Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Combined Chemo-Radiation Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Differentially Shift Immune Activation, ECM Composition, Energy Metabolism, and Ribosomal Proteins of the Residual Tumor Mass

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) belongs to the deadliest malignancies worldwide. Curative therapeutic options are limited as the majority of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages that disqualify them for surgical resection. Currently, neoadjuvant therapy regimens are being discussed as they may offer improved tumor resectability. Although features of the tumor biology (e
Regional sensitivity of Greenland precipitation to NAO variability

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a primary mode of interannual climate variability for the North Atlantic Ocean Basin and influences the climate over much of Europe and parts of North America. Knowledge of past variability of this oscillatory system is essential for efforts to understand, model, and predict future climate variability, particularly under a warming Earth scenario. As Greenland precipitation is modulated by the NAO, ice core‐derived accumulation histories are incorporated into multi‐proxy reconstructions. New ice core records from Greenland demonstrate that the NAO's influence on accumulation is temporally and spatially variable. The results presented indicate that (1) NAO modulation of accumulation is strongest and most persistent along the west‐central side of Greenland, (2) records from central Greenland should be avoided and (3) the spatial character of the precipitation response to NAO variability has been influenced by the 20th century warming in the high Arctic.
Disaster Management in India: Analysis of Factors Impacting Capacity Building

Governments are responsible for administrative arrangements dealing with disasters. Effective policies play a vital role in mitigating the impact of disasters and reducing likely losses of life and property. Yet, it had been noted that such losses were increasing, raising questions about efficacy of government policies and the factors that made them effective. This study adopted a comparative method, responding to a long-standing demand of disaster research, for examining the record in India. There were noticeable differences among its states, with some having undertaken comprehensive reform in an all-hazards approach, while others continued with old policies. This research studied four states with the objective of identifying variables that were critical in undertaking policy reform for building capacities. The roles of economic resources, democratically decentralized institutions, political party systems and focusing events were examined. Findings revealed that these factors had varying impact on state capabilities. Economic resources were an inevitable part of disaster management, but did not necessarily translate into policy reform. Panchayati Raj Institutions, which were democratically decentralized bodies, displayed tremendous potential. However, their role was limited mostly to the response phase, with states severely circumscribing their involvement. The nature of political party systems was able to explain policy reform to an extent. Cohesive systems in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Orissa correlated with administrative capacities, unlike in fragmented Bihar. However, anti-incumbency sentiments and strong community mobilization impacted contestation more than electoral salience of public goods. The most nuanced and significant explanation was provided by experience of focusing events. States that suffered major disasters revealed unmistakable evidence of double-loop learning, leading to comprehensive policy reform and capacity building. This research provides empirical support to theory about the role of focusing events and organizational learning in policy reform. Methodologically, it underscores the importance of the comparative approach, and its successful application in a federal framework. The significance of this research is most for policy makers and practitioners, as it serves to alert them on the need for reform without waiting for the next big disaster to catch them unprepared. INDEX WORDS: Public administration, Disaster management, Indian federal context, Capacity building, Economic resources, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Party systems, Focusing events, Inter-province comparison, Policy reform DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA: ANALYSIS OF FACTORS IMPACTING CAPACITY BUILDING by BALA PRASAD ERRAMILLI A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University
Search Costs, Intermediation, and Trade: Experimental Evidence from Ugandan Agricultural Markets

Search costs may be a barrier to market integration in developing countries, harming both producers and consumers. We present evidence from the large-scale experimental rollout of a mobile phone-based marketplace intended to reduce buyer-seller search and matching costs for agricultural commodities in Uganda. We find that market integration improves substantially: trade increases and price dispersion falls. This reflects price convergence across relative surplus and deficit markets, with no change in average prices. Interpreting our experimental variation through the lens of a trade model, we correct our reduced form estimates to account for equilibrium effects on control markets via trade connections. Our results suggest that the intervention reduced fixed trade costs between treated markets by 28% and increased average trade flows across all markets by 2%. Contrary to the stated goals of the marketplace, but consistent with the existence of economies of scale in search or other trade costs, almost all activity on the platform is among larger traders, with very little use by smallholder farmers. Nevertheless, the benefits of improved arbitrage by traders appears to pass through to farmers in the form of higher revenues in surplus markets, as trader entry increases and measured trader profits decrease in response to falling search costs. We gratefully acknowledge funding from USAID/BASIS, USAID/DIL, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, awarded through the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI), the International Growth Center, the Policy Design and Evaluation Lab, and an anonymous donor. We thank IPA, Stephanie Annyas and Laza Razafimbelo for excellent project management. This trial was registered as AEARCTR-0000749, and is covered by UCSD IRB #140744. All errors are our own.
Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Paleogene pedogenic series of southern France as a basis for continental-marine correlation

The Upper Cretaceous–lower Paleogene formations in the Aix-en-Provence basin are characterized by interfingering lacustrine carbonates and flood-plain alluvium. The deposits from both environments display numerous horizons of carbonate-rich paleosols. By using a combined magnetostratigraphy and carbon isotope stratigraphy for the pedogenic carbonate glaebules, we constructed a detailed integrated stratigraphy for the entire lower Paleogene. This method provides a way to correlate marine and terrestrial sequences when C3 plants dominated the environment. Both long-term and short-term δ 13 C variations were identified in the Provence series: (1) the uniform carbon isotope record established through the end of the Maastrichtian followed by the abruptly negative carbon isotope excursion in the lowermost Paleocene provides a marker for the precise location of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in this basin, 5 m below the Calcaire de Vitrolles Formation; (2) a gradual δ 13 C increase through the middle upper Paleocene similar in amplitude to that of the marine realm; (3) a short-term negative δ 13 C excursion in the latest Paleocene, as seen within the Calcaire de St. Marc Formation; and (4) a slow decrease during the late Paleocene to early Eocene, with a probable hiatus in the sedimentary record. The Provence mammal site of Palette is shown to be stratigraphically younger than the late Paleocene negative δ 13 C excursion.
THERMOLUMINESCENT DATING OF NEOLITHIC AND CHALCOLITHIC POTTERY FROM SITES IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Samples of Neolithic and Chalcolithic pottery from nine sites in the Upper Alentejo and Estremadura regions of Portugal have been dated by the thermoluminescence method (quartz inclusion technique). The project was designed to help establish an absolute chronology for the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in this area, and to try to elucidate the chronological relationships between settlement sites and burial sites (‘dolmens’) in the same area. Portugal was confirmed, together with Brittany, as being one of the earliest foci of megalith builders.
The Role of Search Engine Optimization in Search Rankings

Web sites invest significant resources in trying to influence their visibility among online search results. In addition to paying for sponsored links, they invest in methods known as search engine optimization (SEO) that improve the ranking of a site among the search results without improving its quality. We study the economic incentives of Web sites to invest in SEO and its implications on search engine and advertiser payoffs. We find that the process is equivalent to an all-pay auction with noise and headstarts. Our results show that, under certain conditions, a positive level of search engine optimization improves the search engine’s ranking quality and thus the satisfaction of its visitors. In particular, if the quality of sites coincides with their valuation for visitors then search engine optimization serves as a mechanism that improves the ranking by correcting measurement errors. While this benefits consumers and increases traffic to the search engine, sites participating in search engine optimization could be worse off due to wasteful spending unless their valuation for traffic is very high. We also investigate how search engine optimization affects the revenues from sponsored links. Surprisingly, we find that in many cases search engine revenues are increased by SEO.
What is the “ value ” of value-at-risk in a simulated portfolio decision-making game ?

In the paper, I simulate the social network games of a portfolio selection where agents consider VaR when managing their portfolios. Such agents behave quite differently from the agents considering only the expected returns of the alternatives that are available to them in time. The level of omniscience of agents and the presence of liquidity agents are demonstrated to be significant factors for the portfolio management.
Forecasting seasonality in prices of potatoes and onions: challenge between geostatistical models, neuro fuzzy approach and Winter method

This paper, we studied the ability of geostatistical models (ordinary kriging (OK) and Inverse distance weighting (IDW)), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and Winter method for prediction of seasonality in prices of potatoes and onions in Iran over the seasonal period 1986_2001. Results show that the best estimators in order are winter method, ANFIS and geostatistical methods. The results indicate that Winter and ANFIS had powerful results for prediction the prices while geostatistical models were not useful in this respect.
Neo-structural economic sociology beyond embeddedness: relational infrastructures and social processes in markets and market institutions

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.
An isotopic and geochemical study of carbonate‐clay mineralization in basaltic caves: abiotic versus microbial processes

Stable isotope and geochemical data are used here to differentiate between contemporaneous abiotic and microbial processes leading to formation of modern carbonate‐ (calcite, aragonite and magnesite) and silicate‐rich (kerolite) mineralization in basaltic sea caves on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Strontium isotope and Ca/Sr ratios in meteoric water and cave carbonates suggest that the majority of Sr and Ca are derived from rock–water interaction within the host basalts situated above the caves. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios and chemical compositions of cave and surface waters indicate that evaporation does not control cave‐water composition. However, evaporation of drops and thin films of water in microenvironments can lead to precipitation of some phases. This behaviour is suggested by the covariance in δ18O and δ13C values of some carbonates, especially magnesite, which is considered to be a late‐stage evaporative precipitate. Modelling of water evolution suggests that evaporation can be a cause of supersaturation for magnesite, kerolite and some Ca carbonates. However, the highly elevated δ13C values (up to +8.2) of some Ca carbonates, compared to average dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C values (~−12), are best explained as the product of microbial photosynthesis, in particular by cyanobacteria, present in the upper layers of active microbial mats on cave surfaces. The preferential uptake of 12C by cyanobacteria is recorded in the low δ13C values (−29.1 to −22.6) of organic matter in mats and mineralized microbialites. The resulting 13C‐enrichment of dissolved inorganic carbon is recorded in the elevated δ13C values of these Ca carbonates. A positive correlation exists between the δ13C values of the carbonates and coexisting organic matter. The large enrichment in 13C of carbonate minerals, relative to dissolved inorganic carbon, and its covariance with the δ13C values of coexisting organic matter are useful for identification of carbonate‐rich mineralization resulting from autotrophic microbial activity.
Site information and initial results from deep ice drilling on Law Dome, Antarctica

Abstract The aim of deep ice drilling on Law Dome, Antarctica, has been to exploit the special characteristics of Law Dome summit, i.e. low temperature and high accumulation near an ice divide, to obtain a high-resolution ice core for climatic/environmental studies of the Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Drilling was completed in February 1993, when basal ice containing small fragments of rock was reached at a depth of 1196 m. Accurate ice dating, obtained by counting annual layers revealed by fine-detail δ18 О, peroxide and electrical-conductivity measurements, is continuous down to 399 m, corresponding to a date of AD 1304. Sulphate concentration measurements, made around depths where conductivity tracing indicates volcanic fallout, allow confirmation of the dating (for Agung in 1963 and Tambora in 1815) or estimates of the eruption date from the ice dating (for the Kuwae, Vanuatu, eruption ~1457). The lower part of the core is dated by extrapolating the layer-counting using a simple model of the ice flow. At the LGM, ice-fabric measurements show a large decrease (250 to 14 mm2) in crystal size and a narrow maximum in c-axis vertically. The main zone of strong single-pole fabrics however, is located higher up in a broad zone around 900 m. Oxygen-isotope (δ18O) measurements show Holocene ice down to 1113 m, the LGM at 1133 m and warm (δ18O) about the same as Holocene) ice near the base of the ice sheet. The LGM/Holocene δ18O shift of 7.0‰, only ~1‰ larger than for Vostok, indicates that Law Dome remained an independent ice cap and was not overridden by the inland ice sheet in the Glacial.
Development of a nomogram to predict in-hospital mortality of sepsis-associated encephalopathy: a retrospective cohort study

Yang Yang Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0090-8970 Shengru Liang Department of Endocrinology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China Jie Geng Department of Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an,710038,China Qiuhe Wang Department of Liver Disease and Digestive Interventional Radiology, National Clinical Research Centre for Digestive Disease and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China Pan Wang Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China Yuan Cao Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China Rong Li Department of Neurosurgery, the 986th Hospital of Chinese People's Libertation Army, Xi'an, 710054, China Guodong Gao Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China Lihong Li (  lihonglifmmu@163.com ) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4991-9037
Social vulnerability assessment for Norway: A quantitative approach

The article presents a method for quantifying social vulnerability to natural hazards in Norwegian municipalities. In the analysis, a large number of variables that each measures a facet of a municipality's susceptibility to a potential hazard are used. Using factor analysis, the information in the variables is reduced to a smaller number of factors and socioeconomic and built environment vulnerability scores for each Norwegian municipality are calculated. The resulting scores in the Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index and Built Environment Index are mapped for each municipality. The results show that there are pronounced regional differences: municipalities with high socioeconomic vulnerability cluster in the northern half of Norway and parts of the south-east. The least vulnerable region is south-western Norway. Built environment vulnerability is highest in densely populated areas. By indicating municipalities with a high level of vulnerability, the method presented in this article is a useful tool in identifying regions which are likely to face significant challenges in coping with a large-scale event. The results can be used in, for example, planning mitigation efforts against extreme weather events, which are likely to be more frequent and severe in the future due to climate change.
A study on digital twin technology of Human-machine integration cross-belt Sorting System

: So far nearly 110 billion pieces of express items have been handled by Chinese express delivery industry, with an average annual growth of 200%. Cross-belt sorting system serves as the most important express item sorting system and most of the sorting work has been automated fulfilled. However, operators are still needed and working pressure arisen with the growth of express items. Under the context of the industry 5.0, new technologies should be utilized to enhance both welfare of the workers and working efficiency of the cross-belt system. However, it’s hard to strike a good balance between express item handling efficiency and the happiness of operators. Digital twin technology bring new solution to this problem. Based on the ascertained human-machine features of the distribution center, the human-machine integration digital twin frame, consisting of physical space, virtual space, twin data center and supporting & application services, were proposed. The closed-loop interactions among biological human body, virtual human body, virtual equipment and physical equipment were achieved. The express item distribution center operation system was established based on the digital twin technologies. Besides, the physical-level data collection and storage, the human body fatigue efficiency conversion process on services levels and the virtual-level predication & decision-making were elaborated. Finally, methods to establish the cross-belt sorting system for the express item distribution center based on digital twin technologies were proposed. Feasibility of the aforesaid methods was verified by a simulation case study.
Nanometer-sized divalent manganese-hydrous silicate domains in geothermal brine precipitates.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Nanometer-sized divalent manganese-hydrous silicate domains in geothermal brine precipitates. Alain Manceau, Darrell L. Gallup
Image encryption via a 2-D Logistic-Baker map and fractional discrete Meixner moments

In this paper, we introduce an eﬃcient and robust image encryption and decryption scheme based on 2-D chaotic map and 2-D fractional discrete orthogonal moments. In the confusion stage, the compound Logistic-Baker map is used to enhance the complexity and generate pseudo-random sequences. In order to resist a variety of attacks and increase security, Fractional Discrete Meixner Moments (FrDMMs) are used in the diﬀusion stage. FrDMMs had been computed using the eigenvalues and the corresponding multiplicity of the discrete Meixner polynomials. The secret key is created by combining the Logistic-Baker map and FrDMMs. The experimental results and the security analysis demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust against existing security attacks and has a large key space, high key sensitivity, and a strong encryption eﬀect.