Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust hybrid algorithms for regularization and variable selection in QSAR studies

This study introduces a robust hybrid sparse learning approach for regularization and variable selection. This approach comprises two distinct steps. In the initial step, we segment the original dataset into separate training and test sets and standardize the training data using its mean and standard deviation. We then employ either the LASSO or sparse LTS algorithm to analyze the training set, facilitating the selection of variables with non-zero coefficients as essential features for the new dataset. Secondly, the new dataset is divided into training and test sets. The training set is further divided into k folds and evaluated using a combination of Random Forest, Ridge, Lasso, and Support Vector Regression machine learning algorithms. We introduce novel hybrid methods and juxtapose their performance against existing techniques. To validate the efficacy of our proposed methods, we conduct a comprehensive simulation study and apply them to a real-life QSAR analysis. The findings unequivocally demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed estimator, with particular distinction accorded to SLTS+LASSO. In summary, the twostep robust hybrid sparse learning approach offers an effective regularization and variable selection applicable to a wide spectrum of real-world problems.
SUSTAINABLE POVERTY ALLEVIATION THROUGH AFFORESTATION PROJECT - A CASE FROM INDIA

Poverty is more than inadequate income or human development – it is also vulnerability and lack of voice, power and representation. This multidimensional view of poverty calls for a multipronged approach for its amelioration. World Development Report 2000-01 very aptly recommends action on three complementary and synergistic fronts for poverty alleviation- promoting opportunity, facilitating empowerment and enhancing security. This paper analyses, as to how Japan Bank for International Cooperation, funded the community forestry oriented 100 million US $, Tamil Nadu Afforestration Project, launched in 1997-98 in the Southern State of India, has evolved into a comprehensive poverty alleviation programme for villages bordering the forests, in which the majority are poor. A first hand account by the implementing officers, it brings out as to how the project includes distinctly, the above said three elements at the local level for sustainable poverty alleviation. Regeneration of forests, improvement of basic infrastructure through the integration of the line departments and promotion of alternate livelihoods provide ample economic opportunities. Establishment of Village Forest Councils and delegation of sufficient powers to these, has empowered the poorest of the poor. Tree assets, promotion of alternate income generation activities and the water harvesting structures have provided security by reducing the vulnerability to natural vagaries, particularly the drought. In this project the people development and forest regeneration go hand in hand in a synergistic way which makes it a scintillating example of “win-win” logic and worth replicating elsewhere in the world with suitable modifications.
Adjuvant Sorafenib for Postoperative Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Macrovascular Invasion

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Taiwan. Some patients with HCC are diagnosed with macrovascular invasion (MVI), which is associated with a poorer prognosis. In Taiwan, sorafenib is the first-line therapy for patients with advanced HCC. However, the efficacy of adjuvant sorafenib therapy remains unclear for the subset of patients with HCC and MVI who are eligible for surgery. Therefore, we investigated the potential benefit of adjuvant sorafenib therapy for patients with HCC and MVI after surgery. Our study showed that the lack of improved PFS or OS of adjuvant sorafenib challenged the therapeutic benefit of postoperative sorafenib. Alcohol consumption and an α-fetoprotein level of ≥400 ng/mL were independent predictors of overall survival (OS); however, adjuvant sorafenib therapy was not a predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) or OS. In conclusion, our study indicated that adjuvant sorafenib therapy did not provide PFS or OS benefits in patients with HCC and MVI.
Variability of the North Atlantic Current during the last 2000 years based on shelf bottom water and sea surface temperatures along an open ocean/shallow marine transect in western Europe

Marine localities on the west European shelf have been studied to reconstruct the nearshore palaeoceanography of the last two millennia. The sites form a transect from the Iberian margin northeastward via Scotland to western Norway and Iceland. Proxies used for palaeoclimatic reconstructions include stable isotopes, benthic and planktonic foraminfera, diatoms, dinoflagellates, as well as geochemical and sedimentological parameters. Major changes as well as long-term trends in oceanographic conditions are observed in the records, including a general cooling trend through much of the last millennium. There is a clear linkage between the atmospheric processes and the oceanic circulation, and the ocean temperature variability in the records can be correlated with the so-called ‘Mediaeval Warm Period’ and ‘Little Ice Age’. These oscillations are, however, by no means unique within the last two millennia. As an example, sea surface temperatures to the north of Iceland and on the Iberian margin were higher in the Roman Warm Period than at any time during the ‘Mediaeval Warm Period’. However, the palaeoceanographic record generally supports a distinct cooling at the transition between the ‘Mediaeval Warm Period’ and the ‘Little Ice Age’. While a number of records indicate a warming of coastal and shelf waters during the last 200 years, the twentieth century does not appear to be unusual when the proxy records spanning the last two millennia are examined.
Long-term Effects of Nicorandil Combined with Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: A Real-world Observational Study

Objective: This study was aimed at investigating whether the addition of nicorandil to a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (DHP-CCB) regimen might decrease the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, real-world study was conducted. Between August 2002 and March 2020, 7413 eligible patients with CHD were divided into DHP-CCB plus nicorandil combination (n = 1843) and DHP-CCB (n = 5570) treatment groups. The primary outcome was MACE, defined as a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for confounding factors. Results: After propensity score matching, combination therapy, compared with DHP-CCBs alone, was associated with a lower risk of MACE (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.97). The combination group also had a lower risk of stroke (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.44–0.69), but not myocardial infarction (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.91–1.61) or all-cause mortality (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.63–2.44). Subgroup analysis revealed more prominent benefits of the combined treatment on MACE in patients with than without diabetes. Conclusions: The combination of nicorandil and DHP-CCBs may be more beneficial than DHP-CCBs alone in decreasing long-term risks of MACE and stroke in patients with CHD.
Unraveling the Genomic Association for Milk Production Traits and Signatures of Selection of Cattle in a Harsh Tropical Environment

Simple Summary Genomic association analyses for milk yield and milk quality traits including mastitis were accomplished in a dairy cattle population from the harsh and challenging tropical savanna climate of Bengaluru, India. A further effect of selection was due to social–ecological drivers, i.e., specific constraints that are prevalent in small-sized family farms. As a time report, this study identified footprints of selection among the dairy cattle breeds in this region. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified two SNPs, rs109340659 and rs41571523, significantly associated with test-day milk yield. Fibrosin-like 1 (FBRSL) and calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 3 (CACN) were the respective annotated potential candidate genes. Furthermore, the genomic regions under selection were associated with pathways and mechanisms involving ubiquitination, cell signaling and immune response. Hence, contrasting dairy breeds genomically contributed to the detection of genomic regions under selection, with strong effects on adaptation and overall disease resistance. Abstract A study was designed to identify the genomic regions associated with milk production traits in a dairy cattle population reared by smallholder farmers in the harsh and challenging tropical savanna climate of Bengaluru, India. This study is a first-of-its-kind attempt to identify the selection sweeps for the dairy cattle breeds reared in such an environment. Two hundred forty lactating dairy cows reared by 68 farmers across the rural–urban transiting regions of Bengaluru were selected for this study. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify candidate genes for test-day milk yield, solids-not-fat (SNF), milk lactose, milk density and clinical mastitis. Furthermore, the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) methodology was adopted to scan the dairy cattle breeds (Holstein Friesian, Jersey and Crossbred) in Bengaluru. Two SNPs, rs109340659 and rs41571523, were observed to be significantly associated with test-day milk yield. No significant SNPs were observed for the remaining production traits. The GWAS for milk lactose revealed one SNP (rs41634101) that was very close to the threshold limit, though not significant. The potential candidate genes fibrosin-like 1 (FBRSL) and calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 3 (CACN) were identified to be in close proximity to the SNP identified for test-day milk yield. These genes were observed to be associated with milk production traits based on previous reports. Furthermore, the selection signature analysis revealed a number of regions under selection for the breed-group comparisons (Crossbred-HF, Crossbred-J and HF-J). Functional analysis of these annotated genes under selection indicated pathways and mechanisms involving ubiquitination, cell signaling and immune response. These findings point towards the probable selection of dairy cows in Bengaluru for thermotolerance.
Electrical Characteristic and Power Fluctuations of GAA Si NS CFETs by Simultaneously Considering Six Process Variation Factors

Characteristic variability induced by process variation effect (PVE) is one of technological challenges in semiconductor industry. In this work, we computationally study electrical characteristic and power fluctuations induced by six factors of PVE of the gate-all-around (GAA) silicon (Si) nanosheet (NS) complementary field-effect-transistors (CFETs) which are formed by vertically stacking <italic>n</italic>-FET on top of <italic>p</italic>-FET. Among the six factors, NS thickness (<italic>T<sub>NS</sub></italic>), NS width (<italic>W<sub>NS</sub></italic>), and gate length (<italic>L<sub>G</sub></italic>) are identified as crucial factors contributing to large variations in device characteristics. The <italic>p</italic>-FET exhibits substantial off-state current fluctuation (about 151%) due to the bottom parasitic channel leakages. Compared with the magnitudes of dynamic and short circuit powers, the static power is marginal, but it possesses the largest fluctuation (up to 148%). If we assume that each factor of PVE has the same probability distribution as the others and all are mutually independent, the statistical sum of their power fluctuations will exhibit more than 50% overestimations, compared with the results when all factors are considered simultaneously.
Farming and woodland dynamics in north Sligo during the Holocene based on lake-sediment investigations

Detailed pollen-analytical investigations were carried out on lake sediment cores from two lakes, namely Lough Dargan and Cooney Lough, in north County Sligo close to the Cúil Irra peninsula. North Sligo was chosen as a study area on account of the wealth of archaeological evidence relating especially to the Neolithic, i.e. first farming peoples. Cúil Irra peninsula is particularly rich. It has the largest passage tomb cemetery of Ireland, namely Carrowmore and also the archaeologically rich and conspicuous mountain, Knocknarea. Evidence for early Neolithic activity includes Magheraboy causewayed enclosure that is possibly the earliest Neolithic causewayed enclosure known from Britain and Ireland. The investigations reported on here reconstruct early farming activity, woodland dynamics and the land-use, based mainly on detailed pollen analysis. Macrofossils analysis, magnetic susceptibility and loss-on-ignition measurements were also carried out. Age/depths models for the pollen profiles were constructed on the basis of the results from AMS radiocarbon dates. Attention has also been paid to early Holocene climate change, and human impact and woodland history in the later post-glacial (Bronze Age to recent times). From L. Dargan, east of Ballygawley, parallel cores of ca. 7.5 m were collected. Most of the main core (DRG1) was pollen analytically investigated. The resulting pollen profile spanned the interval ca. 7800 BC–AD 1700. From Cooney L. , west of Ballysadare, parallel cores were also taken. A pollen profile, based mainly on the 6 m long core CNY1, spanned the interval ca. 7450–790 BC, i.e. most of the early and mid Holocene. The results from the two high-resolution pollen diagrams show that tall canopy woodland characterized the first half of the Holocene. There is little or no evidence for human impact on the primeval woodlands but there are clear pointers, especially in the pollen profile CNY1, for climate anomalies in the early Holocene. The main anomaly (CA-3) is regarded as corresponding to the 8.2 ka event as known mainly for Greenland ice-core records. This is the first securely dated, published record for the 8.2 ka event in Irish or British pollen records. A well defined Elm Decline is recorded in both profiles. The earliest indication of farming (cereal growing) in both profiles coincides with the Elm Decline (ca. 3750 BC). After a delay of some decades, a distinct Landnam is recorded in both profiles that involved
Vaccination for Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A Narrative Review and Primer for Clinicians

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a significant burden on public health, causing lower respiratory tract infections in infants, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Recent development and licensure of effective RSV vaccines provide a promising approach to lessening the associated morbidity and mortality of severe infections. This narrative review aims to empower clinicians with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions regarding RSV vaccination, focusing on the prevention and control of RSV infections, especially among vulnerable populations. The paper explores the available RSV vaccines and existing evidence regarding their efficacy and safety in diverse populations. Synthesizing this information for clinicians can help the latter understand the benefits and considerations associated with RSV vaccination, contributing to improved patient care and public health outcomes.
An Earthquake Catalog for Seismic Hazard Assessment in Ecuador

Building a unified and homogeneous earthquake catalog is a preliminary step for estimating probabilistic seismic hazard in a country. Ecuador, a territory of ∼600 km×500 km, is characterized by an active seismicity, both in the shallow crust and in the subduction zone. Several international and local earthquake catalogs are available, covering different time and spatial windows, characterized by different magnitude types and uncertainties. After a careful analysis of each catalog, in particular for completeness and uncertainty levels, we propose a priority scheme for merging the instrumental catalogs. Moreover, several historical earthquakes are analyzed to estimate epicentral location and magnitude, completing the solutions obtained in a previous publication. Once the historical earthquakes are appended to the instrumental catalog, the resulting catalog covers five centuries in the Cordillera region. Next, homogenization of magnitudes and removal of aftershocks is performed; different options are studied and the impact on the recurrence curve is evaluated. For the Cordillera region within −2.5° and 1° latitude, the average occurrence of an earthquake with M w≥6.0 is 10–20 years based on the historical catalog.
Antibiofilm Property and Biocompatibility of Siloxane-Based Polymer Coatings Applied to Biomaterials

Biofilm infections sometimes occur on biomaterials inserted into the body because biomaterials can block the attack of immune cells such as macrophages, promoting biofilm formation by invading bacteria. Owing to their use in antifouling applications, including biofilm formation, siloxane-based polymer coatings are considered a promising method to prevent biofilm formation on the surface of biomaterials. In this study, we explored the antibiofilm property and biocompatibility of siloxane-based polymer coatings. Biofilm formation and cytotoxicity tests were performed using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis to quantify the biofilms while U937 cells were used to measure the time course of viable cell concentration and viability, respectively. In both the biofilm formation and cytotoxicity tests, stainless steel SUS316L plates and titanium plates coated with the siloxane-based polymer and sterilized in an autoclave were used as the biomaterials. The amount of biofilm formed on the polymer-coated titanium plate was substantially higher than that on a noncoated titanium plate in the case of S. epidermidis. The viable cell concentration and viability of U937 cultured on the polymer-coated titanium plate were lower than those of U937 cultured on the noncoated titanium plate. The same trend was observed between polymer-coated and noncoated SUS316L plates. These results indicate that the siloxane-based polymer coatings need additional treatment to achieve a satisfactory antibiofilm property and that they are sensitive to autoclave treatment, resulting in cytotoxicity.
Developments in Post-Stroke Spasticity Care with Early Use of Botulinum Toxin A: A Review

Spasticity is one of the most common and disabling complications of stroke. Most of these patients notably experience both muscle-based and non-muscle-based pain. This negatively affects their quality of life as well as aggravates caregiver burden. Post-stroke spasticity (PSS) may furthermore lead to several complications related to limited mobility, both motor (eg, contractures) and non-motor (cognitive decline, depression) if left untreated. It is thus crucial to address this with safe and effective means such as botulinum toxin therapy as early as possible. We aim to demonstrate the utility of botulinum toxin (BoNT) in PSS treatment and how early intervention may be preferable to late spasticity control for patients. Literature search and evaluation were done using the traditional evidence hierarchy. Early intervention with botulinum toxin A (BoNTA) demonstrated a more marked reduction in both spasticity and spasticity-related pain with longer required intervals to reinjection. Keywords: Botulinum Toxin, Early Use/Intervention, Poststroke Spasticity, Pain
Chaotic Motion Planning for Mobile Robots: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

Chaotic path planners are a subset of path planning algorithms that use chaotic dynamical systems to generate trajectories throughout an environment. These path planners are imperative in surveillance tasks in the presence of adversarial agents which require the paths to be unpredictable while at the same time guaranteeing complete coverage of the environments. In the online coverage of unknown terrain, the chaotic path planning algorithms can work without the need of the environment map and the designer has additional control over the generated paths relative to other heuristic coverage path planners such as random-walk algorithms. Although chaotic path planners have been studied over the past two decades, there has not been an updated survey on the advances. This paper presents an up-to-date review by providing: an introduction of commonly used chaotic systems and methods for their manipulation; an overview of obstacle avoidance methods used by chaotic path planners; and a discussion on other applications, challenges, and research gaps.
Japa Syndrome: Environmental and Socio-Economic Factors as Drivers of Mass Emigration of Nigerian Youths

The issue of mass emigration is a complex one that is currently affecting young people worldwide. To address this issue, this study was conducted to investigate the factors that influence the mass emigration of youths in Osun State. The study utilized a descriptive survey research method and targeted the youth population in Osun State. A total of 200 respondents were randomly selected from four higher institutions in Osun State. Factors that Influence Mass Emigration (FIME) questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that conflicts over natural resources and insecurity, climate change, and socio-economic factors were responsible for mass emigration among youths in Osun state. A significant difference (p=0.001) was observed between male and female youths' perceptions of the factors that influence mass emigration. The study concluded that environmental and socio-economic factors were responsible for the mass emigration of youths in Osun State. To address these issues, youths should be trained to acquire the necessary 21st-century employability skills. The government should invest in sustainable development programs and address the issues of conflict over natural resources and insecurity to prevent further displacement and ensure that everyone can thrive in their own communities.
Metformin Prevents Cocaine Sensitization: Involvement of Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Trafficking between Subcellular Compartments in the Corticostriatal Reward Circuit

Repeated cocaine exposure produces an enhanced locomotor response (sensitization) paralleled by biological adaptations in the brain. Previous studies demonstrated region-specific responsivity of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to repeated cocaine exposure. AMPK maintains cellular energy homeostasis at the organismal and cellular levels. Here, our objective was to quantify changes in phosphorylated (active) and total AMPK in the cytosol and synaptosome of the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum following acute or sensitizing cocaine injections. Brain region and cellular compartment selective changes in AMPK and pAMPK were found with some differences associated with acute withdrawal versus ongoing cocaine treatment. Our additional goal was to determine the behavioral and molecular effects of pretreatment with the indirect AMPK activator metformin. Metformin potentiated the locomotor activating effects of acute cocaine but blocked the development of sensitization. Sex differences largely obscured any protein-level treatment group effects, although pAMPK in the NAc shell cytosol was surprisingly reduced by metformin in rats receiving repeated cocaine. The rationale for these studies was to inform our understanding of AMPK activation dynamics in subcellular compartments and provide additional support for repurposing metformin for treating cocaine use disorder.