Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expanding Greenland Ice Sheet Enhances Sensitivity of Plio‐Pleistocene Climate to Obliquity Forcing in the Kiel Climate Model

Proxy data suggest the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation during the Plio‐Pleistocene transition from 3.2 to 2.5 Ma before present resulted in enhanced climate variability at the obliquity (41 kyr) frequency. Here we investigate the influence of the expanding Greenland ice sheet on the mean climate and obliquity‐related variability in a series of climate model simulations. These suggest that an expanding GrIS weakens the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) by ~1 Sverdrup, mainly due to reduced heat loss in the Greenland‐Iceland‐Norwegian Sea. Moreover, the growing GrIS amplifies the Hadley circulation response to obliquity forcing driving variations in freshwater export from the tropical Atlantic and in turn variations of the AMOC. The stronger AMOC response to obliquity forcing, by about a factor of 2, results in a stronger global mean near‐surface temperature response. We conclude that the AMOC response to obliquity forcing is important to understand the enhanced climate variability at the obliquity frequency during the Plio‐Pleistocene transition.
Intraoperative Ketorolac and Outcomes after Ovarian Cancer Surgery

Introduction: Surgery is the cornerstone of ovarian cancer treatment. However, surgery and perioperative inflammation have been described as potentially pro-metastagenic. In various animal models and other human cancers, intraoperative administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appears to have a positive impact on patient outcomes. Materials and methods: In this unicentric retrospective study, we provide an exploratory analysis of the safety and potential benefit of intraoperative administration of ketorolac on the outcome of patients undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer. The study population included all patients who were given a diagnosis of ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer by the multidisciplinary oncology committee (MOC) of the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc between 2015 and 2020. Results: We included 166 patients in our analyses, with a median follow-up of 21.8 months. Both progression-free survival and overall survival were superior in patients who received an intraoperative injection of ketorolac (34.4 months of progression-free survival in the ketorolac group versus 21.5 months in the non-ketorolac group (p = 0.002), and median overall survival was not reached in either group but there was significantly higher survival in the ketorolac group (p = 0.004)). We also performed subgroup analyses to minimise bias due to imbalance between groups on factors that could influence patient survival, and the group of patients receiving ketorolac systematically showed a better outcome. Uni- and multivariate analyses confirmed that administration of ketorolac intraoperatively was associated with better progression-free survival (HR = 0.47 on univariate analysis and 0.43 on multivariate analysis, p = 0.003 and 0.023, respectively). In terms of complications, there were no differences between the two groups, either intraoperatively or postoperatively. Conclusion: Our study has shown a favourable association between the use of ketorolac during surgery and the postoperative progression of ovarian cancer in a group of 166 patients, without any rise in intra- or postoperative complications. These encouraging results point to the need for a prospective study to confirm the benefit of intraoperative administration of ketorolac in ovarian cancer surgery.
Sustaining the Continued Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Preterm Infants

Background: There are wide variations in antibiotic use in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Limited data are available on antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs and long-term maintenance of AS interventions in preterm very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. Methods: We extended a single-centre observational study carried out in an Italian NICU. Three periods were compared: I. “baseline” (2011–2012), II. “intervention” (2016–2017), and III. “maintenance” (2020–2021). Intensive training of medical and nursing staff on AS occurred between periods I and II. AS protocols and algorithms were maintained and implemented between periods II and III. Results: There were 111, 119, and 100 VLBW infants in periods I, II, and III, respectively. In the “intervention period”, there was a reduction in antibiotic use, reported as days of antibiotic therapy per 1000 patient days (215 vs. 302, p < 0.01). In the “maintenance period”, the number of culture-proven sepsis increased. Nevertheless, antibiotic exposure of uninfected VLBW infants was lower, while no sepsis-related deaths occurred. Our restriction was mostly directed at shortening antibiotic regimens with a policy of 48 h rule-out sepsis (median days of early empiric antibiotics: 6 vs. 3 vs. 2 in periods I, II, and III, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, antibiotics administered for so-called culture-negative sepsis were reduced (22% vs. 11% vs. 6%, p = 0.002), especially in infants with a birth weight between 1000 and 1499 g. Conclusions: AS is feasible in preterm VLBW infants, and antibiotic use can be safely reduced. AS interventions, namely, the shortening of antibiotic courses in uninfected infants, can be sustained over time with periodic clinical audits and daily discussion of antimicrobial therapies among staff members.
A study on the fluxless soldering of Si-wafer/glass substrate using Sn-3.5 mass%Ag and Sn-37 mass%Pb solder : Special issue on basic science and advanced technology of lead-free electronics packaging

UBM-coated Si-wafer was fluxlessly soldered with glass substrate in N 2 atmosphere using plasma cleaning method. The bulk Sn-37 mass%Pb and Sn-3.5 mass%Ag solders were rolled to the sheet of 100 μm thickness in order to achieve bonding to Si-wafer by fluxless 1st reflow process. The oxide layer on the solder surface was analyzed by AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy). After 1st reflow the Si-wafer with a solder disk was plasma-cleaned, and soldered to glass by 2nd reflow soldering process without flux in N 2 atmosphere. The thickness of oxide layer decreased with increasing plasma power and cleaning time. The optimum plasma treatment condition in this study was 500 W for 12 min and at this condition, 100% bonding ratio for Sn-3.5 Ag and over 80% bonding ratio for Sn-37Pb solder were achieved. The intermetallic compound of continuous Cu 6 Sn 5 was observed along the Si-wafer/solder interface but discrete Cu 6 Sn 5 along the glass/solder interface and the different shapes of Cu 6 Sn 5 were caused by different thickness of Cu as a pad. The fracture of the tensile test specimen occurred at not only solder/UBM and solder/TSM interface but also in Si-wafer and glass substrate.
Reconstructions of the southern annular mode (SAM) during the last millennium

The leading mode of atmospheric variability in the Southern Hemisphere is the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), which affects the atmosphere and ocean from the mid-latitudes to the Antarctic. However, the short instrumental record of the SAM does not adequately represent its multi-decadal to centennial-scale variability. Long palaeoclimatic reconstructions of the SAM would improve our understanding of its low frequency behavior and its effects on regional temperature, rainfall, sea ice, and ecosystem processes. In this progress report, we review three published palaeoclimatic reconstructions available for understanding multi-decadal to centennial-scale variability of the SAM. Reconstructions reviewed here show similar patterns of decadal SAM variability during the last two centuries, but earlier centuries are less coherent. Reconstructions clearly maintain similar trends towards more positive SAM states since the onset of significant anthropogenic climate forcing from rising greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations and ozone depletion and these excursions appear unprecedented over at least the last 500 years. We describe how new multi-proxy reconstructions of the SAM could further improve our understanding of its long-term variability and effects across all geographic sectors of the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we recommend careful selection and development of proxies in SAM-sensitive regions and seasons. In particular, proxies related to cool-season conditions and from the poorly-sampled Indian Ocean sector would allow for a true circumpolar and year-round reconstruction of past SAM variability.
Essays on climate change and resource economics

This dissertation analyzes farmers’ behaviors in response to climate change and technology adoption. The first essay analyzes the adaptive responses of Midwestern farmers to regional climate conditions through land use change and crop insurance purchases. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, we find that climate conditions have a significant effect on farmers’ decisions regarding crops to grow, insurance purchases, and land allocation. Second, federal crop insurance mitigates farmers’ incentive to adapt to climate conditions such as intensive rainfall events. Third, federal crop insurance programs have induced Midwest farmers to allocate more acreage to corn and soybeans. The second essay studies economic and environmental implications of genetically modified (GM) corn and information technology adoption by analyzing Midwestern farmers’ corn yield and nutrient management. The findings can be summarized as follows. First, GM corn and its combination with pest scouting increase corn yield and nitrogen use. Second, the effects of GM corn and/or pest scouting adoption on corn yield and nitrogen use are greater for fields having low soil productivity. Third, yield monitor and its combination with pest scouting have positive effects on corn yield and nitrogen use. The third essay examines the effects of uncertainty regarding climate measures on forecasting future land use: variations in projected weather data sets and methods of forming farmers’ expectations regarding weather variables. We analyze decadal land use change over the Midwest based on five general circulation models (GCMs) and six assumptions regarding how to form expected weather conditions. From out-of-sample forecasting tests, we find that the predictive accuracy of models depends on the choice of GCM and methods of forming farmers’
Comparison of Parkin Score and New Ballard Score for Gestational Age Assessment in Newborns with Ultrasound Scan as the Standard Reference

Objective: To compare the assessment of gestational age (GA) in newborns using the Parkin Scoring and the New Ballard Scoring methods with the Ultrasound Scan Method as the Standard Reference, conducted at a peripheral military setup. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatrics department of Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Abbottabad from July 2019 to June 2020. A total of 102 newborns were recruited from the CMH Nursery. GA was assessed using ultrasound scan, Parkin Score (PS), and the New Ballard Score (NBS). Pearson correlation coefficient statistics were calculated to evaluate the strength of associations among the three methods. The significance level (p value) was set at 0.05. Results: The study included 47 (46.1%) females and 55 (53.9%) males. The highest GA (days) was calculated by ultrasound scan (268.76 ± 0.83), followed by PS GA (266.65 ± 1.00) and NBS (264.38 ± 1.05). There was no significant difference in GA assessment between PS and the ultrasound scan (2.32 ± 1.37 days; p = 0.208). The GA assessment between NBS and the ultrasound scan was found to be significant (4.38 ± 1.37 days; p = 0.004). However, this difference is not clinically significant. The NBS and PS GA assessment had a strong positive correlation (Pearson Coefficient = 0.80). Conclusions: The PS is a reliable method for assessing GA in newborns and is comparable to the NBS. Further research with a larger sample size should be conducted to validate these findings.
iBio-GATS—A Semi-Automated Workflow for Structural Modelling of Insect Odorant Receptors

Insects utilize seven transmembrane (7TM) odorant receptor (iOR) proteins, with an inverted topology compared to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), to detect chemical cues in the environment. For pest biocontrol, chemical attractants are used to trap insect pests. However, with the influx of invasive insect pests, novel odorants are urgently needed, specifically designed to match 3D iOR structures. Experimental structural determination of these membrane receptors remains challenging and only four experimental iOR structures from two evolutionarily distant organisms have been solved. Template-based modelling (TBM) is a complementary approach, to generate model structures, selecting templates based on sequence identity. As the iOR family is highly divergent, a different template selection approach than sequence identity is needed. Bio-GATS template selection for GPCRs, based on hydrophobicity correspondence, has been morphed into iBio-GATS, for template selection from available experimental iOR structures. This easy-to-use semi-automated workflow has been extended to generate high-quality models from any iOR sequence from the selected template, using Python and shell scripting. This workflow was successfully validated on Apocrypta bakeri Orco and Machilis hrabei OR5 structures. iBio-GATS models generated for the fruit fly iOR, OR59b and Orco, yielded functional ligand binding results concordant with experimental mutagenesis findings, compared to AlphaFold2 models.
The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Hemodialysis

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a common disorder that puts patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. To our knowledge, there is no published study in Pub Med which evaluated both lifestyle and metabolic syndrome in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and investigate the potential risk factors in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 204 patients enrolled conveniently. National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria considered for Metabolic Syndrome. Demographics, lifestyle, and disease characteristics were gathered. The relationship between metabolic syndrome and its severity with independent variables was investigated through multivariable multivariate logistic and linear regressions. Results: The mean (SD) age was 55 (14) years and 42% were women. 42.6% had metabolic syndrome. Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high fasting blood sugar, high blood pressure (BP), increased waist circumference (WC), and high triglyceride were observed in decreasing order of frequency in 54.4%, 44.1%, 38.7%, 33.3% 28.9% of patients, respectively. The logistic regression model revealed significant associations between metabolic syndrome and physical activity (OR=0.85, 95% CI : 0.74-0.97), mood (OR=1.04, 95% CI : 1.002-1.078), age (OR=1.023, 95% CI : 1.001-1.046), and missed work (OR=0.86, 95% CI : 0.76-0.97). The linear regression model revealed significant associations between metabolic syndrome severity score and physical activity (B=-0.12, 95% CI : -0.21-0.02) and sleep quality (B=0.017, 95% CI : 0.001-0.033). Conclusion: Poorer sleep quality, lower physical activity, lower mood status, and older age were associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome/metabolic syndrome severity score in hemodialysis patients.
Transcriptomic, Proteomic, and Genomic Mutational Fraction Differences Based on HPV Status Observed in Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Simple Summary Penile cancer is a rare but aggressive cancer. After it metastasizes, the median survival time is less than 12 months. The overall response rate to common first-line combination chemotherapy treatments is approximately 50%. There is an urgent need in advanced-penile-cancer treatment to find novel therapies that would generate better response rates than standard chemotherapy thus far and have less toxicity. Partially due to its rarity, there are few animal models and cell lines of penile cancer. We report on the generation of seven penile cancer animal models that were created by directly implanting human tumor tissue into immunocompromised mice. Abstract Metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) has only a 50% response rate to first-line combination chemotherapies and there are currently no targeted-therapy approaches. Therefore, we have an urgent need in advanced-PSCC treatment to find novel therapies. Approximately half of all PSCC cases are positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV). Our objective was to generate HPV-positive (HPV+) and HPV-negative (HPV−) patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and to determine the biological differences between HPV+ and HPV− disease. We generated four HPV+ and three HPV− PSCC PDX animal models by directly implanting resected patient tumor tissue into immunocompromised mice. PDX tumor tissue was found to be similar to patient tumor tissue (donor tissue) by histology and short tandem repeat fingerprinting. DNA mutations were mostly preserved in PDX tissues and similar APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide) mutational fractions in donor tissue and PDX tissues were noted. A higher APOBEC mutational fraction was found in HPV+ versus HPV− PDX tissues (p = 0.044), and significant transcriptomic and proteomic expression differences based on HPV status included p16 (CDKN2A), RRM2, and CDC25C. These models will allow for the direct testing of targeted therapies in PSCC and determine their response in correlation to HPV status.
Estimating Soil Respiration in a Subalpine Landscape Using Point, Terrain, Climate, and Greenness Data

Landscape carbon (C) flux estimates help assess the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to buffer further increases in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Advances in remote sensing have led to coarse‐scale estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP; e.g., MODIS 17), yet efforts to develop spatial respiration products are lacking. Here we demonstrate a method to predict growing season soil respiration at a regional scale in a mixed subalpine ecosystem. We related field measurements (n = 396) of growing season soil respiration mostly from subalpine forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains ecoregion to a suite of biophysical predictors using a Random Forest model (30‐m pixel size). We found that Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index, growing season aridity index, temperature, precipitation, elevation, and slope aspect explained spatiotemporal variability in soil respiration. Our model had a psuedo‐r2 of 0.45 and root‐mean‐square error of roughly one quarter of the mean value of respiration. Predicted growing season soil respiration across the region was remarkably consistent across 2004, 2005, and 2006 (150‐day sums of 542.8, 544.3, and 536.5 g C/m2, respectively). Yet we observed substantial variability in spatial patterns of soil respiration predictions that varied among years, suggesting that our method is sensitive to changes in respiration drivers. Mean predicted growing season soil respiration was 73% of MODIS GPP, while predicted soil respiration was generally within 20% of nocturnal net ecosystem exchange from nearby eddy covariance towers. Thus, geospatial and remotely sensed data sets can be used to estimate soil respiration at landscape scales.
Validation of the Pandemic Grief Risk Factors and Its Relationship With Work-Related Stress and Grief Reaction Among Healthcare Workers Who Witnessed Patient Deaths

Background The Pandemic Grief Risk Factors (PGRFs) was developed as a self-report tool to compile a comprehensive list of unique risk factors related to grief when experiencing a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) loss. We explored the reliability and validity of the PGRF among healthcare workers who witnessed their patients’ deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we examined whether the general severity of PGRF may have been associated with work-related stress and pandemic grief reactions. Methods An online survey was conducted among tertiary hospital healthcare workers (doctors and nursing professionals) who had witnessed the deaths of patients they cared for. Pandemic Grief Scale for healthcare workers, the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-3 items, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 responses were collected. Results In total, 267 responses were analyzed. The single-factor structure of the Korean version of the PGRF showed a good fit for the model. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity with other depression and anxiety rating scales. The mediation analysis revealed that work-related stress directly influenced pandemic grief reactions positively, and depression, anxiety, and general severity of grief risk factors partially mediated the association positively. Conclusion Among healthcare workers who witnessed the deaths of their patients due to COVID-19, the Korean version of the PGRF was valid and reliable for measuring the overall severity of PGRF. The PGRF can be used to identify individuals at risk for dysfunctional grief.
HUBUNGAN TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN KELUARGA DENGANPERILAKU PENCEGAHAN PENULARAN TB PARU DI RUMAH SAKIT KHUSUS PARU RESPIRA BANTUL

Latar Belakang : Jumlah pasien tuberkulosis adalah sepertiga dari populasi dunia yaitu 289 kasus per 100.000 penduduk. Berdasarkan data Kemenkes RI (2013), Indonesia merupakan peringkat keempat di dunia terbanyak untuk pasien TB paru setelah Cina, India, dan Afrika Selatan dengan prevalensi TB paru sebanyak 281 per 100.000 penduduk. Meningkatnya jumlah pasien TB paru di Indonesia disebabkan oleh kurangnya pengetahuan tentang TB Paru sehingga masih banyak ditemukan perilaku yang tidak sehat. Salah satunya adalah masih menggunakan alat makan atau minum secara bersamaan, kurangnya pencahayaan di dalam rumah, pasien yang masih meludah sembarangan. Tujuan : Untuk mengetahui hubungan tingkat pengetahuan keluarga dengan perilaku pencegahan penularan TB paru di Rumah Sakit Khusus Paru Respira Bantul. Metode : Metode penelitian ini adalah deskriptif korelasional dengan pendekatan cross sectional dan menggunakan purposive sampling. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah keluarga yang mengantarkan pasien TB paru ke Rumah Sakit Khusus Paru Respira Bantul yang berjumlah 56 responden. Pengambilan data menggunakan kuesioner dan dianalisis menggunakan uji statistik Spearman Rank. Hasil : Hasil analisis statistik diketahui bahwa tingkat pengetahuan keluarga mayoritas kategori baik yaitu sebanyak 41 orang (73,2%), perilaku pencegahan penularan mayoritas kategori baik yaitu sebanyak 40 orang (71,4%) dengan pvalue = 0,000 (p<0,05) dan r= 0,624. Simpulan : Terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara tingkat pengetahuan keluarga dengan perilaku pencegahan penularan TB paru di Rumah Sakit Khusus Paru Respira Bantul dengan kekuatan hubungan kategori kuat.