Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological diversity of taro genus Xanthosoma collected in four geographical areas in Cte dIvoire based on qualitative traits

This study is part of the context of the development and sustainable management of neglected plant genetic resources in Côte d'Ivoire, including taro. The objective is to characterize the morphological diversity within taro accessions of the genus Xanthosoma from four geographical areas of Côte d'Ivoire. The study took place in the central, eastern, western and southern geographical areas of Côte d'Ivoire, involving 119 accessions of taro genus Xanthosoma comprising four morphotypes (M1, M2, M3 and M7). These accessions have been characterized based on traits related to the plant's habit, leaves, main tuber and secondary tubers, revealing a considerable morphological diversity. The observed traits were highly discriminating, leading to the identification of four homogeneous classes. The morphotypes M1, M2, M3 and M7 played a crucial role in classifying the 119 accessions of the taro genus Xanthosoma , with each class exclusively containing one of the four morphotypes. Classes 1 and 2, containing the M2 and M1 morphotypes, respectively, were closely related. These results demonstrate that the majority of taro accessions in Côte d'Ivoire can be characterized by the presence of four morphotypes: M1, M2, M3 and M7. Taro breeding efforts could be directed based on these four Xanthosoma morphotypes.
Effects of Proprioceptive Insoles and Specific Core Training on Postural Stability for Preventing Injuries in Tennis

Tennis is a complex sport based on unpredictability that requires adequate physical and psychological preparation to prevent injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week specific core stability training on postural stability in competitive adolescent tennis players, aged between 14 and 19 years old. Sixty-one participants were randomly allocated into two groups: experimental (n = 32) and control (n = 29) groups. The first group wore proprioceptive insoles 8 h a day and performed a detailed training 3 times a week for 8 weeks; the second group only received proprioceptive insoles to wear 8 h a day for 8 weeks. The postural stability parameters (center-of-pressure length, center-of-pressure velocity, and 95% confidence ellipse sway area) included three assessment times: baseline (T0), intermediate test (T1), post-test (T2), and retention test (T3). Data analysis showed a significant improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group, indicating a large effect size in center-of-pressure length, ellipse sway area, and center-of-pressure velocity at T2 and T3 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that a specific and detailed core stability training plays a significant role in improving balance and postural stability in young tennis players, especially in terms of preventing the risk of injury.
Daily variability of California coastal low cloudiness: A balancing act between stability and subsidence

We examine mechanisms driving daily variability of summer coastal low cloudiness (CLC) along the California coast. Daily CLC is derived from a satellite record from 1996 to 2014. Atmospheric rather than oceanic processes are mostly responsible for daily fluctuations in vertical stability that dictate short‐period variation in CLC structure. Daily CLC anomalies are most strongly correlated to lower tropospheric stability anomalies to the north. The spatially offset nature of the cloud‐stability relationship is a result of the balancing act that affects low cloudiness wherein subsidence drives increased stability, which promotes cloudiness, but too much subsidence limits cloudiness. Lay explanations claim that high inland temperatures “pull in” CLC, but such a process presumably would have the high temperatures directly inland. Rather, we find that the spatially offset associations between CLC and atmospheric circulation result in positive correlations between CLC and inland surface temperature anomalies to the north.
Dieta de la Milpa: A Culturally-Concordant Plant-Based Dietary Pattern for Hispanic/Latine People with Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disproportionately affects minorities in the United States, including the Hispanic/Latine population, and is a public health concern in Latin American countries. An emphasis on healthy dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, has been suggested as they are associated with a lower incidence of CKD, slower CKD progression, and lower mortality in kidney failure. However, their applicability may be limited in people from Latin America. The Dieta de la Milpa (Diet of the Cornfield) was recently described as the dietary pattern of choice for people from Mesoamerica (Central Mexico and Central America). This dietary pattern highlights the intake of four plant-based staple foods from this geographical region, corn/maize, common beans, pumpkins/squashes, and chilies, complemented with seasonal and local intake of plant-based foods and a lower intake of animal-based foods, collectively classified into ten food groups. Limited preclinical and clinical studies suggest several health benefits, including cardiometabolic health, but there is currently no data concerning CKD. In this narrative review, we describe and highlight the potential benefits of the Dieta de la Milpa in CKD, including acid-base balance, protein source, potassium and phosphorus management, impact on the gut microbiota, inflammation, and cultural appropriateness. Despite these potential benefits, this dietary pattern has not been tested in people with CKD. Therefore, we suggest key research questions targeting measurement of adherence, feasibility, and effectiveness of the Dieta de la Milpa in people with CKD.
Notch signaling pathway-based classification of bladder cancer in relation to tumor immune infiltration

Introduction The role of the Notch signaling pathway in the development of various tumors has received increasing attention, but the relationship between the Notch signaling pathway and the prognosis of bladder cancer has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the function and risk evaluation value of Notch signaling pathway-related genes (NRGs) in bladder cancer. Material and methods The list of genes related to the Notch signaling pathway was obtained from the molecular signature database. The bladder cancer dataset was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Cox regression analysis and Lasso regression analysis were used to construct the characteristics for predicting the overall survival of patients with bladder cancer. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate the infiltration of peripheral immune cells in different risk subgroups. Results NRG expression was remarkably dysregulated in bladder cancer. Next, bladder cancer was classified into two subtypes (C1 and C2) based on NRG expression levels. The two subtypes had a significant difference in prognosis and were closely related to clinical characteristics. Further analysis showed that immune cell infiltration and immune scores were also significantly different between the two subtypes. Conclusions Notch signaling pathway-based bladder cancer typing has different prognoses and may be related to tumor immunity. NRGs can be identified for risk evaluation and help improve clinical decision-making.
The dark side of stemness – the role of hematopoietic stem cells in development of blood malignancies

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) produce all blood cells throughout the life of the organism. However, the high self-renewal and longevity of HSCs predispose them to accumulate mutations. The acquired mutations drive preleukemic clonal hematopoiesis, which is frequent among elderly people. The preleukemic state, although often asymptomatic, increases the risk of blood cancers. Nevertheless, the direct role of preleukemic HSCs is well-evidenced in adult myeloid leukemia (AML), while their contribution to other hematopoietic malignancies remains less understood. Here, we review the evidence supporting the role of preleukemic HSCs in different types of blood cancers, as well as present the alternative models of malignant evolution. Finally, we discuss the clinical importance of preleukemic HSCs in choosing the therapeutic strategies and provide the perspective on further studies on biology of preleukemic HSCs.
Across‐arc versus along‐arc Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotope variations in the Ecuadorian volcanic arc

Previous studies of the Ecuadorian arc (1°N–2°S) have revealed across‐arc geochemical trends that are consistent with a decrease in mantle melting and slab dehydration away from the trench. The aim of this work is to evaluate how these processes vary along the arc in response to small‐scale changes in the age of the subducted plate, subduction angle, and continental crustal basement. We use an extensive database of 1437 samples containing 71 new analyses, of major and trace elements as well as Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotopes from Ecuadorian and South Colombian volcanic centers. Large geochemical variations are found to occur along the Ecuadorian arc, in particular along the front arc, which encompasses 99% and 71% of the total variations in 206Pb/204Pb and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of Quaternary Ecuadorian volcanics, respectively. The front arc volcanoes also show two major latitudinal trends: (1) the southward increase of 207Pb/204Pb and decrease of 143Nd/144Nd reflect more extensive crustal contamination of magma in the southern part (up to 14%); and (2) the increase of 206Pb/204Pb and decrease of Ba/Th away from ∼0.5°S result from the changing nature of metasomatism in the subarc mantle wedge with the aqueous fluid/siliceous slab melt ratio decreasing away from 0.5°S. Subduction of a younger and warmer oceanic crust in the Northern part of the arc might promote slab melting. Conversely, the subduction of a colder oceanic crust south of the Grijalva Fracture Zone and higher crustal assimilation lead to the reduction of slab contribution in southern part of the arc.
Using Modern Photogrammetric Techniques to Map Historical Shorelines and Analyze Shoreline Change Rates: Case Study on Bodie Island, North Carolina.

ZINK, JASON MICHAEL. Using Modern Photogrammetric Techniques to Map Historical Shorelines and Analyze Shoreline Change Rates: Case Study on Bodie Island, North Carolina. (Under the direction of Dr. Margery F. Overton.) The efficacy of coastal development regulations in North Carolina is dependent on accurately calculated shoreline erosion rates. North Carolina’s current methodology for regulatory erosion rate calculation does not take advantage of emerging GIS, photogrammetric, and engineering technologies. Traditionally, historical shoreline positions from a database created in the 1970s have been coupled with a modern shoreline position to calculate erosion rates. The photos from which these historical shorelines come were subject to errors of tilt, variable scale, lens distortion, and relief displacement. Most of these errors could be removed using modern photogrammetric methods. In this study, an effort was made to acquire and rectify, using digital image processing, prints of the original historical photography for Bodie Island, North Carolina. The photography was rectified using the latest available desktop photogrammetry technology. Digitized shorelines were then compared to shorelines of similar date created without the benefit of this modern technology. Uncertainty associated with shoreline positions was documented throughout the process. It was found that the newly created shorelines were significantly different than their counterparts created with analog means. Many factors caused this difference, including: choice of basemaps, number of tie points between photos, quality of ground control points, method of photo correction, and shoreline delineation technique. Using both linear regression and the endpoint method, a number of erosion rates were calculated with the available shorelines. Despite the differences in position of shorelines of the same date, some of the calculated erosion rates were not significantly different. Specifically, the rate found using all available shorelines prior to this study was very similar to the rate found using all shorelines created in this study. As a result of this and other factors, it was concluded that a complete reproduction of North Carolina’s historical shoreline database may not be warranted. The new rectification procedure does have obvious value, and should be utilized in those locations where there is no existing historical data, or where existing data is thought to be of poor quality. This would especially be the case near inlets or other historically unpopulated areas. Using Modern Photogrammetric Techniques to Map Historical Shorelines and Analyze Shoreline Change Rates: Case Study on Bodie Island, North Carolina
A Comparison Between Two Different Definitions of Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury for Long-Term Mortality in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Coronary Angiography

Background Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is a prevalent complication following coronary angiography (CAG). However, there is ongoing controversy surrounding its precise definition. Although previous studies have demonstrated the successful application of appropriate definitions in managing high-risk CA-AKI patients, there remains limited research on the association between different definitions and prognosis specifically in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods A total of 4197 CKD patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) were included in this study. Two definitions of contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) were used: CA-AKIA, which was defined as an increase of ≥0.5 mg/dL or >25% in serum creatinine (SCr) from baseline within 72 hours after CAG, and CA-AKIB, which was defined as an increase of ≥0.3 mg/dL or >50% in SCr from baseline within 48 hours after CAG. Cox regression analysis was employed to assess the association between these two definitions and long-term mortality. Additionally, population attributable risks (PARs) were calculated to evaluate the impact of CA-AKI definitions on long-term prognosis. Results During the median follow-up period of 4.70 (2.50–7.78) years, the overall long-term mortality was 23.6%, and the long-term mortality in patients with CA-AKI according to both CA-AKIA and CA-AKIB criteria were 33.5% and 33.8%, respectively. We found that CA-AKIA (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.23–1.70, p<0.001) and CA-AKIB (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.23–1.69, p<0.001) were associated with long-term mortality. The PARs were the highest for CA-AKIA (5.87%), followed by CA-AKIB (5.70%). Conclusion Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is a frequently observed complication in CKD patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG), and both definitions of CA-AKI are significantly correlated with a poor long-term prognosis. Consequently, in the clinical management of CKD patients, it is crucial to prioritize CA-AKI, irrespective of the specific CA-AKI definition used.
Study of the Bacterial, Fungal, and Archaeal Communities Structures near the Bulgarian Antarctic Research Base “St. Kliment Ohridski” on Livingston Island, Antarctica

As belonging to one of the most isolated continents on our planet, the microbial composition of different environments in Antarctica could hold a plethora of undiscovered species with the potential for biotechnological applications. This manuscript delineates our discoveries after an expedition to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base “St. Kliment Ohridski” situated on Livingston Island, Antarctica. Amplicon-based metagenomics targeting the 16S rRNA genes and ITS2 region were employed to assess the metagenomes of the bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities across diverse sites within and proximal to the research station. The predominant bacterial assemblages identified included Oxyphotobacteria, Bacteroidia, Gammaprotobacteria, and Alphaprotobacteria. A substantial proportion of cyanobacteria reads were attributed to a singular uncultured taxon within the family Leptolyngbyaceae. The bacterial profile of a lagoon near the base exhibited indications of penguin activity, characterized by a higher abundance of Clostridia, similar to lithotelm samples from Hannah Pt. Although most fungal reads in the samples could not be identified at the species level, noteworthy genera, namely Betamyces and Tetracladium, were identified. Archaeal abundance was negligible, with prevalent groups including Woesearchaeales, Nitrosarchaeum, Candidatus Nitrosopumilus, and Marine Group II.
Gauss–Newton With Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient Magnetotelluric Inversion for 3-D Axial Anisotropic Conductivities

We present a regularized inversion method for 3-D magnetotelluric (MT) data with axial anisotropic conductivities based on the edge-based finite element (FE) method. The Gauss–Newton (GN) approach is used to minimize the inversion objective function, including data misfit and regularization penalties, considering both structural complexity and anisotropic penalties. The most time-intensive task in the 3-D MT inversion process is solving the large sparse system of linear equations. To speed up the inversion calculation, a hybrid direct–iterative solver combined with a block-diagonal preconditioner that has not yet been applied in anisotropic inversion is developed to accelerate the solutions for the sparse linear system resulting from forward modeling and sensitivity computations. In each GN iteration, a preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) method is adopted to overcome the difficulty in the sensitivity matrix storage for the anisotropic scene and obtain a model update without explicitly calculating and storing the sensitivity matrix. Before the inversion test, we use a model to demonstrate that the hybrid solver is computationally beneficial in terms of memory usage and time spent when compared with the direct solver. The good convergence properties and efficiency of the Gauss–Newton with the conjugate gradient (GN–PCG) inversion scheme are demonstrated by two synthetic models and USArray data. The proposed inversion scheme can be an important supplement to existing anisotropic inversion algorithms and provide technical support for MT data interpretation.
Probiotics’ Effects in the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression: A Comprehensive Review of 2014–2023 Clinical Trials

Changes in the gut microbiome can affect cognitive and psychological functions via the microbiota–gut–brain (MGB) axis. Probiotic supplements are thought to have largely positive effects on mental health when taken in sufficient amounts; however, despite extensive research having been conducted, there is a lack of consistent findings on the effects of probiotics on anxiety and depression and the associated microbiome alterations. The aim of our study is to systematically review the most recent literature of the last 10 years in order to clarify whether probiotics could actually improve depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results indicate that the majority of the most recent literature suggests a beneficial role of probiotics in the treatment of depression and anxiety, despite the existence of a substantial number of less positive findings. Given probiotics’ potential to offer novel, personalized treatment options for mood disorders, further, better targeted research in psychiatric populations is needed to address concerns about the exact mechanisms of probiotics, dosing, timing of treatment, and possible differences in outcomes depending on the severity of anxiety and depression.
Consumer awareness and search trends for agrifood products certified with European Quality Schemes: PDO, PGI, and TSG - An analysis through Google Trends

This groundbreaking study leverages Google Trends to probe into consumer awareness of Romanian food products certified under European quality schemes, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG), delivering prompt insights and addressing an existing research void. By adopting an innovative methodology through big data analytics - Google Trends and analyzing 12 sets of search terms, this study brings fresh insights to academic discourse and provides valuable information for marketers and policymakers. Prominent search interest was detected for 'Salam de Sibiu', ‘Plăcintă dobrogeană', and 'Magiun de prune Topoloveni', pointing to significant consumer familiarity. The study also unveiled regional search patterns, signifying location-based preferences, and potential marketing prospects. However, a marked contrast was found between the high interest in the products and the relatively low awareness of their European quality labels, highlighting a need for enhanced communication initiatives around these certifications. The study could be limited by its focus on Romanian certified food products, which may not be applicable to other geographical contexts. Future research endeavours may also seek to integrate data from Google Trends data with additional indicators of consumer behaviour.
Balancing acts of kindness: Reassessing the relationship between informal helping and formal volunteering

Although time is a finite resource, much sociological research suggests a positive association between engagement in informal helping activities and formal volunteering. However, it remains unclear whether this relationship is causal and, if so, in which direction the causality runs. To address these issues, I draw on two-wave panel data from Denmark. Using a cross-lagged panel model, I find no evidence that formal volunteering hours affect informal helping activities. However, in the reverse direction, I find evidence of a right-skewed inverse U-shaped relationship. Specifically, the time individuals dedicate to formal volunteering marginally increases with time allocated to informal helping activities, but only as long as their informal helping obligations remain modest. However, once these informal helping obligations reach approximately 20 hours, the time individuals spend on formal volunteering decreases with informal helping hours. These findings suggest that even exceptionally helpful individuals, often referred to as “super-helpers,” must balance their acts of kindness and their available time and energy. Moreover, I argue that while many people are motivated to engage in formal volunteering to benefit others, those with family and friends requiring assistance tend to prioritize these responsibilities before volunteering.