Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Iron quantification in basal ganglia: quantitative susceptibility mapping as a potential biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease – a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by distinctive pathologies such as amyloid-β plaques and tau tangles, also involves deregulation of iron homeostasis, which may accelerate neurodegeneration. This meta-analysis evaluated the use of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to detect iron accumulation in the deep gray matter (DGM) of the basal ganglia in AD, contributing to a better understanding of AD progression, and potentially leading to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Methods Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar databases up to October 2023 for studies employing QSM in AD research. Eligibility criteria were based on the PECO framework, and we included studies assessing alterations in magnetic susceptibility indicative of iron accumulation in the DGM of patients with AD. After initial screening and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, a meta-analysis was conducted to compare iron levels between patients with AD and healthy controls (HCs) using a random-effects model. Results The meta-analysis included nine studies comprising 267 patients with AD and 272 HCs. There were significantly higher QSM values, indicating greater iron deposition, in the putamen (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.84; p = 0.00), globus pallidus (SMD = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.07 to 1.52; p = 0.03), and caudate nucleus (SMD = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.06; p = 0.00) of AD patients compared to HCs. However, no significant differences were found in the thalamus (SMD = 1.00; 95% CI: −0.42 to 2.43; p = 0.17). The sensitivity analysis indicated that no single study impacted the overall results. Age was identified as a major contributor to heterogeneity across all basal ganglia nuclei in subgroup analysis. Older age (>69 years) and lower male percentage (≤30%) were associated with greater putamen iron increase in patients with AD. Conclusion The study suggests that excessive iron deposition is linked to the basal ganglia in AD, especially the putamen. The study underscores the complex nature of AD pathology and the accumulation of iron, influenced by age, sex, and regional differences, necessitating further research for a comprehensive understanding.
Switching on the Big Burn of 2017

Fuel, aridity, and ignition switches were all on in 2017, making it one of the largest and costliest wildfire years in the United States (U.S.) since national reporting began. Anthropogenic climate change helped flip on some of these switches rapidly in 2017, and kept them on for longer than usual. Anthropogenic changes to the fire environment will increase the likelihood of such record wildfire years in the coming decades. The 2017 wildfires in the U.S. constitute part of a shifting baseline in risks and costs; meanwhile, effective policies have lagged behind, leaving communities highly vulnerable. Policy efforts to build better and burn better, in the U.S. as well as in other nations with flammable ecosystems, will promote adaptation to increasing wildfire in a warming world.
Gravity Anomalies and Isostasy Deduced From New Dense Gravimetry Around the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet

We built the first dense gravity network including 107 stations around the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet, one of the hardest places in the world to reach, and conducted a gravity and hybrid GPS observation campaign in 2016. We computed the Bouguer gravity anomalies (BGAs) and free‐air gravity anomalies (FGAs) and increased the resolution of the FGAs by merging the in situ data with EIGEN‐6C4 gravity model data. The BGAs around the Tsangpo Gorge are in general negative and gradually decrease from south (−360 mGal) to north (−480 mGal). They indicate a uniformly dipping Moho around the Tsangpo Gorge that sinks from south to north at an angle of 12°. We introduced a method to compute the vertical tectonic stress of the lithosphere, a quantitative expression of isostasy, using BGA and terrain data, and applied it to the area around the Tsangpo Gorge. We found that the lithosphere of the upstream of the Tsangpo Gorge is roughly in an isostatic state, but the lithosphere of the downstream exhibits vertical tectonic stress of ~50 MPa, which indicates the loss of a large amount of surface material. This result does not support the deduction of the valley bottom before uplift of the Tsangpo Gorge by Wang et al. (2014).
Dark Current Reduction and Performance Improvements in Graphene/Silicon Heterojunction Photodetectors Obtained Using a Non-Stoichiometric HfOx Thin Oxide Layer

Graphene/silicon heterojunction photodetectors suffer from a high dark current due to the high surface states and low barrier height at the interface, which limits their application. In this study, we introduce an HfOx interfacial layer via magnetron sputtering to address this issue. With this new structure, the dark current is reduced by six times under a bias voltage of −2 V. Under 460 nm illumination, the responsivity is 0.228A/W, the detectivity is 1.15 × 1011 cmHz1/2W−1, and the noise equivalent power is 8.75 × 10−5 pW/Hz1/2, demonstrating an excellent weak light detection capability. Additionally, the oxygen vacancies in the HfOx interfacial layer provide a conductive channel for charge carriers, resulting in a 2.03-fold increase in photocurrent and an external quantum efficiency of 76.5%. The photodetector maintains good photoresponse ability at a low bias voltage. This work showcases the outstanding performance of HfOx films as interfacial layer materials and provides a new solution for high-performance photodetectors, as well as a new path to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cells.
Comparing measurements of snow mechanical properties relevant for slab avalanche release

Snow properties relevant to the fracture processes involved in dry-snow slab avalanche release include weak layer specific fracture energy, slab elastic modulus and density. Various techniques exist to determine these snow mechanical properties, but it is presently unclear how values determined with different methods compare. In the laboratory, the 3-D microstructure of cm-sized snow samples is reconstructed by micro-computed tomography (μCT) so that density and elastic modulus can be computed. In the field, fracture energy and modulus are estimated based on particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) of the displacement field observed during propagation saw tests. Snow stratigraphy is measured with the snow micro-penetrometer (SMP) in either, field or laboratory. We compared SMP-derived properties to correspondingμCT- and PTV-derived values. Values of snow density related well toμCT results and so were SMP-derived elastic moduli related to PTV-derived values. By taking into account snow anisotropy a good relation between SMP- andμCT-derived moduli resulted suggesting the SMP-derived modulus characterizes the components of the modulus perpendicular to the axis of penetration. SMP- and PTV-derived values of fracture energy were correlated. The SMP can provide a bridge between scales and techniques, yet further improvements in signal interpretation are still needed.
Unlocking Predictive Power: Quantitative Assessment of CAR-T Expansion with Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR)

Flow cytometry (FCM) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) are conventional methods for assessing CAR-T expansion, while digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) is emerging as a promising alternative. We monitored CAR-T transcript expansion in 40 B-NHL patients post-infusion of CAR-T products (axi-cel; tisa-cel; and brexu-cel) with both His-Tag FCM and ddPCR techniques. Sensitivity and predictive capacity for efficacy and safety outcomes of ddPCR were analyzed and compared with FCM. A significant correlation between CAR-T counts determined by FCM and CAR transcripts assessed by ddPCR (p < 0.001) was observed. FCM revealed median CD3+CAR+ cell counts at 7, 14, and 30 days post-infusion with no significant differences. In contrast, ddPCR-measured median copies of CAR-T transcripts demonstrated significant lower copy numbers in tisa-cel recipients compared to the other products at day 7 and day 14. Patients with a peak of CAR transcripts at day 7 exceeding 5000 copies/microg gDNA, termed “good CAR-T expanders”, were more likely to achieve a favorable response at 3 months (HR 10.79, 95% CI 1.16–100.42, p = 0.036). Good CAR-T expanders showed superior progression-free survival at 3, 6, and 12 months compared to poor CAR-T expanders (p = 0.088). Those reaching a peak higher than 5000 copies/microg gDNA were more likely to experience severe CRS and ICANS. DdPCR proves to be a practical method for monitoring CAR-T expansion, providing quantitative information that better predicts both treatment outcomes and toxicity.
Response of baby corn based intercropping system as influenced by nitrogen management practices

A field experiment was conducted on a clayey soil of North Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka during kharif 2015 to study the effect of source of nitrogen on yield and economics of baby corn based intercropping systems. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with five main factors and three subfactors, replicated thrice. Results showed that growth parameters like Plant height, Number of green leaves per plant, Leaf area, Leaf area index and Total dry matter production and among the yield attributes, Cobs plant, length of the dehusked cob, cob weight with husk and cob weight without husk was significantly higher with sole baby corn and among nitrogen practices with application of 100% RDN trough chemical fertilizer. Sole baby corn recorded significantly higher green cob yield and green stalk yield among nitrogen practices with application of 100% RDN trough chemical fertilizer.
Species Composition, Diversity and Stand Structure of Mangroves in Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Cebu, Philippines

The stand structure and species composition of the mangroves in Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary were assessed using the following parameters: relative frequency, relative dominance, relative density, importance value, crown cover, abundance of trees/hectare, regeneration/m2 and constancy. The study recorded the presence of 17 species, 9 of which were considered rare in occurence. There was a total of 10,309 trees surveyed and O. octodonta registered the highest with 3,739 trees , R. stylosa with 2,827 and A. marina with 1,268 as the third. The area had a very low crown cover with 23.06%. Regenerants were also very few with 1.3 wildling /sq.m2. Also, the mangroves in OIWS showed a small basal area of 1.27 m2/hectare indicating there was overharvesting/ overcutting of the trees. To prevent further degradation of the place, there is an urgency to reforest the area, with emphasis on planting the disappearing/lost species observed.
Determining cooling rates from mica 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology data: Effect of cooling path shape

Tectonic models are commonly underpinned by metamorphic cooling rates derived from diffusive‐loss thermochronology data. Such cooling ages are usually linked to temperature via Dodson's closure temperature (TC) formulation, which specifies a 1/time‐shaped cooling path (Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 1973, 40, 259). Geologists, however, commonly discuss cooling rates as a linear temperature/time shape. We present the results of a series of simple finite‐difference diffusion models for Ar diffusion in muscovite and biotite that show that the difference in recorded age between 1/t and linear cooling paths increases significantly with hotter starting temperatures, slower cooling rates and smaller grain sizes. Our results show that it is essential to constrain the cooling path shape in order to make meaningful interpretations of the measured data.
Valorization of dam sediments as an adsorbent of a cationic dye, kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies

The objective of this work is to use sediments of an Algerian dam in adsorbing cationic dye, methylene blue (MB) onto aqueous solution, and test their aptitudes in the fixation of organic pollutants. The raw mud sediment (RMS) is characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and BET method (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller). The results show that the sediments consist of clay phases; the RMS featured a high surface area of 102.42 m 2 ·g –1 using the Hang method and 42.39 m 2 ·g –1 by BET. Adsorption results show that the adsorption kinetics is rapid and adjusted to best fit the pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium adsorption data analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models revealed that the isotherm of the solution with initial concentration C 0 < 100 mg·L –1 obeys to the Freundlich isotherm, and those of concentrations greater than 100 mg·L –1 follows the Langmuir model ( R 2 = 0.9919), equilibrium adsorption 93.72 mg·g –1 for an initial concentration of 1,000 mg·L –1 was achieved at a temperature of 293 K and pH of 6. The values of the activation parameters such as free energy (Δ G °), enthalpy (Δ H °), and entropy (Δ S °) were also determined. The results indicate that the process of adsorption of MB on the RMS is spontaneous (Δ G ° < 0) and exo-thermic (Δ H ° < 0). This study reveals that RMS can be used as an effective low-cost adsorbent of MB from aqueous solutions.
Factors affecting family planning behavior among women in Samarinda, Indonesia

Women are considered to be the most common recipients of contraceptive methods. This study aimed to determine the most influential factors in family planning behavior among women in Samarinda, Indonesia. This study used a cross-sectional design and involved 384 women of childbearing age in the area of Samarinda Primary Health Care. Data were collected using a questionnaire to measure education, income, culture, parity, health workers, and family support for family planning. All variables were categorized and the data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The significance level was set at 0.05. The study showed that generally respondents have good family planning behaviour (228 respondents; 59.4%) while parity, family support and culture are good in contraceptive use. It is presented that culture support (p=0.004; OR=2.081) become the most dominant factor of contraceptive use behaviour after controlled by education (p=0.047; OR=1.574), income (p=0.043; OR=0.632), parity (p=0.011; OR=0.575) and family support (p=0.025; OR=0.518). Women with a supporting culture will have better contraceptive use behavior than women who do not after controlling for education, income, parity, and family support. It is expected that harmonizing culture with health programs can encourage people to improve their health behaviors.
Insights on Sea Ice Data Assimilation from Perfect Model Observing System Simulation Experiments

Simulating Arctic sea ice conditions up to the present and predicting them several months in advance has high stakeholder value, yet remains challenging. Advanced data assimilation (DA) methods combine real observations with model forecasts to produce sea ice reanalyses and accurate initial conditions for sea ice prediction. This study introduces a sea ice DA framework for a sea ice model with a parameterization of the ice thickness distribution by resolving multiple thickness categories. Specifically, the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model, version 5 (CICE5), is integrated with the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). A series of perfect model observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) are designed to explore DA algorithms within the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the relative importance of different observation types. This study demonstrates that assimilating sea ice concentration (SIC) observations can effectively remove SIC errors, with the error of total Arctic sea ice area reduced by about 60% annually. When the impact of SIC observations is strongly localized in space, the error of total volume is also modestly improved. The largest simulation improvements are produced when sea ice thickness (SIT) and SIC are jointly assimilated, with the error of total volume decreased by more than 70% annually. Assimilating multiyear sea ice concentration (MYI) can reduce error in total volume by more than 50%. Assimilating MYI produces modest improvements in snow depth (errors are reduced by around 16%), while assimilating SIC and SIT has no obvious influence on snow depth. This study also suggests that different observation types may need different localization distances to optimize DA performance.
Effects of Different Feed Additives on Intestinal Metabolite Composition of Weaned Piglets

To study the effects of different feed additives on the weaning stress of Tibetan piglets, we selected 28 healthy, 30-day-old Tibetan weaned piglets and divided them into four groups, namely, the control group (basal feed without any antibiotic additions) (Nor), the group with the addition of the antibiotic lincomycin (Ant), the group with the addition of fifteen-flavor black pills of Tibetan medicine (Tib), and the group with the addition of fecal bacterial supernatant (Fec). We measured growth performance, blood physiological indexes, and metabolomics. The results showed that the Ant, Tib, and Fec groups significantly reduced the ratio of diarrhea to feed/weight (F/G) and increased the average daily gain (ADG) compared with the Nor group (p < 0.01). The Nor group had significantly lower leukocyte counts, hemoglobin levels, and erythrocyte counts compared with the other three groups at 21 d (p < 0.05). These physiological indexes tended to stabilize at 42 d. We found that there were beneficial metabolites and metabolic pathways for gastrointestinal function. Specifically, the porphyrin metabolic pathway was elevated in the Ant group, and the tryptophan metabolic pathway was significantly elevated in the Tib and Fec groups compared with the Nor group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adding fecal bacterial supernatant and fifteen-flavor black pills of Tibetan medicine to the feed reduced the rate of diarrhea and improved the growth performance of the piglets. Moreover, it had an effect on the microorganisms and their metabolites and pathways in the gastrointestinal tract of the animals, which might be the main reason for influencing the diarrhea rate of weaned Tibetan piglets and the growth and development of the piglets. This study provides a new approach for anti-stress applications in weaned Tibetan piglets and the development of substitute anti-products.
The curious case of Kounis syndrome: Exploring clinical manifestations and management in the presence of nonobstructive coronary arteries

Kounis syndrome, an allergic hypersensitivity coronary disorder, is a rare but potentially life- threatening condition triggered by various allergens, including medications. We present the case of a 41-year-old male with no prior cardiac history, who developed Kounis syndrome following vancomycin administration for suspected cellulitis. The patient initially presented with rash, fever, and malaise, which progressed to chest discomfort associated with diaphoresis and elevated troponin levels. Diagnostic evaluations, including electrocardiographic changes and coronary angiography, confirmed a diagnosis of type I Kounis syndrome. This case adds to the limited literature on vancomycin-induced Kounis syndrome, and underscores the importance of considering this diagnosis in patients with myocardial damage following exposure to potential allergens.
First Steps in the Use of a Game Engine for Historical Roads and Paths Research

Game engines are developing fast and are used in several scientific disciplines. In the domain of cultural heritage, they have been applied mostly for dynamic visualization. On the other hand, GISs are employed to address research questions with a spatial component. In an ideal situation, the visualization power and analytical strength of the two technologies should be combined in one system. With this in mind, the analytical potential of a game engine was investigated based on a comparison with GIS analysis of historical routes. The outcome demonstrates the suitability of the game engine in offering extra analytical possibilities. This analytical capacity encourages further script developments in building more historically accurate models.
Self-Completion Questionnaire on Sleep Evaluation in Patients Undergoing Oxaliplatin Therapy: An Observational Study

Simple Summary Sleep is a fundamental human need. Good-quality sleep has a protective role that allows people to carry out daily activities adequately, ensuring well-being. Prolonged wakefulness causes a wide spectrum of disabilities. This study aims to understand the effects of sleep complaints on health and quality of life for cancer patients, and it has been conducted through the creation of questionnaires for patients to investigate the potential alteration of the sleep pattern. The results obtained may serve as the foundation for designing awareness campaigns, providing information, and updating patients, healthcare personnel, and caregivers. It is definitively important, in fact, to begin an evaluation of the negative effects of sleep complaints in the field of cancer. The model developed can also be replicated in different clinical settings: data adjustment by different parameters (i.e., geographic locations, age, sex, and gender) can be the key to improving the patient’s quality of life. Abstract Sleep is a fundamental human need; sleep disruption, in fact, causes an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, metabolic effects, changes in circadian rhythms, and pro-inflammatory responses. The scientific literature is finally starting to pay attention to the central role of sleep alterations in patients health. Oxaliplatin is extensively used for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and other malignancies, with an increased frequency of use in recent years. This study aims to understand the effects of sleep complaints on health and quality of life in cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin. A study has been conducted through the creation and distribution of questionnaires to patients to investigate their complaints about sleep quality. We observed significant differences between males and females in evaluating sleep hygiene scores, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and previous difficulty sleeping. Moreover, in females, stress, worries, and anxiety seem to play a negative role in the sleep hygiene score. The obtained results could improve the interest of healthcare personnel and caregivers in sleep quality in patients undergoing chemotherapy.