Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observational and genetic analyses clarify the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and gallstone disease

Background The relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and gallstone disease (GSD) have been incompletely understood. We aimed to investigate their phenotypic and genetic associations and evaluate the biological mechanisms underlying these associations. Methods We first evaluated the phenotypic association between T2DM and GSD using data from the UK Biobank (n>450,000) using a prospective observational design. We then conducted genetic analyses using summary statistics from a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of T2DM, with and without adjusting for body mass index (BMI) (Ncase=74,124, Ncontrol=824,006; T2DMadjBMI: Ncase=50,409, Ncontrol=523,897) and GSD (Ncase=43,639, Ncontrol=506,798). Results A unidirectional phenotypic association was observed, where individuals with T2DM exhibited a higher GSD risk (hazard ratio (HR)=1.39, P<0.001), but not in the reverse direction (GSD→T2DM: HR=1.00, P=0.912). The positive T2DM-GSD genetic correlation (rg =0.35, P=7.71×10-23) remained even after adjusting for BMI (T2DMadjBMI: rg =0.22, P=4.48×10-10). Mendelian randomization analyses provided evidence of a unidirectional causal relationship (T2DM→GSD: odds ratio (OR)=1.08, P=4.6×10-8; GSD→T2DM: OR=1.02, P=0.48), even after adjusting for important metabolic confounders (OR=1.02, P=0.02). This association was further corroborated through a comprehensive functional analysis reflected by 23 pleiotropic single nucleotide polymorphisms, as well as multiple neural and motor-enriched tissues. Conclusion Through comprehensive observational and genetic analyses, our study clarified the causal relationship between T2DM and GSD, but not in the reverse direction. These findings might provide new insights into prevention and treatment strategies for T2DM and GSD.
An MB-OFDM Based Wideband THz Communication System With Impairment Aware Precoder and Squint Effect Mitigation

Terahertz (THz) communication is a highly promising solution for addressing the ultra-high data rate requirements of future sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems. However, the unfavorable frequency-dependent channel characteristics of THz communication pose a significant challenge in realizing this promising technology. In this paper, we present a novel solution to this challenge by proposing a wideband THz system featuring a unique THz-specific digital baseband waveform design tailored to the distinctive channel characteristics of the THz spectrum. To address the frequency-dependent challenges posed by the wideband THz channel and the spectral efficiency loss inherent in conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems due to cyclic prefix overhead, we propose a THz system with beamforming incorporating a multi-band OFDM (MB-OFDM) based waveform design using a filter-bank based channel model that slices the wideband channel into smaller frequency-independent subbands for ultra-wideband THz communication. Furthermore, this work introduces a novel squint model taking into account the printed-circuit-board (PCB) impairments and circuit imperfections, which have not been considered before. We also propose an all-digital mitigation scheme with this model. We propose a channel estimation algorithm using a three-level adaptive method with an auto-regressive (AR) model for exploiting the frequency dependency among the intra and inter-narrow subbands. Apart from these key contributions, we propose a THz environment-aware precoder to mitigate the wideband effect in the THz channel, specifically the subband-specific path loss and environment-related effect, and balance the overall gains across the band. We have also proposed to optimize the number of subbands and zero-padding in MB-OFDM waveform based on the minimum bit error rate (MBER) criterion. Numerical simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes demonstrating their feasibility and effectiveness for wideband THz communication with results showing a lower peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) for the proposed waveform as compared to conventional OFDM.
A Look at Motion in the Frequency Domain

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Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the Scale for Assessing the Teachers' Innovative Behavior

Comprehending teachers' innovative behaviors is essential to foster them, yet China lacks a specialized tool for this assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability, reliability, and validity of an international teacher innovation scale within the Chinese educational milieu. The research involved 642 junior high teachers in Guangxi, China, with a subset of 125 participating in a retest after three weeks. Techniques like item, factor, correlation, and reliability analyses were employed. Results indicated that the scale's various validity forms (structural, convergent, discriminant, correlational, calibration) and reliability measures (internal consistency, split-half, retest) met or surpassed threshold criteria. Consequently, the adapted Chinese Teachers' Innovative Behavior Scale demonstrates robust validity and reliability, offering a credible tool for assessing Chinese teachers' innovative behavior. In subsequent research, this scale can be employed to assess teachers' innovative behaviors in China.
Occurrence of Pseudomonas syringae pvs. actinidiae, actinidifoliorum and Other P. syringae Strains on Kiwifruit in Northern Spain

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the agent causing bacterial canker of kiwifruit, has been present in the Principality of Asturias (PA), Northern Spain, since 2013, although with restricted distribution. In this study, 53 strains collected in kiwifruit orchards in PA during the period 2014–2020 were characterized by a polyphasic approach including biochemical and phylogenetic analysis. Thirty-three strains, previously identified by PCR as Psa, have been found to be a homogeneous group in phylogenetic analysis, which seems to indicate that there have been few introductions of the pathogen into the region. Two strains were confirmed as P. syringae pv. actinidifoliorum (Pfm), so this is the first report of Pfm in the PA. The remaining 18 strains were found to be close to P. avellanae and P. syringae pv. antirrhini or to strains described as Pfm look-alikes. Pathogenicity tests carried out on peppers with a selection of strains have shown that both Psa and Pfm caused clear damage, while the 18 atypical strains caused variable lesions. It would be necessary to carry out pathogenicity testing of atypical strains on kiwifruit plants to study the role of these strains in the kiwifruit pathosystem to evaluate their pathogenic potential in this crop.
Soil drying and re-wetting effects on phosphorus availability and plant yields

Water and phosphorus (P) are essential resources for crop production, yet both are increasingly limited, threatening global food security. Soil drying and re-wetting (DRW) has reportedly increased P availability in numerous soils, whilst intermittent irrigation that applies less water than conventional full irrigation can maintain crop yields. To test the hypothesis that DRW could release P at soil water potentials (SWPs) that can support plant growth, thereby increasing crop P use efficiency and yields, experiments at different scales aimed to evaluate P release and plant uptake. Laboratory studies using three low-P UK soils determined that available P (sodium bicarbonate extractable P) significantly increased (by 4-7 mg kg-1) as SWP decreased (to a minimum of -212 MPa). A significant change point (releasing 2 mg P kg-1) occurred at -2.9 MPa. A pot study showed that surface soil drying to this change point did not increase P availability over one or two DRW cycles, suggesting laboratory results could not be scaled up spatially and temporally. Initially air-drying (to -38 MPa) and re-wetting soil prior to planting Brachypodium distachyon in pots significantly increased available P at transplanting (by 1 mg kg-1) and doubled grain yields independent of P fertiliser application. In a field trial in central Madagascar in low-P, highly P-fixing soil, applying alternate wetting and drying (AWD) or post-anthesis soil drying to Oryza sativa hardly altered P uptake or yields. Thus, DRW increased P availability and yields in pots, but plants did not benefit during a cropping cycle in the field. Applying P fertiliser (10 or 25 kg ha-1) had a greater effect than AWD, with optimal harvest index (HI) and P use efficiency (PUE) at the intermediate rate. Further research to determine locally-relevant management techniques, stimulating P release at appropriate spatial and temporal scales to allow plant uptake, is urgently required.
Resíduo da secagem dos grãos de café como substrato alternativo em mudas de café conilon

Among the various wastes generated during the coffee in the mountainous region of the Espirito Santo state, “moinha” stands out from graim during. Because of their nutritional potential and the need have properly in the environment, it is aimed, with this work, evaluate the use of the different concentrations of the moinha as alternative substrate for vegetative development Conilon coffee seedlings. Was used a randomized block design, with four replicates, with split plot in the time. Different substrates were allocated in the plot (T1: soil + cattle manure at a ratio of 3: 1; T2: 10% moinha + soil; T3: 20% moinha + soil, T4: 30% moinha + soil and T5: 40% moinha + soil) and, in the subplots, the different ages of evaluation (60, 82, 104 and 126 days after planting). Variables such as changes in height, stem diameter, crown diameter, number of leaves and fresh and dry matter of root and shoot were submitted to ANOVA, F test hair, and as media, compared hair test Dunnet (α = 0.05). The use of the conventional substrate can be replaced hair by the substrate containing 10% moinha without there be difference in plant height as well as in dry and fresh matter shoot, what demonstrates it potential use as for the alternative substrate for producing seedlings.
Potential Global Distribution of Paracoccus marginatus, under Climate Change Conditions, Using MaxEnt

Simple Summary The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is an invasive pest species found all over the world. It is native to Mexico and Central America. It can now be found in more than 50 countries and regions, seriously threatening the safety of the agricultural and forestry industries. In the current study, the potential global distribution regions of P. marginatus were predicted under current and future climatic conditions using MaxEnt. The results suggested that the highly suitable areas were mainly present in tropical and subtropical regions, including South America, southern North America, Central America, Central Africa, Australia, and South and Southeast Asia. Under four climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585) in the 2050s and 2070s, the total suitable areas will change very little. In addition, the results showed that the min temperature of coldest month (bio6) was the most important factor influencing the distribution of P. marginatus, accounting for 46.8% of all contributions. Overall, the current study can provide a reference framework for the future control and management of papaya mealybug and other invasive insect species. Abstract The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is an invasive pest species found all over the world. It is native to Mexico and Central America, but is now present in more than 50 countries and regions, seriously threatening the economic viability of the agricultural and forestry industry. In the current study, the global potential distribution of P. marginatus was predicted under current and future climatic conditions using MaxEnt. The results of the model assessment indicated that the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic ( ROC-AUC) was 0.949, while the TSS value was 0.820. The results also showed that the three variables with the greatest impact on the model were min temperature of coldest month (bio6), precipitation of wettest month (bio13), and precipitation of coldest quarter (bio19), with corresponding contributions of 46.8%, 31.1%, and 13.1%, respectively. The results indicated that the highly suitable areas were mainly located in tropical and subtropical regions, including South America, southern North America, Central America, Central Africa, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Under four climate scenarios in the 2050s and 2070s, the area of suitability will change very little. Moreover, the results showed that the area of suitable areas in 2070s increased under all four climate scenarios compared to the current climate. In contrast, the area of suitable habitat increases from the current to the 2050s under the SSP370 and SSP585 climate scenarios. The current study could provide a reference framework for the future control and management of papaya mealybug and other invasive species.
Hurricane Disaster Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Evidence from US Coastal Economy

We investigate local labor market impacts of hurricanes along US coastal counties and the role adaptation plays in lessening higher order impacts of these disasters. We employ synthetic control methodology to identify effects of the 2005 hurricanes on county quarterly employment and per worker earnings. Our results indicate significant negative effects of hurricanes on employment in counties at extreme ends of damage distribution. Opportunity loss of employment due to the hurricanes is estimated at around 7.3% for these counties and shock is found to be very persistent, no complete recovery even 7 years after the 2005 hurricanes. As labor supply shifts inward, we also find a significant rise in per worker wages. Results show that traded sector employment contracts by 6%, while local services sector employment drop by 5-8%. Results indicate that construction sector employment booms for only 5.5 years after the devastation. We find large local multipliers of adverse shocks, one job lost in traded sector implies around 7.13 jobs lost in the local services sector. Our results indicate that where long-term mitigation programs are implemented by FEMA counties are more resilient to disaster shocks. Counties where flood hazard and non-structural mitigation projects are initiated by local governments, exhibit similar responses. Nonetheless, we find significant evidence of two sources of moral hazard problems, one stems from the provision and generosity of disaster related public assistance spending, while another originates from unemployment insurance payments.
Statistical Description on the Role of Turbulence and Grain Interference on Particle Entrainment from Gravel Beds

AbstractA complete understanding of the role of grain-scale particle-flow interaction in sediment entrainment and transport has still not been achieved in spite of recent technological advancement in measurement capabilities. In this study, the initial motion of natural sediment particles in a gravel deposit was detected and combined with simultaneous local measurements of the velocities on a horizontal plane located above the bed surface using a three-component stereoscopic PIV. A series of experimental tests with increasing low values of boundary shear stress were conducted. The acquisition system allowed coupling between streamwise and vertical near-bed velocity and the entrainment of more than 900 individual grains. Initial analysis agreed with previous observations on the predominance of sweeps (Quadrant IV), and to a lesser extent, of outward interactions (Quadrant I) in entraining gravel particles. However, the latter were found to move sediments just as efficiently as sweeps impacting on particles.
Fungal Biomass-based Processing of Phenolics-rich Wastewaters

A variety of phenolic compounds commonly contained in many vegetal processing wastewaters complicate their biological treatment since such compounds are tipically characterized by a biorecalcitrant nature, generally leading to an overall increased disposal cost. In this work, the capability of the fungus Trichoderma viride to actively grow on phenolics-containing substrates was tested. Gallic and tannic acid were adopted as model pollutants of the phenolic fraction contained in most wastewaters, while glucose was representative of readily metabolizable COD. T. viride was shown not to be inhibited by concentrated gallic acid and to be able to use it as a substrate for its growth. Tannic acid was not removed but did not inhibit T. viride growth.
Comprehensive Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationship and Optimal Codons in Mitochondrial Genomes of the Genus Pseudogastromyzon

Simple Summary The phylogenetic status and evolutionary history of Pseudogasteromyzon species based on complete mitogenomes has not been fully established. This study presents an exploration of the features, structures, and the significant implications of mitochondrial genomes in Pseudogasteromyzon species. The total length of the 11 mitogenome sequences ranged from 16,561 bp to 16,574 bp. All but the trnS1 gene exhibited the typical clover-leaf secondary structure among the 22 tRNAs. Cluster analysis utilizing the values of relative synonymous codon usage and phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenome sequences consistently yielded coherent topologies within the Pseudogasteromyzon species. Additionally, the Pleistocene epochs bore witness to a rapid differentiation event within the Pseudogasteromyzon genus. These findings present the first insights into the origin and phylogeny of Pseudogasteromyzon species. Abstract As indicator organisms for water pollution detection, Pseudogasteromyzon species play a vital role in aquatic environment monitoring. We have successfully sequenced the mitogenomes of P. fasciatus jiulongjiangensis and P. myersi and downloaded the mitogenomes of nine other Pseudogastromyzon fish on GenBank to conduct a detailed comparative analysis of their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history. The findings revealed a conservation in both gene composition and gene order. Except for the trnS1 gene lacking dihydrouracil arms, the other 21 tRNAs showed the typical clover-leaf secondary structure. According to the ΔRSCU method, we identified the seven most abundant optimal codons: CUA, GUA, CCA, CAA, GAA, AGC, and GGC. The construction of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayes trees yielded congruent topologies, and the 11 Pseudogastromyzon species were clustered into two major clusters. Among them, one of which was composed of P. fangi, P. changtingensis changtingensis, and P. changtingensis tungpeiensis, while the remaining eight species formed another cluster, further subdivided into five smaller clusters. Distinct clusters formed between P. fasciatus jiulongjiangensis and P. meihuashanensis, P. cheni and P. peristictus, and P. laticeps and P. lianjiangensis, and the remaining two species were clustered separately, thereby enhancing our understanding of them. Furthermore, our analysis results of divergence times revealed that these 11 Pseudogasteromyzon species underwent rapid differentiation in the Pleistocene epochs. Overall, our study sheds light on the phylogenetic relationship and evolutionary history of Pseudogasteromyzon species, providing a necessary knowledge foundation for further understanding the intricacies of an ecosystem health assessment.
Autorregulate: An Alternative to Support Self-Regulation in MOOCs

Massive Online Courses (MOOCs) suffer from the high desertion of enrolled students due to different factors, including bad time management by the participants, lack of planning, lack of help-seeking, and poor self-monitoring of their actions in the learning process, which suggests that students do not self-regulate their learning. Diverse software tools have been created to support MOOC participants by favouring self-regulated learning (SRL). However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how the different SRL model could be effectively, supported by ICT tools, what model inform in a better way the design of new tools to support SRL process in online setting, how the support of SRL affect the students’ performance in a MOOC environment or what is the best way to integrally evaluate the impact of the tools supporting SRL. In this article, we introduce the design and development process of the Autorregulate tool, a web application that supports self-regulation of learning in MOOCs. This tool is developed within the framework of broader research employing research-based design (RBD) to create methodological and technological tools to facilitate self-regulation in MOOCs. Autorregulate supports seven learning self-regulation strategies: goal-setting, strategic planning, time management, help-seeking, self-monitoring, self-recording (Take Note), and self-assessment, considering the SRL model proposed by Zimmerman. The tool was evaluated in a MOOC created on Moodle, with 224 participants, over three evaluation dimensions: 1) Students SRL to measure the effect of the Autorregulate tool on the self-regulation of the participants’ learning; 2) Autorregulate tool’s usability and usefulness; and 3) Participants’ interactions within SRL services. Results show participants’ high level of self-regulation of learning after the intervention (M=4,3; SD=0,85) according to the online self-regulated learning questionnaire (OSLQ). On the other hand, 92% of participants considered the Autorregulate tool usable, and 97% considered the tool useful. Finally, results show SRL services are widely used by participants, especially those supporting the strategies with better performances by participants, according to OSLQ results. The findings of this study contribute to broadening the discussion regarding the use of ITC to support SRL on MOOCs.
Predictors of Efficacy of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Patients Affected by Ulcerative Colitis

Personalised medicine and the identification of predictors of the efficacy of specific drugs represent the ultimate goal for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in order to break the current therapeutic ceiling. JAK inhibitors are a new class of advanced therapies, orally administered, showing a good profile of efficacy and safety in both randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world studies. Unfortunately, to date, it is not possible to draw the ideal profile of a patient maximally benefiting from this class of drugs to guide clinicians’ therapeutic choices. Baseline clinical activities and inflammatory biomarkers, as well as their early variation after treatment initiation, emerged as the main predictors of efficacy from post hoc analyses of RCTs with tofacitinib. Similar findings were also observed in the real-life studies including mainly patients with a history of pluri-refractoriness to biological therapies. At last, a few new biomarkers have been explored, even though they have not been validated in large cohorts. This paper provides a review of the current knowledge on clinical variables and biomarkers predicting response to JAK inhibitors in UC.