Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herbal Medicine Yukgunja-Tang for Functional Dyspepsia: A Protocol for a Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial

The herbal medicine Yukgunja-tang has been widely used for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD) in the clinical setting of East Asian traditional medicine. This paper presents a protocol for a randomized, assessor-blind, controlled, multicenter, three-arm parallel clinical trial comparing the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of Yukgunja-tang with Pyeongwi-san and usual care. A total of 140 participants with Rome IV-diagnosed FD will be randomly assigned to either the Yukgunja-tang (n = 56), Pyeongwi-san (n = 56), or usual care (n = 28) groups. All participants will be educated on dietary guidelines for FD patients. Participants in the Yukgunja-tang and Pyeongwi-san groups will take investigational products for 6 weeks. All participants will be assessed for clinical parameters at weeks 0, 3, 6, 9, and 24. The primary outcome will be measured on the total dyspepsia symptom scale, and the secondary outcome will include the single dyspepsia symptom scale, overall treatment effect, the visual analog scale for dyspepsia, FD-related quality of life, hospital anxiety and depression scale, EuroQol-5 dimension, pattern identification, and serum levels of acyl-ghrelin and deacyl-ghrelin. Adverse events and laboratory tests will be monitored for safety assessment. The results will provide evidence of the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of Yukgunja-tang in the treatment of FD.
Improved BIRCH clustering algorithm

BIRCH algorithm is a clustering algorithm suitable for very large data sets. In the algorithm, a CF-tree is built whose all entries in each leaf node must satisfy a uniform threshold T, and the CF-tree is rebuilt at each stage by different threshold. But how to set the initial threshold and how to increase the threshold of each stage are not given. In addition, the algorithm can only work with "metric" attribute, which makes its application restrained. This paper made some improvements on BIRCH algorithm: 1) Changed CF structure so that heterogeneous attributes could be manipulated; 2) Gave a heuristic method of getting initial threshold and increasing threshold of second stage of the algorithm; 3) Discussed the algorithm's parameter B and L and found that the algorithm had equal performance when B=L, at last, gave a sound scope for B. Experimental results on public data sets show that the improved algorithm has preferable performance.
The Comparison of Two Decomposition Methods on Life Expectancy Differences

Life expectancy is a comprehensive measurement of mortality,which essentially has a close and interactive relationship with mortality by age.The decomposition of life expectancy difference is a useful tool to study the regular pattern in changes of death mode.Pollard and Arriaga proposed two decomposition methods to explain life expectancy differences.This paper will introduce these two methods and apply them to China's Life Table of 1990 and 2008.In addition,we compare the characteristics of the two decomposition methods,and provide recommendations for their applications.
How Threat Shapes Attention and Memory in the Himba, a Remote People of Namibia

Threatening stimuli capture our attention more rapidly than benign stimuli, and threatening experiences lead to longer lasting and more vivid episodic memories. The common interpretation of these findings is that humans share an evolved fear response that enables prioritized processing of threats, providing a survival advantage. This response is assumed to be universal; however, these findings have been documented almost entirely in WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) populations. Here, we address this gap by examining threat detection and fear memories in a remote African culture, the Himba. We found that threats captured attention more rapidly than benign stimuli, and that fear memories, despite differing in content, were shaped by threat in a similar manner to that reported in WEIRD populations.
1D simulation of runaway electrons generation in pulsed high-pressure gas discharge

The results of theoretical modelling of runaway electron generation in the high-pressure nanosecond pulsed gas discharge are presented. A novel hybrid model of gas discharge has been successfully built. Hydrodynamic and kinetic approaches are used simultaneously to describe the dynamics of different components of low-temperature discharge plasma. To consider motion of ions and low-energy (plasma) electrons the corresponding equations of continuity with drift-diffusion approximation are used. To describe high-energy (runaway) electrons the Boltzmann kinetic equation is included. As a result of the simulation we obtained spatial and temporal distributions of charged particles and electric field in a pulsed discharge. Furthermore, the energy spectra calculated runaway electrons in different cross-sections, particularly, the discharge gap in the anode plane. It is shown that the average energy of fast electrons (in eV) in the anode plane is usually slightly higher than the instantaneous value of the applied voltage to the gap (in V).
Choice of a Beaufort Equivalent Scale

Beaufort equivalent scales from the literature have been compared to find the scale that gives the most homogenous, internally consistent, combined anemometer and visual wind speed data from the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set. Anemometer wind speeds have been height corrected using the individual anemometer height for each ship, where that could be identified, resulting in a more consistent dataset than that used in previous studies. Monthly mean 1° averages were constructed for visual and anemometer wind speeds separately from data between 1980 and 1990. The anemometer and visual means were compared where there were enough observations to give confidence in both means. The equivalent scale of Lindau was the most effective at giving similar anemometer and visual wind distributions from this mean dataset. The scale of daSilva et al. also performed well. The Lindau scale is, however, preferred because of its more rigorous derivation. The results for the different scales are in agreement with Lindau’s suggestion that the characteristic biases of earlier Beaufort scales could be explained by the statistical method of derivation.
GCN-ST-MDIR: Graph Convolutional Network-Based Spatial-Temporal Missing Air Pollution Data Pattern Identification and Recovery

Missing data pattern identification and recovery (MDIR) is vital for accurate air pollution monitoring. To recover the missing air pollution data, GCN-ST-MDIR, a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN)-based MDIR framework, is proposed to identify daily missing data patterns and automatically select the best recovery method. GCN-ST-MDIR presents four novelties: (1) A new graph construction is developed to improve GCN data representation for MDIR using S-T similarity matrix and domain-specific knowledge (e.g., weekend/weekday). (2) A TL component is used to pre-train LSCE and ILSCE models. (3) A GCN structure outputs a selection indicator to determine the dominant missing pattern for daily input. The pre-trained data recovery model's accuracy is incorporated into the GCN loss function to penalize the wrong indicator. (4) The output of the GCN structure is used as a score to combine LSCE and ILSCE. Results show that the domain-specific S-T regularity and irregularity can be used as the prior information for both GCN and ILSCE/LSCE to enhance feature extraction. Our model considerably improves the recovery performance as compared to the baselines. GCN-ST-MDIR has achieved an accuracy of 88.48% for general missing data recovery with consecutively and sporadically missing data. GCN-ST-MDIR can be extended to many other S-T MDIR challenges.
Achieving 1 Million Quality Factor in Fused Silica Planar Frame Resonator (PFR)

This letter reports the quality factor (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-factor) of a fused silica planar frame resonator (PFR). The PFR is an axisymmetric structure composed of a beam head, a bridge, two wings, two longitudinal beams, and a supporting tail. Fused silica PFR with a 6 mm beam length is chemically etched from a 500-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-thick silica glass wafer. The resonant frequency of the flexural mode is measured to be 9654 Hz and the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-factor as high as 1.13 million is acquired by the ringdown method. The <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-factor of the PFR has the potential for further improvement with structural design and fabrication optimization.
A Case Study on Sustainable Quality Assurance in Higher Education

In contemporary academia, accreditation stands as a vital process for universities to uphold their reputation and deliver quality education to students. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) significantly contribute to this process by enabling institutions to assess their performance in crucial areas, such as student outcomes, faculty engagement, and research effectiveness. To achieve sustainable accreditation, universities necessitate a comprehensive data management system capable of handling extensive data and generating pertinent insights. High-quality education remains paramount for academic institutions to equip students with essential professional skills, thereby enabling societal economic advancement. A sustainable quality management system is an innovative approach emphasizing continuous improvement and long-term planning to enhance an organization’s overall performance and maintain a competitive edge within the sector. This paper presents a case study on sustainable quality assurance in higher education, underscoring the importance of KPIs in accreditation and the need for a robust data management system to ensure sustainability. Additionally, it highlights the significance of delivering high-quality education and the role of a sustainable quality management system in realizing this objective.
A CONFLUENT HYPERGEOMETRIC GENERALIZED INVERSE GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION

A new generalized extended inverse Gaussian density function involving a confluent hypergeometric function is defined. Closed form representations of a generalized extended inverse Gaussian density function and the corresponding moment generating function are provided in terms of Meijer’s G-function. Some other statistical functions which are associated with the proposed distribution are also derived. Many distributions can be obtained as limiting cases of the proposed density function. This density is utilized to model an actual data set. The new distribution provides a better fit than related distributions as measured by the Anderson-Darling and Cramer-von Mises statistics. The proposed distribution could, for instance, find applications in the physical and biological sciences and in particular be helpful to researchers working in special functions as well as reliability analysis, survival models and diffraction theory.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Steel-Polypropylene Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams

This work experimentally and numerically explored how varied steel-polypropylene fibre mixtures affected simply supported reinforced concrete deep beams. Due to their better mechanical qualities and durability, fibre-reinforced polymer composites are becoming more popular in construction, with hybrid polymer-reinforced concrete (HPRC) promising to increase the strength and ductility of reinforced concrete structures. The study evaluated how different combinations of steel fibres (SF) and polypropylene fibres (PPF) affected beam behaviour experimentally and numerically. The study’s focus on deep beams, research of fibre combinations and percentages, and integration of experimental and numerical analysis provide unique insights. The two experimental deep beams were the same size and were composed of hybrid polymer concrete or normal concrete without fibres. Fibres increased deep beam strength and ductility in experiments. The calibrated concrete damage plasticity model in ABAQUS was used to numerically calibrate HPRC deep beams with different fibre combinations at varied percentages. Based on six experimental concrete mixtures, calibrated numerical models of deep beams with different material combinations were investigated. The numerical analysis confirmed that fibres increased deep beam strength and ductility. HPRC deep beams with fibre performed better than those without fibres in numerical analysis. The study also determined the best fibre percentage to improve deep beam behaviour where a combination of 0.75% SF and 0.25% PPF was recommended to enhance load-bearing capacity and crack distribution, while a higher content of PPF was suggested for reducing deflection.
The Sun as an X-Ray Star. I. Deriving the Emission Measure Distribution versus Temperature of the Whole Solar Corona from the Yohkoh/Soft X-Ray Telescope Data

The scope of this work is to obtain the emission measure distributions versus temperature, EM(T), of the whole solar corona from Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope images. As discussed in Paper II, the EM(T) is our starting point for studying the Sun as an X-ray star. To this purpose, we need to extract as much information as possible from the Yohkoh/SXT data covering the whole range of the Yohkoh/SXT temperature sensitivity, i.e., 5.5 < log T(K) < 8. In particular at low photon counts and temperatures below 106 K, errors on the temperature and emission measure determination are expected to be large. To this end, we have made an extensive set of simulations to explore the nominal performance of the entire system (instrument and data analysis system) in the determination of the plasma temperature and emission measure at low, intermediate, and high photon counts per pixel. We have shown that low-count data with a number of photons per pixel nphot < 10 are affected by large errors and lead to the derivation of an unrealistic EM(T) characterized by a steep negative slope. As a result, we have devised an analysis method that minimizes the instrumental and statistical effects on the determination of EM(T) and allows us to determine the global coronal EM(T). As a first application to real SXT data, we have derived the EM(T) of the Sun close to the maximum of the solar cycle, a challenging case. The low-temperature part is in agreement with analogous studies made in the UV band, and it shows a well-defined maximum at T ~ 2 MK.
Impact of Intratracheal Administration of Polyethylene Glycol-Coated Silver Nanoparticles on the Heart of Normotensive and Hypertensive Mice

Silver nanoparticles are widely used in various industrial and biomedical applications; however, little is known about their potential cardiotoxicity after pulmonary exposure, particularly in hypertensive subjects. We assessed the cardiotoxicity of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated AgNPs in hypertensive (HT) mice. Saline (control) or PEG–AgNPs (0.5 mg/kg) were intratracheally (i.t.) instilled four times (on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-angiotensin II or vehicle [saline] infusion). On day 29, various cardiovascular parameters were evaluated. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were higher in PEG–AgNPs-treated HT mice than in saline-treated HT or PEG–AgNPs-treated normotensive mice. The heart histology of PEG–AgNPs-treated HT mice had comparatively larger cardiomyocyte damage with fibrosis and inflammatory cells when compared with saline-treated HT mice. Similarly, the relative heart weight and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase-MB and the concentration of brain natriuretic peptide concentration were significantly augmented in heart homogenates of HT mice treated with PEG–AgNPs compared with HT mice treated with saline or normotensive animals exposed to PEG–AgNPs. Similarly, the concentrations of endothelin-1, P-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in heart homogenates were significantly higher than in the other two groups when HT mice were exposed to PEG–AgNPs. Markers of inflammation and oxidative and nitrosative stress were significantly elevated in heart homogenates of HT mice given PEG–AgNPs compared with HT mice treated with saline or normotensive animals exposed to PEG–AgNPs. The hearts of HT mice exposed to PEG–AgNPs had significantly increased DNA damage than those of HT mice treated with saline or normotensive mice treated with AgNPs. In conclusion, the cardiac injury caused by PEG–AgNPs was aggravated in hypertensive mice. The cardiotoxicity of PEG–AgNPs in HT mice highlights the importance of an in-depth assessment of their toxicity before using them in clinical settings, particularly in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases.
EESaver: Saving Energy Dynamically for Green Multi-Access Edge Computing

With the rollout of the 5G network around the globe, a massive number of edge servers have been deployed to host online applications demanding low service latency for users. These edge servers constitute multi-access edge computing (MEC) systems. Running 24/7, edge servers consume tremendous energy and take up a great part of global carbon emissions. The edge energy-saving (EES) problem is needed to facilitate energy-efficient edge resource provisions. Unfortunately, existing energy-saving approaches designed for data centers are becoming impractical. First, edge servers are used to provide services to a specific geographical area. Its energy utilization is impacted by the temporal distribution of users within its coverage. Second, a user could be accommodated by any of its neighbor edge servers. Third, it is possible to activate and deactivate individual physical machines that facilitate an edge server as needed. Thus, EES is designed to save the system energy of physical machines in a long term by serving the users over time. EES problem has been formulated systematically and its problem hardness has been analyzed theoretically, then we propose EESaver (Edge Energy Saver) for formulating EES strategies dynamically over time to facilitate green MEC. EESaver's superior performance is tested comprehensively.
Bexarotene improves motor function after spinal cord injury in mice

[INLINE:1] Spinal cord injury is a challenge in orthopedics because it causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system. Therefore, early treatment to prevent lesion expansion is crucial for the management of patients with spinal cord injury. Bexarotene, a type of retinoid, exerts therapeutic effects on patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Parkinson’s disease. Bexarotene has been proven to promote autophagy, but it has not been used in the treatment of spinal cord injury. To investigate the effects of bexarotene on spinal cord injury, we established a mouse model of T11–T12 spinal cord contusion and performed daily intraperitoneal injection of bexarotene for 5 consecutive days. We found that bexarotene effectively reduced the deposition of collagen and the number of pathological neurons in the injured spinal cord, increased the number of synapses of nerve cells, reduced oxidative stress, inhibited pyroptosis, promoted the recovery of motor function, and reduced death. Inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine reversed the effects of bexarotene on spinal cord injury. Bexarotene enhanced the nuclear translocation of transcription factor E3, which further activated AMP-activated protein kinase-S-phase kinase-associated protein 2-coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 and AMP-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathways. Intravenous injection of transcription factor E3 shRNA or intraperitoneal injection of compound C, an AMP-activated protein kinase blocker, inhibited the effects of bexarotene. These findings suggest that bexarotene regulates nuclear translocation of transcription factor E3 through the AMP-activated protein kinase-S-phase kinase-associated protein 2-coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 and AMP-activated protein kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin signal pathways, promotes autophagy, decreases reactive oxygen species level, inhibits pyroptosis, and improves motor function after spinal cord injury.
Low-Frequency Sea Level Variability and the Inverted Barometer Effect

Abstract For a dynamical interpretation of sea level records, estimates are needed of the isostatic, or so-called inverted barometer, signals (ηib) associated with the ocean response to atmospheric loading. Seasonal and longer-period ηib signals are evaluated over the global ocean for the period 1958–2000 using monthly sea level pressure fields from two different atmospheric reanalyses. Variability and linear trends in ηib agree well for the two reanalyses in most regions but less so over the Southern Ocean, where uncertainties in ηib seem to be largest. The standard deviation of ηib ranges from 7 cm in the regions of the Aleutian and Iceland lows and parts of the Southern and Arctic Oceans. When compared to a global tide gauge dataset, both seasonal and interannual ηib signals are found to contribute importantly to the sea level variance in many mid- and high-latitude records, with seasonal signals important as well in tropical records from India and Southeast Asia. For th.
Transposition in Quantum Information Theory

In this thesis we study applications of the transposition map in quantum information theory. We are interested in particular in the problem of detecting whether a given quantum state is distillable and in the problem of bounding the quantum capacity of a quantum channel. In these cases there are well-known results involving the transposition map. Our main goal is to characterize different maps, which would lead to similar criteria or bounds. The existence of such maps would provide useful tools for these applications. We show, by using the theory of linear preservers and convex analysis, that in many cases the transposition up to some transformation is the only map that can give such results.
Reliability and Validity of a Portable Traction Dynamometer in Knee-Strength Extension Tests: An Isometric Strength Assessment in Recreationally Active Men

Background: the study determined the validity and reliability of measurements obtained using the portable traction dynamometer (PTD) (E-Lastic, E-Sports Solutions, Brazil) and the reproducibility between evaluators (precision) in the evaluation of the isometric muscle strength of the knee extensors of healthy male adults, compared to measurements obtained with the “gold standard” computerized dynamometer (CD) (Biodex System 3, Nova York, NY, USA). Methods: we evaluated sixteen recreationally active men (29.50 ± 7.26 years). The test–retest reliability of both equipment to determine quadriceps strength, agreement analysis, and the minimal important difference were verified. Results: excellent test–retest interrater reliability was observed for absolute and relative measurements, with a low absolute error for both sets of equipment and excellent validity of the PTD against the CD, as verified by linear regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Conclusions: PTD is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the isometric strength of knee extensors, with results similar to the isometric CD “gold standard”.