Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A global classification of vegetation based on NDVI, rainfall and temperature

Vegetation types are generally classified based only on remote sensing vegetation data, and yet they cannot reflect their connection with climate. Climatic vegetation types reflect the regional vegetation characteristics in terms of climate. The distribution of global climatic vegetation types were identified by K‐means method based on vegetation and climate data. Fourteen climatic vegetation types were classified based on vegetation and climate data. Every type had distinct climate and vegetation characteristics. The regions with similar normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values but with different climate values such as tropical desert and temperate desert could be distinguished. Our new updated climatic vegetation types agreed ‘fair’ with Koeppen climate types and climate type of Zhang and Yan while agreed ‘good’ with vegetation types when checked with Kappa test.
Survival benefit of exenteration in COVID-19-associated rhino-orbital mucormycosis

Purpose: There has been a sudden increase in the number of rhino-orbital mucormycosis cases, primarily affecting patients recovering from COVID-19 infection. The local health authorities have declared the current situation an epidemic. In this study, we assess the role of exenteration in preventing disease progression and improving survival in patients with rhino-orbital mucormycosis. Methods: The patients undergoing exenteration were grouped into the exenteration arm and those denying exenteration were grouped into the nonexenteration arm. The patients were followed at 1 month and 3 months. The 6-month survival data were collected telephonically. Continuous data were presented as Mean ± SD/Median (IQR) depending on the normality distribution of data, whereas the frequency with percentages was used to present the categorical variables. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were created to estimate the difference in survival of patients with exenteration in rhino-orbital mucormycosis versus those without exenteration. Results: A total of 14 patients were recruited for our study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All the patients were qualified for exenteration; however, only eight patients underwent exenteration and six patients did not consent to exenteration. At the end of 3 months in the exenteration group, four (50%) patients died. Two patients died within a week of exenteration, whereas two patients died after 2 weeks of exenteration. The deaths in the first week were attributed to septic shock and the deaths happening beyond 2 weeks were attributed to severe meningitis. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed the cumulative probability of being alive at 1 month in the exenteration arm to be 85%, and it decreased to 67% by 53 days and subsequently remained stable until the end of 3 months. Conclusion: The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis did not show a survival benefit of exenteration at 3 months and 6 months in COVID-associated rhino-orbital mucormycosis.
Microseisms in North America

Our most sensitive seismographs are never at rest. They show that there are always small movements of the earth's crust which are called "microseisms. " Investigations (1) have shown that there are different kinds of such movements, caused by traffic, industry, wind, rain, waterfalls, waves beating against the coasts, freezing of the soil, and probably some other causes. In the following we shall deal only with that kind of microseisms which is characterized by a regular, nearly sinusoidal motion with periods in general between four and ten seconds. These have been found throughout the world.
TIFA contributes to periodontitis in diabetic mice via activating the NF‑κB signaling pathway

Diabetic periodontitis (DP) refers to destruction of periodontal tissue and absorption of bone tissue in diabetic patients. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-interacting protein with forkhead-associated domain (TIFA) as a crucial regulator of inflammation activates the NF-κB signaling pathway to regulate cell biological behavior. However, the function and mechanism of TIFA on DP suffer from a lack of research. In the present study, TIFA was upregulated in the periodontal tissue of a DP mouse model. In addition, the expression of TIFA in RAW264.7 cells was induced by high glucose (HG) culture and increased by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Porphyromonas gingivalis treatment in a time-dependent manner. Knockdown of TIFA significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, in HG and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. The nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 was induced by HG and LPS and was clearly suppressed by absence of TIFA. The expression of downstream factors Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein was inhibited by silencing TIFA. Moreover, TIFA was increased by receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) ligand (RANKL) in a concentration dependent manner. The expression of cathepsin K, MMP9 and nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 was downregulated by depletion of TIFA. RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation was inhibited by silencing of TIFA. Meanwhile, the decrease of TIFA blocked activation of the NF-κB pathway in RANKL-treated RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, TIFA as a promoter regulates the inflammation and osteoclast differentiation via activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Density, territory size, breeding success and diet of a Tawny Owl Strix aluco population in a mediterranean urban area (Rome, Italy)

Nous avons etudie les Chouettes hulottes pendant 15 annees de 1984 a 1998 dans la ville de Rome. Densite, superficie du territoire et reussite de la reproduction ont ete etudiees principalement au moyen de la methode de la repasse. La densite de la population nicheuse etait faible au centre de la ville (1,8 territoire/km 2 ), s'accroissant dans les parcs urbains et les bois pres de la ville (2,7-7,6 territoires/km 2 ). Les grands parcs urbains avec de vieux arbres caracterises par un grand diametre du tronc ont ete generalement des habitats optimaux pour les Chouettes hulottes, bien que les densites aient ete plus faibles en comparaison des forets des chenes autour de la ville (8,6-10,6 territoires/km 2 ). La densite observee dans quelques parcs urbains et quelques forets de chenes etait similaire ou plus grande comparee aux densites observees dans les vastes forets du nord et du centre de l'Europe. La dimension de quelques territoires etudies (29,8 ± 10,6 ha, n = 20) etait similaire a celles observees dans les autres villes. Nous n'avons observe aucune difference pour la dimension du territoire entre petits jardins et grands parcs. Pour 278 reproductions recensees, nous avons trouve des basses valeurs de taux de reussite de la reproduction (45,3 %), du nombre des jeunes envoles par reproduction reussie (1,86 ± 0,89) et du nombre de jeunes envoles par reproduction entreprise (0,84 ± 1,09), avec des petites differences entre les habitats etudies. La reussite de la reproduction etait similaire a celle observee pour les populations de Chouettes hulottes nicheuses en cavites naturelles en Europe mediterraneenne ou en Europe du Nord, et elle etait plus faible que celles observees pour les populations nicheuses en nichoirs. Ce resultat suggere une influence des caracteristiques des sites de nidification sur la reussite de la reproduction. Le regime alimentaire de 12 territoires a ete etudie au cours de l'annee par analyse quantitative des pelotes de rejection, pour 3815 proies analysees. Les oiseaux, en particulier passereaux, ont ete captures regulierement en nombre (43,1 %), tandis que les rongeurs ont ete captures moins regulierement (26,1 %), en accord avec la reduction generale d'abondance des petits rongeurs en Europe mediterraneenne. Les autres proies, comme les insectes (15,2 %), les reptiles (5,1 %) et les chauves-souris (1,5 %), peuvent remplacer en nombre les oiseaux et les rongeurs, bien que ces dernieres proies constituent la composante la plus importante en biomasse (97,4 %). Le regime alimentaire est different de celui observe en milieu urbain ou en milieu naturel au nord et au centre de l'Europe, probablement en relation avec les changements de l'abondance des rongeurs, oiseaux, reptiles et insectes en Europe mediterraneenne.
Physical activity, lifestyle, sociocultural factors and prevalence of excess weight gain among postmenopausal women: A cross-sectional study

Background: Most women experienced postmenopausal symptoms during the menopause transition, and they are a common reason for seeking medical attention and lifestyle modification during this phase of life. Objective: This study assessed the physical activity, lifestyle, and sociocultural levels-associated prevalence of excess weight (overweight and obesity) among postmenopausal women (PW) in Bono-East (Techiman) region, Ghana. Design: This is cross-sectional study. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Bono-East regional capital, Techiman in Ghana over 5 months. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain sociodemographic data, physical activity, lifestyle, and sociocultural associated prevalence of excess weight. Anthropometric indices including ((body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) were assessed. Results: A total of 393 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 60.09 ± 6.24 years participated in the study. When reporting prevalence, obesity, and overweight were distinguished. Using the anthropometric parameters (BMI, WHtR, and WHR) as measured for being overweight, the prevalent rates were 35.7%, 21.7%, and 9.0% respectively. Also, when using obesity, the prevalent rate was 37.8%, 70.1%, and 82.0% using BMI, WHtR, and WHR, respectively. Over 55 (55.2%) of the study participants engaged in moderate physical activities, 23.1% were low and 21.7% with high physical activities. Housewives and unemployed participants are shown to have a higher risk of gaining weight (obese) especially when assessed with WHR and WHtR. Most participants responded that cultural beliefs prevent them from losing weight. Most participants had a poor attitude toward their eating habits. Conclusion: According to the findings, postmenopausal Ghanaian women showed a high level of obesity and a moderate level of being overweight. The cultural perception of beauty influences Ghanaian postmenopausal women’s physical activity level and dietary habits.
How informative are stream level observations in different geographic regions?

Simple runoff models with a low number of model parameters are generally able to simulate catchment runoff reasonably well, but they rely on model calibration, which makes their use in ungauged basins challenging. In a previous study it has been shown that a limited number of streamflow measurements can be quite informative for constraining runoff models. In practice, however, instead of performing such repeated flow measurements, it might be easier to install a stream level logger. Here, a dataset of 600+ gauged basins in the USA was used to study how well models perform when only stream level data, rather than streamflow data, are available. A runoff model (the HBV model) was calibrated assuming that only stream level observations were available, and the simulations were evaluated on the full observed streamflow record. The results indicate that stream level data alone can already provide surprisingly good model simulation results in humid catchments, whereas in arid catchments some form of quantitative information (e.g. a streamflow observation or a regional average value) is needed to obtain good results. These results are encouraging for hydrological observations in data scarce regions as level observations are much easier to obtain than streamflow measurements. Based on runoff modelling, it might even be possible to derive streamflow time series from the level data obtained from loggers, satellites or community‐based approaches. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HPTLC Method for the Quantitative Determination of ar-Turmerone and Turmerone in Lipid Soluble Fraction from Curcuma longa

A simple, sensitive and precise high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method was developed and validated for the analysis of ar-turmerone and turmerone, the major constituents of the lipid soluble fraction of the herbal medicament (HM) obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa (turmeric). The separation was carried out on HPTLC aluminum plates precoated with silica gel 60F-254, with n-hexane:ethyl acetate (9.8:0.2 v/v) as mobile phase. Densitometric analysis of ar-turmerone and turmerone was carried out in the absorbance mode at 254 nm. This system was found to give compact spots for ar-turmerone and turmerone (Rf values 0.5 ± 0.05; 0.6 ± 0.04, respectively). A good linear regression relationship between peak areas and the concentrations was obtained over the range of 100–600 ng/spot, with correlation coefficients of 0.997 and 0.998 for ar-turmerone and turmerone, respectively. The limit of detection and quantification was found to be 20 and 40 ng/spot for ar-turmerone and turmerone, respectively. The method was further validated for precision and recovery. The RSD values of the precision were in the range 0.49–1.33% and spike recoveries were 99.9 and 100.0% for ar-turmerone and turmerone, respectively. Analysis of different batches of HM using the above method gave ar-turmerone and turmerone contents in the range of 25–30% and 30–38%. The developed HPTLC method can be applied for identification and quantitative determination of ar-turmerone and turmerone in the lipid soluble fractions of turmeric.
Transmitted drug resistance to antiretroviral drugs in Spain during the period 2019–2021

To evaluate the prevalence of transmitted drug resistance (TDR) to nucleoside and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI, NNRTI), protease inhibitors (PI), and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI) in Spain during the period 2019–2021, as well as to evaluate transmitted clinically relevant resistance (TCRR) to antiretroviral drugs. Reverse transcriptase (RT), protease (Pro), and Integrase (IN) sequences from 1824 PLWH (people living with HIV) were studied. To evaluate TDR we investigated the prevalence of surveillance drug resistance mutations (SDRM). To evaluate TCRR (any resistance level ≥ 3), and for HIV subtyping we used the Stanford v.9. 4.1 HIVDB Algorithm and an in‐depth phylogenetic analysis. The prevalence of NRTI SDRMs was 3.8% (95% CI, 2.8%–4.6%), 6.1% (95% CI, 5.0%–7.3%) for NNRTI, 0.9% (95% CI, 0.5%–1.4%) for PI, and 0.2% (95% CI, 0.0%–0.9%) for INSTI. The prevalence of TCRR to NRTI was 2.1% (95% CI, 1.5%–2.9%), 11.8% for NNRTI, (95% CI, 10.3%–13.5%), 0.2% (95% CI, 0.1%–0.6%) for PI, and 2.5% (95% CI, 1.5%–4.1%) for INSTI. Most of the patients were infected by subtype B (79.8%), while the majority of non‐Bs were CRF02_AG (n = 109, 6%). The prevalence of INSTI and PI resistance in Spain during the period 2019–2021 is low, while NRTI resistance is moderate, and NNRTI resistance is the highest. Our results support the use of integrase inhibitors as first‐line treatment in Spain. Our findings highlight the importance of ongoing surveillance of TDR to antiretroviral drugs in PLWH particularly with regard to first‐line antiretroviral therapy.
Conjunctiva in strabismus surgery – to stitch or to stick? – A randomized clinical trial

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes with fibrin glue in comparison with vicryl sutures for limbal conjunctival wound closure in strabismus surgery. Methods: In this prospective interventional study, patients undergoing horizontal muscle strabismus surgery were randomized into two groups: the vicryl suture group and the fibrin glue group. The limbal conjunctival incisions were closed with 8–0 vicryl in the suture group and with fibrin glue in the other group. The outcomes measured were post-operative conjunctival inflammation and wound apposition, patient comfort with the help of a questionnaire, and conjunctival thickness using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) for both groups at 6 weeks. Results: The study included 64 eyes of 64 patients (32 eyes in each group). The fibrin glue group performed better than the vicryl suture group for most of the symptoms like redness, irritation, watering, and foreign body sensation till 2 weeks post-operatively (P < 0.001), after which both the groups performed similarly. As for clinical signs, no significant difference was noted between the two groups, except for conjunctival hyperemia, which was significantly lesser in the fibrin glue group at 2 weeks post-operatively (P < 0.001). The conjunctival thickness measured at 6 weeks using AS-OCT revealed that the thickness increased significantly in the suture group compared to that in the glue group (P < 0.001 medial site, P = 0.004 lateral site). Conclusion: Because of greater patient comfort and reduced inflammation associated with fibrin glue, it may be considered as a procedure of choice for conjunctival wound closure in strabismus surgery in the absence of the cost constraints.
A review of phase II and III drugs for the treatment and management of endometriosis

ABSTRACT Introduction Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that gives rise to pelvic pain and infertility. Although estroprogestins and progestins currently stand as the first-line treatments for this condition, demonstrating efficacy in two-thirds of patients, a significant portion of individuals experience only partial relief or symptom recurrence following the cessation of these therapies. The coexistence of superficial, deep endometriosis, and ovarian endometriomas, as three distinct phenotypes with unique pathogenetic and molecular characteristics, may elucidate the current heterogeneous biological response to available therapy. Areas Covered The objective of this review is to furnish the reader with a comprehensive summary pertaining to phase II-III hormonal treatments for endometriosis. Expert Opinion Ongoing research endeavors are directed toward the development of novel hormonal options for this benign yet debilitating disease. Among them, oral GnRH antagonists emerge as a noteworthy option, furnishing rapid therapeutic onset without an initial flare-up; these drugs facilitate partial or complete estrogen suppression, and promote prompt ovarian function recovery upon discontinuation, effectively surmounting the limitations associated with previously employed GnRH agonists. Limited evidence supports the use of selective estrogen and progesterone receptor modulators. Consequently, further extensive clinical research is imperative to garner a more profound understanding of innovative targets for novel hormonal options.
The prognostic power of gene mutations in thyroid cancer

The introduction and generalization of next-generation sequencing techniques have significantly increased the identification of mutations in thyroid tumors from multiple patient cohorts. The understanding of the association between specific mutations and clinical outcomes is gradually leading to individualizing the care of patients with thyroid cancer. BRAFV600 is the most common mutation seen in thyroid cancer patients and unequivocally predicts malignancy, but when considered in isolation, it is not recommended to be used as an independent prognostic factor. Mutations in RAS are the second most common alterations in thyroid cancer but can be found in benign and malignant lesions. Rearrangements involving receptor tyrosine kinases, primarily RET, are found in a subset of thyroid tumors without mutations in either BRAF or RAS. The assessment of additional mutations is increasingly employed in thyroid cancer prognostication. The coexistence of BRAF with alterations in genes such as PIK3CA, TERT promoter, or TP53 is associated with less favorable outcomes. Similar studies have also shown that additional oncogenic mutations in RAS-mutant thyroid carcinoma, such as those affecting the EIF1AX gene, likely predict a more aggressive clinicopathologic behavior. Overall, emerging evidence suggests that the co-occurrence of specific alterations in defined genes with BRAF or RAS mutations can become prognostic tools and useful predictors of thyroid tumor aggressiveness.
Targeted reversal of multidrug resistance in ovarian cancer cells using exosome‑encapsulated tetramethylpyrazine

The objective of the present study was to develop exosomes (EXOs) encapsulating tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) for the reversal of drug resistance in ovarian cancer therapy. Human A2780 cells were incubated with TMP for 48 h. Purified TMP-primed EXOs (EXOs-TMP) were isolated through ultracentrifugation. The developed EXOs-TMP were characterized using techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, Fluorescence microscopy and western blotting. Subsequently, MTT, western blotting and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the biological effects in drug-resistant A2780T cells. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of TMP into EXOs exhibited an anti-ovarian cancer effect and markedly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel (PTX). Furthermore, it was identified that the ability of EXO-TMP to reverse cell resistance was associated with the downregulation of multidrug resistance protein 1, multidrug resistant-associated protein 1 and glutathione S-transferase Pi protein expression. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that EXO-TMP induced apoptosis in drug-resistant cells and enhanced the apoptotic effect when combined with PTX. EXOs are naturally sourced, exhibit excellent biocompatibility and enable precise drug delivery to target sites, thereby reducing toxic side effects. Overall, EXO-TMP exhibited direct targeting capabilities towards A2780T cells and effectively reduced their drug resistance. EXOs-TMP provide a novel and effective drug delivery pathway for reversing drug resistance in ovarian cancer.
Evaluation of factors affecting the healing process of venous ulcers: A 12‐week longitudinal study

The process of healing venous ulcers is complex and influenced by many factors. By identifying the risk factors that influence a slower healing process, it is possible to predict impending delays and plan an individualised care plan. We analysed our database of patients with venous ulcers and identified clinical and demographic factors that delay the healing process. The research analysed the medical records of 754 patients with VLUs at Chronic Wound Treatment Unit of the University Hospital treated between 2001 and 2019. In study, the majority (64.3%) were women, the mean age was 65.7 years. The median duration of Chronic Venous Insufficiency was 24 years, 52% patients had had the disease >20 years, and 296 (39.3%) had experienced ulceration >12 months. Most of the patients (85.8%) had comorbidities, 84% were obese. At 12‐week follow‐up, 432 of the 754 ulcers had healed. Identified independent predictors of slower ulcer healing rates: wound area greater than 8.25 cm2, location of the ulceration other than the medial ankle area, underlying disease >20 years, the presence of multiple comorbidities, depth of the ulcer, the presence of an unpleasant smell and alert pathogens. The presence of redness resulted in faster healing of VLUc. Many factors influence the healing process of venous ulceration. The results of the study can help in planning patient care and implementing appropriate early strategies to promote healing.