Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying potential drivers of distribution patterns of invasive Corbicula fluminea relative to native freshwater mussels (Unionidae) across spatial scales

Abstract This study aimed to identify the importance of ecological factors to distribution patterns of the invasive Clam (Corbicula fluminea) relative to native mussels (family: Unionidae) across seven rivers within the Mobile and Tennessee basins, Southeast United States. We quantitatively surveyed dense, diverse native mussel aggregations across 20 river reaches and estimated mussel density, biomass, and species richness along with density of invasive C. fluminea (hereafter Corbicula). We measured substrate particle size, velocity, and depth in quadrats where animals were collected. Additionally, we characterized reach scale environmental parameters including seston quantity and quality (% Carbon, % Nitrogen, % Phosphorous), water chemistry (ammonium [NH4+], soluble reactive phosphorous [SRP]), and watershed area and land cover. Using model selection, logistic regression, and multivariate analysis, we characterized habitat features and their association to invasive Corbicula within mussel beds. We found that Corbicula were more likely to occur and more abundant in quadrats with greater mussel biomass, larger substrate size, faster water velocity, and shallower water depth. At the reach scale, Corbicula densities increased where particle sizes were larger. Mussel richness, density, and biomass increased with watershed area. Water column NH4+ increased at reaches with more urban land cover. No land cover variables influenced Corbicula populations or mussel communities. The strong overlapping distribution of Corbicula and mussels support the hypothesis that Corbicula are not necessarily limited by habitat factors and may be passengers of change in rivers where mussels have declined due to habitat degradation. Whether Corbicula is facilitated by mussels or negatively interacts with mussels in these systems remains to be seen. Focused experiments that manipulate patch scale variables would improve our understanding of the role of species interactions (e.g., competition, predation, facilitation) or physical habitat factors in influencing spatial overlap between Corbicula and native mussels.
Influence of Lamina Vastoadductoria Dissection on the Outcomes of Femoral Artery Extensive Lesion Stenting: A Pilot Randomised Investigation

Objective: Aim of the study was to improve the immediate and long-term results of stenting of the superficial femoral artery in extended lesions with the changing of the biomechanics of SFA and of the first portion of the popliteal artery. Methods: Pilot randomized prospective single-center study were included 70 patients. Patients were randomized into two groups in 1x1 format for 35 people using the envelope method. Self-expanding bare metal stents were used in all cases. At the first group standard revascularization procedures with SFA stenting were performed; in the second group, the superficial femoral artery stenting was supplemented with fasciotomy in the Hunter canal with the superficial femoral artery intersection. The total observation period was 2 years. During the observation period an assessment of the clinical symptoms of the lower extremities, measurement of the ankle-brachial index and ultrasound duplex scanning of the operated segment were performed. Results: All procedures in both groups were successfully performed. Primary patency through 24 months was 28.5% (10 of 35) in group 1 and 60% (21 of 35) in group 2 (p=0,015). Conclusions: Changing the biomechanical properties of the distal of the superficial femoral artery segment and of the first portion of the popliteal artery is safe and contributes to the primary patency improvement during the stenting of extended of the superficial femoral artery lesions compared to standard SFA stenting. Dissection of the lamina vastoadductoria with transection of the collateral branches of the knee joint network reduces frequent and severe damages of stents after the stenting of the superficial femoral artery extended lesion. According to the frequency of complications in the early and mid-term postoperative period, limb salvage, mortality and the secondary patency rates, the new method is comparable with standard of the superficial femoral artery stenting.
Scaling up calcification, respiration, and photosynthesis rates of six prominent coral taxa

Abstract Coral reefs provide a range of important services to humanity, which are underpinned by community‐level ecological processes such as coral calcification. Estimating these processes relies on our knowledge of individual physiological rates and species‐specific abundances in the field. For colonial animals such as reef‐building corals, abundance is frequently expressed as the relative surface cover of coral colonies, a metric that does not account for demographic parameters such as coral size. This may be problematic because many physiological rates are directly related to organism size, and failure to account for linear scaling patterns may skew estimates of ecosystem functioning. In the present study, we characterize the scaling of three physiological rates — calcification, respiration, and photosynthesis — considering the colony size for six prominent, reef‐building coral taxa in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. After a seven‐day acclimation period in the laboratory, we quantified coral physiological rates for three hours during daylight (i.e., calcification and gross photosynthesis) and one hour during night light conditions (i.e., dark respiration). Our results indicate that area‐specific calcification rates are higher for smaller colonies across all taxa. However, photosynthesis and respiration rates remain constant over the colony‐size gradient. Furthermore, we revealed a correlation between the demographic dynamics of coral genera and the ratio between net primary production and calcification rates. Therefore, intraspecific scaling of reef‐building coral physiology not only improves our understanding of community‐level coral reef functioning but it may also explain species‐specific responses to disturbances.
Semantic Point Cloud Upsampling

Downsampled sparse point clouds are beneficial for data transmission and storage, but they are detrimental for semantic tasks due to information loss. In this paper, we examine an upsampling methodology that significantly reconstructs sparse clouds’ semantic representations. Specifically, we propose a novel semantic point cloud upsampling (SPU) framework for sparse point cloud classification. An SPU consists of two networks, i.e. an upsampling network and a classification network. They are skillfully unified to intensify semantic representations acting on the upsampling process. In the upsampling network, we first propose a novel graph aggregation convolution to construct hierarchical relations on sparse point clouds. To enhance stability and diversity during point upsampling, we then combine point shuffling and pre-interpolation technologies to build an enhanced upsampling module. Furthermore, we adopt the semantic prior information provided by a sparse point cloud to enhance its upsampling quality. The prior information is applied to an attention mechanism that can highlight key positions of the point cloud. We investigate different loss functions and conduct experiments on classical deep point networks, which effectively demonstrate the promising performance of our framework.
Serous cavity metastasis: Evaluation of unknown primary

Malignant effusions can occur in patients with neoplasia. Once a metastatic diagnosis is confirmed, the primary site of origin of malignancy needs to be ascertained. This task can be challenging without a prior history of malignancy. In some patients their effusion may be the initial presentation of an underlying malignancy. Metastases usually present with a dual population of mesothelial and malignant cells. Combining cytomorphologic examination with ancillary testing such as immunocytochemistry can help identify the origin of the foreign malignant cell population. Helpful architectural clues include a single cell pattern, solid cell ball pattern, single file arrangement, papillary formation, psammoma bodies and background mucin. Useful cellular features include the presence of signet ring cells, small cells, pleomorphic and multinucleated giant cells, squamous cells, spindle cells and pigmentation. Rarely, despite an extensive work-up the primary site of origin for a malignant effusion may remain unresolved. This review article will be incorporated finally as one of the chapters in CMAS (CytoJournal Monograph/Atlas Series) #2. It is modified slightly from the chapter by the initial authors in the first edition of Cytopathologic Diagnosis of Serous Fluids.
Data Analytics Based Power Quality Investigations in Emerging Electric Power System Using Sparse Decomposition

Modern electric grid usages extensive non-linear loads leading to the increased harmonic current injection in the system. This paper proposes a data-driven algorithm based on a sparse decomposition approach with the Overcomplete Hybrid Dictionary (OHD) and provides in-depth mathematical analysis to detect and mitigate harmonics in emerging electric power systems. The sparse decomposition method is widely used in image processing applications with significant advantages to big-data applications. However, its application is not properly addressed in electric grids’ applications despite massive data generation in a smart grid environment. Hence, in this paper, the performance evaluation of a sparse decomposition-based algorithm using a greedy approach is proposed and carried out in a real-time simulation environment for Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) application for the real-time detection, classification, and mitigation of PQ events to show its suitability and effectiveness. Finally, the experimental results on a small-scale laboratory setup are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed sparse-based control algorithm for DSTATCOM in real-time applications. The comparative result shows that the proposed sparse-based method is advantageous for off-line PQ signal processing and capable of real-time detection, classification, and control of the power apparatus for harmonics mitigation.
“Provide our basic needs or we go out”: the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, inequality, and social policy in Ghana

The effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic cuts across every facet of a nation’s life. The near collapse of economies with the attendant job losses has brought forth the need for effective social policies, particularly in developing countries, that can serve citizens in dire need. Consequently, many of these countries have had to craft emergency social policies to help their citizens. Ghana is no exception. While measures to control the spread of the pandemic, such as lockdowns and restrictions on movement and gathering, were timely, they negatively impacted the poor, most of whom work in the informal sector and depend on daily survival activities such as buying and selling basic goods. As a result, some of the measures were ignored as people feared they would die from hunger rather than from the pandemic. Thus, governmental response to the pandemic was highlighted by policy layering and exposed the fragile social support systems in existence. The challenges of responding adequately to the pandemic underscore the importance of a transformative social welfare regime in ensuring the protection of citizens. This paper, based on desk research, explores the limitations of the existing social policy framework, which became manifest during the implementation of Ghana’s pandemic policies. Policy layering by government continues to weaken Ghana’s social welfare system, and this affected the official response with respect to the social issues that have emerged due to the pandemic.
VERSA- Video event recognition for surveillance applications

VERSA provides a general-purpose framework for defining and recognizing events in live or recorded surveillance video streams. The approach for event recognition in VERSA is using a declarative logic language to define the spatial and temporal relationships that characterize a given event or activity. Doing so requires the definition of certain fundamental spatial and temporal relationships and a high-level syntax for specifying frame templates and query parameters. Although the handling of uncertainty in the current VERSA implementation is simplistic, the language and architecture is amenable to extending using Fuzzy Logic or similar approaches. VERSA’s high-level architecture is designed to work in XML-based, servicesoriented environments. VERSA can be thought of as subscribing to the XML annotations streamed by a lower-level video analytics service that provides basic entity detection, labeling, and tracking. One or many VERSA Event Monitors could thus analyze video streams and provide alerts when certain events are detected.
System Performance on Dual CAN-Bus Network for Avionics System Applications *

This paper presents prototype fabrication and verification on two different configurations of dual CAN (Controller Area Network) bus system. New circuit designs of bus selector and memory mapping technique are discussed with promotion from single bus system. With successful implementations, these two circuit systems are compared with system tests. The system CPU load using bus selector is much less than the memory mapping by software under close reliability and stability performance. Circuit board fabrication and test is verified and extended into PC controlled operation. Each node will be connected to real instruments or sensors, as well as several simulated signals. The dual bus IP board design is based on standard CAN communication stacks by firmware for different integration requirements. In system verification, a primary flight display suitable for small aircraft application for data exchange and control is constructed and tested.
Colloidal polypyrrole as binder for silicon anode in lithium ion batteries

Silicon (Si)‐based anodes have limited application in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to the loss of contact with current collector because of large volume change during lithiation and delithiation processes. In this study, pyrrole (Py) was polymerized chemically by cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and conductive colloidal polypyrrole (Col‐PPy) was obtained in one step in N,N′‐dimethylformamide (DMF). To overcome problems during the volume change, Col‐PPy was then used as polymeric binder with Si nanoparticle (SiNP) in Si‐anode and it called as “Col‐PPy/SiNP. ” In order to improve the cyclability and capacity of Si‐anodes, Col‐PPy solution was used also together with polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). These Si‐anodes were further analyzed with cycle tests and combined cycle tests at different rates (C‐rate) in half cells and scanning electron microscopy images of electrodes were taken before and after cycling. All results suggested that as an anode for LIB, Col‐PPy/SiNP exhibited high reversible capacity (2617 mAh/g at C/10 [0.42 A/g]) and good cycling performance (reversible capacity of 1400 mAh/g after 189 cycles at C/3 [1.4 A/g]).
MULTIMEDIA: 'THE WORLD OF MAGIC?!'

The multimedia is a renewing, developing occurrence that is more and more influential in the last years of the 20 th century. The draft described by the author introduces its pedagogical, professional utilization and its connections to the reader. The school equipment’s fifth generation’s concept is: system adoption. This compilation can show well the process, which could produce the possibility of the actual multimedia’s presence and adoption. It searches the answer for the question drawing up in the title and drafts the possible future new questions.
Multiscale Analysis of Hydrodynamic Step Bearing with Ultra Low Surface Separations

The paper presents the multiscale analysis for the hydrodynamic step bearing with ultra low surface clearances where only the physical adsorbed layer is present in the outlet zone and the continuum fluid flow mainly occurs in the inlet zone. This bearing can occur under heavy loads. The flow in the outlet zone is described by the nanoscale flow equation, while the flow in the inlet zone is described by the multiscale flow equation incorporating both the adsorbed layer flow and the intermediate continuum fluid flow. The pressure and carried load of the bearing were derived. Exemplary calculations show that the fluid-bearing surface interaction has the strongest influence on the pressure and carried load of this bearing when the bearing surface clearance is as small as possible, the bearing step size is close to the surface clearance in the outlet zone and the value of the geometrical parameter  is the optimum one, which depends on the fluid-bearing surface interaction. For the strong fluid-bearing surface interaction, the carried load of the bearing can be 10 times higher than that calculated from the classical hydrodynamic lubrication theory.
Active control of interior noise in model aircraft fuselages using piezoceramic actuators

Active control of interior noise in model aircraft fuselages using piezoceramic actuators is experimentall y studied. The actuators are bonded directly to the structure and error information is taken from up to two microphones located in the interior acoustic field. The results demonstrate that global attenuation of the order of 10-15 dB of interior noise can be achieved with piezoceramic actuators, irrespective of whether the shell system is vibrating at an acoustic or structural resonant frequency. For the case of an acoustic resonance, reduction of the interior field was accompanied by an increase in shell response. The work also proves that active control using vibration (moment) inputs works well when a floor simulating that of an aircraft is installed in the model. This result suggests that the technique will be successful in controlling interior noise in realistic aircraft structures, although further work is needed to ensure that the approach works satisfactorily under realistic situations.
α-Fairness-Maximizing User Association in Energy-Constrained Small Cell Networks

Renewable energy source (RES)-powered base stations have received tremendous research interest in recent years because they can expand network coverage without building a power grid. This paper proposes a novel user association (UA), resource allocation (RA), and dynamic power control (PC) scheme to maximize the α-fairness in RES-assisted small cell networks. The α-fairness is a general notion that flexibly adjusts the balance between the throughput, proportional fairness, and max-min fairness according to α. Nevertheless, none of the existing studies has proposed UA, RA, and PC to maximize the α-fairness due to its NP-hardness. Furthermore, fixed-policy-based PC designs cannot consider time-varying environments (e.g., energy harvesting models and wireless channels) of the RES-assisted networks. We first provide a Lagrangian duality-based algorithm to solve the UA and RA problem for a fixed PC. Next, we propose a dynamic PC scheme based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) that chooses the best PC considering the time-varying environments. However, because the UA and RA algorithm executed in each step of the dynamic PC requires a long computation time, we aim to accelerate the computation of the UA and RA with DRL. Inspired by the Lagrangian duality, we design a DRL-based UA and RA with a low-dimensional continuous variable by relaxing the UA variable, the cardinality of which increases exponentially with the number of base stations and users. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves a 100 times shorter computation time than the optimization-based schemes by computing only two neural networks. In particular, although there have been numerous studies on the proportional fairness maximization, the proposed scheme outperforms the optimization-based schemes in the throughput, proportional fairness, and max-min fairness metrics.
Management of Severe Scoliosis with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Single-Center Retrospective Case Series Study

Aims To determine the impact of anesthesia encountered and to optimize the treatment of perioperative pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in an effort to improve perioperative management and reduce complications. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of scoliosis patients with PAH who underwent scoliosis surgery. Results During this period, we identified a total of 22 patients. Their mean age was 22.18 ± 2.11 years. 16 PAH patients (72.72%) received PAH-specific treatment. Only Propofol-based TIVA was used intraoperatively. During the procedure, pulmonary artery catheters and PICCO catheters were placed in all patients to monitor intraoperative and postoperative mPAP, MAP, PRVI and SRVI. During tracheal intubation and intraoperative awake testing, mPAP generally tended to increase in all patients. 6 patients (27.27%) received intraoperative PAH-Specific therapy. All patients received oral sildenafil (75-100 mg/d orally), and 9 patients received postoperative oral sildenafil combined with nebulized iloprost (20 μg/d); intravenous treprostinil (2 ng/kg/min started and titrated to 10-17.5 ng/kg/min); or bosentan (250 mg/d) postoperatively. 7 patients (31.82%) reported postoperative complications, including 2 cases of respiratory failure requiring reintubation, 1 case of right heart failure, 2 cases of superficial surgical site infection, 1 case of fluid and electrolyte and acid-base imbalances, 2 cases of pneumonia and 1 case of pulmonary oedema with fluid overload. Two patients developed more than 1 postoperative complication. No in-hospital death occurred. Conclusions The anesthetic management of scoliosis patients with PAH is important task that, like its own surgery, relies on the input of the multidisciplinary team for its success. Close monitoring, optimization of systemic blood pressure, pain control, oxygenation and ventilation, avoidance of exacerbating factors, and the use of vasopressors and pulmonary vasodilators when necessary are essential elements of management.
Sjögren Syndrome with Bilateral Multicystic Enlargement of the Parotids and Submandibular Glands

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system attacks parts of your own body by mistake. It attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva. We report the case of a 51 -year-old woman who presented with bilateral parotid gland enlargement as the initial manifestation of primary Sjögren syndrome.
Indoor green can modify the indoor dust microbial communities.

Little is known about the potential role of indoor plants in shaping the indoor microbiota. Within the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, we collected settled dust and performed 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing and qPCR measurements to characterize the indoor microbiota, including bacterial and fungal loads and Chao1 richness, Shannon, and Simpson diversity indices. For 155 households, we obtained information on the number of indoor plants. We performed linear regression models adjusted for several a priori chosen covariables. Overall, an increase in indoor plants and density was associated with increased microbial diversity, but not load. For example, we found an increase of 64 (95%CI:3;125) and 26 (95%CI:4;48) units of bacterial and fungal taxa richness, respectively, in households with more than three plants compared to no plants. Our results support the hypothesis that indoor plants can enrich indoor microbial diversity, while impacts on microbial loads are not obvious.