Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First record of Macrobrachium mammillodactylus (Thallwitz, 1891) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palaemonidae) from Japan

Knobtooth Prawn, Macrobrachium mammillodactylus (Thallwitz, 1891), is an amphidromous freshwater prawn that occurs in the tropics of the western Pacific Ocean. Here, we report a new record of this species from Miyako Island, in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. The obtained specimens were mature, suggesting that they had overwintered. This record updates the northern limit of M. mammillodactylus and suggests an expansion of the range of this species.
Impact of point source pollutants on the distribution of selected water parameters in the Vistula River in Puławy, Poland

: Human activities have a complex and multidimensional impact on water quality. The concentration of inhabitants, production and services intensifies influence of urban agglomerations on water in rivers. Among many sources of surface water pollution, the most important are sewage discharges. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of point discharge of treated industrial and municipal wastewater on the distribution of selected water chemical parameters in the Vistula River in Puławy. The studies were carried out in 2018–2019. Samplings were collected in five sampling points and tested in the hydrochemical laboratory. The obtained data were statistically analysed to investigate differences between the sampling points. The negative impact of wastewater discharge on the water quality in the Vistula was found. However, the pollution level decreased with the flow of the river. The parameters tested at measurement point located 1200 m below the discharge approached the values recorded above the sewage outfall. The presented observations of changes in the concentration of pollutants indicate the self-purification capacity of a river. However, for each watercourse flowing through urbanized areas, it is an individual feature. It depends on a number of factors and requires regular monitoring studies taking into account hydrochemical analysis of watercourses.
14. EOLIAN AND SILICA DEPOSITION IN THE CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC: RESULTS FROM SITES 885/8861

Sediments recovered at Ocean Drilling Program Sites 885/886 (central North Pacific Ocean at 44°41'N, 168°14'W and 44°41'N, 168°16'W, respectively) record eolian deposition during the Cenozoic and late Mesozoic. We constructed a record of eolian MAR, which is a proxy for aridity/humidity of the climate in the continental source area. Eolian fluxes are low during the Late Cretaceous through Eocene, reflecting humid conditions in the source area. During the Oligocene, more arid climates prevailed at the source area, as indicated by increased eolian accumulation. The "Diatom Dump", an interval of enhanced silica deposition mainly apparent in the northwest Pacific, is reflected in the record at Sites 885/886 by two- to fivefold higher opal fluxes compared with younger and older sediments. Increased eolian deposition starting at 3.5 Ma and culminating at 2-2.6 Ma are coincident with the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Sites 885/886 lie 10° north of sites examined previously for the history of eolian deposition in the central North Pacific and therefore allow enhanced understanding of the latitudinal variation of the wind system.
Serum sclerostin is associated with recurrent kidney stone formation independent of hypercalciuria

ABSTRACT Background Kidney stones are frequent in industrialized countries with a lifetime risk of 10 to 15%. A high percentage of individuals experience recurrence. Calcium-containing stones account for more than 80% of kidney stones. Diet, environmental factors, behavior, and genetic variants contribute to the development of kidney stones. Osteocytes excrete the 21 kDa glycoprotein sclerostin, which inhibits bone formation by osteoblasts. Animal data suggests that sclerostin might directly or indirectly regulate calcium excretion via the kidney. As hypercalciuria is one of the most relevant risk factors for kidney stones, sclerostin might possess pathogenic relevance in nephrolithiasis. Methods We performed a prospective cross-sectional observational controlled study in 150 recurrent kidney stone formers (rKSF) to analyse the association of sclerostin with known stone risk factors and important modulators of calcium-phosphate metabolism. Serum sclerostin levels were determined at the first visit. As controls, we used 388 non-stone formers from a large Swiss epidemiological cohort. Results Sclerostin was mildly increased in rKSF in comparison to controls. This finding was more pronounced in women compared to men. Logistic regression indicated an association of serum sclerostin with rKSF status. In hypercalciuric individuals, sclerostin levels were not different from normocalciuric patients. In Spearman correlation analysis we found a positive correlation between sclerostin, age, and BMI and a negative correlation with eGFR. There was a weak correlation with iPTH and intact FGF 23. In contrast, serum sclerostin levels were not associated with 25-OH Vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxy-Vitamin D3, urinary calcium and phosphate or other urinary lithogenic risk factors. Conclusion This is the first prospective controlled study investigating serum sclerostin in rKSF. Sclerostin levels were increased in rKSF independent of hypercalciuria and significantly associated with the status as rKSF. It appears that mechanisms other than hypercalciuria may be involved and thus further studies are required to elucidate underlying pathways.
Species of Concern in the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Marine Ecosystem: More Support for a Transboundary Ecosystem Approach to Marine Conservation

Species of concern are native species and sub-species that warrant special attention to ensure their conservation. Within the Georgia Basin / Puget Sound marine ecosystem, the Canadian Federal Government, the United States Federal Government, the State of Washington, and the Province of British Columbia all have different processes for assessing which species require special initiatives to ensure protection and survival of the population. We reviewed listings from all four jurisdictions and identified a total of 60 species or sub-species from the shared inland marine waters that were listed as species of concern (current on September 1, 2002). Each jurisdiction underestimated the number of species of concern within the entire marine ecosystem: Washington State identified 73%, the Province of British Columbia identified 47%, the U.S. Federal Government identified 30%, and the Canadian Federal Government identified 28%. While acknowledging that species abundance and distribution differ within the Georgia Basin / Puget Sound marine ecosystem and listing criteria differ by jurisdiction, recognition of species of concern on an ecosystem basis gives a more complete perspective on the health of our shared marine ecosystem. We propose that the identification of 60 species of concern could be indicative of ecosystem decay. Continued efforts need to be made to identify shared species of concern and plans for their recovery should occur across jurisdictional boundaries on an ecosystem basis.
The Significance of Preoperative Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Systemic Inflammatory Index (SII) in Predicting Severity and Adverse Outcomes in Acute Calculous Cholecystitis

The prediction of severity in acute calculous cholecystitis (AC) is important in therapeutic management to ensure an early recovery and prevent adverse postoperative events. We analyzed the value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic inflammatory index (SII) to predict advanced inflammation, the risk for conversion, and postoperative complications in AC. Advanced AC was considered the cases with empyema, gangrene, perforation of the gallbladder, abscesses, or difficulties in achieving the critical view of safety. A 3-year retrospective was performed on 235 patients admitted in emergency care for AC. The NLR was superior to the PLR and SII in predicting advanced inflammation and risk for conversion. The best predictive value was found to be at an NLR “cut-off” value of >4.19, with a sensitivity of 85.5% and a specificity of 66.9% (AUC = 0.824). The NLR, SII, and TG 13/18 correlate well with postoperative complications of Clavien–Dindo grade IV (p < 0.001 for all variables) and sepsis. For predicting early postoperative sepsis, TG 13/18 grading >2 and NLR > 8.54 show the best predicting power (AUC = 0.931; AUC = 0.888, respectively), although not significantly higher than that of the PLR and SII. The NLR is a useful biomarker in assessing the severity of inflammation in AC. The SII and PLR may be useful in the prediction of systemic inflammatory response.
Evaluation of Collapsibility of Selected Core Systems

There are mainly two different ways of producing sand cores in the industry. The most used is the shooting moulding process. A mixture of sand and binder is injected by compressed air into a cavity (core), where it is then thermally or chemically cured. Another relatively new method of manufacturing cores is the use of 3D printing. The principle is based on the method of local curing of the sand bed. The ability to destroy sand cores after casting can be evaluated by means of tests that are carried out directly on the test core. In most cases, the core is thermally degraded and the mechanical properties before and after thermal exposure are measured. Another possible way to determine the collapsibility of core mixtures can be performed on test castings, where a specific casting is designed for different binder systems. The residual strength is measured by subsequent shake-out or knock-out tests. In this paper, attention will be paid to the collapsibility of core mixtures in aluminium castings
Optimizing the weight of the two-level gear train in the personal rescue winch

In theprevious study, wedesigned onepersonal rescue winchfor high-rise building rescue. Its key requirement is to be small and light enough to suit users. In addition to using lightweight and reasonable materials as in the proposed winch design, in this study, we proceed to optimize the weight of one two-level gear train, which accounts for a large proportion of weight. The ﬁrst stage is building a weight optimization problem model with seven independent variables, establishing one optimal algorithm, and investigating the variables by Matlab software. The other is replacing the web material of the gears and pinions with Aluminum 6061-T6 and optimizing their hole diameters and hole numbers through using Ansys software. The obtained result shows a signiﬁcant weight reduction. Compared to the original design, the weight reduces by 10.21% and 52.40% after the ﬁrst optimal and last stages, respectively.
Participatory ethnobotany: comparison between two quilombos in the Atlantic Forest, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil

Ethnobotanical studies that use the participatory research approach seek to involve the residents of a community in different stages of the study, promoting the registration, dissemination and strengthening of local knowledge, as well as the empowerment of decisions related to the sustainable use and management of resources. Using the participatory methodology, this study recorded and made a comparative analysis on the use of plants in two quilombola communities (Quilombo do Cambury-QC and Quilombo da Fazenda-QF) in the State of São Paulo. After a training on anthropological and botanical methods, local researchers selected and interviewed the local experts, recording their knowledge on plant uses and collecting the indicated plants, to be identified and deposited in herbariums. In addition, participant observation and field diaries were used by the academic researchers, helping to analyze the data. To test the differences in the composition of species known to local community, a Jaccard dissimilarity matrix was created, and a Permanova test was employed. During the 178 days of fieldwork, three local researchers from the QC and two from the QF, selected nine and eight experts on the uses of the plants in each quilombo, respectively, corresponding to 214 plant species, indicated for eight ethnobotanical categories. Our hypothesis has been confirmed, since the traditional knowledge found in both quilombos, regarding plant uses and the number of plant species by category, are distinct, since each community occupies particular plant areas and different phytophysiognomies. Most of the indicated species are native to the Atlantic forest, and no significant differences were observed in the proportion of native species vs. introduced among quilombos for any of the categories of use studied. Furthermore, the innovative methodology used, participatory ethnobotany, contributed to the empowerment of community members with regard to the use of their available resources in the environment in which they live, while retaining the intellectual property rights over their own knowledge.
Regional Air Pollution Modelling for Planners

The development of the CSIRO Lagrangian Atmospheric Dispersion Model, LADM, represents a major advance in assessing air pollution impacts. LADM is a synthesis of practical implementations of current scientific knowledge of boundary-layer meteorology, dynamical meteorology in complex geographical regions, plume dynamics, turbulent dispersion in thermally unstable and stable conditions and photochemical smog kinetics. The most startling result from the application of LADM in coastal regions in several studies is the prevalence of recirculations of pollutants back over the emission region later in the day or even during the following day, perhaps then as smog. These and other results are illustrated by recent Australian studies. Most recently, LADM has been extended to permit prediction of dry deposition. Now, dry deposition estimates for complex conditions are possible.
Validation of a panel method with full-scale FOWT measurements and verification with engineering models

The present paper gives insights into the verification of different models of the Floatgen demonstrator by BW Ideol. This floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) is based on a barge type-floater with moonpool. The moonpool shall dampen the platform’s motion and is challenging to model due to the increased complexity of the hydrodynamic behaviour. For the verification purposes, the results of two engineering methods (OrcaFlex, OpenFAST) equipped with frequency-dependent hydrodynamic solver and the nonlinear time-domain boundary element method panMARE are compared. The OrcaFlex model designed by BW Ideol is regarded as a reference because of a preceding calibration with measurement data. All models show fairly good agreement in most cases. Only in heave there are significant differences between engineering and the nonlinear models which is caused by different modelling of the moonpool hydrodynamics. In addition, a hybrid simulation approach with prescribed motion and constrained wind field based on motion sensors and LIDAR measurements on the Floatgen demonstrator was applied for an aerodynamic and load validation of panMARE. The validation shows good agreement based on time-domain comparison regarding the tower top loads and turbine operation.
‘Best run club in the world': Manchester City fans and the legitimation of sportswashing?

The term sportswashing has been discussed and analysed within academic circles, as well as the mainstream media. However, the majority of existing research has focused on one-off event-based sportswashing strategies (such as autocratic states hosting major international sports events) rather than longer term investment-based strategies (such as state actors purchasing sports clubs and teams). Furthermore, little has been written about the impact of this latter strategy on the existing fanbase of the purchased team and on their relationship with sportswashing and the discourses surrounding it. This paper addresses this lacuna through analysis of a popular Manchester City online fan forum, which illustrates the manner in which this community of dedicated City fans have legitimated the actions of the club's ownership regime, the Abu Dhabi United Group – a private equity group operated by Abu Dhabi royalty and UAE politicians. The discursive strategies of the City fans are discussed, in addition to the wider significance of these strategies on the issue of sportswashing and its coverage by the media.
Cold-induced Photoinhibition and Design of Shelters for Establishment of Eucalypts in Pasture

Juvenile Eucalyptus polyanthemos Schau. which had been established in an open pasture, were surrounded by individual shelters made of different materials: chicken wire, white translucent plastic, and three types of shade cloth transmitting 30, 50 or 70% of incident sunlight. Air temperatures within white plastic shelters were up to 6'C above ambient air temperatures, whereas air temperatures in other shelters differed little from ambient. Irradiance was the main factor which varied between shelters. Leaves were photoinhibited over winter as shown by depression in pre-dawn F JF,. The extent of that decrease in FJF, was directly proportional to irradiance. Pre-dawn FJF, recovered in all treatments during spring. Growth, as measured by stem elongation, occurred to a limited extent during winter, but primarily during spring. During both seasons, stem elongation was greatest in plants sheltered by 50% shadecloth. However, treatment-induced variation in stem elongation during spring was correlated with pre-dawn values for FJF, measured during the previous winter. Reducing sunlight by 50% thus appeared to effect the best compromise between conflicting demands for protection from cold-induced photoinhibition during winter and for absorption of sufficient light for growth during spring.
Unraveling the Potential of miRNAs from CSCs as an Emerging Clinical Tool for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women and the second most common cancer globally. Significant advances in BC research have led to improved early detection and effective therapies. One of the key challenges in BC is the presence of BC stem cells (BCSCs). This small subpopulation within the tumor possesses unique characteristics, including tumor-initiating capabilities, contributes to treatment resistance, and plays a role in cancer recurrence and metastasis. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential regulators of BCSCs, which can modulate gene expression and influence cellular processes like BCSCs’ self-renewal, differentiation, and tumor-promoting pathways. Understanding the miRNA signatures of BCSCs holds great promise for improving BC diagnosis and prognosis. By targeting BCSCs and their associated miRNAs, researchers aim to develop more effective and personalized treatment strategies that may offer better outcomes for BC patients, minimizing tumor recurrence and metastasis. In conclusion, the investigation of miRNAs as regulators of BCSCs opens new directions for advancing BC research through the use of bioinformatics and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. This review summarizes the most recent and innovative studies and clinical trials on the role of BCSCs miRNAs as potential tools for early diagnosis, prognosis, and resistance.
The Association between Meteorological Drought and the State of the Groundwater Level in Bursa, Turkey

This study addressed the intricate interplay between meteorological droughts and groundwater level fluctuations in the vicinity of Mount Uludag in Bursa, Turkey. To achieve this, an exhaustive analysis encompassing monthly precipitation records and groundwater level data sourced from three meteorological stations and eight groundwater observation points spanning the period from 2007 to 2018 was performed. Subsequently, this study employed the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standard Groundwater Level (SGL) metrics, meticulously calculating the temporal extents of drought events for each respective time series. Following this, a judicious application of both the Thiessen and Support Vector Machine (SVM) methodologies was undertaken to ascertain the optimal groundwater observation wells and their corresponding SGL durations, aligning them with SPI durations tied to the selected meteorological stations. The SVM technique, in particular, excelled in the identification of the most pertinent observation wells. Additionally, the Elman Neural Network (ENN) and its optimized version through the Firefly Algorithm (ENN-FA), demonstrated their prowess in accurately predicting SPI durations based on SGL durations. The results were favorable, as evidenced by the commendable performance metrics of the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE), the Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), the product of the coefficient of determination and the slope of the regression line (bR2), and the Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE). Consequently, the favorable simulation results were construed as evidence supporting the presence of a discernible association between SGL and the duration of the SPI. As we substantiate the concordance between the temporal extent of meteorological droughts and the perturbations in groundwater levels, this unmistakably underscores the fact that the historical fluctuations in groundwater levels within the region were predominantly attributable to climatic influences, rather than being instigated by anthropogenic activities. Nevertheless, it is imperative to underscore that this revelation should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of future heedless exploitation of groundwater resources.
EFFECT OF SEWAGE SLUDGE ON SOME MACRONUTRIENTS CONCENTRATION AND SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Sewage sludge as an organic fertilizer has economic benefits. Land application of sewage sludge improves some soil chemical and physical properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sewage sludge on soil chemical properties and macronutrient concentration in acid and calcareous soils. The study was carried out in a greenhouse using factorial experiment design as completely randomized with three replications. Treatments included : four levels of 0 or control, 50, and 100, 200 ton ha sludge and one level of chemical fertilizer (F) consisting of 250 kg ha diammonium phosphate and 250 kg ha urea, and soil including soils of Langroud, Lahijan, Rasht, and Isfahan. As a major vegetable , crop spinach (Spinacea oleracea) was grown in the treated soils. Soils samples were analyzed for their chemical properties after crop narvesting. Application of sewage sludge significantly increased plant available k, P, total N, organic matter, electrical conductivity and cation exchange in the soils. Soils pH significantly decreased as a result sewage sludge application. The effect of sewage sludge on plant yield was significant. Overall, the results indicated that sewage sludge is potentially a valuable fertilizer. However, the sludge effect on soil EC and heavy metals should be taken into consideration before its widespread use on cropland.
Effect of gas bubbles on pore pressure response in peat beneath a railway embankment

This paper presents the pore pressure behaviour observed within peat beneath a newly constructed railway embankment. Piezometers installed at different depths beneath the structure showed episodic increases in pore pressure above hydrostatic pressure followed by a rapid pore pressure decrease. It was postulated that this fluctuation in pore pressure was due to the movement and expulsion of gases within the peat. Investigations were conducted in the laboratory to replicate this pore pressure response. The peat specimens were subjected to isotropic consolidation, within a triaxial cell, at constant confining pressure while measuring the change in the specimen’s pore pressure and volume. The results of this investigation indicate that the gas bubbles move through the channeled network of voids towards the drainage boundary where they restrict the flow of water, which results in the increase of pore pressure towards an upper limit or escape pressure, ultimately causing an expulsion of gas bubbles. This expuls.