Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental Impact on the Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Parkinson’s Disease Pathogenesis: A Narrative Review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with an unclear etiology and no disease-modifying treatment to date. PD is considered a multifactorial disease, since both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its pathogenesis, although the molecular mechanisms linking these two key disease modifiers remain obscure. In this context, epigenetic mechanisms that alter gene expression without affecting the DNA sequence through DNA methylation, histone post-transcriptional modifications, and non-coding RNAs may represent the key mediators of the genetic–environmental interactions underlying PD pathogenesis. Environmental exposures may cause chemical alterations in several cellular functions, including gene expression. Emerging evidence has highlighted that smoking, coffee consumption, pesticide exposure, and heavy metals (manganese, arsenic, lead, etc.) may potentially affect the risk of PD development at least partially via epigenetic modifications. Herein, we discuss recent accumulating pre-clinical and clinical evidence of the impact of lifestyle and environmental factors on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying PD development, aiming to shed more light on the pathogenesis and stimulate future research.
Understanding Prospective Teachers’ Task Design Considerations through the Lens of the Theory of Didactical Situations

Task design, in general, and task design in a technological environment, is attracting the attention of educational researchers. The present research investigates task design of prospective teachers in the Scratch programming environment. A total of twenty-three female prospective teachers participated in a professional development program. They were in their third academic year majoring in teaching mathematics and computer science in the middle school. The prospective teachers attempted to design mathematics-based programming problems. The present research utilizes the theory of didactical situations in mathematics, specifically the situation types, the paradoxes of the didactical contract and the situation components, to study the task design of the prospective teachers. It does that by focusing on one group of prospective teachers. The research results indicated that the prospective teachers were concerned mainly with the situation of information, situation of reference and situation of action. Doing so, they were concerned with the paradox of the said and the unsaid, the paradox of uncertainty, and the paradox of devolution. In addition, they took care of both algorithmic and creative reasoning. They also took care of students’ devolution, where this devolution was conditioned with following an institutionalization. They were also concerned with giving students autonomy and encouraging decision making regarding the solution of the problem. Furthermore, they planned to enable students’ control over their learning.
A 94.3% Peak Efficiency Adaptive Switchable CCM and DCM Single-Inductor Multiple-Output Converter With 0.03 mV/mA Low Crosstalk and 185 nA Ultralow Quiescent

This article proposes a single-inductor multi-output converter implemented in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.153 \mu{\mathrm {m}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> CMOS process, including the adaptive switchable continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) (ASCD) technique, and a five-input crosstalk reduction error amplifier (CREA) to minimize the cross regulation to 0.03 mV/mA and achieve load capability up to 3 W. At ultra-light loads, the proposed ultralow power (ULP) mode is applied to reach 185 nA quiescent current and enhance light load power efficiency. Moreover, the peak efficiency is as high as 94.3% with a chip area of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.2 \times 1.7$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm<sup>2</sup>.
Longitudinal Analysis of 1α,25-dihidroxyvitamin D3 and Homocysteine Changes in Colorectal Cancer

Simple Summary Vitamin D3 and homocysteine level abnormalities are both strongly related to colorectal cancer (CRC) etiology. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the longitudinal change in these two parameters and the relationships between the two, in addition with other clinicopathological and laboratory parameters. A swoosh-shaped trend was observed for the change in serum homocysteine levels of all of the CRC patients. The circulating vitamin D3 level was constant or increased in those patients without metastasis. After an initial increase, the disease-worsening effect of metastases cancelled out all of the positive effects of vitamin D3 in metastatic patients, even despite its continuous supplementation. Right-sided tumors, male sex, and the pathological values of serum lipids, albumin, total protein, and inflammatory markers were associated with lower vitamin D3 and higher homocysteine level. Based on our results, we recommend a modified vitamin D3 supplementation regimen for metastatic CRC, which includes laboratory measurement-based titration. Abstract Background: 1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) and homocysteine are known to play a role in the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer (CRC). In health, the two changes are inversely proportional to each other, but little is known about their combined effect in CRC. Methods: The serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and the homocysteine levels of eighty-six CRC patients were measured, who were enrolled into four cohorts based on the presence of metastases (Adj vs. Met) and vitamin D3 supplementation (ND vs. D). Results: 1,25(OH)2D3 was constant (Adj-ND), increased significantly (Adj-D, p = 0.0261), decreased (Met-ND), or returned close to the baseline after an initial increase (Met-D). The longitudinal increase in 1,25(OH)2D3 (HR: 0.9130, p = 0.0111) positively affected the overall survival in non-metastatic CRC, however, this effect was cancelled out in those with metastasis (p = 0.0107). The increase in homocysteine negatively affected both the overall (HR: 1.0940, p = 0.0067) and the progression-free survival (HR: 1.0845, p = 0.0073). Lower 1,25(OH)2D3 and/or higher homocysteine level was characteristic for patients with higher serum lipids, albumin, total protein, white blood cell and platelet count, male sex, and right-sided tumors. No statistically justifiable connection was found between the target variables. Conclusions: A measurement-based titration of vitamin D3 supplementation and better management of comorbidities are recommended for CRC.
Recent Progress in the Fabrication and Optical Properties of Nanoporous Anodic Alumina

The fabrication of a thick oxide layer onto an aluminum surface via anodization has been a subject of intense research activity for more than a century, largely due to protective and decorative applications. The capability to create well-defined pores via a cost-effective electrochemical oxidation technique onto the surface has made a major renaissance in the field, as the porous surfaces exhibit remarkably different properties compared to a bulk oxide layer. Amongst the various nanoporous structures being investigated, nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) with well-organized and highly ordered hexagonal honeycomb-like pores has emerged as the most popular nanomaterial due to its wide range of applications, ranging from corrosion resistance to bacterial repelling surfaces. As compared to conventional nanostructure fabrication, the electrochemical anodization route of NAA with well-controlled pore parameters offers an economical route for fabricating nanoscale materials. The review comprehensively reflects the progress made in the fabrication route of NAA to obtain the material with desired pore properties, with a special emphasis on self-organization and pore growth kinetics. Detailed accounts of the various conditions that can play an important role in pore growth kinetics and pore parameters are presented. Further, recent developments in the field of controlling optical properties of NAA are discussed. A critical outlook on the future trends of the fabrication of NAA and its optical properties on the emerging nanomaterials, sensors, and devices are also outlined.
The Potential of Low-Cost 3D Imaging Technologies for Forestry Applications: Setting a Research Agenda for Low-Cost Remote Sensing Inventory Tasks

Limitations with benchmark light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies in forestry have prompted the exploration of handheld or wearable low-cost 3D sensors (<2000 USD). These sensors are now being integrated into consumer devices, such as the Apple iPad Pro 2020. This study was aimed at determining future research recommendations to promote the adoption of terrestrial low-cost technologies within forest measurement tasks. We reviewed the current literature surrounding the application of low-cost 3D remote sensing (RS) technologies. We also surveyed forestry professionals to determine what inventory metrics were considered important and/or difficult to capture using conventional methods. The current research focus regarding inventory metrics captured by low-cost sensors aligns with the metrics identified as important by survey respondents. Based on the literature review and survey, a suite of research directions are proposed to democratise the access to and development of low-cost 3D for forestry: (1) the development of methods for integrating standalone colour and depth (RGB-D) sensors into handheld or wearable devices; (2) the development of a sensor-agnostic method for determining the optimal capture procedures with low-cost RS technologies in forestry settings; (3) the development of simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) algorithms designed for forestry environments; and (4) the exploration of plot-scale forestry captures that utilise low-cost devices at both terrestrial and airborne scales.
Comprehensive Analyses of PPP-B2b Performance in China and Surrounding Areas

BeiDou Global Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) provides a regional Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service, called PPP-B2b, for users in China and surrounding areas through B2b signal transmitted from its three geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites. The information broadcasted by the B2b signal include satellite orbit corrections, satellite clock offset corrections, and differential code bias (DCB) corrections of BDS-3 satellites. In this study, the accuracies of PPP-B2b corrections along with real-time PPP performance are comprehensively evaluated referenced to precise orbit and clock products from GFZ and the precise DCB products from CAS. The result indicates that the accuracy of the BDS-3 broadcast orbit is similar to that of the PPP-B2b real-time orbit. The PPP-B2b clock offset correction improved the satellite clock offset precision of the BDS-3 broadcast ephemeris. The Signal-in-Space Range Error (SISRE) of broadcast ephemeris and PPP-B2b are calculated, which are 0.536 and 1.24 m, respectively. The large SISRE value of PPP-B2b is caused by the satellite-specified systematic bias to IGS final products. The positioning performance evaluation of real-time PPP with B2b service is carried out and compared with the real-time product provided by Wuhan University (WHU) based on the eight IGS MGEX stations in China and surrounding countries. The positioning accuracy of static positioning mode with PPP-B2b service achieved centimeter-level accuracy in the selected station, and that of kinematic positioning mode achieved decimeter-level accuracy. The availability rate of PPP-B2b corrections in the surrounding area of China, however, degrades from 88.76% to 60.91% in the selected stations. The accuracy of the PPP solution using PPP-B2b correction is better than that of using WHU real-time product within China. The positioning performance of stations located at the boundary of the PPP-B2b service area, however, is affected by the number of PPP-B2b available satellites. The positioning accuracy in kinematic positioning mode is worse than that of using WHU real-time precise product.
The Intraseasonal Variations of the Leading Mode of Summer Precipitation Anomalies in Meiyu Area of East Asia

The intraseasonal variations of summer precipitation anomalies in the Meiyu area of East Asia are analyzed by applying a combined empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) of the latest meteorological reanalysis data ERA5 of European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts for the period from 1991 to 2020, and the circulation structures and sources of variability of CEOF are also investigated. The first mode of the intraseasonal variations shows an in-phase pattern over the Meiyu area in June, July, and August, accounting for 22.2% of the total variance in the intraseasonal variations of summer precipitation anomalies. The positive (negative) CEOF1 is accompanied by the negative (positive) East Asia/Pacific pattern, including strong westerly wind anomalies in the upper troposphere and southwest monsoon in the lower troposphere, and the Western Pacific Subtropical High extending westward and its ridge line slightly south. The positive CEOF1 is preceded by decay of El Niño episodes, including the abnormal warm sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the equatorial Central-Eastern Pacific in spring and warm SSTAs in the equatorial Indian Ocean in summer. The second mode shows an opposite precipitation anomaly in June and July, and the distribution in August is not significant. The corresponding geopotential height circulation of positive CEOF2 shows the large negative anomaly in the region north of 40° N and a positive anomaly over Japan in June, whereas the pattern reverses in July. At the same time, there is a radical reversion from abnormal eastly to westly wind in the upper troposphere. The structure of CEOF2 is somewhat induced by local SSTAs over the Northern Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
Understanding the ecophysiological and biomechanical properties of juvenile Pinus radiata in response to water deficits

As the frequency and severity of drought events are expected to increase globally, drought induced reductions in plantation productivity are likely to become more important. This will concern forest managers who wish to improve forest productivity during the establishment and initial growth phases of plantation-grown Pinus radiata D. Don. Wood grown during the initial growth phases is in the corewood zone, which in Pinus radiata generally has poor wood properties. This restricts its usability, particular for solid timber applications. Therefore, understanding how water deficits impact on patterns of juvenile P. radiata productivity and wood variation is important. The objective of this research was to assess how key morphological and physiological processes, carbon fluxes and partitioning, and wood property formation in juvenile P. radiata responded to the timing and duration of water deficits. Using two-year-old P. radiata cultivated in a controlled environment, trees were subjected to a well watered control, plus early season cyclical drought, late season cyclical drought and summer drought treatments over the course of one growing season. Needle water potential, tree growth, crown characteristics, biomass partitioning, leaf characteristics, physiological processes and water use efficiency were measured. A carbon balance approach was used to examine how the timing and duration of water deficits modified gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP), carbon fluxes to aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and total belowground carbon flux (TBCF), and the partitioning of GPP to ANPP and TBCF. Wood samples were analysed by X-ray absorption, X-ray diffraction and automated image analysis using Silviscan. Measures of wood density, microfibril angle (MFA), fibre dimensions and modulus of elasticity (E) were examined by matching seasonal variation in growth, measured temporally, with variation in wood properties, measured spatially. Further wood samples were assessed for longitudinal shrinkage and acoustic velocity. Cyclical drought treatments resulted in large fluctuations in needle water potential, while the summer drought treatment resulted in a sustained negative needle water potential over the summer months. Water stress integrals (Sψ) were 41.4, 66.8, 55.2 and 97.6 MPa-days for the well watered, early season cyclical drought, late season cyclical drought and summer drought treatments, respectively. In general, water deficits decreased tree growth, reduced crown size, reduced biomass accumulation and leaf area, reduced physiological activity and resulted in more enriched values of δC, all of which were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by treatment. Although the early season drought treatment experienced greater levels of water stress, growth and productivity were superior
A Numerical Simulation of the “1907” Kaiyuan Tornado Weather Process in Liaoning, Northeast China

From 17:00 to 18:00 local standard time (LST) on 3 July 2019, a rare strong tornado occurred in Kaiyuan, Liaoning Province, northeast China. NCEP/NCAR 0.25° × 0.25° reanalysis data and WRF4.0 numerical prediction models were used to carry out the numerical simulation. Double nesting was adopted, and the horizontal grid distance was 9 km by 3 km. Based on the observation data of China meteorological observation stations, surface and upper charts, Doppler radar data, Himawari(HMW)-8 satellite images and numerical simulation results, the mesoscale structure and mechanism of the tornado were studied. The results show that: (1) At the northwest edge of the subtropical high, and the northeast cold vortex located in Northeast China, when the transverse trough moves southward, cold air is supplied continuously. Under the joint influence of the surface northeast cyclone, these are the main synoptic features of the tornado; (2) The northeast cold vortex cloud system was located at the junction of Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces, and a squall line cloud system is formed. The tornado occurred at the tail of the squall line, and the strongest echo reached 65 dBZ. A mesocyclone, a 20 km northwest–southeast convergence belt, V-shaped gap, echo overhang structure and tornado vortex feature (TVS) were detected by the Doppler radar; (3) Before the tornado occurred, dry and cold air intruded from the northwest of the cold vortex, and a water vapor convergence zone appeared south of the squall line. The water vapor saturation zone with 80% relative humidity in northeast China was concentrated at 700 hPa, and the 20% dry column dropped down to 500 hPa between 115 and 124° E from the west. On the 850 hPa physical fields, there was a −20 × 10−5 s−1 convergence zone, and a 16 × 10−5 s−1 divergence belt appeared south and north of the squall line. A negative vorticity belt and a positive vorticity belt appeared south and north of the squall line, respectively. Kaiyuan is located at the smallest vertical shear, which is the junction place of three large vertical shear belts; (4) After 10:00 LST, the westerly wind 20 (10) m·s−1 dropped to 400 (800) hPa between 126 and 127° E. The northerly gale at 300 hPa north of 45° N moved southward. The rising center of the low level at 17:00 LST at approximately 45° N moved southward, and a sinking center appeared above it; (5) Several pairs of positive and negative vorticity columns formed between the lower troposphere and the place where the tornado occurred. There was convective instability at the lower level. CAPE increased, 0–3 km vertical wind shear increased, and LCL decreased remarkably during the afternoon.
Design of a Compact High Isolation 4-Element Wideband Patch Antenna Array for GNSS Applications

This work presents a compact (125 mm diameter) wideband four-element antenna array with a high isolation level for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) anti-jamming applications. The array consists of four identical right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) single feed rectangular patch antennas that can cover BeiDou B1 band (1559.05 – 1563.15 MHz), GPS L1 band (1563 – 1587 MHz), Galileo E1 band (1559 – 1591 MHz), and GLONASS G1 band (1593 – 1610 MHz). The proposed array has a wide frequency bandwidth of 100 MHz (1.55 – 1.65 GHz) with an axial ratio of less than 3 dB. The patch antenna elements are designed on a substrate that has a high dielectric constant to achieve a compact size. The size of each patch element is only 32 $\times 32\times5.08$ mm3. These patches are placed along the circumference of a circular aluminium ground plane of 125 mm diameter and 1.5 mm thickness in a $2\times 2$ symmetrical arrangement. The edge-to-edge distance between the opposite patch elements is only 48 mm while for the adjacent elements the separation is only 27 mm. A microwave absorber material is employed to achieve an extremely low mutual coupling level over a wide frequency range (1.55 – 1.65 GHz) within a compact form factor. The proposed design achieves a mutual coupling of less than −20 dB within a compact overall form factor of 125 mm diameter over the entire band of interest. The simulated and measured results of reflection coefficient, mutual coupling, null steering, null depth, and radiation pattern show that the proposed antenna array is an excellent choice for multiband GNSS applications.
Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors and Information Sources on Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Jordan

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious healthcare problem that affects public health globally. Appropriate understanding and knowledge of prudent antimicrobial use and resistance, along with providing evidence-based information sources, are needed for informed antibiotic prescribing practices. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, opportunity, motivation, behavior of pharmacists and their information sources regarding antibiotic use and resistance in Jordan. An online cross-sectional questionnaire was developed and administered to pharmacists during the period of July–September 2021. The survey is an adapted version of the validated European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) survey for antibiotic use and resistance. Pharmacists from all sectors (n = 384), of whom 276 (71.9%) were community pharmacists, completed an online questionnaire. While respondents scored highly (>87%) on knowledge on effective use, unnecessary use, and associated side effects of antibiotics, lower scores were recorded for knowledge on the spread of antibiotic resistance (52.9%). Pharmacists support easy access to guidelines on managing infections in 56% of cases, and easy access to materials advising prudent antibiotic use and resistance in 39.8% of cases. One-third of respondents (37.0%) reported no knowledge of any initiatives on antibiotic awareness and resistance. Pharmacists were aware (13.3%), unaware (36.2%), or unsure (50.5%) of the existence of a national antibiotic resistance action plan. Pharmacists indicated an interest in receiving more information on resistance to antibiotics (55.2%), medical conditions for which antibiotics are used (53.1%), how to use antibiotics (45.1%), prescribing of antibiotics (34.4%), and links between the health of humans, animals, and the environment (28.6%). Findings can inform antimicrobial stewardship with required interventions to improve antibiotic use.