Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sources and Human Health Effects of Arsenic in Urban Soils

Urban soils often contain relatively high concentrations of heavy metals. Heavy metals such as arsenic (As) can form highly persistent and toxic compounds in the environment While arsenic is released to the environment from natural sources such as wind-blown dirt and volcanoes, releases from anthropogenic sources exceed those from natural sources. Inputs of anthropogenic As has a greater potential to harm the environment in comparison to natural processes. Arsenic exists in both organic and inorganic forms in the environment with trivalent and pentavalent inorganic forms posing the highest level of risk to to human and the environmental health. Inorganic and organic species of As undergo a variety of biological and chemical transformations in soils including adsorption/desorption, precipitation, complexation, volatilization, and methylation. Sorption reactions are particularly important to arsenate and arsenite transport, with soil properties such as amorphous iron and aluminum hydroxide content, clay content and pH affecting As sorption. Remediation of metal-contaminated sites, specifically As, involves physical, chemical, and biological approaches that may achieve partial or complete removal of As from soil.
Pattern Reconﬁgurable Antenna with Five Switchable Beams Switching in Elevation Plane

—Pattern-reconﬁgurable antennas with multiple switchable beams, especially with both boresight and endﬁre directions, are highly desired for wireless communications. In this letter, a novel pattern-reconﬁgurable antenna is proposed that provides an efﬁcient solution. By reconﬁguring parasitic striplines placed around a radiating dipole and reﬂecting metal pieces under the dipole using p-i-n diodes, the antenna main beam can be switched to ﬁve directions in the elevation plane, approximately from − 90 ◦ (left endﬁre), − 45 ◦ , 0 ◦ (boresight), + 45 ◦ , to + 90 ◦ (right endﬁre). The developed antenna operates at 2.45 GHz with dimensions of about 0.57 λ × 0.45 λ × 0.28 λ . An antenna prototype was fabricated and measured. For all ﬁve directional beams, The measured | S 11 | values are below − 13dB, and the measured realized gains range from 5.2 to 6.5 dBi. They agree reasonably well with the simulated ones.
A Study on the Evaluation of the Innovation Efficiency of Star Hotel Services Based on the DEA-Malmquist Index

Based on the panel data of star-rated hotels in China from 2015 to 2021, the following conclusions were drawn by using the DEA-Malmquist index method to investigate the efficiency of service innovation of star-rated hotels in China and to analyze the factors that influenced the change in the efficiency of star-rated hotels in China [1]. The service innovation efficiency of high-star hotels has a high sensitivity to changes in the external environment, while low-star hotels show a relatively resilient life under the unfavorable external circumstance [2]. Technological progress is an important reason for the promotion of service innovation efficiency, especially the key reason for the improvement of service innovation efficiency of high-star hotels [3]. The expansion of enterprise-scale has a more obvious inhibiting effect on the improvement of service innovation efficiency of low-star hotels [4]. After the epidemic, pure technical efficiency can obviously promote the service innovation efficiency.
Pixel‐level crack delineation in images with convolutional feature fusion

Cracks in civil structures are important signs of structural degradation and may even indicate the inception of catastrophic failure. Image‐based crack detection has been attempted in research communities that bear the potential of replacing human‐based inspection. Among many methodologies, deep learning‐based cracks detection is actively explored in recent years. However, how to automatically extract cracks quickly and accurately at a pixel level, that is, crack delineation (including both detection and segmentation), is a challenging issue. This article proposes a convolutional neural network‐based framework that automates this task through convolutional feature fusion and pixel‐level classification. The resulting network architecture with an empirically optimal fusion strategy, termed the crack delineation network, is trained and tested based on a concrete crack image database. The results show that the proposed framework can delineate cracks accurately and rapidly in images towards a fully autonomous machine vision approach to structural crack detection.
Passive Investing and the Rise of Mega-Firms

We show that flows into passive funds raise disproportionately the prices of the largest stocks in the index, while also making them more volatile. If, in addition, stocks are mispriced because of noise traders, then passive flows raise disproportionately the prices of the overvalued stocks among the index’s largest. Passive flows generally drive the aggregate market up even when they are entirely due to a switch from active to passive. Underlying these effects is that passive flows make prices more sensitive to news about idiosyncratic future cashflows. We provide empirical evidence in support of our model’s main predictions. Weights: Asset Pricing Implications of Value-Weighted Indexing. ”
Journal Pre-proof Characterizing Isoform Switching Events in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Isoform switching events with predicted functional consequences are common in many cancers, but 1 characterization of switching events in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is lacking. Next-generation 2 sequencing was utilized to detect levels of RNA transcripts and identify specific isoforms in treatment naïve 3 esophageal tissues ranging from premalignant Barrett’s esophagus (BE), BE with low or high-grade dysplasia 4 (BE.LGD, BE.HGD), and EAC. Samples were stratified by histopathology and TP53 mutation status, identifying 5 significant isoform switching events with predicted functional consequences. Comparing BE.LGD with BE.HGD, 6 a histopathology linked to cancer progression, isoform switching events were identified in 75 genes including 7 KRAS , RNF128, and WRAP53 . Stratification based on TP53 status increased the number of significant isoform 8 switches to 135 suggesting switching events affect cellular functions based on TP53 mutation and tissue histopathology. Analysis of isoforms agnostic, exclusive, and shared with mutant TP53 revealed unique 10 signatures including demethylation, lipid and retinoic acid metabolism, and glucuronidation, respectively. Nearly 11 half of isoform switching events were identified without significant gene-level expression changes. Importantly, 12 two TP53 -interacting isoforms, RNF128 and WRAP53 , were significantly linked to patient survival. Thus, analysis of isoform switching events may provide new insight for the identification of prognostic markers and inform new potential therapeutic targets for EAC. that adapalene was a potent inducer of cell death in both cell lines. Considering RAR  and RAR  are two of the receptors of 9-cis-retinoic acid, these data suggest activation of 9-cis-retinoic acid pathway may hold potential for targeting EAC. Moreover, to test the potential benefit of blocking mutant TP53 expression in EAC, OE33 and JHAD1 cells (both TP53 mutant) were treated with APR-246, a small molecule that restores TP53 wild-type functionality. Results showed that post-treatment with APR-246, both EAC cell lines experienced significant loss of viability, which is in alignment with previously published results in EAC and ESCC, although a to lower tertiles used investigate test. One-tail two-sample t were applied to determine significant changes in isoform fraction between BE.LGD and BE.HGD patient samples in qRT-PCR experiment and statistically significant differences in cellular viability assay were determined utilizing a one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-hoc multiple comparison test. D.G. B. , and L.A. K. ; writing—original draft preparation, Y.Z. , K.M. W. , C.L. H. , and L.A. K. ; writing—review and editing, Y.Z. , K.M. W. , C.L. H. , J.R. , J.L. C. , K.H. L. , J.L. , R.M. R. , A.C. C. , D.G. B. , and L.A. K. ; visualization, Y.Z. ; supervision, L.A. K. ; project administration, L.A. K. ;
Conﬂict, Civil Wars and Human Development ∗

Abstract. Conﬂicts such as civil wars have manifold negative consequences on human development. In this survey article the existing literature is reviewed on the impact of conﬂict on educational attainment, health outcomes, inter-group trust and generalized social capital, as well as economic outcomes. It is stressed that four dimensions of adverse consequences from war exposure can give birth to four corresponding vicious cycles and war traps. Finally, a series of policies for peace are discussed, including policies that boost productivity and human capital accumulation, that foster inter-group trust and interaction, and that strengthen democratic institutions and governance.
On The Properties Shared By a Simple Semigroup with an Identity and Any Semigroup with an Identity

R. H. Bruck’s theorem [1] established the fact that any semigroup S can be embedded in a Simple Semigroup which posses an identity element . In this paper, we discuss some of the properties which shares with any semigroup which posses an identity element . Thus we establish the following results i. Any regular (inverse) semigroup can be embedded in a Simple regular (Inverse) semigroup with an identity element ii. There exist simple inverse (and hence, regular) semigroups with an identity element which have an arbitrary cardinal number of D – classes. These results are new extensions arising from [1].
P ATENT V ALUE AND U NCERTAIN P ROPERTY R IGHTS : I MPLICATIONS FROM P ATENT L ITIGATION

: In this study, we use carefully constructed matched samples of litigated and non-litigated patents to investigate the characteristics that predict litigation. Survival time regressions allow us to demonstrate the separate impacts of value and uncertainty on litigation. In particular, standard essential patents are more likely to be litigated than non-SEPs. However, the earlier the disclosure is made, the lower the hazard of litigation. That is, when information is provided early to the market, uncertainty is reduced and the hazard of litigation is lower. Similarly, the total number of lifetime patent citations is positively correlated with litigation (the value effect); however, if those citations are received early in a patent’s life, the informational content reduces uncertainty and consequently the litigation rate. These findings reconcile some inconsistent results in the empirical literature.
THE ACADEMIC LECTURE HOPE

President Gerty’s invitation to address this assembly of the future leaders of our Association was one of the great pleasures and honors of my life. I can well remember my excitement when, in company with my father and my teacher Ernest Southard, I attended my first annual meeting-the 75th anniversary. This was 40 years ago, here in Philadelphia. I think I have missed only one meeting since then. In those days we were a small, intimate, informal group of a few hundred; everyone knew everyone. The program was simple, the entertainment lavish and the whole meeting a kind of family reunion. Southard and father and many others are gone now-but there are new elements of a family affair for my brother Will and myself of which we are proud. In the years since then there has been a vast development in the numbers and complexity of our organization. I am glad to have had a part in the planning for its re-structuring, even though the immediate impact of the suggestions made by the Committee on Reorganization was a shock reaction. That 14 of our 18 recommendations have been put into effect is gratifying. But I find the greatest satisfaction in the emphasis which the program committees and officers have placed on our continued self-improvement, on psychiatric education, on, for example, academic lectures! it is from a background of teaching that the topic which I propose to discuss emerged. I would like to warn you not to expect a scientific analysis of it along conventional lines. The subject does not permit of that; we don’t yet know enough about it, and it would be presumptuous to make the attempt. I am not reporting a
Skeletal Structures for Modeling Generalized Chamfers and Fillets in the Presence of Complex Miters

A chamfer is a sloped or angled corner or edge that provides a transition between faces of a three-dimensional object. Similarly, a fillet is a rounded corner or edge. We show how to model and construct complex chamfers and fillets for extruded objects in a robust and efficient way even if several faces of the object are involved. Our approach is based on skeletal structures such as the medial axis and straight skeleton of the footprint of the extruded object. It can be seen as a generalization of the standard roofs induced by these structures.
Analytical Technique for Analysis and Detection of Eccentricity Fault in Surface-Mounted Permanent Magnet Generators Using No-Load Voltage Signature

Abstract This paper presents a method for modeling the effects of static eccentricity, dynamic eccentricity, and mixed eccentricity faults on the electromotive force (emf) of the surface-mounted permanent magnet generators (SMPMGs). The model is based on the combination of conformal mapping method (complex relative permeance) and eccentricity relative air gap permeance and it presents explicit formulas for no-load magnetic field distribution, magnetic flux, and emf in SMPMGs under different eccentricity fault types, some have not been so far considered elsewhere. The analytical and also numerical results show that there are some side-band components in the emf signature which can be used as eccentricity fault index. Analytical results validate by time-stepping finite element method (TSFEM) results.
“Optical Patch-clamping”: Single-channel Recording by Imaging Ca 2 (cid:1) Flux through Individual Muscle Acetylcholine Receptor Channels

We describe an optical technique using total internal reﬂection ﬂuorescence (TIRF) microscopy to obtain simultaneous and independent recordings from numerous ion channels via imaging of single-channel Ca 2 (cid:1) ﬂux. Muscle nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors made up of (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5) subunits were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and single channel Ca 2 (cid:1) ﬂuorescence transients (SCCaFTs) were imaged using a fast (500 fps) electron-multiplied c.c. d. camera with ﬂuo-4 as the indicator. Consistent with their arising through openings of individual nicotinic channels, SCCaFTs were seen only when a nicotinic agonist was present in the bathing solution, were blocked by curare, and increased in frequency as roughly the second power of [ACh]. Their ﬂuorescence amplitudes varied linearly with membrane potential and extrapolated to zero at about (cid:1) 60 mV. The rise and fall times of ﬂuorescence were as fast as 2 ms, providing a kinetic resolution adequate to characterize channel gating kinetics; which showed mean open times of 7.9 and 15.8 ms when activated, respectively, by ACh or suberyldicholine. Simultaneous records were obtained from (cid:6) 400 channels in the imaging ﬁeld, and we devised a novel “channel chip” representation to depict the resultant large dataset as a single image. The positions of SCCaFTs remained ﬁxed ( (cid:7) 100 nm displacement) over tens of seconds, indicating that the nicotinic receptor/channels are anchored in the oocyte membrane; and the spatial distribution of channels appeared random without evidence of clustering. Our results extend single-channel TIRFM imaging to ligand-gated channels that display only partial permeability to Ca 2 (cid:1) , and demonstrate an order-of-magnitude improvement in kinetic resolution. We believe that functional single-channel imaging opens a new approach to ion channel study, having particular advantages over patch-clamp recording in that it is massively parallel, and provides high-resolution spatial information that is inaccessible by electrophysiological techniques.
LIPID PROFILE AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN SUDANES WOMEN USING CONTRACEPTIVE IN KHARTOUM STATE

Background: Continual use of contraceptives have been linked to risk of cardiovascular disease. Objectives : This study was aimed to assess serum levels of lipid profile and C - reactive protein as indicator of cardiovascular disease in women using contraceptive. Material and Methods: In central health care based matched cross sectional study was conducted in Khartoum state –Sudan during the period from January 2015 to march 2016. After signing written informed consent, blood sample was collected from 100 fasting women using contraceptive as case group and 70 fasting women not using contraceptive as control group aged from (25-40)years and serum level of cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL and CRP was measured using spectrophotometrical methods. Data were collected using structural questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out by means of statistical package for social science (SPSS). Result: Th e study compared between women using contraceptives and non using contraceptives and showed significant increase in mean of serum level of total cholesterol( 194.2±55.3vs170±29.3) , triglyceride ( 188±87vs129.4±33.1) , LDL( 130±50 vs 93±31.3) and CRP( 7.3±5.8 vs 4.7±3.0) (p< value 0.05) and decreased in HDL ( 24.4±11.3 vs 51.2±14.5), (p value <0.05). Age and body mass index did not show significant difference when compared with control group. Conclusion: continual use of contraceptive is associated with increased level of cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and CRP and decrease in HDL and this may be linked to increase risk of cardiovascular disease.
Millimetre-wave and terahertz IMPATT sources: influence of inter-carrier interactions

A major amount of energy of mobile electrons and holes in a semiconductor under electric field are lost due to inter-carrier collisions prior to ionising collision. This fact causes a decrease in the ionisation probability which leads to the deterioration in ionisation rates especially when the doping density is high. The effects of this phenomenon on the high frequency and noise properties of highly doped impact avalanche transit time (IMPATT) devices based on different wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, like 4H-SiC, Wurtzite-GaN (Wz-GaN) and type-IIb diamond (C) have been studied in this paper. Significant deteriorations in the diodes' high frequency and noise performance have been observed in the simulation results. The simulation results have been compared with the experimental data in order to validate those.
ANALYSIS OF RECENT TRENDS IN MALWARE ATTACKS ON ANALYSIS OF RECENT TRENDS IN MALWARE ATTACKS ON ANDROID PHONE: A SURVEY USING SCOPUS DATABASE ANDROID PHONE: A SURVEY USING SCOPUS DATABASE

In past few years, smartphone use has shifted from professional access to personal need. Smartphone has now become an essential requirement to perform day to day activities. This has made smartphones unsecured and vulnerable to cyber threats and malware attacks. This study is also focused on finding intersection between malware attacks and Android OS considering Android as the most widely used mobile OS. A comprehensive search is conducted on Scopus Database for peer-reviewed articles. The study is carried out on bibliometric data of the considered articles to generate a highly useful concept map.
10 Environmental Impacts — Lake Ecosystems

The North Sea region contains a vast number of lakes; from shallow, highly eutrophic water bodies in agricultural areas to deep, oligotrophic systems in pristine high-latitude or high-altitude areas. These freshwaters and the biota they contain are highly vulnerable to climate change. As largely closed systems, lakes are ideally suited to studying climate-induced effects via changes in ice cover, hydrology and temperature, as well as via biological communities (phenology, species and size distribution, food-web dynamics, life-history traits, growth and respiration, nutrient dynamics and ecosystem metabolism). This chapter focuses on change in natural lakes and on parameters for which their climate-driven responses have major impacts on ecosystem properties such as productivity, community composition, metabolism and biodiversity. It also points to the importance of addressing different temporal scales and variability in driving and response variables along with threshold-driven responses to environmental forces. Exceedance of critical thresholds may result in abrupt changes in particular elements of an ecosystem. Modelling climate-driven physical responses like ice-cover duration, strati ﬁ cation periods and thermal pro ﬁ les in lakes have shown major advances, and the chapter provide recent achievements in this ﬁ eld for northern lakes. Finally, there is a tentative summary of the level of certainty for key climatic impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Wherever possible, data and examples are drawn from the North Sea region.
Neutrophils with Human Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans Fungal Species Differential Interaction of the Two Related

Candida albicans , the most common facultative human pathogenic fungus is of major medical importance, whereas the closely related species Candida dubliniensis is less virulent and rarely causes life-threatening, systemic infections. Little is known, however, about the reasons for this difference in pathogenicity, and especially on the interactions of C. dubliniensis with the human immune system. Because innate immunity and, in particular, neutrophil granulocytes play a major role in host antifungal defense, we studied the responses of human neutrophils to clinical isolates of both C. albicans and C. dubliniensis . C. dubliniensis was found to support neutrophil migration and fungal cell uptake to a greater extent in comparison with C. , whereas inducing less neutrophil damage and extracellular trap formation. The production of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species, myeloperoxidase, and lactoferrin, as well as the inﬂammatory chemokine IL-8 by neutrophils was increased when stimulated with C. dubliniensis as compared with C. albicans . However, most of the analyzed macrophage-derived inﬂammatory and regulatory cytokines and chemokines, such as IL-1 a , IL-1 b , IL-1ra, TNF- a , IL-10, G-CSF, and GM-CSF, were less induced by C. dubliniensis . Similarly, the amounts of the antifungal immunity-related IL-17A produced by PBMCs was signiﬁcantly lower when challenged with C. dubliniensis than with C. albicans . These data indicate that C. dubliniensis triggers stronger early neutrophil responses than C. albicans , thus providing insight into the differential virulence of these two closely related fungal species, and suggest that this is, in part, due to their differential capacity to form hyphae.
Decision Hyper-Planes by ACOR Based Classification

: Different ways of data classification have been presented. Of these, different neural networks can be used, which have been highly regarded because of their proper design and the least error, if properly designed; Also when optimization process is done by heuristic algorithms Also when optimization process is done by heuristic algorithms, the effect of slow convergence and been trapped at local optimum is enhanced than other training methods such as back propagation. In this paper, a MLP neural network is trained with continuous ACO to find the hyperplanes for classifying three reference datasets. The results are shown in comparison with the back propagation algorithm. Also the mean square error is calculated to show the accuracy of the proposed method.