Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSESSING MARINE LITTER AT KAMCHIYA-SHKORPILOVTSI BEACH: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ABUNDANCE, DENSITY AND COMPOSITION

Marine litter is a significant and growing environmental problem with global implications, affecting oceans and seas. This study analyzes marine litter's composition and density, specifically at Kamchiya-Shkorpilovtsi, the longest beach on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The monitoring period from 2018 to 2022 covers an area of 7645 m2. To effectively study the area, it was divided into four monitoring transects: Kamchiya- Mouth, Kamchiya-South (Novo Oryahovo Beach), Shkorpilovtsi, and Shkorpilovtsi- South. During the study, a DJI Phantom RTK was utilized to create a high-resolution raster orthomosaic, aiding in identifying marine litter (ML). A total of 8892 items were identified and classified into eight categories: "Artificial polymer materials" (81.94% of total items), "Rubber" (0.74%), "Cloth/Textile" (0.72%), "Paper/Cardboard" (8.37%), "Processed wood" (1.79%), "Metal" (2.87%), "Glass/Ceramics" (3.19%), and "Unidentified" (0.38%). The density of litter was estimated to be 0.24 items per square meter. In terms of abundance, the highest count of ML was recorded in 2021, with 3250 items, which coincided with the pandemic situation in Bulgaria. Throughout the monitoring period, artificial polymer materials constituted the majority, accounting for 82% of the litter. The most prevalent types of marine beach litter were cigarette butts, plastic and polystyrene fragments, industrial packaging, plastic cups and rings, as well as beach-related cosmetic bottles and containers like sunblocks, nets, and net pieces. The cleanliness of Kamchiya-Shkorpilovtsi Beach was assessed using the Clean Coast Index, which classified it as "Clean" with a score of 4.77. Additionally, this study introduced the Plastic Abundance Index (PAI) as a comprehensive measure to evaluate pollution caused by marine debris. The results of the PAI analysis yielded a value of 1.49, classifying Kamchiya-Shkorpilovtsi beach as falling into the "Moderate" type in terms of the number of plastic items in sampling units. This indicates a significant presence of plastics in the beach environment.
Pre- to post-Cordilleran transposition history of Joss Mountain: Insights into the exhumation of the Shuswap complex, southeastern Canadian Cordillera

We present new multiscale structural, mineral chemical, and U-Pb isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) data in order to unravel part of the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Shuswap complex in the southern Canadian Cordillera. We reconstructed the pressure-temperature-deformation-time ( P - T - d - t ) history of the Joss Mountain domain within the Shuswap complex. The west-dipping Greenbush shear zone separates the Joss Mountain domain from the structurally lower Thor-Odin culmination to the east, the southern culmination of the Monashee complex, and one of the structurally deepest parts of the Shuswap complex. At Joss Mountain, the protolith of an orthogneiss crystallized at ca. 360 Ma which is consistent with Late Devonian arc magmatism along the western paleomargin of North America. Joss Mountain metasedimentary rocks and orthogneiss were transposed at ∼21–29 km depth over a period of at least 20 m.y. , and possibly more than 38 m.y. , during Late Cretaceous to Paleocene mature stages of Cordilleran continental collision. This mature collision took place while slow detachment of the subducted oceanic lithosphere occurred and thermal conditions were approaching those of a crust undergoing postorogenic thermal relaxation. Transposition at Joss Mountain ended earlier and exhumation started earlier than in the Monashee complex. Exhumation occurred under conditions of near-isothermal decompression and geothermal gradients consistent with lithospheric thinning. Earlier and slower exhumation of the Joss Mountain domain than of the adjacent northwestern Thor-Odin culmination may have resulted from normal movement along the Greenbush shear zone contributing to the exhumation of the Shuswap complex.
High‐resolution observations of the intensity of secondary circulation along a curved tidal channel

[1] High horizontal resolution moving vessel acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) observations of the spatial pattern of cross-stream velocities in a curved tidal channel show radially outward surface velocities up to 10 cm s−1 which are maximum midchannel, consistent with helical secondary flow in a vertical plane normal to the depth-averaged velocity. The 30-m-cross- and 150-m-along-channel resolution observations are from a 2700-m-long section of a 350-m-wide horizontally and vertically well mixed tidal channel with a radius of curvature 1–5 km. The along-channel resolution allows the intensity of the curvature induced secondary flow to be estimated from the linear correlation between the observed cross-channel component of vertical shear and the shear estimated from the streamwise velocity and its varying curvature using an existing analytic model. The two shears are highly correlated and the regression line slope demonstrates that the observed curvature induced secondary flow is 30% more intense than that predicted by the model for a typical bottom drag coefficient. The secondary flow is 50% more intense than that predicted using the drag coefficient which best fits the streamwise velocity profile. Numerical solutions demonstrate that the intensity of the secondary flow is sensitive to small changes in the shape of the eddy viscosity profile; hence intensity may be sensitive to the way turbulence is modeled. Lagged correlation of the observations showed that the secondary flow adapts to changes in curvature and primary flow over a 300-m length scale, or 20 water depths, consistent with the existing model and laboratory studies.
Evaluation of C-band SAR data for wetlands mapping

This publication reports results of an experiment carried out to examine the potential of polarimetric C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for mapping various wetland classes found in the Mer Bleue region (near Ottawa, Canada). The Mer Bleue region was surveyed by the C-band (5.3 GHz) polarimetric (HH, HV, VH, VV) SAR of the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) at three times within the vegetation season: 16 June (spring flush for vegetation), 6 July (mature growth stage for vegetation) and 3 October 1995 (senescence). Signatures of six different cover types (forested and nonforested peat bog, marsh, open water, clearing and forests) have been derived as a function of incidence angle. Separability between various classes was used to determine the relationships between season(s) and polarization(s) needed to differentiate various wetland classes. A supervised classification was used for wetlands mapping by means of multipolarization data. These investigations demonstrate some of the capabilities of SAR at C-band for mapping wetlands. The cross-polarization data provided the best separation between the observed classes. The October dataset was better suited for discriminating between the classes present than the other periods observed. The overall accuracies of the classification are 73% for June, 73% for July and 86% for October. Classification using a single polarization has been investigated and the results have shown that the HH and cross-polarizations are better than VV polarization. For October, the percentage of all pixels correctly classified is 74% for HH polarization, 76% for cross-polarization, and 59% for VV polarization. Investigations were carried out to determine whether temporal changes can be used to increase the information content of single polarization C-band SAR data, which are now available from ERS-2 and RADARSAT satellites. They demonstrated that the use of multitemporal data acquired in June, July and October do not provide a substantial amelioration of the classification of wetlands when the differentiation is not possible in any single period.
Golden thistle (Scolymus hispanicus L.) hydromethanolic extracts ameliorated glucose absorption and inflammatory markers in vitro

Abstract Golden thistle (GT, Scolymus hispanicus L.) is an edible plant native to the Mediterranean. Several activities have been reported for the GT, as it is used for traditional medicinal purposes in some cultures. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of GT crude extract on phenolic bioavailability, antidiabetic, and anti‐inflammatory activities by using colonic epithelium (CaCo‐2) and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7) cell lines. The CaCo‐2 cells were grown on the bicameral membrane system for intestinal bioavailability and glucose efflux. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.5 μg/mL) was used to induce systemic inflammation on RAW 264.7. The inflammatory medium of RAW 264.7 cells was given to Caco‐2 cells to mimic colonic inflammation. Our results showed that 5‐o‐caffeoylquinic acid had an apparent permeability of (1.82 ± 0.07) × 10−6 cm/s after 6 h. The extract lowered the glucose efflux by 39.4%–42.6%, in addition to the reductions in relative GLUT2 mRNA expressions by 49%–66% in pre‐ and co‐treatments (p < .05). Decreases in systemic inflammation markers of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were also detected in 30%–45% range after pre‐treatments with the GT extract (p < .05). Lastly, colonic inflammation markers of IL‐6 and IL‐8 were reduced by 8.7%–19.5% as a result of GT pre‐treatments (p < .05). Thus, an in vitro investigation of GT extract revealed promising results on antidiabetic and anti‐inflammatory activities.
Influence of Seagrasses on Water Quality in Shallow Regions of the Lower Chesapeake Bay

Abstract The influence of seagrasses on water quality was investigated seasonally from permanent stations located along transects across vegetated and formerly vegetated sites in shoal regions of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia. The effect of the seagrass bed on conditions inside compared to outside the bed varied seasonally and could be related to bed biomass and development. During spring (April to June), the rapidly growing seagrass bed was a sink for nutrients, suspended inorganic particles, and phytoplankton, whereas during the summer, as bed dieback progressed, resuspension and release of nutrients were observed. Reductions in suspended particle concentrations and light attenuation were generally not measurable until bed biomass exceeded 50–100 gdm/m2 or 25–50% vegetative cover. During April, when nitrate levels in adjacent channel waters were observed to be highest (>10 μM), rapid uptake, equivalent to 48% of nitrogen requirements for seagrass growth, reduced inorganic nitrogen standing stocks by 73% within the bed compared to outside of it. An unvegetated site that previously supported seagrass demonstrated little capacity to reduce measurable levels of suspended particles or nutrients, and resuspension of bottom sediments contributed to higher levels of suspended particle concentrations and turbidity in the unvegetated shallows compared to adjacent waters. The capacity of seagrass beds to improve local water-quality conditions, such as turbidity and nutrients, during the spring when suspended particle concentrations are highest may be key to their continued long-term survival in this lower bay region. High levels of spring turbidity, which have been related to seagrass declines in this area, can be mediated by dense seagrass structure, but largely unvegetated areas are unlikely to modify conditions to permit survival of first-year recruits or transplants through the summer. Therefore, water-quality conditions that are suitable for recovery are likely greater than those required for continued survival of existing seagrass beds. Given this, statistically derived estimates of water-quality conditions or habitat requirements that are usually obtained from measurements in areas adjacent to existing seagrass beds should be used with caution. Although suitable for predicting the maintenance of existing beds with adequate biomass and structure, they may underestimate the levels needed for restoration and recovery of many currently unvegetated sites.
A Comparison of the Meat Quality, Nutritional Composition, Carcass Traits, and Fiber Characteristics of Different Muscular Tissues between Aged Indigenous Chickens and Commercial Laying Hens

The aim of this study is to assess the differences in the meat quality, nutritional composition, carcass traits, and myofiber characteristics between Hy-Line grey chickens (HLG, commercial breed) and Guangyuan grey chickens (GYG, indigenous breed). A total of 20 55-week-old chickens were selected for slaughter. The HLG exhibited a larger carcass weight, breast muscle weight, and abdominal fat weight (p < 0.05). The GYG exhibited a higher crude protein content, lower shear force, and smaller fiber size in the thigh muscles, whereas the HLG presented higher pH values and lower inosine-5′-monophosphate content in the breast muscles (p < 0.05). Darker meat based on higher redness and yellowness values was observed in the GYG instead of the HLG (p < 0.05). The research results also revealed parameter differences between different muscle types. Simultaneously, a correlation analysis showed significant correlations between the meat quality traits and myofiber characteristics (p < 0.05). In conclusion, aged indigenous chickens perform better in terms of tenderness and nutritional value in the thigh muscles, and may exhibit a better flavor in the breast muscles, but have a smaller breast muscle weight. Therefore, the current investigation provides a theoretical basis for the different needs of consumers and the processing of meat from old laying hens.
Comparative Efficacy of Traditional Corticotomy and Flapless Piezotomy in Facilitating Orthodontic Tooth Movement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the effects of corticotomy and flapless piezocision on accelerated tooth movement. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search using a combination of controlled vocabulary (MeSH) and free-text terms was undertaken by two reviewers to identify published systematic reviews. Three major electronic databases (Medline via PubMed, Cochrane Database, and Embase) were searched up to 2 June 2023. Results: The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled standardized mean difference values of accumulative movement distances for flapless piezocision were 1.43 (95% CI, 0.38 to 2.48; p < 0.01), 1.09 (95% CI, −0.08 to 2.26; p = 0.07), and 0.73 (95% CI, −0.58 to 4.02; p = 0.14). The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that the pooled SMD values of accumulative movement distances for the corticotomy were 2.76 (95% CI, 0.18 to 5.34; p = 0.04), 1.43 (95% CI, −1.10 to 3.96; p = 0.27), and 4.78 (95% CI, −4.54 to 14.10; p = 0.32). Although the test for overall effectiveness was significant for piezocision and corticotomy, there were no significant differences between piezocision and corticotomy. Conclusions: The study determined that both conventional corticotomy and flapless piezosurgery are effective as adjuncts to orthodontic treatment. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the short-term effectiveness of canine retraction acceleration between conventional corticotomy and flapless piezocision. While piezocision may be a favorable option for orthodontic treatment, corticotomy can be considered in cases requiring additional procedures such as bone grafting.
Microsatellite unstable colorectal cancers are associated with increased CD1a- and CD83-positive dendritic cell infiltration

Abstract Microsatellite instability (MSI) is characterized by a highly immunogenic tumor phenotype and abundant lymphocytic infiltrates. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between four immunohistochemically determined classes of dendritic cells (DC) with microsatellite instability status of 258 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and to explore the possible role of those cells as prognostic factors for survival. We observed a distinct infiltration pattern of DCs both in tumor stroma (TS) and invasive front (IF), with DCs significantly prevailing in the IF (p < 0.0001). MSI cancer biopsies showed significantly higher infiltration of CD1a + and CD83+ DCs in the TS and IF compared to microsatellite stable CRCs. Survival analysis revealed that higher CD1a + and CD83+ DC numbers both in TS and IF correlated with longer survival of the patients after surgical therapy (p < 0.05, Log rank test). Cox multivariate analysis showed that lower infiltration with CD1a + DCs in TS (p = 0.039) and CD83+ DCs in IF (p = 0.022) was an independent prognostic factor for unfavorable outcome for CRC patients. The results of our study suggest that the immunohistochemically determined CD1a + and CD83+ DCs could be used as a feature of microsatellite instability and could be further explored as prognostic markers for patients’ outcome.
A new emergency during the latest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: access to healthcare services by patients with non-communicable diseases

Background The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare and the disease management of patients affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), by exploring, specifically, the obstacles encountered in the access to healthcare services during the latest phase of the pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among subjects attending the anti-SARS-CoV2 vaccination clinic in a Teaching Hospital of Southern Italy. To be included in the study, subjects had to be affected by at least one NCD, such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory and heart diseases, renal and liver chronic conditions, immunodeficiency disorders due to cancer, or being kidney or liver transplant recipients. Results Among the 553 subjects who completed the questionnaire, the 39.4% (95% IC = 35.3–43.6) experienced obstacles in the access to healthcare services in the six months prior to the enrollment. The most frequent canceled/postponed healthcare services were the visits for routine checks for NCDs (60.6, 95% IC = 53.9–67), control visits of more complex diseases as cancer or transplantation (17.3, 95% IC = 12.6–22.8), and scheduled surgery (11.5, 95% IC = 7.7–16.4). The patients who experienced canceled/postponed healthcare services were significantly more likely to suffer from 3 or more NCDs (p = 0.042), to be diabetics (p = 0.038), to have immunodeficiency disorders (p = 0.028) and to have consulted GP at least once (p = 0.004). Conclusion Our results appear to be fundamental for guiding the choices of providers in order to concentrate organizational efforts to recover and reschedule missed appointments, where applicable, of the most fragile patients by virtue of age and chronic conditions.
Immunogenicity and effectiveness of COVID-19 booster vaccination among people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The effect of booster vaccinations with the coronavirus virus disease (COVID-19) vaccine on people living with HIV (PLWH) remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the immunogenicity and effectiveness of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in PLWH. Methods Literature research was done through the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Review, and Web of Science databases up to 4 July 2023. Pooled estimates were calculated and compared using the DerSimonian and Laird method for a random effects model. Randomized control trials and observational studies were both considered for inclusion. Results We included 35 eligible studies covering 30,154 PLWH. The pooled immune response rate (IRR) of PLWH after the COVID-19 booster vaccination was 97.25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.81–99.49), and similar to healthy control (HC) (risk ratio [RR] = 0.98, 95% CI, 0.96–1.00). The pooled IRR for PLWH with CD4+ T-cell counts ≤ 200 was 86.27 (95% CI, 65.35–99.07). For Omicron variants, the pooled IRR for PLWH after booster dose was 74.07% (95% CI, 58.83–89.30), and the risk of IRR was reduced by 10% in PLWH compared with HC (RR = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.80–1.00). The T-cell immune response of PLWH was found to be comparable to HC (p ≥ 0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed that mRNA vaccines produced a relatively high IRR in PLWH compared to other vaccines. In addition, the results showed that booster vaccination appeared to further reduce the risk of COVID-19-related infections, hospitalizations, and deaths compared with the primary vaccination. Conclusion It was shown that booster vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine provided a high IRR in PLWH and still produced a desirable moderate IRR in PLWH with a CD4+ T-cell count of ≤ 200. Importantly, the humoral and T-cell responses to booster vaccination in PLWH were comparable to HC, and similar results were observed with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Our review strongly emphasizes the effect of mRNA vaccine booster vaccination in PLWH on eliciting desirable protective IRR. Furthermore, booster vaccination appears to further reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death in PLWH compared to primary vaccination. However, more evidence is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
The Effect of Viral Marketing and Online Customer Reviews on Instagram on Purchase Decisions for Mixue Ice Cream in Surabaya

A new ice cream brand from China called “Mixue” appeared in Indonesia recently and made people queue just to taste the ice cream product, even though Mixue is not the first choice of ice cream brand in Indonesia. The researcher wanted to find out the impact of viral marketing and online customer reviews on Instagram on the purchase decision of Mixue ice cream in Surabaya. This study used quantitative methods, with the research subjects being Mixue ice cream consumers in Surabaya and Instagram users. This study involved the participation of 98 people using the non-probability sampling method and purposive sampling as the technique. To collect data, researchers distributed questionnaires online with a Likert Scale. The data would be analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. The results showed that viral marketing had a substantial impact on Mixue ice cream purchase decisions in Surabaya, and online customer reviews had a large impact on Mixue ice cream purchase decisions in Surabaya.
Clinical outcomes of nephrocalcinosis in preschool-age children: association between nephrocalcinosis improvement and long-term kidney function

Background We evaluated the long-term clinical outcomes of nephrocalcinosis (NC) according to etiology and grade in preschool-age children with NC. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes and disease grade of children with NC classified into three groups according to etiology: prematurity, tubular disorders, and others. Results Overall, 67 children were diagnosed with NC [median age, 0.76 years; interquartile range (IQR) 0.46–2.14 years]. The etiologies of NC included prematurity (28.4%), tubular disorders (25.4%), and others (46.3%). Moreover, 56 (83.6%) children were asymptomatic and diagnosed accidentally through kidney ultrasonography. Newly diagnosed underlying diseases were greater in the tubular disorders group than in the other two groups (P = 0.001). Significantly more newly diagnosed NCs were grade 3 than grade 1 (P = 0.003). The median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) changed from 96.1 (IQR 68.8–119.2) ml/min/1.72 m2 at diagnosis to 90.9 (IQR 76.4–106.4) ml/min/1.72 m2 at the last follow-up, without a significant difference (P = 0.096). Changes in the kidney function did not differ according to etiology. However, patients without improvement in NC grade showed a decrease in eGFR from 98.1 (IQR 71.1–132.9) to 87.4 (IQR 74.0–104.1) ml/min/1.73 m2 (P = 0.023), while patients with improved NC grade did not show any change in the kidney function. Conclusions Early recognition, especially in NC grade 3, can help uncover further diagnoses, such as tubular disorders. Long-term kidney function depends on whether the NC grade improves.