Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mississippi River 2016 winter stage trends

During the winter flood of 2016, concerns were raised about the projected stages being higher than observed and whether these differences reflected some significant morphologic change in the Mississippi River that required attention. To address this issue, a review of research related to cold water versus warm water floods was conducted, followed by an analysis of specific gage records and stage-discharge trends, which had been updated to include data from 2014 through 2016. The gage analysis revealed no stage abnormalities that were considered outside the normal broad-scale trends or typical intra-annual stage variability. Rather, the observed stages appeared to be consistent with typical cold water stage tendencies. Observed stage-temperature data indicate that at the midbank and higher flows, there is a significant association between stage and water temperature. The fact that this apparent paradox does exist suggests that the underlying dominant processes for the differences between cold water and warm water flood stages are not yet fully understood: processes such as floodplain vegetation changes, antecedent flood conditions, or other factors may also be significant contributors. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products. All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. DESTROY THIS REPORT WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINATOR. MRG&P Report No. 15 iii
Catalogue of Fossil Birds, Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes)

The first installment of a catalogue of the fossil birds of the world covers 49 families in 15 orders of birds, or nearly half of the orders and about one-fourth of the families known. The species treated number 374, of which 273 are extinct, and 101 represent living species recorded from fossil or prehistoric sites. For the paleospecies the data include citation of the original description, synonyms, nature and repository of types, reference to pertinent revisionary papers, and detailed geological and geographic ranges, with bibliographic reference to their occurrence. Major taxonomic changes include recognition of three subclasses, Sauriurae for Archaeopteryx, Odontholcae for the Hesperornithidae, and Ornithurae for the remaining birds. Three infraclasses of Ornithurae are recognized, Dromaeognathae (for the Tinamidae), Ratitae, and Carinatae. Changes in position include transfer of the family Opisthodactylidae to the Rheiformes, Enaliornithidae to the Gaviiformes, and Baptornithidae to the Podicipediformes. On priority the ordinal name Ciconiiformes yields to Ardeiformes. Prior family names adopted include Emeidae for Anomalopterygidae, Oceanitidas for Hydrobatidae, and Plataleidae for Threskiornithidae. New taxa proposed are Colymboidinae (new subfamily, Gavildae), Cayetanornis (new genus, Tinamidae), and Palaeeudyptes marplesi (new species, Spheniscidae). The misprinted name Pelagodornithidae is emended to Plegadornithidae, to conform with the spelling of the type-genus.
Perceptions of Smallholder Farmers on Determinants of Competitiveness of the Citrus Industry in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT The study analysed the extent to which various attributes served as determinants of competitiveness of the citrus industry based on perceptions of smallholder citrus farmers in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Porter diamond model provided the framework for analysis. Only two of the six attributes of the model were perceived determinants of industry competitiveness, namely, related supporting industries (rating=3.71) and demand conditions (3.58). However, some ten factors from all the six attributes were perceived to be important determinants of competitiveness of the citrus industry, namely, market growth (rating=4.10), crime (3.82), electricity supply (3.79), financial institutions (3.76), labour policy (3.75), capital availability (3.71), interaction and support (3.68), fires (3.67), supply of packaging material (3.67), and pricing strategy (3.66). Investments in any industry in the agricultural sector should be based on its competitiveness. The respondents were in overall uncertain regarding the status of the rest of the attributes as determinants to increase competitiveness of the citrus industry.
Suicide Prevention in Indonesia: Providing public advocacy

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Yet, there are considerable variations in national suicide rates. According World Health Organi­ zation (WHO) data, Indonesia’s suicide rate reached 1.6 to 1.8 people for every 100,000 peo­ ple in 2001, that approximately 1 million people died by suicide. The rate of suicide across the world reach 16 per 100,000 which increases in the past four decades and substantially increases sui­ cide rates globally as much as 60% (WHO, 2009). Recently the WHO’s South East Asia regional office reported that the global suicide rate had risen from 10 suicides per 100,000 people in the 1950s to 18 suicides per 100,000 people in 1995. As many as 73 percent of suicides in the world occur in developing countries. The WHO’s regional office has reported that suicide is on the rise in Indonesia. From 1997 to 1998 there was an increase of 34 suicides in Jakarta alone and the average number of suicide cases in Indonesia is still lower than other countries, some recording 10 per 100,000 people. The WHO report has shown the average number of deaths due to suicide in Indonesia was 24 per 100,000 of the population. The data said 50,000 people commit suicide each year, or 1,500 people on average each day. For 2006 about 100,000 Jakarta’s peo­ ple committed suicide. The factors related to common mental disorder in Indonesia such as hopelessness, insecurity, poor education, low in­ come (poverty) including suicide (Vijayakumar L et al. 2004). Another factor is culture, especially in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, home of the phenomenon of pulung gantung (hanging light sign), if a mysteri­ ous light falls on a home, the homeowners will soon commit suicide by hanging. Suicide in Indonesia A recent study revealed that the majority of sui­ cides were related to mental health problems, disruption within the family, alcohol and drug abuse in the lower socioeconomic groups, disre­ spectful attitude towards religion and poor social integration.
Sleep disorders and cancer incidence: examining duration and severity of diagnosis among veterans

Introduction Sleep disruption affects biological processes that facilitate carcinogenesis. This retrospective cohort study used de-identified data from the Veterans Administration (VA) electronic medical record system to test the hypothesis that patients with diagnosed sleep disorders had an increased risk of prostate, breast, colorectal, or other cancers (1999-2010, N=663,869). This study builds upon existing evidence by examining whether patients with more severe or longer-duration diagnoses were at a greater risk of these cancers relative to those with a less severe or shorter duration sleep disorder. Methods Incident cancer cases were identified in the VA Tumor Registry and sleep disorders were defined by International Classification of Sleep Disorder codes. Analyses were performed using extended Cox regression with sleep disorder diagnosis as a time-varying covariate. Results Sleep disorders were present among 56,055 eligible patients (8% of the study population); sleep apnea (46%) and insomnia (40%) were the most common diagnoses. There were 18,181 cancer diagnoses (41% prostate, 12% colorectal, 1% female breast, 46% other). The hazard ratio (HR) for a cancer diagnosis was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37, 1.54) among those with any sleep disorder, after adjustment for age, sex, state of residence, and marital status. Risks increased with increasing sleep disorder duration (short [<1-2 years] HR: 1.04 [CI: 1.03-1.06], medium [>2-5 years] 1.23 [1.16-1.32]; long [>5-12 years] 1.52 [1.34-1.73]). Risks also increased with increasing sleep disorder severity using cumulative sleep disorder treatments as a surrogate exposure; African Americans with more severe disorders had greater risks relative to those with fewer treatments and other race groups. Results among patients with only sleep apnea, insomnia, or another sleep disorder were similar to those for all sleep disorders combined. Discussion The findings are consistent with other studies indicating that sleep disruption is a cancer risk factor. Optimal sleep and appropriate sleep disorder management are modifiable risk factors that may facilitate cancer prevention.
The loyalty imperative: Understanding the link between organizational culture and employee commitment

Organizational commitment (EOC) and employee loyalty are two critical constructs that contribute to organizational success. Understanding the intricate relationship between these factors is essential for organizations seeking to cultivate a loyal and committed workforce. This study delves into the mediating effect of EOC on employee loyalty, examining the mechanisms through which organizational culture fosters a loyal workforce. To investigate the mediating role of EOC, a sample of 300 employees from the Indonesian Port Corporation was surveyed. Path analysis, a statistical technique that assesses the strength and direction of relationships between multiple variables, was employed to test the study’s hypothesis. The findings revealed a strong association between organizational culture, EOC, and employee loyalty. Organizational culture dimensions, particularly teamwork, respect for individuals, stability, attention to detail, and outcome orientation, were positively related to EOC and employee loyalty. Furthermore, EOC was found to mediate the relationship between organizational culture and employee loyalty, indicating that EOC plays a crucial role in shaping employee loyalty within a supportive organizational culture context. These findings underscore the importance of fostering EOC to enhance employee loyalty and organizational success. Organizations seeking to cultivate a loyal workforce should create a supportive organizational culture that promotes teamwork, respect for individuals, stability, attention to detail, and outcome orientation. By nurturing these cultural traits, organizations can foster a strong sense of EOC among their employees, increasing employee loyalty, productivity, and organizational growth.
Removal of heavy metals from road runoff by filtration in granular slag columns

Heavy metals in road runoff show an affinity to the particulate matter that can be trapped in ponds by sedimentation. The dissolved part could be removed in a feasible way by sorption to reactive media in constructed filter beds. This study tested blast furnace slag (BFS) as a media for heavy metal removal. A column experiment was performed under conditions of saturated dynamic flow using road runoff after 36 hrs of sedimentation. A surface load of 0.25 m/h was applied with a pressure drop over the filter columns of less than 0.01 m water column for the duration of the experiments. Road salt was added to study effects on sorption capacities. The overall removal of the dissolved fraction of studied metals, on a falling scale, was Cd>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cr. The reduction of dissolved Cd and Zn were more than 90 % in all trials while Cu and Ni ranged from 77% to 86% and 44% to 72%, respectively. Chromium showed the lowest removal performance (6%). Road salt did not influence the sorption of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn. The findings suggest that BFS, after removal of suspended solids, would be an expedient treatment alternative for dissolved metals in road runoff.
SNOWBALL-THROWING METHOD EDUCATION INCREASES THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF ADOLESCENTS ABOUT THE MATURATION OF MARRIAGE AGE (PUP)

Background: Maturation of Marital Age is an effort to raise the age of child marriage. The number of underage marriages results in rapid population development, high maternal and infant mortality rates, low maternal and child health, families are often not harmonious, domestic violence occurs, and is prone to divorce. The rate of child marriage in Central Sulawesi is very high, one of which is in Donggala district. Donggala Regency ranks 3rd with 196 child marriages in 2022. A contributing factor is the lack of knowledge and attitudes of adolescents about maturing marriage age. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of snowball throwing method counseling on the management and attitudes of adolescents about the maturation of marriage age at SMKS Al-Amin Wani Method: The pre-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design was conducted from April 14 to May 20, 2023, at SMKS Al-Amin Wani. Proportional stratified random sampling technique of 75 respondents. Analyzes data through the Wilcoxon test. Result: 31 respondents (41.3%) is 16 years old, 55 respondents (73.3%) is female. the most dominant knowledge was in a good category, 75 respondents (100%). Average increase in knowledge and attitude score of 38.00 and p-value of 0.000. Conclusion: Education on snowball throwing method can improve teenagers' knowledge and attitudes about marriage-age maturity at SMKS Al-Amin Wani.
Implementation of Learning Innovations in Society 5.0 to Stimulate Creative Thinking Skills at Higher Education

The high need for the internet for reference is increasingly changing student learning patterns. In the era of Society 5.0, learning models need innovation to keep up with technological developments. This study aims to describe the influence between Society 5.0 learning innovations on creative thinking skills in higher education. Respondents in this study amounted to 50 students from the Accounting, Management and Economic Education Study Programs who took the Introduction of Management course. The data collection technique used an e-questionnaire. Data analysis using multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that learning innovations of Society 5.0 consisting of learning model innovations; learning media innovations; learning strategy innovations; and assignment innovations had an effect on student creative thinking skills.
The Hormonal Background of Hair Loss in Non-Scarring Alopecias

Hair loss is a common clinical condition connected with serious psychological distress and reduced quality of life. Hormones play an essential role in the regulation of the hair growth cycle. This review focuses on the hormonal background of hair loss, including pathophysiology, underlying endocrine disorders, and possible treatment options for alopecia. In particular, the role of androgens, including dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A4), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and its sulfate (DHEAS), has been studied in the context of androgenetic alopecia. Androgen excess may cause miniaturization of hair follicles (HFs) in the scalp. Moreover, hair loss may occur in the case of estrogen deficiency, appearing naturally during menopause. Also, thyroid hormones and thyroid dysfunctions are linked with the most common types of alopecia, including telogen effluvium (TE), alopecia areata (AA), and androgenetic alopecia. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis hormones (corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol) in stress-induced alopecia. This article also briefly discusses hormonal therapies, including 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride), spironolactone, bicalutamide, estrogens, and others.
Regional impacts of global climate change: a local humid phase in central Iberia in a late Miocene drying world

The end of the Miocene was an eventful period of changes in climate and geography, and a restructuring of terrestrial plant and mammals. The tendency towards global aridification has attracted much recent interest, making the late Miocene a striking case‐study for testing current and near‐future scenarios involving global warming. Little is known about the consequences of global changes in temperature and precipitation at regional or local scales. Given its geographical position and extraordinary fossil record, the Iberian Peninsula offers many insights into short‐ and long‐term shifts in climate, and the local response. Here, we explore the diet and ecology of large‐mammals through tooth‐wear patterns, and examine changes in local climate and habitat conditions in central Spain in a period (9.1–6.3 Ma) for which there exists a dearth of palaeoenvironmental information. Relatively dry climates and open‐woodland landscapes evolved locally during the late Vallesian and early Turolian (9.0–7.7 Ma). Unexpectedly, we detect a period of high precipitation and a peak of humidity at the end of the Turolian (7.0 Ma) that prompted the development of wetter, more forested habitats, suggesting that the traditional view of the late Miocene as a steppe landscape is a misconception. We also find a period of relatively drier and warmer conditions from the early Ventian onwards. Overall, our finding that a local episode of increased humidity in central Spain was synchronous with a global warming trend in Europe provides evidence that the greatest climatic changes may have an opposite impact at regional and local scales.
Comparative analysis of swine leukocyte antigen gene diversity in Göttingen Minipigs

Worldwide, pigs represent economically important farm animals, also representing a preferred preclinical large animal model for biomedical studies. The need for swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) typing is increasing with the expanded use of pigs in translational research, infection studies, and for veterinary vaccine design. Göttingen Minipigs (GMP) attract increasing attention as valuable model for pharmacological studies and transplantation research. This study represents a first-time assessment of the SLA gene diversity in Göttingen Minipigs in combination with a comparative metadata analysis with commercial pig lines. As Göttingen Minipigs could harbor private as well as potential novel SLA allele combinations, future research projects would benefit from the characterization of their SLA background. In 209 Göttingen Minipigs, SLA class I (SLA-1, SLA-2, SLA-3) and class II (DRB1, DQB1, DQA) genes were characterized by PCR-based low-resolution (Lr) haplotyping. Criteria and nomenclature used for SLA haplotyping were proposed by the ISAG/IUIS-VIC SLA Nomenclature Committee. Haplotypes were assigned based on the comparison with already known breed or farm-specific allele group combinations. In total, 14 SLA class I and five SLA class II haplotypes were identified in the studied cohort, to manifest in 26 SLA class I but only seven SLA class II genotypes. The most common SLA class I haplotypes Lr-24.0 (SLA-1*15XX or Blank-SLA-3*04:04-SLA-2*06:01~02) and Lr-GMP-3.0 (SLA-1*16:02-SLA-3*03:04-SLA-2*17:01) occurred at frequencies of 23.44 and 18.66%, respectively. For SLA class II, the most prevalent haplotypes Lr-0.21 (DRB1*01XX-DQB1*05XX-DQA*04XX) and Lr-0.03 (DRB1*03:02-DQB1*03:01-DQA*01XX) occurred at frequencies of 38.28 and 30.38%. The comparative metadata analysis revealed that Göttingen Minipigs only share six SLA class I and two SLA class II haplotypes with commercial pig lines. More importantly, despite the limited number of SLA class I haplotypes, the high genotype diversity being observed necessitates pre-experimental SLA background assessment of Göttingen Minipigs in regenerative medicine, allo-transplantation, and xenograft research.
Effect of Laser Irradiation Modes and Photosensitizer Types on Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) for Streptococcus sobrinus in the Crown Dentin of Bovine Teeth: An Experimental In Vitro Study

This study aimed to assess the impact of different laser irradiation modes and photosensitizer types on the bactericidal efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Dentin plates were prepared by sectioning the crown dentin of bovine teeth infected with Streptococcus sobrinus (n = 11). Nine aPDTs involving the combination of three 1% solutions of photosensitizers (brilliant blue, BB; acid red, AR; and methylene blue, MB) and three irradiation modes of semiconductor lasers (50 mW for 120 s, 100 mW for 60 s, and 200 mW for 30 s) were performed for each infected dentin plate, and the control consisted of the specimens not applied with aPDT. The bactericidal effects in 10 groups were evaluated using both assays of the colony count (colony-forming-unit: CFU) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (relative-light-unit: RLU). The data obtained were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test (α = 0.05). The most aPDT groups exhibited significantly lower RLU and CFU values compared with the control (p < 0.05). The effect of irradiation modes on RLU and CFU values was significant in the aPDT group using BB (p < 0.05) but not in the aPDT group using AR or MB. The aPDT performed with AR or MB exerted a remarkable bactericidal effect.
01. A new species of blind snake, Xerotyphlops , from Iran

A new species of blind snake is described from Lorestan Province, western Iran. This is a cryptic species close to the Xerotyphlops vermicularis complex. It is readily distinguished by hemipenal characters. When everted the right hemipenis is coiled and the left is curved, in X. vermicularis both hemipenes are straight. Figure 1. Distribution map of X. luristanicus sp. n. in western Iran (Badavar region, Nourabad, Lorestan Province)
Observer-Based Adaptive Finite-Time Neural Control for Constrained Nonlinear Systems With Actuator Saturation Compensation

This brief designs an observer-based adaptive finite-time neural control for a class of constrained nonlinear systems with external disturbances, and actuator saturation. First, a neural network (NN) state observer is developed to estimate the unmeasurable states. Combining the improved Gaussian function and an auxiliary compensation system (ACS), the actuator saturation can be solved. The “explosion of complexity” problem is tackled by the finite-time command filter (FTCF), and the filtering-error compensation system is constructed to resolve the filtering error. Moreover, the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is incorporated into the controller design to satisfy the state constraints. By integrating the NN technique and the virtual parameter learning to approximate the bound of the lumped disturbance, the number of learning parameters is decreased. It can be proved that all the states do not transgress the predefined bounds and the tracking errors converge to bounded regions in finite time. Eventually, we provide comparative results to show the feasibility of the obtained results.