Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perovskites in the Energy Grid and CO2 Conversion: Current Context and Future Directions

CO2 emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels are continuously increasing, thus impacting Earth’s climate. In this context, intensive research efforts are being dedicated to develop materials that can effectively reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere and convert CO2 into value-added chemicals and fuels, thus contributing to sustainable energy and meeting the increase in energy demand. The development of clean energy by conversion technologies is of high priority to circumvent these challenges. Among the various methods that include photoelectrochemical, high-temperature conversion, electrocatalytic, biocatalytic, and organocatalytic reactions, photocatalytic CO2 reduction has received great attention because of its potential to efficiently reduce the level of CO2 in the atmosphere by converting it into fuels and value-added chemicals. Among the reported CO2 conversion catalysts, perovskite oxides catalyze redox reactions and exhibit high catalytic activity, stability, long charge diffusion lengths, compositional flexibility, and tunable band gap and band edge. This review focuses on recent advances and future prospects in the design and performance of perovskites for CO2 conversion, particularly emphasizing on the structure of the catalysts, defect engineering and interface tuning at the nanoscale, and conversion technologies and rational approaches for enhancing CO2 transformation to value-added chemicals and chemical feedstocks.
Study on the efficacy of Endostar combined with cisplatin in treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion and influence on tumor markers VEGF and HIF-1α

Objective To observe the efficacy of Endostar combined with cisplatin in treatment of malignant pleural effusion in patients with non- small cell lung cancer and influence on level of VEGF and HIF- 1 α in pleural effusion and serum tumor markers. Methods Sixty patients with non- small cell lung cancer associated with pleural effusion were randomly divided into routine treatment group and Endostar treatment group,each group with 30 cases. Patients in routine treatment group were given with cisplatin intrapleural infusion therapy,and patients in Endostar treatment group were administrated with thoracic perfusion of Endostar on the basis of cisplatin treatment. The remission rate of pleural effusion,the incidence of adverse reactions,and changes of VEGF and HIF- 1αin pleural effusion and serum level of tumor markers in patients of these 2 groups were observed. Results There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions,and the total remission rate of pleural effusion in patients of Endostar treatment group was higher than that of patients in routine treatment group,levels of VEGF and HIF- 1αin pleural effusion,and levels of serum tumor markers were more significantly decreased. Conclusion The efficacy of Endostar combined with cisplatin in treatment of patients with non small cell lung cancer associated with malignant pleural effusion was more significant than that of patients treated with cisplatin alone,and the incidence rates of adverse reactions are similar in these 2 groups.
Comparison of Various Cell Lines and Three-Dimensional Mucociliary Tissue Model Systems to Estimate Drug Permeability Using an In Vitro Transport Study to Predict Nasal Drug Absorption in Rats

Recently, various types of cultured cells have been used to research the mechanisms of transport and metabolism of drugs. Although many studies using cultured cell systems have been published, a comparison of different cultured cell systems has never been reported. In this study, Caco-2, Calu-3, Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK), EpiAirway and MucilAir were used as popular in vitro cell culture systems, and the permeability of model compounds across these cell systems was evaluated to compare barrier characteristics and to clarify their usefulness as an estimation system for nasal drug absorption in rats. MDCK unexpectedly showed the best correlation (r = 0.949) with the fractional absorption (Fn) in rats. Secondly, a high correlation was observed in Calu-3 (r = 0.898). Also, Caco-2 (r = 0.787) and MucilAir (r = 0.750) showed a relatively good correlation with Fn. The correlation between Fn and permeability to EpiAirway was the poorest (r = 0.550). Because EpiAirway forms leakier tight junctions than other cell culture systems, the paracellular permeability was likely overestimated with this system. On the other hand, because MDCK formed such tight cellular junctions that compounds of paracellular model were less likely permeated, the paracellular permeability could be underestimated. Calu-3, Caco-2 and MucilAir form suitable cellular junctions and barriers, indicating that those cell systems enable the precise estimation of nasal drug absorption.
How to cope with dilemmas in activity based work environments: results from user-centred research

Purpose: The aim of this research is to identify factors that can further explain the benefits and draw backs of activity based office concepts, resulting in practical recommendations for addressing and preventing issues. Theory: Nowadays a lot of organisations shift to working in a more flexible and activity based manner. When it comes to the experience of employees, the activity based office concept often gives rise to long-standing issues such as lack of privacy, concentration problems and insufficient supporting facilities. Method: In 20 case studies both a questionnaire and group interviews were conducted, resulting in 2733 survey respondents and 57 group interviews with 271 participants. Findings: Results show that respondents appreciate the light and colourful environment and that the openness of the work environment can lead to more communication in general and between different colleagues and departments. However, this openness is also mentioned as a downside, since people feel like there is not enough privacy for personal conversations and communication with direct colleagues seem to decrease. While people value the different types of workspaces provided, they are not always available in practice. Explanations for problems with concentration and privacy are mainly related to the openness and transparency of the work environment. Among others, behaviour of both employees and managers seems to be important in addressing the issues. Value: The results are based on a large number of cases in which both quantitative and qualitative data was collected, leading to extensive and solid explanations regarding main experienced positives and negatives.
Cyclic Codes over the Matrix Ring M2 ( Fp ) and Their Isometric Images over Fp 2 + uFp 2

Let Fp be the prime field with p elements. We derive the homogeneous weight on the Frobenius matrix ring M2(Fp) in terms of the generating character. We also give a generalization of the Lee weight on the finite chain ring Fp2+uFp2 where u = 0. A non-commutative ring, denoted by Fp2 + vpFp2 , vp an involution inM2(Fp), that is isomorphic toM2(Fp) and is a left Fp2 -vector space, is constructed through a unital embedding τ from Fp2 to M2(Fp). The elements of Fp2 come from M2(Fp) such that τ(Fp2) = Fp2 . The irreducible polynomial f(x) = x + x+ (p− 1) ∈ Fp[x] required in τ restricts our study of cyclic codes over M2(Fp) endowed with the Bachoc weight to the case p ≡ 2 or 3 mod 5. The images of these codes via a left Fp-module isometry are additive cyclic codes over Fp2 + uFp2 endowed with the Lee weight. New examples of such codes are given.
A Special Issue on Microorganisms from Extreme Environments in Memory of Luigi Michaud (1974–2014)

A special issue (SI) titled “Microbial Diversity in Extreme Environments: Implications for Ecological and Applicative Perspectives” has been launched with the aim of showcasing the diversity and biotechnological potential of extremophilic microorganisms. The issue includes 10 research papers and four reviews that mainly address prokaryotes inhabiting hyperarid, hypercold, hyperalkaline and hypersaline (or polyextreme) environments, spanning from deserts to meromictic and glacier lakes around the globe. Thermophilic prokaryotes from shallow hydrothermal vents and Antarctic geothermal soils are also treated. The ecology and biotechnological perspectives of eukaryotes are discussed in two review papers and one research paper. This special issue serves as a memorial to Dr. Luigi Michaud (1974–2014), who dramatically passed away in Antarctica during underwater sampling activities.
Drinking beer in consonant and dissonant contexts: an experimental investigation

What can explain the difference in consumers' perceptions about a beer? Among other factors, the consumption context had been shown to play an important role (Guéguen, 2003; Koch and Koch, 2003). Should then a beer taste different if consumed in different contexts? The answer is yes and relies both on an extension of the assumption that preferences are indeed contextdependent (Tversky and Simonson, 1993), and on the fact that perception is determined by sensorial and beliefs processes (Lee and Ariely, 2006). A beer seller should then take into account those two dimensions when labeling and commercializing the beer.
IZATION UNDER EXTREME OVERPARAMETERIZATION

We study the interplay between memorization and generalization of overparameterized networks in the extreme case of a single training example and an identitymapping task. We examine fully-connected and convolutional networks (FCN and CNN), both linear and nonlinear, initialized randomly and then trained to minimize the reconstruction error. The trained networks stereotypically take one of two forms: the constant function (memorization) and the identity function (generalization). We formally characterize generalization in single-layer FCNs and CNNs. We show empirically that different architectures exhibit strikingly different inductive biases. For example, CNNs of up to 10 layers are able to generalize from a single example, whereas FCNs cannot learn the identity function reliably from 60k examples. Deeper CNNs often fail, but nonetheless do astonishing work to memorize the training output: because CNN biases are location invariant, the model must progressively grow an output pattern from the image boundaries via the coordination of many layers. Our work helps to quantify and visualize the sensitivity of inductive biases to architectural choices such as depth, kernel width, and number of channels.
Theoretical Limit of Low Temperature Subthreshold Swing in Field-Effect Transistors

This letter reports a temperature-dependent limit for the subthreshold swing in MOSFETs that deviates from the Boltzmann limit at deep-cryogenic temperatures. Below a critical temperature, the derived limit saturates to a value that is independent of temperature and proportional to the characteristic decay of a band tail. The proposed expression tends to the Boltzmann limit when the decay of the band tail tends to zero. Since the saturation is universally observed in different types of MOSFETs (regardless of dimension or semiconductor material), this suggests that an intrinsic mechanism is responsible for the band tail.
Very Noisy Option Prices and Inferences Regarding Option Returns

We show that microstructure biases in the estimation of expected option returns and risk premia are large, in some cases over 50 basis points per day. We propose a new method that corrects for these biases. We then apply our method to real data and produce three main findings. First, the expected returns of straddles and delta-hedged options written on the S&P 500 Index are smaller than previously estimated in the literature. Second, delta-hedged options and straddles written on individual stocks have negative expected returns. Third, the price of individual equity volatility risk is about 45% of the price of market volatility. These findings show that the stylized finding that volatility is not priced in individual stock options is due to microstructure biases.
SEISMIC MICROZONING OF UPPER HAZARA REGION: BASED ON IMPACT ANALYSIS OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES

Microzoning of the strong ground motion hazard for the Upper Hazara region based on expected Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) is carried out through deterministic approach by using the Maximum Credible Earthquakes (MCE) along faults and recent microintensity distribution data of 4 significant local earthquakes. The seismogenic faults are identified and MCE is estimated along each fault through considering its longest rupture segment. The microintensity data of significant earthquakes was used to estimate PGA through empirical relationships and correlated with locally recorded strong motion data. Attenuation relationships between seismogenic fault and distances on hanging and foot walls are developed by utilizing estimated PGA data. Finally, these relationships are applied to each seismogenic fault segment to estimate PGA value at 200m grid by assuming that the geomorphology of the region is same. The compiled seismic microzoning map indicates that most of the part of Balakot city area lies in high PGA value (0.5g) zone. Similarly, some areas of Muzaffarabad, Garhi Habib Ullah, Mansehra and Shinkiari cities are placed in high PGA zones, primarily depending on the closest distance to local seismogenic faults of the region. However, local instrumental strong motion data for different geological conditions is required to obtain more realistic microzoning.
STATE OF THE ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION SYSTEM IN RATS ERYTHROCYTES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HISTAMINE AND SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE

Sodium hypochlorite is used in medicine as a detoxifier due to oxidation of toxins and metabolites. This substance is officially used for disinfection of tap water. The widespread use of drugs for the release and histamine metabolism in medical practice is based on the use of two groups of drugs: histamine receptor blockers and plasma cell membrane stabilizing. However, the negative side effect causes the search for other safe paths of inactivation and reduction of histamine content in biological tissues. Thus, it is important to study the safety of the use of sodium hypochlorite for the treatment of patients with allergic manifestations. The excessive allocation of histamine, which is easily oxidized, mast cells and blood basophils should be also taken into account. Study of safety using the sodium hypochlorite for treatment the patients with allergic manifestation and the excessive allocation of histamine is an acute problematic nowadays. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of histamine (in doses of 1 and 8 μg/kg of body weight of animals) and sodium hypochlorite (in concentrations 5 and 20 mg/l), as well as their simultaneous action on the enzyme and non-enzymatic levels of the antioxidant system of red blood cells in rats. Material and methods. The test substances were administered to animals for 14 days. On the 1, 7, 14 and 21 (rehabilitation) days animals were decapitated. We took blood red cells samples by centrifugation and conducted their hemolysis. In hemolysates, the activity of glutathione peroxidase was studied, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, amount of reduced glutathione. The dispersion analysis was also conducted. Results and discussion. The histamine in erythrocytes leads to a decrease in the activity of investigated enzymes and the content of reduced glutathione during the experiment, except for the 7th day of the experiment. Sodium hypochlorite causes the initial growth of activity of glutathione peroxidase with the next decreasing the activity. Glutathione-Stransferase is the least sensitive to the action of this substance. Sodium hypochlorite on the background of action of histamine disrupts the work of enzymes. At the first day of the experiment, a histamine influence on the activity of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and the content of reduced glutathione was dominant, whereas the simultaneous administration of histamine and sodium hypochlorite was significantly influenced by glutathione-S-transferase activity. Conclusion. The combined administration of substances had a significant effect on the activity of glutathione peroxidase on the 7 and 14 days of the experiment. Sodium hypochlorite affected the activity of catalase and the content of reduced glutathione.
The Flexible Ocean and Climate Infrastructure version 1 (FOCI1): mean state and variability

Abstract. A new Earth system model, the Flexible Ocean and Climate Infrastructure (FOCI), is introduced. A first version of FOCI consists of a global high-top atmosphere (European Centre Hamburg general circulation model; ECHAM6.3) and an ocean model (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean v3.6; NEMO3.6) as well as sea-ice (Louvain-la-Neuve sea Ice Model version 2; LIM2) and land surface model components (Jena Scheme for Biosphere Atmosphere Coupling in Hamburg; JSBACH), which are coupled through the OASIS3-MCT software package. FOCI includes a number of optional modules which can be activated depending on the scientific question of interest. In the atmosphere, interactive stratospheric chemistry can be used (ECHAM6-HAMMOZ) to study, for example, the effects of the ozone hole on the climate system. In the ocean, a biogeochemistry model (Model of Oceanic Pelagic Stoichiometry; MOPS) is available to study the global carbon cycle. A unique feature of FOCI is the ability to explicitly resolve mesoscale ocean eddies in specific regions. This is realized in the ocean through nesting; first examples for the Agulhas Current and the Gulf Stream systems are described here. FOCI therefore bridges the gap between coarse-resolution climate models and global high-resolution weather prediction and ocean-only models. It allows to study the evolution of the climate system on regional and seasonal to (multi)decadal scales. The development of FOCI resulted from a combination of the long-standing expertise in ocean and climate modeling in several research units and divisions at the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR). FOCI will thus be used to complement and interpret long-term observations in the Atlantic, enhance the process understanding of the role of mesoscale oceanic eddies for large-scale oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, study feedback mechanisms with stratospheric processes, estimate future ocean acidification, and improve the simulation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation changes and their influence on climate, ocean chemistry and biology. In this paper, we present both the scientific vision for the development of FOCI as well as some technical details. This includes a first validation of the different model components using several configurations of FOCI. Results show that the model in its basic configuration runs stably under pre-industrial control as well as under historical forcing and produces a mean climate and variability which compares well with observations, reanalysis products and other climate models. The nested configurations reduce some long-standing biases in climate models and are an important step forward to include the atmospheric response in multidecadal eddy-rich configurations.
CESSES VIA PROPER SPECTRAL SUB-GRADIENT

Determinantal point processes (DPPs) is an effective tool to deliver diversity in multiple machine learning and computer vision tasks. Under the deep learning framework, DPP is typically optimized via approximation, which is not straightforward and has some conflicts with the diversity requirement. We note, however, there have been no deep learning paradigms to optimize DPP directly since it involves matrix inversion that may result in computational instability. This fact greatly hinders the use of DPP on some specific objective functions where DPP would otherwise serve as a term to measure the feature diversity. In this paper, we devise a simple but effective algorithm to optimize the DPP term directly through expressing with L-ensemble in the spectral domain over the gram matrix, which is more flexible than learning on parametric kernels. By further taking into account additional geometric constraints, our algorithm seeks to generate valid sub-gradients of the DPP term in cases where the DPP gram matrix is not invertible (no gradients exist in this case). In this sense, our algorithm can be easily incorporated with multiple deep learning tasks. Experiments show the effectiveness of our algorithm, indicating promising performance for practical learning problems.
Communication Skills Effectiveness between Healthcare Providers and Patients in Cancer Care Centers in Lebanon

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effect of healthcare providers’ communication skills in the satisfaction and outcomes of cancer patients in cancer care centers in Lebanon. Methods: This cross sectional quantitative study was conducted in five different cancer care centers in Lebanon. Two hundred and twenty participants across all the five selected centers were asked to take part in the study by filling the 16-item questionnaire. Data was collected within two months, from May to July 2018. Results: Two hundred and nine questionnaires (95% response rate) were completed and used in the analysis. Out of the 47.4% of the cancer patients who expressed satisfactions with their consultations with the doctors, only 34% recognized that such consultations were useful. Further, more than 55% of the patients do not understand the medical terms used by doctors and are hence less satisfied with the consultations. This study has also confirmed that most cancer patients consider communication to be more significant at the pretreatment phase. Conclusion: We have established that the healthcare practitioners, especially doctors, still use technical language and terminologies that discomfort the cancer patients and thus hamper their satisfaction and better outcome. Moreover, the demographic factors such as level of education also contribute to patients’ satisfaction with caregivers’ communication skills.
REFLECTIONS ON THE USE OF “BIG DATA” FOR STATISTICAL PRODUCTION

The most conspicuous feature of Big Data as compared to traditional statistical sources is that they do not come from a previous design with the aim of obtaining specific statistics, but become available as traces of human activity. This attribute makes it difficult to use traditional statistical methods and tools such as probabilistic sampling, statistical classifications and so on, turning into useless and not applicable the Generic Statistical Business Process Model.
Ritual and the origins of first impressions

When encountering a stranger for the first time, adults spontaneously attribute to them a wide variety of character traits based solely on their physical appearance, most notably from their face. While these trait inferences exert a pervasive influence over our behaviour, their origins remain unclear. Whereas nativist accounts hold that first impressions are a product of gene-based natural selection, the Trait Inference Mapping framework (TIM) posits that we learn face–trait mappings ontogenetically as a result of correlated face–trait experience. Here, we examine the available anthropological evidence on ritual in order to better understand the mechanism by which first impressions from faces are acquired. Consistent with the TIM framework, we argue that examination of ritual body modification performed by communities around the world demonstrates far greater cross-cultural variability in face–trait mappings than currently appreciated. Furthermore, rituals of this type may be a powerful mechanism through which face–trait associations are transmitted from one generation to the next. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours'.