Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decomposing and mapping different scales of land subsidence over Shanghai with X- and C-Band SAR data stacks

ABSTRACT Land subsidence can be observed with time-series of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data. However, existing approaches only reveal subsidence signals that are multi-scale mixed, which is not conducive to the systematic analysis of subsidence of different mechanisms. A deformation signal decomposition (DSD) method based on spectral analysis is used to decompose the deformation extracted by time-series InSAR into three classes of deformation signals. They refer to large-scale deformation related to geological settings, medium-scale deformation caused more by group excavation, and small-scale deformation along linear infrastructures. TerraSAR-X datasets for Shanghai spanning April 2013 to September 2020, and Sentinel-1A datasets spanning January 2016 to September 2020 are used in this study. The results were cross-verified between the TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1A datasets, and validated against levelling measurements. Subsidence signals caused by different mechanisms were automatically decomposed, which facilitates a systematic analysis for targeted diagnosis of land subsidence signals. A detailed analysis was conducted jointly at three scales of surface displacement, geological conditions, major construction activities, and subsidence mechanisms. It indicated that construction activities were the leading cause of land subsidence, and suggests that local authorities that wish to mitigate surface subsidence may benefit from primarily considering this process.
Phase Field Modeling of Ghost Diffusion in Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

In this paper, we have introduced a phase field modeling technique to simulate ghost diffusion phenomena of intermetallic compounds in a bulk mettalic matrix phase. We used Zenner-Frank phase field approach to define free energy density functional which is to be evolved using Chan-Hilliard and Alan-Chan equations to simulate time evolution of the precipitates. We verified our simulation results with intermetallic compound growth of Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints in isothermal aging process attributing to the diffusion of Ag3Sn intermetallic compound. Herewith we present that Zenner-Frank model demonstrates sound validity and provides a best understanding of such phenomena.
Science and user‐based co‐development of a farmland earthworm survey facilitated using digital media: insights and policy implications

Science – farming partnerships can improve our understanding of how land management behaviours sustain or enhance life-sustaining soil ecosystems. However, it remains a challenge to establish partnerships between researchers and practitioners that complement the ways in which farmers acquire and value knowledge and can also advance soil science. A pilot study was conducted to explore these issues in rela-tion to earthworm monitoring. It showed that farmers were interested in comparing their field results to research experiments to inform their decision-making. Social media was used to support farmers' earthworm monitoring schemes, with a concomi-tant sampling of research experiments to create capacity for shared learning. Con-structive feedback from the scientific community was sought using an online questionnaire. An Autumn 2018 survey generated 152 field analyses from farmlands in England, and 48% of participants' fields and the research experiment showed no evidence for earthworms being widespread and/or the presence of all three ecological groups of earthworms. A Spring 2019 survey generated earthworm population data from farmland soils around the world, amassing 11,464 earthworms assessed over 2,200 ha in the UK. A total of 12 scientists (from 30 questionnaire invitations) volunteered their time and expertise to support the survey. Conclusions helped to prioritise future improvements in earthworm monitoring, which should include photographs of earthworms for verification of the data, long-term monitoring and integration with soil properties. Most (83%) perceived this earthworm survey would likely improve farmland soil health and so would recommend its use in the UK. The survey is being independently taken forward and used as a metric by both private and public stakeholders, demonstrating authentic knowledge transfer in soil science.
Creating portfolios of firm-specific energy R&D investment under market uncertainty

This research determines the optimal distribution of firm-specific energy research and development (R&D) investment that balances firms’ return and risk under market-induced uncertainty. We focus on creating optimal portfolios of target firms and their optimal energy R&D investments that maximize their return on investments (ROIs) for given levels of risk. We employ a stochastic optimization framework that maximizes firms’ ROIs for energy R&D investment, measured by the ratio of the number of patents issued for energy technologies to the amount of annual energy R&D expenditures, for 78 energy firms in South Korea between 2006 and 2017. The findings from our mean-standard deviation tradeoff frontiers are summarized as follows: 1) the tradeoff ratio increases as the weights shift from 100% on maximizing expected ROI toward 100% on minimizing its standard deviation regardless of market conditions and 2) the tradeoff ratio during the downturn is higher than during the upturn. These findings suggest that firms mitigate market-induced risk with a smaller sacrifice in the expected number of issued patents when the initial weight is primarily on maximizing expected ROIs and when the market is experiencing an upturn instead of a downturn. From the distribution patterns of prioritized firms for the two extreme risk preference points along the upturn and downturn tradeoff frontiers, we find that the target firms shift under different market conditions and risk assumptions. These priority shifts highlight the importance of decision-maker flexibility in structuring firms’ portfolios to support energy R&D, depending on the governments’ risk tolerances and market conditions.
Climate change, trauma and mental health in Italy: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Background Climate change is having significant impacts on health and mental health across Europe and globally. Such effects are likely to be more severe in climate change hotspots such as the Mediterranean region, including Italy. Objective To review existing literature on the relationship between climate change and mental health in Italy, with a particular focus on trauma and PTSD. Methods A scoping review methodology was used. We followed guidance for scoping reviews and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. We searched for literature in MEDLINE, Global Health, Embase and PsycINFO. Following screening, data was extracted from individual papers and a quality assessment was conducted. Given the heterogeneity of studies, findings were summarized narratively. Results We identified 21 original research articles investigating the relationship between climate change and mental health in Italy. Climate change stressors (heat and heatwaves in particular) were found to have several negative effects on various mental health outcomes, such as a higher risk of mortality among people with mental health conditions, suicide and suicidal behaviour and psychiatric morbidity (e.g. psychiatric hospitalization and symptoms of mental health conditions). However, there is little research on the relationship between climate change and trauma or PTSD in the Italian context. Conclusions More attention and resources should be directed towards understanding the mental health implications of climate change to prevent, promote, and respond to the mental health needs of Italy and the wider Mediterranean region. HIGHLIGHTS • Climate change stressors in Italy were found to have detrimental impacts on various mental health outcomes, such as psychiatric mortality and morbidity. • Little research on the relationship between climate change stressors and PTSD exists in Italy.
Exosomes From Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treat Corneal Injury via Autophagy Activation

Corneal injury (CI) affects corneal integrity and transparency, deteriorating the patient’s quality of life. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms by which exosomes secreted from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSC-Exos) affect autophagy in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and CI models. We isolated and identified hucMSC-Exos using nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and western blotting. The effects of hucMSC-Exos combined with autophagy regulators on HCECs and CI mice were assessed using cell viability assays, scratch assay, cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, corneal fluorescein staining, haze grades, pathological examinations, western blotting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In vitro results indicated that hucMSC-Exos combined with the autophagy activator had positive effects in promoting the cell proliferation, migration capacity, and the cell cycle by upregulating the proportions of cells in the S phase and the expression of PCNA, Cyclin A, Cyclin E, and CDK2. Meanwhile, the combination treatment reduced the apoptotic rate of HCECs. In vivo results indicated that hucMSC-Exos especially combined them with the autophagy activator significantly alleviated corneal epithelial defects and stromal opacity, reduced the levels of the apoptotic markers Bax and cleaved Caspase-3, reduced the inflammatory response products TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and CXCL-2, and increased the Bcl-2. This was achieved by upregulating pAMPK/AMPK and pULK1/ULK1 ratios, and Beclin-1 and LC3B II/I, and by downregulating the pmTOR/mTOR ratio and p62. In contrast, clinical indications, apoptosis, and inflammation were aggravated after the application of the autophagy inhibitor. HucMSC-Exos combined with an autophagy activator significantly enhanced HCECs functions and alleviated corneal defects, apoptosis, and inflammation by activating the autophagy signaling pathway, AMPK-mTOR-ULK1, providing a new biological therapy for corneal wound healing and ocular surface regeneration.
Application of Automated External Defibrillators in Motorcycle Ambulances in Thailand’s Emergency Medical Services

Background Access time to emergency patients is a critical factor that affects the outcomes of life-or-death situations, especially in the cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). This study focused on developing a new model of emergency medical services (EMS) using a motorcycle-based ambulance (motorlance) with an automated external defibrillator (AED). There are currently no studies regarding access time for this vehicle. This study aimed at utilization of an AED in conjunction with motorlance and comparing the response time between a traditional ambulance and a motorlance. Methods This was a prospective study conducted in the EMS department of Srinagarind Hospital, located in Khon Kaen, Thailand, over a five-month period, from September 2021 to January 2022. Data were recorded employing a national standard of operations record form used for Thailand EMS departments nationwide. Results The 891 cases were divided into two groups which were motorlance and ambulance. The activation times for motorlance and ambulance were 0.44 minutes and 1.42 minutes, respectively (p < 0.001) and the response time in the motorlance group was 7.20 minutes compared with 9.25 minutes in the ambulance group. In OHCA, the motorlance with AED arrived at patients location and assisted to continue resuscitation at the hospital 88.9% of the time. Conclusion AED used in conjunction with motorcycle ambulances had shorter periods of both activation time and response time compared to ambulances. The use of AEDs clearly increases the number of continuous resuscitations in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
Railway structure monitoring solutions using fibre Bragg grating sensors

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the implementation of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors as vibration sensors along a rail in order to obtain usable signals of sufficient interest for weigh-in-motion and axle counting. Particular attention is also paid to the advantages of these new sensors. This study was completed by numerical analysis of the stress transfer caused by train passage to the track in order to better discern and understand the location and orientation of these sensors. Different data processing methods were tested to estimate the train speed and weight. The results obtained are compared to strain gauge data as well as train manufacturer data (for train axle loads) and video recordings (for train speed). A good agreement is observed between these different results, demonstrating the applicability of FBG sensors to monitoring applications.
Reliability modeling and preventive maintenance of load-sharing systemswith degrading components

ABSTRACT This article presents certain new approaches to the reliability modeling of systems subject to shared loads. It is assumed that components in the system degrade continuously through an additive impact under load. The reliability assessment of such systems is often complicated by the fact that both the arriving load and the failure of components influence the degradation of the surviving components in a complex manner. The proposed approaches seek to ease this problem, by first deriving the time to prior failures and the arrival of random loads and then determining the number of failed components. Two separate models capable of analyzing system reliability as well as arriving at system maintenance and design decisions are proposed. The first considers a constant load and the other a cumulative load. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed models.
Net effect of ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions reduces simulated transient Miocene Antarctic ice-sheet variability

Abstract. Benthic δ18O levels vary strongly during the warmer-than-modern early and mid-Miocene (23 to 14 Myr ago), suggesting a dynamic Antarctic ice sheet (AIS). So far, however, realistic simulations of the Miocene AIS have been limited to equilibrium states under different CO2 levels and orbital settings. Earlier transient simulations lacked ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions and used a present-day rather than Miocene Antarctic bedrock topography. Here, we quantify the effect of ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions, running the ice-sheet model IMAU-ICE using climate forcing from Miocene simulations by the general circulation model GENESIS. Utilising a recently developed matrix interpolation method enables us to interpolate the climate forcing based on CO2 levels (between 280 and 840 ppm), as well as varying ice-sheet configurations (between no ice and a large East Antarctic Ice Sheet). We furthermore implement recent reconstructions of Miocene Antarctic bedrock topography. We find that the positive albedo–temperature feedback, partly compensated for by a negative feedback between ice volume and precipitation, increases hysteresis in the relation between CO2 and ice volume. Together, these ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions decrease the amplitude of Miocene AIS variability in idealised transient simulations. Forced by quasi-orbital 40 kyr forcing CO2 cycles, the ice volume variability reduces by 21 % when ice-sheet–atmosphere interactions are included compared to when forcing variability is only based on CO2 changes. Thereby, these interactions also diminish the contribution of AIS variability to benthic δ18O fluctuations. Evolving bedrock topography during the early and mid-Miocene also reduces ice volume variability by 10 % under equal 40 kyr cycles of atmosphere and ocean forcing.
Bibliometric Analysis of Public Sector Innovation

This article systematically reviewed the academic research surrounding public sector innovation (PSI) to deliver an overview of PSI development in public administration (PA). This study analyzed 289 articles published between 1970 and 2020 using a bibliometric meta-analysis with HistCite software and a qualitative approach. This study found four primary research streams in PSI literature: (1) nature of public sector innovation; (2) strategy and innovation capacity; (3) adoption and diffusion of innovation; and (4) implementation and impact of innovation. Our analysis also revealed that the strategy and innovation capacity cluster has the fastest growth in publications. While the nature of the PSI stream is the least published research area, leadership, and organizational culture were the highest frequent antecedent and identified impacts in the empirical PSI studies. Finally, we offer 20 future research directions for these four research streams. This study may be the first to use HistCite bibliometric and qualitative analysis to make detailed information about each research stream of PSI literature in the PA discipline by measuring the number of publications over 50 years. The results of our review are limited to PSI publications in the PA field, which stemmed from the web of science database.
Two physics‐based models for pH‐dependent calculations of protein solubility

When engineering a protein for its biological function, many physicochemical properties are also optimized throughout the engineering process, and the protein's solubility is among the most important properties to consider. Here, we report two novel computational methods to calculate the pH‐dependent protein solubility, and to rank the solubility of mutants. The first is an empirical method developed for fast ranking of the solubility of a large number of mutants of a protein. It takes into account electrostatic solvation energy term calculated using Generalized Born approximation, hydrophobic patches, protein charge, and charge asymmetry, as well as the changes of protein stability upon mutation. This method has been tested on over 100 mutations for 17 globular proteins, as well as on 44 variants of five different antibodies. The prediction rate is over 80%. The antibody tests showed a Pearson correlation coefficient, R, with experimental data from . 83 to . 91. The second method is based on a novel, completely force‐field‐based approach using CHARMm program modules to calculate the binding energy of the protein to a part of the crystal lattice, generated from X‐ray structure. The method predicted with very high accuracy the solubility of Ribonuclease SA and its 3K and 5K mutants as a function of pH without any parameter adjustments of the existing BIOVIA Discovery Studio binding affinity model. Our methods can be used for rapid screening of large numbers of design candidates based on solubility, and to guide the design of solution conditions for antibody formulation.
The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Satisfaction of Tax Administration Users in Morocco during the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Study

Purpose: The objective of any change in public administrations is to improve their management system to provide a better service to the citizen user. This is how policy makers defend their political agendas. However, the effectiveness of the digital transformation of public services is not limited to the promulgation of laws but to their impact on the satisfaction of users of public administration and its perception by the public agent and the citizen. The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of digital transformation on the satisfaction of users of public administration, and more particularly of tax administration. Design / Method / Approach: This is an empirical study with a quantitative approach using a questionnaire administered to 107 taxpayers. We analyzed data through the structural equation method with SmartPls software to study the relationship between five sub-variables of digital transformation and user satisfaction. Originality / Value: The results show a significantly positive relationship between three sub-variables of digital transformation and user satisfaction: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and website design. Research Limitations / Future Research: In addition, public administrations need to stay abreast of current trends in service digitalization. The success of the digitization of the administration is conditioned by the commitment and involvement of all stakeholders. This is with the view to providing quality services in real-time, thus meeting users' expectations. Paper type: Empirical
Investigation of Innovative Perspectives on Sports of Licensed Athletes in the Infrastructure of Clubs affiliated to the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports

In this study, it is aimed to examine the sports innovation perceptions of licensed athletes in various categories in the infrastructure of sports clubs affiliated to the Provincial Directorates of Youth and Sports, according to some variables. 145 athletes selected by simple random method from 609 licensed athletes in sports clubs affiliated to Provincial Directorates of Youth and Sports in Isparta province participated in the research. Personal information form and Innovation in Sports Scale were used as data collection tools in the research. The personal information of the participants, the scores obtained from the scale and factor scores, frequency (f) and percentage (%) values were determined. In order to determine whether the scores obtained by the athletes from the Innovation in Sports Scale differ according to the independent variables, the T test was applied to independent groups in pairwise comparisons, One-way anova was used to compare three or more variables, and the Bonferroni test was used to determine the difference between groups. In the study, the averages of the Sports Innovation Scale according to age groups, educational status, category, monthly income of the family, the state of hearing the concepts of innovation, innovative, the club's status of providing projects or trainings related to innovation in sports, evaluate the club's view of innovation, innovative perspective performance in sports and analysis were made to determine whether the difference between these averages is significant. As a result, it has been determined that the total score of the Innovation in Sports Scale and its sub-dimensions are above the average.
Effects of Leaf Removal, Leaf Tying, and Overhead Irrigation on Transplanted Pygmy Date Palms

The effects of leaf removal, leaf tying, and overhead irrigation during transplanting were determined using mature pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii). In one experiment palms had all, 2/3, or none of their leaves removed and were irrigated overhead or on the soil surface only. In the second experiment, palms had 2/3 of their lower leaves removed and those remaining were eithertied up into a bundle or left untied. Half of the palms in each experiment were irrigated daily while the other half were subjected to water stress cycles. Results showed that leaf tying had no positive effect on the palms, but when coupled with overhead irrigation, was responsible for fungal infections in the crowns of some palms. With regular irrigation, palm quality and root growth were increased as the number of leaves retained was increased, but under water stress conditions, the reverse was true. Overhead irrigation had no positive effect on transplanted palms.