Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptual and Ventilatory Responses to Hypercapnia in Athletes and Sedentary Individuals

Purpose Hypercapnic chemosensitivity traditionally captures the ventilatory response to elevated pressures of carbon dioxide in the blood. However, hypercapnia also contributes to subjective breathing perceptions, and previously we demonstrated a closer matching of perception to changes in ventilation in athletes compared to controls. Here we investigated any potential underlying hypercapnic chemosensitivity differences between groups, and explored whether these measures relate to ventilatory and perceptual responses during exercise as well as trait levels of affect. Methods A hypercapnic challenge, incremental maximal exercise test and affective questionnaires were completed by 20 endurance athletes and 20 age-/sex-matched sedentary controls. The hypercapnic challenge involved elevating end-tidal PCO2 by 0.8% (6.1 mmHg) and 1.5% (11.2 mmHg) for 3 min each (randomised), with constant end-tidal oxygen. Ventilatory and perceptual responses to hypercapnia were compared between groups, and within each group the relationships between hypercapnic chemosensitivity (slope analyses) and exercising ventilation and perceptions were calculated using Spearman’s non-parametric correlations. Results While absolute ventilation differences during hypercapnia and exercise were observed, no group differences were found across hypercapnic chemosensitivity (slope) measures. Correlation analyses revealed the anxiety hypercapnic response was related to maximal exercise anxiety, but only in sedentary individuals. Conclusion Ventilatory and perceptual hypercapnic chemosensitivity do not differ between athletes and sedentary individuals. However, ventilatory and anxiety hypercapnic chemosensitivities were related to ventilatory and anxiety responses during exercise in untrained individuals only. Athletes may employ additional strategies during exercise to reduce the influence of chemosensitivity on ventilatory and perceptual responses.
Synthesis of [

Background: Receptor‐interacting protein 1 kinase (RIPK1) is a key enzyme in the regulation of cellular necroptosis. Recently, cyclohexyl (5‐(2‐acetamidobenzo[d]thiazol‐ 6‐yl)‐2‐methylpyridin‐3‐yl)carbamate (PK68, 5) has been developed as a potent inhibi‐ tor of RIPK1. Herein, we synthesized [C]carbonyl‐labeled PK68 ([C‐carbonyl]PK68, [C]PK68) as a potential PET tracer for imaging RIPK1 and evaluated its brain uptake in vivo. Results: We synthesized [C]PK68 by reacting amine precursor 14 with [C]acetyl chloride. At the end of synthesis, we obtained [C]PK68 of 1200–1790 MBq with a radiochemical yield of 9.1 ± 5.9% (n = 10, decay‐corrected to the end of irradiation) and radiochemical purity of > 99%, and a molar activity of 37–99 GBq/μmol starting from 18–33 GBq of [C]CO2. The fully automated synthesis took 30 min from the end of irradiation. In a small‐animal PET study, [C]PK68 was rapidly distributed in the liver and kidneys of healthy mice after injection, and subsequently cleared from their bodies via hepatobiliary excretion and the intestinal reuptake pathway. Although there was no obvious specific binding of RIPK1 in the PET study, [C]PK68 demonstrated relatively high stability in vivo and provided useful structural information further candidate development. Conclusions: In the present study, we successfully radiosynthesized [C]PK68 as a potential PET tracer and evaluated its brain uptake. We are planning to optimize the chemical structure of [C]PK68 and conduct further PET studies on it using pathologi‐ cal models.
STRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF PAVEMENTS FOR OVERLAY DESIGN

AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION ARE CONTINUALLY FACED WITH UPGRADING EXISTING PAVEMENTS. EVALUATION OF PAVEMENTS IS FAR FROM BEING A STANDARD PROCEDURE, AND MOST HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS ARE FACED WITH ADOPTING SOMETHING ALREADY AVAILABLE OR DEVELOPING A TECHNIQUE SUITABLE TO THEIR OWN NEEDS. IN KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON, THE BENKELMAN BEAM WAS RECENTLY ADOPTED TO SYSTEMATICALLY MEASURE DEFLECTIONS. TWO EXISTING PAVEMENTS IN THE KING COUNTY NETWORK OF HIGHWAYS WERE MEASURED FOR DEFLECTION BY USING THE BENKELMAN BEAM. RESILIENT MODULUS AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF CORED SAMPLES WERE DETERMINED IN THE LABORATORY. THESE MATERIAL VALUES WERE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ELASTIC LAYER THEORY TO COMPUTE SEVERAL RESPONSE PARAMETERS INCLUDING STRAIN AND DEFLECTION. THE COMPUTED AND MEASURED DEFLECTIONS WERE COMPARED AND EVALUATED FOR COMPATIBILITY. FINALLY OVERLAY REQUIREMENTS WERE DETERMINED BY USING THE ELASTIC LAYER CONCEPT AND FATIGUE AS A DESIGN LIFE DETERMINANT. THE OVERLAY THICKNESS DETERMINED BY THIS METHOD WAS COMPARED TO THOSE FOR OTHER TECHNIQUES IN CURRENT USE AND FOUND TO BE SLIGHTLY CONSERVATIVE. /AUTHOR/
VASE LIFE STUDIES ON Dracaena reflexa CUT DECORATIVE SHOOTS

Wilting and color change of Dracaena leaves are major post harvestproblems in exportation. This study is an attempt to overcome these problemsand to improve vase life of Dracaena cut stems. Experiments were done atGreen Farms Ltd. Marawila to investigate post harvest handling of Dracaenareflexa to maintain export quality and freshness. Series of experiments wereconducted to investigate management practices; effect of glycerol solution(pure glycerol in 1,3 & 5hrs); effect of immersing one hour (using KMn04 2,5 & 10pmm); effect of sucrose solution (2, 5 & 10%); effect of KMn04 (2, 5& lOppm) for cultivars of Dracaena reflexa "Reflex a Green", "Song ofJamaica" and "Song of India". Treatments were arranged in completerandomized design with 4 replicates each. Data were analyzed using SASstatistical programme with analysis of variances. Mean separation was doneusing LSD on parametric procedures. The results revealed that wilting, color change and rotting, of Dracaenareflexa cultivars were not significantly affected by post harvest solutions ofKMn04 and sucrose compared to the control (tap water). However, pureglycerol (dipped for 1hr) and tap water maintained vase life of "Song ofJamaica" for 21days. Damaged cuttings showed Erwinia infection after 10-12days during vase period (CV = 05.628813). Results in general show avoidinginjury to specimens, and this helps to maintain the quality of the products.Many infections can be avoided by keeping the specimens dry. Experimentsproved that maximum vase life of Dracaena cuttings could be achieved bymaintaining proper management practices and sanitation conditions in a coldroom.
Spatiotemporal assessment of meteorological drought in the Palamu district, Jharkhand using Reconnaissance Drought Index

Droughts are natural phenomena that occur when the distribution of rainfall is below the average. It is usually triggered by factors such as climate change and human actions and they are classified as meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic droughts. The study focused on the meteorological drought in the Palamu district of Jharkhand based on the Reconnaissance drought index (RDI) from 1985 to 2020. The precipitation datasets were obtained from CHIRPS while the temperature data was acquired from ERA5 re-analysis. The RDI calculates drought based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data. Further, the DrinC software was used to calculate PET in which RDI values were calculated at 3 and 6 month time scale and results revealed that the study area has faced moderate to extreme events. However, in years 1992, 1993, 2006, 2009 and 2015 extreme drought events were observed. Therefore, due to high sensitivity of RDI, the droughts events were evaluated and its spatial distribution was mapped at different time scale. The results from the study can be beneficial for monitoring and planning strategies related to mitigating drought risk.
Expanded Null Beamforming for Full-Duplex MIMO Communication on IEEE 802.11

—Cancellation of self interference (SI) is an important technology in order for wireless communication system devices to perform full-duplex communication. In this paper, we describe a novel self-interference cancellation using null beamforming by Cooperative MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) for full-duplex wireless communication in IEEE 802.11 network. In addition, we propose a method to perform null beamforming by applying a weight matrix to the legacy preamble part. We evaluate the SI cancellation amount by the proposed method using a ﬁeld programmable gate array (FPGA) and software deﬁned radio (SDR), and show the experimental results. In the experiment, it is conﬁrmed that the amount of SI cancellation by the proposed method was at least 17 dB. The SI cancellation amount can be further potentiated with more accurate CSI(channel state information) by increasing the transmission power. It is shown that SI can be suppressed whole frame include legacy preamble part.
Dip Or Strike? – Complementing Geophysical Sampling Requirements and Acquisition Efficiency

Dip or strike? The shooting direction during the planning process for a new marine towed streamer seismic survey, depends on many factors. These factors include structural dip, fault orientation, survey dimension and the location of the survey area relative to no-access zones such as marine parks, international boundaries etc. Generally, the data is acquired in the dip direction to enable finer inline sampling in the dominant dip direction and perpendicular to the faults. However, in many cases economic factors override the geophysical issues and a survey is acquired in the most efficient direction. The case study presented here pertains to an area adjacent to a no-access zone, and the structural dip of interest is not aligned to the most efficient survey direction. Extensive 3D kinematic ray tracing analysis and 3D illumination studies were performed to estimate the illumination and sampling requirement for the steeply dipping fault zone. The need for optimal sampling in dip direction whilst maintaining efficiency led to data acquisition using multi-measurement streamers. This technology allows for reconstruction of the wavefield sampled equally in both inline and crossline directions, thereby achieving both operational efficiency and geophysical sampling requirement. To validate the integrity of the shooting direction decision, a swath of data was also acquired in dip direction and compared to the reconstructed data acquired in strike direction.
Are Defined Contribution Pension Plans Fully Funded? Aligning Incentives Through a Hedgeable Liability Measure

Most pension plans either have Defined Benefits (DB) with unhedgeable liabilities, which almost inevitably create deficits, or have Defined Contributions (DC) but no liabilities or commitments in terms of retirement income for their affiliates. This lack of an explicit retirement income objective in DC arrangements removes the incentives for pension fund managers to control the primary investment risk faced by beneficiaries: the variations in the “exchange rate” of accumulated assets to retirement income. To align the incentives of pension fund managers with the replacement income objective of their beneficiaries, we propose a hedgeable definition of pension liability for DC plans and derive related performance metrics, manager payment functions, and asset allocation strategies that foster retirement security. The proposed strategies also generate relevant signals for pension fund beneficiaries’ saving/consumption decisions during the accumulation phase.
House price forecasting and uncertainty: Examining Portugal and Spain

In this paper we apply dynamic model averaging (DMA) to forecast Portuguese and Spanish house prices. DMA is a useful method for forecasting because it inherently allows for uncertainty in both the combination of predictors (model uncertainty), as well as in the marginal effect of each predictor (parameter uncertainty). In doing so we are able to track which predictors are relevant over the forecast period. Besides fundamental macroeconomic determinants to house prices dynamics we also include as predictors business and consumer confidence and financial markets volatility. We find that different predictors have varying inclusion probabilities for both Portugal and Spain. In Portugal, most predictors appear to have some value when it comes to forecasting changes in house prices, including volatility and consumer confidence. Furthermore, each predictor’s importance appears to increase over time. For Spain, most economic predictors appear to be useful for forecasting, and there appears to be less variation in each predictor’s importance over time. However, volatility measures appear to be less important in Spain than in Portugal for predicting house prices. (JEL: C22, C53, R31)
Determinants of Relationship Effectiveness and Its Effect on Work Outcome in Mentorship

The present study focused on mentorship effectiveness from the perspective of the protégé (mentee). The purpose has threefold, namely, to examine the effects of interpersonal attraction, self-efficacy and transformational leadership on relationship effectiveness respectively, to test mentoring function as a mediator, and to verify the effect of relationship effectiveness on new employees’ work outcome. We employed self-administered questionnaires to collect research data and 308 new nurses of 3 regional hospitals have been selected, the overall valid response rate was 99.35%. Furthermore, we adopted structure equation model to test our research model and compared with the competitive model. The findings indicated that interpersonal attraction, transformational leadership do have positive effects on relationship effectiveness, however, self-efficacy was not capable of providing adequate explanation of relationship effectiveness. The results also showed a striking effect of relationship effectiveness on work outcome variables including protégé’s job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
A two-stage heuristic algorithm for the school bus routing problem with mixed load plan

The school bus routing problem (SBRP) seeks to the optimal routes for a fleet of school buses to transport students to schools. To share resources between schools, school bus routing problem with mixed load plan (SBRP-MLP) is proposed in this paper, in which school buses are allowed to pick up students of different schools and deliver them to their schools. This paper presents two modes, SBRP-MLP with virtual stops and SBRP-MLP with interscholastic transportation. To solve the two SBRP-MLPs efficiently, a two-stage heuristic algorithm is developed. The results of several tests suggest that the proposed SBRP-MLP modes take less time than the SBRP with single load plan. Moreover, it was found that the SBRP-MLP with virtual stops is suitable for small-scale cases, while the SBRP-MLP with interscholastic transportation is appropriate for large-scale cases. In addition, the results also indicate that the algorithm is feasible for solving the SBRP-MLP.
Safety Conditions and Practices in Secondary Agricultural Mechanics Programs

The purpose of this study was to determine if secondary agricultural mechanics laboratories are perceived to be safe by the teachers who utilize them. This study also sought to determine the most common safety violations found in a high school agricultural mechanics laboratory. The health belief model was utilized as the framework for this study. A web-based questionnaire using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) checklist for secondary agricultural science laboratories was developed to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding safety in their secondary agricultural mechanics laboratory. It was determined that there were four specific areas of concern related to safety practices and conditions in agricultural mechanics laboratories. They included signage, storage of oxygen and fuel gas cylinders, noise levels, and disconnecting switches on arc welding machines.
Splashed E-box and AP-1 motifs cooperatively drive regeneration response and shape regeneration abilities

Injury triggers genetic program to induce gene expression for regeneration. Several studies have recently reported the identification of regeneration-response enhancers (RREs) in zebrafish; however, it remains unclear whether a common mechanism operates in RREs. Here, we show that E-box and activator protein 1 (AP-1) motifs cooperatively function as RREs. We identified three RREs from the fn1b promoter by a search of conserved sequences and an in vivo transgenic assay for regeneration-response in zebrafish. Two of them derived from transposons displayed RRE activity only when combined with the −0.7 kb fn1b promoter, while another non-transposable element functioned as a standalone enhancer. A search for transcription factor-binding motifs and validation by transgenic assay revealed that both of E-box and AP-1 motifs are necessary and sufficient for RREs. Such RREs responded to variety of tissue injuries including zebrafish heart and Xenopus limb bud regenerations. Our findings highlight that regeneration is regulated by merging two activating signals evoked by tissue injuries. It is speculated that a large pool of potential enhancers in the genome shaped regenerative capacities during evolution. SUMMARY STATEMENT The study revealed that regeneration-response enhancer is composed of two transcription factor-binding motifs. The fidelity of regeneration-dependent gene expression is ensured by merging two activating signals evoked by injuries.
Environmental Support Method for Mobile Manipulators Using Visual Marks with Memory Storage

This paper presents a methodology of environmental support for autonomous mobile manipulators using visual marks with memory storage. The mark makes up for insufficient ability of sensing and recognition; self-positioning, positioning of objects, and deciding methods to operate objects. The mark proposed in this paper consists of landmark part and memory part. The landmark part is to be estimated the relative position and orientation between robots and the mark. The memory part is to have information about what it is, what tasks there are, and how to do the tasks. Task execution using the marks with real robots is described to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Malawi Zebu cattle

The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity and population structure of Malawi Zebu cattle using microsatellite DNA markers. Blood samples were collected in 5 administrative districts of Malawi and analysed at the DNA Laboratory, University of Malawi, Chancellor College, Zomba, Malawi. As a comparison base, samples were collected from a group of Brahman cattle performing at a commercial herd in Zomba district. A total of 15 sites were sampled giving a total of 541 random blood samples. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 15 with the minimum allele length of 98 base pairs (bp) and maximum allele length of 160bp. Malawi Zebu cattle were found to be more polymorphic than Brahman. Most of the Malawi zebu populations were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and more than 95% of the population-locus combinations were heterozygous. Gene flow among the populations was higher between districts than within districts, 2.04–2.40 migrants per generation between districts versus 0.36–1.27 migrants per generation within districts). The exchange of genetic material is influenced more by socioeconomic factors like trade and payment of dowry than any conscience genetic improvement practice. Three main clusters of Malawi Zebu were identified in the sampled population. With no organized conservation and improvement programmes currently available, there is need to mobilize on-farm genetic conservation and utilisation programmes and improvement strategies for the indigenous genetic resource, Malawi zebu.
The Design of Self-Centring Seal-Less Hydraulic Pistons

This paper describes the design optimization of hydraulic pistons in which the only seal is the small clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall. The small leakage thus permitted is used, in conjunction with an appropriate piston geometry, to provide a pressure distribution which makes the piston self-centring. Metal-metal contact is avoided, even under considerable side loads. Similar design principles applied to the piston rod bearing make the rod self-centring in the bearing. Several possible advantages arise, e.g., the elimination of break-out friction problems common with conventional seals, the elimination of maintenance checks and seal replacements, use in environments which are hostile to conventional seals, and use with non-lubricating fluids. Three piston designs, the tapered piston, the stepped piston and the slot-controlled piston, are considered. The slot-controlled piston is shown to have performance characteristics which are superior to those of the other two designs.
Evaluation and optimal selection of Dunhuang radiometric calibration site based on OLI/Landsat 8 and MSI/Sentinel 2 data

ABSTRACT The Dunhuang radiometric calibration site is an important component of the China Radiometric Calibration Sites (CRCS), which has served for in-flight radiometric calibration of Chinese satellites sensors since the 1990s, whereby the homogeneity has been verified since its construction. However, due to the increasing demand for radiometric calibration of the in-flight satellite sensors, and the impacts of a changing natural environment and the destruction of human activities of the site, it is essential to reassess the homogeneity of Dunhuang site and redefine the suitable region for calibration. Accordingly, the homogeneity of the Dunhuang site is reevaluated based on the satellite images of OLI/Landsat 8 (with resolutions of 30 m) and MSI/Sentinel 2 (with resolutions of 10 m) observed from 2015 to 2021. An ROI of 50 × 75 km is selected covering three historical definitions of the Dunhuang site with an area of 25 × 25 km, 20 × 20 km, and 10 × 10 km, respectively. Firstly, the spatial-temporal coefficients of variation ( ) of the ROI is calculated. The homogeneity of the three existing sites is analyzed, and the results show that the 20 km site (40.06° N−40.25° N, 94.25° E−94.42° E) has the best homogeneity among the existing sites in Dunhuang. Then, by using a hierarchical region statistical method, three optimal locations and scopes of the Dunhuang site (10 × 10 km: 40.044° N−40.144° N, 94.284° E−94.384° E; 20 × 20 km: 40.002° N−40. 202° N, 94.216° E−94.416° E; 25 × 25 km: 40.021° N−40.247° N, 94.071° E−94.364° E) are defined. The average of the three OGT sites decrease from about 0.94%～2% to 0.7%～1.54% relative to the existing sites, and the standard deviation of decrease from about 0.45%～2% to 0.24%～1%. The Getis statistics also indicate that they are more homogeneous than the existing definitions of the site. Additionally, the optimal Dunhuang sites are compared with the north Africa Pseudo-Invariant Calibration Sites (PICS). The homogeneity of optimal Dunhuang sites is proved to be better than most sites hence that could be the complement for each other. These three optimal Dunhuang sites are new candidate sites served for the satellite in-flight radiometric calibration.
Edison and the Business of Innovation

This is the story of the "other" Thomas Edison--not the heroic lone inventor, but Edison the businessman, industrialist, and successful manager of one of the world's largest industrial research laboratories. Tracing his career from his boyhood to his death in 1931, Edison and the Business of Innovation reveals Edison to be an entrepreneur of extraordinary vision. From extensive research in the Edison archives at West Orange, New Jersey, Andre Millard presents new information about Edison the businessman and provides new interpretations of old issues.