Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of a Discriminant Dose to Identify Resistance to Amitraz in Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Acari: Ixodidae) from Mexico

Simple Summary The brown dog tick is cosmopolitan with medical and veterinary importance. Control with acaricides is the commonly used alternative; however, its indiscriminate use can generate resistance. A discriminant dose (d.d) can be used to rapidly and inexpensively identify resistant populations in samples collected in the field; however, to date, there is limited information on the subject. This study aimed to determine the d.d of amitraz to identify resistance in larvae natives from Mexico and to evaluate its application in field-collected ticks. Because there was no reference strain, the search for samples susceptible to amitraz was carried out in naturally infested rural dogs using a larval immersion test (LIT); the d.d. was determined as a consensus value by multiplying the LC99 × 2, and then, we proceeded to evaluate it in in-field samples by using the LIT technique. The d.d. calculated was 4 ppm. The in-field evaluation found 64% of the samples resistant to amitraz, with mortality percentages between 98.3% and 0.35%; these samples were widely distributed in all the areas of study. With this, bases are established so that scrutiny can be initiated in order to document amitraz resistance in field populations. Abstract The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. , is considered the most widely distributed three-host tick in the world and has medical and veterinary importance; the control of infestation is carried out with acaricides, towards which it can develop resistance. This study aimed to determine the discriminant dose (d.d) of amitraz to identify resistance in R. sanguineus s.l. larvae natives from Mexico and to evaluate its application in field-collected ticks. Engorged ticks were collected from naturally infested dogs residing in rural communities and were incubated for 25 days, and their progeny was used in a larval immersion test (LIT) to be exposed to the d.d. determined in Rhipicephalus microplus, and those that were susceptible were analyzed using the LIT in six concentrations. Mortality was analyzed through probit methodology to calculate the lethal concentration (LC) 50 and 99. The d.d. was determined as a consensus value by multiplying the LC99 × 2, and then, we proceeded to evaluate it in in-field samples by using the LIT technique. The d.d. calculated was 4 ppm. The in-field evaluation found 64% of the resistant samples to amitraz with mortality percentages between 98.3% and 0.35%. This dose can be used to rapidly and inexpensively identify resistant populations in samples collected in the field.
Generalized Differential Transformation Method for Solving System of Linear Volterra Integro-Differential Equations of Fractional Order

In this paper, the Generalized Differential Transformation Method (GDTM) for approximating the solution of systems of linear volterra integro-differential equations of fractional of fractional is implemented. The fractional derivative is considered in the Caputo sense. The approximate solutions are calculated in the form of a convergent series with easily quantifiable workings. Numerical results show that this approach is easy to implement and accurate when applied to systems integro-differential equations.
Fission and r-process nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers

Fission plays a crucial role for the r-process nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers. Due to the high neutron densities achieved in this astrophysical scenario the sequence of neutron captures and beta decays that constitutes the r process produces superheavy neutron rich nuclei that become unstable against fission. Fission determines thus the heaviest nuclei that can be produced by the r process and the fission yields shape the abundances of lighter nuclei. But despite the key role of fission the sensitivity of the r-process nucleosynthesis to uncertainties in fission predictions has not been explored. Nowadays there are only few set of fission rates suited for r-process calculations and most of them rely on a simplified treatment of the fission process. In this thesis we go beyond these approximations and compute the fission properties of r-process nuclei using the energy density functional approach. Fission is described as a tunneling process where the nucleus “moves” in a collective space characterized by coordinates describing the nuclear shape. Thus fission depends on the evolution of the energy with the deformation but also on the inertia due to the motion in the collective space. This is analogous to the quantum mechanical tunneling of a particle inside a potential well. In our study the relevant quantities for the description of the fission process are consistently computed for 3642 nuclei following the Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov theory with constraining operators. We perform an extensive benchmark against the available experimental data and explore the variations of the fission properties along the superheavy landscape. We find that while collective inertias have a strong impact in the fission probabilities of light nuclei their role becomes less relevant in r -process nuclei. Within the statistical model we compute the neutron induced stellar reaction rates relevant for the r-process nucleosynthesis. These sets of stellar reaction rates are used in r-process calculations for matter dynamically ejected in neutron star mergers and we compare our results with those obtained from a more conventional set of reaction rates. We find that all the models predict the onset of fission above the shell closure N=184 and Z=100 due to the sudden decrease in fission barriers. However, the amount of material accumulated at N=184 turns out to be very sensitive to the height of the fission barriers and the shell gap. Finally, we have also explored the impact of recent advances in fission calculations on the theoretical estimation of spontaneous fission lifetimes. We find that performing dynamical approaches based on the minimization of the integral action with nontraditional collective degrees of freedom has a strong impact in the fission barriers and the spontaneous fission lifetimes. The possible consequences of this new approach for the calculation of neutron induced fission rates has to be addressed.
How can small businesses strengthen their resilience to unexpected crises?

Small firms are increasingly exposed to external shocks, like pandemics, inflation surge, global and local conflicts, natural disasters. A common issue is how to address these shocks and how to enable the organization to survive and continue doing business. This study explores responses to crises in some firms along a particularly challenging period, how they responded to external shocks and finds out which factors help in building their resilience.
Genetic Algorithm for Shortest Path Routing Problem

This review paper presents a genetic algorithm approach to the shortest path routing problem. Its variable length chromosomes (string) and their genes (parameters) have been used for encoding the problem. The crossover operation exchanges partial routes. Keywords: Shortest path, genetic algorithm, crossover Cite this ArticlePujara Charmy, Kothari AM. Genetic algorithm for shortest path routing problem. Journal of Microwave Engineering & Technologies. 2016; 3(1): 31–34p.
Demographic inequalities in digital spaces in China: The case of Weibo

We provide the first systematic, large-scale exploration of user counts by age, gender, and location on Weibo, the world’s largest microblogging platform, using data from its advertising platform. Digital platforms potentially give access to information, economic opportunities, and social participation to underserved groups, and can be used for information dissemination during emergency situations and hu-manitarian response. The trace data that they produce is potentially more timely, of higher spatial or temporal resolution, and available for difficult-to-reach populations, than data from traditional sources. Whether this potential is fully realized however depends on who actually participates in these online spaces. We contribute to a growing body of research investigating the demographic characteristics of social media platforms, and on the population generalizability of digital trace data in non-Western, non-English-language contexts. We show that Weibo users are disproportionately young, female, and urban. Use of Weibo is higher in areas that are more economically prosperous and with a more educated population.
An Alternative Approach to Standard Decade Series Linear Regression Dissemination of the Mass Unit by using a Weighted Least Squares Analysis

Abstract: A brief review of current practices in dissemination of the unit of mass is discussed focusing on the strengths and weakness of current practice. Based on improved mass comparators and advances in data collection/analysis systems, an opportunity exists to employ an alternative method of calculation which uses a Weighted Least Squares Regression on measured observations to better predict a solution to the selected mass comparison design matrix. Mathematical equations employing a Weighted Least Squares Regression approach are derived as a generalized solution for any valid mass calibration design. While this approach may be employed with demonstrated benefit over a traditional decade series approach, it also opens up an alternative for eliminating the necessity for single restraints to be passed from decade series to decade series. The critical component in the validity of this method is to weight each mass difference measurement in the design matrix according to an accurate estimate of each difference's uncertainty. Analysis from 1 kg to 1 mg, using both the current practice and the proposed practice, are compared. Key elements of improvement are shown to be the optimization of available mass comparators and the increased redundancy within the weighing design.
Effect of Technology and Digital Media Use on Adolescent Health and Development: Protocol for a Multimethod Longitudinal Study

Background Technology and digital media (TDM) use is integral to modern adolescence; adolescents have been labeled as “digital natives,” since they have had exposure to digital technology for their entire lives. Previous evidence has illustrated TDM’s connections with adolescent risk behaviors such as increased alcohol use and social media exposure, as well as relationships with adolescent well-being such as improved socioemotional health and social media connections with peers. Although several recent review articles have described both the benefits and risks of technology use, most individual studies adopt a singular risk-centered approach. In addition, reviews suggest that little evidence exists on the potential mediating and moderating factors between TDM use and well-being and health outcomes, which limits our understanding of what influences the outcomes of interest. Therefore, there is an urgent need to fill these gaps. Objective This protocol addresses the need to understand how TDM exposure and use affect multiple developmental domains and health outcomes. We address the fragmented nature of previous research, the common focus on single behaviors or conditions, and the typical narrow lens on risks. Our approach further aligns with reviews that called for studies identifying and investigating the factors that moderate the relationships between social media and health behaviors and outcomes. Methods We will address our objective by longitudinally examining over a 2-year period a common set of adolescent participants (N=400, aged 13-15 years) across 3 studies that adopt a multimethodological approach. Study 1 will use TDM to understand the mechanisms behind adolescent health and risk behaviors. Study 2 will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to understand how positive and negative TDM experiences relate to mental and behavioral health in a subsample of 150 adolescents. Study 3 will use a mixed methods design to evaluate self- and other-generated TDM content as the predictors of socioemotional well-being in sexual and gender minority and non–sexual and gender minority adolescents. Results Recruitment is ongoing, and the initial results from the first wave of recruitment are expected in 2024. Conclusions This integrated approach to longitudinal data collection from a shared adolescent participant pool will lead to novel analyses and findings, allowing for the examination of the health and well-being risks and benefits associated with TDM use and factors that moderate these relationships. The findings from this study will advance conceptual models and inform new interventions to improve adolescent health. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/50984
Gender-Specific Differences in Human Vertebral Bone Marrow Clot

Recently, our group described the application of vertebral bone marrow (vBMA) clot as a cell therapy strategy for spinal fusion. Its beneficial effects were confirmed in aging-associated processes, but the influence of gender is unknown. In this study, we compared the biological properties of vBMA clots and derived vertebral mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from female and male patients undergoing spinal fusion procedures and treated with vBMA clot. We analyzed the expression of growth factors (GFs) in vBMA clots and MSCs as well as morphology, viability, doubling time, markers expression, clonogenicity, differentiation ability, senescence factors, Klotho expression, and HOX and TALE gene profiles from female and male donors. Our findings indicate that vBMA clots and derived MSCs from males had higher expression of GFs and greater osteogenic and chondrogenic potential compared to female patients. Additionally, vBMA-clot-derived MSCs from female and male donors exhibited distinct levels of HOX and TALE gene expression. Specifically, HOXA1, HOXB8, HOXD9, HOXA11, and PBX1 genes were upregulated in MSCs derived from clotted vBMA from male donors. These results demonstrate that vBMA clots can be effectively used for spinal fusion procedures; however, gender-related differences should be taken into consideration when utilizing vBMA-clot-based studies to optimize the design and implementation of this cell therapy strategy in clinical trials.
Partial effects in fixed-effects models

One of the main reasons for the popularity of panel data is that they make it possible to account for the presence of time-invariant unobserved individual characteristics, the so-called fixed effects. Consistent estimation of the fixed effects is only possible if the number of time periods is allowed to pass to infinity, a condition that is often unreasonable in practice. However, in a small number of cases, it is possible to find methods that allow consistent estimation of the remaining parameters of the model, even when the number of time periods is fixed. These methods are based on transformations of the problem that effectively eliminate the fixed effects from the model. A drawback of these estimators is that they do not provide consistent estimates of the fixed effects, and this limits the kind of inference that can be performed. For example, in linear models, it is not possible to use the estimates obtained in this way to make predictions of the variate of interest. This problem is particularly acute in nonlinear models, where often the parameters have little meaning, and it is more interesting to evaluate partial effects on quantities of interest. In this presentation, we show that although it is indeed generally impossible to evaluate the partial effects at points of interest, it is sometimes possible to consistently estimate quantities that are informative and easy to interpret. The problem will be discussed using Stata, centered on a new ado-file for calculating the average logit elasticities.
Super-resonant coherent absorption sensing

In this work, we analyze the possibility of exploiting the recently demonstrated super-resonant intracavity coherent absorption effect for quantitative sensing applications. The method relies on a system of two nested resonators (ring and Fabry-Perot) which allows to increase the radiation-matter interaction pathlength by a factor proportional to the product of the two resonator’s individual finesse coefficients. In this way, it is possible to dramatically increase the interaction of intracavity radiation with a weakly absorbing sample without need of an ultra-high finesse optical cavity. Here, we propose a measurement strategy that allows to exploit the super-resonant enhancement provided by the nested-resonators system and cancel out the noise connected with the radiation source at the same time, and compare it to a conventional cavity-enhanced absorption measurement.
Measurement and Uncertainty Analysis of Lunar Soil Water Content via Heating Flux Method

According to the big impact hypothesis, the moon should be very dry. However, more and more evidence from the remote sensing of the moon in recent years indicates that there is a lot of water in the moon’s polar regions. Researching the source and distribution of volatiles such as water can provide a key constraint on the formation and evolution of the moon. If there is a large amount of a volatile such as water ice in the polar area of the moon, it can be used as a further resource. Regrettably, there are no detectors in place to detect the amount and presence of water to date. In the new wave of lunar exploration, polar water has become one of the main tasks of NASA, ESA and RKA. The Chang’e-7 spacecraft of China’s fourth lunar exploration phase has also used the Water Molecular Analyzer and the Lunar Soil Volatile Measuring Instrument to detect water content in the lunar polar region. This paper introduces a set of methods and principles for analyzing water content via the heat flux method according to the characteristics of the Lunar Soil Volatile Measuring Instrument that was deployed on the lunar surface. According to the current design, the water content of 0.008~0.17% can be analyzed.
Direct Z-scheme photocatalytic overall water splitting on 2D CdS/InSe heterostructures

Using first-principles calculations, we investigated the photocatalytic mechanism of two-dimensional van der Waals CdS/InSe heterostructures (HSs). Our results show that the buckling distortion of a CdS monolayer sheet in the CdS/InSe HSs induces a built-in polarized electric field, which significantly changes the band edge positions of the InSe layer. The band alignment indicated that the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band (CB) of the InSe monolayer have a high possibility of recombining with the holes in the valence band (VB) of the CdS sheet, resulting in the electrons in the CB of CdS participating in a reduction reaction and the holes in the VB of InSe taking part in an oxidation reaction. This direct Z-scheme photocatalytic system can lead to spatial separation of photogenerated carriers and excellent redox ability, thus enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency. Meanwhile, CdS/InSe HSs can significantly extend the range of light harvesting from visible light to infrared light. Similar results can also be found in the CdS/InSe@2 HSs constructed by InSe bilayer deposit on a CdS nanosheet. These results indicate that CdS/InSe HSs are promising photocatalysts for water splitting.
Estimating Parameters of Partial Differential Equations with Gradient Matching

Parameter inference in partial differential equations (PDEs) is a problem that many researchers are interested in. The conventional methods suffer from severe computational costs because these method require to solve the PDEs repeatedly by numerical integration. The concept of gradient matching have been proposed in order to reduce the computational complexity, which consists of two steps. First, the data are interpolated with certain smoothing methods. Then, the partial derivatives of the interpolants are calculated and the parameters are optimized to minimize the distance (measured by loss functions) between partial derivatives of interpolants and the PDE systems. In this article, we first studied the parameter inference accuracy of gradient matching based on two simple PDE models. Then the method of gradient matching was used to infer the parameters of PDE models describing cell movement and select the most appropriate model.
Examining the Effect of a Parent-to-Parent Intervention for Low-Income Youth with Serious Emotional and Behavioral Challenges

Background: Numerous barriers to mental health utilization exist for families of children who present with serious emotional and behavioral challenges. Evidence-based practices that facilitate equitable outcomes across diverse populations are essential to identify. This study examined possible differential service outcomes in a Medicaid-funded, parent-to-parent intervention called Parent Support Partner (PSP). Method: Data from four hundred and sixty-four parents who received PSP services were evaluated for possible demographic differences in service completion. Within-group analyses were utilized for an analysis of outcomes (parent change, child functioning; treatment acceptability) within a subset (N = 153) of those who completed services. Results: No racial disparities were found in those who completed PSP (43%) when compared to those who did not (57%). Regression analyses uncovered significant improvements in parent competence and confidence, as well as overall child functioning (global functioning across domains such as school, home, behaviors). Consistent with identifying evidence-based practices, findings were seen consistently across the diverse sample of those who completed PSP services. Improvements in parents’ sense of competence and confidence were correlated with perceptions of treatment acceptability. Discussion: PSP is an innovative and promising intervention with demonstrated high levels of acceptability found to increase parent confidence and self-competence to advocate for treatments that can improve the mental health functioning of their child. Future investigations of factors associated with increasing PSP service completion and outcomes in larger and more diverse populations are necessary. Implications for considering and possibly adopting this evidence-informed practice within the nursing profession are provided.
Recent Advances in Imaging Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy with Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

The gold standard for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) diagnosis is indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), but optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has shown promise for PCV imaging in recent years. However, earlier generations of OCTA technology lacked the diagnostic efficacy to replace ICGA. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA), the latest generation of OCTA technology, has significantly improved penetrating ability, scanning speed, scanning range, and overall image quality compared with earlier generations of OCTA. SS-OCTA reveals a “tangled vasculature” pattern of polypoidal lesions (PLs), providing evidence that they are neovascular rather than aneurysmal structures. New choroidal biomarkers, such as the choriocapillaris flow void (FV), have been identified to explain the development of PCV lesions. Although no direct comparison between SS-OCTA and previous OCTA generations in terms of diagnostic capability has been performed, SS-OCTA has shown several advantages in differential diagnosis and monitoring early reactivation for PCV. These improvements make SS-OCTA a valuable tool for PCV diagnosis and follow-up, and it may become more important for this disease in the future. This review summarized recent advances in PCV morphology and structure, as well as the possible pathogenesis based on SS-OCTA findings. The value of SS-OCTA for PCV management is discussed, along with remaining issues, to provide an updated understanding of PCV and OCTA-guided management.