Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Syntaxonomy, diversity and distribution of the vegetation of rock crevices, clefts and ledges in the colline and montane belts of Central Pamir-Alai and Western Tian Shan Mts (Middle Asia)

Abstract Mountain areas are very often considered to be biodiversity hotspots. Rocks are one of the most unique habitats and serve as a suitable biotope for many endemic and specialized plant species. Here we present the results of the vegetation studies conducted in central and eastern Pamir-Alai and the south-western Tian Shan mountains in 2013‒2019. Based on 334 phytosociological relevés we propose a synopsis of the rock communities of the montane and colline zones of eastern Middle Asia. As a result of our research, we distinguish 17 communities defined into five groups of petrophytic vegetation within the Caricion koshewnikowii alliance. We describe 11 new associations: Feruletum bucharicae, Scrophularietum glabellae, Asperulo albiflorae–Kafirniganietum hissaricae, Scutellarietum immaculatae, Campanuletum eugeniae, Silenetum kuschakewiczii, Rosularietum platyphyllae, Spireaetum pilosae, Silenetum lithophilae, Campanuletum albertii, and Rhinactinidietum limoniifoliae. Distinctiveness of environmental conditions together with the species composition of the phytocoenoses within the montane and colline belts of eastern Middle and Central Asia make the investigated vegetation among those with the highest specific diversity and richness of endemisms in the whole area. The main factors that determine the species composition of the investigated vegetation seem to be phytogeography, altitude, bedrock type, and exposition. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021. 1922531 .
Investigating catalytic performance of Ag/Ce promoted Fe/Al2O3 catalyst in the CO hydrogenation process: Selectivity modeling and optimization using response surface methodology

The present work has focused on the modeling and selectivity of a mesoporous alumina‐supported Fe‐Ag‐Ce, a new CO hydrogenation catalyst, in a fixed‐bed microreactor, at different operating conditions as follows: temperature (260°C‐340°C), total pressure (2‐11 bar), syngas ratio (1‐3), and GHSV (1800‐3600 hours−1). The effects of operating conditions and their influence on the CO conversion, C5+ selectivity, and light olefins selectivity (light olefinity) were studied using response surface methodology. The products' selectivity was primarily controlled via the reaction conditions. The responses in this catalytic system were described adequately by modified mathematical models. The simultaneous effects of cerium and silver promoters increased the ratio of olefin to paraffin over the iron catalyst in the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis. Model graphs indicated that maximum amounts of light olefins obtained at T = 323°C, P = 10.36 bar, H2/CO = 1.5, and GHSV = 3219 hours−1. Catalysts' characterization was administered via X‐ray diffraction, temperature‐programmed reduction, and the measurements of N2 adsorption such as BET and BJH methods.
Parameters Identification of PV Triple-Diode Model Using Improved Generalized Normal Distribution Algorithm

To simulate the behaviors of photovoltaic (PV) systems properly, the best values of the uncertain parameters of the PV models must be identified. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel optimization framework for estimating the parameters of the triple-diode model (TDM) of PV units with different technologies. The proposed methodology is based on the generalized normal distribution optimization (GNDO) with two novel strategies: (i) a premature convergence method (PCM), and (ii) a ranking-based updating method (RUM) to accelerate the convergence by utilizing each individual in the population as much as possible. This improved version of GNDO is called ranking-based generalized normal distribution optimization (RGNDO). RGNDO is experimentally investigated on three commercial PV modules (Kyocera KC200GT, Ultra 85-P and STP 6-120/36) and a solar unit (RTC Si solar cell France), and its extracted parameters are validated based on the measured dataset points extracted at generalized operating conditions. It can be reported here that the best scores of the objective function are equal to 0.750839 mA, 28.212810 mA, 2.417084 mA, and 13.798273 mA for RTC cell, KC200GT, Ultra 85-P, and STP 6-120/36; respectively. Additionally, the principal performance of this methodology is evaluated under various statistical tests and for convergence speed, and is compared with a number of the well-known recent state-of-the-art algorithms. RGNDO is shown to outperform the other algorithms in terms of all the statistical metrics as well as convergence speed. Finally, the performance of the RGNDO is validated in various operating conditions under varied temperatures and sun irradiance levels.
Impact of Upstream Medical Image Processing on Downstream Performance of a Head CT Triage Neural Network.

Purpose To develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) to triage head CT (HCT) studies and investigate the effect of upstream medical image processing on the CNN's performance. Materials and Methods A total of 9776 HCT studies were retrospectively collected from 2001 through 2014, and a CNN was trained to triage them as normal or abnormal. CNN performance was evaluated on a held-out test set, assessing triage performance and sensitivity to 20 disorders to assess differential model performance, with 7856 CT studies in the training set, 936 in the validation set, and 984 in the test set. This CNN was used to understand how the upstream imaging chain affects CNN performance by evaluating performance after altering three variables: image acquisition by reducing the number of x-ray projections, image reconstruction by inputting sinogram data into the CNN, and image preprocessing. To evaluate performance, the DeLong test was used to assess differences in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and the McNemar test was used to compare sensitivities. Results The CNN achieved a mean AUROC of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.84) in discriminating normal and abnormal HCT studies. The number of x-ray projections could be reduced by 16 times and the raw sensor data could be input into the CNN with no statistically significant difference in classification performance. Additionally, CT windowing consistently improved CNN performance, increasing the mean triage AUROC by 0.07 points. Conclusion A CNN was developed to triage HCT studies, which may help streamline image evaluation, and the means by which upstream image acquisition, reconstruction, and preprocessing affect downstream CNN performance was investigated, bringing focus to this important part of the imaging chain.Keywords Head CT, Automated Triage, Deep Learning, Sinogram, DatasetSupplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2021.
An investigation of direct compression characteristics of co-processed lactose-starch using factorial design

Present investigation was aimed to prepare economical lactose based directly compressible adjuvant with improved flowability and compressibility. A 32 full factorial design was employed to study the effect of lactose/starch ratio (X1; 50:50,65:35 or 80:20) and the % starch paste (X2; 6,10, or 14 %). Starch paste was prepared by heating the aqueous dispersion of starch at 80o for 15 min. The paste was used to prepare granules. Tablets were prepared on a single stroke tablet machine. The % fines, Carr's index, granular friability, crushing strength and % friability were selected as the dependent variables. Diltiazem HCI and acetaminophen were used as model drugs for evaluating the characteristics of the optimized batch. Medium to high level of both the variables favoured the formation of excellent directly compressible adjuvant. The lactose/starch ratio (X1,) exhibited greatest effect on the crushing strength, Carr's index and tablet friability. As the lactose/starch ratio was increased, Carr's index and crushing strength of the tablets increased and friability of the tablets decreased. The friability of the tablets was inversely related with % of starch paste. A check-point batch was prepared to validate evolved refined models. Good agreement was observed between actual and predicated values of the dependent variables, indicating predictive power of the derived equations. Starch paste prepared by the conventional method yielded weak tablets. Kawakita's and Kuno's parameters suggest that the granules of the check-point batch undergo packing at faster rate than the physical blend of lactose and starch. Up to 30% of acetaminophen could be successfully incorporated into tablets. The crushing strength, friability and disintegration time of diltiazem HCI tablets were found 5.5 kg, 0.5% and 4 min, respectively. Nearly complete release of diltiazem HCI was observed in 15 min in water. The preparative conditions of starch paste determine the product quality. The present study demonstrates the use of experimental design for the preparation of an economical directly compressible adjuvant. The results of multiple regression analysis can be used to predict the effect ofindependent variables on the dependent variables. A product consisting of (lactose/starch ratio-71: 29) exhibited excellent functionality and good tableting characteristics. The developed product The developed product can be explored as an economical alternative to the other lactose based directly compressible adjuvants available in the market
Space-time border analysis to evaluate and detect clusters

Abstract This article presents a statistic to identify the proportional intensity of an area to belong to a space-time cluster, which is very important in spatial statistics. A significant extension of the so-called -function has been described in detail, which, associated with new technology, allows the evaluation of the intensity of change moments in the time process and outline possible occurrences of clusters. The justification of the study is performed through an extensive review of the current literature of the area. The developed algorithms are detailed via computational experiments with simulated data. Real situations are presented and discussed in detail. Finally, topics for future research are indicated.
Supershear Rupture, Daughter Cracks, and the Definition of Rupture Velocity

Rupture velocity is a fundamental feature of earthquake behavior. How rupture velocity is defined can therefore affect our understanding of earthquake physics. Based on dynamic rupture simulations, we compare the tangent and average rupture velocities calculated via one‐ and two‐dimensional gradients. Two strike‐slip scenarios with free‐surface‐induced supershear ruptures are presented within a homogeneous and a depth‐dependent stress regime, respectively. Although both scenarios produce a daughter crack that propagate over the seismogenic depth, in the depth‐dependent case the 1D and 2D rupture velocities capture different features: A 1D horizontal gradient measurement implies a supershear rupture, while a 2D gradient measurement reveals sub‐Rayleigh rupture propagation everywhere except very close to the free surface. A large area on the fault with the 1D horizontal tangent rupture velocity does not necessarily produce an observable Mach front, which arises the importance of rupture velocity definitions in supershear analysis.
Exploring Phonological Aspects of Australian Indigenous Sign Languages

Spoken languages make up only one aspect of the communicative landscape of Indigenous Australia—sign languages are also an important part of their rich and diverse language ecologies. Australian Indigenous sign languages are predominantly used by hearing people as a replacement for speech in certain cultural contexts. Deaf or hard-of-hearing people are also known to make use of these sign languages. In some circumstances, sign may be used alongside speech, and in others it may replace speech altogether. Alternate sign languages such as those found in Australia occupy a particular place in the diversity of the world’s sign languages. However, the focus of research on sign language phonology has almost exclusively been on sign languages used in deaf communities. This paper takes steps towards deepening understandings of signed language phonology by examining the articulatory features of handshape and body locations in the signing practices of three communities in Central and Northern Australia. We demonstrate that, while Australian Indigenous sign languages have some typologically unusual features, they exhibit the same ‘fundamental’ structural characteristics as other sign languages.
Virtual Reality Rehabilitation and Exergames—Physical and Psychological Impact on Fall Prevention among the Elderly—A Literature Review

The present review is aimed at the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and exergames in the prevention of falls among the elderly. Falls become a significant problem in the aging population and lead to psychological, social, and physical impairment. Prevention of falls is crucial to the well-being of the elderly population and is one of the challenges of contemporary rehabilitation. Recently, in view of the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, contactless methods of rehabilitation, including telerehabilitation, appear as valuable rehabilitation tools. This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines and was carried out in five databases: PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and PEDro. Twenty-one randomized controlled trials, focused on the application of VR and exergames in the prevention of falls, were included. This review suggests that VR training in rehabilitation appears to be a promising complement to traditional techniques of physiotherapy to improve specific physical outcomes. VR and exergames could be considered as a complement of standard physiotherapy and its possible continuation at home for elderly. However, further high-quality studies, with carefully designed protocols and proper blinding, are needed.
Protein Integrated, Functionally Active Silver Nanoplanar Structures for Enhanced SPR

In an alternative approach to achieving nanoparticle-based enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we present a simple protein seeding-based method for the synthesis of a protein integrated, surface active silver nanoplanar structure, where the protein is cocrystallized with silver. The growth kinetics of this integrated structure has been probed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, which show a spherical to prismatic transition within a three minute growth span. The SPR activity is directly proportional to the tip sharpness of the nanostructure due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) phenomenon. This biometallization process depends on the size, shape, and chemical nature of the interacting protein as demonstrated by comparing the results for different model proteins. Moreover, the protein remains functionally intact when embedded in the nanostructured SPR surface. Taking horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a model protein, we have demonstrated a very high SPR binding profile against .
Catalytic Performance of a Recombinant Organophosphate-Hydrolyzing Phosphotriesterase from Brevundimonas diminuta in the Presence of Surfactants

Phosphotriestease (PTE), also known as parathion hydrolase, has the ability to hydrolyze the triester linkage of organophosphate (OP) pesticides and chemical warfare nerve agents, making it highly suitable for environment remediation. Here, we studied the effects of various surfactants and commercial detergents on the esterase activity of a recombinant PTE (His6-tagged BdPTE) from Brevundimonas diminuta. Enzymatic assays indicated that His6-tagged BdPTE was severely inactivated by SDS even at lower concentrations and, conversely, the other three surfactants (Triton X-100, Tween 20, and Tween 80) had a stimulatory effect on the activity, especially at a pre-incubating temperature of 40 °C. The enzyme exhibited a good compatibility with several commercial detergents, such as Dr. Formula® and Sugar Bubble®. The evolution results of pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the enzyme molecules participated in the formation of SDS micelles but did not alter the property of SDS micelles above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Structural analyses revealed a significant change in the enzyme’s secondary structure in the presence of SDS. Through the use of the intentionally fenthion-contaminated Chinese cabbage leaves as the model experiment, enzyme–Joy® washer solution could remove the pesticide from the contaminated sample more efficiently than detergent alone. Overall, our data promote a better understanding of the links between the esterase activity of His6-tagged BdPTE and surfactants, and they offer valuable information about its potential applications in liquid detergent formulations.
Furfural: a renewable and versatile platform molecule for the synthesis of chemicals and fuels

The production of future transportation fuels and chemicals requires the deployment of new catalytic processes that transform biomass into valuable products under competitive conditions. Furfural has been identified as one of the most promising chemical platforms directly derived from biomass. With an annual production close to 300 kTon, furfural is currently a commodity chemical, and the technology for its production is largely established. The aim of this review is to discuss the most relevant chemical routes for converting furfural to chemicals, biofuels, and additives. This review focuses not only on industrially produced chemicals derived from furfural, but also on other not yet commercialised products that have a high potential for commercialisation as commodities. Other chemicals that are currently produced from oil but can also be derived from furfural are also reviewed. The chemical and engineering aspects such as the reaction conditions and mechanisms, as well as the main achievements and the challenges still to come in the pursuit of advancing the furfural-based industry, are highlighted.
Why Coordinated Distributed Experiments Should Go Global

The performance of coordinated distributed experiments designed to compare ecosystem sensitivity to global-change drivers depends on whether they cover a significant proportion of the global range of environmental variables. In the present article, we described the global distribution of climatic and soil variables and quantified main differences among continents. Then, as a test case, we assessed the representativeness of the International Drought Experiment (IDE) in parameter space. Considering the global environmental variability at this scale, the different continents harbor unique combinations of parameters. As such, coordinated experiments set up across a single continent may fail to capture the full extent of global variation in climate and soil parameter space. IDE with representation on all continents has the potential to address global scale hypotheses about ecosystem sensitivity to environmental change. Our results provide a unique vision of climate and soil variability at the global scale and highlight the need to design globally distributed networks.
Dynamical Differences Between Short and Long Blocks in the Northern Hemisphere

Blocking events are persistent weather systems that strongly impact daily weather and more importantly our societies. One reason behind their strong impact is their potential long duration, as blocking events can last from 5 days up to four‐five weeks. However, the mechanisms explaining this difference of duration have not been properly studied yet. Here, we investigate the differences between short blocks, which last 5 days, and long blocks, which last at least 10 days. We take a broad hemispheric and annual approach to this question, while recognizing that other specific factors may play a role in particular region and seasons. We show that long blocks often involve cyclonic Rossby wave breaking, while short blocks are equally associated with cyclonic and anticyclonic wave breaking. This main result is reproduced in a coupled climate model ensemble. The lower number of long anticyclonic blocks might be due to three main reasons: One/the anticyclone is reinforced on the downstream side during anticyclonic blocks which is less conducive to persistence; two/positive synoptic eddy feedback tends to force the mean zonal wind toward a more northward position during anticyclonic blocks, whereas it forces the mean zonal wind to the south of the block during cyclonic blocks, which has been previously shown to be associated with more persistent weather patterns; three/particularly sustained eddy feedback is needed to maintain long anticyclonic blocks.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Skills and Adolescent Depression: A Multivariate Latent Growth Approach

Abstract. Ample research has shown that the link between social skills and adolescent depression is signiﬁcant. However, how the changes in diﬀerent domains of social skills inﬂuence the change in depression from early to middle adolescence remains largely unknown. To address this gap in knowledge, the current research used longitudinal data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1061) to examine the inﬂuences of the changes in cooperation, assertion, responsibility, and self-control on the change in depression from early to middle adolescence. Univariate latent growth modeling showed that, from early to middle adolescence, adolescents experience decreases in cooperation and assertion, increases in responsibility and depression, and stability in self-control. Multivariate latent growth modeling suggested that adolescents who had more increases in responsibility and self-control tended to experience a slower increase in depression from early to middle adolescence; while adolescents who had more decreases in cooperation and assertion tended to experience a faster increase in depression from early to middle adolescence. The results suggested that promoting adolescents social skills might be particularly salient for the prevention of adolescent depression.
Homoarginine treatment of rats improves cardiac function and remodeling in response to pressure overload

Low serum concentrations of the amino acid homoarginine (HA) are associated with increased cardiovascular mortality by incompletely understood mechanisms. This study sought to assess the influence of HA on cardiac remodeling in rats undergoing either transaortic banding or inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by Nω‐Nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L‐NAME). Male Wistar rats (n = 136) underwent sham operation (SH) or aortic banding (AB). Both groups were equally divided into 14 subgroups, receiving different doses of HA alone or in combination with lisinopril, spironolactone, or L‐NAME for 4 weeks. HA treatment in AB animals resulted in a dose‐dependent improvement of cardiac function up to a concentration of 800 mg·kg−1·day−1. Combining 800 mg·kg−1·day−1 HA with spironolactone or lisinopril yielded additional effects, showing a positive correlation with LV ejection fraction (+33%, p = 0.0002) and fractional shortening (+41%, p = 0.0014). An inverse association was observed with collagen area fraction (−41%, p < 0.0001), myocyte cross‐sectional area (−22%, p < 0.0001) and the molecular markers atrial natriuretic factor (−74%, p = 0.0091), brain natriuretic peptide (−42%, p = 0.0298), beta‐myosin heavy chain (−46%, p = 0.0411), and collagen type V alpha 1 chain (−73%, p = 0.0257) compared to placebo‐treated AB animals. Co‐administration of HA and L‐NAME was found to attenuate cardiac remodeling and prevent NO‐deficient hypertension following AB. HA treatment has led to a dose‐dependent improvement of myocardial function and marked histological and molecular changes in cardiac remodeling following AB. Combining HA with standard heart failure medication resulted in additional beneficial effects boosting its direct impact on heart failure pathophysiology.