Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Railroad Track Components Inspection Using Hybrid Deep Learning Framework

Regular inspections on track components, such as the clip, spike, and rail, are essential to maintain track quality and ensure railroad operating safety. Unfortunately, traditional image processing (IP)-based systems have limited accuracy. Existing convolutional neural network (CNN)-based approaches are designed for either detection or saliency segmentation of a specific track component (e.g., fastener or rail only). The overall track condition could not be evaluated because not all the track components are inspected simultaneously. This article presents an all-in-one YOLO (AOYOLO) framework for multitask track component inspection. First, a newly developed ConvNeXt-based backbone is constructed in AOYOLO to produce suitable hyperfeatures for both detection and segmentation tasks. Second, a novel U-shaped salient object segmentation branch is incorporated into AOYOLO to supplement the object detection branch, improving both the rail surface defect (RSD) segmentation and the detection of other components. Advanced data augmentations are integrated to further enhance the accuracy and scalability of the network. Extensive experiments conducted on a track dataset established with images taken by drone indicate that the proposed system is able to: 1) achieve 95.6% mean average precision (mAP) for track components inspection at a real-time speed of 147 frames/s and 2) reach 93.6% accuracy on RSDs detection, which surpass the current state-of-the-art (SOTA) models. The exceptional inference speed and superior detection accuracy have great potential for field applications.
A Multiple Time Scales Analysis of the Runoff Variation Along the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River

By applying the theory of wavelet transformation and the 1919-1996 natural runoff records of Lanzhou hydrometric station, the runoff variation along the upper reaches of the Yellow River is studied. The periods of runoff and points of abrupt change at different time scales are analyzed. The wavelet variance verification indicates that the main periods of the runoff variation along the upper reaches of the Yellow River are 22, 15, 4 and 37 years respectively in order of importance. Basing on the main period of 22 years, we predict that runoff will be in the dry period from about 1996 to about 2007.
Drag-Breakdown Methods from Wake Measurements

This paper focuses on drag-extraction methods from flowfield wake surveys. For many years, ONERA has developed an original method which aims at improving the understanding of local flow phenomena. The approach consists in decomposing lift and drag into profile and induced components from wake measurements. The definition of drag allows a phenomenological breakdown of the different drag sources, for which the physical interpretation requires an accurate description of the wake phenomena. It is the aim of this paper to closely analyze these drag sources and to establish an accurate breakdown. In the first section, the analytical definition of profile drag is reviewed. Several formulations commonly found in the literature are compared with determine their physical meaning and limits of applicability. From this analysis, a new drag-breakdown method is proposed and discussed. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are carried out to complete this study and to evaluate the accuracy of the new formulation. The latter is then applied to subsonic and transonic flows from wind-tunnel measurements.
Evaluation of eastern gamagrass as dual‐purpose complementary bioenergy and forage feedstock to switchgrass

Switchgrass (SG) is considered a model bioenergy crop and a warm‐season perennial grass (WSPG) that traditionally served as forage feedstock in the United States. To avoid the sole dependence on SG for bioenergy production, evaluation of other crops to diversify the pool of feedstock is needed. We conducted a 3‐year field experiment evaluating eastern gamagrass (GG), another WSPG, as complementary feedstock to SG in one‐ and two‐cut systems, with or without intercropping with crimson clover or hairy vetch, and under different nitrogen (N) application rates. Our results showed that GG generally produced lower biomass (by 29.5%), theoretical ethanol potential (TEP, by 2.8%), and theoretical ethanol yield (TEY, by 32.9%) than corresponding SG under the same conditions. However, forage quality measures, namely acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), and elements P, K, Ca, and Mg were significantly higher in GG than those in SG. Nitrogen fertilizer significantly enhanced biomass (by 1.54 Mg ha−1), lignin content (by 2.10 g kg−1), and TEY (787.12 L ha−1) in the WSPGs compared to unfertilized treatments. Intercropping with crimson clover or hairy vetch did not significantly increase biomass of the WSPGs, or TEP and TEY in unfertilized plots. This study demonstrated that GG can serve as a complementary crop to SG and could be used as a dual‐purpose crop for bioenergy and forage feedstock in farmers' rotations.
Tumor-Infiltrating CD45RO+ Memory Cells Are Associated with Favorable Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Simple Summary Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have long been used to predict the prognosis of solid tumors. TIL levels have been reported to be closely associated with the prognosis of patients with squamous cell carcinoma. In contrast, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related molecule A (MICA), which acts as a ligand for NKG2D in natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells, is related to a higher survival rate in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we investigated the association of OSCC with TILs and MICA in patients with OSCC and its potential as a biomarker. Abstract Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been used to predict the prognosis of solid tumors. In this study, we investigated which molecules in TILs play a role in the prognosis of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: In a retrospective case-control study, we immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of CD3, CD8, CD45RO, Granzyme B, and the major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related molecule A (MICA) of the histocompatibility complex as predictors of prognosis in 33 patients with OSCC. The patients were classified as TILsHigh or TILsLow according to the number of TILs for each molecule in the central tumor (CT) and invasive margin (IM). Furthermore, MICA expression scores were determined based on the intensity of the staining. Results: CD45RO+/TIL in the nonrecurrent group were significantly higher than those in the recurrent group in the CT and IM areas (p < 0.05). The disease-free survival/overall survival rate of the CD45RO+/TILsLow group in the CT and IM areas and the Granzyme B+/TILsLow group in the IM area was significantly lower than that of the CD45RO+/TILsHigh group and the Granzyme B+/TILsHigh group, respectively (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the MICA expression score of tumors around the CD45RO+/TILsHigh group was significantly higher than that of the CD45RO+/TILsLow group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A high ratio of CD45RO-expressing TILs was associated with a disease-free/overall survival improvement in OSCC patients. Furthermore, the number of TILs that express CD45RO was associated with the expression of MICA in tumors. These results suggest that CD45RO-expressing TILs are useful biomarkers for OSCC.
Sequential Confidence Limits for the Ratio of Two Binomial Proportions

We present a sequential method for obtaining approximate confidence limits for the ratio of two independent binomial proportions based on a slightly modified maximum likelihood estimator. Large‐sample properties of the proposed sequential estimator are studied. Monte Carlo simulation is carried out in order to investigate its finite sample behavior. The proposed method is applied to a numerical example for illustration and its use.
Impact of Note-Taking Mediums on Memory Recognition

Note-taking has been the key mechanism for information keeping and an integral part of academic success. Given the benefits of note-taking in learning, it is very important to identify the most effective technique. Past research conducted on college students and adults have underlined some of the key methods commonly used to take down notes, such as digital note-taking or hand written note-taking, but the conclusions are insufficient in reference to the wider age group and digital redesign of the learning system. A sample size of 33 students, between the ages 13-18 and enrolled in at least two of the advanced courses at a high school, were selected to watch a video and randomly assigned to use one of the three options of note-taking mediums—typing, handwriting or no-note taking at all. After the video, a distractor task of multiplication problems, an assessment, and a post-experimental survey were administered. A one way ANOVA test was conducted using the students’ assessment scores. The results revealed that typing notes was the most efficient note-taking medium, with the highest memory retention of the material.
Expression Patterns of MiR-125a and MiR-223 and Their Association with Diabetes Mellitus and Survival in Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR) are small, non-coding RNAs which have become increasingly relevant as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The objective of this study was the investigation of blood-derived miRNAs and their link to long-term all-cause mortality in patients who suffered from non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Methods: This study was an observational prospective study, which included 109 patients with NSTE-ACS. Analysis of the expression of miR-125a and miR-223 was conducted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The follow-up period comprised a median of 7.5 years. Long-term all-cause mortality was considered as the primary endpoint. Adjusted Cox-regression analysis was performed for prediction of events. Results: Increased expression of miR-223 (>7.1) at the time point of the event was related to improved long-term all-cause survival (adjusted (adj.) hazard ratio (HR) = 0.09, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.01–0.75; p = 0.026). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis provided sufficient c-statistics (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.58–0.86; p = 0.034; negative predictive value of 98%) for miR-223 to predict long-term all-cause survival. The Kaplan–Meier time to event analysis showed a separation of the survival curves between the groups at an early stage (log rank p = 0.015). Higher plasma miR-125a levels were found in patients with diabetes mellitus vs. in those without (p = 0.010). Furthermore, increased miR-125a expression was associated with an elevated HbA1c concentration. Conclusions: In this hypothesis-generating study, higher values of miR-223 were related to improved long-term survival in patients after NSTE-ACS. Larger studies are required in order to evaluate whether miR-223 can be used as a suitable predictor for long-term all-cause mortality.
Convergence des moyennes ergodiques pour des sous-suites

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Chemical composition and bioactivities of the essential oil of Coreopsis tinctoria and Chrysanthemum morifolium

ABSTRACT This study was aiming at the differences in the aroma, flavor compounds, and bioactivities of essential oil of Coreopsis tinctoria flower (CTFEO) and essential oil of Chrysanthemum morifolium flower (CMFEO). Both essential oils were extracted by steam distillation. Their flavor compositions were determined by GC-MS and the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities were also evaluated. It was found that CTFEO possessed a special medicinal herb odor, which was obviously stronger than those of CMFEO. A preferred condition for steam distillation was flower powder–water ratio of 7.5:100 and extraction for more than 3.0 h. Interestingly, the main flavor compounds of CTFEO were determined as D-limonene (34.54%), cis-carveol (5.49%), trans-α-bergamotene (4.44%), and α-pinene (3.90%), which were quite different from those of CMFEO. CTFEO showed better antioxidant activities with IC50 value of 121.4 ± 9.8 μg/mL than those of CMFEO. It also exhibited stronger antibacterial effects than those of CMFEO, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.183 to 1.412 mg/mL against six strains of bacteria. Moreover, CTFEO was also found to exhibit strong anti-inflammatory effects that reduced the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell mRNA expression of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α at a concentration of 10.0 μg/mL. All these results suggest that the aroma, flavor compounds, and bioactivities of the two essential oils were quite different and they could be used as tea, drink, and food additive in the food industry for further development.
Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Cardiovascular Outcomes of Psoriatic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Single Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Psoriasis is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). To date, it is unclear whether MetS causes differences in cardiovascular outcomes in psoriatic patients with coronary artery disease. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine the effects of MetS in psoriatic patients with coronary artery disease. Comparisons were made between patients with and without MetS. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were used to evaluate the association between variables. Results Of the 307 psoriatic patients with coronary artery disease, 94 met criteria (30.6%) for MetS. Individuals with MetS were more likely to be female (p <0.001). Levels of platelet counts and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were higher in the MetS group (p = 0.038 and 0.005, respectively). After a mean follow-up of 35.32 months, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and non-fatal myocardial infarction were more likely in the MetS than the non-MetS group (33.3% vs 20.6%, p = 0.02; 26.4% vs 15.7%, p = 0.032, respectively). Kaplan–Meier estimates showed the same trend. Cox regression analysis showed that MetS (hazard ratio 1.738; 95% confidence interval 1.045–2.891; p = 0.033) and left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio 0.968; 95% confidence interval 0.945–0.991; p = 0.006) were associated with an increased risk of MACEs. Conclusion In psoriatic patients with coronary artery disease, MetS independently predicted MACEs. In addition, left ventricular ejection fraction was negatively associated with an increased risk of MACEs. To reduce the cardiovascular disease risk, it is necessary to increase awareness of MetS in psoriatic patients with coronary artery disease.
Editorial: Health and Well-Being Related to New Family Forms: Perspectives of Adults, Couples, Children, and Professionals

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance our understanding of the factors that shape the experience, well-being, and mental health of individuals on their path to creating new family forms, including adults and children, and to inform the development of policies and practices designed to promote the thriving of these families. This Special Issue contains a collection of 13 papers that shed light on a range of micro- and macro-level factors contributing to the experience and outcomes of members of new family forms from various countries, such as the UK, Israel, Italy, China, Portugal, the Netherlands, the US, and Russia. The papers extend the current knowledge on the subject from a variety of perspectives, including medical, psychological, social, and digital communications. Their findings can aid professionals supporting members of new family forms to recognize the similarities and challenges they share with their counterparts in traditional heterosexual two-parent families, as well as their unique needs and strengths. They may also encourage policymakers to promote laws and policies designed to address the cultural, legal, and institutional constraints facing these families. Based on the overall picture that emerges from this Special Issue, we suggest valuable avenues for future research.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea—Resveratrol, Sulfotransferases and Sulfatases—A Long and Turbulent Journey from Intestinal Absorption to Target Cells

For nearly 30 years, resveratrol has attracted the scientific community’s interest. This has happened thanks to the so-called French paradox, that is, the paradoxically low mortality from cardiovascular causes in the French population despite a diet rich in saturated fat. This phenomenon has been linked to the consumption of red wine, which contains a relatively high level of resveratrol. Currently, resveratrol is valued for its versatile, beneficial properties. Apart from its anti-atherosclerotic activity, resveratrol’s antioxidant and antitumor properties deserve attention. It was shown that resveratrol inhibits tumour growth at all three stages: initiation, promotion, and progression. Moreover, resveratrol delays the ageing process and has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and phytoestrogenic properties. These favorable biological properties have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in animal and human models. Since the beginning of the research on resveratrol, its low bioavailability, mainly due to its rapid metabolism, especially the first-pass effect that leaves almost no free resveratrol in the peripheral circulation, has been indicated as a drawback that has hindered its use. The elucidation of such issues as pharmacokinetics, stability, and the biological activity of resveratrol metabolites is therefore crucial for understanding the biological activity of resveratrol. Second-phase metabolism enzymes are mainly involved in RSV metabolism, e.g., UDP-glucuronyl transferases and sulfotransferases. In the present paper, we took a closer look at the available data on the activity of resveratrol sulfate metabolites and the role of sulfatases in releasing active resveratrol in target cells.
“Why Am I Even Here If I Can’t Save the Patients?”: The Frontline Healthcare Workers’ Experience of Burnout during COVID-19 Pandemic in Mthatha, South Africa

Introduction: Globally, the high prevalence of burnout in healthcare workers (HCWs) is of the utmost concern. Burnout is a state of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment. While the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) exacerbated the burnout prevalence among HCWs, limited studies have explored this phenomenon using qualitative methodologies in the Eastern Cape Province and South Africa generally. This study explored how frontline healthcare workers experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mthatha Regional Hospital. Methods: Ten face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with non-specialized medical doctors and nurses who directly cared for COVID-19-infected patients during the pandemic in Mthatha Regional Hospital (MRH). In-depth interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were managed through NVIVO 12 software before being thematically analyzed using Colaizzi’s analysis method. Results: Four main themes emerged from the analysis. These themes were burnout manifestation (emotional strain, detachment and irritability, uncertainty-induced fear, and anxiety, physical exhaustion, yet, low job accomplishment, dread and professional responsibility), precursors of burnout (occupational exposure to high mortality, staff shortages, elongated high patient volume and workload, disease uncertainties and consistent feeling of grief), alleviating factors of burnout (time off work, psychologist intervention, periods of low infection rate and additional staff), and the last theme was every cloud has a silver lining (improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, learning to be more empathetic, the passion remains and confidence grows). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a rapid change in the work environment of healthcare workers who are the backbone of efficient healthcare services, thereby rendering them vulnerable to increased burnout risks. This study provides strategic information for policymakers and managers on developing and strengthening welfare policies to promote and protect frontline health workers’ well-being and work functioning.
Growth and Development of Sweet Corn Plants in the Agro–Ecological Conditions of the Western Region of Ukraine

The results of research on the influence of growing technology and its individual elements on the growth, de - velopment and photosynthetic activity of corn plants hybrid Moreland F 1 under conditions of Western region of Ukraine are presented. The purpose of the research was to determine influence of cultivation technology elements on the formation and efficiency of assimilation apparatus of sweet corn plants. Research was conducted during 2019–2021 on sod–podzolic soil using field, calculation–weighting, and mathematical–statistical methods. Dy - namics peculiarities of individual leaf surface area of the plant and agrocenosis of corn as a whole by the stages of crop development have been determined. Based on the results of statistical and correlation analyses, dependences between main indices of photosynthetic activity and corn yielding capacity, as well as those that change the most under influence of agrotechnology elements, were determined. Reaction of the crop on the change in intensity level of cultivation technology has been established, which is manifested through the functional response of individual photosynthetic plant system and the crop as a whole and is expressed in strengthening of their assimilation activity. Optimal limits of biometric indices of photosynthetic activity of sweet corn plants in crops when being reached, a productive grain yield is formed, have been presented.