater. Under these conditions, penetration resistance (PR) in wet soil can be used to examine the effectiveness of free drainage (FD) vs. no drainage (ND) treatments and surface amendments consisting of a high rate of gypsum (GH), a low rate of gypsum (GL), spent lime (SL, a byproduct from the processing of sugarbeets), and no amendments [or check plots (CK)] on improving soil trafficability. The PR and soil moisture contents were determined from 0 to 45 cm depth for sodic soil plots near Wyndmere, North Dakota, during June 2015. The effects of drainage and surface amendments on PR were evaluated using analysis of variance, with gravimetric moisture content incorporated as a covariate. Significant differences were considered at p < 0.05. The mean PR values of ND (450 and 936 kPa) and FD (428 and 917 kPa) for the 0 to 15 cm and 15 to 30 cm layers, respectively, were not significantly different. The PR value for the surface 15 cm was higher for GH (485 kPa) than for the other surface amendments. In the 15 to 30 cm layer, the PR for GH (1050 kPa) was significantly higher than for GL (954 kPa), which was in turn higher than for SL (866 kPa) and CK (839 kPa). Benefits from the combined effects of drainage and surface amendments were more evident in the 15 to 30 cm layer than in the 0 to 15 cm layer. In the 0 to 15 cm layer, NDGH had PR means (498 kPa) that were similar to all other treatments but higher than for FDSL (384 kPa). In the 15 to 30 cm layer, FDGL had PR means (1007 kPa) similar to FDGH (1074 kPa) and NDGH (1027 kPa), which showed that drainage coupled with a lower gypsum rate achieved similar results as the higher rate of gypsum application.
Exercise tolerance improves after pulmonary rehabilitation in pulmonary hypertension patients

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is part of the recommended management plan of pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) and is important to better quality of life and exercise tolerance. This study aimed at determining effectiveness of PR on exercise capacity. Retrospective chart analysis was conducted on patients referred to our PHTN clinic for PR. Patients who had PHTN diagnosed on right heart catheterization (defined by mean pulmonary artery pressure>25 mmHg) and completed a standardized 12-week PR program were considered for the study. Patients’ baseline exercise tolerance was recorded as speed attainable on a treadmill and duration of exercise in minutes. Demographics, age, sex, and oxygen use were obtained from chart review. Eighteen PHTN patients (5 male, 13 female; mean age 67.7±11.6 years) were considered for the study (six World Health Organization [WHO] group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension [33.33%], eight WHO group III PHTH [44.44%], two WHO group IV and two WHO V PHTN [11.11%]). Treadmill speed improved following rehabilitation (1.3 mph [interquartile range {IQR}, 1.0–1.8 mph] to 2.2 mph [IQR, 1.3–2.8 mph]; P<0.0001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Median exercise time improved (27 min (IQR, 22–30 min) to 30 min (IQR, 24–30 min); not significant. Improvement was defined only as an increase in speed or duration, or both. Sixteem of 18 participants improved (88.9% [95% exact binomial confidence interval, 65.3%–98.6%). Patients with PHTN benefit from a structured PR program to improve their exercise capacity and should be enrolled in PR programs as part of their management.
Factors driving the firms decision to export. Firm-level evidence from Poland

The model by Melitz (2003) predicts that if firms differ in their productivity (TFP) and there exists a fixed costs of entry to export markets, firms begin exporting if productivity exceeds a certain threshold value. Productivity is thus a crucial factor behind firms' export market participation. To verify this, I estimate a simple probit model of the firms decision to export, based on the Polish manufacturing firm-level data. Estimation of productivity of individual firms is troublesome as the standard OLS method produces biased estimates due to the endogeneity of factor choice. I use a multi-stage semi-parametric approach, as proposed by Olley and Pakes (1996) controlling for endogeneity and the bias caused by firms exiting and entering the sample during the period under consideration. Besides determining the significance of the TFP coefficient in the probit regression, I examine the paths of productivity of firms entering the export market and make an attempt to identify the potential learning-by-exporting effects.
Is Homeopathic Arnica Effective for Postoperative Recovery? A Meta-analysis of Placebo-Controlled and Active Comparator Trials

Background: Homeopathic Arnica montana is used in surgery as prevention or treatment for the reduction of pain and other sequelae of surgery. Our aim was to perform a metaanalysis of clinical trials to assess efficacy of Arnica montana to reduce the inflammatory response after surgery. Method: We conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis, following a predefined protocol, of all studies on the use of homeopathic Arnica montana in surgery. We included all randomized and nonrandomized studies comparing homeopathic Arnica to a placebo or to another active comparator and calculated two quantitative metaanalyses and appropriate sensitivity analyses. We used “Hegde's g,” an effect size estimator which is equivalent to a standardized mean difference corrected for small sample bias. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42020131300. Results: Twenty-three publications reported on 29 different comparisons. One study had to be excluded because no data could be extracted, leaving 28 comparisons. Eighteen comparisons used placebo, nine comparisons an active control, and in one case Arnica was compared to no treatment. The metaanalysis of the placebo-controlled trials yielded an overall effect size of Hedge's g = 0.18 (95% confidence interval −0.007/0.373; p = 0.059). Active comparator trials yielded a highly heterogeneous significant effect size of g = 0.26. This is mainly due to the large effect size of nonrandomized studies, which converges against zero in the randomized trials. Conclusion: Homeopathic Arnica has a small effect size over and against placebo in preventing excessive hematoma and other sequelae of surgeries. The effect is comparable to that of anti-inflammatory substances.