Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Agricultural Water Scarcity Assessment Incorporating Blue and Green Water Availability Under Future Climate Change

Climate change was projected to have negative effects on water availability and consequently a serious constraint to food production in many areas of the world. However, such effects have not been well understood, particularly over rainfed croplands, partly because of the poor representation of green water in associated assessments. In this study, we develop an integrated agricultural water scarcity index (WSIag) that incorporates blue and green water components to examine the agricultural water scarcity in the baseline (1981–2005) and future (2026–2050) periods under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)2.6 and RCP6.0 scenarios. Results show that ∼3.8 million km2 (∼39% of total) croplands experienced water scarcity in the baseline period and it would expand by more than 3% in the future. Under the two scenarios, WSIag projections are similar overall and are higher than that under the baseline in 83%–84% of global total croplands. Differences are found between the scenarios in Amazonia, Southern Africa, and South Asia. The increases in future WSIag are dominated by the decreased water availability in ∼60% of total croplands and ∼24% of which is dominated by the increased crop water requirement. Changes in green water availability have a significant contribution to changes in WSIag in 16% of global croplands, mostly in arid/semiarid regions (e.g., the South edge of the Sahel, Southern Africa, Northeast China, and Central America). This implies the important role of green water management for agriculture in these regions. The integrated assessment can help develop effective strategies for agricultural water management under climate change.
Comprehensive Evolutionary Analysis of CPP Genes in Brassica napus L. and Its Two Diploid Progenitors Revealing the Potential Molecular Basis of Allopolyploid Adaptive Advantage Under Salt Stress

Allopolyploids exist widely in nature and have strong environmental adaptability. The typical allopolyploid Brassica napus L. is a widely cultivated crop, but whether it is superior to its diploid progenitors in abiotic stress resistance and the key genes that may be involved are not fully understood. Cystein-rich polycomb-like protein (CPP) genes encode critical transcription factors involved in the response of abiotic stress, including salt stress. To explore the potential molecular basis of allopolyploid adaptation to salt stress, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics and salt stress response of the CPP genes in B. napus and its two diploid progenitors in this study. We found some molecular basis that might be associated with the adaptability of B. napus, including the expansion of the CPP gene family, the acquisition of introns by some BnCPPs, and abundant cis-acting elements upstream of BnCPPs. We found two duplication modes (whole genome duplication and transposed duplication) might be the main reasons for the expansion of CPP gene family in B. napus during allopolyploidization. CPP gene expression levels and several physiological indexes were changed in B. napus and its diploid progenitors after salt stress, suggesting that CPP genes might play important roles in the response of salt stress. We found that some BnCPPs might undergo new functionalization or subfunctionalization, and some BnCPPs also show biased expression, which might contribute to the adaptation of B. napus under saline environment. Compared with diploid progenitors, B. napus showed stronger physiological responses, and BnCPP gene expression also showed higher changes after salt stress, indicating that the allopolyploid B. napus had an adaptive advantage under salt stress. This study could provide evidence for the adaptability of polyploid and provide important clues for the study of the molecular mechanism of salt stress resistance in B. napus.
Serum Lipocalin-2 Levels Are Increased and Independently Associated With Early-Stage Renal Damage and Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque in Patients With T2DM

Objectives Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus, is the major cause of end-stage renal failure that finally increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between serum lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) levels and DN and carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods We have performed a prospective study of 749 T2DM patients with or without DN. Blood samples were collected and used to test serum LCN-2 levels, renal function, as well as biochemical parameters. CAP in these subjects was determined by ultrasonography. Results In these 749 subjects with T2DM, an increased morbidity of CAP was observed in T2DM patients with DN as compared with those without this complication (P < 0.05). Interestingly, serum LCN-2 levels were significantly increased in T2DM patients with DN or CAP compared with T2DM alone [97.71 (71.49-130.13) vs. 77.29 (58.83-115.05) ng/ml, P < 0.001]. In addition, serum LCN-2 levels in T2DM patients with DN and CAP were significantly higher than that of T2DM patients with DN or CAP [131.37 (101.43-182.04) vs. 97.71(71.49-130.13) ng/ml, P < 0.001]. Furthermore, serum LCN-2 levels were positively correlated with hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, hypertension, CAP, and DN, as well as renal function factors including uric acid, creatinine, the estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, respectively (P < 0.05), but negatively correlated with HDL-c (P < 0.05). The multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that serum LCN-2 was independently associated with DN and CAP in patients with T2DM after the adjustment for risk factors (P < 0.001). Conclusions Early-stage renal damage is a risk factor associated with the incidence of CAP in patients with T2DM. Serum LCN-2 is significantly increased and associated with early-stage renal damage and the incidence of CAP in patients with T2DM.
Archetypal Architecture Construction, Patterning, and Scaling Invariance in a 3D Embryoid Body Differentiation Model

Self-organized patterning and architecture construction studying is a priority goal for fundamental developmental and stem cell biology. To study the spatiotemporal patterning of pluripotent stem cells of different origins, we developed a three-dimensional embryoid body (EB) differentiation model quantifying volumetric parameters and investigated how the EB architecture formation, patterning, and scaling depend on the proliferation, cavitation, and differentiation dynamics, external environmental factors, and cell numbers. We identified three similar spatiotemporal patterns in the EB architectures, regardless of cell origin, which constitute the EB archetype and mimick the pre-gastrulation embryonic patterns. We found that the EB patterning depends strongly on cellular positional information, culture media factor/morphogen content, and free diffusion from the external environment and between EB cell layers. However, the EB archetype formation is independent of the EB size and initial cell numbers forming EBs; therefore, it is capable of scaling invariance and patterning regulation. Our findings indicate that the underlying principles of reaction-diffusion and positional information concepts can serve as the basis for EB architecture construction, patterning, and scaling. Thus, the 3D EB differentiation model represents a highly reproducible and reliable platform for experimental and theoretical research on developmental and stem cell biology issues.
Rapid Exhumation Processes of the Gaoligong Mountain Range in the Southeastern Margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Since the Late Cenozoic

Three continent-scale ductile shear zones trending N-S are distributed in the southeast margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Their tectonic deformation and exhumation histories are of great significance to understanding the orogenic processes within the continent and the growth as well as expansion mechanism of the plateau. The Gaoligong shear zone (GLGSZ) is the westernmost zone near the boundary of the Indian subduction plate and is less well studied than the Ailaoshan–Red River shear zone (ASRRSZ) in the east. In this study, low-temperature thermochronological methods including apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe), zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe), and apatite fission track (AFT) were used to date the vertical profile samples from the Gaoligong Mountain to understand the exhumation processes that occurred in the late Cenozoic. Our results show that the GLGSZ has experienced two stages of rapid exhumation events since the late Cenozoic: in the middle Miocene (∼14.5 Ma) and early Pleistocene (∼2.9 Ma). Based on our data, we divided the late Cenozoic tectonic deformation and exhumation processes in the Gaoligong Mountain area into two stages: 1) From the middle to the late Miocene, large-scale regional dextral strike-slip movements and lateral compressions controlled the ductile shear zone and continuously denuded the mountain surface; 2) in the Pleistocene, rapid river erosion and undercutting caused by fluctuations of the monsoon system, together with the continuous activity of brittle faults, drove the latest rapid exhumations. A comparison of the thermochronological data of the different areas along the Gaoligong Mountain shows that the exhumation rate in its northern transect is significantly higher and the time of the onset of exhumation is earlier than that in the southern transect. These results indicate that the deformation processes began in the north and continued southwards and controlled the geomorphological characteristics of the Gaoligong Mountain, whose elevation is higher in the northern part than in the southern part.
Software tool for predicting component lifetimes with an application to trucks

Disclaimer This document contains a student thesis (bachelor's or master's), as authored by a student at Eindhoven University of Technology. Student theses are made available in the TU/e repository upon obtaining the required degree. The grade received is not published on the document as presented in the repository. The required complexity or quality of research of student theses may vary by program, and the required minimum study period may vary in duration.
Lifetime predictions of exposed geotextiles and geomembranes

A very frequently asked question regarding all types of geosynthetics is, ‘How long will they last? ’ This paper answers the question for exposed geotextiles and geomembranes, assuming that they were properly designed and installed. Furthermore, it compares these new results to the earlier lifetime prediction results of a covered geomembrane. Nonexposed (or covered) lifetime conditions for a 1.5 mm thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane have previously been evaluated and published. Landfill incubation devices at four elevated temperatures of 85, 75, 65 and 55°C were used in the prediction in order to reach 50% of retained strength and elongation. Considering the three stages of (i) depletion of antioxidants, (ii) induction time, and (iii) 50% reduction in mechanical properties, the lifetime extrapolation was made down to 20°C. The 50% reduction value (called halflife throughout the paper) for this geomembrane under these conditions was approximately 450 years. Since the laboratory incubation ti.
Exploring Ecoacoustic Trajectories in a Giant Sequoia Forest After Wildfire

Forest management strategies that create spatially diverse fire-caused disturbance outcomes, consistent with historic fire regimes, are a desired condition for fire adapted western United States forests. In this context, the temporal dynamics of forest response to fire can inform the tempo and scale of forest management, including prescribed burning. Here, we investigated the use of ecoacoustic methods to assess ecological condition in a four-year period (2016–2019) after wildfire in a giant sequoia forest landscape within Kings Canyon National Park, California, United States. Audio recorders at nine sites were deployed soon after the 2015 Rough Fire subsided. The monitoring sites were located in regions with different fire histories, representing five fire history categories. We used the Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) to document biotic chorus complexity. This previously tested ecoacoustic index provided a daily indicator of biotic sound activity in frequencies dominated by avian calls. Patterns in ACI were evaluated using generalized additive mixed models to understand the relationship with time-since-fire and covariates that accounted for season, fire history category, and weather conditions. We showed that time-since fire and fire-history influenced patterns in ACI after accounting for season and air temperature effects. Monitoring sites where prescribed fire preceded the Rough Fire showed the highest predicted ACI and evidence for a relatively consistent seasonal pattern in ecoacoustic activity across subsequent seasons. Sites without prescribed fire and burned by the Rough Fire exhibited the most pronounced successive decreases in ACI in the first and second years after the fire. The daily temporal resolution of the ecoacoustic index also revealed phenological shifts related to time-since-fire and fire history. Sites unburned by the Rough Fire offered some context for how fire changed ecoacoustic activity post-wildfire, however evidence suggested they were also impacted by the presence of the nearby Rough Fire. The patterns in the ecoacoustic index when combined with vegetation surveys offered complementary insights into ecological dynamics of regeneration after fire. Our exploratory analysis showed that using ecoacoustic methods in wildfire monitoring offers a scalable approach to remote sensing of ecological trends. Archived recordings from the monitoring effort afford future opportunities for new or more detailed insights.
DyeVert Contrast Reduction System Use in Patients Undergoing Coronary and/or Peripheral Angiography: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is an important adverse effect associated with injecting iodinated intra-arterial contrast media (CM) during coronary angiography. The DyeVert™ Contrast Reduction System is a medical device intended to reduce the intra-arterial CM volume (CMV) administered. The aim of this study was to assess DyeVert System clinical effectiveness and safety by implementing a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing evidence. Methods Systematic electronic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform database. Relevant data were extracted from included studies and meta-analyses were performed to synthesize evidence across studies. Results The review included 17 eligible studies involving 1,731 DyeVert System cases and 1,387 control cases (without the use of DyeVert). Meta-analyses demonstrated use of the DyeVert System reduced CMV delivered to the patient by 39.27% (95% CI, 36.10–42.48%, P < 0.001), reduced CMV/baseline renal function ratios (Hedges’s g, −0.56; 95% CI, −0.70 to −0.42, P < 0.001) and percentage of cases exceeding the maximum CMV threshold (risk difference −0.31, 95% CI, −0.48 to −0.13, P < 0.001) while maintaining adequate image quality in 98% of cases. DyeVert System cases demonstrated lower CA-AKI incidence vs. controls (absolute risk reduction 5.00% (95% CI, 0.40–9.80%; P = 0.03), relative risk 0.60 (95% CI, 0.40–0.90; P = 0.01) with a pooled estimate of the number needed to treat with the DyeVert System to avoid 1 CA-AKI event of 20. Conclusion DyeVert System use significantly reduces CMV delivered to the patient, CMV/baseline renal function ratios, and CA-AKI incidence while maintaining image quality. Accordingly, the device may serve as an adjunctive, procedure-based strategy to prevent CA-AKI. Future multi-center studies are needed to further assess effects of minimizing CMV on endpoints such as CA-AKI prevention, incidence of adverse cardiac and renal events, and health care costs.
MR-Guided Microwave Ablation for Lung Malignant Tumor: A Single Center Prospective Study

Objectives To prospectively investigate the feasibility and efficacy of MRI-guided MWA for lung malignant tumor in our single center. Materials and Methods 22 patients [mean age, 56.86 ± 13.05(23–73)years] with 23 malignant lung tumors were enrolled in the study. 21 patients had a single lesion and 1 patient had 2 lesions in the ipsilateral lung. The average maximum diameter of the lesion was 1.26 ± 0.65 (0.50-2.58)cm. Percutaneous MWA was guided by 1.5T MRI scanner using a MR-compatible microwave antenna to the target the lung lesions and ablation area was monitored intraoperatively by using a shielded MR-compatible microwave device and then follow-up. Results All patients were successfully treated under MR-guided MWA for lung tumors. Average operation time was 72.21 ± 24.99 (36–158) mins. T2WI signal intensity of the lesion gradually decreased over the course of MWA. The center of the ablated zones showed a short T1 and short T2 signals with the ring-like of long T1 and long T2 signals surrounded after immediately evaluation. No serious complications occurred. The average follow-up period was 12.89 ± 4.33 (2.0-19.6) months. Local recurrence occurred in one patient, representing a technical efficacy of 95.5% (21/22). Conclusion Magnetic resonance-guided microwave ablation for lung malignant tumor was feasible and demonstrated unique advantages in efficacy evaluation.
Sirtuins 1 and 2 in the Acute Period After Photothrombotic Stroke: Expression, Localization and Involvement in Apoptosis

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are NAD+- dependent histone deacetylases. They are involved in a variety of biological pathways and are thought to be a promising target for treating several human disorders. Although evidence is piling up to support the neuroprotective role of SIRTs in ischemic stroke, the role of different sirtuin isoforms needs further investigation. We studied the effects of photothrombotic stroke (PTS) on the expression and localization of sirtuins SIRT1 and SIRT2 in neurons and astrocytes of the penumbra and tested the activity of their selective and non-selective inhibitors. SIRT1 levels significantly decreased in the penumbra cells nuclei and increased in their cytoplasm. This indicated a redistribution of SIRT1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm after PTS. The expression and intracellular distribution of SIRT1 were also observed in astrocytes. Photothrombotic stroke caused a sharp increase in SIRT2 levels in the cytoplasmic fraction of the penumbra neurons. SIRT2 was not expressed in the penumbra astrocytes. SIRT1 and SIRT2 did not co-localize with TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. Mice were injected with EX-527, a selective SIRT1 inhibitor; SirReal2, selective SIRT2 inhibitor or salermide, a nonspecific inhibitor of SIRT1 and SIRT2. These inhibitors did not demonstrate any change in the infarction volume or the apoptotic index, compared to the control samples. The studies presented indicate the involvement of these sirtuins in the response of brain cells to ischemia in the first 24 h, but the alterations in their expression and change in the localization of SIRT1 are not related to the regulation of penumbra cell apoptosis in the acute period after PTS.
Protocol for the CONNECT Study: A National Database and Prospective Follow-Up Study of Forensic Mental Health Patients in Germany

In Germany, the most frequently used legal section to order forensic mental health treatment is § 63 of the Penal Code (Strafgesetzbuch; StGB). This disposition is primarily aimed at individuals with major mental illnesses who are not fully responsible for a criminal act they committed. Despite evaluation and follow-up studies being conducted within individual hospitals or federal states we lack key epidemiological data on this patient group across the whole country. The present study aims to fill this gap by conducting an annual survey of all eligible forensic mental health hospitals to develop a database of basic clinical, legal and demographic data. Staff at participating hospitals will complete an online survey answering questions about individual patients using routinely collected hospital records. Over the duration of the study, eight-and-a-half years, we aim to collect data on approximately N = 6,450 patients. Alongside important clinical data, we will use official reconviction data at 3- and 6-year follow-ups to investigate the number and types of crimes committed by discharged patients. We aim to extend the scientific literature on factors associated with reconviction in the Risk-Needs-Responsivity model by also measuring the extent to which treatment engagement and programme completion during care predicts reconviction. This study protocol describes the background and theoretical framework for this study, its methods of data collection and analysis, and steps taken to ensure compliance with ethical and data protection principles.
Clinical Prediction of Heart Failure in Hemodialysis Patients: Based on the Extreme Gradient Boosting Method

Background: Heart failure (HF) is the main cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, it is still a challenge for the prediction of HF in HD patients. Therefore, we aimed to establish and validate a prediction model to predict HF events in HD patients. Methods: A total of 355 maintenance HD patients from two hospitals were included in this retrospective study. A total of 21 variables, including traditional demographic characteristics, medical history, and blood biochemical indicators, were used. Two classification models were established based on the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm and traditional linear logistic regression. The performance of the two models was evaluated based on calibration curves and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). Feature importance and SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) were used to recognize risk factors from the variables. The Kaplan–Meier curve of each risk factor was constructed and compared with the log-rank test. Results: Compared with the traditional linear logistic regression, the XGBoost model had better performance in accuracy (78.5 vs. 74.8%), sensitivity (79.6 vs. 75.6%), specificity (78.1 vs. 74.4%), and AUC (0.814 vs. 0.722). The feature importance and SHAP value of XGBoost indicated that age, hypertension, platelet count (PLT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell count (WBC) were risk factors of HF. These results were further confirmed by Kaplan–Meier curves. Conclusions: The HF prediction model based on XGBoost had a satisfactory performance in predicting HF events, which could prove to be a useful tool for the early prediction of HF in HD.