Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and interpretation of convolutional long short-term memory networks for regional hydrological modelling

Abstract. Deep learning has emerged as a useful tool across geoscience disciplines; however, there remain outstanding questions regarding the suitability of unexplored model architectures and how to interpret model learning for regional-scale hydrological modelling. Here we use a convolutional long short-term memory network, a deep learning approach for learning both spatial and temporal patterns, to predict streamflow at 226 stream gauges across southwestern Canada. The model is forced by gridded climate reanalysis data and trained to predict observed daily streamflow between 1980 and 2015. To interpret the model's learning of both spatial and temporal patterns, we introduce a set of experiments with evaluation metrics to track the model's response to perturbations in the input data. The model performs well in simulating daily streamflow over the testing period, with a median Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.68 and 35 % of stations having NSE>0.8. When predicting streamflow, the model is most sensitive to perturbations in the input data prescribed near and within the basins being predicted, demonstrating that the model is automatically learning to focus on physically realistic areas. When uniformly perturbing input temperature time series to obtain relatively warmer and colder input data, the modelled indicator of freshet timing and peak flow changes in accordance with the transition timing from below- to above-freezing temperatures. We also demonstrate that modelled August streamflow in partially glacierized basins is sensitive to perturbations in August temperature, and that this sensitivity increases with glacier cover. The results demonstrate the suitability of a convolutional long short-term memory network architecture for spatiotemporal hydrological modelling, making progress towards interpretable deep learning hydrological models.
Unfair labour practice on staff in primary health care facilities, North West province, South Africa: A qualitative study

Background Unfair labour practices on staff is a worldwide concern which creates conflicts and disharmony among health workers in the workplace. It is found that, nursing staff members are unfairly treated without valid reasons in primary health care (PHC) facilities and predominantly in the developing countries and South Africa is not an exception. Objectives The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of operational managers regarding unfair labour practices on staff by their local health area managers, and describe the perceptions of operational managers towards such treatment. Method A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual research approach was considered appropriate for the study. The population of the study comprised operational managers working in PHC facilities in the North West province, South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the study and focus group interviews used to interview 23 operational managers. Ethical measures were applied throughout the study. Results The six phases of thematic analysis were used to analyse the data collected for the study. Two themes that emerged are experiences of factors related to unfair labour practices in the PHC facilities and the perceptions regarding how to improve their working conditions. The categories that were found in the first themes were favouritism and discrimination. In the second theme, in-service training and transparency regarding staff training and development emerged. Recommendations comprised, among others, training on the concepts of equality in the workplace, and reinforcement of transparency regarding granting of study leave and attending workshops. Conclusion Operational managers in the PHC facilities experienced unfair labour practices as evidenced by favouritism and discrimination.
Performance evaluation of joint angles obtained by the Kinect v2

The Kinect v2 sensor, developed by Microsoft, enables low-cost 3-D motion analysis without the need of markers or other attachments on the human body. Via free Software Development Kit the spatial location of 25 body joints can be extracted at a frame rate of 30 fps. This study evaluates the accuracy of skeleton joint angles obtained by the Kinect in comparison to the golden standard, the marker based Vicon Nexus. A total of 28 subjects and 16 different static postures are analysed using the Bland-Altmann plot. The absolute median differences over all subjects and postures resolve in less than 10° per joint angle. The calculation of the upper body rotation along the longitudinal axis as well as the neck angle appear to be inefficient throughout the Kinect device as they result in high deviations (up to -31.0° ± 9.1° and 24.0° ± 3.5°, respectively) from the Vicon system in the end-range regions. This can be due to the image reconstruction algorithms of the Kinect sensor, which do not expect body segments in those postures evaluated. The remaining upper body inclinations and joint angles resolve in higher accuracies with a median difference of less than 7.2°. This features the Kinect to be a promising tool for kinematic analyses outside laboratories, where the use of marker-based motion capture systems is difficult.
Aducanumab and Its Effects on Tau Pathology: Is This the Turning Point of Amyloid Hypothesis?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people around the world. The two main pathological mechanisms underlying the disease are beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of Tau proteins in the brain. Their reduction has been associated with slowing of cognitive decline and disease progression. Several antibodies aimed to target Aβ or Tau in order to represent hope for millions of patients, but only a small number managed to be selected to participate in clinical trials. Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which, targeting (Aβ) oligomers and fibrils, was able to reduce Aβ accumulation and slow the progression of cognitive impairment. It was also claimed to have an effect on the second hallmark of AD, decreasing the level of phospho-Tau evaluated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and by positron emission tomography (PET). This evidence may represent a turning point in the development of AD-efficient drugs.
The Evolution of the Glacier Surges in the Tuanjie Peak, the Qilian Mountains

Glacier surges (GSs) are a manifestation of glacier instability and one of the most striking phenomena in the mountain cryosphere. Here, we utilize optical images acquired between 1973 and 2021 to map changes in glacier surface velocity and morphology and characterize differences in surface elevation using multi-source DEMs in the Tuanjie Peak (TJP), located in the Qilian Mountains (QLMs). These data provide valuable insights into the recent dynamic evolution of glaciers and hint at how they might evolve in the next few years. We identified a confirmed surge-type glacier (STG), three likely STGs, and three possible STGs. Our observations show that TJP GSs are generally long-term, although they are shorter in some cases. During the active phase, all glaciers exhibit thickened reservoir areas and thinned receiving areas, or vice-versa. The ice volume transfer was between 0.11 ± 0.13 × 107 m3 to 5.71 ± 0.69 × 107 m3. Although it was impossible to obtain integrated velocity profiles throughout the glacier surge process due to the limitations of available satellite imagery, our recent observations show that winter velocities were much higher than summer velocities, suggesting an obvious correlation between surge dynamics and glacial hydrology. However, the initiation and termination phase of GSs in this region was slow, which is similar to Svalbard-type STGs. We hypothesize that both thermal and hydrological controls are crucial. Moreover, we suggest that the regional warming trend may potentially increase glacier instability and the possibility of surge occurrence in this region.
Incomplete Urbanization and the Trans-Local Rural-Urban Gradient in China: From a Perspective of New Economics of Labor Migration

The urbanization in China is “incomplete” and the migration of non-hukou migrants is circular, wherein rural migrants often keep their rural land in the home village as a social safety net. The informal housing market is one of the main housing providers for migrant workers. Existing studies see informal housing as the migrants’ passive choice under the discriminatory hukou system, while underplaying the migrants’ familial multi-site tenure strategies between village homes and city places. As suggested by New Economics of Labor Migration (NELM), attachment to a place of origin (such as keeping hometown lands), while choosing informal housing at the destination, is a familial utility maximization strategy that can control risks when migrating between locations. Informal housing areas, therefore, become a trans-local rural-urban gradient and semi-urban landscape. We use the 2017 Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey data and the binary logistic regression to examine (a) whether hometown landowning is a significant predictor of the migrants’ choosing of a temporary stay in informal settlements in urban destinations, and (b) which kind of hometown land arrangement (farmland or homestead holding or both of them) is the strongest indicator of the higher probability of staying in informal settlements in urban destinations? The data analysis reveals that homestead in hometown is a more prominent pulling factor than farmland to “glue” rural migrants together within an integrated rural land “insurance regime” between the migrant-sending and -receiving places. The land-use and informal housing governance (including urban village demolition) ignore the trans-local nature of the migratory networks and semi-urbanizing dynamics. The traditional analysis of the rural-urban gradient with many landscapes should consider the functional and tenurial linkage between the locations at different points along with the complex migration activities.
Injectable In Situ Gelling System for Sustained Nicotine Delivery as a Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is widely used to limit the withdrawal symptoms associated with cigarette smoking cessation. However, the available NRT formulations are limited by their short release profiles, requiring frequent administrations along with local side effects. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop an NRT formulation that offers prolonged, sustained nicotine release. Thermoresponsive in situ gelling systems containing nicotine were prepared using poloxamer 407 (P407) and poloxamer 188 (P188). The system was optimized using a three-factor, two-level full factorial design (23). A formulation composed of P407 (20% w/w), P188 (5% w/w), and loaded with nicotine (0.5% w/w) exhibited sol-to-gel transition at a suitable temperature close to physiological temperature (30 °C). The rheological analysis demonstrated a Newtonian-like flow at room temperature, suggesting ease of administration via injection, and semisolid gel status at physiological temperature. The optimized formulation successfully sustained nicotine in vitro release over 5 days following single administration. The findings suggest that poloxamer based in situ gelling systems are promising platforms to sustain the release of nicotine.
Rapidity and Precision of Steroid Hormone Measurement

Steroids are present in all animals and plants, from mammals to prokaryotes. In the medical field, steroids are commonly classified as glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and gonadal steroid hormones. Monitoring of hormones is useful in clinical and research fields for the assessment of physiological changes associated with aging, disease risk, and the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of various diseases. Since the discovery and isolation of steroid hormones, measurement methods for steroid hormones in biological samples have advanced substantially. Although immunoassays (IAs) are widely used in daily practice, mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods have been reported to be more specific. Steroid hormone measurement based on MS is desirable in clinical practice; however, there are several drawbacks, including the purchase and maintenance costs of the MS instrument and the need for specialized training of technicians. In this review, we discuss IA- and MS-based methods currently in use and briefly present the history of steroid hormone measurement. In addition, we describe recent advances in IA- and MS-based methods and future applications and considerations.
Smartphone Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery Apps: Cross-sectional Survey of Behavioral Intention to Use

Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) carries a huge health and economic cost to society. Effective interventions exist but numerous challenges limit their adoption, especially in a pandemic context. AUD recovery apps (AUDRA) have emerged as a potential complement to in-person interventions. They are easy to access and show promising results in terms of efficacy. However, they rely on individual adoption decisions and remain underused. Objective The aim of this survey study is to explore the beliefs that determine the intention to use AUDRA. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of people with AUD. We used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, which predicts use and behavioral intention to use based on performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Participants were recruited directly from 2 sources; first, respondents at addiction treatment facilities in Ontario, Canada, were contacted in person, and they filled a paper form; second, members from AUD recovery support groups on social media were contacted and invited to fill an internet-based survey. The survey was conducted between October 2019 and June 2020. Results The final sample comprised 159 participants (124 involved in the web-based survey and 35 in the paper-based survey) self-identifying somewhat or very much with AUD. Most participants (n=136, 85.5%) were aware of AUDRA and those participants scored higher on performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. Overall, the model explains 35.4% of the variance in the behavioral intention to use AUDRA and 11.1% of the variance in use. Social influence (P=.31), especially for women (P=.23), and effort expectancy (P=.25) were key antecedents of behavioral intention. Facilitating conditions were not significant overall but were moderated by age (P=.23), suggesting that it matters for older participants. Performance expectancy did not predict behavioral intention, which is unlike many other technologies but confirms other findings associated with mobile health (mHealth). Open-ended questions suggest that privacy concerns may significantly influence the use of AUDRA. Conclusions This study suggests that unlike many other technologies, the adoption of AUDRA is not mainly determined by utilitarian factors such as performance expectancy. Rather, effort expectancy and social influence play a key role in determining the intention to use AUDRA.
Modeling Down Syndrome Myeloid Leukemia by Sequential Introduction of GATA1 and STAG2 Mutations in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Trisomy 21

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a high risk for acute myeloid leukemia (DS-ML). Genomic characterization of DS-ML blasts showed the presence of unique mutations in GATA1, an essential hematopoietic transcription factor, leading to the production of a truncated from of GATA1 (GATA1s). GATA1s, together with trisomy 21, is sufficient to develop a pre-leukemic condition called transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM). Approximately 30% of these cases progress into DS-ML by acquisition of additional somatic mutations in a stepwise manner. We previously developed a model for TAM by introducing disease-specific GATA1 mutation in trisomy 21-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), leading to the production of N-terminally truncated short form of GATA1 (GATA1s). In this model, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce a co-operating mutation in STAG2, a member of the cohesin complex recurrently mutated in DS-ML but not in TAM. Hematopoietic differentiation of GATA1 STAG2 double-mutant iPSC lines confirmed GATA1s expression and the loss of functional STAG2 protein, leading to enhanced production of immature megakaryocytic population compared to GATA1 mutant alone. Megakaryocyte-specific lineage expansion of the double-mutant HSPCs exhibited close resemblance to the DS-ML immunophenotype. Transcriptome analysis showed that GATA1 mutation resulted in downregulation of megakaryocytic and erythrocytic differentiation pathways and interferon α/β signaling, along with an upregulation of pathways promoting myeloid differentiation such as toll-like receptor cascade. The co-occurrence of STAG2 knockout partially reverted the expression of genes involved in myeloid differentiation, likely leading to enhanced self-renewal and promoting leukemogenesis. In conclusion, we developed a DS-ML model via hematopoietic differentiation of gene-targeted iPSCs bearing trisomy 21.
Remote sensing and ground survey of archaeological damage and destruction at Nineveh during the ISIS occupation

Abstract Armed conflicts frequently result in the damage or destruction of archaeological heritage. The occupation by ISIS of parts of Iraq and Syria is no exception. Here, the authors present the results of work focused on Nineveh, as part of a wider research initiative to monitor damage inflicted by ISIS at archaeological sites in northern Iraq. Combining satellite imagery, low-level aerial photography and ground-based reconnaissance, the project presents a condition assessment of Nineveh, as well as a new topographic map of the city. The results demonstrate that a few high-profile acts of deliberate vandalism were accompanied by much more extensive damage caused by construction and rubbish dumping extending across substantial parts of the site.
Frequency of Bile Duct Injury during Laparascopic Cholecystectomy Procedures

Objective: To determine the frequency of bile duct injury during laparascopic cholecystectomy procedures. Study Design: This is an observational study. Setting: Study carried out at General Surgery department, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical College, Lyari Karachi, from July 2019 to August 2021. Materials and Methods: All diagnosed patients of gallstones on the clinically and findings of ultrasound of abdomen with age (20-60 years), gender were included in study. Patient not willing for surgery, pregnant ladies, bleeding disorders, obstructive jaundice and carcinoma of gall bladder were excluded from this study. Results: Out of 162 patients, there were 15 males (9.25%) and 147 females (90.74%), with a male to female ratio of 1:11.6. The mean age was 36.01±8.11years (20 to 60 years). According to our observation, there were 6 cases (3.70%) of common bile duct injury during the operation. Treatments offered range from ERCP and conservative treatment to reconstructive surgery. Four patients (2.46%) were converted to open cholecystectomy, 1 patient underwent open cholecystectomy subsequent ERCP, and 1 patient underwent open Cholecystectomy with Subsequent Reconstructive surgery. Conclusion: In our study bile duct injury commonly occur during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Over time, improving surgical technique and experience reduced the overall incidence of CBD injuries.
Time Domain Analysis of Springing and Whipping Responses Acting on a Large Container Ship

As part of WILS II (Wave Induced Loads on Ships) Joint Industry Project organised by MOERI (Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institute, Korea), Lloyd’s Register has undertaken time domain springing and whipping analyses for a 10,000 TEU class container ship using computational tools developed in the Co-operative Research Ships (CRS) JIP [1]. For idealising the ship and handling the flexible modes of the structure, a boundary element method and a finite element method are employed for coupling fluid and structure domain problems respectively. The hydrodynamic module takes into account nonlinear effects of Froude-Krylov and restoring forces. This Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) model is also coupled with slamming loads to predict wave loads due to whipping effects. Vibration modes and natural frequencies of the ship hull girder are calculated by idealising the ship structure as a Timoshenko beam. The results from springing and whipping analyses are compared with the results from linear and nonlinear time domain calculations for the rigid body. The results from the computational analyses in regular waves have been correlated with those from model tests undertaken by MOERI. Further the global effects of springing and whipping acting on large container ships are summarised and discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Assessment of Virological Contributions to COVID-19 Outcomes in a Longitudinal Cohort of Hospitalized Adults

Abstract Background While several demographic and clinical correlates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcome have been identified, their relationship to virological and immunological parameters remains poorly defined. Methods To address this, we performed longitudinal collection of nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples from a cohort of 58 hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Samples were assessed for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load, viral genotype, viral diversity, and antibody titer. Demographic and clinical information, including patient blood tests and several composite measures of disease severity, was extracted from electronic health records. Results Several factors, including male sex, higher age, higher body mass index, higher 4C Mortality score, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, were associated with intensive care unit admission. Of all measured parameters, only the retrospectively calculated median Deterioration Index score was significantly associated with death. While quantitative polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold (Ct) values and genotype of SARS-CoV-2 were not significantly associated with outcome, Ct value did correlate positively with C-reactive protein levels and negatively with D-dimer, lymphocyte count, and antibody titer. Intrahost viral genetic diversity remained constant through the disease course and resulted in changes in viral genotype in some participants. Conclusions Ultimately, these results suggest that worse outcomes are driven by immune dysfunction rather than by viral load and that SARS-CoV-2 evolution in hospital settings is relatively constant over time.