Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Artificial Saliva Modification on Pitting Corrosion and Mechanical Properties of the Remanium®-Type Orthodontic Archwire

The pitting corrosion of orthodontic apparatus elements in the oral environment is an interest of both clinicians and scientists dealing with the assessment of the biocompatibility of medical materials. This work presents a study on the effect of ready-to-use Listerine® and Meridol® mouthwashes and sodium fluoride on the resistance of the commercial Remanium®-type orthodontic archwire to pitting corrosion in artificial saliva at 37 °C. XRD, SEM, EDS, mechanical properties, and microhardness measurements were used to characterize the archwire. The in vitro corrosion resistance of the archwire was examined using the open-circuit potential method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and anodic polarization curves. The physicochemical characteristics confirmed the presence of a bi-phase alloy with a mixed austenite/ferrite structure containing Fe 74.4(7) at. %, Cr 18.4(4) at. %, and Ni 7.2(4) at. %. The Fe–Cr–Ni alloy was characterized by high tensile strength and Vickers microhardness. EIS revealed the capacitive behavior with high corrosion resistance. It was found that the kinetics of pitting corrosion in the artificial saliva decreased in the presence of NaF and mouthwashes. The potentiodynamic characteristics confirmed the decrease in susceptibility to pitting corrosion after the modification of artificial saliva. The pitting corrosion mechanism of the self-passive oxide layer on the surface of the Fe–Cr–Ni electrode in the biological environment containing chloride ions was discussed in detail. Mechanical properties after corrosion tests were weakened.
QUICKLOOK GRAVITY FIELD SOLUTIONS AS PART OF THE GOCE QUALITY ASSESSMENT

The Quick-Look Gravity Field Analysis (QL-GFA) is a component of the Routine & Rapid Processing Facilities in the framework of the ESA-funded project “GOCE High-level Processing Facility”, an operational hardware and software system for the scientific processing of GOCE data, in order to derive a spherical harmonic Earth’s gravity field model from the GOCE orbits based on satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) in high-low mode, and satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) data with very short latencies. Thus with the QL-GFA it is possible to monitor the quality of the input data and to derive a fast diagnosis of the GOCE system performance on gravity field model level. The QL-GFA is based on a semi-analytic approach, applying Fast Fourier Transform techniques to derive gravity field models within a few hours of computation time. Key products are gravity field models as SGG-only, SSTonly, and combined solutions, as well as estimates of the gradiometer error power spectral density computed from the residuals of a SGG-only gravity field analysis.
Fossil plants from the Pliocene Sirius Group, Transantarctic Mountains; evidence for climate from growth rings and fossil leaves

Fossil wood and leaves of Nothofagus beardmorensis Hill, Harwood and Webb occur within the Sirius Group in Antarctica, a sequence of Pliocene glacial sediments that crop out in the Transantarctic Mountains. Growth forms and tree rings in the wood and the morphology of the leaves indicate that these plants were deciduous dwarf trees that developed a prostrate habit with branches which spread across the ground surface. Despite their small size the narrow growth rings indicate that the trees were mature plants which grew very slowly under harsh conditions. Comparison with growing conditions and habits of prostrate shrubs at similar high latitudes in the arctic today suggests that mean annual temperatures in the Transantarctic Mountains were well below freezing, probably about -12°C, with short summer growing seasons with temperatures of around 5°C. This estimate for the Late Pliocene climate of Antarctica is considerably cooler than previous estimates based on these fossil plants.
A Review of Magnetic Resonance (MR) Safety: The Essentials to Patient Safety

Nearly 40 million magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are performed each year in the United States. MRI has become a relatively safe non-invasive diagnostic tool. To maintain a safe magnetic resonance (MR) environment, specific policies and safety procedures are required. The four zones of an MR site allow MR personnel to closely monitor and restrict the area. Screening patients with a questionnaire asking about implants, allergies to contrast agents, and other relevant medical information is important to safely perform an MRI scan. Providers may need to consider anesthesia for patients with claustrophobia who are unable to remain motionless. Radiologists and MR personnel need to be aware of some of the risks associated with MR and contrast agents. Safety training and knowledge of the emergency procedures in the MR environment are necessary to safely perform MR examinations.
Implications of Ionospheric Scintillation for GNSS Users in Northern Europe

Extensive ionospheric scintillation and Total Electron Content (TEC) data were collected by the Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy (IESSG) in Northern Europe during years of great impact of the solar maximum on GNSS users (2001–2003). The ionospheric TEC is responsible for range errors due to its time delay effect on transionospheric signals. Electron density irregularities in the ionosphere, occurring frequently during these years, are responsible for (phase and amplitude) fluctuations on GNSS signals, known as ionospheric scintillation. Since June 2001 four GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitor receivers (the NovAtel/AJ Systems GSV4004) have been deployed at stations in the UK and Norway, forming a Northern European network, covering geographic latitudes from 53° to 70° N approximately. These receivers compute and record GPS phase and amplitude scintillation parameters, as well as TEC and TEC variations. The project involved setting up the network and developing automated archiving and data analysis strategies, aiming to study the impact of scintillation on DGPS and EGNOS users, and on different GPS receiver technologies. In order to characterise scintillation and TEC variations over Northern Europe, as well as investigate correlation with geomagnetic activity, long-term statistical analyses were also produced. This paper summarises our findings, providing an overview of the potential implications of ionospheric scintillation for the GNSS user in Northern Europe.
Diffuse hydrothermal fluids from Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field: Evidence for a shallow conductively heated system

Chemical analysis of 18 diffuse hydrothermal fluids collected from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent site reveals the presence of less than 7% high-temperature hydrothermal end-member. Temperature-Li and temperature-Mg relationships for the diffuse fluids indicated two sample groups. One group of three samples had temperatures which fell on or below the temperatures expected for conservative mixing between seawater and high-temperature vent fluids, consistent with mixing and cooling. The second grouping had diffuse fluid temperatures greater than expected from conservative mixing of high-temperature end-member fluids and seawater. This indicates that the diffuse hydrothermal effluent was heated conductively during its formation. The Lucky Strike site is characterized by a hydrothermal slab of basaltic fragments indurated by silica and barite. It is proposed that the diffuse fluids circulate within the cracks of the slab, forming a shallow short-pass hydrothermal convection system. The source of heat is likely to be high-temperature hydrothermal fluids circulating beneath the hydrothermal slab. The chemistry of the diffuse fluids shows no evidence for silica precipitation, suggesting that the slab is not actively forming from the diffuse fluids at the present.
Hyperspectral images classification of small sample based on the strategy of sample enlargement by superpixel pair method

ABSTRACT The available training samples for hyperspectral image (HSI) are limited, which will lead to the failure to improve the classification accuracy. Aiming at increasing the number of available training samples, a superpixel pair (SSP) method is proposed to solve the problem of small samples. Combining the advantages of pixel pair (PP) and superpixel, the number of original training samples are augmented multiple times. The SSP method mainly includes three steps: first, according to the regional clustering-based spatial preprocessing (RCSPP) algorithm and its improved algorithms, superpixel segmentation is carried out to realize the first sample enlargement; second, the first expanded training samples are paired to form SSP; last, SVM and deep CNN are used to train and learn the SSP, and the testing pixels obtain the final result through the voting mechanism. Experimental results based on three HSI data sets demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve better classification performance than some existing algorithms to solve the problem of small samples and very small samples classification.
Construct Validity of the Brazilian Version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale

Abstract This study sought evidence of construct validity for the Brazilian versions of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale. A total of 448 individuals participated in the research, 253 women and 195 men from several regions of Brazil who had been cohabiting with their marital partners for an average of 14.7 years. Several proposed models for the measure were tested in Structural Equation Modeling. In the Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the four-factor and hierarchical models of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale showed good overall adjustments. Evidence of factor, convergent, and discriminant validity were also found. Composite reliability revealed adequate levels of internal consistency. The Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated a strong measurement invariance model for men and women.
Sediment character and provenance in a complex fjord; Howe Sound, British Columbia

Howe Sound is a complex fjord in terms of geomorphology and circulation pattern. Sediment is presently being deposited in its deep basins from four distinct sources: (1) land-derived sediment from the Squamish River; (2) suspended sediment originating from surface waters influenced by discharges from the nearby Fraser River; (3) reworked Pleistocene lag deposits found on some shore platforms and sills throughout the sound; and (4) mine tailings from a defunct Cu–Zn mine. A less distinct source is sediment deposited via gravity flows from fjord wall slopes, including side-entry fanglomerate deltas, and the major Squamish River delta.Grain size data have been used to differentiate depositional versus nondepositional environments. In addition, surficial sediment samples collected from depositional basins could be modelled in terms of their size–frequency distribution and distance from source. Those that deviate from a predicted grain size distribution were found to be bimodal. Partitioning of their probabili.
Effectiveness of Tap Water in Reducing the Generation of Ultrafine Wear Particles from the Wheel-Rail Contact by Eliminating the Water Vapor Effect

This study aimed to assess the impact of tap water application on reducing the generation of ultrafine particles from the wheel-rail contact using a twin-disk rig under dry and wet conditions, with train velocities of 45 and 80 km/h. A small amount of 0.3 L/min tap water was applied at the wheel-rail contact, and a diffusion dryer was used to eliminate water vapor. The Fast Mobility Particle Sizer measured the number concentration (NC) of nano-sized wear particles in the range of 6 to 560 nm. The tap water application method effectively reduced the NC of ultrafine and fine particles by 67–72% and 86–88%, respectively. Positive reduction rates were observed for all diameters at 45 km/h and for most diameters, except for approximately 70 nm and 80 nm, at 80 km/h. Even with a small amount of water, this approach successfully decreased nano-sized wear particle generation. However, the potential influence of mineral crystals in tap water on NC requires further investigation. Overall, this method shows promise for enhancing air quality and public health by mitigating nano-sized wear particle generation in subway systems.
Low‐frequency current and temperature variability from Gulf Stream frontal eddies and atmospheric forcing along the southeast U.S. outer continental shelf

Low-frequency current and temperature time series from the outer shelf between Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Cape Romain, South Carolina, are compared with shipboard hydrographic data, satellite VHRR, coastal and buoy winds, and coastal sea level during the period from February to June 1980. Low-frequency current and temperature variability along the shelf break was primarily produced by cyclonic, cold core Gulf Stream frontal eddies. These disturbances traveled to the north at speeds of 50 to 70 cm s−1 with periods of 5 to 9 days throughout the experiment and produced cold cyclonic perturbations of the northward mean flow and temperature fields over an along-shelf coherence scale of 100 km. Frontal eddies appear to be an important mechanism in the observed eastward transport of northward momentum and heat along the shelf edge. They also appear to play a key role in the transfer of eddy kinetic and potential energy back to the mean flow, which suggests an upstream formation region and shear-induced dissipation. Upwelling velocities of about 10−2 cm s−1 in the cold core provide the major source of new nutrients to the outer shelf. Subtidal flow variability at the 40-m isobath was a mixed response to Gulf Stream and wind forcing. Barotropic along-shelf current oscillations were coherent with the local winds and coastal sea level at periods of 3–4 and 10–12 days over along-shelf scales of 400 km with small phase lags, suggesting a nearly simultaneous frictional equilibrium response to coherent wind-induced sea level slopes.
Representing Uncertainty Information from AI for Human Understanding

We discuss a model of Human-AI collaboration that includes AI processing and summarizing information in a decision-making scenario to provide situation understanding to a human, who in turn would use the information to generate alternative action options and choose among those. The model raises questions about the best ways to represent uncertainty to humans for maximally robust decision-making. Two experiments investigated various representations of uncertainty, including probability without evidence information, probability with total evidence, frequency with evidence counts, beta-distribution graphs, and subjective logic triangles. The findings can guide AI developers in how best to represent situational understanding with uncertainty for human-collaborator consumption.
A critical overview of regional trade integration: lessons from COMESA

A CRITICAL OVERVIEW OF REGIONAL TRADE INTEGRATION: LESSONS FOR COMESA Regional trade integration is considered as trade discrimination, thus as a second best solution if compared to the unilateral trade liberalization advocated by the WTO. However, starting after the Second World War, the number of regional trade arrangements (RTAs) continues to grow as a result of the benefits that countries engaged in trade integration expect to get from that process. Theoretical experiences indicate that if all other things are equal, a regional trade integration arrangement may provide economic gains (ranging from static to dynamic gains) to its member countries. Empirical evidence proves that developed countries such as those of Europe, have benefited from regional trade integration, whilst the gains from regional trade integration failed to materialize in developing countries. COMESA is one of the biggest RTAs in Sub-Saharan Africa with twenty members including Rwanda. Rwanda joined COMESA in the hope that this will help to develop its economy which is underdeveloped and which situation has been worsened by the 1994 war and genocide. Given the poor performance of RTAs in developing countries, the main aim of this study was to determine which strategy would be most appropriate to enhance regional trade integration in COMESA so that it can provide to its member states the benefits they expect to have from it. Statistic descriptive and comparative analysis methods were used to investigate what the COMESA region can learn from other trade regions in order to enhance its intra-regional trade, as this is its main objective. The study was limited to the experiences of integration in the European Union, the ASEAN and the SADC regions. These regions have
Factors Affecting Employee Engagement of Generation Z during the Transition from COVID-19 Pandemic to Endemic

Background: Employee engagement is an important factor for companies to consider as it can increase net profit margin by 6% (Kruse, 2015). Based on previous literature, there are thirteen major factors that influence employee engagement, such as: transformational leadership, transactional leadership, corporate social responsibility (CSR), work-life balance, technology, autonomy, respect, growth and development, job significance, having a creative and challenging job, perceived self-worth, performance evaluation and recognition, and organizational bureaucracy. Objective: This research aimed to investigate the factors that influence employee engagement of Generation Z in Indonesia, during the transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to the endemic period. Method: This study collected data through an online survey, which was distributed to service industry employees in Indonesia. The sampling method used was convenience sampling. A total of 94 valid questionnaires were obtained, and all items were graded on a seven-point scale. In addition, 334 people participated in this study. To identify factors that influence employee engagement, exploratory factor analysis was used. Following that, multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of these dimensions on employee engagement. Results: Thirteen factors that influence employee engagement of Generation Z were identified, namely, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, corporate social responsibility (CSR), work-life balance, technology, autonomy, respect, growth and development, job significance, having a creative and challenging job, perceived self-worth, performance evaluation and recognition, and organisational bureaucracy. Regression analysis shows that the factors influencing employee engagement had positive and significant effects on influencing employee engagement of Generation Z, such as: work-life balance, perceived self-worth, transformational leadership, respect and organizational bureaucracy. Conclusion: This study revealed that five main factors were identified as crucial for employee engagement in Generation Z, namely: work-life balance, perceived self-worth, transformational leadership, respect and organisational bureaucracy. Keywords: Employee engagement, Endemic, Generation Z, Pandemic, Workplace
RATIO OF NUTRIENT AND DIATOM-DINOFLAGELLATE COMMUNITY IN SPERMONDE WATERS, SOUTH SULAWESI

Runoff of nutrients (N, P, Si) from the mainland would disrupt the balance of nutrients in the waters resulted in changing microalgae communities composition, especially between diatom and dino-flagellate (Dia/Dino). This study was aimed to analyze the relationship of nutrient ratios (N/P, N/Si, Si/P) in the waters, to the density ratio of the Dia/Dino in the coastal and marine waters of Spermonde archipelago, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, which experience nutrient enrichment. Nutrients and phyto-plankton samples were collected from the coastal waters of Tallo, Maros, Pangkep, and seawaters of Spermonde in three seasons (transition, wet, and dry). The results showed the average value (± stan-dard deviation) of Dia/Dino ratio in the coastal and sea waters is 1422±1742 and 1174±1290 in the transition season; 238±205 and 1039±2264 in the dry season; and 153±270 and 72±71in the rainy season. Meanwhile, in the marine waters the ratio of Dia/Dino ranges between 1 and 9839. The ratio of Dia/Dino was not different significantly (p>0,05) by spatial and temporal, but Dia/Dino ratio was different significantly (p<0,05) on the ratio of nutrients in coastal waters, where the value of N/Si ratio tends to ignite monospesies enrichment diatom (Chaetoceros) with a variant of 70,4%. Keywords : nutrient ratios, diatom, dinoflagellate, coastal, Spermonde
Diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in soils with four different fertilization treatments

Although the enrichment of resistance genes in soil has been explored in recent years, there are still some key questions to be addressed regarding the variation of ARG composition in soil with different fertilization treatments, such as the core ARGs in soil after different fertilization treatments, the correlation between ARGs and bacterial taxa, etc. For soils after different fertilization treatments, the distribution and combination of ARG in three typical fertilization methods (organic fertilizer alone, chemical fertilizer alone, and conventional fertilizer) and non-fertilized soils were investigated in this study using high-throughput fluorescence quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) technique. The application of organic fertilizers significantly increased the abundance and quantity of ARGs and their subtypes in the soil compared to the non-fertilized soil, where sul1 was the ARGs specific to organic fertilizers alone and in higher abundance. The conventional fertilizer application also showed significant enrichment of ARGs, which indicated that manure addition often had a more decisive effect on ARGs in soil than chemical fertilizers, and three bacteria, Pseudonocardia, Irregularibacter, and Castllaniella, were the key bacteria affecting ARG changes in soil after fertilization. In addition, nutrient factors and heavy metals also affect the distribution of ARGs in soil and are positively correlated. This paper reveals the possible reasons for the increase in the number of total soil ARGs and their relative abundance under different fertilization treatments, which has positive implications for controlling the transmission of ARGs through the soil-human pathway.