Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual use inventions: identification and characterization using patent data

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the spillover from the outcomes of military R&D to subsequent civil applications. We aim to identify the characteristics of those military innovations that are more likely to be exploited in civilian areas (i.e. dual use) and we build on previous literature to develop a methodology to identify such cases. Using both patent and citation data, we investigate country effects and invention-level characteristics that increase the likelihood to observe a military-to-civil knowledge spillover. We test these relationships by estimating probit, survival, and competing-event models on a large sample of military inventions filed between 2002 and 2012. Our results indicate that the incidence of dual use decreases during the period analysed and is heterogeneous across both technologies and countries. Military inventions having wider technological and geographical scopes are more likely to be cited by subsequent civil patents but military-to-civil spillovers occur later than military-to-military ones. Finally, the first dual use application of a military invention tends to appear within the country boundaries, suggesting that cross-border knowledge spillovers are not immediate. Our evidence is functional to the assessment of the potential indirect effects generated by the innovative activities of companies operating in the defence sector on the civilian sectors.
Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation into Sectorial Policies in Seychelles

Mainstreaming climate adaptation objectives into existing policies and practices, as opposed to developing new or dedicated adaptation policies has several advantages for achieving sustainable change. Based on in-depth analysis of 31 strategic policy documents together with 34 stakeholder interviews, this article addresses the following questions across six sectors as follows: (i) to what extent has climate adaptation been mainstreamed into sectoral policies; (ii) what are the constraints impeding adaptation mainstreaming; (iii) what steps are needed to address inherent constraints/obstacles in order to facilitate adaptation mainstreaming across sectoral policies in Seychelles. While significant progress has been made in mainstreaming climate adaptation into the agriculture, water and energy sectors, little progress seems to have occurred in the Blue Economy, forestry, and health sectors. The lack of progress in these sectors can be attributed to the absence of national policies and or lack of add-ons on adaptation projects in these sectors. For example, mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector policies and strategies have occurred on an ad hoc basis through different projects. Stakeholder further indicated that there are still many obstacles such as the lack of human and financial resources that need to be addressed to enhance climate adaptation mainstreaming especially in the health, agriculture and BE sectors. Further, sectoral objectives were given greater priorities when compared to adaptation objectives especially for sectors whose mandate were not directly linked to climate change. In fact, the issue of coordination and corporation not just among government entities, but also between the government and private sectors was highlighted another barrier. Strategies for improvement include long-term climate impact studies, better public-private partnership, building on existing adaptation projects, ensure consistency in policy, and enhance access to resources – human, technical and financial. Lastly, adaptation mainstreaming is a process that should institutionalized across sector to promote sustainable growth.
Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity: Combined Talonavicular Arthrodesis and Calcaneal Displacement Osteotomy versus Double Arthrodesis

Background: Adult-acquired flatfoot deformity due to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is one of the most common foot deformities among adults. Hypothesis: Our study aimed to confirm that the combined procedures of calcaneal displacement osteotomy and talonavicular arthrodesis are equivalent to double arthrodesis. Methods: Between 2016 and 2020, 41 patients (13 male and 28 females, mean age of 63 years) were retrospectively enrolled in the comparative study. All deformities were classified into Stages II and III of PTTD, according to Johnson and Strom. All patients underwent isolated bony realignment of the deformity: group A (n = 19) underwent calcaneal displacement osteotomy and talonavicular arthrodesis, and group B (n = 23) underwent double arthrodesis. Measurements from the Foot Function Index-D (FFI-D) and the SF-12 questionnaire were collected, with a comparison of pre- and post-operative radiographs conducted. The mean follow-up period for patients was 3.4 years. Results: The mean FFI-D was 33.9 (group A: 34.5; group B: 33.5), the mean SF-12 physical component summary was 43.13 (group A: 40.9; group B: 44.9), and the mean SF-12 mental component summary was 43.13 (group A: 40.9; group B: 44.9). The clinical data and corrected angles showed no significant intergroup differences. Conclusion: Based on the available data, our study confirmed that the combined procedures of talonavicular arthrodesis and calcaneal shift, with preservation of the subtalar joint, can be considered equivalent to the established double arthrodesis, with no significant differences in terms of clinical and radiological outcomes.
Human SUMOylation Pathway Is Critical for Influenza B Virus

The identification and elucidation of host pathways for viral infection are critical for understanding the viral infection processes and novel therapeutics development. Here, for the first time, we discover that the human SUMOylation pathway is essential for the IBV viral life cycle. First, IBV viruses were completely inhibited by a novel SUMOylation specific inhibitor, STE025, discovered from our FRET-based high-throughput screening, and the inhibition was very potent, with IC50~ 0.1 µM in an IBV-induced cell death rescue assay; Second, we determined that the IBV M1 protein was SUMOylated, which was mediated by the SUMOylation E2 conjugation enzyme and the E3 ligase enzyme at very high affinities, of 0.20 µM and 0.22 µM, respectively; Third, the mutation of the IBV M1 SUMOylation site, K21R, completely abolished the viral particle generation, strongly suggesting the requirement of SUMOylation for the IBV life cycle. These results suggest that the blockage of the host human SUMOylation pathway is very effective for IBV inhibition. We therefore propose that the host SUMOylation pathway is a critical host factor for the IBV virus life cycle. The identification and inhibition of critical host factor(s) provide a novel strategy for future anti-viral therapeutics development, such as IBV and other viruses.
Assessment of Different Object Detectors for the Maturity Level Classification of Broccoli Crops Using UAV Imagery

Broccoli is an example of a high-value crop that requires delicate handling throughout the growing season and during its post-harvesting treatment. As broccoli heads can be easily damaged, they are still harvested by hand. Moreover, human scouting is required to initially identify the field segments where several broccoli plants have reached the desired maturity level, such that they can be harvested while they are in the optimal condition. The aim of this study was to automate this process using state-of-the-art Object Detection architectures trained on georeferenced orthomosaic-derived RGB images captured from low-altitude UAV flights, and to assess their capacity to effectively detect and classify broccoli heads based on their maturity level. The results revealed that the object detection approach for automated maturity classification achieved comparable results to physical scouting overall, especially for the two best-performing architectures, namely Faster R-CNN and CenterNet. Their respective performances were consistently over 80% mAP@50 and 70% mAP@75 when using three levels of maturity, and even higher when simplifying the use case into a two-class problem, exceeding 91% and 83%, respectively. At the same time, geometrical transformations for data augmentations reported improvements, while colour distortions were counterproductive. The best-performing architecture and the trained model could be tested as a prototype in real-time UAV detections in order to assist in on-field broccoli maturity detection.
Correlation Coefficient Based Optimal Vibration Sensor Placement and Number

Vibration sensors are mostly used for fault diagnoses of machines or structures. If more sensors are applied, more accurate fault diagnosis is possible. However, it will obviously cost more. There are many approaches to optimize the number and installation location/point of vibration sensors for more efficient fault diagnosis. Existing methods require a great deal of computational throughput for optimization when considering many mode frequencies with points where vibration sensors are likely to be installed. This paper proposes a practical way of optimizing the sensor installation point considering many mode frequencies with lots of places for sensor installation. FEA was conducted to identify displacement values of each frequency in the candidate points. Then, correlation coefficients were applied to the FEA result to optimize the installation location and number of vibration sensors. Taking into account cases where the number of sensors has been set by users, FIM was applied. The correlation coefficient optimized the candidate points where 24,252 vibration sensors were to be installed and reduced this to 10 points. FIM, which was not suitable for directly optimizing sensor locations because it required a lot of computational throughput and was usually applied to evaluate other methods, is now applicable to candidate points that have been reduced by the correlation coefficient. This paper does not draw the best optimal sensor location but presents a way to apply to large-scale or complicated forms with a little computational throughput.
Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition

From the 1990s and after 2003, Iraq suffered many difficulties which affected its population negatively in different ways; from embargo to political instabilities, conflicts, and wars, collectively leading to food insecurity especially among the internally displaced people. The Ministry of Health and International Organizations worked collectively to improve the nutritional situation among the most vulnerable groups: children under five, and women in reproductive age. This study aims to review the nutrition situation for Iraq in relation to the Global Nutrition Targets and for Sustainable Development Goals. The data used for comparison was obtained from nationally representative surveys conducted in Iraq from 1996 to 2018, including urban and rural areas for all 18 governorates. Results of these surveys showed a gradual decline in undernutrition indicators for children under five, and an emergence of overweight and obesity, indicating an urgent need for collective action from all sectors and related Ministries regarding malnutrition in its different forms. It also revealed a decline in the prevalence of anemia among the targeted women, but an increase of low birth weight in newborn infants. Exclusive breastfeeding though, is still staggering and in need of urgent action. Iraq is transferring from a generalized state of insecurity to a more secure one, emphasizing the need to strengthen systems for efficient monitoring and evaluation. There is also a need for more recent surveys representing Iraq, as the available data is scant, particularly dietary intake studies within the normal population and internally displaced families in camps or scattered shelters.
The Eutopic Endometrium Proteome in Endometriosis Reveals Candidate Markers and Molecular Mechanisms of Physiopathology

Endometriosis is a common chronic gynaecological disease causing various symptoms, such as infertility and chronic pain. The gold standard for its diagnosis is still laparoscopy and the biopsy of endometriotic lesions. Here, we aimed to compare the eutopic endometrium from women with or without endometriosis to identify proteins that may be considered as potential biomarker candidates. Eutopic endometrium was collected from patients with endometriosis (n = 4) and women without endometriosis (n = 5) during a laparoscopy surgery during the mid-secretory phase of their menstrual cycle. Total proteins from tissues were extracted and digested before LC-MS-MS analysis. Among the 5301 proteins identified, 543 were differentially expressed and enriched in two specific KEGG pathways: focal adhesion and PI3K/AKT signaling. Integration of our data with a large-scale proteomics dataset allowed us to highlight 11 proteins that share the same trend of dysregulation in eutopic endometrium, regardless of the phase of the menstrual cycle. Our results constitute the first step towards the identification of potential promising endometrial diagnostic biomarkers. They provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying endometriosis and its etiology. Our results await further confirmation on a larger sample cohort.
Finite-Time and Fixed-Time Synchronization of Coupled Switched Neural Networks Subject to Stochastic Disturbances

In this paper, we address the finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of a general class of switched neural networks (SNNs) with time delays subject to stochastic disturbances. Considering two types of switching in this class of SNNs: 1) intra-SNN state-dependent switching and 2) inter-SNN Markovian switching, we develop three control laws and derive three sets of sufficient conditions for both finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of SNNs subject to stochastic disturbances. We make two remarks on the effects of control-law parameters on synchronization settling time. Moreover, we derive several upper bounds of synchronization settling time and evaluate their pros and cons. Finally, we elaborate on two numerical examples to illustrate the viability of the theoretical results.
To What Extent Does the Food Tourism ‘Label’ Enhance Local Food Supply Chains? Experiences from Southeast Wales

Local food emphasises destination distinctiveness as food production is a locally embedded activity. Proponents of food tourism contend that it increases local food consumption as tourists and tourism and hospitality businesses are attracted to local food supply chains, where they can buy direct from the producer, thus reducing overheads, contributing to local economies and benefitting local communities. Yet the extent to which the food tourism rhetoric enhances the local food supply chain is questionable as evidence suggests that the food tourism ‘label’ creates a silo, which impairs connections with local food supply chains. Seven semi-structured interviews were undertaken in Southeast Wales to explore the food tourism rhetoric, particularly the connection with local food supply chains. Three themes emerged: demand versus supply; information provision; complexity and connectivity in food tourism and local food supply chains. Ultimately, this paper challenges traditional viewpoints around food tourism being a panacea for local food producers.
Pesticide Use Knowledge, Attitude, Practices and Practices Associated Factors Among Floriculture Workers in Bahirdar City, North West, Ethiopia, 2020

Pesticides are substances that are used to kill, decrease, or repel pests and are used extensively to boost agricultural production. Ethiopian floriculture is one of the pesticide-intensive agricultural production centers and it provides jobs for 1000s of Ethiopians. Despite its significant contribution to the national economy, many issues are raised by the workers. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and factors associated with the practices of workers against pesticide exposure among floriculture workers in Bahirdar city. A cross-sectional occupational study was done. The participants were recruited using a stratified sample technique. The final study participants were chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. The survey received 300 responses, 95.2% response rate from the entire sample size. The mean age of floriculture workers was 20 (SD ± 3.21) years, with a range of 17 to 48 years. The majority of workers (228) were females, and 36 (12.0%) of workers were illiterate. About 259 (86.3%) of floriculture workers did not know the name of the pesticide they were using. More than three-fourth 256 (85.3%) of respondents know at least one type of pesticide-related health problem. In this study, the most known type of pesticide routes of entry into the body were eyes (72.3%), skin (67.3%) followed by ingestion (67.0%). About 100 (33.3%) of the participants had good overall knowledge related to pesticide use and 134 (44.7%) of workers had a positive attitude on safe pesticide application. The level of good practice was 61.3% (N = 184). Knowing the impact of pesticide on environment (AOR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.30-0.96), Knowing pesticide health problems, (AOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.20-0.63), willingness to wear and invest for PPE (AOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.28-0.98) and PPE supply (AOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.16-0.51) were significantly associated with workers pesticide handling practices. Workers who didn’t know pesticide health problems were 36% less likely to have a good practice. The likelihood of having good practices among works who disagree to wear and invest on PPE 53% lower than those who agree on it. The likelihood of having good practices among workers who didn’t have any PPE supply was lower than their counterparts with (AOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.16-0.51). Floriculture workers had poor handling practices therefore continuous pesticide training programs for workers could be implemented.
Long-Term Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development and Predictive Ability of Non-Invasive Scoring Systems in Patients with HCV-Related Cirrhosis Treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals

Simple Summary In the present study we investigated the ability of different non-invasive scoring systems (i.e., Forns index, APRI, FIB-4, ALBI, and aMAP) to predict hepatocellular carcinoma development in a large cohort of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis treated with direct-acting antivirals followed for a median of 44.9 months. ALBI score showed the best performance for the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma; this score may be a useful inexpensive tool for risk stratification and the personalization of hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance strategy for patients with cirrhosis and previous history of HCV infection treated with DAA. Abstract Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are still at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the accuracy of non-invasive scoring systems (NSS) for the prediction of de novo HCC development in patients treated with DAA on long-term follow-up (FU). We analyzed data from 575 consecutive patients with cirrhosis and no history of HCC who achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) to DAA therapy. NSS (i.e., Forns index, APRI, FIB-4, ALBI, and aMAP) were calculated at 3 months after the end of therapy. Performance for de novo HCC prediction was evaluated in terms of area under the curve (AUC) and Harrell’s C-index. During a median FU of 44.9 (27.8–58.6) months, 57 (9.9%) patients developed de novo HCC. All five NSS were associated with the risk of de novo HCC. At multivariate analysis, only the ALBI score resulted in being significantly and independently associated with de novo HCC development (adjusted hazard ratio = 4.91, 95% CI 2.91–8.28, p < 0.001). ALBI showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for the detection of de novo HCC at 1-, 3-, and 5-years of FU, with AUC values of 0.81 (95% CI 0.78–0.85), 0.71 (95% CI 0.66–0.75), and 0.68 (95% CI 0.59–0.76), respectively. Consistently, the best predictive performance assessed by Harrell’s C-statistic was observed for ALBI (C-index = 0.70, 95% CI 0.62–0.77). ALBI score may represent a valuable and inexpensive tool for risk stratification and the personalization of an HCC surveillance strategy for patients with cirrhosis and previous history of HCV infection treated with DAA.
Synergistic Effects of Salicylic Acid and Melatonin on Modulating Ion Homeostasis in Salt-Stressed Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Plants by Enhancing Root H+-Pump Activity

Salicylic acid (SA) and melatonin (MT) have been shown to play important roles in plant salt tolerance. However, the underlying mechanisms of SA–MT-interaction-mediated ionic homeostasis in salt-stressed plants are unknown. As a first investigation, this study aimed to clarify how SA–MT interaction affects H+-pump activity in maintaining the desired ion homeostasis under saline conditions and its relation to ROS metabolism. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants were grown under non-saline or saline conditions and were foliar sprayed with 75 mg L−1 SA or 70 μM MT. The SA+MT combined treatment significantly increased N, P, K+, Fe, Zn, and Cu acquisition, accompanied by significantly lower Na+ accumulation in salt-stressed plants compared to non-stressed ones. Additionally, it significantly enhanced ATP content and H+-pump activity of the roots. The mitigation was also detected in the reduced superoxide radical content, electrolyte leakage, and lipoxygenase activity, as well as increased superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activities; K+/Na+, Ca2+/Na+, and Mg2+/Na+ ratios; relative water content; membrane stability index; and free amino acid accumulation in treated plants. The novel evidence shows that the higher root H+-pump activity in treated plants is a tolerance mechanism that increases the salt tolerance via maintaining ionic homeostasis.
Deteriorating water quality state on the structural assemblage of aquatic insects in a North-Western NigerianRiver

ABSTRACT Benthic aquatic insects receive the most direct impact when surface waters are perturbed. However, scarce data and understanding about activities’ effects on surface water ecosystems remain a critical challenge for water resource managers and policymakers in tropical regions. In this study, we surveyed the implications of deteriorating physical and chemical parameters on aquatic insects’ structural assemblage to ascertain the ecological health of River Hadejia in North-Western Nigerian. We sampled aquatic insects and physicochemical parameters in three stations influenced by various land-use activities such as informal settlements and agricultural activities for six months. The two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed physicochemical parameters such as transparency, depth, and nitrate were not significantly affected by sites’ land-use activities (p > .05) in the six months sampled. However, mean electrical conductivity was lowest in Station 3 (104.3 ± 8.04 µS/cm). Dissolved oxygen (DO), five days biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) values recorded portray a relatively perturbed water system. We recorded four aquatic insects orders belonging to 11 families and taxa. Dytiscus sp. was the most abundant taxon in the study area. A total of 44, 37, and 35 individuals of aquatic insects were recorded in stations 1, 2, and 3 in the river. The Post hoc test performed for all the diversity indices were not significantly different between the studied stations (p > .05). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed poor relationship between the physicochemical parameters and the aquatic insects. However, Gyrinus sp. was positively affected by increased water depth, showing a strong negative association with depth. Cluster analysis revealed that aquatic insects’ assemblage structures were mainly grouped by temporal factors (months) rather than spatial differences between the sites. Overall, this study provides further insights and understanding regarding land-use impacts on the ecological health of the River Hadejia, and we recommend more stringent regulations to control human pressure on the river systems within the studied area to enable surface waters in the area to sustain the provision of desired and valued ecosystem services.