Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of stream discharge, alluvial depth and bar amplitude on hyporheic flow in pool‐riffle channels

Hyporheic flow results from the interaction between streamflow and channel morphology and is an important component of stream ecosystems because it enhances water and solute exchange between the river and its bed. Hyporheic flow in pool‐riffle channels is particularly complex because of three‐dimensional topography that spans a range of partially to fully submerged conditions, inducing both static and dynamic head variations. Hence, these channels exhibit transitional conditions of streambed pressure and hyporheic flow compared to previous studies of fully submerged, two‐dimensional bed forms. Here, we conduct a series of three‐dimensional simulations to investigate the effects of bed topography, depth of alluvium, and stream discharge on hyporheic flow in pool‐riffle reaches with variable bed form submergence, and we propose three empirical formulae to predict the mean depth of hyporheic exchange and characteristic values of the residence time distribution (mean and standard deviation). Hyporheic exchange is predicted with a three‐dimensional pumping model, and hyporheic flow is modeled as a Darcy flow. We find that the hyporheic residence time is well approximated by a lognormal distribution for both partially and entirely submerged pool‐riffle topography, with the parameters of the distribution defined by the mean and variance of the log‐transformed residence time. Depth of alluvium has a substantial effect on hyporheic flow when alluvial depth is less than a third of the bed form wavelength for the conditions examined.
Long-term change and genetic connectivity in the vegetation of mesotrophic semi-natural grasslands in the UK

Species-rich grasslands have seen a drastic decline due to agricultural intensification and abandonment and this has resulted in a fragmented distribution of grassland sites. Such grasslands are highly diverse and are being managed for conservation. Long-term studies provide valuable evidence for the effective management of grasslands and this research investigated how the vegetation of species-rich grasslands in the Forest of Bowland, NW England has changed over 25 years, a period which has seen the introduction of statutory protection measures and agrienvironment schemes. The study examined change in 35 grassland sites under contrasting management using data from two different survey methods. Results showed that overall community composition had remained stable but that change had occurred in the different management types. More detailed investigations were carried out on 14 sites which had been managed consistently as hay meadows. The meadow community had been maintained over 25 years but there were losses and gains of important species. To investigate whether the changes in meadow plant populations were linked to the fragmented distribution of the sites an analysis of the genetic diversity within sites and gene flow between sites was carried out. Microsatellite markers were used to study the population genetics of Rhinanthus minor (Yellow Rattle), a key meadow species. It was found that there were moderate levels of genetic diversity and evidence of gene flow between the meadows, and between the meadows and intermediate grasslands including road verges. However, there were also local patterns of 5 differentiation. A comparison was made with samples collected from meadows in Worcestershire where there were similar levels of genetic diversity but less gene flow. These findings suggest that meadow management should be continued but should also include the wider landscape by creating or restoring other grasslands which can function as part of a network of sites.
Empirical Studies of Defense Style: Relationships with Psychopathology and Change

&NA; The Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) is a widely used self‐report measure of empirically derived groupings of defense mechanisms ranked on an adaptive hierarchy. A review of published studies indicates strong evidence that adaptiveness of defense style correlates with mental health and that some diagnoses are correlated with specific defense patterns—for example, borderline personality disorder with greater use of both maladaptive and image‐distorting defenses and less use of adaptive defenses. For other diagnoses, the pattern of defenses is less clear but often reinforces theoretical formulations. Defense styles become more adaptive with improvement in symptoms, but intermediate defenses tend to be stable (traitlike) over time. Defenses are sometimes predictive of the quality of the therapeutic alliance. Although one might speculate that assessment of defenses can be useful in planning treatment, there are no studies supporting this hypothesis. (HARV REV PSYCHIATRY 2004;12:263–278.)
Electron Reconnection in the Magnetopause Current Layer

The electron dynamics within thin current sheets plays a key role both for the process of magnetic reconnection and other energy transfer mechanisms but, from an observational point of view, is not well understood. In this paper we report observations of a reconnecting current sheet with intermediate guide field BG=0.5Bin, where Bin is the magnetic field amplitude in the inflow regions. The current sheet width is comparable to electron spatial scales. It shows a bifurcated structure and is embedded within the magnetopause current layer with thickness of several ion scales. The electron scale current sheet has strong out‐of‐plane and in‐plane currents, Hall electric and magnetic fields, a finite magnetic field component normal to the current sheet, and nongyrotropic electron distributions formed due to finite gyroradius effects at the boundary of the current sheet. Comparison between test particle simulations and electron data shows that electrons approaching from the edge of the largest magnetic curvature are scattered to perpendicular pitch angles in the center of the current sheet while electrons entering from the opposite side remain close to field aligned. The comparison also shows that an observed depletion in phase space at antiparallel pitch angles can be explained if an out‐of‐plane electric field, which due to the guide field is close to antiparallel to the magnetic field, is present in the center of the current sheet. This electric field would be consistent with the reconnection electric field, and we therefore interpret the depletion of electron phase space density as a manifestation of ongoing reconnection.
Performance of a micro-threaded pipeline

The micro-threaded microprocessor is a chip multi-processor, which uses a multi-threaded approach, where the threads are obtained from within a single context and exploit both vector and instruction level parallelism (ILP). This approach employs vertical and horizontal transfer in a simple pipeline. The horizontal transfer is referred to as the normal scalar pipeline processing used in most microprocessors. Vertical transfer is a context switch, which allows the code to tolerate any latency from undetermined data and control dependencies. The performance of the single pipeline is very important in the overall performance of the whole processor, which can distribute threads to any of the available processors. We have measured the influence of three crucial parameters - cache delay, cache miss rate, and number of registers - on the performance using our simulator. Even for a long cache delay (1000 processor cycles) we found that the micro-threaded pipeline can still achieves an IPC of 0.8 in the peak performance which is some 6 times better than a conventional scalar pipeline. If we further degrade cache performance by using an artificially small cache line size the performance of conventional scalar pipeline gives an IPC of 0.02, whereas with unlimited registers the micro-threaded pipeline still manages to achieve and IPC of 0.8 (a factor of 40 difference in performance).
Transfer of Metasupracrustal Rocks to Midcrustal Depths in the North Cascades Continental Magmatic Arc, Skagit Gneiss Complex, Washington

The metasupracrustal units within the north central Chelan block of the North Cascades Range, Washington, are investigated to determine mechanisms and timescales of supracrustal rock incorporation into the deep crust of continental magmatic arcs. Zircon U‐Pb and Hf‐isotope analyses were used to characterize the protoliths of metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks from the Skagit Gneiss Complex, metasupracrustal rocks from the Cascade River Schist, and metavolcanic rocks from the Napeequa Schist. Skagit Gneiss Complex metasedimentary rocks have (1) a wide range of zircon U‐Pb dates from Proterozoic to latest Cretaceous and (2) a more limited range of dates, from Late Triassic to latest Cretaceous, and a lack of Proterozoic dates. Two samples from the Cascade River Schist are characterized by Late Cretaceous protoliths. Amphibolites from the Napeequa Schist have Late Triassic protoliths. Similarities between the Skagit Gneiss metasediments and accretionary wedge and forearc sediments in northwestern Washington and Southern California indicate that the protolith for these units was likely deposited in a forearc basin and/or accretionary wedge in the Early to Late Cretaceous (circa 134–79 Ma). Sediment was likely underthrust into the active arc by circa 74–65 Ma, as soon as 7 Ma after deposition, and intruded by voluminous magmas. The incorporation of metasupracrustal units aligns with the timing of major arc magmatism in the North Cascades (circa 79–60 Ma) and may indicate a link between the burial of sediments and pluton emplacement.
Reply to : ‘ ‘ ALPPS procedure for hepatocellular carcinoma with macrovascular thrombosis : A new opportunity ?

To the Editor: We would like to thank Levi Sandri and colleagues for their comments regarding our recently published article [1]. The authors support our result that neither tumour thrombosis in a major hepatic vein (mHVTT) nor portal vein tumour thrombosis, not invading the main portal trunk, is a contraindication for liver resection. In addition, they proposed further an aggressive strategy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), i.e., associating liver partition and portal vein ligation in a staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) [2]. HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion is a challenging situation for surgical resection [3], and major hepatic resection is often required [1,4,5]. Considering the progressive nature of the disease, an urgent operation is also required. These situations complicate the decision-making process, and many cases miss their chance for a curative resection. Since ALPPS is reportedly associated with a rapid hypertrophy of the remnant liver [2], this technique may be a promising strategy for treating HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion. We have never attempted ALLPS in this setting. Instead, we have proposed preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) as a possible strategy in cases with an insufficient postoperative remnant liver volume [6]. Actually, among 14 patients who underwent a major hepatic resection for mHVTT, 4 patients (29%) underwent preoperative PVE [1]. At present, PVE may be a standard strategy with an acceptable morbidity rate [7]. The presence of portal hypertension and impaired liver function (a 15 min indocyanine green retention rate of more than 20%) are contraindications for PVE [8]. These safety restrictions should also be applied to ALPPS, since it is a more aggressive strategy. As Levi Sandri et al. proposed, the Child-Pugh score and the model for end-stage liver disease score may be useful for making treatment-related decisions. Data on this attractive approach are now being accumulated through a worldwide registry system. However, the available evidence remains insufficient to support the use of ALPPS in cirrhotic patients with HCC [2,9]. Most of the evidence regarding ALPPS is based on patients with colorectal liver metastases, in whom the liver function has not been severely damaged. We expect further reports on the role of the ALPPS procedure for HCC patients requiring major hepatectomy.
Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of Prime-Boost Regimens with Recombinant ΔureC hly+Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Expressing M. tuberculosis Antigen 85A against Murine Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT In the light of the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) in populations coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus, and the failure of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) to protect against disease, new vaccines against TB are urgently needed. Two promising new vaccine candidates are the recombinant ΔureC hly+ BCG (recBCG), which has been developed to replace the current BCG vaccine strain, and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing M. tuberculosis antigen 85A (MVA85A), which is a leading candidate vaccine designed to boost the protective efficacy of BCG. In the present study, we examined the effect of MVA85A boosting on the protection afforded at 12 weeks postchallenge by BCG and recBCG by using bacterial CFU as an efficacy readout. recBCG-immunized mice were significantly better protected against aerosol challenge with M. tuberculosis than mice immunized with the parental strain of BCG. Intradermal boosting with MVA85A did not reduce the bacterial burden any further. In order to identify a marker for the development of a protective immune response against M. tuberculosis challenge, we analyzed splenocytes after priming or prime-boosting by using intracytoplasmic cytokine staining and assays for cytokine secretion. Boosting with MVA85A, but not priming with BCG or recBCG, greatly increased the antigen 85A-specific T-cell response, suggesting that the mechanism of protection may differ from that against BCG or recBCG. We show that the numbers of systemic multifunctional cytokine-producing cells did not correlate with protection against aerosol challenge in BALB/c mice. This emphasizes the need for new biomarkers for the evaluation of TB vaccine efficacy.
Translucent Zirconia: A Literature Review

Aims : Translucent zirconia has emerged as a promising material for aesthetic dental restorations due to its high translucency. Materials and methods: This review explores various methods to enhance its translucency, including aluminum oxide additives, increased lanthanum oxide content, a higher percentage of yttria, reduced grain size, and reduced sintering time. Strategies to minimize pores and impurities are also discussed. Mechanical properties, such as flexural strength and fracture resistance, are critical factors for successful restorations. Results: Comparisons with conventional zirconia and lithium disilicate reveal favorable flexural strength for monolithic translucent zirconia, making it a suitable replacement for enamel. Additionally, the review examines bonding techniques, such as air abrasion, surface conditioning, and laser treatments, to achieve reliable and durable adhesion between translucent zirconia and resin cement. Proper case selection and handling are essential for achieving optimal outcomes. Conclusions: Translucent zirconia presents a promising option for aesthetic restorations, but careful consideration of clinical requirements and further research on bonding techniques are crucial for its successful integration into modern dental practice. Continued advancements and expanded applications are expected as this innovative material continues to evolve in restorative dentistry
Neuron–astrocyte interactions in the regulation of brain energy metabolism: a focus on NMR spectroscopy

An adequate and timely production of ATP by brain cells is of cardinal importance to support the major energetic cost of the rapid processing of information via synaptic and action potentials. Recently, evidence has been accumulated to support the view that the regulation of brain energy metabolism is under the control of an intimate dialogue between astrocytes and neurons. In vitro studies on cultured astrocytes and in vivo studies on rodents have provided evidence that glutamate and Na+ uptake in astrocytes is a key triggering signal regulating glucose use in the brain. With the advent of NMR spectroscopy, it has been possible to provide experimental evidence to show that energy consumption is mainly devoted to glutamatergic neurotransmission and that glutamate‐glutamine cycling is coupled in a ∼ 1 : 1 molar stoichiometry to glucose oxidation, at least in the cerebral cortex. This improved understanding of neuron–astrocyte metabolic interactions offers the potential for developing novel therapeutic strategies for many neurological disorders that include a metabolic deficit.
The association of elevated percent bands on admission with failure and complications of interval appendectomy.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The routine use of interval appendectomy for the treatment of perforated appendicitis, with or without abscess, remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to confirm the efficacy of this approach and to identify factors associated with failures and complications. METHODS All patients (n = 101) with their clinical diagnosis of perforated appendicitis confirmed with imaging were treated prospectively with fluids and intravenous antibiotics (clindamycin, ceftazidime) and were discharged home on oral fluids and analgesics regardless of fever. Intravenous antibiotics were continued at home until the patients were afebrile for 48 hours, and their white blood cell and differential counts were normal. Patients were readmitted at 8 to 12 weeks for an interval appendectomy. Failure to improve by 72 hours of antibiotic therapy mandated an early appendectomy. P values were determined by chi(2) analysis and Student's t test. RESULTS The 79 patients (78%) successfully treated with interval appendectomy had an overall 6.3% complication rate, and total hospitalization averaged 5.2 days. The treatment in 21 of 22 patients (22%) requiring early appendectomy failed because of a clinical picture suggesting small bowel obstruction. The patients with the failed procedures had a complication rate of 50% and were hospitalized an average of 12.8 days. The overall complication rate for the 101 patients was 15.8%, and the overall total hospitalization was 6.9 days. Patients requiring early appendectomy had a more frequent finding resembling a small bowel obstruction on their initial x-ray (50% v 13%, P = .004) and a higher percent band count on their initial differential blood cell count (22.6% v 7.6%, P<0.0001) than did those successfully treated with interval appendectomy. An initial band count <15% was predictive of an uncomplicated course (84% positive predictive value). CONCLUSIONS Interval appendectomy without complications is successful in the majority of patients with perforated appendicitis. An elevated initial band count > or =15% is associated with an increased likelihood of failure and complications.
Ijbcp International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology Lornoxicam versus Diclofenac Sodium in Acute Renal Colic: a Prospective Randomized Trial

INTRODUCTION Acute renal colic is probably the most excruciatingly painful event a person can endure. The pain is often described as being worse than childbirth, broken bones, gunshot wounds, burns, or surgery. Renal colic affects approximately 1.2 million people each year and accounts for approximately 1% of all hospital admissions in emergency and casualty ward. The pain generated by renal colic is primarily caused by the dilation, stretching, spasm, ureteral peristalsis, stone migration, and tilting or twisting of the stone with subsequent intermittent obstructions leading to exacerbation or renewal of renal colic pain. The most effective pain relief is achieved after relieving the obstruction by spontaneous passage or surgical removal of renal calculus. 1 Opioid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) remain the mainstay of treatment for acute renal colic. However; prolonged opioid use may cause dependence, tolerance and side-effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation and drowsiness. Larger doses even cause respiratory depression and hypotension. Diclofenac is amongst the most extensively used NSAIDs still preferred first line drug in renal colic pain. Another class of drug which has shown the efficacy in renal colicky pain is oxicam derivatives. Both piroxicam and tenoxicam have been extensively used, recently lornoxicam has been introduced in Indian market in oral, intravenous and intramuscular formulations. There is plenty of literature available on the effect of lornoxicam on chronic and acute pain management. 2 Data from preliminary clinical trials suggest that lornoxicam is as effective as the opioid analgesics in relieving postoperative pain. Lornoxicam has a favourable tolerability profile and acceptable ABSTRACT Background: Acute renal colic is excruciatingly painful event, opioid analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs remain the mainstay of treatment for acute renal colic. This study compares diclofenac and lornoxicam in their efficacy to relieve pain of renal origin. Methods: Prospective, randomized, double blind clinical study including eighty patients with renal pain admitted in emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Parameters were observed at baseline and after 15, 30, 60, 180 minutes and 5hrs of drug treatment. The efficacy of the drug was measured by observing: Pain score, onset & duration of action, rescue drug use, global patient and physician impression. Results: Both drugs are effective in relieving pain of renal origin (p<0.05) and maintaining it over time as well. When decrease in value of pain score compared between two groups at various interval there was statistically significant (p<0.05) decrease in pain score only at …
Biometric Template Security Using Visual Cryptography

Biometrics deal with recognizing a person or verifying the identity of a person based on physiological or behavioral characteristics. Visual cryptography is a secret sharing scheme where a secret image is encrypted into the number of shares which independently disclose no information about the original image. There are various biometric templates like fingerprints, face, voice, signature, iris and odor. Amongst all these templates, the iris template is the most universal, unique and permanent. Also, its performance is comparatively higher than the other templates. So we are focusing on iris template. The previous work involved storing of original template in the system which was vulnerable to various attacks, but in our proposed work, we are storing the extracted image of the template. Also, we are assigning a unique number to every template which is encrypted using Visual Cryptography. Visual cryptography provides an extra layer of authentication. The combination of biometrics and visual cryptography is a promising information security technique which offers an efficient way to protect the biometric template. In this work, we are providing two fold security to
Dielectric permittivity monitoring in a sandy aquifer following the controlled release of a DNAPL

Contamination of groundwater by DNAPLs, such as chlorinated solvents, is a serious environmental problem. After an accidental spill into the subsurface, a DNAPL will redistribute itself and form both isolated liquid-phase blobs known as residual, and connected-phase zones known as pools. The behaviour of liquid-phase DNAPLs in a sandy aquifer is controlled principally by variations in hydraulic conductivity(Kueper et aI1989). When groundwater flows through zones containing liquid-phase DNAPL, a small amount of the DNAPL dissolves into the water creating a more extensive plume of dissolved-phase contamination that usually poses the most serious threat to drinking water.