Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversity of Phytosterols in Leaves of Wild Brassicaceae Species as Compared to Brassica napus Cultivars: Potential Traits for Insect Resistance and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Phytosterols are natural compounds found in all higher plants that have a wide variety of roles in plant growth regulation and stress tolerance. The phytosterol composition can also influence the development and reproductive rate of strict herbivorous insects and other important agronomic traits such as temperature and drought tolerance in plants. In this study, we analysed the phytosterol composition in 18 Brassica napus (Rapeseed/canola) cultivars and 20 accessions belonging to 10 related wild Brassicaceae species to explore diverse and novel phytosterol profiles. Plants were grown in a controlled phytotron environment and their phytosterols were analysed using a saponification extraction method followed by GC-MS from the leaf samples. The B. napus cultivars showed slight diversity in eight phytosterols (>0.02%) due to the genotypic effect, whereas the wild accessions showed significant variability in their phytosterol profiles. Of interest, a number of wild accessions were found with high levels of campesterol (HIN20, HIN23, HUN27, HIN30, SARS2, and UPM6563), stigmasterol (UPM6813, UPM6563, ALBA17, and ALBA2), and isofucosterol (SARS12, SAR6, and DMU2). These changes in individual phytosterols, or ratios of phytosterols, can have a significant implication in plant tolerance to abiotic stress and plant insect resistance properties, which can be used in breeding for crop improvement.
The Novel Role of Phage Particles in Chronic Liver Diseases

The gut microbiome is made up of bacteria, fungi, viruses and archaea, all of which are closely related with human health. As the main component of enterovirus, the role of bacteriophages (phages) in chronic liver disease has been gradually recognized. Chronic liver diseases, including alcohol-related liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, exhibit alterations of the enteric phages. Phages shape intestinal bacterial colonization and regulate bacterial metabolism. Phages adjoining to intestinal epithelial cells prevent bacteria from invading the intestinal barrier, and mediate intestinal inflammatory response. Phages are also observed increasing intestinal permeability and migrating to peripheral blood and organs, likely contributing to inflammatory injury in chronic liver diseases. By preying on harmful bacteria, phages can improve the gut microbiome of patients with chronic liver disease and thus act as an effective treatment method.
Effect of Duct-Rotor Aerodynamic Interactions on Blade Design for Hover and Axial Flight

Computational analysis of several ducted rotor systems is performed to determine the effect of rotor inflow on thrust generation in hover and axial flight. An outboard-biased rotor inflow has been shown to increase the performance of a hovering ducted rotor system. The duct-rotor aerodynamic interactions and their resulting effects on rotor inflow are studied to provide insights on duct-rotor design. Multiple duct-rotor configurations are studied using high-fidelity CFD in hover and axial flight for various twist distributions and increasing rotor collective values. Performance and efficiency gains are shown for multiple duct-rotor configurations in hover. Rotor inflow calculations show an outboard bias that allows rotors to be operated more efficiently for a range of collective angles. Benefits of outboard-biased rotor inflow in axial flight for a fixed collective were minimal. This analysis shows the extent to which performance and efficiency benefits are achieved for a ducted rotor based on the behavior of rotor inflow.
The Effects of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors on Neurogenesis

In the mammalian brain, neurogenesis is maintained throughout adulthood primarily in two typical niches, the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and in other nonclassic neurogenic areas (e.g., the amygdala and striatum). During prenatal and early postnatal development, neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiate into neurons and migrate to appropriate areas such as the olfactory bulb where they integrate into existing neural networks; these phenomena constitute the multistep process of neurogenesis. Alterations in any of these processes impair neurogenesis and may even lead to brain dysfunction, including cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. Here, we first summarize the main properties of mammalian neurogenic niches to describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis. Accumulating evidence indicates that neurogenesis plays an integral role in neuronal plasticity in the brain and cognition in the postnatal period. Given that neurogenesis can be highly modulated by a number of extrinsic and intrinsic factors, we discuss the impact of extrinsic (e.g., alcohol) and intrinsic (e.g., hormones) modulators on neurogenesis. Additionally, we provide an overview of the contribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to persistent neurological sequelae such as neurodegeneration, neurogenic defects and accelerated neuronal cell death. Together, our review provides a link between extrinsic/intrinsic factors and neurogenesis and explains the possible mechanisms of abnormal neurogenesis underlying neurological disorders.
Myopia Control Efficacy and Long-Term Safety of a Novel Orthokeratology Lens (MESOK Study)—A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Combining Clinical and Tear Proteomics Data

Myopia control efficacy and long-term safety of the Breath-O-Correct orthokeratology (OK) lens was evaluated in a 2-year randomized, single vision (SV) spectacle lens-controlled, single-blind clinical trial combining clinical and tear proteomics data. A total of 71 children (43 OK, 9.8 ± 1.3 years; 28 SV, 9.5 ± 1.4 years) completed the 2-year study. Axial length (AL), cycloplegic refraction, clinical safety parameters (best-corrected visual acuity, central cornea thickness, corneal endothelial health, ocular surface disease index), and quantitative tear proteomics were evaluated by masked examiners. Mean 2-year-normalized AL elongations in the OK and SV groups differed significantly (p = 0.03) and were 0.37 ± 0.37 mm and 0.60 ± 0.41 mm, respectively. OK-mediated myopia control efficacy was 37.1%. No significant difference was found in clinical safety parameters of both groups (p > 0.10), except for a thinner central corneal thickness in the OK group (p = 0.01). Proteomics revealed modest OK lens-mediated effects on immune response proteins, including an increased abundance of haptoglobin at 6 and 12 months and a decreased abundance of two proteins (neutrophil defensin 3 and histone 4) at 6 months. The changes were further validated using a high-resolution multiple-reaction monitoring (MRMHR) mass spectrometry. In summary, the Breath-O-Correct OK lens significantly reduced AL elongation in schoolchildren without adverse clinical effects or subclinical inflammatory responses.
Language Models for Multimessenger Astronomy

With the increasing reliance of astronomy on multi-instrument and multi-messenger observations for detecting transient phenomena, communication among astronomers has become more critical. Apart from automatic prompt follow-up observations, short reports, e.g., GCN circulars and ATels, provide essential human-written interpretations and discussions of observations. These reports lack a defined format, unlike machine-readable messages, making it challenging to associate phenomena with specific objects or coordinates in the sky. This paper examines the use of large language models (LLMs)—machine learning models with billions of trainable parameters or more that are trained on text—such as InstructGPT-3 and open-source Flan-T5-XXL for extracting information from astronomical reports. The study investigates the zero-shot and few-shot learning capabilities of LLMs and demonstrates various techniques to improve the accuracy of predictions. The study shows the importance of careful prompt engineering while working with LLMs, as demonstrated through edge case examples. The study’s findings have significant implications for the development of data-driven applications for astrophysical text analysis.
The Monte Carlo Study on FPAR

For the missing carbon sink problem,terrestrial ecosystems are recognized as the biggest unknown field. Thus,to determine the role of terrestrial ecosystems in the global carbon cycle and understand its short-and long-term dynamics is a matter of high practical and scientific importance.Remote sensing has been attached increasingly more attention regarding the regional or global scale net primary production(NPP)estimation.The light-use efficiency model elaborated by Monteith has been widely used to estimate NPP based on remotely sensed data.In those NPP models based on remotely sensed images,NPP can be represented as the light-use efficiency multiplying absorbed photosynthetically active radiation.The absorbed photosynthetically active radiation is linear to the fraction of incident photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation(FPAR). So FPAR is a very important parameter in the NPP model.For the exist- ing remote sensed NPP models,FPAR is calculated respectively from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) used in Glo-PEM NPP model and Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI)in VMP model,so it is influenced by VI characteris- tic property,which VI varies with view angle and bands of sensors.In fact,According to its definition,FPAR only depends on the solar incident angle and the canopy parameters.In this paper,Monte Carlo algorithm will be used to simu- late the radiance transfer process in canopy.In this paper,the spherical distribution of leaf angle distribution is taken as an example.On the one hand,we can get the function of bidirectional reflectance distribution at different wavelength, which can be used to calculate the vegetation index,such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)used in Glo- PEM NPP model and Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI)in VMP model.So the VIs can be used to study the property of FPAR value applied in Glo-PEM and VMP model.On the other hand,the Monte Carlo algorithm can be directly applied to simulate the fraction of active radiance absorbed by canopy,which is the FPAR.After the simulation of FPAR at differ- ent wavelength between 400-70Ohm,an averaged FPAR is integrated.It has been proved that the FPAR is function from solar zenith angle for the research of the leaf area index and the leaf angle distribution.Our simulated results show that the FPAR increases with the solar zenith angle,but the increasing range of FPAR depends on LAI.But when the LAI is up to 5,the FPAR is getting saturation and the FPAR changes smoothly with different solar zenith angles.The simulated results also show that the FPAR variations with LAI depend on solar zenith angle.For example,when solar zenith angle is set at a low value I0,the FPAR is saturated while LAI is up to 7.But when solar zenith angle is set at a big value,for example 70 degree,FAPR is easily saturated when LAI is getting to 3.Our simulated results also show FPAR does not dependent on view angle.It is consistent with definition of FPAR,which is defined as the fraction of incident solar energy between wavelength of 400 nm and 700 nm absorbed by canopy.
Category-Level Assignment for Cross-Domain Semantic Segmentation in Remote Sensing Images

Deep learning-based semantic segmentation has made great progress in understanding very-high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images (RSIs). However, large-scale applications are still limited. The main reason is that diverse imaging modes and geographical differences make it difficult to transfer a model trained in the source domain to the target domain. To solve this problem, unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) for VHR RSIs has received some attention, but the accuracy of cross-domain semantic segmentation still needs to be improved. Currently, one reasonable proposal for improving accuracy is to take a close look at the category-level information. In this article, we reveal an integer programming mechanism for modeling the category-level relationship between the source and target domains. The mechanism is based on the solution of the assignment problem, and thus, the proposed method is called category-level assignment for UDA (ClA-UDA). In ClA-UDA, a category-level assignment problem with additional constraints is defined for UDA tasks, and the solution is provided. Based on the solution, an assignment-based image-to-image transferring algorithm (AIT) is first proposed to transfer the source-domain images based on the style of the target-domain images. AIT minimizes a weighted discrepancy and provides an analytical solution for the transfer. Two assignment-based alignment losses are then introduced to align the source and target domains based on the category-level relationship in a concise way. To validate the performance of ClA-UDA, three VHR RSI datasets are employed, and six UDA tasks are designed. Extensive experiments are conducted, and the results demonstrate the superiority of ClA-UDA compared with the existing methods.
The Use of Qualitative Methods to Guide the Development of the Border Resilience Scale in a Participatory Research Study

U.S.-Mexico border residents experience pervasive social and ecological stressors that contribute to a high burden of chronic disease. However, the border region is primarily composed of high-density Mexican-origin neighborhoods, a characteristic that is most commonly health-promoting. Understanding factors that contribute to border stress and resilience is essential to informing the effective design of community-level health promotion strategies. La Vida en La Frontera is a mixed-methods, participatory study designed to understand factors that may contribute to border resilience in San Luis, Arizona. The study’s initial qualitative phase included interviews with 30 Mexican-origin adults exploring community perceptions of the border environment, cross-border ties, and health-related concepts. Border residents described the border as a Mexican enclave characterized by individuals with a common language and shared cultural values and perspectives. Positive characteristics related to living in proximity to Mexico included close extended family relationships, access to Mexican food and products, and access to more affordable health care and other services. Based on these findings, we co-designed the 9-item Border Resilience Scale that measures agreement with the psychosocial benefits of these border attributes. Pilot data with 60 residents suggest there are positive sociocultural attributes associated with living in border communities. Further research should test if they mitigate environmental stressors and contribute to a health-promoting environment for residents.
Association between Platelet Transfusion and Delirium in Critically Ill Children

Delirium is a frequent, serious, and preventable complication in critically ill children. Inflammation has been implicated as a mechanism for the development of delirium. Platelet transfusions may potentiate the body’s pro-inflammatory responses. We hypothesized that receipt of platelets would be associated with delirium development in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We performed a single-center retrospective cohort analysis including children admitted to the PICU between 2014 and 2018 who were transfused platelets within the first 14 days of admission. Data obtained included severity of illness, level of respiratory support, exposure to medications and blood products, as well as daily cognitive status. To account for time-dependent confounding, a marginal structural model (MSM) was constructed to delineate the relationship between platelet transfusion and next-day delirium. MSM demonstrated a 75% increase in the development of next-day delirium after transfusion of platelets (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.03–2.97). For every 1 cc/kg of platelet transfused, odds of next-day delirium increased by 9% (odds ratio 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.51). We reported an independent association between platelet transfusion and next-day delirium/coma after accounting for time-dependent confounders, with a dose–response effect. Minimizing platelet transfusions as much as clinically feasible may decrease delirium risk in critically ill children.
Ziv-aflibercept in Diabetic Macular Edema: Relation of Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness with Visual and Anatomical Outcomes

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of intravitreal ziv-aflibercept injections (IVZ) on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) as well as on central macular thickness (CMT) and on best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changes in eyes with center-involved diabetic macular edema (CI-DME). Methods Fifty-seven eyes of 36 patients with CI-DME were included in this prospective interventional case series. Structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and enhanced depth imaging OCT were performed at baseline followed by three monthly 1.25 mg IVZ injections. Changes of SCT, CMT, and BCVA at each follow-up session were assessed. The association between baseline SCT and its monthly changes with final visual and anatomical outcomes were also assessed. Results CMT at baseline, and at the first, second, and third month follow-up sessions were 396 ± 119, 344 ± 115, 305 ± 89, and 296 ± 101 μm, respectively (P-value < 0.001). SCT at baseline, and at months one, two, and three were 236 ± 47, 245 ± 56, 254 ± 54, and 241 ± 54 μm, respectively (P-value > 0.99). Corresponding figures for BCVA were 0.58 ± 0.29, 0.47 ± 0.31, 0.4 ± 0.24, and 0.37 ± 0.23 LogMAR, respectively (P-value < 0.001). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between BCVA and CMT changes following IVZ injections (P-value < 0.001). However, there were no significant correlations between SCT changes and visual acuity (VA) and CMT changes following IVZ injections. Conclusion IVZ improved visual outcomes and macular thickness profiles in patients with CI-DME. However, IVZ had no significant effect on SCT. Baseline SCT and its monthly changes had no association with visual and anatomical outcomes.
Cardiometabolic Effects of Cabergoline and Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills in Young Women with Hyperprolactinemia: A Pilot Study

Although dopaminergic agents are the drugs of choice in treatment of prolactin excess, women who cannot be treated with these agents are recommended to receive estrogen preparations. The aim of this study was to compare cardiometabolic effects of both treatment options. The study population included three groups of young women. Subjects with mild-to-moderate hyperprolactinemia received either low-dose cabergoline or oral combined contraceptives (ethinyl estradiol plus desogestrel), while normoprolactinemic women were drug-naive. Plasma prolactin, glucose homeostasis markers, lipids, circulating levels of uric acid, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen and homocysteine, and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were assessed at entry and six months later. Hyperprolactinemic women differed from normoprolactinemic ones in glucose homeostasis markers, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, hsCRP, fibrinogen, homocysteine and UACR. Cabergoline decreased total and monomeric prolactin levels, which was accompanied by normalization of glucose, insulin sensitivity, glycated hemoglobin, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, hsCRP, fibrinogen, homocysteine and UACR. Despite a neutral effect on prolactin levels, combined contraceptives worsened insulin sensitivity and increased triglycerides, hsCRP, fibrinogen and UACR. At follow-up, cabergoline-treated women were characterized by a better cardiometabolic profile than women receiving ethinyl estradiol plus desogestrel. Our findings suggest that only cabergoline reduces cardiometabolic risk in young women with hyperprolactinemia.
Mathematics teachers’ conceptual knowledge about and for teaching quadrilaterals

The aim of the article is to analyze the conceptual knowledge of a group of mathematics teachers about quadrilaterals and the way they practice their teaching. We conducted exploratory research with 23 teachers who answered an online questionnaire, whose results we analyzed descriptively and categorically. The best-known characteristic of quadrilaterals was that it is a plane figure and the least known was that it is a simple figure. Notable quadrilaterals were mentioned more than irregular shapes. In addition, the presence of irrelevant attributes such as thick line and being rotated made it difficult to recognize some figures. In teaching quadrilaterals (n = 17), four teachers would act as expositors of their ideas. Two teachers would not address the non-examples. Eleven teachers would deal with examples and non-examples. In conclusion, training is needed to understand other examples, non-examples and irrelevant attributes to teach in a way that promotes conceptual development.
A fuzzy discrete harmony search algorithm applied to annual cost reduction in radial distribution systems

Similarly to other optimization algorithms, harmony search (HS) is quite sensitive to the tuning parameters. Several variants of the HS algorithm have been developed to decrease the parameter-dependency character of HS. This article proposes a novel version of the discrete harmony search (DHS) algorithm, namely fuzzy discrete harmony search (FDHS), for optimizing capacitor placement in distribution systems. In the FDHS, a fuzzy system is employed to dynamically adjust two parameter values, i.e. harmony memory considering rate and pitch adjusting rate, with respect to normalized mean fitness of the harmony memory. The key aspect of FDHS is that it needs substantially fewer iterations to reach convergence in comparison with classical discrete harmony search (CDHS). To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first application of DHS to specify appropriate capacitor locations and their best amounts in the distribution systems. Simulations are provided for 10-, 34-, 85- and 141-bus distribution systems using CDHS and FDHS. The results show the effectiveness of FDHS over previous related studies.
Motion Control System for Industrial Scenarios Based on Electromagnetic Encoders

In this article, a complete system useful for the measurement of the absolute position, velocity, and acceleration of moving objects in industrial scenarios (such as conveyor transport devices, elevators, escalators, and other mechanical systems) is presented. The proposed system contains an electromagnetic encoder consisting of a pair of chains of metallic patches screen-printed on a rubber belt. In one of the chains (designated as clock/velocity chain), the patches are printed at predefined periodic positions. Such clock chain also generates the clock signal necessary to read the other chain (position chain), with patches either present (binary state “1”) or absent (binary state “0”) at their predefined positions. The system includes a reader based on a transmission line with three resonators etched on the ground plane and fed with three harmonic signals. Such three elements are complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs), which are sensitive to the presence of patches at short distance on top of them, and therefore, they are used to detect the patches as the encoder moves with regard to the reader. By encoder motion, the patches generate three amplitude modulation (AM) signals, providing the velocity (and acceleration), the absolute encoder position, and the motion direction. A prototype system, including the encoder, the reader, and the associated electronics, is designed, fabricated, and validated.