Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of predation by South Island Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus finschi) on a protected shellfish, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa), in northern New Zealand

ABSTRACT In northern New Zealand, there is speculation that predation by a recovering shorebird, the South Island Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi), has caused the continuing decline of an endemic surf clam, the toheroa (Paphies ventricosa). Consequently, there have been requests by the public for these protected birds to be culled to protect and restore the toheroa. To better inform management and decision-making for these species we set out to understand the impact of oystercatcher predation on toheroa at Ripiro Beach in New Zealand. A study was conducted to establish the spatio-temporal overlap of toheroa and oystercatcher distributions, determine oystercatcher prey selection, and assess the impacts of oystercatcher predation on toheroa population size structure. Monthly surveys over a 12-month period indicated limited spatial overlap between the two species, and that most toheroa beds on Ripiro Beach are not subjected to oystercatcher predation. In areas where oystercatchers and toheroa co-occurred, oystercatchers consumed a variety of prey including polychaetes, small and medium-sized toheroa and a non-threatened surf clam (P. subtriangulata). While oystercatchers do feed on toheroa (and may be capable of locally reducing abundance of small toheroa in a population), feeding on larger individuals (>50 mm in length) was not observed. These results suggest that culling of oystercatchers would be of no benefit for the recovery of toheroa populations. It is likely that less obvious factors are impeding the recovery of toheroa in New Zealand. This study highlights the importance of understanding predator-prey interactions before implementing management actions such as lethal control.
High Performance H2−Mn Regenerative Fuel Cells through an Improved Positive Electrode Morphology

The effective scaling-up of redox flow batteries (RFBs) can be facilitated upon lowering the capital costs. The application of ubiquitous manganese along with hydrogen (known as H2−Mn regenerative fuel cells (RFC)) is seen as an effective solution for this purpose. Here, we aim to evaluate different positive electrodes so as to improve the key performance metrics of the H2/Mn RFC, namely electrolyte utilization, energy efficiency, and peak power densities. Commercially available carbon paper and graphite felt are used to show that the latter provides better key performance indicators (KPIs), which is consistent with the results reported for standard all-vanadium RFBs in the literature. Even better KPIs are obtained when an in-house carbon catalyst layer (CCL) is employed in combination with graphite felt electrodes (e.g., more than 80% energy efficiency, >0.5 W cm−2 peak power density and electrolyte utilization of 20 Ah L−1 for felt and carbon metal fabric (CMF), prepared by means of electrospinning and carbonization, in comparison with about 75% energy efficiency 0.45 W cm−2 peak power density and 11 Ah L−1 electrolyte utilization for felt on its own). It is envisaged that if the electrochemical performance of CCLs can be optimized then it could open up new opportunities for the commercial exploitation of H2−Mn systems.
Novel low‐profile stacked edge grounded rectangular dielectric resonator antenna with compact size for UWB applications

In this paper, a low‐profile stacked dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) is proposed for ultra‐wideband applications. To improve the performance of the proposed antenna, techniques such as stacking of two dielectric materials, air gap slots, edge grounding technique, and the partial ground plane is employed. The measured impedance BW of the proposed antenna is 106% at the center frequency of 7.7 GHz (3.65–11.8 GHz). The analysis of field lines shows that the fundamental TEx111 mode is preserved at the first resonant frequency of 4.4 GHz. The maximum gain achieved over the operating frequency range is 6.38 dBi. The design is compact in its nature with a miniaturization capability of 66% of its volume. The proposed design is structurally simple, has a low weight, and has a high radiation efficiency of more than 90% in the operational range.
Not being able to fool around with my friends at break – children’s home-based education in space and time

ABSTRACT The study describes elements of the daily spatial and time systems relating to online home-based primary education during the pandemic school closures. It was conducted from the children’s perspective (semi-structured interviews with children), which is only marginally discussed in research on the effects of home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The spatial recontextualization of the household and home, brought about through the transference of school functions to the home environment, cannot be viewed in isolation from the temporal recontextualization. The results point to a fundamental shift in the nature and functionality of educational space and time during the pandemic school closures and online home-based education. It changed not only the home and its time–space structures but also the educational space–time structures. These changes are described and discussed in relation to time-geography concepts and cultural analysis. Moreover, our data show that the children were able to develop strategies for adapting to and coping with the new educational situation and spatial–temporal context during the pandemic-driven shift to home-based education.
Features associated with radar micro-Doppler signatures of various human activities

This paper presents the results of our experimental investigation into the radar micro-Doppler signatures (MDS) of various human activities both in free-space and through-wall environments. The collection of MDS signatures was divided into two categories: stationary and forward-moving. Each category of MDS signatures encompassed a variety of movements associated with it, adding up to a total of 14 human movements. Using a 6.5-GHz C-band coherent radar, the MDS of six human subjects were gathered in free-space and through-wall environments. The MDS for these cases were analyzed in detail and the general properties of the signatures were related to their associated phenomenological characteristics. Based upon the MDS, specific features for designing detectors and classifiers of human targets performing such movements are extracted.
Numerical methods for computing angles between linear subspaces

Assume that two subspaces F and G of unitary space are defined as the ranges (or nullspaces) of given rectangular matrices A and B. Accurate numerical methods are developed for computing the principal angles $\theta_k (F,G)$ and orthogonal sets of principal vectors $u_k\ \epsilon\ F$ and $v_k\ \epsilon\ G$, k = 1,2,. , q = dim(G) $\leq$ dim(F). An important application in statistics is computing the canonical correlations $\sigma_k\ = cos \theta_k$ between two sets of variates. A perturbation analysis shows that the condition number for $\theta_k$ essentially is max($\kappa (A),\kappa (B)$), where $\kappa$ denotes the condition number of a matrix. The algorithms are based on a preliminary QR-factorization of A and B (or $A^H$ and $B^H$), for which either the method of Householder transformations (HT) or the modified Gram-Schmidt method (MGS) is used. Then cos $\theta_k$ and sin $\theta_k$ are computed as the singular values of certain related matrices. Experimental results are given, which indicates that MGS gives $\theta_k$ with equal precision and fewer arithmetic operations than HT. However, HT gives principal vectors, which are orthogonal to working accuracy, which is not in general true for MGS. Finally the case when A and/or B are rank deficient is discussed.
Development and Validation of Vitamin D- Food Frequency Questionnaire for Moroccan Women of Reproductive Age: Use of the Sun Exposure Score and the Method of Triad’s Model

This cross-sectional study aimed to develop and validate a vitamin D food frequency questionnaire (VitD-FFQ) to assess vitamin D intake in Moroccan women of reproductive age. Using the method of triads, the VitD-FFQ was validated against seven-day dietary records (7d-FR) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) as a biomarker of vitamin D status in 152 women (aged 18–45 years). Participants’ sun exposure scores (SES) were assessed using a specific questionnaire (SEQ). Predictors of vitamin D status were identified via linear regression models. Several statistical tests were applied to evaluate the criterion validity of the FFQ against two references methods (7d-FR and the biomarker-serum 25(OH)D). Median (Interquartile range) intakes were 7.10 ± 6.95 µg /day and 6.33 ± 5.02 µg/ day, respectively, for VitD-FFQ and 7d-FR. Vitamin D status was mainly determined by SES (R = 0.47) and vitamin D absolute food intakes derived by the VitD-FFQ (R = 0.56), which demonstrated a more significant prediction ability compared to 7d-FR (R = 0.36). An agreement was observed between the VitD-FFQ and 7d-FR (BA index of 3.29%) with no proportional bias (R2 = 0.002, p = 0.54). <10% of participants were incorrectly classified, and weighted kappa statistics showed that VitD-FFQ had an acceptable ranking ability compared to the 7d-FR and the biomarker. The validity coefficient for the VitD-FFQ was high: ρQR = 0.90 (95%CI: 0.89–0.92), and a range from 0.46 to 0.90. Adjustment for the participants’ SES and BMI (body mass index) improved the biomarker’s validity coefficient (ρRB 0.63 (95% CI 0.39–0.82). Our results indicate that the VitD-FFQ is valid for estimating absolute vitamin D intake in Moroccan women of reproductive age.
Development and Optimisation of Inhalable EGCG Nano-Liposomes as a Potential Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by Implementation of the Design of Experiments Approach

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main ingredient in green tea, holds promise as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, EGCG has many drawbacks, including stability issues, low bioavailability, and a short half-life. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to develop and optimize an inhalable EGCG nano-liposome formulation aiming to overcome EGCG’s drawbacks by applying a design of experiments strategy. The aerodynamic behaviour of the optimum formulation was determined using the next-generation impactor (NGI), and its effects on the TGF-β pathway were determined using a cell-based reporter assay. The newly formulated inhalable EGCG liposome had an average liposome size of 105 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.18, a zeta potential of −25.5 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 90.5%, and a PDI after one month of 0.19. These results are in complete agreement with the predicted values of the model. Its aerodynamic properties were as follows: the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was 4.41 µm, the fine particle fraction (FPF) was 53.46%, and the percentage of particles equal to or less than 3 µm was 34.3%. This demonstrates that the novel EGCG liposome has all the properties required to be inhalable, and it is expected to be deposited deeply in the lung. The TGFβ pathway is activated in PAH lungs, and the optimum EGCG nano-liposome inhibits TGFβ signalling in cell-based studies and thus holds promise as a potential treatment for PAH.
Exercise effects on glucocorticoid-induced bone loss in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives Due to their pronounced anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects, glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used in inflammatory conditions and organ transplants. Unfortunately, GC-induced osteoporosis is one of the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effect of exercise added to GC therapy on BMD at the lumbar spine or femoral neck in people on GC therapy. Methods A systematic literature search of five electronic databases included controlled trials with a duration of >6 months and at least two study arms [glucocorticoids (GCs) and GCs and exercise (GC + EX)] were conducted up to 20 September 2022. Studies involving other pharmaceutical therapies with relevant effects on bone metabolism were excluded. We applied the inverse heterogeneity model. Outcome measures were standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs for BMD changes at the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). Results We identified three eligible trials with a total of 62 participants. In summary, the GC + EX intervention indicated statistically significantly higher SMDs for LS-BMD [SMD 1.50 (95% CI 0.23, 2.77)] but not for FN-BMD [0.64 (95% CI −0.89, 2.17)] compared with GC treatment alone. We observed substantial heterogeneity (LS-BMD I2 = 71%, FN-BMD I2 = 78%) between the study results. Conclusion Although more well-designed exercise studies are needed to address the issue of exercise effects on GC-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in more detail, upcoming guidelines should pay more attention to the aspect of exercise for bone strengthening in GIOP. Registration number PROSPERO: CRD42022308155
Thermionic and Photoelectric Emission from Magnesium Oxide

Measurements of the thermionic emission as a function of temperature and the photoelectric yield as a function of the photon energy in the range from 2.5 ev to 11.5 ev have been made on magnesium oxide in the form of thin films, powders, and single crystals. The thermionic emission measurements indicate that the position of the Fermi energy in most samples of MgO is controlled primarily by the electrons in a donor level located approximately 3.4 ev below the vacuum level. Measurements of the enhancement of the photoelectric yield in the impurity sensitive region gives evidence for impurity levels slightly greater than 2.4 ev and 5 ev below the bottom of the conduction band. A sharp rise in yield at 7.5 ev in active samples coincides with the optical absorption edge associated with exciton formation. Heating the samples in oxygen greatly reduces the rise at 7.5 ev but has little effect on the yield at energies greater than 10 ev. From this it is concluded that the energy difference from the top of the fill.
Epipolar Geometry Estimation Using Improved LO-RANSAC

The estimation of the epipolar geometry is of great interest for a number of computer vision and robotics tasks, and which is especially difficult when the putative correspondences include a low percentage of inliers correspondences or a large subset of the inliers is consistent with a degenerate configuration of the epipolar geometry that is totally incorrect. The Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is a popular tool for robust estimation, primarily due to its ability to tolerate a tremendous fraction of outliers. In this paper, we propose an approach for improve of locally optimized RANSAC (LO-RANSAC) that has the benefit of offering fast and accurate RANSAC. The resulting algorithm when tested on real images with or without degenerate configurations gives quality estimations and achieves significant speedups compared to the LO-RANSAC algorithms.
Tychonema sp. BBK16 Characterisation: Lifestyle, Phylogeny and Related Phages

Cyanobacterial expansion is harmful to the environment, the ecology of Lake Baikal and the economy of nearby regions and can be dangerous to people and animals. Since 2011, the process of colonisation of the lake with potentially toxic cyanobacteria belonging to the genus Tychonema has continued. An understanding of the mechanism of successful expansion of Tychonema requires scrutiny of biological and genomic features. Tychonema sp. BBK16 was isolated from the coastal zone of Lake Baikal. The morphology of BBK16 biofilm was studied with light, scanning electron and confocal microscopy. The biofilm is based on filaments of cyanobacteria, which are intertwined like felt; there are also dense fascicles of rope-like twisted filaments that impart heterogeneity to the surface of the biofilm. Genome sequencing, intergenomic comparisons and phylogenetic analyses indicated that Tychonema sp. BBK16 represent a new species related to planktic cyanobacterium Tychonema bourrellyi, isolated from Alpine lentic freshwater. Genome investigation revealed the genes possibly responsible for the mixotrophic lifestyle. The presence of CRISPR-Cas and restriction modification defence mechanisms allowed to suggest the existence of phages infecting Tychonema sp. BBK16. Analysis of CRISPR spacers and prophage-derived regions allowed to suggest related cyanophages. Genomic analysis supported the assumption that mobile elements and horizontal transfer participate in shaping the Tychonema sp. BBK16 genome. The findings of the current research suggest that the aptitude of Tychonema sp. BBK16 for biofilm formation and, possibly, its mixotrophic lifestyle provide adaptation advantages that lead to the successful expansion of this cyanobacterium in the Baikal’s conditions of freshwater lake environments.
Green Edge Intelligence for Smart Management of a FANET in Disaster-Recovery Scenarios

Disruption of the ground communication infrastructure in emergency scenarios makes post-disaster rescue operations very complicate. This paper proposes to use edge intelligence to support rescue operators in managing these emergency scenarios. A set of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), organized as Flying Ad-Hoc network (FANET), autonomously takeoff and land to provide emergency operators with edge computing services. A charging station for batteries is supplied by a renewable-energy generator. The FANET Controller applies model-based Reinforcement Learning to decide how many UAVs have to take off, according to the current edge-computing service requests and the power availability, and a forecast of them. The optimal management policy has to provide the necessary level of edge-computing avoiding wide use of satellite channels in a short-time horizon during low green-energy generation and high service request periods. Results highlight that the optimal policy is an efficient modification of the greedy one, i.e., the policy enabling the takeoff of all the necessary UAVs without being care of challenging events in the future. A deep analysis has revealed that the level of modification depends on the combination of the edge-computing service request and the green power availability.
Cyberbullying Involvement and Depression among Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and University Students: The Role of Social Support and Gender

One aim of this study was to investigate differences in cyberbullying involvement (i.e., victimization, bystanding, perpetration) across four age groups, including 234 elementary school students (4th and 5th grades; 51% female), 363 middle school students (6th through 8th grades; 53% female), 341 high school students (9th through 12th grade; 51% female), and 371 university students (all four years; 60% female). Another aim was to examine the age group differences in the associations between cyberbullying involvement and depression, as well as the moderating effect of social support from parents and friends. Participants completed questionnaires on cyberbullying involvement, depression, and social support from parents and friends. Findings revealed that middle school students were more often involved in cyberbullying as victims, bystanders, and perpetrators, followed by high school and university students, and elementary school students. High school and university students did not differ on their cyberbullying involvement. Gender moderated these relationships for elementary school students, with boys more often involved in cyberbullying perpetration and victimization than girls. In addition, female university students witnessed cyberbullying more so than males. Social support from parents buffered against the negative effects of cyberbullying involvement on depression across all age groups. Results were similar for social support from friends, but only for middle school and high school students. Gender did not influence the associations among age groups, cyberbullying involvement, and depression. The results have implications for designing prevention and intervention programs and ensuring that such programs consider age.
The Role of Color Doppler Imaging in the Diagnosis of Glaucoma: A Review of the Literature

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major risk factor for the onset and progression of glaucoma. In addition to elevated IOP, impaired intraocular blood flow is also considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Various techniques have been used to assess ocular blood flow (OBF), including Color Doppler Imaging (CDI), a technique used in ophthalmology in recent decades. This article reviews the role of CDI in both the diagnosis and effective monitoring of glaucoma progression, presenting the protocol for imaging and its advantages, as well as the limitations of its use. Moreover, it analyzes the pathophysiology of glaucoma, focusing on vascular theory and its role in the onset and progression of the disease.
Direct Medical Costs Associated With Post–COVID-19 Conditions Among Privately Insured Children and Adults

Introduction SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has caused more than 100.2 million infections and more than 1 million deaths in the US as of November 2022, yet information on the economic burden associated with post–COVID-19 conditions is lacking. We estimated the possible economic burden associated with post–COVID-19 conditions by comparing direct medical costs among patients younger than 65 years with and without COVID-19 in the postacute period. Methods Commercially insured children and adults with a COVID-19 diagnosis (cases) during April–August 2020 were matched to those without COVID-19 (controls) on a 1:4 ratio. Direct medical costs represented 1-, 3-, and 6-month total expenditures per person starting 31 days after the diagnosis date. We used a 2-part model to evaluate cost differences among individuals with and without COVID-19, adjusted for patient characteristics. Results Costs were higher among cases compared with controls. Direct medical costs among child cases were 1.82, 1.72, and 1.70 times higher than controls over 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Direct medical costs among adult cases were 1.69, 1.54, and 1.46 times higher than costs among controls over 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Relative differences in costs were highest among adults aged 50 to 64 years. In a subset of people with COVID-19, costs were higher among hospitalized cases compared with nonhospitalized cases. Conclusion Our findings suggest a considerable economic burden of COVID-19 even after the resolution of acute illness, highlighting the importance of prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the economic impact of COVID-19 on the US health care system.