Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review of Nano- and Microplastic (NMP) Influence on the Bioaccumulation of Environmental Contaminants: Part I—Soil Organisms

Nano- and microplastics (NMPs) are a group of contaminants that cause concern due to their abundance in the environment, high persistence, and interaction with other contaminants. This review aims to understand the role of NMP in the bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants. For that, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify publications that compared the uptake of contaminants in the presence and absence of NMP. In this part I, twenty-eight publications of the terrestrial compartment were analyzed. Two main taxonomic groups were studied, namely, earthworms and terrestrial plants. In earthworms, most studies observed an increase in the bioaccumulation of the contaminants, while in plants, most studies observed a decrease in the bioaccumulation. Changes in bioavailable fractions of contaminants due to NMP presence was the main reason pointed out by the authors for their outcomes. Moreover, biological aspects were also found to be important in defining how NMPs affect bioaccumulation. Dermal damage and changes in contaminant-degrading bacteria in the gut of earthworms caused an increase in bioaccumulation, and root pore blockage was a common reason for the decrease in the bioaccumulation of contaminants in plants. Nevertheless, such effects were mainly observed at high, unrealistic NMP concentrations. Finally, knowledge gaps were identified, and the limitations of this systematic review were presented.
Interpolation of still images using the decay and persistence properties of discrete wavelet transform coefficients

According to advances in digital image processing techniques, interest in high-quality still images has been increased. This paper proposes an effective discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based algorithm that efficiently interpolates a highresolution (HR) still image from a low-resolution (LR) one. The decay and persistence properties of DWT coefficients are utilized for HR image reconstruction. DWT coefficients are initially estimated based on the decay of the Lipschitz exponential and the similarity of DWT coefficients across resolution scales is used for coarse estimation. For optimal fine estimation the mean squared error is iteratively minimized. The proposed DWT-based interpolation algorithm yields better performance than the conventional methods in terms of the peak signal to noise ratio and subjective image quality.
Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Lactate Dehydrogenase to Albumin Ratio in Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study

Purpose We explored the relationship between platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (PLR), monocyte count to lymphocyte count ratio (MLR), lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio (LAR), and long-term survival in patients with breast cancer. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and follow-up data of 134 patients with breast cancer. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to distinguish between the low and high ratio groups. The chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to calculate the differences among the investigation factors. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to draw the survival curves. Log rank test was used for univariate analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate analysis. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The median follow-up time was 45 months. The PFS rates in the low group (LAR≤3.4066) at 18 months, 24 months, and 36 months were 100%, 100%, and 97.6%, and those in the high group (LAR > 3.4066) were 97.7%, 94.3%, and 87.3%, respectively. LAR was associated with Age (P=0.002) and BMI (body mass index) (P=0.002). Univariate analysis showed that Tumor size (P=0.027), Node positivity (P<0.001), TNM (tumor-node-metastasis) stage (P<0.001), PLR (P=0.034), MLR (P=0.038), and LAR (P=0.035) were significantly associated with PFS (progression-free survival) in breast cancer patients. Multivariate analysis showed that Node positivity (P<0.001) and LAR (P=0.035) were associated with PFS, while PLR and MLR were not independent prognostic indicators. Conclusion Preoperative high LAR will be an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with breast cancer.
High resolution imaging of massive young stellar objects and a sample of molecular outflow sources

This thesis contains a study of millimetre wavelength observations of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) both via interferometric and single dish observations. First, the high angular resolution observations ( up to ∼0.1”) from a variety of interferometers of the MYSO, S140 IRS1, are presented. This source is one of only two prototypes that have ionised equatorial emission from a radiatively driven disc wind. The observations confirm that IRS1 has a dusty disc at a position angle compatible with that of the disc wind emission, and confirms the disc wind nature for the first time. Secondly, the observations of S140 IRS1 are modelled using a 2D axisymmetric radiative transfer code. Extensive models producing synthetic data at millimetre wavelengths were developed. These models show that on the largest scales, typically accessible with single dish observations or compact interferometric configurations, the spectral energy distribution is relatively unchanged by the addition of a compact dust disc. However, a disc is required to match the interferometric visibilities at the smaller scales. The position angle of the disc is well constrained via a newly developed 2D visibility fitting method. The models however, are degenerate and there are a range of realistic best fitting discs. The third section presents the single dish observations of the core material traced by C18O around 99 MYSOs and compact HII regions from the RMS survey. A method to calculate the core masses and velocity extent is reported. The method is accurate and robust, and can be applied to any molecular line emission. An updated distance limited sample contains 87 sources and is complete to 103 L⊙. It is a representative sample of MYSOs and HII regions. All of the cores harbour at least one massive protostar. Finally, methodologies to establish outflow parameters via 12CO (3-2) and 13CO (3-2) data are investigated. Multiple techniques are trialed for a well studied test source, IRAS 20126+4104, and a repeatable outflow analysis pathway is described. In more complex regions using the 12CO emission to identify outflows and determine the mass is more difficult and an alternative method is suggested. Moreover, the dynamical timescale of the outflows and the dynamical parameters are estimated in a spatial sense rather than using a simple average. Such analysis will aid in categorising different outflows from the full sample.
ANSI/AAMI ST79:2017/(R)2022; Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities

This recommended practice covers steam sterilization in health care facilities. The recommendations are intended to promote sterility assurance and to guide health care personnel in the proper use of processing equipment. Included within the scope of the recommended practice are functional and physical design criteria for sterilization processing areas (decontamination, preparation, sterilization, and sterile storage areas); staff qualifications, education, and other personnel considerations; processing procedures; installation, care, and maintenance of steam sterilizers; quality control; and quality process improvement.
Development and Validation of a Simple Equation to Predict Fat-Free Mass in the Adult Population

Background: Estimating Fat-Free Mass (FFM) is an integral part of Body composition measurements, so obtaining an accurate estimation for evaluating FFM is critical for researchers and specialists. We aimed to develop and validate a simple equation for predicting FFM in the adult population. Methods: Participants were 1996 adults (1085 men and 911 women), and 18 to 69 years old from Ahvaz City, southern Iran. They were randomly divided into the derivation (n=1396) and the validation (n=600) groups with no significant differences from Jan 2018 to Feb 2020. FFM was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer (BIA) (InBody 770©; Biospace, Seoul, South Korea). Based on the demographic variables retrieved from the Derivation group, 8 FFM predictive equations were developed using multiple regression; finally, the most accurate model (using the coefficient of determination (R2)) was chosen and then validated on the Validation group for more evaluation. Results: The best equation derived from demographic characteristics was: “FFM= 0.28 × Weight (kg) + 0.57×Height (cm)+7.35×Sex (M=1, F=0)+0.03×Age (years)−70.61”; where sex = 1 for male and 0 for female. R=0.94, R2=0.89, standard error of the estimate=4.04 kg. Conclusion: Our developed and cross-validated anthropometric prediction equation for fat-free mass estimation using BIA attained a high coefficient of determination, a low standard error of the estimate, and the lowermost coefficient of variation. Predictive equations may be reliable and valuable alternative methods for the clinical evaluation of fat-free mass in the adult population.
Delayed nitrogen application after straw and charred straw addition altered the hot moment of soil N2O emissions

The combination of nitrogen (N) fertilization and straw incorporation has complex influences on soil N transformations and derived nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. This study aimed to reveal the coupled effects of straw returning forms and N fertilizer management on soil N2O emissions. Here, carbon (C) sources with varied availabilities were supplied by different straw returning forms, including straw, charred straw, and combined application of straw and charred straw. The time gaps between additions of exogenous N and C sources were carried out by managing the timing of N fertilization, including N application simultaneous with or delayed after straw return. Soil N2O emissions under different straw returning forms and their response relationships to soil C, N, microbial biomass, as well as soil pH and oxygen (O2) were explored. Co‐application of straw and N fertilizer provided sufficient C and N sources, enhanced the microbial biomass, and consequently increased N2O emissions. Delayed N fertilization could decouple the response of N2O emissions to straw addition, because of constrained N availability and limited pH decline, which decreased the cumulative N2O emissions significantly. Possibly due to straw induced N immobilization coupled with charred straw induced pH elevation, the combined application of straw and charred straw constrained soil N2O emissions compared with straw only application, regardless of N fertilizer management. By shaping the microbial biomass and soil C, N, and O2 dynamics, delayed application of N fertilizer could further enhance the inhibition effect of the charred straw and straw combination on soil N2O emissions. Therefore, the varied straw returning forms and the timing of N fertilization could affect the supply of available C and N, influencing the hot moments of N2O emissions, and the joint addition of straw and charred straw with a few weeks delayed N application could possibly reduce the risk of soil N2O emissions from straw return systems. Such mitigation potential should be evaluated further under field conditions.
The rates of accretion, core formation and volatile loss in the early Solar System

Nuclides with half–lives of 105–108 yr permit the elucidation of nebula time–scales and the rates of accretion of planetesimals. However, the 182Hf–182W system with a half–life of 9_2 Myr also provides new and very useful constraints on the formation of the terrestrial planets. This technique allows one to address the timing of metal–silicate equilibration in objects as different as chondrites and the Earth. With improvements in sensitivity and precision, very small time differences in metal segregation in asteroids should be resolvable from measuring iron meteorites. It is already clear that the formation and differentiation of some asteroidal–sized objects was completed in less than 10 Myr. Accretion and core formation were protracted in the case of the Earth (greater than 50 Myr) relative to Mars (probably less than 20 Myr). Indeed, the Martian mantle appears to retain both chemical and isotopic heterogeneities that are residual from the process of core formation. Such early features appear to have been eliminated from the Earth's mantle presumably because of 4.5 Gyr of relatively efficient convective mixing. Tungsten isotope data provide compelling support for the ‘giant impact’ theory of lunar origin. The Moon is a high Hf/W object that contains a major component of chondritic W. This is consistent with a time of formation of greater than 50 Myr after the start of the Solar System. New highly precise oxygen isotope data are unable to resolve any difference between the source of components in the Earth and Moon. Therefore, the giant impact itself may have produced some of the differences in moderately volatile element budgets between these objects. This finds support in precise Sr isotopic data for early lunar samples. The data are consistent with the proto–Earth and Theia (the impactor) having Rb/Sr ratios that were not very different from that of present day Mars. Therefore, the extended history of accretion, rather than nebular phenomena, may be responsible for some of the major differences between the terrestrial planets.
On the Hamiltonian Game (A Traveling Salesman Problem)

Abstract : The purpose of this note is to give a method for solving a problem related to the traveling salesman problem. It seems worthwhile to give a description of the original problem. One formulation is to find the shortest route for a salesman starting from Washington, visiting all the state capitals and then returning to Washington. More generally, to find the shortest closed curve containing n given points in the plane. Clearly, it is sufficient to consider curves made up of line segments joining pairs of the given points. Also, unless all the points lie on a straight line, the optimal path will not pass through any point twice. Hence the problem can be stated as follows: Arrange the n points in a cyclic order so that the sum of the distance between consecutive points is a minimum. In this statement of the problem, arbitrary real numbers can be assigned as the distances between ordered pairs of distant points. Thus, the distance from A to B need not be the same as B to A. We shall sometimes refer to the length of AB instead of the distance from A to B. Since there are only a finite number of paths to consider, the problem consists in finding a method for picking out the optimal path when n is moderately large, say n = 50. In this case, there are more than 10 (expn 62) possible paths, so we can not simply try them all. Even for as few as 10 points, some short cuts are desirable.
Seasonal Dynamics of Gaseous CO2 Concentrations in a Karst Cave Correspond with Aqueous Concentrations in a Stagnant Water Column

Dissolved CO2 in karst water is the key driving force of karstification. Replenishment of CO2 concentrations in karst water occurs by meteoric water that percolates through the vadose zone, where CO2 produced from microbial activity is dissolved. CO2 can thus be transported with the percolating water or in the gas phase due to ventilation in karst systems. We measured seasonally fluctuating CO2 concentrations in the air of a karst cave and their influence on aqueous CO2 concentrations in different depths of a stagnant water column. The observed data were compared to numerical simulations. The data give evidence that density-driven enhanced dissolution of gaseous CO2 at the karst water table is the driving force for a fast increase of aqueous CO2 during periods of high gaseous concentrations in the cave, whereas during periods of lower gaseous concentrations, the decline of aqueous CO2 is limited to shallow water depths in the order of 1 m. This is significant because density-driven CO2 dissolution has not been previously considered relevant for karst hydrology in the literature. Attempts at reproducing the measured aqueous CO2 concentrations with numerical modeling revealed challenges related to computational demands, discretization, and the high sensitivity of the processes to tiny density gradients.
Evidence that the Lateral‐Line Organ Responds to Near‐Field Displacements of Sound Sources in Water

The lateral‐line organ of killifish is shown to be sensitive to a linear function of water displacements associated with the near‐field of sound sources, with the displacement probably being the most important factor rather than velocity or acceleration. The near‐field effect is discussed and is shown to be important not only for the lateral‐line organs but also for the acoustical and vestibular organs. It is emphasized that the near‐field effect introduces considerable complications into the study of the acoustico‐lateralis system, and is of conceptual importance for the theory of hearing and the study of schooling fish.
The solution of the biomagnetic inverse problem by maximum statistical entropy

The method of maximum statistical entropy (to be distinguished from the more usual maximum configurational entropy) is explained for a general inverse problem. Application to the biomagnetic situation then yields a solution which, in the limit as the available information becomes zero, gives the minimum-power current distribution. The method is developed in detail for the case of a uniform sphere.
A JHK' Survey of the Error Box of the Gamma-Ray Burst 790418

We performed a deep JHK' survey of the 2.9 arcmin2 positional error box of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) 790418. At limiting magnitudes of J ~ 21, H ~ 20, and K ~ 19, we find about 20 objects within the box, galaxies as well as very red stars. A relatively bright galactic nucleus (K = 16.3), presumably the bulge of a spiral galaxy, is located about 5'' outside the 3 σ box given in Vrba, Hartmann, & Jennings, with its halo region possibly extending inside the box. Although this seems to match well into the framework of the cosmological model of GRBs, the assumption that this galaxy is physically related to GRB 790418 is not strongly supported by simple statistical arguments. No potential Galactic halo burst source could be selected from our data.
Phenomenological understanding of kappa-carbides on strengthening mechanism of low-density steel

We elucidate here the phenomenological understanding of deformation mechanisms over a wide range of strain rates (5.5 × 10–4s–1 to 5.5 × 10–1s–1) based on the evolution of microstructure. Atom probe tomography (APT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) experiments were conducted to reveal the spatial distribution of precipitates and microstructure evolution. The ordered kappa-carbides were characterised by a layered-type structure, which made it difficult for dislocations to by-pass kappa-carbides in the same layer individually and the corresponding strengthening mechanism was cutting mechanism. Dislocations and microbands evolution analysis shows that compared to dislocations, slip band width was the key factor that governed the strength of the experimental steel at different strain rates.
Assessing Bulbar Function in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Using Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background: Novel Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) treatments have demonstrated improvements on motor measures that are clearly distinct from the natural history of progressive decline. Comparable measures are needed to monitor bulbar function, which is affected in severe SMA. Objective: To assess bulbar function with patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) and determine their relationships with clinical characteristics. Methods: We recruited 47 non-ambulatory participants (mean (SD) age = 29.8 (13.7) years, range = 10.3–73.2) with SMA. PROs including Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) were collected alongside clinical characteristics and standardized motor assessments. Associations were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients and group comparisons were performed using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: A majority of the 47 participants were SMA type 2 (70.2%), non-sitters (78.7%), 3 copies of SMN2 (77.5%), and using respiratory support (66.0%). A majority (94%) reported voice issues primarily in 8/30 VHI questions. Problems included: difficulty understanding me in a noisy room (87.2%); difficult for people to hear me (74.5%); and people ask me to repeat when speaking face-to-face (72.3%). A majority (85.1%) reported swallowing issues primarily in 3/10 EAT-10 questions: swallowing pills (68.1%); food sticks to my throat (66.0%); and swallowing solids (61.7%). The two PROs were moderately associated (rs = 0.66). Conclusions: Weaker individuals with SMA experience bulbar problems including difficulties with voice and swallowing. Further refinement and assessment of functional bulbar scales will help determine their relevance and responsiveness to changes in SMA. Additional study is needed to quantify bulbar changes caused by SMA and their response to disease-modifying treatments.
Building Multivariate Time-Varying Smooth Transition Correlation GARCH Models, with an Application to the Four Largest Australian Banks

This paper proposes a methodology for building Multivariate Time-Varying STCC–GARCH models. The novel contributions in this area are the specification tests related to the correlation component, the extension of the general model to allow for additional correlation regimes, and a detailed exposition of the systematic, improved modelling cycle required for such nonlinear models. There is an R-package that includes the steps in the modelling cycle. Simulations demonstrate the robustness of the recommended model building approach. The modelling cycle is illustrated using daily return series for Australia’s four largest banks.
Effect of ENSO on the Hong Kong winter season

The relationship between the ENSO condition and the winter condition in Hong Kong is investigated in this study. The winter monsoon over southern China tends to be weaker (stronger) during El Niño (La Niña) winters and Hong Kong tends to have higher (lower) mean winter temperatures against the background of the warming trend. On the other hand, there are more (fewer) surge events, which represents the southeastward advance of the Siberian cold air across the East Asian coast, affecting Hong Kong. Analyses showed that Hong Kong tends to be warmer with a shorter duration for the longest cold spell during the winter without blocking event over the Eurasian continent. Furthermore, blocking events are also less common during El Niño winters. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Finite Automata Algorithms in Map-Reduce

In this thesis the intersection of several large nondeterministic finite automata (NFA's) as well as minimization of a large deterministic finite automaton (DFA) in map-reduce are studied. We have derived a lower bound on replication rate for computing NFA intersections and provided three concrete algorithms for the problem. Our investigation of the replication rate for each of all three algorithms shows where each algorithm could be applied through detailed experiments on large datasets of finite automata. Denoting n the number of states in DFA A, we propose an algorithm to minimize A in n map-reduce rounds in the worst-case. Our experiments, however, indicate that the number of rounds, in practice, is much smaller than n for all DFA's we examined. In other words, this algorithm converges in d iterations by computing the equivalence classes of each state, where d is the diameter of the input DFA.