Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Citizen Science as an Innovative Approach to Analyze Spatial and Temporal Influences on Nitrate Pollution of Water Bodies: Results of a Participatory Research Project in Germany

Anthropogenic influences and the excessive input of reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment have already severely destabilized the natural nitrogen cycle. Especially in northwestern Germany, many water bodies are polluted by nitrate, inducing negative effects on the ecosystem and drinking water as well as possible risks to human health. In cooperation with almost 600 citizens and 200 students, this issue was addressed in a citizen science project carried out by the Universities of Osnabrück and Oldenburg, gathering 8754 nitrate measurements at 545 monitoring sites from September 2019 to March 2021. The data were used to evaluate the potential of citizen science for research on nitrogen pollution of water bodies. In a pre-investigation, we proved that nitrate test strips are suitable as a measurement method for the citizen science approach to provide an overview of nitrate pollution. We then analyzed whether the citizen science approach can be used to establish an area-wide representative measurement network, to what extent the data can be used for spatial and temporal analyses, and whether the data are consistent with the results of other monitoring initiatives. For this purpose, geoprocessing tools, such as spatial joins and heatmaps, were combined with descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistical tests. Although it was not possible to establish a representative monitoring network due to the uneven spatial distribution of monitoring sites, a large part of the intended area was covered by monitoring sites. Thus, the data provide a good overview of the nitrate pollution in the region and shed light on influencing factors. Spatial impacts, such as land cover and use and hydrogeological conditions, as well as seasonal impacts were statistically evidenced with the citizen science data. Furthermore, the consistency of the data with the measurement results of established measurement initiatives confirm the quality of the citizen science dataset. Accordingly, citizen science can be used to investigate spatial and temporal factors influencing nitrogen pollution, and thus contributes to water conservation research as an innovative approach.
Recurrent Episodes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Secondary to Paradoxical Coronary Artery Embolism

Coronary artery embolism is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction, attributed to approximately 10% of all paradoxical embolisms. It is a condition that should be considered in patients who present with chest pain and have a low overall risk of coronary heart disease. A major risk of coronary artery embolism is the existence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which can be shown on bubble transthoracic echocardiography. Here we describe a case report of a 68-year-old Caucasian lady who presented with recurrent episodes of myocardial infarction secondary to a paradoxical coronary artery embolism which was likely due to a PFO. We emphasize the need for more research on the role of PFO percutaneous device closure compared to just medical therapy in those with recurrent episodes of acute myocardial infarction secondary to paradoxical coronary artery embolism. This, in turn, should provide clearer guidance in managing such patients with high risk of mortality.
Automated Identification of Multiple Findings on Brain MRI for Improving Scan Acquisition and Interpretation Workflows: A Systematic Review

We conducted a systematic review of the current status of machine learning (ML) algorithms’ ability to identify multiple brain diseases, and we evaluated their applicability for improving existing scan acquisition and interpretation workflows. PubMed Medline, Ovid Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore literature databases were searched for relevant studies published between January 2017 and February 2022. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. The applicability of ML algorithms for successful workflow improvement was qualitatively assessed based on the satisfaction of three clinical requirements. A total of 19 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. The included studies performed classification tasks (n = 12) and segmentation tasks (n = 7). For classification algorithms, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranged from 0.765 to 0.997, while accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity ranged from 80% to 100%, 72% to 100%, and 65% to 100%, respectively. For segmentation algorithms, the Dice coefficient ranged from 0.300 to 0.912. No studies satisfied all clinical requirements for successful workflow improvements due to key limitations pertaining to the study’s design, study data, reference standards, and performance reporting. Standardized reporting guidelines tailored for ML in radiology, prospective study designs, and multi-site testing could help alleviate this.
Abscission Induction in the Olive by Cycloheximide1

Cycloheximide (CHI) at 20 to 30 ppm caused olive fruit abscission, and at higher concn, leaf abscission. Water potential in the tree was a strong factor influencing CHI-induced abscission. Reducing water loss by the prior application of antitranspirants (AT) greatly increased abscission due to cycloheximide. In addition, AT stimulated ethylene production resulting from CHI application. Prior application of a wax-type antitranspirant reduced fruit injury from cycloheximide. Increasing temp, from 4.5°C to 29.5°C (40° to 85°F), stimulated abscission due to cycloheximide. Up to 25% leaf abscission was tolerated without interfering with subsequent flower formation.
DC electrical interconnection of renewable energy sources in a stand-alone power system with hydrogen storage

Many communities around the world have no access to an electricity grid. To supply power to these people, stand-alone power systems are often used, the majority of which are based on diesel generators. Rising fuel costs and environmental concerns make the use of renewable energy in stand-alone systems increasingly attractive. The research reported in this thesis was to demonstrate a stand-alone power system based exclusively on renewable energy sources. To achieve this, a DC electrical backbone is used. Power electronic converters are used to interconnect the loads and generators and hydrogen is used as an inter-seasonal energy store. The design and control of the DC based stand-alone power system forms the primary focus of this research. A demonstration system has been implemented at West Beacon Farm in the UK. Substantial data has been collected that confirms the successful operation of the system.
Observations of gas motions in and near the central cavity of the Rosette nebula.

Emission-line profiles from the central regions of the Rosette Nebula show that from a dynamical point of view the H II region can be split into two distinct regions as predicted, qualitatively at least, by theory. The outer parts of the nebula are once again shown to lack significant large-scale motions. The central region consists of a shell of ionized material, probably expanding at a velocity of about 20 km s-i. The symmetry of the gas motions about the central cavity and estimates from models by Dyson are consistent with the conclusion that mass loss from the central cluster of stars is the source of energy required to drive the observed supersonic motions. (auth)
The antidepressant effect of cognitive reappraisal training on individuals cognitively vulnerable to depression: Could cognitive bias be modified through the prefrontal–amygdala circuits?

Cognitive reappraisal (CR) is one of the core treatment components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and is the gold standard treatment for major depressive disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates that cognitive reappraisal could function as a protective factor of cognitive vulnerability to depression. However, the neural mechanism by which CR training reduces cognitive vulnerability to depression is unclear. There is ample evidence that the prefrontal–amygdala circuit is involved in CR. This study proposes a novel cognitive bias model of CR training which hypothesizes that CR training may improve the generation ability of CR with altered prefrontal–amygdala functional activation/connectivity, thus reducing negative cognitive bias (negative attention bias, negative memory bias, negative interpretation bias, and/or negative rumination bias) and alleviating depressive symptoms. This study aims to (1) explore whether there is abnormal CR strategy generation ability in individuals who are cognitively vulnerable to depression; (2) test the hypothesis that CR training alleviates depressive symptoms through the mediators of cognitive bias (interpretation bias and/or rumination bias); (3) explore the neural mechanism by which CR training may enhance the ability of CR strategy generation; and (4) examine the short- and long-term effects of CR training on the reduction in depressive symptoms in individuals who are cognitively vulnerable to depression following intervention and 6 months later. The study is promising, providing theoretical and practical evidence for the early intervention of depression-vulnerable individuals.
Parent-Focused Psychotherapy for the Preventive Management of Chronicity in Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Series

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex eating disorder where involvement of family plays a central role in first line treatment in adolescents, but which is not so for adults where poor response to treatment is frequent. Given the reluctance of some patients to receive treatment, we set out to explore the hypothesis that certain family dynamics may be involved in the maintenance of the disorder. Methods: We aimed to understand what is underlying in the cases of patients who present clinical improvement with their parents, but not the ones who received a parent-focused psychotherapeutic intervention. We conducted a mixed methods study. On the one hand we performed a case series of 14 patients who dropped out of treatment while their parents actively attended the intervention, and on the other hand, we followed the evolution of the parents of those patients reluctant to continue treatment, through non-participant observation. Results: We present preliminary evidence where we found the parent-focused psychotherapeutic intervention was able to elicit a reflective function of the parents. We also observed that the intervention modified certain family dynamics that could be related to maintaining factors of the disorder. In patients, we found that in parallel to the assistance of their parents to psychotherapeutic treatment, and even when they were receiving no intervention, they showed significant clinical improvement of symptomatology and global functioning; we observed 9 of 14 of them who voluntarily decided to return to pharmacological treatment. Conclusions: This parent-focused intervention elicited changes in reflective functioning of participant parents; the intervention produced favorable changes in family dynamics, which we believe is probably related to improvement of global functioning, symptomatology, and insight of patients.
Patients’ perception toward the service quality of community pharmacies for non-prescription medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This research aims to investigate how patients perceive different dimensions of service quality, especially for non-prescription medicines during the outbreak. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 378 Thai patients during the spread of COVID-19. An online questionnaire was developed to measure patient perception toward the service quality of community pharmacies. Results The results show that service quality in the dimension of competence rated the highest score, followed by sincerity, reliability, personalization, and communication, respectively. For gender comparison, the results indicate that males and females have statistically different perceptions on reliability, sincerity, personalization, and communication. For age comparison, the results show that three age groups (young, middle age, and elderly) are statistically different in terms of sincerity and personalization. Conclusion This study highlights the level of different service quality dimensions as perceived by regular patients who purchase non-prescription medicines from a community pharmacy. The results contribute to how pharmacies could improve overall service quality, especially in the era of a pandemic.
Cranberry Quality: Selection Procedures for Breeding Programs1

Samples of 45 cranberry clones (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) were analyzed for factors relating to fruit quality and processability to develop selection procedures for breeding programs. High correlations were obtained between tristimulus reflectance measurements on whole or pureed cranberries and the juice color, determined by spectrophotometric or tristimulus transmission measurements. Differences between cranberry samples in the proportions of individual anthocyanins were small and not correlated with berry or juice color. A 3-stage sequence of simple measurements, entailing minimal sample preparation, was developed for selection. First- and second-stage selections were based on the application of discriminant analysis to tristimulus reflectance data obtained with whole and pureed cranberry samples, respectively. In the third stage, selections were based on analytical measurements performed on juice prepared from samples selected in the preceeding stages.
DFT study of the structural, electronic and optoelectronic properties of PDAPb(I1−x Br x )4 perovskites

PDAPb(I1−x Br x )4 (NH3CH2CH2CH2NH3Pb(I1−x Br x )4, 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) is a two-dimensional Dion–Jacobson phase perovskite that has attracted extensive attention owing to its potential as a promising candidate for optoelectronic (OE) application. Herein, the structural, electronic, and optoelectronic properties of PDAPb(I1−x Br x )4 by gradually substituting I with Br at 1/4 intervals starting from PDAPbI4 based on the first-principles approach of density functional theory. With the increase in Br content, the crystal volume of PDAPb(I1−x Br x )4 decreases nonlinearly. The electronic structure shows the bandgap presents an increasing trend (PDAPbI4 (2.272 eV)–PDAPb(I0.5Br0.5)4 (2.475 eV)–PDAPbBr4 (2.678 eV)). The most stable structure that can be obtained from the calculated formation energy (E f) is PDAPb(I0.5Br0.5)4. The partial density of states reveals that the contribution of electrons is mainly related to the [PbX6]4− (X = I, Br) octahedron. The organic molecule PDA is almost not involved in the conductivity. The optoelectronic properties indicates that the characteristic peaks of the optoelectronic parameters of PDAPb(I1−x Br x )4 coincide with the bandgap. The doping ratio of 0.5 not only has the largest dielectric coefficient, but also has good conductivity in the visible region. Therefore, PDAPb(I0.5Br0.5)4 is extremely promising for applications in OE industry. This study provides some theoretical guidance for experiments and the search for new efficient and environmentally friendly OE materials.
Enhancement of the Release of Protoplasts and Pectin from Tomato Locular Gel by Pectin Methylesterase

Pectin methylesterase (PME, EC 3.1.1.11) was added to locular gel and pericarp of ripening tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and cell wall alterations were examined. Treatment of mature tomato locular gel with purified PME resulted in release of protoplasts. No protoplasts could be detected from immature locular gel or pericarp at any ripening stage examined under similar conditions. Net solubilization of pectins occurred with PME treatment in both tissues. Pectins solubilized with buffer or PME were of high molecular weight. Maximum protoplast release and pectin solubilization occurred at pH 5.0. Increased pectin solubilization in locular gel and pericarp is a result of polygalacturonase action on PME-induced deesterified pectin, the preferred substrate. Release of protoplasts from PME-treated mature locular gel suggests that maturation in this tissue involves alterations in cell wall structure that do not occur in pericarp.
Grapevine treatment with bagasse vermicompost changes the microbiome of Albariño must and wine and improves wine quality

Winemaking is a well-known process comprising several steps to produce must and wine. Grape marc is a byproduct of wine production that can be vermicomposted and used as organic fertiliser. Grape marc vermicompost has a richer and more stable microbiome than grape marc alone and when added to the soil of vineyards it can improve grape production and wine quality. We compared Albariño must and wine microbiotas from grapevines treated with vermicompost derived from Albariño grape marc and controls (standard fertilisation). We hypothesised that observed microbial changes are connected to improved organoleptic properties observed in fertilised must and wine. Treated Albariño vines showed increased grape production and the final wine showed improved organoleptic properties. Metataxonomic analyses of the 16S rRNA and ITS gene regions showed that the Albariño must and wine microbiome varied in their taxonomic composition. Must bacteriotas showed no significant (p < 0.05) variation in alpha or beta-diversity, while wine bacteriotas and must and wine mycobiotas showed significant differences in richness and evenness, as well as in microbial structure (beta-diversity) between treated and control grapevines. Must and wine bacteriotas also showed significant (p < 0.05) changes in their predicted metabolic pathways. Our study suggests that changes in the abundance of specific bacterial and fungal taxa and the metabolic processes they carry out during Albariño winemaking can improve the productivity of the grapevine and the organoleptic properties of the wine.
High Performance Micro Resonators-Based Sensors Using Multimode Excitation

We present a multi-mode excitation technique to significantly amplify the amplitude signal of micro-resonators-based sensors operating at their higher-order modes. We show that the multi-mode excitation can significantly reduce the noise effects, elevate the dynamic response level, and amplify the total amplitude response. We demonstrate the efficiency of the multi-mode excitation to enhance the performance of a gas sensor using electrothermally heated doubly-clamped buckled beams. The results indicate clear amplification for the response at the 2nd mode while detecting Helium compared to a single-source excitation. A 24-times amplitude magnification is achieved. The demonstrated approach provides a promising path to efficiently exploit the higher-order modes of resonant gas sensors leading to improved accuracy and resolution.
Beta‐Dependent Constraints on Ion Temperature Anisotropy in Jupiter’s Magnetosheath

Most space plasmas are weakly collisional. Due to the low collision rate, the plasmas are routinely out of local thermal equilibrium and often exhibit non‐Maxwellian velocity distributions. The charged particles typically exhibit anisotropy in temperature measurements, that is, distinct temperatures are observed perpendicular and parallel (T⊥i and T||i) to the local magnetic field. Numerous prior studies have shown that for increasing values of parallel ion beta (β||i), the range of ion temperature anisotropy (Ri = T⊥i/T||i) values becomes narrower. Conventionally, this behavior has been attributed to the actions of kinetic microinstabilities. This study is the first to explore such β||i‐dependent limits on ion temperature anisotropy in Jupiter's magnetosheath. We use linear Vlasov theory to compute contours of constant growth rate for different instability thresholds, which closely align with the limits of the data distribution, supporting that these instabilities are acting to limit extremes of ion temperature anisotropy in the Jovian magnetosheath.
Silent codon positions in the A-rich HIV RNA genome that do not easily become A: Restrictions imposed by the RNA sequence and structure

Abstract There is a strong evolutionary tendency of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to accumulate A nucleotides in its RNA genome, resulting in a mere 40 per cent A count. This A bias is especially dominant for the so-called silent codon positions where any nucleotide can be present without changing the encoded protein. However, particular silent codon positions in HIV RNA refrain from becoming A, which became apparent upon genome analysis of many virus isolates. We analyzed these ‘noA’ genome positions to reveal the underlying reason for their inability to facilitate the A nucleotide. We propose that local RNA structure requirements can explain the absence of A at these sites. Thus, noA sites may be prominently involved in the correct folding of the viral RNA. Turning things around, the presence of multiple clustered noA sites may reveal the presence of important sequence and/or structural elements in the HIV RNA genome.
Side-Coupled Fabry-Perot Resonator Filter Based on Dual-Waveguide Bragg Grating

We propose, analyze and demonstrate a side-coupled Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonator filter composed of two dissimilar waveguides with π phase-shifted Bragg grating. The resonance circuit is formed by the mode conversion between the fundamental transverse electric (TE0) modes of the two waveguides. It can realize a wide free spectral range (FSR) or an FSR-free response with a single strong resonance at the central wavelength of mode conversion. In addition, compared with the conventional F-P resonator, only one transverse mode in the proposed resonator can be coupled to the bus waveguide. Thus, it has some advantages including no intrinsic reflection to the bus waveguide and low resonance loss. The experimental results on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform have shown that the extinction ratio, full width at half maximum (FWHM) and quality factor (Q-factor) of the proposed resonator are 52.5 dB, 0.125 nm and 1.24 × 104, respectively. The fabrication error and add-drop filters based on the proposed resonator are discussed then. The proposed resonator is believed to benefit the practical applications of optical filters and sensors.
Recent Strategies in Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Sequential C–H Activation/Annulation for One-Step Construction of Functionalized Indazole Derivatives

Designing new synthetic strategies for indazoles is a prominent topic in contemporary research. The transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation/annulation sequence has arisen as a favorable tool to construct functionalized indazole derivatives with improved tolerance in medicinal applications, functional flexibility, and structural complexity. In the current review article, we aim to outline and summarize the most common synthetic protocols to use in the synthesis of target indazoles via a transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation/annulation sequence for the one-step synthesis of functionalized indazole derivatives. We categorized the text according to the metal salts used in the reactions. Some metal salts were used as catalysts, and others may have been used as oxidants and/or for the activation of precatalysts. The roles of some metal salts in the corresponding reaction mechanisms have not been identified. It can be expected that the current synopsis will provide accessible practical guidance to colleagues interested in the subject.