Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in water quality parameters and their effect on zooplankton distribution in a shallow bay of Lake Victoria, Kenya

Lake Victoria’s shallow bays are increasingly becoming vulnerable to degradation whose effects are manifested ecologically. The influence of water quality parameters on zooplankton distribution in four stations at Kisumu Bay of Lake Victoria in Kenya was estimated. Selected physic-chemical parameters were measured in-situ , while water samples for Chlorophyll a determination were collected. Zooplankton was sampled using conical plankton net. The shoreline station 1 exhibited significantly higher mean zooplankton species diversity and abundance (H’=2.23; 12.65±25.21 ind. L -1 respectively) compared to the offshore stations. Copepoda were the most abundant zooplankton across all the sampling stations while Rotifera constituted the highest species diversity with 14 species followed by Cladocera with 7 species. There were significant relationships between zooplankton abundance and water quality parameters. This study indicated that the water quality conditions observed may have resulted in suppression of some zooplankton species and favored species-specific abundance at the same time.
Generating Synthetic Depth Image Dataset for Industrial Applications of Hand Localization

In this paper, we focus on the problem of applying domain randomization to produce synthetic datasets for training depth image segmentation models for the task of hand localization. We provide new synthetic datasets for industrial environments suitable for various hand tracking applications, as well as ready-to-use pre-trained models. The presented datasets are analyzed to evaluate the characteristics of these datasets that affect the generalizability of the trained models, and recommendations are given for adapting the simulation environment to achieve satisfactory results when creating datasets for specialized applications. Our approach is not limited by the shortcomings of standard analytical methods, such as color, specific gestures, or hand orientation. The models in this paper were trained solely on a synthetic dataset and were never trained on real camera images; nevertheless, we demonstrate that our most diverse datasets allow the models to achieve up to 90% accuracy. The proposed hand localization system is designed for industrial applications where the operator shares the workspace with the robot.
K-Theory Torsion

The Chern isomorphism determines the free part of the K-groups from ordinary cohomology. Thus to really understand the implications of K-theory for physics one must look at manifolds with K-torsion. Unfortunately there are not many explicit examples, and usually for very symmetric spaces. Cartesian products of RP^n are examples where the order of the torsion part differs between K-theory and ordinary cohomology. The dimension of corresponding branes is also discussed. An example for a Calabi-Yau manifold with K-torsion is given.
ASSESSING THE CONTRIBUTION OF PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN PAKISTAN

The growing income inequalities along with lack of access to education and health in developing economies have resulted in economic and social restlessness which eventually shifted the attention of policymakers from growth objectives to inclusive economic development. This study constructs an index for inclusive development using UNDP’s (2011) human development index approach. Furthermore, this study analyzes the role of the financial and physical infrastructure to fight against disparities in income distribution and providing access to education and health thereby enabling the economy to move along the road that leads to inclusive development. The findings of this paper imply that physical infrastructure and financial development positively affect inclusive development. Thus, there is a need to promote investment in financial services and physical infrastructure to foster inclusive economic development. Keywords: Physical Infrastructure, Financial Issue, Inclusive development, Pakistan.
Making Strategy Out of Everyday Tools: A Collective Bricolage Perspective

In this article, we explore how non-strategy tools – which we call ‘occupational’ because they emerge from actors’ daily work – allow managers to strategize. Specifically, we focus on the crafting process of such tools, or what we call the strategy tooling process. We take an organizational bricolage perspective to identify the resources that practitioners draw upon in the tool crafting process and the types of dialogues they engage in. Empirically, we draw upon our comparison of two longitudinal case studies to identify a process model of collective bricolage. Combining the literature on collective bricolage with strategy tools allows to cast light on the emergence of strategy from the bottom up. Our contributions are twofold. First, we identify different categories of repertoires and dialogues and highlight their dynamic interactions in the process of bricolage. Second, our study of dialogues broadens the practice perspective on tools beyond the discursive turn. This paper is also relevant for managerial practice at a time when a growing interest in a participatory approach to strategy requires an understanding of how occupational tools help carry out strategy at the operational level.
Polarization-Converting Metasurface Inspired Dual-Band Dual-Circularly Polarized Monopole Antennas for Off-Body Communications

This letter investigates a novel technique to achieve circular polarizations (CPs) at 2.45 GHz ISM and 3.5 GHz WiMAX bands. The behavior is achieved by incidenting an <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$x$</tex-math></inline-formula>-polarized wave from a monopole antenna (MA) on a polarization-converting metasurface (PCMS). The PCMS operates in TM<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{10}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and TM<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{20}$</tex-math></inline-formula> modes that generate dual frequency bands and reflect a 90° phase-shifted y-polarized wave that, when combined with the 0° phase containing <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$x$</tex-math></inline-formula>-polarized wave, generates CP. To attain four separate combinations of phase-shift in terms of +90° and −90° in dual bands, four distinct 2×2 PCMSs are designed, which are designated as MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{4}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. The MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-based MA (A<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>) produces left-hand CP (LHCP), whereas the MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-based MA (A<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>) produces right-hand CP (RHCP) in both frequency bands. On the other hand, the MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-based MA (A<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula>) produces RHCP in the lower band (LB) and LHCP in the higher band (HB), whereas the MS<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{4}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-based MA (A<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{4}$</tex-math></inline-formula>) produces LHCP in the LB and RHCP in the HB. A<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula> is fabricated and measured, and the results are very close to the simulations. Each antenna has a wide impedance bandwidth, a high gain, and high efficiency with a low specific absorption rate (SAR) in the desired bands, which justifies their suitability for off-body communication.
An ecological investigation of average and peak external load intensities of basketball skills and game-based training drills

This study quantified average and peak external intensities of various basketball training drills. Thirteen youth male basketball players (age: 15.2 ± 0.3 years) were monitored (BioHarness-3 devices) to obtain average and peak external load per minute (EL · min−1; peak EL · min−1) during team-based training sessions. Researchers coded the training sessions by analysing the drill type (skills, 1vs1, 2vs2, 3vs0, 3vs3, 4vs0, 4vs4, 5vs5, 5vs5-scrimmage), court area per player, player’s involvement in the drill (in percentage), playing positions (backcourt; frontcourt) and competition rotation status (starter; rotation; bench). Separate linear mixed models were run to assess the influence of training and individual constraints on average and peak EL · min−1. Drill type influenced average and peak EL · min−1 (p < 0.05), but with different directions of effects. EL · min−1 was higher in skills and 4vs0 drills, while higher peak EL · min−1 values were obtained in 5vs5 and 5vs5-scrimmage. Similarly, EL · min−1 was higher when involvement % increased (p = 0.001), while there was an opposite trend for peak EL · min−1 (lower with higher involvement %). Court area per player influenced peak (p = 0.025) but not average demands. No effects were found for playing position or competition rotation status (all p > 0.05), except for a moderately higher EL · min−1 in starters compared to bench players. The external load intensities of basketball training drills substantially vary depending on the load indicator chosen, the training content, and task and individual constraints. Practitioners should not interchangeably use average and peak external intensity indicators to design training but considering them as separate constructs could help to gain a better understanding of basketball training and competition demands.
Experimental Study on Optimization of Surface Integrity Parameters in Machining of Porous Titanium Alloys

: In recent years, with the continuous development of my country's industrial level, people's research and exploration in the machining and application of porous titanium alloys has become more and more in-depth. In order to achieve greater breakthroughs and development in the field of optimization test research on surface integrity parameters of porous titanium alloy machining. In this paper, experiments and finite element simulation methods are used to adjust the process of titanium alloy machining by multi-step cutting and prestressed cutting, in order to control the surface quality of titanium alloy machining. Titanium alloys have superior performance and have the advantages of high strength and high corrosion resistance, but the small thermal conductivity and elastic modulus make titanium alloys difficult to cut. In this paper, a simulation model of multi-step cutting and pre-stressed cutting of titanium alloys is established, and the specific laws of multi-step cutting and pre-stressed cutting process regulation affecting chip shape, cutting force and residual stress of machined surface layer are studied. The results show that both multi-step cutting and prestress cutting can increase the residual compressive stress on the finished surface. The final results of the study showed that when the titanium alloy was cut at a distance of 4.63 mm, the corresponding machine wear was 5.41%. In the application process of porous titanium alloy cutting, the wear degree caused by titanium alloy cutting is not affected by its cutting distance, and the wear degree caused by titanium alloy cutting has always maintained an average level of about 5.5%, which is relatively stable.
Association between Air Pollution and Squamous Cell Lung Cancer in South-Eastern Poland

Air pollution is closely associated with the development of respiratory illness. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 pollution and the incidence of lung cancer in the squamous subtype in south-eastern Poland from the years 2004 to 2014. We collected data of 4237 patients with squamous cell lung cancer and the level of selected pollutants. To investigate the relationship between the level of concentrations of pollutants and the place of residence of patients with lung cancer in the squamous subtype, proprietary pollution maps were applied to the places of residence of patients. To analyze the data, the risk ratio was used as well as a number of statistical methods, i.e., the pollution model, inverse distance weighted interpolation, PCA, and ordered response model. Cancer in women and in men seems to depend in particular on the simultaneous inhalation of NO2 and PM10 (variable NO2PM10) and of NO2 and SO2 (variable NO2 SO2), respectively. Nitrogen dioxide exercises a synergistic leading effect, which once composed with the other elements it becomes more persistent in explaining higher odds in the appearance of cancers and could constitute the main cause of squamous cancer.
Efficacy of Biological and Physical Enhancement on Targeted Muscle Reinnervation

Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a microsurgical repair technique to reconstruct the anatomical structure between the distal nerve and the muscle stump to provide more myoelectric information to the artificially intelligent prosthesis. Postoperative functional electrical stimulation treatment of the patient's denervated muscle or proximal nerve stump as well as nerve growth factor injection is effective in promoting nerve regeneration and muscle function recovery. In this experiment, we successfully established a TMR rat model and divided Sprague-Dawley (SD) adult male rats into TMR group, TMR + FES group, and TMR + NGF group according to TMR and whether they received FES treatment or NGF injection after surgery, and the recovery effect of rat neuromuscular function was assessed by analyzing EMG signals. Through the experiments, we confirmed that growth factor supplementation and low-frequency electrical stimulation can effectively promote the regeneration of the transplanted nerve as well as significantly enhance the motor function of the target muscle and have a positive effect on the regeneration of the transplanted nerve.
The HLS19-COM-P, a New Instrument for Measuring Communicative Health Literacy in Interaction with Physicians: Development and Validation in Nine European Countries

Background: Sufficient communicative health literacy (COM-HL) is important for patients actively participating in dialogue with physicians, expressing their needs and desires for treatment, and asking clarifying questions. There is a lack of instruments combining communication and HL proficiency. Hence, the aim was to establish an instrument with sufficient psychometric properties for measuring COM-HL. Methods: The HLS19-COM-P instrument was developed based on a conceptual framework integrating HL with central communicative tasks. Data were collected using different data collection modes in nine countries from December 2019 to January 2021 (n = 18,674). Psychometric properties were assessed using Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach’s alpha and Person separation index were considered for reliability. Results: The 11-item version (HLS19-COM-P-Q11) and its short version of six items (HLS19-COM-P-Q6) fit sufficiently the unidimensional partial credit Rasch model, obtained acceptable goodness-of-fit indices and high reliability. Two items tend to under-discriminate. Few items displayed differential item functioning (DIF) across person factors, and there was no consistent pattern in DIF across countries. All items had ordered response categories. Conclusions: The HLS19-COM-P instrument was well accepted in nine countries, in different data collection modes, and could be used to measure COM-HL.
Site-resolved imaging of ytterbium atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice

We report a high-resolution microscope system for imaging ultracold ytterbium atoms trapped in a two-dimensional optical lattice. By using the ultraviolet strong transition combined with a solid immersion lens and high-resolution optics, our system resolved individual sites in an optical lattice with a 544-nm spacing. Without any cooling mechanism during the imaging process, the deep potential required to contain the atoms was realized using a combination of a shallow ground-state and a deep excited-state potentials. The lifetime and limitations of this setup were studied in detail.
Long-Term Outcomes With Drug-Eluting Balloon for the Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis and De Novo Lesions: The Novara-Biella-Trento (NOBITRE) Registry

Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have emerged for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of in-stent restenosis or particular anatomical subsets. We provide a real-world analysis of the prognostic determinants and long-term outcomes of patients treated with DCB for any lesion in a comprehensive multicenter registry. The primary study endpoint was the occurrence of major cardiovascular events (MACE: composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization) at the longest available follow-up. We included 267 patients (196 treated for in-stent restenosis and 71 for de novo lesions), with a median follow-up of 616 [368–1025] days. MACE occurred in 70 (26.2%) of the patients and related with higher rates of in-stent restenosis (P = .04), longer and more type C lesions (P = .05 and P = .04). At multivariate Cox-regression, type C lesions emerged as the only independent predictor of MACE (adjusted OR [95% CI] = 1.83[1.13–2.97], P = .014), mainly driven by target vessel revascularization (adjusted OR[95% CI] = 1.78[1.05–2.95], P = .03) not conditioning survival. In-stent restenosis emerged as major determinant of TLF (adjusted OR[95% CI] = 2.59[1.17–5.75], P = .02). DCBs represent a treatment option for any lesion; however, type C and restenotic lesions are associated with an increased risk of MACE and target lesion failure, where the optimal strategies for patients’ selection and lesion preparation are still undefined.
EXTENDED OBSERVABLES IN HAMILTONIAN THEORIES WITH CONSTRAINTS

In a classical Hamiltonian theory with second-class constraints the phase space functions on the constraint surface are observables. We give general formulas for extended observables, which are expressions representing the observables in the enveloping unconstrained phase space. These expressions satisfy in the unconstrained phase space a Poisson algebra of the same form as the Dirac bracket algebra of the observables on the constraint surface. The general formulas involve new differential operators that differentiate the Dirac bracket. Similar extended observables are also constructed for theories with first-class constraints which, however, are gauge-dependent. For such theories one may also construct gauge-invariant extensions with similar properties. Whenever extended observables exist the theory is expected to allow for a covariant quantization. A mapping procedure is proposed for covariant quantization of theories with second-class constraints.
Effect of Gate Dielectric Material on the Electrical Properties of MoSe2-Based Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor

In this study, we fabricated metal–insulator–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) based on nanolayered molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) using two insulator materials, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (SiN). We performed morphological and electrical characterizations in which the devices showed good electronic performance, such as high mobility and high Ion/Ioff ratios exceeding 104. The subthreshold swing (ss) was somewhat high in all devices owing to the dimensions of our devices. In addition, the transfer curves showed good controllability as a function of gate voltage. The photogating effect was weakened in MoSe2/SiN/Si, indicating that SiN is a good alternative to silicon oxide as a gate dielectric material.
Developing an Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine for the Hepatitis C Virus Using an in Silico Approach

A vaccine has still not been found for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the number of global cases of HCV is still high. The development of HCV vaccines is challenging due to the complex genetic diversity of the virus. Epitope-based vaccine design using in silico computational methods is an effective strategy that could lead to the development of vaccines with the ability to induce the required immunogenicity without the emergence of cytokine storms or immune tolerance. This study aimed to find an epitope candidate from the HCV E2 protein which has potential as a peptide vaccine. The research was observational descriptive and was carried out in silico on an HCV vaccine candidate. The software used was MEGA X, IEDB, VaxiJen 2.0, BLASTp. 3 conserved regions were obtained from 10 countries, namely VCGPVYCFTPSPVVVGTTD, CPTDCFRK, and YRLWHYPCT. The sequences between these countries still have phylogenetic relationships, even though they are in different branches, showing the evolution of the HCV subtypes. The VYCFTPSPVVVGTTD epitope became the candidate for the development of a peptide vaccine because of its antigenicity score and its ability to be used for effective epitope-based vaccines. This HCV vaccine candidate epitope does not cause an autoimmune response because it has been confirmed to be using BLASTp with the result that it shares no similarity with human cell surface proteins. Keywords: vaccines, peptides, epitope, hepatitis C virus, in silico
NiO/ZnO-Coated Carbon Microspheres for Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction (DSPE) of Malachite Green and Crystal Violet in Aquatic Food Products with Determination by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC)

Abstract Developing highly efficient adsorbents toward trace pollutant analysis in complex biological samples is a challenge in analytical chemistry. Herein, NiO/ZnO-coated carbon microspheres (denoted by NiO/ZnO@C) with a well-defined core–shell structure were prepared through hydrothermal treatment and subsequent pyrolysis in air to enrich malachite green (MG) and crystal violet (CV). Hydrophilic carbon microspheres played an important role in the formation of core–shell NiO/ZnO@C, which may lead to the deposition of Ni2+/Zn2+ upon the surface via acidic chelating ligands. Based on the Langmuir model, NiO/ZnO@C demonstrated high adsorption capacities of 333.3 and 192.3 mg/g for MG and CV, respectively. Moreover, the NiO/ZnO@C composite served as a dispersive solid-phase extraction adsorbent to determine MG and CV in aquatic products combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. High linearity was obtained for analyte concentrations from 5 to 500 μg/L with correlation coefficients (r) exceeding 0.9991. The limits of detection of the method were 0.50 μg/L (MG) and 0.35 μg/L (CV) with relative standard deviations less than 7.47%. Furthermore, the developed method was employed to determine MG and CV in aquatic products.
Rectangular Parallelepiped Vibration in Plane Strain State

In this paper we present a vibration spectrum of a homogenous parallelepiped (HP) under the action of volume and surface forces resulting from the exponent displacements entering the Fourier transforms. Vibration under the action of axial surface tractions and the free vibration are described separately. A relationship between the high frequency vibration and boundary conditions (BC) is also considered.