Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of taVNS for extreme environments: an exploration study of health benefits and stress operationality

Introduction Long-duration space missions will be a real challenge for maintaining astronauts' adaptability. Research on transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is expanding rapidly, and its modalities constitute a major research challenge. A growing number of reviews stress the need to validate biomarkers for monitoring effects to enhance our understanding of the processes by which taVNS acts. Heart rate variability (HRV) appears to be a relevant candidate that informs on the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This is a promising technique to minimize the pathogenic effects of such large-scale missions and thus might be a relevant countermeasure. This study aimed to investigate the impact of taVNS on cognitive, psychological, and physiological functioning, including ANS functioning, and the benefits of increasing the number of taVNS sessions. Method A total of 44 healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of the two cross-over protocols: a single session protocol (one taVNS and one sham simulation) or a repeated session protocol (three taVNS and three sham simulations). Cognitive, psychological, and physiological measures were performed before (pre) and after (post) each intervention. Sleep monitoring was only recorded before the first and after the last intervention in each protocol. For the repeated session protocol only, participants were allocated to two groups according to their parasympathetic activation gain during the three interventions: high parasympathetic delta (HPd) and low parasympathetic delta (LPd). Results Participants in the repeated session protocol increased their HRV, cognitive performance, and sleep efficiency. In particular, taVNS induced higher parasympathetic activation and cardiac flexibility compared to the sham simulation in the repeated session protocol. Nevertheless, the perception of stress may indicate a nocebo effect of the repeated session. The HPd profile had higher interoceptive awareness, HRV highlighted by non-linear measures, and cognitive performance, but presented a decrease in some indicators of sleep efficiency compared to the LPd profile. Conclusion taVNS seems to induce positive health outcomes, especially when the stimulation is repeated three times per week. Our findings highlight the benefits of parasympathetic activation during taVNS on psychophysiological and cognitive functioning. Further research is needed to validate these results on a large sample, using longitudinal measures over several months. This intervention appears promising as a countermeasure to extreme missions and occupations.
High-definition map automatic annotation system based on active learning

As autonomous vehicle technology advances, high‐definition (HD) maps have become essential for ensuring safety and navigation accuracy. However, creating HD maps with accurate annotations demands substantial human effort, leading to a time‐consuming and costly process. Although artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision (CV) algorithms have been developed for prelabeling HD maps, a significant gap remains in accuracy and robustness between AI‐based methods and traditional manual pipelines. Additionally, building large‐scale annotated datasets and advanced machine learning algorithms for AI‐based HD map labeling systems can be resource‐intensive. In this paper, we present and summarize the Tencent HD Map AI (THMA) system, an innovative end‐to‐end, AI‐based, active learning HD map labeling system designed to produce HD map labels for hundreds of thousands of kilometers while employing active learning to enhance product iteration. Utilizing a combination of supervised, self‐supervised, and weakly supervised learning, THMA is trained directly on massive HD map datasets to achieve the high accuracy and efficiency required by downstream users. Deployed by the Tencent Map team, THMA serves over 1000 labeling workers and generates more than 30,000 km of HD map data per day at its peak. With over 90% of Tencent Map's HD map data labeled automatically by THMA, the system accelerates traditional HD map labeling processes by more than tenfold, significantly reducing manual annotation burdens and paving the way for more efficient HD map production.
Ray based crosshole radar traveltime tomography using Multistencils Fast Marching Method.

We present a ray based iteratively traveltime tomography algorithm for crosshole radar direct-arrival data based on the multistencils fast marching method (MSFM). The proposed scheme uses MSFM to compute the traveltime solution at each grid point by solving the traveltime Eikonal equation along several stencils and picks the solution that satisfies the upwind condition. In contrast to classical fast marching method (FMM) and higher accuracy fast marching method (HAFMM), MSFM is highly accurate for forward modeling of traveltime. Curved raypaths, which are needed for the construction of the Jacobi matrix, are generated by following the steepest descent direction through a computed traveltime field from each receiver back to the source using the steepest descent technique. The solutions are achieved by an iteratively linearized inversion approach. LSQR algorithms are used for Matrix inversion. We test the suggested method on two synthetic models with abnormal velocity areas. In model 1, we test the proposed method by comparing three types of FMM algorithms. In model 2, we compares the proposed scheme with two tomography algorithms that based on the straight ray tracing and without ray tracing. The numerical model results indicate that the proposed scheme is considered to be an efficient crosshole radar traveltime tomography technique.
On-chip digitally tunable positive/negative dispersion controller using bidirectional chirped multimode waveguide gratings

Abstract. A silicon-based digitally tunable positive/negative dispersion controller (DC) is proposed and realized for the first time using the cascaded bidirectional chirped multimode waveguide gratings (CMWGs), achieving positive and negative dispersion by switching the light propagation direction. A 1 × 2 Mach–Zehnder switch (MZS) and a 2 × 1 MZS are placed before and after to route the light path for realizing positive/negative switching. The device has Q stages of identical bidirectional CMWGs with a binary sequence. Thus the digital tuning is convenient and scalable, and the total dispersion accumulated by all the stages can be tuned digitally from − ( 2Q − 1 ) D0 to ( 2Q − 1 ) D0 with a step of D0 by controlling the switching states of all 2 × 2 MZSs, where D0 is the dispersion provided by a single bidirectional CMWG unit. Finally, a digitally tunable positive/negative DC with Q = 4 is designed and fabricated. These CMWGs are designed with a 4-mm-long grating section, enabling the dispersion D0 of about 4.16 ps / nm in a 20-nm-wide bandwidth. The dispersion is tuned from −61.53 to 63.77 ps / nm by switching all MZSs appropriately, and the corresponding group delay is varied from −1021 to 1037 ps.
Map of glacial limits and possible refugia in the southern Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, during the late Wisconsin glaciation

Any use of trade names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey This map was produced on request, directly from �digital files, on an electronic plotter For sale by U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 1-888-ASK-USGS ArcInfo coverages and a PDF for this map are available at http://pubs.usgs. gov
Climatic constraints on carbon assimilation and transpiration of sub-Mediterranean forests

C. van der Tol, 2006. ”Climatic constraints on carbon assimilation and transpiration of sub-Mediterranean forests” Doctoral thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands Vegetation has a strong influence on the surface fluxes of energy, water and carbon. Although the physiological processes that govern these fluxes at a small scale are reasonably well understood, the estimation of fluxes from field to global scale remains difficult: vegetation parameters are variable in both space and time and interact with the geology and climate by fast responses and long-term adaptation. For weather prediction, agriculture, climate change scenarios and the study of ecosystem vulnerability it is important to understand the interactions between vegetation, climate and geology at various spatial and temporal scales. Today, these interactions are usually modelled by simulating the competition between plant functional types which have specific, fixed characteristics. Although this approach has been used successfully to reproduce existing vegetation patterns, it does not explain why vegetation characteristics take specific values. This study focusses on explaining the response of vegetation characteristics to climate. A short time scale, certain vegetation characteristics are fixed and the fluxes respond to weather conditions. At a long time scale, vegetation characteristics are flexible, and the vegetation responds to variations in climate. This thesis has two aims: first to separate the effects of vegetation characteristics and weather conditions on the fluxes of energy, water and carbon, and second to predict optimum vegetation characteristics from climatic constraints. By doing so, the short and long time scales are covered, and it is possible to possible to predict the energy and mass exchange rates between vegetation and the atmosphere at a short time scale (hours) from climatic and geologic constraints at a long time scale (years to decades). Data for this study were collected at four experimental plots in natural broadleaf forests in sub-Mediterranean Slovenia. These plots were selected for their topography induced differences in climate (mainly aspect), local hy-
Little Ice Age (Neoglacial) Paleoenvironmental Conditions At Siple Station, Antarctica

The 550-year records of δ 18O and dust concentrations from Siple Station, Antarctica suggest warmer and less dusty atmospheric conditions from 1600 to 1830 A.D. which encompasses much of the northern hemisphere Little Ice Age (LIA). Dust and δ 18O data from South Pole Station indicate that the opposite conditions (e.g. cooler and more dusty) were prevalent there during the LIA. Meteorological data from 1945–85 show that the LIA temperature opposition between Amundsen-Scott and Siple, inferred from δ 18O, is consistent with the present spatial distribution of surface temperature. There is some observational evidence suggesting that under present conditions stronger zonal westerlies produce a temperature pattern similar to that of the LIA. These regional differences demonstrate that a suite of spatially distributed, high resolution ice-core records will be necessary to characterize the LIA in Antarctica
Age and Sex Differences in Physical Activity of Portuguese Adults and Older Adults

This study aims to explore data on objectively measured physical activity from a sample of adults and older adults and to investigate the achievement of the minimum physical activity required for health benefits. Participants, 257 women (age 58.99 ± 18.93 years, BMI 26.75 ± 4.57 kg·m−2) and 178 men (age 49.22 ± 20.39 years, BMI 26.81 ± 3.51 kg·m−2), wore an accelerometer for 4 to 7 days. Approximately 40% of the time was spent daily in sedentary behaviors during waking hours. Our results do not sustain the suggestion that adult men are more physically active than women. The results indicated a decrease in intensity of physical activity with age, in men and women, but not in successive age groups. Around 75% of adults and 30% of older adults accumulated the minimum daily physical activity for health benefits, in periods shorter than 10 min, above moderate intensity. The number of steps taken per day revealed that most men and women (except the oldest) attained or exceeded the lower threshold for deriving health benefits. To obtain relevant health benefits, future physical activity interventions should aim at reversing the amount of sedentary behaviors, emphasizing increments in, at least, the lower levels of PA, and maintaining walking habits.
Mango peel as a potential enzyme inducer in Trichoderma harzianum

Water-insoluble exopolysaccharides (I-EPS) are a virulence factor for dental biofilms. It has already been demonstrated that mango pulp induces the secretion of glucan-hydrolytic enzymes in the fungus Trichoderma harzianum, and that they have an effect on I-EPS from young biofilms. Aim: Evaluate the effect of mango peel as an enzyme inducer in T. harzianum, and the effect of enzymes secreted on mature biofilms. Methods: Fractions of the peel (PL) and ethanol-precipitated pulp (PP) of Tommy Atkins mangoes were sterilized and added to a culture medium containing T. harzianum for induction of hydrolytic enzymes. After 192 h, the culture medium was centrifuged and the supernatant (enzyme extract) was used as treatment on S. mutans biofilms (n=9): a) NaCl 0.9 %; b) 0.12 % chlorhexidine digluconate; and c) extract of enzymes induced by PL or PP. Acidogenicity, bacterial viability, quantification of insoluble polysaccharides, and three-dimensional analysis of the biofilm by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Tukey test (α=5 %). Results: The hydrolytic enzymes did not alter the metabolism or bacterial viability of the biofilm (p<0.05). Although the images obtained by SEM suggest some degree of matrix degradation, the quantification of I-EPS for the PL and PP groups did not differ from the control group (p>0.05), suggesting a slight effect on the disorganization of the mature S. mutans biofilm. Conclusion: The results suggest that mango peel fraction can induce secretion of mutanase by T. harzianum, however in an insufficient amount to generate significant degradation on cariogenic biofilm.
Health inequities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: selected country case studies

This report focuses on the available evidence on inequities in health and inequities in socioeconomic determinants that exist both within and across countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. It uses data from the Pan-Arab Project for Child Development (PAPCHILD) and Pan-Arab Project Family Health Survey (PAPFAM). The report aims to assess the extent of health inequality in the Region and identify what contributed to the changing levels of inequalities in the 1990s. The study analyses the role of changing socioeconomic and behavioural characteristics of the population and the changes in health system in contributing to widening or narrowing health inequalities. The analysis is limited to six countries in the Region for which we have data on health outcomes in two points in time (early 1990s and early 2000). Three main research questions were asked as follows. 1. What is the extent of health inequities within and across the countries in the Region? 2. What are the major factors contributing to health inequities within countries? 3. What are the major policy implications or actions that countries should consider given the results of the analysis?
Functional Inhibition of Katanin Affects Synaptic Plasticity

Dynamic microtubules critically regulate synaptic functions, but the role of microtubule severing in these processes is barely understood. Katanin is a neuronally expressed microtubule-severing complex regulating microtubule number and length in cell division or neurogenesis; however, its potential role in synaptic functions has remained unknown. Studying mice from both sexes, we found that katanin is abundant in neuronal dendrites and can be detected at individual excitatory spine synapses. Overexpression of a dominant-negative ATPase-deficient katanin subunit to functionally inhibit severing alters the growth of microtubules in dendrites, specifically at premature but not mature neuronal stages without affecting spine density. Notably, interference with katanin function prevented structural spine remodeling following single synapse glutamate uncaging and significantly affected the potentiation of AMPA-receptor-mediated excitatory currents after chemical induction of long-term potentiation. Furthermore, katanin inhibition reduced the invasion of microtubules into fully developed spines. Our data demonstrate that katanin-mediated microtubule severing regulates structural and functional plasticity at synaptic sites.
Effects of Drawdown on Water Quality and Temperature in Duke University's Chiller Pond

The Duke Pond (or chiller pond) collects runoff from 20% of the Duke University campus and serves as a water source to the adjacent evaporative cooling plant. Due to frequent water withdrawals from the chiller plant, the water levels are expected to fluctuate anywhere from one to four feet daily (1.22 m). This project aims to (1) calculate a water budget for the pond, (2) determine the effects of fluctuating water levels on various water quality parameters, (3) assess whether the pond is compliant with state water quality standards, and (4) determine whether the stream temperature is significantly different at the inflow versus the outflow to the pond. An additional goal was to develop a GIS tool that estimates the annual sediment yield from the Duke pond's watershed using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). After the pond stabilized I found that dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and specific conductance decrease with increasing water levels in the pond. The temperature is not significantly different at the outflow compared to the inflow stream. For the majority of the 8-­‐ month sampling period, dissolved oxygen and pH remain compliant with the state standards. Chlorophyll-­‐a had one occurrence where it exceeded the standard. The USLE tool accurately delineates the watershed for the pond and calculates an annual sediment loss of 168.2 lb/ac/yr.
An N-Type Pseudo-Static eDRAM Macro with Reduced Access Time for High-Speed Processing-in-Memory in Intelligent Sensor Hub Applications

This paper introduces an n-type pseudo-static gain cell (PS-nGC) embedded within dynamic random-access memory (eDRAM) for high-speed processing-in-memory (PIM) applications. The PS-nGC leverages a two-transistor (2T) gain cell and employs an n-type pseudo-static leakage compensation (n-type PSLC) circuit to significantly extend the eDRAM’s retention time. The implementation of a homogeneous NMOS-based 2T gain cell not only reduces write access times but also benefits from a boosted write wordline technique. In a comparison with the previous pseudo-static gain cell design, the proposed PS-nGC exhibits improvements in write and read access times, achieving 3.27 times and 1.81 times reductions in write access time and read access time, respectively. Furthermore, the PS-nGC demonstrates versatility by accommodating a wide supply voltage range, spanning from 0.7 to 1.2 V, while maintaining an operating frequency of 667 MHz. Fabricated using a 28 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, the prototype features an efficient active area, occupying a mere 0.284 µm2 per bitcell for the 4 kb eDRAM macro. Under various operational conditions, including different processes, voltages, and temperatures, the proposed PS-nGC of eDRAM consistently provides speedy and reliable read and write operations.
Isolation of Plasmid Dna from Bacteria Associated With Ulcerative Disease in Channa punctatus

Ulcerative disease has been prevalent particularly in snake head and catfishes. A number of virulent bacteria are associated with this disease. A variety of important properties viz., virulent determinants, antimicrobial resistance, etc. of the pathogenic bacteria that enabled them to thrive better in the adverse environment, have been proven to be plasmid encoded. Keeping in mind the importance of plasmid DNA, this study has been undertaken. Plasmid DNA was isolated by alkaline lysis method from the cultured bacteria associated with ulcerative disease of snake head, Channa punctatus. Isolation of plasmid DNA followed by agarose gel electrophoresis analysis have revealed the presence of a single plasmid DNA in the cultured microbe which comigrated with 23 kb DNA fragment of the lambda DNA digested by Hind III. The cultured microbe was characterised as: Gram-negative motile rod, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, indole-negative, non-HS producing, lactose fermenting, acid and gas produced from glucose, methyl red-negative, Voges Prauskauer-positive and urea negative. It seems from the above mentioned biochemical as well as morphological characteristics that the cultured microbe was very similar to Enterobacter and Citrobacter.
Quantifying Drug Wastage and Economic Loss of Chemotherapy Drugs at an Adult Oncology Care of a Tertiary Care Public Hospital in India

Background and objective New drugs have revolutionized cancer care, but their high cost requires cost-effectiveness studies. However, these studies only consider optimal use, neglecting real-world wastage. We aim to assess chemotherapy drug wastage and financial loss in our adult oncology care. Methods A total of 100 adult patients attending daycare oncology were prospectively evaluated. The total dose of parenteral anticancer drug, the amount administered, and the amount of drug wasted were recorded for each patient. The economic loss estimation was done considering the unit cost for the drug. Results Our study evaluated 157 parenteral drug administrations of 10 different anticancer drugs in 100 enrolled patients. The most common diagnosis was breast cancer (39/100; 39%), and the most commonly prescribed drugs were paclitaxel (36/157; 23%) and cyclophosphamide (21/157; 13%). However, the wastage percentage varied from 6% to 35.06%, and the overall wastage estimated was 16,298 mg (20.06%) of the total drug procured. Notably, the highest proportion of drug wastage was observed for carboplatin (2,525/7200 mg; 35.06%), whereas oxaliplatin, gemcitabine, 5-FU, and cisplatin wastage were more than 20% of the ordered drug. The total cost of the chemotherapy drug procured was 7,26,005 INR (8,738.78 USD), and drug wastage amounted to 17.14% of the total drug cost, resulting in an economic loss of 1,24,485 INR (1,498.40 USD). Gemcitabine (542.86 USD), oxaliplatin (452.66 USD), and paclitaxel (286.15 USD) were responsible for the maximum cost of wastage. Conclusion Drug wastage and financial loss are significant for carboplatin, oxaliplatin, and gemcitabine, with small proportions of paclitaxel also contributing to economic loss. Possible solutions include planning pharmacy inventory for multiple vial sizes and drug-wise batching strategies to facilitate vial sharing. However, these approaches may present challenges. The pharmaceutical industry can consider initiatives such as providing varying packaging sizes to minimize drug wastage.