Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Influence of Climate Change and Anthropogenic Activities on the Spatiotemporal Vegetation Dynamics Over the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau From 1981 to 2015

Climate change and human activities have already caused degradation in a large fraction of vegetation on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Many studies report that climate variability instead of overgrazing has been the primary cause for large‐scale vegetation cover changes on the QTP, for example, Lehnert et al., 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep24367. However, it remains unclear how human activities (mainly livestock grazing) regulate vegetation dynamics under climate change. This paper takes the AVHRR/GIMMS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as an indicator to analyze the growth status of vegetation zones in the QTP, which has highly sensitive to climate change. The spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation growth between 1981 and 2015 were analyzed. The dual effects of climate change and human activities were examined by correlation analyses of data from 87 meteorological stations and economic statistical data of the QTP. Results show that: (a) The vegetation in central and southwestern QTP with high altitudes was improving due to the warm‐humid climate trend. An increase in temperature and a reduction in the harsh frigid climate at high altitudes due to global warming has resulted in expansions of the vegetated areas, with the NDVI showing a concordant increase. (b) The degraded areas were mainly confined to the northern and eastern QTP, which have high human and livestock population densities. In comparison to gently changing climate regimes, anthropogenic activities such as chronic concentration of population and livestock in the valleys with a less harsh climate exerts a much stronger pressure on vegetation. The study indicates that the anthropogenic pressures are much more intensive than the impact of climate change and are critical for the conservation and sustainable management of the QTP vegetation.
Using of blue green algae extract and salicylic acid to mitigate heat stress on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) plant under Siwa Oasis conditions

Increasing temperature is a global issue due to the existing climate change problem that reduces agricultural productivity and increases prices. It badly affects the yield, and active constituents of medicinal and aromatic plants, especially in newly reclaimed lands in desert areas. The Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a remarkable crop known for its calyces to make a refreshing drink. It is in other food industries and has many healing effects. A split-plot field experiment was conducted on Hibiscus sabdariffa L. at Siwa Oasis, Egypt, during the 2018 and 2019 seasons for studying to reduce the harmful effect of heat stress on plants and yield improvement. Spraying with three salicylic acid concentrations was put to main plots as 0, 500, and 1000 mg/l and the number of sprays with Spirulina platensis algae extract was allotted to sub-plots and used as 0, 1 and 2 times in the season. Some quantity and quality parameters were under investigation. The significant highest increases in dry weight per plant, number of fruits per plant, dry yield of sepals per hectare and sepal's anthocyanin content were from the combination among spraying with salicylic acid at the concentration of 500 mg/l and spraying with blue green algae extract twice through the season. This treatment was helpful to decrease the high-temperature injury on growth through the summer months.
High number concentrations of transparent exopolymer particles in ambient aerosol particles and cloud water – a case study at the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Abstract. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) exhibit the properties of gels and are ubiquitously found in the world oceans. TEPs may enter the atmosphere as part of sea-spray aerosol. Here, we report number concentrations of TEPs with a diameter > 4.5 µm, hence covering a part of the supermicron particle range, in ambient aerosol and cloud water samples from the tropical Atlantic Ocean as well as in generated aerosol particles using a plunging waterfall tank that was filled with the ambient seawater. The ambient TEP concentrations ranged between 7×102 and 3×104 #TEP m−3 in the aerosol particles and correlations with sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+) (R2=0.5) suggested some contribution via bubble bursting. Cloud water TEP concentrations were between 4×106 and 9×106 #TEP L−1 and, according to the measured cloud liquid water content, corresponding to equivalent air concentrations of 2–4×103 #TEP m−3. Based on Na+ concentrations in seawater and in the atmosphere, the enrichment factors for TEPs in the atmosphere were calculated. The tank-generated TEPs were enriched by a factor of 50 compared with seawater and, therefore, in-line with published enrichment factors for supermicron organic matter in general and TEPs specifically. TEP enrichment in the ambient atmosphere was on average 1×103 in cloud water and 9×103 in ambient aerosol particles and therefore about two orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding enrichment from the tank study. Such high enrichment of supermicron particulate organic constituents in the atmosphere is uncommon and we propose that atmospheric TEP concentrations resulted from a combination of enrichment during bubble bursting transfer from the ocean and a secondary TEP in-situ formation in atmospheric phases. Abiotic in-situ formation might have occurred from aqueous reactions of dissolved organic precursors that were present in particle and cloud water samples, whereas biotic formation involves bacteria, which were abundant in the cloud water samples. The ambient TEP number concentrations were two orders of magnitude higher than recently reported ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations measured at the same location. As TEPs likely possess good properties to act as INPs, in future experiments it is worth studying if a certain part of TEPs contributes a fraction of the biogenic INP population.
HLA-DR Presentation of the Tumor Antigen MSLN Associates with Clinical Outcome of Ovarian Cancer Patients

Simple Summary The immunopeptidome represents the entirety of peptides that are presented on the surface of cells on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules and are recognized by the T-cell receptors of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Malignant cells present tumor-associated antigens essential for tumor immune surveillance, which can be targeted by T-cell-based immunotherapy approaches. For ovarian carcinomas, various tumor-associated antigens, such as Mucin-16 and Mesothelin, have been described. The aim of our study is to analyze immunopeptidome-defined tumor antigen presentation in ovarian carcinoma patients in relation to clinical characteristics and disease outcomes to define potential biomarkers. Our work demonstrates the central role of HLA-DR-restricted peptide presentation of the tumor antigen Mesothelin and of CD4+ T-cell responses for tumor immune surveillance, and underlines Mesothelin as a prime target antigen for novel immunotherapeutic approaches for ovarian carcinoma patients. Abstract T-cell recognition of HLA-presented antigens is central for the immunological surveillance of malignant disease and key for the development of novel T-cell-based immunotherapy approaches. In recent years, large-scale immunopeptidome studies identified naturally presented tumor-associated antigens for several malignancies. Regarding ovarian carcinoma (OvCa), Mucin-16 (MUC16) and Mesothelin (MSLN) were recently described as the top HLA class I- and HLA class II-presented tumor antigens, respectively. Here, we investigate the role and impact of immunopeptidome-presented tumor antigens on the clinical outcomes of 39 OvCa patients with a follow-up time of up to 50 months after surgery. Patients with a HLA-restricted presentation of high numbers of different MSLN-derived peptides on their tumors exhibited significantly prolonged progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS), whereas the presentation of MUC16-derived HLA class I-restricted peptides had no impact. Furthermore, a high HLA-DRB gene expression was associated with increased PFS and OS. In line, in silico prediction revealed that MSLN-derived HLA class II-presented peptides are predominantly presented on HLA-DR allotypes. In conclusion, the correlation of MSLN tumor antigen presentation and HLA-DRB gene expression with prolonged survival indicates a central role of CD4+ T-cell responses for tumor immune surveillance in OvCa, and highlights the importance of immunopeptidome-guided tumor antigen discovery.
Preliminary Results from the ACTyourCHANGE in Teens Protocol: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adolescents with Obesity

The study shows preliminary results of “The ACTyourCHANGE in Teens” project, a Randomized Controlled Trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based intervention combined with treatment as usual (ACT+TAU) compared to TAU only, for improving psychological well-being, psychological distress, experiential avoidance and fusion, emotion dysregulation, and emotional eating in a sample of 34 in-patient adolescents with obesity (Body Mass Index > 97th centile). Mixed between-within 2 × 2 repeated-measures analyses of variances (ANOVAs) were carried out to examine the changes in psychological conditions of participants over time. Moderation analyses were also conducted to test whether pre-test anxiety, depression, stress, and experiential avoidance and fusion predicted emotional eating at post-test with groups (ACT+TAU vs. TAU only) as moderators. Only a significant interaction effect (time × group) from pre- to post-test (p = 0.031) and a significant main effect of time on anxiety (p < 0.001) and emotional eating (p = 0.010) were found. Only in the TAU only group were higher levels of depression (p = 0.0011), stress (p = 0.0012), and experiential avoidance and fusion (p = 0.0282) at pre-test significantly associated with higher emotional eating at post-test. Although future replication and improvements of the study may allow us to obtain more consistent results, this preliminary evidence is actually promising.
Assessing the potential for Zn limitation of marine primary production: proteomic characterization of the low Zn stress response in marine diatoms

Marine diatoms are abundant photoautotrophic algae that contribute significantly to photosynthetic carbon fixation and export throughout the oceans. Zinc is an important micronutrient in algal metabolism, with scarce dissolved concentrations in the upper euphotic zone reflecting high biological demand. In this thesis, I investigated the response of marine diatoms to Zn scarcity to characterize metabolic mechanisms used to combat Zn stress. I began by assaying the ability to metabolically substitute cobalt (Co) in place of Zn in four diatom species and found that enhanced abilities to use Co are likely an adaptation to high surface dCo:dZn ratios in the native environment. I next demonstrated that Zn/Co metabolic substitution in diatoms is not universal using culture studies of Chaetoceros neogracile RS19, which has an absolute Zn requirement. Using global proteomic analysis, I then identified and characterized diatom ZCRP-A and ZCRP-B, a putative Zn-chaperone and membrane-tethered Zn acquisition protein, respectively, as two proteins involved in the low-Zn response. I demonstrated that these proteins are widespread in marine phytoplankton and can be deployed as protein biomarkers of Zn stress in the field. I furthermore documented both the detection of ZCRPs in the Southern Ocean and the existence of Zn/Fe co-limitation within the natural phytoplankton population in Terra Nova Bay, demonstrating that Zn co-limitation can indeed occur in the field, even in high macronutrient waters. Lastly, I explored the relative demand of Zn and cadmium (Cd) within the Southern Ocean community using stable 67Zn and 110Cd tracers, documenting a high demand for both metals during the austral 2017-2018 summer season and investigating the cycling of these elements within this important region. Overall, this dissertation provides new information regarding Zn acquisition and homeostasis mechanisms within marine algae and demonstrates that Zn co-limitation in the field is not only possible, but detectable via protein biomarkers.
analysis of cost and profitability trendsinjk cement limited in India

The cement industry is the primary sector of Indian economy as it accounts for a significant portion of total industrial productivity. After China, India's cement sector ranks second in the world in terms of cement output. It produces quality cements but lack in profitability and return on investment, which ultimately affects trend and pattern of cost and profit of JK cement limited. Cost and profit is the key decision in financial affairs of a firm. The study considered a period of ten years data from 2010-11 to 2019-20. The cost, volume of turnover and profit are estimated. In conclusion, it was found that raw materials, power and fuel cost, employee cost, selling, administration and miscellaneous expenses, volume of sales and profitability of the firm are increased during the period.
A Focus on Abuse/Misuse and Withdrawal Issues with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Analysis of Both the European EMA and the US FAERS Pharmacovigilance Databases

Despite increasing reports, antidepressant (AD) misuse and dependence remain underestimated issues, possibly due to limited epidemiological and pharmacovigilance evidence. Thus, here we aimed to determine available pharmacovigilance misuse/abuse/dependence/withdrawal signals relating to the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline. Both EudraVigilance (EV) and Food and Drug Administration-FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) datasets were analysed to identify AD misuse/abuse/dependence/withdrawal issues. A descriptive analysis was performed; moreover, pharmacovigilance measures, including the reporting odds ratio (ROR), the proportional reporting ratio (PRR), the information component (IC), and the empirical Bayesian geometric mean (EBGM) were calculated. Both datasets showed increasing trends of yearly reporting and similar signals regarding abuse and dependence. From the EV, a total of 5335 individual ADR reports were analysed, of which 30% corresponded to paroxetine (n = 1592), 27% citalopram (n = 1419), 22% sertraline (n = 1149), 14% fluoxetine (n = 771), and 8% escitalopram (n = 404). From FAERS, a total of 144,395 individual ADR reports were analysed, of which 27% were related to paroxetine, 27% sertraline, 18% citalopram, 16% fluoxetine, and 13% escitalopram. Comparing SSRIs, the EV misuse/abuse-related ADRs were mostly recorded for citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline; conversely, dependence was mostly associated with paroxetine, and withdrawal to escitalopram. Similarly, in the FAERS dataset, dependence/withdrawal-related signals were more frequently reported for paroxetine. Although SSRIs are considered non-addictive pharmacological agents, a range of proper withdrawal symptoms can occur well after discontinuation, especially with paroxetine. Prescribers should be aware of the potential for dependence and withdrawal associated with SSRIs.
Benchmark 1 - Failure Prediction after Cup Drawing, Reverse Redrawing and Expansion Part A: Benchmark Description

This Benchmark is designed to predict the fracture of a food can after drawing, reverse redrawing and expansion. The aim is to assess different sheet metal forming difficulties such as plastic anisotropic earing and failure models (strain and stress based Forming Limit Diagrams) under complex nonlinear strain paths. To study these effects, two distinct materials, TH330 steel (unstoved) and AA5352 aluminum alloy are considered in this Benchmark. Problem description, material properties, and simulation reports with experimental data are summarized.
A Rare Case of Oral Papillomatosis in a Goat Kid

The clinical management and outcome of a case of caprine papillomatosis in a 2-week-old kid goat was reported. Based on the PCR result, contagious ecthyma (CE) was ruled out. Based on the history and physical examination findings, the case was diagnosed as severe clinical case of papillomatosis in a goat's kid. The treatment procedure was administrated with flunixin meglumine (5%) 1.1 mg/kg, 0.5 ml, IM, SID, 3 days, and Penstrep (procaine penicillin, dihydrostreptomycin sulphate) 2 ml and a topical preparation for 5 days to prevent secondary bacterial infection. Also, Vitavet (multivitamin–vitamins A, D3, and B12), 1 ml/10 kg, 1 ml, IM, SID, was administered for 3 days to boost the immune system.
Effect of Preprocessing Storage Temperature and Time on the Physicochemical Properties of Winter Melon Juice

Numerous studies demonstrated that winter melons (Benincasa hispida) have a long storage life at 20°C without quality and flavor degradation in fruit. However, fruit for processing are frequently handled under refrigerated conditions or exposed to a warehouse without air conditioning. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate whether a short high- and low-temperature storage of fruit, prior to processing, changes the flavor and nutritional profiles of winter melon juice. Weight loss of 1.71% was recorded subsequent to 20 days of 10°C storage, with 5.15% weight loss at 30°C. Sugar content significantly decreased during storage at 10°C and 30°C, while the soluble solids content slightly increased. Several specific phenolic compounds were detected, and the total concentration of phenolics increased over the storage time at both temperatures. The concentration of sulfur compounds, as well as hexanal and total volatiles that are principally responsible for off-flavor reduced significantly during storage and the reduction was greater at 10°C than at 30°C. The results indicate that preprocessing fruit storage at 10 or 30°C for 20 days will not harm the quality and flavor of winter melon juice. However, longer storage time caused water-soaked spots at 10°C and dry rot at 30°C.
DOT: Decentralized Offloading of Tasks in OFDMA-Based Heterogeneous Computing Networks

A fundamental issue in multiaccess edge computing (MEC) is efficiently offloading multiple tasks to multiple helper nodes (MTMH), i.e., MEC servers. However, most of the existing decentralized schemes do not consider interuser interference or merely adopt time division multiple access (TDMA) as the multiple access scheme for MTMH in the heterogeneous scenario, leading to a large latency. To address these issues, we propose DOT, a novel Decentralized Offloading of Tasks scheme in orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based heterogeneous MEC, to minimize the sum cost in terms of energy consumption and delay. Specifically, we first formulate DOT as an optimization problem considering the interuser interference and dynamics in communication and computation resource allocation. Then, considering the huge dimension of potential offloading decisions and conflicting objectives of different users, the total cost of each user is minimized in a distributed manner by modeling the offloading problem as a potential game. The formulated potential game is proved to be an ordinal potential game and thus admits a Nash equilibrium (NE). Further, we develop an offloading algorithm to achieve the NE by exploiting the finite improvement property. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that DOT can achieve a lower cost compared with other baselines.
A theory of dialectical transnational historical materialism for China’s state capitalism and the China–US rivalry

Abstract A new cold war seems to be looming between China and the United States. The escalating China–US rivalry calls for a more dialectical theory of international political economy that captures conflict and disintegration as an integral part of capitalist globalisation. Kees van der Pijl’s and William Carroll’s critical realist approach towards the study of transnational corporations (TNCs) and transnational capitalist class (TCC) formation has incorporated the classical theory of uneven capitalist development and inter-imperialist rivalry into the scholarship of transnational historical materialism, which I argue is apt for explaining the China–US conflict: One is positioned as a Hobbesian contender and the other as the Lockean hegemon. To provide empirical grounding for my argument, I conduct a corporate network study to examine the interlocking directorates of 40 Chinese TNCs. In concordance with Carroll and colleagues’ studies, I find that the globalisation of Chinese TNCs and Chinese corporate elite has been modest and has not undermined or replaced the national base, nor does it signify a homogeneous TCC formation. My findings have also revealed an inextricable relationship between the Chinese TNCs and China’s party-state, or a Hobbesian character of state-organised capitalism.
TRPM8-Rap1A Interaction Sites as Critical Determinants for Adhesion and Migration of Prostate and Other Epithelial Cancer Cells

Simple Summary Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. Its poor prognosis is mainly due to metastases, and therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms by which cancer cells can spread throughout the body. In this context, among others, we demonstrated the TRPM8 channel to be a major player due to its ability to impair prostate cancer cell motility. The present work elucidates the molecular mechanism through which TRPM8 exerts its inhibitory effect on cell migration. We found that this effect is mediated by a direct interaction between residues E207 and Y240 in the N-terminal TRPM8 tail and residue Y32 in the Switch I region of the Rap1-GDP bound inactive form. Since these results have also been validated in breast and cervical cancer cells, the TRPM8-Rap1 interaction could constitute a therapeutic target against metastatic progression in several types of tumors. Abstract Emerging evidence indicates that the TRPM8 channel plays an important role in prostate cancer (PCa) progression, by impairing the motility of these cancer cells. Here, we reveal a novel facet of PCa motility control via direct protein-protein interaction (PPI) of the channel with the small GTPase Rap1A. The functional interaction of the two proteins was assessed by active Rap1 pull-down assays and live-cell imaging experiments. Molecular modeling analysis allowed the identification of four putative residues involved in TRPM8-Rap1A interaction. Point mutations of these sites impaired PPI as shown by GST-pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation, and PLA experiments and revealed their key functional role in the adhesion and migration of PC3 prostate cancer cells. More precisely, TRPM8 inhibits cell migration and adhesion by trapping Rap1A in its GDP-bound inactive form, thus preventing its activation at the plasma membrane. In particular, residues E207 and Y240 in the sequence of TRPM8 and Y32 in that of Rap1A are critical for the interaction between the two proteins not only in PC3 cells but also in cervical (HeLa) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells. This study deepens our knowledge of the mechanism through which TRPM8 would exert a protective role in cancer progression and provides new insights into the possible use of TRPM8 as a new therapeutic target in cancer treatment.