Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporal and spatial variations of propagule deposition in the riparian zones of mountain rivers

Although dispersal is important for riparian plants, few studies have evaluated the variations of species richness and composition of propagules deposited by different dispersal mechanisms. In the present study, we evaluate the temporal and spatial variations in the diversity of propagules deposited by hydrochory and by other types of dispersal along mountain rivers. We sampled the propagules deposited in the riparian zone on a distance gradient with respect to the site of origin of the rivers in two seasons. We found no differences in the number of propagules between seasons. In the rainy season, we observed a greater number of species deposited by hydrochory, while for other types of dispersal there was a greater number of species in the dry season. Differences in composition were observed for hydrochory but not for other types of dispersal. There were no changes in the number of propagules deposited along the river by hydrochory, while for other types of dispersal an increase was observed in the dry season. A lower number of species deposited by hydrochory along the river was observed during the rainy season. Finally, we observed that turnover increases for other types of dispersal in the dry season but not for hydrochory. The results underline the importance of types of dispersal other than hydrochory in the contribution of propagules dispersed and the temporal and spatial particularities of the hydrochory in mountain rivers.
The Impact of ERP Systems on Organizational Performance: The Role of Antecedents and Moderators

Research on the link between investments in ERP systems and organizational performance has often led to mixed results. Besides internal organizational factors, many external contextual factors come into play. This study examined the role of firm size, industry, and duration of ERP system's use in influencing the performance impact of ERP systems through moderating the relationships between antecedent variables, ERP-induced benefits, and improvement in overall organizational performance. Using a sample of 200 participant firms, and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the author confirmed the significant role of business process re-engineering and organizational fit and alignment as antecedents to ERP-induced benefits in information quality, and coordination/integration. Data and information quality was in turn confirmed as a significant predictor of organizational performance. Furthermore, the roles of industry, firm size, and time elapsed were also confirmed as significant moderators to the influence of the antecedent variables on ERP benefits and organizational performance.
The future of affordable cancer immunotherapy

The treatment of cancer was revolutionized within the last two decades by utilizing the mechanism of the immune system against malignant tissue in so-called cancer immunotherapy. Two main developments boosted cancer immunotherapy: 1) the use of checkpoint inhibitors, which are characterized by a relatively high response rate mainly in solid tumors; however, at the cost of serious side effects, and 2) the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, which were shown to be very efficient in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but failed to show high clinical effectiveness in solid tumors until now. In addition, active immunization against individual tumors is emerging, and the first products have reached clinical approval. These new treatment options are very cost-intensive and are not financially compensated by health insurance in many countries. Hence, strategies must be developed to make cancer immunotherapy affordable and to improve the cost-benefit ratio. In this review, we discuss the following strategies: 1) to leverage the antigenicity of “cold tumors” with affordable reagents, 2) to use microbiome-based products as markers or therapeutics, 3) to apply measures that make adoptive cell therapy (ACT) cheaper, e.g., the use of off-the-shelf products, 4) to use immunotherapies that offer cheaper platforms, such as RNA- or peptide-based vaccines and vaccines that use shared or common antigens instead of highly personal antigens, 5) to use a small set of predictive biomarkers instead of the “sequence everything” approach, and 6) to explore affordable immunohistochemistry markers that may direct individual therapies.
On the special properties of the shear shock wave in an incompressible elastic medium without preliminary deformations

The nonlinear system of hyperbolic equations describing a helical one-dimensional motion of a nonlinear elastic incompressible medium is investigated. Types and velocities of possible divergent shock waves are determined on the basis of a joint analysis of the dynamic compatibility conditions, the characteristics of this system and the Riemann invariants along them. For the single transverse shock wave in previously undeformed medium it is shown that the shearing direction is invariant at the leading shock front determined by the initial action and independent of post-impact loading. The solution of boundary-value problem about shock loading on a circular cylindrical cavity boundary is constructed by the matched asymptotic expansions method and the ray method modified for shock waves.
A Novel Thermal-Aware Floorplanning and TSV Assignment With Game Theory for Fixed-Outline 3-D ICs

High temperature or temperature nonuniformity has been considered as one of the most challenging problems in three-dimensional integrated circuits (3-D ICs). There have been many studies on the thermal issues in 3-D ICs floorplanning. However, most handcrafted heuristic algorithms require long iteration cycles, resulting in inefficient thermal management with no guarantee of good performance. Meanwhile, as modern integrated circuit design becomes increasingly complex, current floorplannings suffer from the “curse of dimensionality” and cannot optimize large-scale cases. Therefore, a novel thermal-aware fixed-outline 3-D IC floorplanning is proposed in this article. Since the temperature in a 3-D IC is mainly determined by a power distribution across tiers, this article proposes a deep ${k}$ -means clustering algorithm to cluster the modules and find a better cross-tier power distribution. This is an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm that can successfully cluster high-dimensional sample data. Then, in the global distribution (GD) stage, we not only consider the power consumption between the groups but also apply the number and area of through silicon vias (TSVs) to the clustering and analytical method in the multilevel framework. Inspired by the fact that finding the optimal TSV positions for multiple nets in the TSV assignment (TA) stage is essentially a way to maximize the benefits of nets in a competitive environment, game theory is applied to further reduce temperature and wirelength in this stage. We prove that it is an ordinal potential game, and then converge to the Nash equilibrium by the best response strategy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method shows good performance in reducing the temperature of 3-D ICs, and its running time is quite fast.
Kartläggning av antalet överexponerade för buller

Pa uppdrag av Naturvardsverket, med stod av svensk miljoovervakning, har antalet bullerutsatta fran vag, spar och flygtrafik i Sverige ar 2011 kartlagts.Indata fran nationella vagdatabasen, trafikv .
Meningkatkan Repurchase Intention Melalui Perceived Ease Of Use dan Perceived Enjoyment

This study aims to determine the effect of the relationship between perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment on repurchase intention with customer trust as an intervening variable. The type of research used in this research is descriptive quantitative research. The population in this study are all Sociolla e-commerce users in Serang City. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The number of samples in this study were 120 samples. The method of data analysis in this study is to use Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results show that perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment have a positive and significant effect on repurchase intention, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment have a positive and significant effect on customer trust, customer trust has a positive and significant effect on repurchase intention, and customer trust is able to mediate the relationship between perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment of repurchase intention in a positive and significant way.
Application of linear electron Bernstein current drive models in reactor-relevant spherical tokamaks

Electron Bernstein current drive (EBCD) systems in spherical tokamaks are sensitive to plasma and launch conditions, and therefore require large parametric scans to optimise their design. One particular bottleneck in the simulation workflow is quasilinear modelling of current drive efficiency. Linear adjoint models are an attractive alternative, offering a ∼103 × speed-up compared to quasilinear codes. While linear models are well-tested and commonly used for electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), they have seen little use in EBCD modelling. In this work, variants of the linear model are applied to EBCD and compared to quasilinear results in a reactor-relevant plasma, i.e. Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). This comparison reveals it is important to accurately model the collision operator and finite Larmor radius effects in the linear model. When done properly, good agreement is found with quasilinear calculations, at least for normalised minor radii ρ < 0.7 and at low power densities. The power density threshold for quasilinear effects during EBCD is found to be significantly lower than that of ECCD. This is attributed to the much lower group velocity of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW). Thus, the linear model is only valid for EBCD modelling at low power densities (e.g. ≲ 1 MW launched EBW power in STEP). This may be satisfied in present-day experimental devices, but certainly not in reactors targeting non-inductive operation.
Nitric Oxide Synthase Contributes to the Regulation of Hematopoiesis

Nitric oxide (NO), a crucial regulator of vasodilation, immunity, and neurotransmission, is also involved in regulating the balance between proliferation and differentiation in several developmental and differentiation settings (1-7). In several instances, this action of NO is based on its antiproliferative properties, such that suppression of NO synthase (NOS) activity by pharmacologic or genetic means increases the number of dividing cells in a tissue and delays or hinders differentiation (2-4,6,8-14). NO can act in both autocrine and paracrine signaling modes, activating soluble guanylate cyclase, combining with reactive oxygen species, modifying proteins, and inducing both shortand long-term signaling cascades (1,5,7,15-17). In the hematopoietic system, NO contributes to the regulation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow; exposure of mice to NOS inhibitors, either directly or after irradiation and bone marrow transplantation, increases the number of stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow (18). Moreover, in the transplantation model, this increase is followed by a transient increase in the number of neutrophils in the peripheral blood (18), indicating that modulation of NOS activity may be used for therapeutic intervention. There are three NOS genes in the mammalian genome, coding for the neuronal, endothelial, and inducible isoforms of NOS (nNOS, eNOS, and iNOS, respectively), and mRNA of each NOS isoform can be reliably detected in mouse bone marrow (18). Furthermore, nNOS mRNA has been detected in neutrophils (19-22), eNOS mRNA has been detected in lymphocytes, megakaryocytes, and platelets (19,23), and iNOS mRNA has been found in megakaryocytes, eosinophils, and unstimulated monocytes (21,24). Although the action of NO in the hematopoietic system can be readily demonstrated (18,25-29), neither the contribution of individual NOS isoforms nor their mode of action (autocrine vs. paracrine) is understood. We show here that NOS proteins are expressed in bone marrow stroma, that expression of the nNOS isoform strongly correlates with the ability of a panel of stromal cell lines to support hematopoietic stem and early progenitor cells in vitro, and that genetic inactivation of the nNOS gene increases the number of colonies that can be generated from bone marrow and spleen. Our results suggest that nNOS acts as a paracrine effector to regulate hematopoiesis.
Nitric oxide synthase contributes to the maintenance of LTP in the oxytocin–mRFP1 neuron of the rat hypothalamus

Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide hormone that plays a critical role in nociception. Long‐term potentiation (LTP) is a major form of synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. Recently, LTP has been reported in the hypothalamus; however, data on LTP in hypothalamic OXT‐ergic neurons are unclear. Furthermore, the signaling pathways for hypothalamic OXT‐ergic neuronal LTP and its physiological significance remain unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate the induction of hypothalamic OXT‐ergic neuronal LTP and its synaptic mechanism using OXT‐monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 transgenic rats to visualize and record from OXT‐ergic neurons. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) OXT‐ergic neuronal LTP induced by the pairing protocol was dependent on N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Furthermore, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is required to maintain the LTP regardless of the NMDARs. In addition, hypothalamic OXT‐ergic neuronal LTP was not induced in the adjuvant arthritis rat model but increased excitatory postsynaptic currents were detected. LTP in hypothalamic OXT‐ergic neurons in the PVN in the presence of NOS may be involved in neuronal changes during OXT synthesis in chronic inflammation.
Measuring Linear Correlation Between Random Vectors

We introduce a new scalar coefficient to measure linear correlation between random vectors which preserves all the relevant properties of Pearson’s correlation in arbitrary dimensions. The new measure and its bounds are derived from a mass transportation approach in which the expected inner product of two random vectors is taken as a measure of their covariance and then standardized by the maximal attainable value given their marginal covariance matrices. In several simulative studies we show the limiting distribution of the empirical estimator of the newly defined index and of the corresponding rank correlation. A comparative study shows that our proposed correlation, though derived from a novel approach, behaves similarly to some of the multivariate dependence notions recently introduced in the literature. Throughout the paper, we also give some auxiliary results of independent interest in matrix analysis and mass transportation theory, including an improvement to the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality for positive definite covariance matrices.
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells Regulate NLRP3 Activation to Generate a Tolerogenic Microenvironment

Defining feature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that participates in the high mortality rate and drug resistance is the immune-tolerant microenvironment which enables tumors to progress unabated by adaptive immunity. In this study, we report that PDAC cells release CSF-1 to induce nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) activation in myeloid cells. Increased NLRP3 expression was found in the pancreas of patients with PDAC when compared with normal pancreas which correlated with the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Using human primary cells and an orthotopic PDAC mouse model, we show that NLRP3 activation is responsible for the maturation and release of the inflammatory cytokine IL1β which selectively drives Th2-type inflammation via COX2/PGE2 induction. As a result of this inflammation, primary tumors were characterized by reduced cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell activation and increased tumor expansion. Genetic deletion and pharmacologic inhibition of NLRP3 enabled the development of Th1 immunity, increased intratumoral levels of IL2, CD8+ T cell–mediated tumor suppression, and ultimately limited tumor growth. In addition, we observed that NLRP3 inhibition in combination with gemcitabine significantly increased the efficacy of the chemotherapy. In conclusion, this study provides a mechanism by which tumor-mediated NLRP3 activation exploits a distinct adaptive immunity response that facilitates tumor escape and progression. Considering the ability to block NLRP3 activity with safe and small orally active molecules, this protein represents a new promising target to improve the limited therapeutic options in PDAC. Significant: This study provides novel molecular insights on how PDAC cells exploit NLRP3 activation to suppress CD8 T-cell activation. From a translational perspective, we demonstrate that the combination of gemcitabine with the orally active NLRP3 inhibitor OLT1177 increases the efficacy of monotherapy.
Privatization of Public Sector Banks in India: Why, How and How Far

paper Abstract Banks play a critical role in economic growth. In India, the banking sector, dominated by public sector banks (PSBs), has underserved the economy and their stakeholders. The under-performance of PSBs has persisted despite several policy initiatives during the past decade. Meanwhile, private banks have further improved their performance and have gained significant market share. In this paper, we have made the case for privatization of PSBs. Due to its better performance and adhering to the development view of the PSBs, we propose that the State Bank of India (SBI) may remain under government ownership for now, but all other banks should be privatized. In order for them to set an example for the success of future privatizations, the first two banks for privatization should be the ones with better asset quality and higher returns. The most critical element for privatization to succeed would be the withdrawal of the government from the post-privatization board of the bank. The paper proposes a couple of different pathways to successfully transition the sector toward private ownership. It cautions that the status quo will result in further erosion of the market share of PSBs toward oblivion, while impeding India’s economic growth and inflicting substantial costs onto the depositors, firms, taxpayers and the government as their majority owner in the interim.
Factors Affecting Adaptability of Teachers in Teaching at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City Under the Covid – 19 Pandemic

This study is to clarify the factors affecting the adaptability in the teaching of lecturers at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-HCM) due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. From the general theoretical basis: concepts, theory of adaptability, characteristics of lecturers, and characteristics of adaptability in teaching, the research identified, and analyzed factors affecting the adaptability in the teaching of lecturers include: (1) Psychology; (2) Attitude; (3) Technology; (4) University Support; (5) Students’ participation; and (6) CCognitivefactor. Accordingly, six hypotheses are built based on the research model. The study used quantity active research methods and conducted cited surveys with 222 lecturers of VNU-HCM using online and face-to-face questionnaires. Collected data were processed by SPSS20 software. After checking the reliability of the scale by Cronbach's Alpha and analyzing the EFA factor, the remaining four hypotheses were tested and achieved high reliability (in which the factors of Student participation and Cognition were disqualified due to failure to meet Cronbach's Alpha criteria). The results of multivariate regression analysis have identified three facto which three factors include (1) Attitude; (2) Technology;(3) University Support have a positive impact on the adaptability in the teaching of teachers. From the research results, the study proposes solutions to improve the adaptability in the teaching of -HCM in the changing conditions caused by the epidemic in particular and changes in the teaching methods in general. Received: 21 May 2023 / Accepted: 29 July 2023 / Published: 5 September 2023
Three-Dimensional (3D) Morphometric Analysis of Plegic and Healthy Feet of Patients with Stroke

Objective: This study aimed to quantitatively assess the changes in foot morphology in stroke patients using 3D scanning and focused on parameters like foot volume, area, and the root mean square difference (RMS) values. The objective was to enhance our understanding of post-stroke foot morphology and its potential relevance for rehabilitation, especially in designing orthotic supports and specialized footwear for stroke patients. Methods: Our study involved fourteen right hemiplegia patients and twenty healthy subjects. Stroke patients were assessed using international scales. We utilized a 3D scanning device to digitize and examine the differences in foot morphology between hemiplegic and healthy subjects, analyzing the data on a computer platform. Results: In the context of post-stroke individuals with hemiplegic feet, our morphometric analysis revealed notable differences in foot area and foot volume when compared to their healthy counterparts. These distinctions extended to linear measurements encompassing foot length, foot width, instep height, bimalleolar width, and ball width. Significantly, RMS exhibited a substantial increase in the patient cohort compared to the healthy group (p<0.05). Our investigation also established correlations between these standing morphometric parameters and RMS alterations, with noteworthy coefficients for various parameters: RMS(Foot Length Difference, 0.41), RMS(Foot Width Difference, 0.45), RMS(Instep Height Difference, 0.58), RMS(Ball Width Difference, 0.58), RMS(Bimalleolar Width Difference, 0.19), RMS(Volume Difference, 0.74), and RMS(Area Difference, 0.62). Conclusion: This study suggests incorporating RMS values as a novel parameter in the evaluation process. We anticipate that these findings will have practical implications, particularly in designing orthotic supports, specialized footwear for stroke patients, and the formulation of tailored rehabilitation programs within clinical settings.
The Use Of Copulas in Estimating The Value at Risk (VaR) Of The IDX Development Board and Main Board Indices with Monte Carlo Simulation

This article discusses the use of copulas to estimate Value at Risk (VaR) with Monte Carlo simulation in the Indonesian stock market. As an illustration, we construct a portfolio which consists of the IDX Main Board and Development Board Indices in equal proportion (50% each). Based on Kupiec’s Proportion of Failure Test (POF), the estimated 99% VaR with the Monte Carlo-Copula method is not rejected. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Monte Carlo-Copula method can be used to estimate VaR in the Indonesian stock market.