Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rock/crude-oil interactions and wettability: An attempt to understand their interrelation

To emphasize the occurrence of nonwater-wet reservoirs, a literature review of this topic is made followed by a description of our findings concerning the evaluation of the wettability of some 20 reservoirs from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Then this paper describes various experimental contributions to the understanding of rock/crude-oil interactions which are responsible for the occurrence of such reservoirs. The major role of heavy fractions, especially asphaltenes, has been shown in various ways, whereas low-boiling-point cuts (< 350/sup 0/C) were not able to induce wettability changes. Moreover, it appears that, among intermediate fractions of a crude oil, some may change the surface properties of rocks, depending on the type of rock. Our research also confirms that various pure-acid and basic-organic compounds with low molecular weight are not able to induce wettability changes in various kinds of porous media.
‘If not now, then never’: Conceptualising the grad trip

The grad trip entails travelling overseas with one’s closest group of friends to commemorate the completion of tertiary and formal education and is bookended by the carefree freedom in one’s youth and the commencement of an adulthood defined by formal employment. This article conceptualises the grad trip as a phenomenon in youth tourism, based on empirical study of how it is experienced in Singapore. Our conceptualisation of the timing and duration that defines a grad trip demonstrates the dominance of time productivity reflective of Singapore’s work culture. Drawing on a precedence of studies based in the Western concept of the gap year, we reveal commonalities in employment society’s influence on time for youth tourism. While the gap year seeks to maximise the length of time offered by a ‘gap’, the grad trip contrarily minimises the culturally perceived wastefulness of a prolonged break.
Zonal mean atmospheric distribution of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

MIPAS is a polar orbiting high resolution mid‐infrared limb emission sounder with a nominal vertical resolution of 3 km. Building on previous work, we determine global (90°N–90°S, 5° resolution) zonal mean distributions for sulphur hexafluoride from measurements between 6 and 36 km. The time evolution of the global structure is useful for age of air determination and the validation of dynamics in atmospheric models. By comparing solstice and equinox months from 2002 through to 2004, we observe differences which shift with seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation. In addition, a clear systematic increase in the SF6 loading with time is observed globally (0.30 ± 0.025 pptv yr−1). This is compared against independent surface measurements.
Estuarine distributions of Zr, Hf, and Ag in the Hudson River and the implications for their continental and anthropogenic sources to seawater

Zirconium and Hf in seawater are derived from continental weathering and are transported to the oceans by rivers, but the modification of this flux with estuaries is largely unknown. Furthermore, there is no information as to whether there is a pollutant source of these metals that might affect their budget calculations in the modern ocean. To address the riverine flux and potential anthropogenic sources, the distributions of dissolved Zr and Hf have been measured in surface and bottom water through the Hudson River Estuary. The distribution of Ag is included because it is sensitive to urban sources and has partial similarities in its distribution to those of Zr and Hf. There is about 50% removal of Zr and Hf in surface water relative to their freshwater end‐member concentrations of 243 and 3.1 pmol/kg as salinity starts to increase, but an urban source of these metals midestuary may obscure greater removal. Silver concentrations in surface water are below the detection limit until salinity of 3.5 is reached. The concentrations of Zr and Hf 0.5 m above the bottom are 1.5 to 3 times higher than their surface water concentrations throughout the estuary and may result from input of groundwater, diffusion from pore fluids, or inclusion of colloidal phases in our analyses. Downstream of the turbidity maximum, bottom water Ag concentrations are high due to release from particles that originally formed within the estuary and were moved inland following the spring freshet; this process may also affect Zr and Hf. The increase in the freshwater atomic Zr/Hf ratio from 70 to 80, characteristic of terrestrial rocks, to the elevated Zr/Hf (>110) ratio of seawater takes place at middle to high salinity due to enhanced release of Zr from resuspended particles and slower removal rates compared to Hf. A main implication of this study is that estuaries are a sink for Zr and Hf. The reduction of the predicted export of continental Zr and Hf to the oceans increases their previously calculated seawater residence by as much as 2 to 4 times, assuming rivers dominate the supply of Zr and Hf to seawater.
Physical Activity and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adult Patients With Heart Failure Admitted for Subacute Musculoskeletal Disease

Objective To examine activities of daily living (ADL) and physical activity in older adults with heart failure admitted to a rehabilitation ward for subacute musculoskeletal disease. Methods This study included patients with musculoskeletal disease (aged ≥75 years) who were admitted to the rehabilitation ward. Data on age, ADL, and time for physical activity (metabolic equivalents [METs]) were collected. Patients were divided into groups with or without heart failure, and the differences were compared using Mann–Whitney U-test. Results This study included 84 musculoskeletal patients, including 25 with heart failure. The heart-failure group had similar levels of ADL independence compared to the without-heart-failure group (p=0.28) but had shorter duration of continuous and sustained physical activities and less total time (p<0.01) of light-intensity physical activity or higher. Conclusion Older adults with subacute musculoskeletal disease with heart failure do not necessarily require a large amount of physical activity to maintain ADL at the time of discharge. But very low physical activity may increase the risk for developing hospitalization-associated disability. Physical activity in older adults with subacute musculoskeletal disease with heart failure should be monitored separately from ADL.
The Clinical and Molecular Profile of Lung Cancer Patients Harboring the TP53 R337H Germline Variant in a Brazilian Cancer Center: The Possible Mechanism of Carcinogenesis

In southern and southeastern Brazil, the TP53 founder variant c.1010G>A (R337H) has been previously documented with a prevalence of 0.3% within the general population and linked to a heightened incidence of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs). In the present investigation, we cover clinical and molecular characterizations of lung cancer patients from the Brazilian Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Study (BLISS) database. Among the 175 diagnosed malignant neoplasms, 28 (16%) were classified as LUADs, predominantly occurring in females (68%), aged above 50 years, and never-smokers (78.6%). Significantly, LUADs manifested as the initial clinical presentation of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome in 78.6% of cases. Molecular profiling was available for 20 patients, with 14 (70%) revealing EGFR family alterations. In total, 23 alterations in cancer driver genes were identified, comprising 7 actionable mutations and 4 linked to resistance against systemic treatments. In conclusion, the carriers of TP53 R337H demonstrate a predisposition to LUAD development. Furthermore, our results indicate that environmental pollution potentially impacts the carcinogenesis of lung tumors in the carriers of TP53 R337H.
TP53-PTEN-NF1 depletion in human brain organoids produces a glioma phenotype in vitro

Glioblastoma (GBM) is fatal and the study of therapeutic resistance, disease progression, and drug discovery in GBM or glioma stem cells is often hindered by limited resources. This limitation slows down progress in both drug discovery and patient survival. Here we present a genetically engineered human cerebral organoid model with a cancer-like phenotype that could provide a basis for GBM-like models. Specifically, we engineered a doxycycline-inducible vector encoding shRNAs enabling depletion of the TP53, PTEN, and NF1 tumor suppressors in human cerebral organoids. Designated as inducible short hairpin-TP53-PTEN-NF1 (ish-TPN), doxycycline treatment resulted in human cancer-like cerebral organoids that effaced the entire organoid cytoarchitecture, while uninduced ish-TPN cerebral organoids recapitulated the normal cytoarchitecture of the brain. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a proneural GBM subtype. This proof-of-concept study offers a valuable resource for directly investigating the emergence and progression of gliomas within the context of specific genetic alterations in normal cerebral organoids.
Camera–Monitor Systems as An Opportunity to Compensate for Perceptual Errors in Time-to-Contact Estimations

For the safety of road traffic, it is crucial to accurately estimate the time it will take for a moving object to reach a specific location (time-to-contact estimation, TTC). Observers make more or less accurate TTC estimates of objects of average size that are moving at constant speeds. However, they make perceptual errors when judging objects which accelerate or which are unusually large or small. In the former case, for instance, when asked to extrapolate the motion of an accelerating object, observers tend to assume that the object continues to move with the speed it had before it went out of sight. In the latter case, the TTC of large objects is underestimated, whereas the TTC of small objects is overestimated, as if physical size is confounded with retinal size (the size–arrival effect). In normal viewing, these perceptual errors cannot be helped, but camera–monitor systems offer the unique opportunity to exploit the size–arrival effect to cancel out errors induced by the failure to respond to acceleration. To explore whether such error cancellation can work in principle, we conducted two experiments using a prediction-motion paradigm in which the size of the approaching vehicle was manipulated. The results demonstrate that altering the vehicle’s size had the expected influence on the TTC estimation. This finding has practical implications for the implementation of camera–monitor systems.
Epidemiology and Assessment of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury With Concomitant Brain Injury: An Observational Study in a Regional Trauma Center

Objective To analyze the epidemiological information of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to suggest points to be aware of during the initial physical examination of patients with SCI. Methods This study was a retrospective, observational study conducted in a regional trauma center. All the records of patients diagnosed with traumatic SCI between 2016 and 2020 were reviewed. A total of 627 patients with confirmed traumatic SCI were hospitalized. A retrospective study was conducted on 363 individuals. Results The epidemiological data of 363 individuals were investigated. Changes in American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) scores in patients with SCI were evaluated. The initial evaluation was performed on average 11 days after the injury, and a follow-up examination was performed 43 days after. Fourteen of the 24 patients identified as having AIS A and SCI with concomitant TBI in the initial evaluation showed neurologic level of injury (NLI) recovery with AIS B or more. The conversion rate in patients with SCI and concomitant TBI exceeded that reported in previous studies in individuals with SCI. Conclusions Physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments caused by TBI present significant challenges in rehabilitating patients with SCI. In this study, the influence of concomitant TBI lesions could have caused the initial AIS assessment to be incorrect.
Opposing Roles for the α Isoform of the Catalytic Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 1 in Inside–Out and Outside–In Integrin Signaling in Murine Platelets

Platelet activation during hemostasis and thrombosis is facilitated by agonist-induced inside–out and integrin αIIbβ3-initiated outside–in signaling via protein kinases and phosphatases. Pharmacological inhibitor studies suggest that the serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) promotes platelet activation. However, since phosphatase inhibitors block all the isoforms of the catalytic subunit of PP1 (PP1c), the role of specific PP1c isoform in platelet signaling remains unclear. Here, we employed a platelet-specific PP1cα−/− mice to explore the contribution of a major PP1 isoform in platelet functions. Loss of PP1cα moderately decreased activation of integrin αIIbβ3, binding of soluble fibrinogen, and aggregation to low-dose thrombin, ADP, and collagen. In contrast, PP1cα−/− platelets displayed increased adhesion to immobilized fibrinogen, fibrin clot retraction, and thrombus formation on immobilized collagen. Mechanistically, post-fibrinogen engagement potentiated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in PP1cα−/− platelets and the p38 inhibitor blocked the increased integrin-mediated outside–in signaling function. Tail bleeding time and light-dye injury-induced microvascular thrombosis in the cremaster venules and arterioles were not altered in PP1cα−/− mice. Thus, PP1cα displays pleiotropic signaling in platelets as it amplifies agonist-induced signaling and attenuates integrin-mediated signaling with no impact on hemostasis and thrombosis.
Distribution of anthropogenic CO2 in the Pacific Ocean

This work presents an estimate of anthropogenic CO2 in the Pacific Ocean based on measurements from the WOCE/JGOFS/OACES global CO2 survey. These estimates used a modified version of the ΔC* technique. Modifications include a revised preformed alkalinity term, a correction for denitrification, and an evaluation of the disequilibrium terms using an optimum multiparameter analysis. The total anthropogenic CO2 inventory over an area from 120°E to 70°W and 70°S to 65°N (excluding the South China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Japan/East Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk) was 44.5 ± 5 Pg C in 1994. Approximately 28 Pg C was located in the Southern Hemisphere and 16.5 Pg C was located north of the equator. The deepest penetration of anthropogenic CO2 is found at about 50°S. The shallowest penetration is found just north of the equator. Very shallow anthropogenic CO2 penetration is also generally observed in the high‐latitude Southern Ocean. One exception to this is found in the far southwestern Pacific where there is evidence of anthropogenic CO2 in the northward moving bottom waters. In the North Pacific a strong zonal gradient is observed in the anthropogenic CO2 penetration depth with the deepest penetration in the western Pacific. The Pacific has the largest total inventory in all of the southern latitudes despite the fact that it generally has the lowest average inventory when normalized to a unit area. The lack of deep and bottom water formation in the North Pacific means that the North Pacific inventories are smaller than the North Atlantic.
FINITE FAULT MODELLING OF NEAR-FIELD ROCK MOTIONS IN THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE

Due to lack of strong motion records, point-source and finite-fault models have been used to simulate far-field motions at Memphis and St. Louis Cities from earthquake events in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. However, near-field rock motions and their associated uncertainties have never been studied within this zone. The objectives of this study are to develop a simple procedure to account for the uncertainty effect of earthquake source parameters, to analyze the sensitivity of near-field rock motions to input source parameters, and finally, to generate rock motions at two sites located within 11 km from the southwestern segment (strike-fault) and a third site bove the Reelfoot Rift (reverse fault) using a well-validated finite-fault simulation program; FINSIM. An equal-weight logic tree was developed to ensure that the assumed uncertainties are within physical, geological, and seismological constraints. For each site, 100 acceleration time histories with various combinations of parameter uncertainties were respectively simulated for an earthquake of M w 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0 from each of the two faults. Their average spectral accelerations were in good agreement with those derived from the attenuation relation-ships representative to the Central and Eastern United States. Numerical simulations indicated that spectral accelerations are sensitive to the slip velocity, depth to top of fault, fault strike, slip distribution, and hypocentre location along the strike.
Joint Hybrid Caching and Replacement Scheme for UAV-Assisted Vehicular Edge Computing Networks

Due to the flexible deployment and availability of line-of-sight (LoS) link, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is able to assist the roadside unit (RSU) to provide timely computing resources to the covered vehicle users in the temporary congestion roads. In UAV-assisted vehicular edge computing networks (VECNs), caching necessary data in RSU/UAV reduces task execution delay and bandwidth cost significantly. However, for the constrained storage and computation capacities of UAV and the dynamic requests of users, the efficient caching data selection and replacement schemes are needed. In this article, we propose a novel joint hybrid caching and replacement scheme in a scene that a single UAV assists RSU to cover a set of vehicle users with large number of iterative calculation tasks. In particular, both the content caching and service caching are considered for the RSU and UAV. To minimize the whole task completion delay of users, we joint optimize the hybrid caching data selection of UAV and the task offloading strategy of users, a deep Q-network (DQN)-based solution is proposed to improve the utility of UAV. Then, we design an optimal evaluation function, and propose a caching replacement scheme for both the RSU and UAV. For RSU and UAV can update its caching data separately, a double-DQN (DDQN)-based solution is proposed. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed algorithms have good convergence, and the designed schemes reduce the task completion delay efficiently.
REGULATION OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS IN UKRAINE AND THE WORLD. PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF POSTBIOTICS AS FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Functional food allows to individualize the characteristics and necessities of each person. Over the past few decades, the demand for products that have a positive impact on human health has exploded worldwide. The market for functional foods in developed countries is estimated at USD 300 billion, which makes this sector attractive for investment. Accordingly, the production of functional foods and ingredients needs to be regulated at the state level. There is no harmonization in the definitions of functional foods and their classification at both the global and state levels. Despite the fact that the concept and terminology of functional food and the means of achieving it is well-established, the term “functional food” is often absent in the legislative acts of countries that actively produce functional foods, and the term “health-related food” is used instead. As a rule, health-related foods are subject to quality and safety requirements that are identical to those of conventional food products. Exceptions are regulations that establish rules for labeling FFPs and statements regarding their physiological effects or the content of a particular ingredient that may affect physiological aspects. In Europe and the USA, much attention is paid to the safety of “health-related food” and the novel food products. European Food Safety Authority and the US Food and Drug Administration require sponsors to submit information on the composition of multiple batches of a product to support safety evaluations for novel foods and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients. In Ukraine, the legal status of the terms “functional food product” and dietary supplement was regulated by Law of Ukraine 771 “On Basic Principles and Requirements for Food Safety and Quality”, but in the version of this law dated 16.01. 2020, this term was excluded, the term “dietary supplement” was edited and the term “novel food product or ingredient” was included, which is related to the process of harmonization of Ukrainian and European legislation in the food sector. In 2020, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine approved Order No. 1145 “On Approval of the Requirements for Nutrition Claims and Health Claims for Food Products”, which regulates the following concepts: claims and conditions for their use; health claims allowed to be used in food labeling and advertising, except for claims about reducing the risk of diseases and claims related to the development and health of children; claims about reducing the risk of diseases and claims related to the development and health of children. Unfortunately, Ukrainian regulations do not contain claims and conditions for the use of claims about pro- and prebiotics that have GRAS status worldwide. Particular attention should be paid to the possibility of using postbiotics as functional food ingredients with immunological activity.
Homogenization and thermal processing reduce the concentration of extracellular vesicles in bovine milk

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in bovine milk confer beneficial physiologic effects to consumers. Industrial processing treatments may affect the amount or bioactivity of EVs intrinsic to bovine milk. We investigated how the content and concentration of EVs were affected by homogenization and thermal processing of raw bovine milk. Raw milk was processed by homogenization, low‐temperature (LT) heat, or pasteurization [high‐temperature short‐time (HTST) and ultra‐high‐temperature (UHT)] in a pilot processing facility. EVs were isolated from the raw and processed bovine milk using differential ultracentrifugation and quantified using a nanoparticle tracking analyzer. Bovine milk EVs were assessed for total miRNA and protein concentrations standardized to particle count using a fluorometric assay. There were 1.01 × 1010 (±3.30 × 109) EV particles per ml of bovine milk. All industrial processing treatments caused >60% decrease in EV concentration compared to the raw bovine milk. Homogenization and heat treatments independently and additively reduced the content of EVs in bovine milk. The averages of total miRNA/particle and total protein/particle concentrations were elevated threefold by low‐temperature heat‐processing treatment relative to HTST and UHT pasteurizations. The average diameter of EVs was reduced by 11%–16% by low temperature compared to raw milk (127 ± 13 nm). Homogenization and pasteurization indiscriminately reduce the EV concentration of bovine milk. Smaller EVs with higher protein content resist degradation when processing bovine milk at sub‐pasteurization temperature. This new foundational knowledge may contribute to food product development on the preservation of EVs in processed dairy products, including bovine milk‐based infant formulas that some newborns are dependent on for adequate growth and development.