Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decadal Variability in an Idealized Ocean Model and Its Sensitivity to Surface Boundary Conditions

Abstract Variability in a three-dimensional ocean model of idealized geometry is analyzed. The variability is induced in the model by adding a stochastic component to the surface buoyancy forcing. The influence of the surface thermal forcing on the model variability is investigated under conditions in which the surface freshwater flux is specified. The thermal boundary conditions that have been considered include restoring boundary conditions with different restoring times, fixed surface heat flux, and boundary conditions derived by assuming an energy balance model for the atmosphere. It is found that the ocean model response varies considerably with the thermal boundary conditions used, given the specific ratio of thermal to haline forcing chosen for these calculations. A behavior characterized by sudden transitions between states of strong overturning and states of much weaker overturning dominates the model’s response when a strong restoring is used, while quasi-regular oscillations at a period of appr.
Climate Change Awareness among the High School Students: Case Study from a Climate Vulnerable Country

Bangladesh is one the worst sufferers of climate change. Climate change awareness creation is pivotal to adaptation and mitigation strategies. Effective dissemination of knowledge among the citizens during high school years is crucial to that end. In Bangladesh, secondary school students follow common curricula which include entries on climate change. This paper investigates the role of the diverse demographic profiles and inherent scholastic background of students on their informedness. The research is based on responses from secondary schools students in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Based on their understanding of climate change, we have constructed the Climate Awareness Index (CAI). Then the relative roles of demographic determinants of the awareness have been compared using the CAI. The quality of schools, and grade, major and merit position of students have affected the CAI values. Besides, the study concluded that the religion, gender, parental education, occupation and income, etc. could affect students’ climate change informedness in Bangladesh.
Selection of breast cancer subtypes to improve benefits of intensive dose‑dense chemotherapy: A systematic meta‑analysis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. A large number of patients experience recurrence and BC-associated mortality following adjuvant chemotherapy. The present study aimed to determine the most suitable pathological subtype of BC to benefit from intensive dose-dense (DD) chemotherapy. A total of four electronic databases were searched from inception up to March 10, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies comparing DD chemotherapy with standard chemotherapy in patients with BC were included. Pairwise random effects and network meta-analyses were performed to summarize efficacy and safety outcomes. A total of 27 original studies including 27,580 patients with BC were included. In terms of efficacy, the present study evaluated overall survival, disease-free survival, event-free survival, recurrence-free survival, pathological complete response and objective remission rate. Significant differences were identified in overall, hormone receptor+ (HR+) and HR− subgroups. Furthermore, from the network analysis, the HR+ and Her2− subgroups had the highest ranking, and these findings suggested that HR+/Her2− patients with BC should adhere to a treatment strategy including intensive DD chemotherapy, which is also characterized by an acceptable safety profile. In conclusion, patients with HR+ and Her2− BC were revealed to be the most suitable pathological type and are most likely to benefit from intense DD chemotherapy. The present study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD2022420351567.
Spoken language bilingualism for deaf students

Language has always been at the core of our practice in deaf education, but in the current context, it is time to explore new language possibilities for deaf students. Over the past two decades, the combination of widespread implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and early amplification with hearing technologies, including cochlear implants (CIs), has afforded meaningful access to spoken language during the critical language development period for most deaf children. Early interventionists and educators have taken a new perspective of encouraging spoken language bilingualism in home languages and the majority language. This shift has opened doors to education in spoken language bilingual settings (e.g., French immersion), doors formerly closed to deaf students. This paper presents some preliminary qualitative data, highlighting parent decision-making, from a mixed method case study of deaf Francophone participants (N = 4) enrolled in grades 4-12 at French minority schools in southern Ontario.
Investigation and analysis of heavy metal contents from livestock feed and manure in North China

With the popularity of understanding of pollution-free agricultural products by the public, government pays much attention to the safe application of organic fertilizer during the agricultural production process. Manure is not only the main raw material of organic fertilizer, but also one of the important factors affecting the quality of agricultural products. Due to the intensive and large-scale of livestock farming rapid development, some heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, As, Cr, Pb are widely used in feed additives. The biological potency of these trace elements is low, and with the use of animal manure into the environment, brings potential environmental risks and hazards to human health. In order to strengthen the source control of heavy metal, and further form the heavy metal resistance control system for organic fertilizer of agricultural products, in this paper, the heavy metal content in livestock and poultry feed was sampled for investigation and analysis. The results showed that the mainly exceeded elements of heavy metal in the livestock were Cu, Zn. Heavy metals Pb, Cr, As followed, and Cd, Ni, Hg were not exceeded. The exceedance of these elements in pig manure and broile manure were the most serious for all kinds of animal manure, beef cattle manure and egg chicken manure followed, and the cow dung was not exceeded. The value of the exceeded rate of Cu, Zn for pig manure and broile manure were up to 100% and 91.67%, respectively. The mainly pollutants for broile were Cr, Cu, Zn, and the value of exceeded rate were 50%, 66.67%, and 50%, respectively, but the egg chicken manure only had Cu exceeded, exceeding the rate of 11.11%. Different livestock feed exceedances of heavy metals in pig feed and beef cattle feed werethe most serious, and broile feed and cow feed followed. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's 1224 announcement for the Cu, Zn standard, Cu and Zn in pig feed exceeded the rate of 66.67% and 80.00% respectively, and broile feed Zn exceeded 62.50%; According to the feed hygiene standards for Cr, Pb, heavy metals Cr and Pb in beef cattle exceeded 83.33% and 66.67%, Cr in cow feed exceeded 60%, Pb in egg chicken feed exceeded 53.85%, and Cd in different animal feeds were not exceeded. The content of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn in animal manure showed a significant positive correlation with livestock feed(P0.01), and the content of Pb in animal manure showed a significant correlation with livestock feed(P0.05). The research helps to grasp the North China heavy metal pollution status in feed-animal manure, revealing the problem for heavy metals exceeded in manure and organic fertilizer which should be controlled from the source. This research to further reduce heavy metal pollution in the region and to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural production has an important significance.
Salivary Trefoil Factor (TFF3) in Stage I–II Periodontitis: A Prospective Clinical Study

Abstract Objective This article evaluates the salivary trefoil factor levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and clinical parameters in stage I to II periodontitis subjects. Materials and Method A total of 44 subjects with periodontitis and healthy periodontium were enrolled for the study as per the inclusion criteria. The subjects were selected and categorized as group A (control group) and group B (test group). Scaling was performed on healthy subjects at baseline and 1 month if necessary and scaling and root planing was performed for periodontitis subjects. Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) levels was analyzed at first and post-nonsurgical periodontal therapy followed by clinical parameters, respectively. Statistical Analysis Inferential statistics were performed using independent t -test and repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Independent t -test was used for the intergroup comparison of all the variables. Repeated measures of ANOVA test along with post hoc Bonferroni test was used for the intragroup comparison and the level of statistical significance was set at 0.001. Results Difference in TFF3 levels and clinical parameters was seen between groups A and B, which was statistically significant. Conclusion Within the constraints of the study, it can be stated that TFF3 is a relevant biomarker to determine the activity and association of periodontal and systemic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Antibody Response After the Third SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients and People Living With HIV (COVERALL-2)

Abstract Background After basic immunization with 2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses, only a small proportion of patients who are severely immunocompromised generate a sufficient antibody response. Hence, we assessed the additional benefit of a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with different levels of immunosuppression. Methods In this observational extension of the COVERALL trial (Corona Vaccine Trial Platform), we recruited patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study and the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (ie, lung and kidney transplant recipients). We collected blood samples before and 8 weeks after the third SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with either mRNA-1273 (Moderna) or BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech). The primary outcome was the proportion of participants showing an antibody response (Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S test; threshold ≥100 U/mL) 8 weeks after the third SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. We also compared the proportion of patients who reached the primary outcome from basic immunization (the first and second vaccines) to the third vaccination. Results Nearly all participants (97.2% [95% CI, 95.9%–98.6%], 564/580) had an antibody response. This response was comparable between mRNA-1273 (96.1% [95% CI, 93.7%–98.6%], 245/255) and BNT162b2 (98.2% [95% CI, 96.7%–99.6%], 319/325). Stratification by cohort showed that 99.8% (502/503) of people living with HIV and 80.5% (62/77) of recipients of solid organ transplants achieved the primary endpoint. The proportion of patients with an antibody response in solid organ transplant recipients improved from the second vaccination (22.7%, 15/66) to the third (80.5%, 62/77). Conclusions People living with HIV had a high antibody response. The third vaccine increased the proportion of solid organ transplant recipients with an antibody response. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT04805125 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Post-tsunami recovery of shallow water biota and habitats on Thailand's Andaman coast

There have been very few quantitative studies of the intertidal and shallow water biota of the Andaman Coast of Thailand and thus it was very difficult to provide precise estimates of the impact of the tsunami on coastal resources. Some quantitative data from Laem Son National Park existed, having been collected by the present authors, and these indicated that the most severe impacts were on the intertidal sand beach fauna, on rocky shore assemblages and on the seaward edge of mangrove forests. Inside the forests there was heavy deposition of coarse sediment on the forest floor and this led to changes in the species composition of the infauna. Most, but not all, sea grass beds escaped serious damage. By 2008 intertidal sediment assemblages contained a similar number of individuals to that recorded before the tsunami. Pre-tsunami data indicate that open coast, estuarine and seagrasses assemblages are naturally highly variable and thus were well adapted to recovering from the tsunami disturbance. Offshore sediments lack pre-tsunami information, but they too appear to be normal. Size frequency analysis of a population of the heart urchin Brissopsis luzonicus indicate that some individuals survived the tsunami but that there is heavy domination by the first post-tsunami cohort suggesting heavy colonization of disturbed seafloor. The trees in the seaward fringe of the most exposed mangrove forests still have to recover from tsunami damage, although the benthic fauna within the forest has returned.
Problem-Based Learning in Improving Problem-Solving Ability and Interest in Learning Mathematics: An Empirical Study

The main challenge in learning mathematics is improving students' problem-solving abilities and strengthening interest in learning. This research focuses on the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model's influence on students' problem-solving abilities and interest in learning mathematics. This research investigates how PBL can influence the improvement of students' problem-solving abilities and interest in learning mathematics. The method used was an experimental approach with one group following PBL-based learning and a control group using conventional learning. Data was collected through problem-solving ability tests and learning interest questionnaires. The research results showed that PBL significantly improved students' problem-solving abilities and resulted in a positive increase in interest in learning mathematics. Conclusion: These findings effectively strengthen students' problem-solving abilities and awaken their interest in mathematics. The implication is the importance of implementing PBL in mathematics learning to create more competent and enthusiastic students to explore the world of mathematics.
Imaging thunder

We use a network of broadband microphones, including a 4‐element array, to locate the sources of thunder occurring during an electrical storm in central New Mexico on July 24th, 2009. Combined slowness search and distance ranging are used to identify thunder regions in three dimensions (out to 12 km) and for two overlapping frequency bands (1–10 and 4–40 Hz). Distinct thunder pulses are locatable and used to predict time‐of‐arrival to neighboring stations and to identify correlated phases across the network. Spatial correlation is also found between the thunder source regions and regions of very high frequency (VHF) radiation as located by the New Mexico Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). Some of the misfit between the LMA and thunder locations is attributable to differences in excitation mechanisms of the respective radiation, which is related to current impulses in lightning channels (for thunder) and incremental ionization of the atmosphere (for VHF emissions).
Techno-economical Layout and Turbine Type Optimization for Floating Offshore Wind Farms: A ScotWind Portfolio Study

This paper explores state-of-the-art modelling and optimization methods for floating offshore wind farms. A case study is performed on three ScotWind lease areas, where the optimal turbine type and layout is assessed in terms of Annual Energy Production (AEP) using a multiple-step optimization strategy. The numerical setup relies on TopFarm (DTU), ORBIT (NREL) and Peak Wind’s in-house codes and expertise. The portfolio study reveals that across all sites, using wind turbines of higher single capacity (15MW against 11MW and 14MW) is more optimal, as the scaling-up of the nameplate power allows to save costs. The LCOE decreases to around 100$/MWh, which is consistent with the predictions for commercial floating wind projects in the coming years. The optimal layouts show an alignment of the turbines perpendicularly to the prevailing wind direction, in which their spacing is also greater to minimize the wake losses. Sensitivity analyses are carried out on key project-specific parameters and optimization inputs, such as the initial positions of the turbines, showing how a multiple-start strategy explores the whole design space and allows to validate the optima found.
Association of the human platelet antigens polymorphisms with platelet count in patients with COVID-19

Polymorphism in human platelet antigen (HPA)-1 and HPA-3 (GPIIb/IIIa), HPA-2 (GPIb/IX), HPA-4 (GPIIIa), HPA-5 (GPIa/IIa), & HPA-15 (CD109) was investigated in 86 COVID-19-infected patients with thrombocytopenia (Group A) and 136 COVID-19-infected patients without thrombocytopenia (Group B). HPA genotyping was done by the sequence-specific primers PCR method. Lower HPA-3a and higher HPA-3b (P = 0.028) allele frequencies were seen in Group A than in Group B, and homozygosity for HPA 3b (P = 0.038) alleles was more prevalent in Group A than in Group B. The allele and genotype distributions of the other HPA polymorphic variants were similar between the two groups. Univariate analysis identified the CCGGGC (P = 0.016) combined genotype to be negatively associated & the TCGGGC (P = 0.003) and CCGGGC (P = 0.003) to be positively associated with thrombocytopenia. The frequency of anti-HPA-1a and anti-HPA-3a antibodies was significantly higher in all patients compared to other anti-HPAs antibodies (P < 0.05). These results highlight the role of HPAs in the thrombocytopenia of COVID-19 infected patients. This is the first evidence demonstrating the differential association of the six common HPA gene variants and specific HPA genotype combinations with thrombocytopenia in COVID-19-infected patients.
Recognition of Grasping Patterns Using Deep Learning for Human–Robot Collaboration

Recent advances in the field of collaborative robotics aim to endow industrial robots with prediction and anticipation abilities. In many shared tasks, the robot’s ability to accurately perceive and recognize the objects being manipulated by the human operator is crucial to make predictions about the operator’s intentions. In this context, this paper proposes a novel learning-based framework to enable an assistive robot to recognize the object grasped by the human operator based on the pattern of the hand and finger joints. The framework combines the strengths of the commonly available software MediaPipe in detecting hand landmarks in an RGB image with a deep multi-class classifier that predicts the manipulated object from the extracted keypoints. This study focuses on the comparison between two deep architectures, a convolutional neural network and a transformer, in terms of prediction accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score. We test the performance of the recognition system on a new dataset collected with different users and in different sessions. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, while providing valuable insights into the factors that limit the generalization ability of the models.
Smart Ships and implications in logistics chains a case study in Zeeuws Vlaanderen

Autonomous shipping is expected to be gradually adopted in the coming years. While many scientific studies in the field have focused on technological development, recent research has started to explore the effects of this innovation on the cargo transportation industry. This study investigates the economic dynamics that can drive logistics entrepreneurs to adopt teleoperated barges, a specific type of smart shipping. By conducting a case study of cargo transportation between two companies using roundtrips with trucks and barges, the study evaluates a modal shift to intermodal transport and looks into the conditions that are affected if barge teleoperation is implemented. A major conclusion of the study is that the transport distance, the equipment size, and the mix of captain-only tasks versus all the sets of crew tasks affect the expected economic gains that are obtained as a result of implementing smart shipping. In this case, a conventional modal shift to waterborne transport is already economically attractive. When opting to operate a smaller barge, teleoperation becomes preferable when a shore-control captain can only focus on exclusive sailing tasks and when more than one ship is monitored simultaneously.
Association Between Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphism and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Diabetes

Introduction Previous studies have identified diabetes as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. This study determined the correlation between the IL-6 gene −572 G/C polymorphism and the incidence and severity of coronary heart disease in patients with diabetes. Methods One hundred four patients with diabetes who were admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in the current study. These patients were divided into a diabetes only group (group A, 27 patients) and a diabetes complicated by coronary heart disease group (group B, 77 patients). Seventy patients in the latter group were further divided into low, medium, and high Syntax score groups based on coronary angiography results. A correlation analysis between IL-6, blood lipids, and the IL-6 −572 G/C gene levels was performed. Results The serum IL-6 level in patients with the IL-6-572G/C-GG genotype was higher than patients with the GC and CC genotypes. In patients with diabetes, the presence of the IL-6-572G/C-GG and GC genotypes was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Patients with the IL-6-572G/C-GG genotype and diabetes were shown to have more severe coronary artery lesions compared to patients with the CC genotype. Moreover, the G allele of the IL-6-572G/C gene was linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease and more severe coronary artery lesions in patients with diabetes compared to the C allele. Conclusion The IL-6-572G/C gene polymorphism is associated with the incidence and severity of coronary heart disease in patients with diabetes.
Non-Predatory Shell Damage in Neogene Western Atlantic Deep-Burrowing Bivalves

Abstract Few shell-crushing predators can excavate prey living deep within the sediment. Despite this infaunal refuge from predators, many deep-burrowing bivalves display a strikingly high incidence of shell damage when compared with species living at shallower depths. A non-predatory origin is necessary to explain this high incidence of injury. To evaluate the generality of this hypothesis, repair frequency (number of repairs per shell), along with position and geometry, were determined for 68 Neogene bivalve species from the US Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, seven of which are classified as deep burrowers (>20 cm depth of sediment penetration). Panopea bitruncata, Panopea floridana, Panopea reflexa, and Panopea americana, which are among the deepest burrowers (up to 100 cm), have repair frequencies (2.8– 6.2) that are higher than any other species, while the value for Cyrtopleura costata (0.76) is exceeded only by semi-infaunal Atrina species (1.12). However, not all deep-burrowing species had such high incidences of damage. Two moderately deep-burrowing species (Anodontia alba and Tagelus plebeius; 20–50 cm) showed repair frequencies (0.04–0.30) that overlapped the range (0.001–0.52) for shallow-burrowing, semi-infaunal, and epifaunal species. Therefore, any generalizations about the relationship between depth of sediment penetrated and frequency of shell damage are inadvisable. Most scars on deep burrowers were not attributable to the direct activity of shell-crushing predators because: (1) injury occurred late in life when individuals were positioned in the safety of a deep burrow; (2) scar types consistent with a predatory origin were rare; and (3) scars frequently occurred on the anterior of the shell, which is least accessible to digging predators.