Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Simple Light-Use-Efficiency Model to Estimate Wheat Yield in the Semi-Arid Areas

In this study, a simple model, based on a light-use-efficiency model, was developed in order to estimate growth and yield of the irrigated winter wheat under semi-arid conditions. The originality of the proposed method consists in (1) the modifying of the expression of the conversion coefficient (εconv) by integrating an appropriate stress threshold (ksconv) for triggering irrigation, (2) the substitution of the product of the two maximum coefficients of interception (εimax) and conversion (εconv_max) by a single parameter εmax, (3) the modeling of εmax as a function of the Cumulative Growing Degree Days (CGDD) since sowing date, and (4) the dynamic expression of the harvest index (HI) as a function of the CGDD and the final harvest index (HI0) depending on the maximum value of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The calibration and validation of the proposed model were performed based on the observations of wheat dry matter (DM) and grain yield (GY) which were collected on the R3 irrigated district of the Haouz plain (center of Morocco), during three agricultural seasons. Further, the outputs of the simple model were also evaluated against the AquaCrop model estimates. The model calibration allowed the parameterization of εmax in four periods according to the wheat phenological stages. By contrast, a linear evolution was sufficient to represent the relationship between HI and CGDD. For the model validation, the obtained results showed a good agreement between the estimated and observed values with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of about 1.07 and 0.57 t/ha for DM and GY, respectively. These correspond to a relative RMSE of about 19% for DM and 20% for GY. Likewise, although of its simplicity, the accuracy of the proposed model seems to be comparable to that of the AquaCrop model. For GY, R2, and RMSE values were respectively 0.71 and 0.44 t/ha for the developed approach and 0.88 and 0.37 t/ha for AquaCrop. Thus, the proposed simple light-use-efficiency model can be considered as a useful tool to correctly reproduce DM and GY values.
Quality management effects on operating theater's productivity: a participatory action research

PurposeThe operating theater (OT) is resource-intensive, costly and assuring its productivity is a high priority. This study aimed to examine a quality management model's effects on a hospital's OT productivity.Design/methodology/approachThe participatory action research approach was used for the intervention. A multidisciplinary quality improvement team was formed. The team improved OT operational processes using an eight-step quality management model. OT’s key performance indicators such as surgical cases, surgical cancellation, bill deductions, successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, patients' complaints and employees' job satisfaction were collected before the intervention and compared with those of after intervention to determine the efficacy of the quality management model.FindingsApplying a quality management strategy increased surgical patients' number by 14.96%, reduced surgery operations cancellation by 14.6 %, and decreased bill deduction by 44.9%. Besides, successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation increased by 21.17%, patients' complaints reduced by 61.5% and, finally, staff satisfaction increased by 15.6 %. Improved OT productivity resulted in improved financial performance. As a result, the OT revenue has risen by 68.8%. Originality/valueThis study highlights that implementing the right quality management model properly enhances hospitals' productivity. It also offers suggestions on how to implement a quality management model successfully in a hospital setting.
Harvest seasons and pruning management in pepper: production and pungency of the fruits

Changes in plant architecture, such as apical pruning and harvesting at the right time, are management practices to obtain not only greater fruit production, but mainly quality and pungent fruits, preferred by the consumer market. We evaluated the effect of management of pruning and harvest seasons on growth, production and pungency of fruits conducted in the field. Nine seasons of harvest were studied [90, 101, 116, 131, 146, 161, 176, 191, 206 and 221 days after transplanting (DAT)] and two management systems (pruning and no pruning). The treatments were arranged in a factorial design (9x2) with split plot in a randomized block design with three replications. The agronomic traits analyzed were: height, chlorophyll, leaf area, soluble solids, number of fruits and pepper yield. The content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin was determined using fruits harvested in two seasons (146 and 161 DAT) and in management systems (pruning and no pruning), in a factorial scheme (2x2), in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Growth and production traits did not differ significantly for pruning and no pruning managements, with an average of 71.8 fruits/plant and productivity of 429.7 g/plant. The agronomic traits were adjusted to the quadratic model. The maximum yield (529.09 g/plant) and the maximum number of fruits per plant (95.34) were estimated at 164.83 and 163.21 DAT, respectively. The use of pruning resulted in fruits with a higher content of capsaicin (363.89 mg/kg) and dihydrocapsaicin (198.27 mg/kg) at 161 DAT. Pruning management results in more pungent and better quality fruits for industry, and the maximum production of BRS Mari pepper was estimated at 164.83 DAT, important information for pepper producers, in order to schedule the harvests.
Is Crowdsourcing a Reliable Method for Mass Data Acquisition? The Case of COVID-19 Spread in Greece During Spring 2020

We present a GIS-based crowdsourcing application that was launched soon after the first COVID-19 cases had been recorded in Greece, motivated by the need for fast, location-wise data acquisition regarding COVID-19 disease spread during spring 2020, due to limited testing. A single question was posted through a web App, to which the anonymous participants subjectively answered whether or not they had experienced any COVID-19 disease symptoms. Our main goal was to locate geographical areas with increased number of people feeling the symptoms and to determine any temporal changes in the statistics of the survey entries. It was found that the application was rapidly disseminated to the entire Greek territory via social media, having, thus, a great public reception. The higher percentages of participants experiencing symptoms coincided geographically with the highly populated urban areas, having also increased numbers of confirmed cases, while temporal variations were detected that accorded with the restrictions of activities. This application demonstrates that health systems can use crowdsourcing applications that assure anonymity, as an alternative to tracing apps, to identify possible hot spots and to reach and warn the public within a short time interval, increasing at the same time their situational awareness. However, a continuous reminder for participation should be scheduled.
How sequential reduction of terminal electron acceptors modulates nitrification and dynamics of nitrifying bacteria and archaea in a tropical vertisol

Abstract Nitrification potential of a tropical vertisol saturated with water was estimated during sequential reduction of nitrate (NO3−), ferric iron (Fe3+), sulphate (SO42−) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in terminal electron-accepting processes (TEAPs). In general, the TEAPs enhanced potential nitrification rate (PNR) of the soil. Nitrification was highest at Fe3+ reduction followed by SO42− reduction, NO3− reduction and lowest in unreduced control soil. Predicted PNR correlated significantly with the observed PNR. Electron donor Fe2+ stimulated PNR, while S2− inhibited it significantly. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting the amoA gene of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) highlighted population dynamics during the sequential reduction of terminal electron acceptors. Only the relative abundance of AOA varied significantly during the course of soil reduction. Relative abundance of AOB correlated with NO3− and Fe2+. Linear regression models predicted PNR from the values of NO3−, Fe2+ and relative abundance of AOA. Principal component analysis of PNR during different reducing conditions explained 72.90% variance by PC1 and 19.52% variance by PC2. Results revealed that AOA might have a significant role in nitrification during reducing conditions in the tropical flooded ecosystem of a vertisol.
Expression of CMTM4 shows clinical significance in lung cancer

Background Human chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family (CMTM) is implicated in the pathogenesis of immune, reproductive systems and various cancers. However, the expression and clinical significance of CMTM4 in lung cancer have not been identified. Methods We performed immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of CMTM4 in 75 paired lung adenocarcinoma and non-tumor lung tissues. The correlation between CMTM4 expression and clinical significance of lung cancer patients was analyzed by Chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-Rank test were used to calculate the survival time of lung cancer patients. Results We found that CMTM4 was positively expressed in 34/75 (45.3%) cases of lung adenocarcinoma tissues, while positively expressed in 59/75 (78.6%) cases of non-tumor lung tissues, suggesting a lower expression of CMTM4 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues than non-tumor lung tissues (P<0.05). In addition, the negative expression of CMTM4 was associated with gender, smoking, and metastasis in lung cancer patients. Moreover, lung cancer patients with negative expression of CMTM4 had a shorter survival time than the patients with positive expression of CMTM4. COX regression analysis showed that CMTM4 was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival of lung cancer patients. Conclusions Our study supports that CMTM4 can be used as a new marker for the treatment and prognosis of lung cancer.
Skin infection caused by Burkholderia thailandensis : Case report with review

Burkholderia thailandensis is genetically closed to Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes melioidosis. The bacterium inhabits the environments of tropical regions including those in Southeast Asia and the Northern part of Australia. B. thailandensis is considered avirulent and extremely uncommon to cause disease. We report the first case of foot abscess with skin cellulitis and ankle swelling caused by B. thailandensis in Malaysia. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2016;6(2): 92-95
Cutting energy required during the mechanical processing of wood species at different drying stages

The aim of this study was to know the variation profile of the specific energy consumption required to cut woods with varying densities and moisture contents. Therefore, peripheral cuts were performed in the longitudinal direction of the grain with numerical control controlled by Computational Numerical Command in woods of different densities, established at different drying stages. An energy analyzer, capable of calculate the specific energy consumed during the wood processing, was used to measure the energy information. The results indicated that the higher the wood density, the greater the positive influence of the moisture content on the specific cutting energy. In the anhydrous condition, the higher the wood density, the higher the cutting energy. With increased moisture content, less cutting power was required during the wood processing. There-fore, it was possible to conclude that during the milling type mechanical processing of wood, moisture content has a great influence on the specific cutting energy consumption
Community detection using multitopology and attributes in social networks

Community detection is a fundamental research problem in social networks. However, most existing research focuses on homogeneous networks while ignoring the multitopology and attributes in social media. In this article, we propose community detection algorithms based on community kernels to detect high‐quality communities in heterogeneous social networks. It is noticed that the social community has multiple topology structures, as nodes or users in social media networks have multiple attributions. For example, users can be friends and coworkers in a research group simultaneously. Hence, we propose a multilayer and attribute combined measure (MACM), a novel measurement based on the multilayer structure and common neighboring attributes, which includes the similarity measure between nodes and the importance measure for individual node in multilayer networks. Two improved community kernel detection algorithms based on MACM are subsequently proposed. They are the MA‐Greedy, which is based on the greedy algorithm, and the MA‐WeBA, which is a weighted balanced algorithm. The multilayer structure and attributes are comprehensively considered when calculating the similarity and importance of nodes in these strategies. Extensive experimental results on two public data sets demonstrate that the multilayer structure and attribute information can be used to enhance the precision of community detection.
Gradient-based dictionary optimization for compressive spectral imaging

In compressive spectral imaging, three-dimensional spatio-spectral data cubes are recovered from two-dimensional projections. The quality of the compressive-sensing-based reconstruction is dependent on the coherence of the sensing matrix, which is determined by the system projection and the sparse prior. Studies on the optimization of the system projection, which mainly deals with the coded aperture, successfully decreases the coherence of the sensing matrix and improves the reconstruction quality. However, the optimization of the sparse prior considering the relationship between the system projection and the sparse prior remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose a gradient-descent-based sparse prior optimization algorithm for the coherence minimization of the sensing matrix in compressive spectral imaging. The Frobenius norm coherence is introduced as the cost function for the optimization, and the overcomplete dictionary is chosen as the sparse prior to solve the optimal sparse representation in the reconstruction as it provides higher degree of freedom for optimization compared to common orthogonal bases. The optimized dictionary effectively decreases the coherence of the sensing matrix from 0.880 to 0.604 and significantly improves the quantitative image quality metrics of the reconstructed hyperspectral images with the corresponding peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) increased by 9 dB, the structural similarity (SSIM) above 0.98, and the spectrum angular mapper (SAM) below 0.1. Furthermore, the requirement of the sampling snapshots is reduced, which is shown by similar image quality metrics between the reconstructed hyperspectral images of only 1 snapshot with the optimized dictionary and of more than 5 snapshots with the non-optimized dictionary.
Low Melting Temperature of Anhydrous Mantle Materials at the Core‐Mantle Boundary

One of the central challenges in accurately estimating the mantle melting temperature is the sensitivity of the probe for detecting a small amount of melt at the solidus. To address this, we used a multichannel collimator to enhance the diffuse X‐ray scattering from a small amount of melt and probed an eutectic pyrolitic composition to increase the amount of melt at the solidus. Our in situ detection of diffuse scattering from the pyrolitic melt determined an anhydrous melting temperature of 3,302 ± 100 K at 119 ± 6 GPa and 3,430 ± 130 K at the core‐mantle boundary (CMB) conditions, as the upper bound temperature. Our CMB temperature is approximately 700 K lower than the previous estimates, implying much faster secular cooling and higher concentrations of S, C, O, and/or H in the region, and nonlinear, advocating the basal magma ocean hypothesis.
The genetic divergence of Oratosquilla oratoria between the East China Sea and Yellow Sea: physical barrier and possible local adaptation

In order to confirm the genetic relationship between the Yellow Sea and East China Sea populations of mantis shrimps Oratosquilla oratoria, fragments of mitochondrial DNA COI gene samples were analysed. A total of 212 individuals from nine localities in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea were collected and 108 haplotypes were detected. Neighbour-joining analysis revealed a complete genetic break between the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, which was consistent with the previous mtDNA 16S rRNA. Pleistocene isolation and the current physical barrier were responsible for the complete genetic break between the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. Furthermore, local adaptation in the COI gene may also be contributed to by the genetic differentiation between the populations of the Yellow Sea and East China. The different Ka/Ks ratios between the two clades may reflect different selection pressures and local adaptation on the fragment of COI gene.
Osseoperception in osseointegrated implants - A review

Patients who are edentulous lacks the mechanoreception which is mainly provided by the periodontal ligament that attaches a tooth to the alveolar bone. Mechanoreceptors are primarily present witihin periodontal ligament which provides feedback of magnitude, direction and rate of occlusal load application for sensory perception. Tactile sensibility is seen to be developed in patients who are treated with osseointegrated dental implants. This phenomenon is named as osseoperception. The aim of this article is to evaluate the available literature to find osseoperception related to dental implants. © 2020 Published by Innovative Publication. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Epiphytic macrolichen communities indicate climate and air quality in the U.S. Midwest

Abstract. Epiphytic lichens directly exposed to atmospheric conditions can help detect how diffuse but pressing global changes may impact regional forest health. For 388 plots in the U.S. Midwest region, we developed indices for climate and air quality based on variation in tree-dwelling macrolichen community compositions (NMS ordination scores), species indicator values, and species environmental optima. Three lichen indices (NMS axis 1 scores, thermophile scores, and climate centroid scores) strongly covaried with thermal and evaporative-demand variables. By contrast, three other indices (NMS axis 2 scores, nitrophile scores and nitrogen centroid scores) were correlated with NHx (reduced N) deposition. Lichen communities had contrasting responses to different forms of N (NOx vs. NHx). Overall, thermal climate variables appeared more influential than air quality in structuring regional communities, based on greater explained variation of community compositions. Richness of species and of potentially adaptive secondary metabolites declined in hot, dry, or NHx-rich sites. With continued monitoring, significant changes in lichen-community based indices could signal directional shifts in forest vegetation. Changes in the thermophile or nitrophile indices more specifically would indicate the agent and rate of change for forest-altering trends.
Modeling Land and Hold Short Operations: Balancing Safety and Arrival Rate

Many airports conduct simultaneous operations on intersecting runways to increase the rate of takeoffs and landings. This requires landing aircraft to hold short of the intersecting runway, which incurs a safety risk of runway incursions in the process. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to analyze the traffic load at maximum operational capacity at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in order to analyze the fleet types and the rate of those landing aircraft unable to stop short of the intersecting runway. The researchers used the actual and four alternative compositions of the subject airline’s aircraft arrivals, interspersed among other airport traffic, to assess how such changes affect the rate of runway incursions, the rate of operations at the airport, and the mean number of passengers the subject airline can land per hour. The simulation revealed that runway length up to the hold short point was the biggest determinant of aircraft being unable to hold short. The total airport rate of operations decreased when heavy wake turbulence category aircraft were introduced. Despite heavy wake turbulence category aircraft carrying more passengers individually, the decreased operations rate also led to fewer passengers per hour that the subject airline could carry.
Feedback-mediated Regulation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fate

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells fill a clinical need for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) transplantation, and the ex vivo expansion of these cells provides an approach to increase their clinical relevance. Ex vivo HSPC expansion has been limited by a poor understanding of the interplay between stem cell autonomous and feedback mediated regulators. We hypothesized that developing strategies to modulate the HSPC microenvironment would enable enhanced expansion of these cells and a greater insight into the underlying biologic mechanisms. We developed a system for the optimized delivery of the transcription factor HOXB4 to human hematopoietic culture and revealed new insights into the context-dependent potentials and limitations of HOXB4. We investigated approaches for the global reduction of inhibitory feedback signaling and developed a fed-batch system that minimizes endogenously produced factors to create a more supportive environment for HSPC self-renewal. This strategy led to an 11-fold expansion of long-term repopulating HSCs in a clinically relevant bioreactor,
Naptalam as a Safener Against Chloramben in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Naptalam at 6.7 kg ae/ha applied with chloramben at 2.0 to 4.5 kg ae/ha was a safener for chloramben phytotoxicity to cucumber as expressed by increased dry weight in the greenhouse and yield in the field, but the protection was inadequate to be commercially acceptable. Naptalam applied in seed coatings also protected cucumber from chloramben phytotoxicity in the greenhouse but were ineffective in the field. Delaying chloramben application 24 to 72 h after naptalam application in the field increased the safening effect to a level that may be commercially acceptable. The safening effect was only to cucumber as effective weed control was achieved with chloramben and naptalam.
A multiproxy record of sedimentation, pedogenesis, and environmental history in the north of West Siberia during the late Pleistocene based on the Belaya Gora section

Abstract Recent revision of the Pleistocene glaciation boundaries in northern Eurasia has encouraged the search for nonglacial geological records of the environmental history of northern West Siberia. We studied an alluvial paleosol-sedimentary sequence of the high terrace of the Vakh River (middle Ob basin) to extract the indicators of environmental change since Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. Two levels of the buried paleosols are attributed to MIS 5 and MIS 3, as evidenced by U/Th and radiocarbon dates. Palynological and pedogenetic characteristics of the lower pedocomplex recorded the climate fluctuations during MIS 5, from the Picea-Larix taiga environment during MIS 5e to the establishment of the tundra-steppe environment due to the cooling of MIS 5d or MIS 5b and partial recovery of boreal forests with Picea and Pinus in MIS 5c or MIS 5a. The upper paleosol level shows signs of cryogenic hydromorphic pedogenesis corresponding to the tundra landscape, with permafrost during MIS 3. Boulders incorporated in a laminated alluvial deposit between the paleosols are dropstones brought from the Enisei valley by ice rafting during the cold MIS 4. An abundance of eolian morphostructures on quartz grains from the sediments that overly the upper paleosol suggests a cold, dry, and windy environment during the MIS 2 cryochron.