Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural approximations to positive maps and entanglement-breaking channels

Structural approximations to positive, but not completely positive maps are approximate physical realizations of these nonphysical maps. They find applications in the design of direct entanglement-detection methods. We show that many of these approximations, in the relevant case of optimal positive maps, define an entanglement breaking channel and, consequently, can be implemented via a measurement and statepreparation protocol. We also show how our findings can be useful for the design of better and simpler direct entanglement detection methods.
Are Pain-Related Fears Mediators for Reducing Disability and Pain in Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1? An Explorative Analysis on Pain Exposure Physical Therapy

Objective To investigate whether pain-related fears are mediators for reducing disability and pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 when treating with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy. Design An explorative secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Participants Fifty-six patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1. Interventions The experimental group received Pain Exposure Physical Therapy in a maximum of five treatment sessions; the control group received conventional treatment following the Dutch multidisciplinary guideline. Outcome measures Levels of disability, pain, and pain-related fears (fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia) were measured at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 months follow-up. Results The experimental group had a significantly larger decrease in disability of 7.77 points (95% CI 1.09 to 14.45) and in pain of 1.83 points (95% CI 0.44 to 3.23) over nine months than the control group. The potential mediators pain-related fears decreased significantly in both groups, but there were no significant differences between groups, which indicated that there was no mediation. Conclusion The reduction of pain-related fears was comparable in both groups. We found no indication that pain-related fears mediate the larger reduction of disability and pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 treated with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy compared to conventional treatment. Trial registration International Clinical Trials Registry NCT00817128
Van der Waals stacked 2D layered materials for optoelectronics

The band gaps of many atomically thin 2D layered materials such as graphene, black phosphorus, monolayer semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides and hBN range from 0 to 6 eV. These isolated atomic planes can be reassembled into hybrid heterostructures made layer by layer in a precisely chosen sequence. Thus, the electronic properties of 2D materials can be engineered by van der Waals stacking, and the interlayer coupling can be tuned, which opens up avenues for creating new material systems with rich functionalities and novel physical properties. Early studies suggest that van der Waals stacked 2D materials work exceptionally well, dramatically enriching the optoelectronics applications of 2D materials. Here we review recent progress in van der Waals stacked 2D materials, and discuss their potential applications in optoelectronics.
TigerQuoll: parallel event-based JavaScript

JavaScript, the most popular language on the Web, is rapidly moving to the server-side, becoming even more pervasive. Still, JavaScript lacks support for shared memory parallelism, making it challenging for developers to exploit multicores present in both servers and clients. In this paper we present TigerQuoll, a novel API and runtime for parallel programming in JavaScript. TigerQuoll features an event-based API and a parallel runtime allowing applications to exploit a mutable shared memory space. The programming model of TigerQuoll features automatic consistency and concurrency management, such that developers do not have to deal with shared-data synchronization. TigerQuoll supports an innovative transaction model that allows for eventual consistency to speed up high-contention workloads. Experiments show that TigerQuoll applications scale well, allowing one to implement common parallelism patterns in JavaScript.
Nitridomagnesosilicate Ba[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+ and Structure–Property Relations of Similar Narrow-Band Red Nitride Phosphors

The nitridomagnesosilicate Ba[Mg3SiN4] has been synthesized in an arc-welded Ta ampule. The crystal structure was solved and refined from single-crystal X-ray data and Rietveld refinement on the basis of powder X-ray diffraction data, revealing a distorted triclinic variant of the UCr4C4 structure type (space group P1 (no. 2), Z = 1, a = 3.451(1), b = 6.069(5), c = 6.101(4) A, α = 85.200(7), β = 73.697(5), γ = 73.566(8)°, Rp = 0.0218, Rwp = 0.0290). The crystal structure of Ba[Mg3SiN4] consists of a highly condensed network of (Mg,Si)N4 tetrahedra with Ba2+ centered inside vierer ring channels along [100] in a cuboidal coordination by N3–. From UV/vis-reflectance data, a band gap of ∼4.0 eV was estimated. Doping with Eu2+ shows promising luminescence properties of λem = 670 nm with an fwhm ∼1970 cm–1. Furthermore, anomalous luminescence phenomena, such as trapped-exciton emission, were identified and considered. Ba[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+ is a further narrow-band red-emitting phosphor and is discussed concerning t.
Delayed coastal upwelling along the U.S. West Coast in 2005: A historical perspective

The timing of the onset of coastal upwelling in spring and its intensity over the upwelling season are critical factors in the productivity and structure of the California Current ecosystem (CCE). We use an index of coastal upwelling to characterize physical forcing over the latitudinal extent of the CCE, and compare the evolution of the upwelling season in 2005 with previous years. The onset of coastal upwelling in 2005 in the northern California Current was delayed by 2–3 months. Upwelling was stronger than normal in the latter part of the upwelling season, allowing the cumulative upwelling to reach the climatological mean by fall. Although physical conditions were unusual in 2005, they were not unprecedented in the historical record. However, the timing and strength of coastal upwelling is a critical ecological factor, particularly for species whose life histories are closely tuned to the annual cycle. The unusual physical and biological conditions observed in spring 2005 illustrate the sensitivity of the CCE to possible future climate extremes.
Solving cancer: The use of artificial neural networks in cancer diagnosis and treatment

Artificial Neural Networks Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are computer systems that operate by using algorithms based on human brain functions to interpret nonlinear data, which does not follow a sequential pattern. ANNs are composed of many smaller units called neurons, which are organized into multiple layers between the input of data and the output of results. In the same fashion as biological neurons, the connections and patterns between these units determine the behavior of the network, and this behavior may be learned through a process called backpropagation (Drew & Monson, 2000). In backpropagation, a data set for which the correct output is already known is input into the network. The output of the ANN is then continuously compared to the known output, and adjustments are made to the pattern of network components to minimize the least mean square difference over the entire set. After a sufficient number of repetitions, the network adjusts to a higher level of accuracy, and can perform complex tasks without requiring the as many computing resources as traditional methods (Drew & Monson, 2000). Researchers are now discovering that biomedical systems must increasingly be represented by nonlinear systems, making ANNs a valuable computing resource for biological research. ANNs have been applied to various aspects of cancer medicine for decades. Yet, more recent research efforts in this field have been accompanied by new knowledge about the biological aspects of cancer (Cruz & Wishart, 2006). As a result, computational methods are becoming significantly more effective than ever before. INTRODUCTION In recent years, significant research focus and funding has been directed towards the application of powerful computational techniques for cancer diagnosis and treatment. While these technologies have been researched for many years, their applications for cancer have only now begun to garner attention from both the corporate sector as well as the area of academia. In September of 2016, Microsoft announced an initiative to “solve” cancer by approaching the study of the disease and its treatment through a novel computational lens. One key technology in their approach is artificial intelligence (AI), which now plays a rapidly expanding role in the medical field. This review examines one specific form of AI – artificial neural networking – and its current applications to cancer diagnosis and treatment, with the intent of providing perspective on where initiatives such as Microsoft’s are heading in the pursuit of solving the so-called “cancer problem. ” “Solving” Cancer: The Use of Artificial Neural Networks in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Nomegestrol acetate/17-beta estradiol: a review of efficacy, safety, and patient acceptability

Nomegestrol acetate (NOMAC) 2.5 mg with 17-beta estradiol (E2) 1.5 mg is a new combined oral contraceptive (COC) formulation and is the first monophasic E2 pill to be marketed, having been licensed for use in Europe in 2011. It is available to be taken daily in a regimen of 24 active pills followed by four placebo pills. NOMAC is a highly selective 19-nor progestogen derivative with specific binding to progesterone receptors, anti-estrogenic activity and no androgenic, mineralocorticoid nor glucocorticoid effects. E2 is an estrogen that is identical to endogenous estrogen. While it has been in use for only a short period of time, current evidence suggests that NOMAC/E2 is just as effective, safe, and acceptable as existing COC preparations. Two large Phase III trials conducted in the Americas and across Europe, Australia, and Asia showed lower cumulative pregnancy rates in the NOMAC/E2 groups compared to the drospirenone (DRSP) 3 mg in combination with ethinyl estradiol (EE) 30 µg (DRSP/EE) groups but this difference was not statistically significant. NOMAC/E2 exhibits a good safety profile and has less effects on cardiovascular risk, hemostatic, metabolic, and endocrine factors in comparison to COCs containing EE in combination with levonorgestrel (LNG) or DRSP. NOMAC/E2 has also been found to cause less breast cell proliferation when compared to E2 alone and has some anti-proliferative effect on human breast cancer cells. NOMAC/E2 is considered acceptable as its compliance, continuation rates, and bleeding patterns were similar to COCs containing DRSP/EE and LNG 150 µg combined with EE 30 µg or LNG 100 µg combined with EE 20 µg (LNG/EE). However, discontinuation was found to be slightly higher in the NOMAC/E2 groups in the two large Phase III trials comparing NOMAC/E2 use with DRSP/EE. As the scientific literature has limited information on NOMAC/E2, further experience with NOMAC/E2 is required.
Continuous Separation of Light Olefin/Paraffin Mixtures on ZIF-4 by Pressure Swing Adsorption and Membrane Permeation

In this study, two zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) called ZIF-4 and ZIF-zni (zni is the network topology) were characterized by sorption studies regarding their paraffin/olefin separation potential. In particular, equilibrated pure and mixed gas adsorption isotherms of ethane and ethene were recorded at 293 K up to 3 MPa. ZIF-4 exhibits selectivities for ethane in the range of 1.5–3, which is promising for continuous pressure swing adsorption (PSA). ZIF-4 shows high cycle stability with promising separation potential regarding ethane, which results in purification of the more industrial desired olefin. Furthermore, both ZIF materials were implemented in Matrimid to prepare a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) and were used in the continuous separation of a propane/propene mixture. The separation performance of the neat polymer is drastically increased after embedding porous ZIF-4 crystals in the Matrimid matrix, especially at higher feed pressures (3–5 barg). Due to the smaller kinetic diameter of the olefin, the permeability is higher compared to the paraffin.
Draft Genome Sequences of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis and Kentucky Isolates from Retail Poultry Sources

ABSTRACT The draft genome sequences of four Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Kentucky isolates were evaluated for biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The Salmonella serovar Kentucky strains CFS84 and CFS85 and Salmonella serovar Enteritidis strains CFS86 and CFS87 were isolated from retail poultry sources in Arkansas.
Association between Socioeconomic Status and Major Risk Factors of Stroke: Thai Epidemiologic Stroke (TES) Study.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of socioeconomic status (SES) (education, personal income, and occupation) with four major risk factors of stroke, those are diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and current smoker MATERIAL AND METHOD The Thai Epidemiologic Stroke Study is a community-based cohort study, which recruitedparticipants from the general population from five geographic regions around the country. Cross-sectional baseline data of 19,997 (6,803 men and 13,194 women) participants, aged 45 to 80 years were included in the present analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate association ofsocioeconomic indicators with the major risk factors of stroke. RESULTS SES was associated with a major risk factor of stroke. Among three indicators ofsocioeconomic status, education was more consistently associated with the risk factors than personal income and occupation, particularly in women. Education significantly inversely associated with diabetes (p = 0.015 in men and 0.002 in women, respectively), and current smoker in both sexes (p < 0.001), and with hypertension in women (p = 0.011). By contrast, education was significantly positively associated with hypercholesterolemia in women (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The differences in the prevalence of the major risk factors of stroke between SES groups were important, and should be considered in the development ofpolicies or tailored strategies for prevention of stroke.
The Effect of Chemical Changes during Heat Treatment on the Color and Mechanical Properties of Fir Wood

European silver fir (Abies alba L.) wood was heat-treated in an oven for 60 min at seven different temperatures of 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, 220 °C, 240 °C, 260 °C, and 280 °C under atmospheric pressure in the presence of air. The effect of thermal treatment on the chemical composition, mechanical, and color properties of the wood was studied, and the mutual correlations between the investigated properties were evaluated. The bending strength/modulus of rupture (MOR) and the modulus of elasticity (MOE) were positively correlated with the total saccharides, glucose, mannose, and xylose content, where R ranged from 0.942 to 0.984. For changes in the wood color, very strong positive correlations between the total color difference and the contents of lignin and extractives were determined, where R = 0.968 and 0.945 respectively. Additionally, the total color difference was negatively correlated with the total saccharides, mannose, and xylose content, where R ranged from 0.876 to 0.938. The obtained data were evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA), where the components explained 93.1% of the total variance.
Rational Behaviour, Risk Aversion: High Stakes for Society

Certain areas related to the topics under discussion here lie outside my field; for instance the evaluation of risk assessment and security deficiencies in the transport sector. What has convinced me of the importance of this subject are a few very general conclusions, indeed I would say, impressions, that I have drawn from the truly remarkable development of our powers to analyse the risk decision-making process over some years now.
Stable isotope and modelling evidence for CO 2 as a driver of glacial–interglacial vegetation shifts in southern Africa

Atmospheric CO 2 concentration is hypothesized to influence vegetation distribution via tree–grass competition, with higher CO 2 concentrations favouring trees. The stable carbon isotope (δ 13 C) signature of vegetation is influenced by the relative importance of C 4 plants (including most tropical grasses) and C 3 plants (including nearly all trees), and the degree of stomatal closure – a response to aridity – in C 3 plants. Compound-specific δ 13 C analyses of leaf-wax biomarkers in sediment cores of an offshore South Atlantic transect are used here as a record of vegetation changes in subequatorial Africa. These data suggest a large increase in C 3 relative to C 4 plant dominance after the Last Glacial Maximum. Using a process-based biogeography model that explicitly simulates 13 C discrimination, it is shown that precipitation and temperature changes cannot explain the observed shift in δ 13 C values. The physiological effect of increasing CO 2 concentration is decisive, altering the C 3 /C 4 balance and bringing the simulated and observed δ 13 C values into line. It is concluded that CO 2 concentration itself was a key agent of vegetation change in tropical southern Africa during the last glacial–interglacial transition. Two additional inferences follow. First, long-term variations in terrestrial δ 13 Cvalues are not simply a proxy for regional rainfall, as has sometimes been assumed. Although precipitation and temperature changes have had major effects on vegetation in many regions of the world during the period between the Last Glacial Maximum and recent times, CO 2 effects must also be taken into account, especially when reconstructing changes in climate between glacial and interglacial states. Second, rising CO 2 concentration today is likely to be influencing tree–grass competition in a similar way, and thus contributing to the "woody thickening" observed in savannas worldwide. This second inference points to the importance of experiments to determine how vegetation composition in savannas is likely to be influenced by the continuing rise of CO 2 concentration.
TweeVist: A geo-tweet visualization system for web based on spatio-temporal events

This paper presents TweeVist, a geo-tweet visualization system to support users grasp event happens over time and space from tweets while they browse any web pages based on spatio-temporal analysis. TweeVist presents a tag cloud of tweets in different time periods are associated with web pages based on detected events. In order to detect events, the system extracts normal events (e.g., crowded restaurants, crowded facilities in Walt Disney World) happen at anytime and anywhere by utilizing machine learning algorithms, and it also extracts unusual or special events (e.g., time sales, disasters) by comparing current situation to those normal regularities. Thus, TweeVist can effectively visualize a summary of tweets in a tag cloud to help users immediately gain a quick overview of current situation or events through time and space while they browse a web page, and it can also effectively present a list of most related tweets to help users easily obtain more detailed information. Furthermore, TweeVist provides a communication function, which allows users to chat with other users who browse the same web pages, or Twitter users who follow an account of TweeVist.
Vitamin D and immunity

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of a wide range of adverse health outcomes. The active form of vitamin D has an important role in calcium metabolism and in bone mineralisation, but the evidence for other health outcomes is mixed, with the strongest effects seen in the weakest epidemiological study designs. There are plausible pathways whereby vitamin D deficiency can impair immune function, resulting in both overactivity and increased risk of autoimmune disease, as well as immune suppression with poorer resistance to infection. Vitamin D status may influence the bacterial flora that constitute the microbiome and affect immune function through this route. Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation causes the production of a range of chemicals, including vitamin D, and new research is exploring possible vitamin D-independent immunomodulatory pathways.
[C-Reactive protein and restenosis of drug-eluting stents. Intravascular ultrasound solves the mystery].

In recent years, the connection between inflammation and arteriosclerosis has been the subject of frequent investigation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is by far the most widely studied inflammatory marker in practically every clinical context within the setting of cardiovascular disease. High CRP concentrations have been independently associated with a greater incidence of events, both in primary prevention and in patients with coronary artery disease, stable angina, or after acute coronary syndrome.
Effectiveness of an Activity Tracker- and Internet-Based Adaptive Walking Program for Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background The benefits of physical activity are well documented, but scalable programs to promote activity are needed. Interventions that assign tailored and dynamically adjusting goals could effect significant increases in physical activity but have not yet been implemented at scale. Objective Our aim was to examine the effectiveness of an open access, Internet-based walking program that assigns daily step goals tailored to each participant. Methods A two-arm, pragmatic randomized controlled trial compared the intervention to no treatment. Participants were recruited from a workplace setting and randomized to a no-treatment control (n=133) or to treatment (n=132). Treatment participants received a free wireless activity tracker and enrolled in the walking program, Walkadoo. Assessments were fully automated: activity tracker recorded primary outcomes (steps) without intervention by the participant or investigators. The two arms were compared on change in steps per day from baseline to follow-up (after 6 weeks of treatment) using a two-tailed independent samples t test. Results Participants (N=265) were 66.0% (175/265) female with an average age of 39.9 years. Over half of the participants (142/265, 53.6%) were sedentary (<5000 steps/day) and 44.9% (119/265) were low to somewhat active (5000-9999 steps/day). The intervention group significantly increased their steps by 970 steps/day over control (P<.001), with treatment effects observed in sedentary (P=.04) and low-to-somewhat active (P=.004) participants alike. Conclusions The program is effective in increasing daily steps. Participants benefited from the program regardless of their initial activity level. A tailored, adaptive approach using wireless activity trackers is realistically implementable and scalable. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02229409, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02229409 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6eiWCvBYe)
Three-level cascade of random forests for rapid human detection

Abstract. We propose a novel human detection approach that combines three types of center symmetric local binary patterns (CS-LBP) descriptors with a cascade of random forests (RFs). To detect human regions in a low-dimensional feature space, we first extract three types of CS-LBP features from the scanning window of a downsampled saliency texture map and two wavelet-transformed subimages. The extracted CS-LBP descriptors are applied to a three-level cascade of RFs, which combines a series of RF classifiers as a filter chain. The three-level cascade of RFs with CS-LBPs delivers rapid human detection with higher detection accuracy, as compared with combinations of other features and classifiers. The proposed algorithm is successfully applied to various human and nonhuman images from the INRIA dataset, and it performs better than other related algorithms.