Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Household Diet Diversity and Food Security in Rural Rwanda Using Small-Scale Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: A Community-Engaged Proof-of-Concept Study

Malnutrition and food insecurity remain high in rural Rwanda, where residents consume a low-diversity diet provided through subsistence farming. Agricultural interventions using kitchen gardens may improve diet diversity in some populations. However, little is known about their efficacy when developed using community-based participatory research in combination with nutrition education focused on the empowerment of women. The objective of this study was to develop and implement a kitchen garden and nutrition education intervention using a community-engaged model and examine its impact on household diet diversity and food security. Using a mixed methods community-level design, we assessed a 16-week intervention implemented in Cyanika, Rwanda. Stratified purposeful sampling was used to select women participants representing 42 households. Household diet diversity scores (HHDS) and hunger scores were calculated at the baseline, post-intervention and one-year follow-up. HDDS increased after intervention from a pre-intervention intake of 2.59 [1.3] food groups/day, to 4.85 [1.6] at four months post-intervention and at one year post-intervention, reaching 5.55 [1.3]. There were no significant changes in household hunger scores. Our results indicate that collaborative community-engaged nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions can increase household diet diversity; however, future work should explore whether this type of intervention strategy can lead to sustained changes and impact nutritional adequacy in this population.
Quantum repeaters based on heralded qubit amplifiers

We present a quantum repeater scheme based on the recently proposed qubit amplifier [N. Gisin, S. Pironio, and N. Sangouard, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 070501 (2010)]. It relies on an on-demand entangled-photon-pair source which uses on-demand single-photon sources, linear optical elements, and atomic ensembles. Interestingly, the imperfections affecting the states created from this source, caused, for example, by detectors with nonunit efficiencies, are systematically purified from an entanglement swapping operation based on a two-photon detection. This allows the distribution of entanglement over very long distances with a high fidelity, that is, without vacuum components and multiphoton errors. Therefore, the resulting quantum repeater architecture does not necessitate final postselections and thus achieves high entanglement distribution rates. This also provides unique opportunities for device-independent quantum key distribution over long distances with linear optics and atomic ensembles.
Multiscale simulation of history-dependent flow in entangled polymer melts

Predicting the flow of an entangled polymer melt is still difficult because of its multiscale characteristics. We have developed a novel multiscale simulation technique to investigate the history-dependent flow behavior of entangled polymer melts. The technique involves using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation that is coupled at each fluid element to microscopic simulators that can accurately account for the dynamics of entangled polymers. The multiscale simulation is used to investigate the flow of an entangled polymer melt around a cylindrical obstacle subject to periodic boundary conditions. It is found that the macroscopic flow behavior is dependent on the history of the microscopic states of the polymers and that this memory causes nonlinear behavior even in the regions where the local Weissenberg number defined using the local strain-rate is less than unity. The spatial distribution of the entanglements ⟨Z⟩ suggests that, in a region around the obstacle, a slight depletion of the entanglements is observed and that this region broadens along the downstream direction. The totality of the presented results suggests that we have succeeded in describing the entangled polymer melt flow without using any constitutive equation.
Survival of Terrestrial N2–O2 Atmospheres in Violent XUV Environments through Efficient Atomic Line Radiative Cooling

Atmospheres play a crucial role in planetary habitability. Around M dwarfs and young Sun-like stars, planets receiving the same insolation as the present-day Earth are exposed to intense stellar X-rays and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) radiation. This study explores the fundamental question of whether the atmosphere of present-day Earth could survive in such harsh XUV environments. Previous theoretical studies suggest that stellar XUV irradiation is sufficiently intense to remove such atmospheres completely on short timescales. In this study, we develop a new upper-atmospheric model and re-examine the thermal and hydrodynamic responses of the thermospheric structure of an Earth-like N2–O2 atmosphere, on an Earth-mass planet, to an increase in the XUV irradiation. Our model includes the effects of radiative cooling via electronic transitions of atoms and ions, known as atomic line cooling, in addition to the processes accounted for by previous models. We demonstrate that atomic line cooling dominates over the hydrodynamic effect at XUV irradiation levels greater than several times the present level of the Earth. Consequentially, the atmosphere’s structure is kept almost hydrostatic, and its escape remains sluggish even at XUV irradiation levels up to a thousand times that of the Earth at present. Our estimates for the Jeans escape rates of N2–O2 atmospheres suggest that these 1 bar atmospheres survive in early active phases of Sun-like stars. Even around active late M dwarfs, N2–O2 atmospheres could escape significant thermal loss on timescales of gigayears. These results give new insights into the habitability of terrestrial exoplanets and the Earth’s climate history.
A charge-integration pixel readout chip features IR-drop effect mitigation by distributed LDOs

HYLITE (High dYnamic range free electron Laser Imaging deTEctor) is a charge-integration pixel detector readout chip, which is designed for SHINE (Shanghai high repetition rate XFEL and extreme light facility). The targeting pixel array of a full-size chip is 128 × 128 with a pixel pitch of 100 μm. The dynamic range of HYLITE is 1 ∼ 10000 photons at 12 keV, and the frame rate is 10 kHz. Large array size, high dynamic range, and high readout speed result in a big challenge of large power consumption and a significant IR-Drop effect. We implemented HYLITE0.2, which is the second prototype chip fabricated in a CMOS 130 nm process. Compared with HYLITE0.1, HYLITE0.2 aims to implement a full-function chip with a further shrunk pixel size, while the foreseen problem of severe IR-Drop effect of the full-size chip must be solved. To mitigate the IR-Drop effect, we proposed a novel architecture of distributed in-array Low-Dropout Regulators (LDOs). The pixel array consists of 16 × 24 pixels, and the full functionality was implemented within a pixel pitch of 100 μm. Measurements show that pixels powered by the proposed architecture work well, and the gain gradient of those pixels is 31.8% of the pixels powered by the conventional architecture.
Integrating Machine Learning with Parametric Modeling Environments to Predict Building Daylighting Performance

Buildings account for 30% of global energy consumption. To support the development of energy-efficient built environments and cities, architects, urban planners, and engineers have begun to utilize building performance simulation (BPS). Supporting decision-making and steering design toward high performance are crucial in the early design phase, when decisions have the biggest impact on the final product’s energy consumption and costs. Architects often assess the energy performance of hundreds of different design solutions and configurations in parametric environments to find the most energy-efficient solution. To adhere to strict project due dates, architects usually shorten the time required for BPS by reducing the number of variables or parameters for the building and facade design. This practice usually results in the elimination of design parameters that could potentially contribute to an energy-optimized design configuration. To achieve time-efficient BPS processes, recent research has focused on developing machine learning (ML) algorithms that can instantly predict the energy performance of buildings. Although ML has demonstrated high levels of accuracy, ML techniques are difficult to implement because they require technical knowledge of programming languages. Furthermore, these ML algorithms were developed as standalone applications, making them inappropriate for geometric modeling environments. This paper introduces a new ML tool that can be easily accessed within Grasshopper, a parametric modeling environment. The proposed tool can instantly predict the daylighting performance of building configurations.
How Close Are We To Detecting Earth-like Planets in the Habitable Zone Using the Radial Velocity Technique?

Discovering an Earth-like exoplanet in habitable zone is an important milestone for astronomers in search of extra-terrestrial life. While the radial velocity (RV) technique remains one the most powerful tools in detecting and characterizing exo-planetary sys- tems, we calculate the uncertainties in precision RV measurements considering stellar spectral quality factors, RV calibration sources, stellar noise and telluric contamination in different observational bandpasses and for different spectral types. We predict the optimal observational bandpass for different spectral types using the RV technique un- der a variety of conditions. We compare the RV signal of an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone (HZ) to the near future state of the art RV precision and attempt to answer the question: How close are we to detecting Earth-like planet in the HZ using the RV technique?
Low-temperature plasmas in contact with liquids—a review of recent progress and challenges

The study of plasma–liquid interactions has evolved as a new interdisciplinary research field driven by the development of plasma applications for water purification, biomedicine and agriculture. Electrical discharges in contact with liquids are a rich source of reactive species in gas and in liquid phase which can be used to break polluting compounds in water or to induce healing processes in medical applications. An understanding of the fundamental processes in plasma, and of the interaction of plasma with liquid, enables the optimization of plasma chemistry in large-scale plasma devices with liquid electrodes. This article reviews recent progress and insight in the research of low-temperature plasmas in contact with liquids at atmospheric pressure. The work mainly focuses on the physical processes and phenomena in these plasmas with an attempt to provide a review of the latest and the most important research outcomes in the literature. The article provides an overview of the breakdown mechanisms in discharges in contact with liquid, emphasizing the recently studied specifities of plasma jets impinging on the liquid surface, and discharge generation with a high overvoltage. It also covers innovative approaches in the generation of plasma in contact with liquids. Novel phenomena detected by the imaging techniques and measurement of discharge parameters in the reviewed discharges are also presented. The results, the techniques that are applied, and those that may be applied in further studies, are listed and discussed. A brief overview of the applications focuses on the original approaches and new application fields. Future challenges and gaps in knowledge regarding further advancement in applications are summarized.
Psychological Distress Among Asian Indians and Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States

Introduction: The prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among Asian Indians is unknown. This study estimated and compared moderate–serious PD in Asian Indians and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) in the United States. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design using the National Health Interview Survey (2012–2017). Adult (age >18 years) NHWs and Asian Indians (N=2,218) were included. PD was measured using the six-item Kessler (K6) scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the association of Asian Indian ethnicity with PD. Results: In the analysis, 19.9% of NHWs and 11.0% of Asian Indians reported moderate–serious PD. Asian Indians were less likely to report PD in both unadjusted (unadjusted odds ratio=0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.42–0.58) and fully adjusted (adjusted odds ratio=0.7; 95% CI 0.59–0.82) models. Conclusions: Asian Indians had a lower prevalence of PD than NHWs, likely due to multiple protective factors such as high socioeconomic status and lower multimorbidity.
Telemedicine management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese and overweight young and middle-aged patients during COVID-19 outbreak: A single-center, prospective, randomized control study

Objective The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic severely affected the disease management of patients with chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to assess the effect of telemedicine management of diabetes in obese and overweight young and middle-aged patients with T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A single-center randomized control study was conducted in 120 obese or overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 24 kg/m2) young and middle-aged patients (aged 18–55 years) with T2DM. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (telemedicine) or control (conventional outpatient clinic appointment) group. After baseline assessment, they were home isolated for 21 days, received diet and exercise guidance, underwent glucose monitoring, and followed up for 6 months. Glucose monitoring and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores were evaluated at 22 days and at the end of 3 and 6 months. Results Ninety-nine patients completed the 6-month follow-up (intervention group: n = 52; control group: n = 47). On day 22, the fasting blood glucose (FBG) level of the intervention group was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05), and the control group’s SDS increased significantly compared with the baseline value (p < 0.05). At the end of 3 months, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and FBG levels in the intervention group decreased significantly compared with those in the control group (p < 0.01). At the end of 6 months, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in postprandial blood glucose, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as well as waist-to-hip ratio compared with the control group (p < 0.05); moreover, the intervention group showed lower SDS scores than the baseline value (p < 0.05). Further, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in BMI compared with the control group at the end of 3 and 6 months (p < 0.01). Conclusion Telemedicine is a beneficial strategy for achieving remotely supervised blood glucose regulation, weight loss, and depression relief in patients with T2DM. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04723550.
Biowaste and by-products as rearing substrates for black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae: Effects on larval body composition and performance

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae can convert biowaste and by-products into body mass high in protein (~40% dry matter, DM) and lipid (~30% DM). However, the type of rearing substrate also affects the larval body composition and thus its nutritional value. Hitherto, it remains unclear how and to what extent the larval body composition can be altered by the substrate. This study was therefore performed to examine the possibilities of modifying larval body composition using different rearing substrates. To investigate this, 5-days old larvae were reared for seven days on different locally available waste and by-products: brewer’s spent grain, mitigation mussels (Mytilus edulis), rapeseed cake, and shrimp waste meal (Pandalus borealis). Larval composition and performance were compared to larvae reared on a commercial chicken feed as well as a mixed feed (mixture of chicken feed and by-products, with a similar macronutrient composition to chicken feed). Larval body weight was recorded daily to determine growth over time whereas larvae and substrates were sampled at the start and end of the trial and analysed for their nutritional composition. The type of rearing substrate affected both larval body composition and growth performance. There was a clear relation between the nutritional composition of the substrate and larvae for certain fatty acids. Larvae reared on marine-based waste substrates contained a higher share of omega-3 fatty acids than larvae reared on the other substrates, indicating an accumulation of omega-3 fatty acids from the substrate. There was a strong positive linear correlation between the ash content in the substrate and larvae whereas larval lipid, protein, amino acid, and chitin content seemed more affected by larval development. Overall, this study showed that the rearing substrate affects larval composition and development, and that larval composition of certain nutrients can be tailored depending on further food and feed applications.
PARAMETRIC STUDY OF FLOW PATTERNS BEHIND THE STANDING ACCRETION SHOCK WAVE FOR CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

In this study, we conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations systematically to investigate the flow patterns behind the accretion shock waves that are commonly formed in the post-bounce phase of core-collapse supernovae. Adding small perturbations to spherically symmetric, steady, shocked accretion flows, we compute the subsequent evolutions to find what flow pattern emerges as a consequence of hydrodynamical instabilities such as convection and standing accretion shock instability for different neutrino luminosities and mass accretion rates. Depending on these two controlling parameters, various flow patterns are indeed realized. We classify them into three basic patterns and two intermediate ones; the former includes sloshing motion (SL), spiral motion (SP), and multiple buoyant bubble formation (BB); the latter consists of spiral motion with buoyant-bubble formation (SPB) and spiral motion with pulsationally changing rotational velocities (SPP). Although the post-shock flow is highly chaotic, there is a clear trend in the pattern realization. The sloshing and spiral motions tend to be dominant for high accretion rates and low neutrino luminosities, and multiple buoyant bubbles prevail for low accretion rates and high neutrino luminosities. It is interesting that the dominant pattern is not always identical between the semi-nonlinear and nonlinear phases near the critical luminosity; the intermediate cases are realized in the latter case. Running several simulations with different random perturbations, we confirm that the realization of flow pattern is robust in most cases.
C-Reactive Protein Level can be a Better Indicator than Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in Assessing the Severity of Inflammation and Guiding Glucocorticoid Therapy in Subacute Thyroiditis

Background: Despite the widespread use of several diagnostic tests in subacute thyroiditis (SAT), their usage remains largely subjective. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are useful indicators of inflammation in patients with SAT. The purpose of this study was to compare the scope for utilising CRP and ESR objectively in deciding the requirement of glucocorticoid therapy. Methods: A total of 28 patients with SAT were included in this study. Serum CRP and ESR were measured in all the patients. The characteristics of these tests were assessed firstly by using previously accepted positivity criterion for the particular diagnostic test. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was obtained to provide an index of the overall discriminative ability of both tests. Results: Fifteen out of 28 patients were found to have features of significant thyroid inflammation eventually requiring glucocorticoid based on the current recommendations. The mean CRP value was significantly higher in patients requiring glucocorticoids. The ROC curves indicated that the optimal positivity criterion was 19.3 mg/L for the CRP level and 46 mm at the 1st hour for ESR. CRP with a sensitivity of 0.67, a specificity of 0.92, a positive likelihood ratio of 8.67, and an accuracy of 0.64 appeared better than ESR, which showed a sensitivity of 0.93, a specificity of 0.53, a positive likelihood ratio of 2.02, and an accuracy of 0.60. Conclusions: The serum CRP level provided a clear advantage over ESR in the assessment of the severity of inflammation before initiation of glucocorticoid therapy in SAT. However, a well-powered study is needed to examine the clinical relevance of such a role for CRP in thyroidology.
Apple fruit periderms (russeting) induced by wounding or by moisture have the same histologies, chemistries and gene expressions

Russeting is a cosmetic defect of some fruit skins. Russeting (botanically: induction of periderm formation) can result from various environmental factors including wounding and surface moisture. The objective was to compare periderms resulting from wounding with those from exposure to moisture in developing apple fruit. Wounding or moisture exposure both resulted in cuticular microcracking. Cross-sections revealed suberized hypodermal cell walls by 4 d, and the start of periderm formation by 8 d after wounding or moisture treatment. The expression of selected target genes was similar in wound and moisture induced periderms. Transcription factors involved in the regulation of suberin (MYB93) and lignin (MYB42) synthesis, genes involved in the synthesis (CYP86B1) and the transport (ABCG20) of suberin monomers and two uncharacterized transcription factors (NAC038 and NAC058) were all upregulated in induced periderm samples. Genes involved in cutin (GPAT6, SHN3) and wax synthesis (KCS10, WSD1, CER6) and transport of cutin monomers and wax components (ABCG11) were all downregulated. Levels of typical suberin monomers (ω-hydroxy-C20, -C22 and -C24 acids) and total suberin were high in the periderms, but low in the cuticle. Periderms were induced only when wounding occurred during early fruit development (32 and 66 days after full bloom (DAFB)) but not later (93 DAFB). Wound and moisture induced periderms are very similar morphologically, histologically, compositionally and molecularly.
Probing charmoniumlike state X(3915) through meson photoproduction

Inspired by the observation of charmoniumlike state $X(3915)$, we explore the discovery potential of the $X(3915)$ production via meson photoproduction process. By investigating the $\ensuremath{\gamma}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J/\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\omega}p$ process including the $X(3915)$ signal and background contributions, we obtain the corresponding information of the cross section, the Dalitz plot, and the $J/\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\omega}$ invariant mass spectrum, which are helpful in further experimental study of $X(3915)$ via meson photoproduction.